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still over her legs, but
    she’d have to get rid of that to walk. The woman was going to get an eyeful if she was still
    around when she got up. “I’m not…I’ve been hurt badly. When I stand up…if I manage to stand
    up, you’re going to wish you’d left a while ago.”
    “Why is that?” Storm pulled the blanket from her body. Few people saw her this way, and
    she thought that the only ones who had seen her entire body had been the doctors and nurses.
    She’d not looked herself…it was just too much. “Oh, you poor girl.”
    For reasons that she couldn’t explain, Storm didn’t want to lash out at the woman. She’d had
    people say the same thing to her before, nurses who hadn’t been around her much. Doctors that
    had thought to come by her bed and see if they could reason with her. Storm didn’t do reason.
    She was someone who got things done. But Mrs. H sounded sincere in her sorrow. When she
    came closer to her, Storm pulled the blanket back over herself.
    “They thought they were going to have to take them off. From the knees down. The doctor
    told me afterwards that they still might have to, but then I started to walk. I’m not one to give up
    easily.” Bri said she could see that. “The bones are weak still and there is a lot of muscle damage
    that might not ever heal, but I move around now and that’s enough for me.”
    “I read about it. Not who you were…the papers kept that out of the news. I wasn’t sure why
    until I talked to your aunts. They said that because of what you were in the service, they were
    keeping it quiet. That you were more than just a soldier.” Storm didn’t say anything as Bri
    continued. “She told me what you did while you were hanging there, too. She told me that they
    found you in a tree. I’m sorry.”
    “I don’t know who told her that, but that’s not for…I would appreciate it if you said nothing
    about that.” Bri nodded and sat down. “I’m hoping you can see now why your son shouldn’t
    pursue this any further. I’m not really the type of woman he should be dating, much less taking
    as a mate.”
    “I don’t know why you’d think that.” Storm nodded to her legs. “I’m sure that the two of
    you got off on the wrong foot. Riordan has been…I’m not sure what’s been wrong with him of
    late, but he didn’t do well with you. But as far as what you’ve been through, I’m sure that it will
    matter little to him what you look like so long as you’re happy.”
    “But I’m not. Happy.” Storm stood up and held onto the wall near her bed until she thought
    she could move. “I’m really sorry about this. But I’d really be grateful if you told your son to
    stay away. I know that so long as there is no contact with us sexually, or that he never takes my
    blood, he should be fine. But this is not something I want. Not now and not ever.”
    Bri didn’t say anything, but she did follow her to the bathroom. When she reached into the
    stall and turned on the water, Bri asked her if she needed anything before she left. After telling
    her that she was fine, the woman left her and Storm stripped down. Without looking in the mirror
    that hung over the sink, Storm got into the shower. Closing her eyes as she usually did when
    naked, she scrubbed her body until it ached.
    Dressing wasn’t usually so difficult. Pulling on a pair of jeans took her ten minutes longer
    than it should have. Not even bothering with shoes and socks, she moved to the closet and pulled
    out the first shirt she touched. They were all the same anyway…dark with no pockets, and too
    long even for her tall body. Pulling it over her head, she made her way to the stairs. Going down
    them had always been a scary job, but today it was positively terrifying. As she got to the
    bottom, Storm stood there for several seconds just to get her heartbeat under control again. Her
    Aunt Lynn was the first person she saw.
    “Well, look who’s up and about. I was going to bring some food