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she’d developed an aversion to anything media related. The reporters made a gong show out of her family’s distress. Nowadays, she seldom watched the news or read a paper, not that she was missing much—it was usually bad news anyway.
    “So this is what you do in your off-time?” Jenny asked, her gaze mischievous as she eyed Scott over Tracy’s shoulder.
    Tracy glanced back, and was relieved to see his lids closed and his face slackening with sleep. He looked like he needed it too. Dark rings had made half-moon shadows under his eyes. His skin was pale and highlighted a string of fading bruises from his right cheek down to the edge of his collar. Sympathy that she knew he wouldn’t appreciate, moved her to lift a blanket from the shelf and lay it over his lap. He shifted and she froze, her arms practically wrapped around him, her cheek inches from his chest. Then he settled and she sighed her relief.
    She straightened on the hard bench and shrugged at Jenny’s knowing smile. “He needs the rest.”
    Jenny snorted. “I just bet he does.”
    Tracy flushed. “It’s not what you think. He was in an accident a few days ago and lost his sister and best friend.”
    Jenny’s pretty face sobered. “Oh, that sucks.” Then, it was like a light bulb came on. “Hey, I know who he is, the guys were talking about going out on that call. Heard it was a bad one. Head-on with a van, right?”
    Tracy nodded. “Yeah, that’s the one. The driver of the van didn’t make it either. Left behind two kids and a pregnant wife who miscarried a few hours later.”
    Jenny swore. Working around a bunch of men every day gave her the vocabulary of a lumberjack. “They said alcohol was a factor. That bites. He deserved what he got then.” Her gaze turned inflammatory on the unsuspecting Scott.
    Tracy hurried to defend the sleeping man. “The investigation is ongoing. We don’t know anything for sure yet, so give him the benefit of a doubt, okay?” She didn’t know why she felt this sudden surge of protectiveness. She barely knew the man, but it was undeniable. He’d somehow managed to get under her skin.
    The ambulance bounced over a speed bump and came to a stop. They had arrived. Jenny did another check of the pup’s vitals, then prepared for transport.
    Scott woke up with a start and groaned at the sudden movement. He gazed down at the blanket sliding off his legs and lifted a bemused stare in Tracy’s direction.
    She shrugged, self-conscious. “You looked cold.”
    They both reached for the fallen blanket at the same time and ended up bumping heads.
    “Ouch.” Tracy sat up and giggled, struck by the silliness of the situation.
    Scott rose a bit slower, his hand cradling his chin. The poor man really was a mess.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, the words a bit garbled.
    “Me?” she laughed. “Look at you. There’s not too many more places to get banged, are there?”
    Almost before the words left her lips she wished them back. Scott looked surprised, then intrigued. Jenny hooted, and Tracy turned seven shades of red.
    She flattened her hands to her overheated cheeks and refused to meet his eyes. “That’s not, uh… yeah. I’ll just stop now.”
    “Don’t quit. People pay good money for this sort of entertainment.” Jenny murmured, as she brushed past to open the rear doors.
    There was no time to remain embarrassed. The driver met them at the back. They set the wheels down on the gurney and rolled toward the emergency entrance to the vet hospital. Scott climbed out and offered her a hand. Tracy hesitated, then grabbed on and the two of them hurried to catch the paramedics. Ken met them, smiled reassuringly, and began an assessment.
    His practiced fingers ran over the animal’s skull, withers, back and abdomen. He turned to them for a report, his gaze contemplating Scott’s firm grip of her hand before he met her worried look with a quirk of his lips.
    “When I asked you out on a date this wasn’t what I had in