Emmaline stood next to his bed, clutching his hand and biting her lower lip as she studied the bruises on his face. I was glad Dr. Stewart had issued a warning. The discoloration didn’t worry me, but I was used to seeing such injuries on others as well as myself. Someone who lacked exposure would automatically assume the injuries were far worse than they were. “How are you feeling?” I asked as I stepped next to the bed. “Like I got shot twice and almost drowned.” He locked his gaze on mine. “I hear I owe you big.” I shook my head. “I did what anyone else would have done.” “Not true,” he said, “and even if they’d tried, I doubt many would have been successful.” I felt a blush creep up my face. “I just got lucky. I mean, I’m a certified scuba diver, but that doesn’t exactly qualify you for this sort of thing.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “I’m not sure anything qualifies you for this sort of thing. Thank you.” The words were simple, but the depth of emotion in his eyes had my heart beating a little harder and faster.
