Loving the Chase (Heart of the Storm #1) by Sharla Lovelace Page B

shut her eyes tight, knowing it was the wrong time to be so close to him. Her legs were still wobbly from the experience in the truck, and she wasn’t entirely sure her stomach was stable. If she looked him in the eye again, she’d break, and he’d hold her and—hell, no.
    Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and moved away from him, willing her legs to work. She would not show weakness. She would not be another notch on his belt or damsel in distress for him to sweep off her feet. She had a job to do.
    “Over there, Zach,” Hannah said, breaking his attention away as she came around the back of the vehicle. “Jonah’s already interviewing.”
    Maddi sighed with relief, thankful that Hannah had a job to do, too. Zach turned for a last glance as he walked away, and she purposely held her chin up and followed him at a distance. She would not be weak. She would not be reduced or maneuvered by Zach Chase, the tornado-chasing stairway-fucking dick. Ever again.
    Yes , she thought, her sandals crunching the gravel under her feet. Keep thinking like this. Write it on a Post-it note. Have cards made. Recite it over coffee every morning.
    She followed him toward an elderly woman with dirt all over her, clutching her purse, sitting on a concrete bench.
    “Ma’am, do you mind if I talk to you?” he asked, kneeling next to her.
    She looked lost and scattered. “No,” she said, her voice small. “I’m waiting for my husband.”
    “Is he coming to get you?” he asked. “Was he with you when the tornado hit?”
    She shook her head. “He’s at home. I just walked over here to get milk.” She looked him in the eyes and Maddi’s heart twisted. The woman had that look. She remembered seeing it in the mirror. Haunted. Invaded. Betrayed.
    “Are you okay?” Maddi asked, moving to sit by her.
    “It was like God took the roof off and decided to vacuum,” the lady said. “Everything just—went up.”
    “I know what you mean,” Maddi said softly. “I’ve seen that before, myself.”
    Zach’s face clouded over, and before anything could be said to go down that road, she jumped into business mode, gesturing to Rudy to come with his little handheld camera.
    Zach frowned. “What are you doing?” he said under his breath.
    “Catching this,” she said. “Ma’am, do you mind if we ask you some questions on camera?”
    He looked at her like she’d lost her mind. “No.”
    “Yes.”
    “I guess that’s okay,” the woman said, her voice faltering. “I’d ask Henry, but . . .”
    Zach shook his head and focused on the woman, his eyes flashing disapproval. “Are you okay?” he reiterated, trying to position himself between the woman and Rudy. “Were you hurt?”
    She shook her head. “No. My husband is coming. He has to walk because our car is upside down in the yard.”
    “Oh, my God, was he hurt?” Maddi asked.
    “No, he was in the bathroom,” she said. “But he can’t find my little Dolly.”
    “Who’s Dolly?” Zach asked.
    “My little dog,” she said, her eyes brimming with tears as if the thought had just registered with her. “My sweet little Dolly.”
    “I’ll stay with her,” Hannah said, putting a hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Go do what you need to do.”
    “Turn that off,” Zach said to Rudy, getting up. “It’s—”
    “It’s what you’re signing up for,” Maddi said, pushing to her feet as well. “What do you think a reality show is, Zach?” she asked, swiping fingers under her eyes, and looking up at him with disdain. “Whatever it takes.”

    Whatever it takes . Zach would be okay with never hearing those words again.
    Once upon a time, it was his mantra. Back when rules were meant to be broken and boundaries to be breached. Back before the day he arrived home to dig the woman he loved out from under two stories of rubble, and she’d thrown those words at him repeatedly.
    He still lived them to a degree. He still pushed the limits. But those words were less bragging