Amanda's Blue Marine by Doreen Owens Malek Page A

suppose,” she said, wondering if she were losing it.
    “You look so much better,” he said abruptly, watching her. “I was worried this afternoon when I first got to you, Mandy. You looked like death on a dinner plate.”
    “I feel so much better, thanks to you. It was nice of you to bring me here.”
    “I’m not that nice,” he said softly.
    Their eyes met across the little table.
    Mandy’s cell phone rang.
    “I should get this,” she said to Kelly. “I was supposed to meet my father for dinner. He’s probably worried.”
    Kelly nodded.
    The call was not from her father. It was from Tom.
    Kelly rose as soon as he realized who was on the phone. He settled the bill promptly. Mandy made short work of the call but he was already standing in the aisle, waiting for her.
    “Let’s get out of here before another member of my fan club shows up,” he said darkly. He stood back to let her precede him and she carried his jacket over her arm as they left.
    The drive to her condo was conducted in almost total silence. Mandy realized that the call from Tom had disturbed him. It was as if they had both forgotten that Tom existed and the ringing cell phone had reminded them.
    Mandy wished Tom hadn’t called. Kelly had been so unguarded and engaging, almost talkative, before the phone call. Now he was silent. He steered the cruiser through evening traffic efficiently, speaking only to ask directions. When they got to her complex Mandy introduced him to the security guard at the gate and Kelly followed her up to her apartment. When they reached her door she handed him his jacket.
    “Thanks for letting me have that,” she said.
    He took it and shrugged back into it. His face was closed. It was as if someone had flicked a switch and he had shut down.
    Where did you go, Kelly? Mandy wondered plaintively. Come back.
    “I want to apologize again for my behavior after that accident,” she said quickly as they stopped outside her door, working up the nerve to speak in the face of his detached silence.
    He threw up his hands. “Will you stop already, Amanda? You don’t have to say anything else. I understand. That was post traumatic stress. You had a horrible experience five years ago and the incident today just brought it all back. That’s the way it works. The first trauma never really leaves you and anything similar happening afterward can trigger those memories.”
    “You know about it?” Amanda asked, looking at him closely.
    He met her gaze, then looked away. “Yes,” he said briefly, in a tone which indicated he didn’t wish to discuss it further.
    Mandy studied him as he leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to say goodbye. She wanted desperately to ask him inside, even if it was only to keep him with her for a few moments longer. But she was certain she would make a mistake if she did. She didn’t want to be added to his list of conquests, she didn’t want to ruin the partnership her father and Manning had taken such trouble to arrange.
    And she didn’t want to die at the hands of a stalker if Kelly could prevent it.
    Amanda unlocked her door and as it swung open they both heard a loud thud come from inside the apartment.
    Kelly grabbed Amanda bodily and shoved her behind him, so forcefully that she rocked on her heels. He yanked his gun from his shoulder holster and put his finger to his lips, silencing her.
    “Stay here,” he mouthed to her.
    Amanda’s heart began to pound as she obeyed him and remained in the hall while he went inside and crept around the apartment, his gun drawn. She hadn’t realized that such a sizeable man could be so quiet as he moved around stealthily. The only sound she heard was the occasional protest of the floorboards under the carpeting. She was starting to sweat when his voice came from the direction of her bedroom.
    He said in an amused tone, “Hey, Amanda? You can come in now.”
    She ran inside to find him standing next to her bed and holding