Anna's Courage (Rose Island Book 1) by Kristin Noel Fischer

neck. Run my hands over his shoulders and down his arms. Thankfully, I came to my senses before doing anything reckless.
    “Okay, let’s start with a shampoo,” I said, gesturing for him to follow me.
    He gave me a blank stare. “Why? You don’t need to do that.”
    Returning to him, I tugged at a tuft of hair. “Let me guess. The baby ate carrots for breakfast? Maybe strained green beans for lunch?”
    He brought his hand to his head, and I guided it to the spot matted down, compliments of Gabby. “Well, that’s attractive,” he said, sarcastically.
    We shared a laugh, and together, we walked back to the sinks. Sitting in the first chair, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
    I tried to maintain a professional demeanor as I dampened his hair, but once again, my attraction to him overwhelmed me. I hadn’t been seriously interested in anybody since Marcus. Although I’d gone out on several dates and had even kissed a few men good-night, nothing compared to the explosion of emotion I felt toward Nick.
    I lathered his hair with shampoo, the rich scent of sandalwood filling the air. He kept his eyes closed, giving me the opportunity to really look at him without fear of being discovered. No wonder I continued to think about kissing him.
    He was magnificent. Broad shoulders, solid biceps, flat stomach, long muscular legs. Nick was nothing if not solid and dependable, both in body and personality.
    After New Year’s Eve, I’d run a background check on him, and it hadn’t even turned up a speeding ticket. It was ridiculous not to trust him with Travis. So, why was I afraid? Just general anxiety issues, or something more?
    A large drop of water splashed onto the ragged scar at his temple. He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if reading my thoughts. For a moment, neither one of us moved, then, placing a fingertip over the rough skin, I brushed aside the water.
    “How did you get that scar?” I asked.
    He let out a slow breath. “When Ethan and I were kids, we shattered a glass table in the living room. This is where a piece got stuck, and Ethan pulled it out with a pair of tweezers.”
    “Your dad let him do that?”
    He shook his head. “Our father wasn’t there, and we never told him. We weren’t supposed to be wrestling in the house, so we cleaned up the mess and never said anything.”
    I frowned. “Didn’t Jack notice the missing table or the gaping hole in your head?”
    Nick gave a derisive grunt. “No. He was working on an important business deal, so as long as we stayed out of his way, he tended not to notice us.”
    “That must’ve really hurt.”
    He shrugged. “It wasn’t too bad.”
    I rinsed his hair, then dried it with a towel. I imagined the shard of glass in his head, and his father not noticing hurt more than Nick cared to admit, but I didn’t ask him about it.
    “What scares me the most about taking care of the girls,” he began without preamble, “is the fact that Ethan and I didn’t have a lot of supervision growing up. Our mother left when we were little, and our dad worked all the time. Ethan wanted a different life for his kids.”
    Clients often revealed personal information while I washed or cut their hair, but I was surprised to hear Nick speak so candidly about his childhood. Like a lot of military guys, he kept a tight rein on his emotions.
    “Your brother was extremely involved with both his daughters,” I said. “Even though he worked hard, his family was most important.”
    “I know.” Nick sounded frustrated, and he scooted to the edge of the chair as though preparing to stand. He took the wet towel off his head and tossed it in the hamper. “So tell me, how am I supposed to find someone to replace him? For that matter, how am I supposed to find someone to replace Ivana? In some ways, she was like a mother to me—sending me care packages when I was away, insisting I took the time to visit, and embracing me as a member of their family.”
    “You’ll figure it