The Sympathy Card

Every move Deborah made—the way she tilted her head, the way she played with her hair, the way she looked up at Austyn with adoration plain in her eyes—would have made a lesser man surrender to her charm in no time. Austyn was walking and talking, briefing her on the doctor’s orders. Deborah listened attentively, nodding at the appropriate time with an appreciative smile on her face. Kira was fuming. She glared at the shameless duo, their interactions making her hackles rise. But it was not like she could break up their conversation. They weren’t doing anything outrageous. There was no physical contact between them. Yet, Austyn’s gentle voice and Deborah’s smile just bugged the hell out of her. Kira hung her head and decided not to torture herself by watching. She stared at the floor, counting the ants scurrying out of her way. Her head bumped into a solid wall of flesh. ‘Ouch!’ Kira looked up. Austyn had stopped walking. He turned back to face her. ‘Watch where you’re going. You have