Day Of Atonement. Alex Archer

during those difficult times, stepping into a maternal role with ease. Ever since then they’d continued to share a special bond, despite the divorce between Barbie and Justice.

      Yes, Kelly would do anything for Mrs. Wilder. Even face a lion like Justice in his den.

      She wondered if he knew that Barbie had recently gotten engaged to a wealthy Atlanta businessman? If so, did that knowledge contribute to his bad mood, to his coming to this island? He’d certainly still sounded bitter when he’d said, Haven’t you Hart women messed up my life enough already?

      Kelly had anticipated that Justice might be angry at her sudden appearance, but she hadn’t expected her own response to him. Sure she’d had a teenage crush on him, but that had been ages ago. There hadn’t been any way for her to foresee the powerful physical effect he had on her now. And she’d only just arrived. There was bound to be more touching the more time she spent with him.

      If she became his physical therapist, they’d be in close physical contact. She had to be prepared for that. But the one thing she wasn’t prepared to do was fall in love with Justice Wilder.

      Justice was not having a good evening. He wasn’t getting any more information out of his mother than he’d gotten out of Kelly.

      “You forget, Justice, I’ve been interrogated by the best—your father. You’re not going to get me to tell you anything I choose not to,” his mom told him. “It didn’t work when you were ten and trying to find out what I got you for your birthday and it’s not going to work now.”

      “I’m injured, you shouldn’t be picking on me.”

      “That’s right, you’re injured and you shouldn’t be giving me white hair by taking off from the hospital against doctor’s orders.”

      So much for trying the sympathy routine. “I’m fine,” he said impatiently.

      “We both know that’s not true.” His mother’s voice was quiet but firm. She’d never been one to take any guff. As the only female in a household of five men—her husband and four strapping sons—she couldn’t afford to be a pushover.

      “So you sent little Kelly here to take care of me?”

      “She’s good at what she does, Justice. Let her help you.”

      “I don’t need any help.”

      “You can always tell a Marine, but you can’t tell them much,” she muttered before growling, “Don’t be such an idiot.”

      “Gee, thanks, Mom.”

      “I mean it, Justice.” She was using her sternest voice. “You be nice to Kelly. I sent her there. It wasn’t her idea to go.”

      “I’m a grown man, I don’t need my mother sending anyone to help me. I’ve faced plenty of danger on my own.”

      “I know that,” she said quietly. “And I know the nickname you earned in your squad because of it. Invincible. Able to do the impossible. It’s almost as if you were tempting the fates to do something to you. If there was a dangerous mission, you were on it.”

      “It’s what I do.” Or what he used to do. Who knew what his future held now? He glared down at his injured shoulder and tried to ball his right hand into a fist and raise his arm. It was a pitiful effort.

      “And worrying about you and taking care of you is what I do,” his mother countered. “I’ve let you do your job all these years, now let me do mine. Just give physical therapy a try with Kelly and see how things turn out.”

      “I don’t want her here.”

      “You can’t throw her out.” His mother sounded panicked, which made him feel guilty.

      “I won’t throw her out,” he said gruffly. “It’s storming outside.” Lightning flashed again. “I wouldn’t turn a dog out in this kind of weather.”

      “How kind of you to liken Kelly to a dog,” she noted wryly.

      “Okay, so I don’t have my brother’s charming ways with women,” Justice retorted.

      “I’m not asking you to be charming, just to be nice. Think you can do that? I’m only nagging you because I love you.”

      His throat suddenly clenched. “I know that. Listen, I’ve got to go, Mom. I only called you to let you know I’m okay.”

      He quickly ended the call and tossed his cell phone onto the night table. He’d lied to his mom. He wouldn’t be okay until he’d recovered. He was Invincible once. He needed to be Invincible again. Or die trying.

      “My mom told me to be nice to you,” Justice drawled a few minutes later as he watched Kelly wipe down the stove.

      “And you told her you’ve been the perfect host, right?” she drawled right back.

      “I told her I wouldn’t toss you out on your keister in a storm.” A boom of thunder crashed as if to emphasize his statement. Noting her startled jump, he said, “Are you afraid?”

      She tossed the sponge back into the sink before turning to face him again. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I’m not afraid of storms. Actually I think they’re kind of neat. And pretty amazing. Did you know that lightning bolts are rarely thicker than a common pencil?”

      “You’re just a fountain of information, aren’t you?”

      “I’m a smart woman.”

      “Not smart enough to stay away from me.”

      She sighed. “What is it going to take to convince you that I can help you?”

      “A miracle?”

      “How about a game of poker?”

      He narrowed his blue eyes. “You’re kidding, right?”

      “If I beat you, then you’ll stop being such a baby about my being your physical therapist.”

      Justice stared at her in amazement. Did she have any idea who she was speaking to here? He was a member of the Marine Corps’ most elite Force Recon. He knew twenty ways to disable an enemy in the blink of an eye. He’d used deadly force. And she was calling him a baby and challenging him to a poker game? She clearly wasn’t as smart as she claimed to be.

      “What happens when I win?” he countered.

      “Then I’ll leave on the next ferry.”

      He found that hard to believe. Not when she’d been so adamant about staying. She didn’t appear to be the type to give up easily if at all. Stubborn. Just like his ex-wife. Definitely another troublemaking Hart woman—the last thing he needed in his life. “What’s the catch?” he demanded.

      “No catch. I happen to have a deck of cards with me.”

      “I’m sure you do.” He didn’t trust her for one minute. The woman was up to something. Whatever it was, he wasn’t about to let her get away with it. “And I’m sure you won’t mind if I examine them first.”

      “Afraid I’m going to cheat the big bad Marine?”

      “It wouldn’t surprise me if you tried. After all, you are Barbie’s sister.”

      “I’m nothing like my sister.”

      “No, you’re not, are you.”

      His comment stung for some reason. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, as if dismissing her.

      Okay, so she wasn’t gorgeous like Barbie. That didn’t mean she didn’t have other redeeming characteristics.

      Like being smart? an inner voice mocked.

      Like being strong, she silently countered. And making the most of what she had. And being independent. Unlike Barbie, she didn’t need outside reinforcement to feel complete. She didn’t need constant reassurance and