“Jesus, you scared the hell out of me.” Logan looked her over quickly, then to the man beside her. Gray-haired, likely in his late sixties, he seemed a little dazed. What was going on? “Why are you on the floor, then?”
“I’m keeping Terrence here company until the medics arrive,” Tess said calmly. “Which should be any minute now.”
“I’m so damn embarrassed,” Terrence muttered, looking from Tess to Logan and back to her again. “Friend of yours?”
“Yes,” she said. “And strong as an ox. I’d let him lift you up, but I think it’s best for you to not move yet.” She rolled from her side onto her stomach and pillowed her forearms under her cheek.
“Could you all please back up?” Logan asked in a sharp tone, swiveling his head around at the human canopy of nosy bystanders.
“Seriously,” Terrence grumbled.
“Folks, let’s give them some room, all right?” came a voice. An employee tried to make the small crowd of about a dozen leave.
“What’s going on?” Logan whispered in Tess’s ear as he sat up.
“I was at the front desk checking out,” Tess explained, “and I heard something behind me. Terrence here tripped and hit his head on the floor. Pretty hard.” Logan caught the glimmer of concern in her eyes. “He was unconscious for a minute. Pam and I”—Tess motioned to the employee trying to clear the lobby—“we rushed to help. Pam called the EMTs, and they should be here soon.”
“I told her,” Terrence said, “that she didn’t have to lie on the floor here with me, but she insisted. Said if I’d cooperate and not move, she’d stay down here with me. She keeps talking to me to make sure I’m alert. She thinks I might have a concussion.” He looked at Tess and said pointedly, “I don’t, you know.”
“I hope I’m wrong, believe me!” Tess grinned. “But just in case, I thought I’d keep you proper company in the meantime.”
Logan glanced at Tess, admiration and respect coursing through him. He looked down at Terrence and said, “You know, I can think of worse things than having a kind, beautiful woman lying on the floor with you.”
Terrence chuckled at that. “You know what, you’re right.”
Noise filled the lobby, echoing off the walls and marble as the EMTs rushed into the lobby, wheeling a stretcher.
Terrence reached out and grasped Tess’s hand. “You were so kind to stay with me. Thank you for that, and for your concern. I’ll be fine.”
“Good to know.” She reached for her bag, which was on the floor a few feet away. Logan grabbed it and handed it to her as one of the EMTs crouched down to survey the scene. Tess took out a business card and pressed it into Terrence’s hand. “My cell phone number is on there. Call me if you need anything. And please text me later to tell me what the actual prognosis is, instead of your own. All right?”
Terrence laughed wryly. “You’re a pushy young woman.”
“I am. Now promise me.”
“I promise, I’ll let you know how I’m doing.” He let the EMT shine a light in his eyes. As Tess rose from the floor, he thanked her again.
Logan watched as she scooped up her dog, then went to talk to the other two EMTs, likely to describe what had happened. He took her suitcase and moved aside to let them do their job. Within a few minutes, they’d gotten Terrence onto the stretcher and wheeled him out to the waiting ambulance.
“I’m sorry about the holdup,” Tess said to Logan. “Let me just talk to Pam once more, and we’ll be on our way.”
“No worries,” he told her. “Take your time.” As he folded himself into a cushy chair, he watched her chat with the employees behind the main desk, who looked grateful and slightly in awe of her. They should be, he thought.
Tess Harrison wasn’t the stuck-up, condescending snob he’d convinced himself she was. How many of his other clients, much less the wealthy, powerful people of Aspen, would lie down in the middle of a hotel floor to keep someone calm and still when they were hurt? Not many, he bet.
By the time he and Tess got her things into his truck and buckled up, Logan found himself saying, “That was a damn nice thing you did in there. Let me buy you some breakfast.” He started the car and put his sunglasses back on.