She inhaled, a sharp and audible gasp that flooded her brain with oxygen. Her knees weakened. Danny was beside her in an instant. His body pressed against her, supported her, and thawed the mass of frozen panic that threatened to shut down her body.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Danny pulled a stool closer and guided her onto it. “Sit down for a minute.”

He filled a glass of water from the dispenser on the refrigerator and handed it to her. She took a sip, but stopped when the first swallow of cold water hit her stomach. Sitting still let her mind roam. Never a good thing. She had to move. She had to do something.

She checked the clock on the microwave. It was barely noon. She had hours before it was time to put out an afternoon snack for her guests. She could start prep for tomorrow’s breakfast or she could throw in a load of wash. Physical labor was the best thing to work off the excess of nervous energy. She slid off the stool. “I have some work to do.”

Danny grabbed her hand. “When was the last time you took an afternoon off?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Well, what do you like to do to relax?”

“I don’t have much time for relaxing.” Sunlight pulled Mandy’s gaze to the window. She imagined the heat of its rays on her skin. Outside, budding trees and greening grass tempted her. When was the last time she’d spent a day outdoors? A crazy idea popped into her head. “Do you like to fish?”

“I’ve never been fishing.”

“Never?”

“Nope.” Danny shrugged. “I grew up in the city.”

“There are plenty of bodies of water in Philadelphia.”

“True, but we spent most of our time keeping the business afloat. There wasn’t much time for leisure activities.”

“I know what you mean.” They had more in common than she would have expected.

“Besides, I don’t think I’d want to eat anything that came out of the Schuylkill River.” He shot her a grin. “You could teach me.”

Memories of his hard body under her hands at the gun range flushed a welcome heat through her veins. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t just the promise of a few quiet hours in the woods that enticed her. Since Danny’s arrival, she’d realized how much male companionship was lacking in her life. Other than Jed, she didn’t have many friends. Her goal of going to school and getting out of Huntsville had consumed her life for the past few years. She’d let her few friendships lapse. “I’ll pack some sandwiches. Then I’ll get the equipment together.”

Danny stopped her. “I’ll pack lunch. You take care of the rods and stuff.”

“OK. There’s a small cooler in the pantry.”

“I’ll dig for what I need. Is anything off limits?”