Read Online Falling Softly: Compass Girls, Book 4 by Mari Carr & Jayne Rylon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mari Carr & Jayne Rylon
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branch. At least, that’s what he intended, but with his shaking hands, he slipped and stabbed himself instead. Not anything major considering the scrapes, bumps, bruises and punctures he endured every day. A hazard of working outdoors.
But the women squeaked when blood began to well from the wound.
“Viho! You’re bleeding.” Sterling gasped.
“You’d better come clean that cut out,” Vicky suggested. “You don’t want to get an infection.”
“Seriously, your hands are slathered in dirt and those shears are a little rusty,” Sterling piled on.
Viho tucked the offending instrument under the pile of cuttings so they couldn’t see the terrible shape of his tools. It’d been in his plan to buy new ones. Eventually.
Still, they balked when he yanked his shirt over his head and wrapped it around the injury. Damn, it did sting. He could have kicked himself for being careless and making the situation worse. Sterling blinked a few times, then her gaze wandered along his muscles to the bulge in his pants.
Terrific.
“Come on.” She took his elbow and led him to the table as if he were as feeble as Vicky.
“It’s not a big deal.” He stopped just short of rolling his eyes at her when she pressed his shoulders, coaxing him to sit so she could fuss over him.
He’d be lying if he didn’t say that some shred of him enjoyed her attention. Another part of him entirely wished he could swipe everything off the table with one arm and have her again, right here, right now.
Well, except for her grandmother looking on.
“Let me see.” Sterling knelt between his legs, not helping abate his fantasies.
She lifted his hand from his thigh, took it in hers and dribbled ice water over the injury, washing away the stain on his skin. He wished she could remove the blemishes on his heart as easily.
Despite the fact that he was fine, he let her tend to the wound, cleaning and wrapping it in a strip of cotton from his ruined shirt.
“All good now,” she announced when she’d finished the field dressing.
“Thank you.” He couldn’t stop himself from cupping her cheek in his other hand. Unfortunately, that only got her dirty. Damn.
He yanked his fingers back, though she giggled and swiped the mess from her cheek with the remains of his tee. Was it his imagination, or did she pause to smell the fabric for an instant?
Out of nowhere, Vicky raised her voice, “Do you have a girlfriend, Mr.…?”
“Viho,” he reminded her.
“Right.” The older woman grinned. “You two look kind of nice together. I wouldn’t object if you wanted to take my granddaughter on a date, you know.”
“Vivi!” Sterling shot her a look that was equal parts mortification and outrage.
The lady simply laughed. And though it was awkward, Viho was happy he’d had a part in making her smile.
“What’s all this fun? Why wasn’t I invited?” Hope ambled over with Wyatt and Clayton, two of the ranch hands Viho had gotten to know over the past several weeks. The guys seemed competent, honorable and totally in love with Sterling’s cousin. They were engaged to her. Both of them.
Viho was impressed with how open-minded the family was to the unconventional relationship until he’d learned that one of the Compass Brothers—Silas, the head of the ranch—had a wife and a husband.
Some of the things he’d told himself about how horrible these people must be to lure his father away from him all these years had clearly been lies. Immature feelings borne of hurt. They hammered home to him just how narrow-minded his community had been. And how different most people were from that. Understanding that reality had cost Viho. But it didn’t diminish his jealousy.
All his life, he’d wished for what these people had.
“Just the usual picnic in the garden. Except Viho hurt himself.” Sterling bit her lip, frowning.
“I’m fine. Better get back to work, actually.” He started to rise.
Wyatt stopped him with a heavy hand on his
But the women squeaked when blood began to well from the wound.
“Viho! You’re bleeding.” Sterling gasped.
“You’d better come clean that cut out,” Vicky suggested. “You don’t want to get an infection.”
“Seriously, your hands are slathered in dirt and those shears are a little rusty,” Sterling piled on.
Viho tucked the offending instrument under the pile of cuttings so they couldn’t see the terrible shape of his tools. It’d been in his plan to buy new ones. Eventually.
Still, they balked when he yanked his shirt over his head and wrapped it around the injury. Damn, it did sting. He could have kicked himself for being careless and making the situation worse. Sterling blinked a few times, then her gaze wandered along his muscles to the bulge in his pants.
Terrific.
“Come on.” She took his elbow and led him to the table as if he were as feeble as Vicky.
“It’s not a big deal.” He stopped just short of rolling his eyes at her when she pressed his shoulders, coaxing him to sit so she could fuss over him.
He’d be lying if he didn’t say that some shred of him enjoyed her attention. Another part of him entirely wished he could swipe everything off the table with one arm and have her again, right here, right now.
Well, except for her grandmother looking on.
“Let me see.” Sterling knelt between his legs, not helping abate his fantasies.
She lifted his hand from his thigh, took it in hers and dribbled ice water over the injury, washing away the stain on his skin. He wished she could remove the blemishes on his heart as easily.
Despite the fact that he was fine, he let her tend to the wound, cleaning and wrapping it in a strip of cotton from his ruined shirt.
“All good now,” she announced when she’d finished the field dressing.
“Thank you.” He couldn’t stop himself from cupping her cheek in his other hand. Unfortunately, that only got her dirty. Damn.
He yanked his fingers back, though she giggled and swiped the mess from her cheek with the remains of his tee. Was it his imagination, or did she pause to smell the fabric for an instant?
Out of nowhere, Vicky raised her voice, “Do you have a girlfriend, Mr.…?”
“Viho,” he reminded her.
“Right.” The older woman grinned. “You two look kind of nice together. I wouldn’t object if you wanted to take my granddaughter on a date, you know.”
“Vivi!” Sterling shot her a look that was equal parts mortification and outrage.
The lady simply laughed. And though it was awkward, Viho was happy he’d had a part in making her smile.
“What’s all this fun? Why wasn’t I invited?” Hope ambled over with Wyatt and Clayton, two of the ranch hands Viho had gotten to know over the past several weeks. The guys seemed competent, honorable and totally in love with Sterling’s cousin. They were engaged to her. Both of them.
Viho was impressed with how open-minded the family was to the unconventional relationship until he’d learned that one of the Compass Brothers—Silas, the head of the ranch—had a wife and a husband.
Some of the things he’d told himself about how horrible these people must be to lure his father away from him all these years had clearly been lies. Immature feelings borne of hurt. They hammered home to him just how narrow-minded his community had been. And how different most people were from that. Understanding that reality had cost Viho. But it didn’t diminish his jealousy.
All his life, he’d wished for what these people had.
“Just the usual picnic in the garden. Except Viho hurt himself.” Sterling bit her lip, frowning.
“I’m fine. Better get back to work, actually.” He started to rise.
Wyatt stopped him with a heavy hand on his
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