to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. The old, darkened mirror above the sink had a crack down the middle, but it still showed her looking nearly as bad as her patient. Even though she kept her hair in a short, easy style, it still stuck out in every direction after a night’s sleep. It helped to run a wet comb through it.
Her face looked pale. She tanned easily, but these past few months she hadn’t spent much time in the sun. All work and no play made Keri a dull girl. The refrain ran through her mind as she brushed her teeth, put on clean clothes and headed back to the kitchen.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee energized her as she began collecting bread, eggs and milk. The supplies she’d thought would last at least a week had already been depleted by half a gallon of milk and half a loaf of bread.
“Scrambled eggs and toast is the best I can offer,” she said, trying not to feel self-conscious as she moved around the tight confines of the kitchen. Lamanto’s close proximity unnerved her more than she cared to admit.
“Sounds great. I think I’ll hit the bathroom while you cook,” he added, pushing himself to his feet.
Keri let out a small sigh as he left the room. She could breathe easier without him so close. Silly, of course, but a fact. She wasn’t used to having her personal space invaded by attractive strangers.
Rain pelted the cabin as they ate breakfast. The old tin roof intensified the sound in the heavy silence. Thunder rolled, lightning flashed and the building shuddered in the force of the wind. The temperature steadily dropped.
When they’d cleaned their plates, Keri cleared the table and lit the wall-mounted space heater. It would keep the chill off the back of the house.
“You have gas out here?”
“A propane storage tank out back. Everything is powered by propane, even the generator for electric.”
She poured a second cup of coffee for each of them and sat down again. The sound of the rain on the roof changed. “We’re getting some sleet or hail,” she commented. “I guess Dwayne could be right about snow.”
“Do you get much snow up here?” Lamanto asked.
His strained tone drew Keri’s gaze to his face. She’d avoided looking at him while they ate, but now she noticed how drawn and weak he appeared. The nurse in her knew he should be in bed.
“We can get heavy snow, but it doesn’t stay on the ground long. Not this early in the season. The temperature can vary as much as thirty degrees in a day.” She lifted a brow. “Are you worried about getting snowed in?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “No, but I need sleep. And as you pointed out, you’re in a whole lot better shape right now. I’m wondering how much I can trust you.”
“So, you’re hoping we’ll be snowbound?”
He held her gaze and slowly nodded. “You didn’t comment on the trust issue.”
“How much can you trust me?” She played along even though she had no intention of stepping a foot outside the cabin. “You’re wondering if I’ll make a mad dash for home the minute you go to sleep.”
He gave her a slow nod.
“We have a truce. I promised. You can take it or leave it. We really don’t have any choice but to trust each other, do we?”
Thunder rumbled in the distance but the pounding on the roof lessened. The room grew quiet as their gazes remained locked. When Keri began to feel an unwelcome fascination with the depths of his eyes, she shifted her attention back to her coffee. After swallowing the last drop, she said, “Better let me check your wound and then get back to bed.”
Lamanto finished his coffee and pushed his chair from the table. He shrugged off one arm of the flannel shirt and then slowly tugged it off his bad arm. Keri watched as his flat stomach and rippling abs were slowly bared. She scolded herself for the physical reaction, but then reminded herself that any warm-blooded female would feel the same. It was just the chemistry of the human
Her face looked pale. She tanned easily, but these past few months she hadn’t spent much time in the sun. All work and no play made Keri a dull girl. The refrain ran through her mind as she brushed her teeth, put on clean clothes and headed back to the kitchen.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee energized her as she began collecting bread, eggs and milk. The supplies she’d thought would last at least a week had already been depleted by half a gallon of milk and half a loaf of bread.
“Scrambled eggs and toast is the best I can offer,” she said, trying not to feel self-conscious as she moved around the tight confines of the kitchen. Lamanto’s close proximity unnerved her more than she cared to admit.
“Sounds great. I think I’ll hit the bathroom while you cook,” he added, pushing himself to his feet.
Keri let out a small sigh as he left the room. She could breathe easier without him so close. Silly, of course, but a fact. She wasn’t used to having her personal space invaded by attractive strangers.
Rain pelted the cabin as they ate breakfast. The old tin roof intensified the sound in the heavy silence. Thunder rolled, lightning flashed and the building shuddered in the force of the wind. The temperature steadily dropped.
When they’d cleaned their plates, Keri cleared the table and lit the wall-mounted space heater. It would keep the chill off the back of the house.
“You have gas out here?”
“A propane storage tank out back. Everything is powered by propane, even the generator for electric.”
She poured a second cup of coffee for each of them and sat down again. The sound of the rain on the roof changed. “We’re getting some sleet or hail,” she commented. “I guess Dwayne could be right about snow.”
“Do you get much snow up here?” Lamanto asked.
His strained tone drew Keri’s gaze to his face. She’d avoided looking at him while they ate, but now she noticed how drawn and weak he appeared. The nurse in her knew he should be in bed.
“We can get heavy snow, but it doesn’t stay on the ground long. Not this early in the season. The temperature can vary as much as thirty degrees in a day.” She lifted a brow. “Are you worried about getting snowed in?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “No, but I need sleep. And as you pointed out, you’re in a whole lot better shape right now. I’m wondering how much I can trust you.”
“So, you’re hoping we’ll be snowbound?”
He held her gaze and slowly nodded. “You didn’t comment on the trust issue.”
“How much can you trust me?” She played along even though she had no intention of stepping a foot outside the cabin. “You’re wondering if I’ll make a mad dash for home the minute you go to sleep.”
He gave her a slow nod.
“We have a truce. I promised. You can take it or leave it. We really don’t have any choice but to trust each other, do we?”
Thunder rumbled in the distance but the pounding on the roof lessened. The room grew quiet as their gazes remained locked. When Keri began to feel an unwelcome fascination with the depths of his eyes, she shifted her attention back to her coffee. After swallowing the last drop, she said, “Better let me check your wound and then get back to bed.”
Lamanto finished his coffee and pushed his chair from the table. He shrugged off one arm of the flannel shirt and then slowly tugged it off his bad arm. Keri watched as his flat stomach and rippling abs were slowly bared. She scolded herself for the physical reaction, but then reminded herself that any warm-blooded female would feel the same. It was just the chemistry of the human
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