might get infected,” she snapped, sounding angrier than she’d meant to.
“There’s nothing I can do about it until I get back, so I refuse to think about it. Another hour and we’ll be back. Even you will have to stop at sundown.”
She pointed to a stand of trees a few hundred yards up the hill. “There’s a little place up there. I’m guessing we’ll find something to at least wrap it there.”
As he had all day, he didn’t argue. He simply followed her to the cabin her uncle Drummond and aunt Sage stayed in when they were at the ranch and not in their house in town or on the road helping others. Sage had built a reputation as one of the finest doctors in the county She ran a clinic in Anderson Glen and Drum served as sheriff. Their place on the ranch was small but offered them the privacy they seemed to always crave. Strange, she thought of her aunt and uncle as newlyweds even though they’d been married for years.
When Lewt climbed off his horse, Em didn’t miss how he favored the leg. Either he was an idiot for not mentioning he was hurt, or he had more grit to him than she’d guessed.
The door was unlocked and the tiny two-room place was neat and organized, as Em guessed it would be. She had no trouble finding bandages and the smelly black ointment Sage always put on cuts.
“I’ m not a nurse, but this will keep the infection down. Take off your trousers,” she said as she lined up what she needed on the table.
“Not a chance.” He winked, making her laugh. “You’ve finally given an order I don’t plan on following.”
“Look, mister, if you don’t have four legs and eat grass, I’m not interested in you. Do we have that clear?”
He shrugged. “So this is no love nest you tricked me into, planning to get me in bed and take advantage of me?”
“Lewt, the only way you’ll be laid out in that bed is after I shoot you for wasting my time. Now strip off those trousers.” She tossed her hat on the table and let her thick blond braid fall down her back.
“The lady has sunshine hair,” he said softly. “I never would have guessed.”
She looked over her shoulder. “What’s so unusual about blond hair?”
“Nothing. I just figured your hair would be short like a man’s.”
“Don’t worry about my hair. We need to take care of that cut.” She fought the urge to tell him not to look at her. Men, with their stares, made her uncomfortable. She laughed. Men, period, made her uncomfortable.
He tugged off his shoes, then unbuckled his belt. “If you take advantage of me, I want my fifty dollars back.”
She smiled. No one had ever talked to her so boldly about such a thing. She liked the honesty between them.
He lowered his trousers. Blood dripped from the gash above his knee.
She was shocked he wore no long johns underneath his trousers. Any man in this country would have on his wools until spring. His shirttail covered his private parts, but his leg was bare.
“What are you staring at?” he asked. “Is it that bad?”
Em swallowed. “No. Your leg is just so hairy.”
“Well, I can’t help that. You’ve been doctoring hairy legs all day. Just pretend I’m a horse and get on with it.”
Em pulled a chair out and sat as she began wiping off blood. “When we get back to the house I think this will need a few stitches.”
“Will you do them?” he said in almost a whisper. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m hurt.”
“All right.” She didn’t want to ask him why. It was no concern of hers. If he did manage to get one of her sisters interested in him, then they’d probably never mention the day they’d spent together. For a moment, she let herself wonder which sister would even look twice at such a man, then decided neither of them would. He wasn’t the kind of man who’d fit on a ranch no matter how much he learned.
She pushed the gash closed and wrapped it as tight as she could. As she worked, he put his hand on her shoulder so that he stood steady.
“There’s nothing I can do about it until I get back, so I refuse to think about it. Another hour and we’ll be back. Even you will have to stop at sundown.”
She pointed to a stand of trees a few hundred yards up the hill. “There’s a little place up there. I’m guessing we’ll find something to at least wrap it there.”
As he had all day, he didn’t argue. He simply followed her to the cabin her uncle Drummond and aunt Sage stayed in when they were at the ranch and not in their house in town or on the road helping others. Sage had built a reputation as one of the finest doctors in the county She ran a clinic in Anderson Glen and Drum served as sheriff. Their place on the ranch was small but offered them the privacy they seemed to always crave. Strange, she thought of her aunt and uncle as newlyweds even though they’d been married for years.
When Lewt climbed off his horse, Em didn’t miss how he favored the leg. Either he was an idiot for not mentioning he was hurt, or he had more grit to him than she’d guessed.
The door was unlocked and the tiny two-room place was neat and organized, as Em guessed it would be. She had no trouble finding bandages and the smelly black ointment Sage always put on cuts.
“I’ m not a nurse, but this will keep the infection down. Take off your trousers,” she said as she lined up what she needed on the table.
“Not a chance.” He winked, making her laugh. “You’ve finally given an order I don’t plan on following.”
“Look, mister, if you don’t have four legs and eat grass, I’m not interested in you. Do we have that clear?”
He shrugged. “So this is no love nest you tricked me into, planning to get me in bed and take advantage of me?”
“Lewt, the only way you’ll be laid out in that bed is after I shoot you for wasting my time. Now strip off those trousers.” She tossed her hat on the table and let her thick blond braid fall down her back.
“The lady has sunshine hair,” he said softly. “I never would have guessed.”
She looked over her shoulder. “What’s so unusual about blond hair?”
“Nothing. I just figured your hair would be short like a man’s.”
“Don’t worry about my hair. We need to take care of that cut.” She fought the urge to tell him not to look at her. Men, with their stares, made her uncomfortable. She laughed. Men, period, made her uncomfortable.
He tugged off his shoes, then unbuckled his belt. “If you take advantage of me, I want my fifty dollars back.”
She smiled. No one had ever talked to her so boldly about such a thing. She liked the honesty between them.
He lowered his trousers. Blood dripped from the gash above his knee.
She was shocked he wore no long johns underneath his trousers. Any man in this country would have on his wools until spring. His shirttail covered his private parts, but his leg was bare.
“What are you staring at?” he asked. “Is it that bad?”
Em swallowed. “No. Your leg is just so hairy.”
“Well, I can’t help that. You’ve been doctoring hairy legs all day. Just pretend I’m a horse and get on with it.”
Em pulled a chair out and sat as she began wiping off blood. “When we get back to the house I think this will need a few stitches.”
“Will you do them?” he said in almost a whisper. “I don’t want anyone to know I’m hurt.”
“All right.” She didn’t want to ask him why. It was no concern of hers. If he did manage to get one of her sisters interested in him, then they’d probably never mention the day they’d spent together. For a moment, she let herself wonder which sister would even look twice at such a man, then decided neither of them would. He wasn’t the kind of man who’d fit on a ranch no matter how much he learned.
She pushed the gash closed and wrapped it as tight as she could. As she worked, he put his hand on her shoulder so that he stood steady.
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