think you’re the same man either.”
No, he wasn’t. He was an ass.
“But you’re still a good man, as rough as you are. Bad men don’t come riding to their brother’s rescue in a moment’s notice.”
He managed to get his eyelid open again. Rebecca was facing away from him, her hair a frizzy halo around her face, half in a braid, half out. Her blue-green eyes were ringed with dark circles. A smear of blood decorated her left cheek.
“You look like shit.” This time his words were clear, if rusty.
She swung her head toward him, surprise in her expression. “You’re awake and already flattering me.”
“Not really.” He couldn’t quite keep his eye open. It slid shut again. What kind of idiot was he to keep insulting her?
A silence followed. “I suppose you heard all of my ramblings.”
“Uh-huh.”
Another silence. “That’s unfortunate. I tend to talk to my patients when they’re unconscious. The doctor told me it might help and I like to do all I can to help.”
Tobias found another bit of energy and cranked his eye open. “What happened?”
She frowned and her hand fluttered. “No one knows exactly. James went into the barn and three men were beating you. He stopped them and brought you in here.”
There was a hell of a lot more to the story. He had flashes of the barn, his horse and then fists flying. Damn it, why couldn’t he remember?
“My face hurts.”
“You have lots of cuts. One rather big one on your forehead bled quite a bit. You’re weak from the beating and losing blood.” Her voice had taken on that doctor tone, the emotional woman he’d heard minutes before gone. He wanted that Rebecca back. He could listen to her every day, possibly each day for the rest of his life.
“Deputy?” He tried to shake the fog from his brain. “Did you say deputy?”
She got to her feet and walked over to Will. As she placed a hand on his cheek, neck and then forehead, he watched her. She had a natural grace about her, like a doe in the forest. And he was the wild bear scratching bark off trees and snarling at everyone. Opposites in every way.
“Yes, there was a deputy here. He wanted to arrest you for hurting the three men. James was going to go to battle to protect you.”
He was surprised yet again. James hated him. Why would his younger brother stand up for him?
“If it was three against one, there ain’t no call to arrest me. Did I shoot ’em?” He remembered having a pistol but not using it.
“No, I think it was fists. The deputy was insistent but James wouldn’t let him in the room.” She frowned. “I had to send them both away.”
Not only did he owe James, but he owed Rebecca. She seemed to do nothing but help people and he did the opposite.
Rebecca seemed satisfied with Will, and she returned to Tobias. He was able to open his eye a smidge more and he took a good look at his savior. She really did look awful as though she hadn’t slept in days. Well hell, she likely hadn’t. After taking care of Will, then she had to take care of Tobias.
“Sorry.”
She looked surprised. “What are you sorry for?”
“I came here to help Will. Now you gotta doctor both of us.”
She smiled and his heart thumped. What was it about this woman that made him want to be a better man and deserve that smile? She leaned toward him. “I need to check your bandages and wounds.” She waited as if he would say no.
“Don’t wait on me. I ain’t nothing but a thorn in your side.”
“You are not a thorn in my side. You were injured and I helped to take care of your wounds. I waited until you woke to put poultices on your bruises. They’ll help with swelling.” She touched his face and he closed his eye again. Her touch was addictive. Each time her small hands graced his skin, he wanted more, and more again.
“I couldn’t be any uglier.”
She blew out a breath. “You are not ugly,
No, he wasn’t. He was an ass.
“But you’re still a good man, as rough as you are. Bad men don’t come riding to their brother’s rescue in a moment’s notice.”
He managed to get his eyelid open again. Rebecca was facing away from him, her hair a frizzy halo around her face, half in a braid, half out. Her blue-green eyes were ringed with dark circles. A smear of blood decorated her left cheek.
“You look like shit.” This time his words were clear, if rusty.
She swung her head toward him, surprise in her expression. “You’re awake and already flattering me.”
“Not really.” He couldn’t quite keep his eye open. It slid shut again. What kind of idiot was he to keep insulting her?
A silence followed. “I suppose you heard all of my ramblings.”
“Uh-huh.”
Another silence. “That’s unfortunate. I tend to talk to my patients when they’re unconscious. The doctor told me it might help and I like to do all I can to help.”
Tobias found another bit of energy and cranked his eye open. “What happened?”
She frowned and her hand fluttered. “No one knows exactly. James went into the barn and three men were beating you. He stopped them and brought you in here.”
There was a hell of a lot more to the story. He had flashes of the barn, his horse and then fists flying. Damn it, why couldn’t he remember?
“My face hurts.”
“You have lots of cuts. One rather big one on your forehead bled quite a bit. You’re weak from the beating and losing blood.” Her voice had taken on that doctor tone, the emotional woman he’d heard minutes before gone. He wanted that Rebecca back. He could listen to her every day, possibly each day for the rest of his life.
“Deputy?” He tried to shake the fog from his brain. “Did you say deputy?”
She got to her feet and walked over to Will. As she placed a hand on his cheek, neck and then forehead, he watched her. She had a natural grace about her, like a doe in the forest. And he was the wild bear scratching bark off trees and snarling at everyone. Opposites in every way.
“Yes, there was a deputy here. He wanted to arrest you for hurting the three men. James was going to go to battle to protect you.”
He was surprised yet again. James hated him. Why would his younger brother stand up for him?
“If it was three against one, there ain’t no call to arrest me. Did I shoot ’em?” He remembered having a pistol but not using it.
“No, I think it was fists. The deputy was insistent but James wouldn’t let him in the room.” She frowned. “I had to send them both away.”
Not only did he owe James, but he owed Rebecca. She seemed to do nothing but help people and he did the opposite.
Rebecca seemed satisfied with Will, and she returned to Tobias. He was able to open his eye a smidge more and he took a good look at his savior. She really did look awful as though she hadn’t slept in days. Well hell, she likely hadn’t. After taking care of Will, then she had to take care of Tobias.
“Sorry.”
She looked surprised. “What are you sorry for?”
“I came here to help Will. Now you gotta doctor both of us.”
She smiled and his heart thumped. What was it about this woman that made him want to be a better man and deserve that smile? She leaned toward him. “I need to check your bandages and wounds.” She waited as if he would say no.
“Don’t wait on me. I ain’t nothing but a thorn in your side.”
“You are not a thorn in my side. You were injured and I helped to take care of your wounds. I waited until you woke to put poultices on your bruises. They’ll help with swelling.” She touched his face and he closed his eye again. Her touch was addictive. Each time her small hands graced his skin, he wanted more, and more again.
“I couldn’t be any uglier.”
She blew out a breath. “You are not ugly,
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