by Mindy Neff
“I’m okay, boy.”
Simba wasn’t buying it, and Jack swore softly as he nearly tripped over the anxious dog accompanying them back up the steps.
Tori hadn’t moved an inch. Her eyes were wide and stunned.
“Jack,” Sunny whispered. “Put me down.”
“In a minute.”
“We’re scaring Tori.”
He glanced at his daughter and kept moving. “Tori, darlin’, would you take care of Simba for a few minutes more? Sunny got kicked by one of the cows, and we just need to put a bandage on her leg, okay?”
Tori nodded and caught Simba around the neck, curling her fingers in his fur. After sitting back down, she drew the dog close. “Cora went home. Do you want me to get Beau?”
“We’ll be fine. Maybe you could ask Beau to make Sunny some tea.”
Tori popped up, obviously relieved to have a job to do.
“With lots of sugar,” Sunny called.
Jack took her into the master bathroom, where he carefully lowered her onto the closed lid of the toilet.
“Well, that’s amazing,” she commented. “A man who puts the lid down.”
“The cat has a weird toilet fetish. She likes to get in it.” He plucked Sunny’s hat off, then his own, and set them both on the sink counter.
“Guess nobody ever told her cats don’t like water,” she stated wryly.
“Guess not. Think you can put weight on the leg?”
“Of course.” Her words were much braver than she felt. She gripped the edge of the sink to pull herself up, dreading the movement. Perspiration beaded on her brow, dripped between her breasts. The denim was sticking to the wound, and bending her leg caused her skin to tug.
She hated showing weakness, had no patience with it.
“Not so fast,” Jack said, gently holding her arms. He helped her to stand, steadied her as she tested her weight on the leg.
It held fine. “I told you it wasn’t broken.” To prove it, she took a few tentative steps across the bathroom, Jack hovering over her every inch of the way. “I’m sure it’s just bruised.”
“Well, you’ve got fresh blood coming out now. Let’s have a look and see if you’re going to need stitches.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
He just stood there stubbornly.
Sunny had trouble holding strong against his stare. “In order to get at it, I have to take off my pants.”
His eyebrows rose. “It’s not as though I haven’t seen a female body in underwear.”
Yes, he’d seen hers.
“You are wearing underwear, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” Sort of.
“Then what’s the problem?” He reached for the snap of her jeans. She batted his hands away.
“Listen, Sunny. I’m not leaving this bathroom until I’ve checked that wound and cleaned it. Either that or I’m hauling you into town to the doctor.”
“I don’t need a doctor.”
“Then stop being a sissy and let’s do this.”
Even though she flushed from head to toe, she jerked the zipper down and gingerly tugged her jeans to her knees.
The man still knew how to rile her.
She was not a sissy.
Bent over, she got a look at the gash. A hoof-size circle of raw skin surrounded a deeper laceration on her thigh, but it didn’t appear to require a stitch. Still, the action of pulling rough denim over the wound made her head spin and nausea churn her stomach.
Jack wrapped his hands around Sunny’s hips to steady her, trying not to notice or react to the cotton thong that left her behind exposed.
“Sit.”
“I do believe I will.”
Pale as all get-out and she could still sass, make light of an incident that would have traumatized most women and had them screaming for drugs. He guided her back down on the toilet, and gathered a washcloth and first-aid kit from beneath the sink.
The image of her sailing through the barn and crumpling in a heap in the corner was etched in his mind, playing over and over like a disaster video clip on the six o’clock news. In the seconds it had taken him to get to her, he’d thought his heart would stop.
Seeing the broken, swollen skin up close made his gut churn anew. “See, you’re not invincible after all.”
“I never said I was.”
“Actions speak louder than words.”
“What—ouch!” She tried to push his hand away when he washed the cut.
“Don’t be a baby.” He wanted to kiss the wound and make it better. He hated like hell that he was hurting her, hated that she’d gotten hurt in the first place.
“You’re hardly bigger than a minute, yet without an ounce of hesitation you wade right into the midst of animals that could probably flatten you with a flick of their tail.”
“Training surpasses stature—” She sucked in a breath. “Damn it, do you have to rub so hard?”
“There’s dirt embedded in your skin, Sunny. When’s the last time you had a tetanus shot?”
“Last year.”
He looked up. “What happened?”
She held up her palm, indicating the scar there. “Rusty nail in a fence post.” He could tell she wanted to add “So there!” and his lips twitched.
“So, you don’t spend all your time in a lab?” He poured peroxide on the wound and blew on it to ease the sting.
“Um…”
He glanced up. She was watching him blow on her thigh, her full lips slightly parted, her green eyes transfixed in a sort of dazed sensuality.
His gut tightened, and so did the rest of his body. Every so often, in unguarded moments, he saw glimpses of the old Sunny, the girl he’d once known. The girl who’d turned him inside out and held his heart in her hand.
She could turn him on with just a glance.
He knew he’d played a big part in erecting the wall she hid behind most of the time. He’d done something incredibly stupid. He knew that, took full responsibility for his actions.
But Sunny hadn’t been blameless, either.
And when she’d walked out on him, she’d left a cavern-size hole in his soul.
“The lab?” he prodded, blotting her wound with a tissue.
“Oh. I’ve done mostly in-house research and study this past year. But I still like to get out and investigate livestock firsthand when I can.”
“That’s not really in your job description anymore, though?”
“Technically, no. We have a team of vets who actually collect samples and do the hands-on work.”
“Do you like what you do?” He dabbed antibacterial salve on the raw skin and covered it with a gauze pad.
“I care about keeping animals healthy.”
“That’s not what I asked.” He took a stretchy wrap-type bandage and wound it completely around her thigh to hold the gauze in place.
“Yes, I like what I do.” Her tone was exasperated. Before he could complete a second loop with the bandage, she put her hand over his. “Isn’t this a bit of overkill? All I need are a couple pieces of tape, not a leg cast. Besides, I’m going to take a shower, and all your hard work is just going to get wet and have to be redone.”
He unwound the elastic material and set the supplies on the sink, then reached for the heel of her boot.
“Now what—”
“You said you wanted a shower. I don’t imagine those jeans are going to come off over the boots. Unless you had in mind to shower with your pants on?” He peeled off her boots and socks and tugged her jeans the rest of the way off. She sat there in her long-sleeved shirt and white cotton thong.
It’d be best all around if he got out of this bathroom before he did something else incredibly stupid—like run his hands over every inch of her skin, satisfying himself with the remembered feel of her sexy body. Physical work kept her muscles toned and shapely. He imagined his palm could probably span her hipbones and cup her behind at the same time.
He got up and twisted the hot-water faucet in the shower, h
is nerves and his libido screaming. “Let me know when you’re done and I’ll finish the bandage.”
She stood, and the hem of her shirt fell to her thighs, preserving her modesty, shielding that little bitty panty from view. The sight was almost more erotic than if she’d been totally naked.
“I can take care of it myself.”
He shrugged, plucked his hat off the counter and let himself out of the bathroom.
Her answer about liking her job hadn’t rung true. The woman he’d known ten years ago wouldn’t have been satisfied cooped up indoors. The woman he’d seen cooing and cussing at his cattle these past two days definitely belonged in the field.
Animals were her passion.
That she’d traded her passion for watching rats run around in mazes, and had delegated the field work to others, was a crying shame.
THE SPRAY STUNG LIKE FIRE against her leg, so Sunny didn’t linger under the water. Besides, she’d had to use Jack’s soap and shampoo instead of her own, since he’d practically pushed her into his shower. Her cosmetics were in the guest bathroom.
The spicy scent—the scent of Jack—was wreaking havoc on her system.
She shut off the water, twisted one towel over her hair and another around herself and contemplated what to do now. She’d have to streak through his room and down the hall to get to her bedroom. And she wouldn’t put it past him to be waiting for her, ready to inspect her first-aid job.
After dabbing more salve on the wound, she rummaged around in the medical supplies until she located a large, square bandage. She pulled the tapes off the ends, fitted the bandage over the open cut and gave it a pat. The way Jack had tried to truss her up, a person would think she’d nearly had her leg cut off instead of having received a harmless scrape.
She had to admit, though, that the “harmless scrape” hurt like the dickens. Once she’d grabbed up her dirty clothes, she peeked out the door. Seeing the coast was clear, she sprinted across the room and down the hall, nearly tripping over Simba as he pushed in ahead of her.
“I thought you’d dumped me for Tori,” she said to the dog.
Simba licked her knee, and she reached down to pat his head. “I’m kidding. It’s sweet of you to keep her company. She’s a normal little girl, but there’s a reserve about her that worries me.” Simba cocked his ears, and Sunny patted him again. “If anybody can get her to loosen up, it’ll be you, big guy. Who can resist you?”
Her cell phone rang in the pocket of the jeans she still held, and she jumped like a scalded cat. Without checking the caller ID, she answered.
“Did you wrap your leg?”
For a minute, she was confused. “Jack? Where are you?”
“Downstairs.”
Okay, now she was hallucinating. “Why are you calling me on the phone?”
“To make sure you followed instructions. Did you want me to come up there and check?”
She leaned against the closed door, clutching the towel as though he could see through the phone that she was half-naked.
Beneath his moodiness, Jack had a compassionate streak as wide as Texas. It was sweet. And it made her feel special. Michael wouldn’t have even noticed that she’d hurt herself, much less insisted on doctoring her.
“I’m a big girl,” she said softly.
“And stubborn,” he countered.
“A trait we obviously still share.” Talking on the phone when they were both in the same house seemed…intimate, illicit.
“You’ve got a bad habit of not answering direct questions, sugar.”
“Oh, don’t fuss. I know how to put on a bandage.”
“Did you wrap it the way I showed you?”
“Jack?”
“What?”
“I’m hanging up now.” She pressed the button and smiled. Fatherhood had evidently turned him into a worrier.
An odd thought struck her. How had he known her cell phone number?
Before she could lower the phone, it rang again. She shook her head and grinned, ready for him this time. “You are such a pervert. You just want another look at my thong.”
“Oh…are you getting crank calls, dear?”
“Mama?” Holy crud! “Um…no, I was—I thought you were Donetta. Sorry.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“No wonder there was no answer the first time I tried. That girl does love her shoes, though she should have better support than flimsy thongs since she’s on her feet all day. If she’s asking to borrow yours, tell her no. Her podiatrist will thank you.”
Shoes? Sunny nearly laughed. For once she was happy that her mother had jumped to the wrong conclusion.
“What’s up?”
“I fixed supper and overcalculated. You know how I am when I get in the kitchen. I made enough to feed half the county. And I can’t have it going to waste. Since you and Jack are over there, working your fingers to the bone, I thought you’d appreciate a nice home-cooked meal.”
“Mama…” Sunny deliberately put a warning note in her voice. “What are you up to?” Matchmaking was her guess.
“What’s wrong with inviting my own daughter to supper?”
“I’m sure Beau has already started to cook—”
“Oh, no. I checked with Cora and told her I was planning dinner. And Jack said he’d be happy to come.”
Sunny frowned. “He did? When?”
“When I phoned the ranch a few minutes ago. He agreed, but he suggested I phone you, as well.”
Aha. “Did you, by chance, give him my cell number?”
“I didn’t think you would mind. I’m sure you’ve been quite busy, and those details do tend to slip our minds. Anyway, I’ll expect you all at seven. That’s what time I told the others.”
“What others?”
“Just Storm and your girlfriends.”
Sunny sighed. Her leg was starting to throb again. She’d hoped for a nice relaxing night, some pain meds, a good book and the sound of rain tapping at the windows.
She wished her mother had asked her first before going ahead with the plans. But Mama liked to get her own way.
Still…“Mama, you brought me back to Texas to do a job.”
“You can’t work both day and night, honey. Besides, I’ve made fried chicken with milk gravy, just the way you like it.”
“Oh, you’re sneaky.” Fatigue and pain didn’t have a prayer of standing up against Anna Carmichael’s cooking. “Did you do up a cheesecake?”
“With lemon custard on top. And a peanut-butter cream pie for Jack and Tori. Cora tells me that’s their favorite.”
“It’s Simba’s, too.”
Anna gave a long-suffering sigh. “I’ll cut the silly dog a sliver, and not a bite more. Honestly, Sunny Leigh, you’re a veterinarian. You ought to know better than to feed your dog sweets.”
Of course she did. “That’s a problem when the dog doesn’t think he’s a dog.”
“Well, he’s not sitting at my dining-room table and that’s that. See you at seven?”
“Seven’s good.” She hung up the phone and glanced at Simba. “Grandma made peanut-butter pie.” Simba thumped his tail against the wood floor. “No sitting on the dining-room chairs, though. She’ll lose every bit of her good humor.”
SUNNY DRESSED IN A PAIR of loose, silky cabana pants that tied at the waist just below her navel, a white tank top and a pair of sandals. The red-and-white Hawaiian print on the pants might look out of place on a cattle ranch, but the fabric was the most forgiving against her sore leg. It didn’t cling or rub.
When she came down the stairs, Jack and Tori were waiting for her. His gaze drank her in as though she was a potent, fruity cocktail and he was dying to take a sip.
The hunger in his eyes made her heart trip. He was the kind of man who made a woman forget her own mind. Snug jeans and a crisp white T-shirt tucked into the waistband complemented his excellent physique. The diamond earring winking in his ear and the too-long hair gave him the look of a rebel.
; The contrast of his daughter’s small hand in his large masculine one made Sunny’s heart melt, even as a sharp pain lanced her chest. Although she adored Victoria, the hurt over Jack’s marrying another woman was still alive inside her. She’d been so sure she’d dealt with it years ago.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded and went down the rest of the stairs.
Jack reached for her elbow. “You’re limping. Are you sure you’re up to this?”
“Knowing my mother, how can you even ask such a question? Mama doesn’t invite—she commands.”
“I can call and cancel,” he said softly. “She’d understand.”
Yes, her mother would accept the cancellation if it came from Jack. But Sunny still had a full day of work ahead of her tomorrow on the ranch, and if she ducked out on dinner, it would create the wrong impression. And Jack would hover the way he had this afternoon. She’d been kicked and stomped on before and never missed a day of work.
She stepped out of his gentle hold. “Are you kidding? No skittish cow’s gonna make me miss fried chicken and lemon-custard cheesecake. Besides, she’s also invited Donetta, Tracy and Becca. Storm, too, so you won’t be the only rooster in a barnful of hens.”
He shrugged and reached for his hat, then tucked it low on his forehead. “I can hold my own among a bunch of females.”
“I’ll just bet you can.”
The barest hint of a smile tipped his lips, and his blue eyes twinkled with enough seductive wattage to light the town. Needing to put a little space between her and Jack, she reached for Tori’s hand. “Come on, sugar. Let’s you and me hobble to the car.”
He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “chicken.” She didn’t think he was referring to supper, but she ignored him.
He’d had his hands on her entirely too much for one day.
Chapter Nine
Tori held tight to Sunny as they walked to the car. The little girl was as bad as her father, watching over Sunny in case she made a misstep and hurt herself again.
The rain had stopped, but the ground was still damp, so the soles of Sunny’s sandals were slick.
“Beau said he saw somebody get kicked by a cow once and it knocked the man clean out the barn door. Did that happen to you, Sunny?”