“We live in Richmond. I was in the process of getting ready to move out and get my own apartment, but I wanted to come visit Aunt Carrie first. I needed a bit of a vacation.” She was fighting to stay alert, and Lucas was glad she had that sort of spirit. It would go a long way in helping her recover.
He drove the last stake for the tent into the ground and stepped back to make sure it would hold. Unless a tornado blew through, which was highly unlikely despite the inclement weather, it should be fine. He crouched with the second tarp and spread it on the ground under the tent. The sky was spitting pretty hard now, and he guessed they had maybe five minutes before the levy broke.
“So you still live with your mother?” Lucas didn’t mean it to sound as crass as it came out. He was just trying to find anything to cling to that would help keep his arousal in check. If he thought of her as a kid that still lived at home, it might help him curb his desire for her.
But the question made Gillian shift to try and sit straighter, which apparently hurt her ankle. Grunting at her reaction, Lucas started to apologize for his tone when she replied, “I guess you don’t know my aunt all that well, do you? After I graduated college, I got a job and signed a lease on an apartment, but I broke it when I found out my mother had breast cancer. She’s in remission now, but it’s been a long road to recovery. I wasn’t going to leave her alone.”
“Well, don’t I feel like an ass,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded anyway. I’m a little shocked, really. The picture your uncle gave me for reference…” Lucas trailed off. How was he supposed to tell her he’d expected a cute kid and found an incredibly hot woman?
“He never changes out pictures in his wallet. Let me guess, it’s a picture of me when I was maybe sixteen?” She sounded chagrined.
“About that, yeah. He said it was four years old.”
Gillian laughed, and Lucas could hear a rattle in her chest that told him she’d already been out here too long. “His sense of time is off, too. If it’s the photo I think it is, he’s had the same one in his wallet for the last eight years.”
For some reason, Lucas felt a profound sense of relief. That meant Gillian was in her mid-twenties, not underage. At the same time, his groin tightened, frustrating him. He had things to take care of right now that were far more important than flirting with his neighbor’s niece who didn’t even live in Courage.
Clearing his throat, he told her, “I think it’s a parental thing. My mother still has a hard time seeing me as an adult, and I’ve been building my ranch and working full time for nearly ten years.” He stopped moving long enough to assess the situation and try to figure out the best way to move her without damaging her ankle further or sending her body into shock.
“Okay, Gillian, I’m going to lean down and pick you up. I need you to wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. I’m going to cross your legs so your injured ankle is supported by the other leg. Try not to move it if at all possible. When I get you in the tent, I want you to lean back against the tree, which is right at the back of the tent, okay?”
She smirked tiredly. “My hero,” she quipped. But something about it sounded almost sincere, and Lucas felt his cheeks and neck flush. He was glad it was so dark.
Not commenting, he bent and slid an arm around her back from one direction, crossed her legs, and curled his other arm around the back of her knees. He lifted and pressed her against his chest, hoping his warmth would help keep her stable as he crawled into the tent with her. She clung to his neck, and even with the dirt and mud, she smelled of fresh lavender soap and some sort of melon scented shampoo. He nearly dropped her, wanting to get away from her quickly, but he kept his cool and got her settled so she could scoot back a few inches and lean against the tree.
“Okay, give me a few minutes. I need to secure Rover better, and I’ve got to get the rest of the supplies in here.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe there’s more stuff. Do you have some sort of magical bag on that horse, like the bottomless Mary Poppins bag?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “No, but I know how to pack efficiently. You good for a few minutes?” She nodded, and Lucas ducked back out of the tent. It was going to be close quarters; the tent was made for a single user in an emergency situation. If he thought he could make it outside, he’d let Gillian have it. Being so confined with her was going to tug at his libido, and he had too many morals and too much sense of chivalry to do anything about it.
He tried to think of a better way, especially with what he was about to have to ask of Gillian, but Lucas ran out of time. As the sky opened and poured buckets, he rushed Rover up under the tarp he’d spread between the tree limbs to give him shelter from the downpour. He tacked the horse down again and got all the gear off him, not even bothering to unpack anything he hadn’t already thrown inside the tent. Everything went in one big bundle, and he took another stake out.
He was going to doubly secure Rover, not wanting him wandering into the rain and getting sick or breaking away. But just as he went to shove the peg in the ground, the sky lit up like the Fourth of July, and the thunder crashed instantly, shaking the mountain. That was the sort of thing that started rockslides.
Unfortunately, it was also too much for Rover, and he reared back so hard he broke the reins Lucas held tight in his grip. In fact, the leather straps cut into his palm and drew blood. Completely caught off guard, Lucas couldn’t back up fast enough to avoid taking a hoof to the shoulder as Rover came down. Though he tried to reach for the dangling bits of leather to draw the horse to him, Lucas fell on his ass, wincing in pain as his shoulder cracked out of place. Rover took off, and when Lucas tried to get up to follow, he slipped and had to stop. It wasn’t worth it; he would never catch up to the beast. Hopefully, he’d either find shelter or someone would see him and bring him into their stables. Lucas couldn’t afford to lose his horse.
Soaked, covered in mud, and injured himself, Lucas was just relieved he’d gotten all the supplies before the damn horse took off. This was not going to be an easy night, especially if things kept going wrong. He just needed to catch a small break, and everything would be fine.
He got to his knees, no longer caring how dirty his clothes got, and climbed in the tent, stopping in the door and starting to shed drenched clothing. “What are you doing?” Gillian asked him with wide eyes.
Lucas clenched his jaw and felt the muscle twitching. “The same thing I’m going to have to do for you in a minute. I’m saving my life. If you stay in those wet clothes tonight, you could end up with pneumonia. It’s too big a risk.”
“No way! I’m so not going to get naked with a complete stranger!” she refused, suddenly quite alert. Apparently, she had an aversion to Lucas that heated her up and made her forget her pain. “Nice try, but it’s not happening.”
Having gotten his coat and shirt off, Lucas shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Listen, sweetheart, if I was going to come onto you, I have much better lines. I wouldn’t use something this cheesy. I’m here to save you. I’m a certified EMT, and I have continuous training and tons of experience in SNR. I’ve got survivalist training and certs, too. So, you can either let me take your clothes off and wrap you in a dry blanket, or you can be on a breathing machine in the hospital for the next several weeks, if you survive. Take your pick, honey.”
He wasn’t usually so cold, but he wasn’t usually accused of being a miscreant, either. He wasn’t going to let her reaction roll off him like the raindrops outside.
“Look, this is really awkward. Isn’t there something else we can do?” she asked, her face a bit desperate.
Angry now, Lucas told her, “No, there’s not really another way. And even though I have no intention of making a move on you, I think you should get cozy with the idea that we’re going to have to get a little cozy. The tent is small, and I’m not a delicate butterfly. Plus, we need to share body heat, so feel free to have your blanket around you, but we’re throwing another blanket o
ver both of us to help keep the heat trapped between us. Got it?”
If she was this stubborn, Lucas was going to have a real issue. He didn’t want to make demands, but he had no choice. Besides, her insinuations about his character pissed him off and offended him.
Gillian eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure that’s necessary? I mean, do I have to strip completely?”
He quirked a brow at her. “I might say keep your panties on, but from the looks of your jeans, they’re soaked, too, and that can cause rashes and other irritating problems to regions I’m not going to mention for fear you’ll think I’m expressing too much interest in them.” He rose up on his knees and ducked his head, a very awkward position. But it was the only way in this small space to get his jeans off. His shoulder was screaming at him, but he had to get the clothes off and the blanket on.
She still didn’t look convinced, and he glared at her. “Look, sweetheart, you can worry about propriety all you want when you’re safe at home.” He paused for the rumble of thunder that was too loud to shout over. “Now, it’s survival, and you have a choice between modesty and living through the night. What’s it going to be?”
With a reluctant sigh, Gillian nodded and leaned forward to shrug her coat off. She winced as her ankle twitched, and Lucas cursed under his breath. He was down to his boxers, and they seemed dry enough. Maybe that would help ease her troubled mind. He dove for her, pulling the coat off and helping her get her sweater over her head. It was particularly difficult with the mud caked on it and trying not to shift her leg.
He stopped as she crossed her arms over her chest and rolled his eyes. “Here,” he offered, digging out one of the blankets from the roll. “Cover yourself. I’ll get your bra in a minute. Right now, I’ve got to cut those jeans off you.”
Her mouth gaped. “You can’t cut them! This is one of my favorite pairs.”
He closed his eyes and counted backward from ten, trying to stay patient. “If I take them off, I might do more damage to your ankle, and I will definitely cause you a lot of pain. I promise you, one of your big city ambulances would be full of EMTs who would do the same. It’s the most efficient and least dangerous way to get the clothes off.”
He waited, thinking she was going to tell him no. He couldn’t believe this. Of course he would get the gorgeous patient who frustrated him to no end because she found fashion more important than survival!
“You’re right,” she told him. “Go ahead.” Lucas didn’t give her a chance to change her mind. He whipped out his knife and ripped through the denim as she let out a scream. He looked up at her when he was done in complete confusion. Was it really that hard to let the damn jeans go? “You didn’t tell me you were going to use a knife!”
* * *
Lucas had the nerve to laugh out loud at her. “You didn’t expect me to be carrying a pair of scissors, did you?”
Actually, Gillian thought, she had. “You seem to have everything else in those bottomless bags of yours. It isn’t that farfetched to think you might.” Even humiliated at his laughter, Gillian couldn’t stop looking at him. He moved with grace and speed, like all of this was second nature. And with nothing on but a pair of boxers, he was definitely addictive eye candy.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.” His tone was sarcastic but teasing, and it almost made her forget how vulnerable she felt being in nothing but panties and bra with this sexy god of a man she didn’t know. And it dulled her pain significantly. “If you lean forward, I can take care of the bra without destroying it.”
Lucas probably thought she was a prude, but honestly, she didn’t want him near her because he aroused feelings in her she wasn’t used to. She’d never really been lustful, especially toward strange men, but something about this guy got under her skin. And the more he touched that skin, the more parts of her Gillian wanted him to touch.
Gingerly, she leaned forward, and he reached quickly behind her with one hand. With a practiced flick of his wrist, the clasp was undone. His fingers barely brushed her spine, but it sent a shiver through her body. As he reached to draw the straps down her arms, he seemed a little more understanding, less harsh and demanding. Gillian held the blanket to cover herself only because she didn’t want this to turn into some sort of sexually charged disaster that created a certain chemistry between her and this beautiful man, only to have it fail when they had nothing else in common.
Too many romance novels, she reminded herself. Besides, Gillian had to admit that Lucas had been very professional and nothing but a perfect gentleman so far. The elastic on her panties had already begun to leave raw spots, and they weren’t going to get dry if she kept them on. Of course, she had no idea how they were going to dry overnight in this torrential storm, but she’d trust Lucas.
Lifting the blanket to expose one hip, she sighed and told Lucas, “I guess you can go ahead and cut this side and then the other. I’m assuming you have one of those magic tricks up your sleeve where you can yank them out from under me without me moving, like the tablecloth and the plates?”
He laughed again. “Not exactly, but I’ll make it as painless as possible. Is that a good enough promise?” His eyes danced, and Gillian decided she liked this Lucas. If he could be light and humorous all the time, he’d be a hell of a catch!
“I’ll take what I can get, I guess,” she told him, immediately regretting the wording. She swore she saw a reaction on Lucas’s face but couldn’t be sure. He simply went about the business of cutting away the last shred of her clothing and lifted her just enough to pull them out from under her.
Tossing them aside, he started tucking the edges of the blanket tightly around her, with the exception of her arms and shoulders. Gillian frowned. “Don’t I need to be some sort of swaddling child or something?”
He just shrugged. “If I had more blankets, we might try it. But with the two of us in this tiny tent, it’s going to stay pretty warm. Besides, I have food and water, and you need to eat and drink. Then, we’re going to see if there’s anything we can do for that ankle, and we’ll curl up to sleep for the night.”
He reached into one of the horse’s saddlebags and yanked out what equaled about a day’s provisions for one person. He motioned to the pile. “Take whatever you want, and I’ll eat whatever else. We’ll be back tomorrow early enough we won’t need it in the morning.”
His voice was strained, and the more he moved, the more color drained from his face. “Lucas, did you hurt yourself?”
Chapter 5
He’d tried to hide his pain, but apparently Lucas was doing a piss-poor job of it. He hadn’t wanted Gillian to know about his injury, or that they had no horse, for that matter. The idea was to get her settled and sleeping, and when the rain let up, hike back to his ranch, drive over to Garrett’s, and borrow one of his horses to ride and another to pack down with the supplies. He’d also see if Shakota had any clothes Gillian could borrow until she got home.
Preferably a very loose dress that didn’t show her curves with any flattering shape.
“I’m fine,” he told Gillian. “I just hit my shoulder.”
“On what?” Gillian narrowed her eyes at him, and Lucas couldn’t seem to find the right words to tell a lie.
“On my horse’s hoof.”
He didn’t know which aspect of her expression was worse – the sudden anger or the fear that rode just under it. “Where’s the horse now?”
Her voice was tight, her words clipped, and Lucas couldn’t blame her. This whole debacle had been one tragedy after another for her. Hell, he wouldn’t blame her if she left Courage tomorrow for the perceived safety of her concrete jungle in Richmond. Some people just couldn’t hack it in the country, and even those that had a small chance got discouraged when this sort of thing happened.
Running a hand through his wet hair, Lucas finally caved. “I was moving him under the shelter of the tarp when the lightning and thunder cracked hard.” As if to emphasize how loudly, the sky rumbled again. “He reared so h
ard he broke the reins, and when he came down, he hit my shoulder and knocked me down. I couldn’t grab him fast enough, and he was gone before I got to my feet.”
“If that’s the case, how are we going to get home? I can’t walk, and you can’t carry me the whole way.” Her face brightened, and she reached for the walkie he’d tossed aside. “You can call someone, right?”
Dammit, this just got better and better, didn’t it? “Normally, yes, but apparently, I got the radio with the dead batteries. So, that’s not really an option.” He met her gaze and hated himself for not doing better by her. She was so lovely, even in her fear and sadness. He wanted to hold and comfort her. Instead, he told her, “Once the storm passes and I’m sure you’re comfortable and safe, I’ll head home and get a couple of horses from a neighbor. I’ll get clothes for you, too. I’ll come back and get you and all the supplies, and we’ll get you to your aunt’s house. They’ll get you down the mountain to the hospital to get x-rays and a CT scan on that ankle.”
But Gillian shook her head adamantly. “I don’t like that plan at all. Your clothes are wet, too. Are you walking home naked?”
Something about the look in her eyes made Lucas want to ask if that would be something she’d like to see. But he held it back. “No, I can wear the clothes home.”
“Lucas, if I can get pneumonia, so can you. Just…at least stay until your clothes are dry. I’ll be fine.”
She most certainly would not. He couldn’t hang the clothes out in the air to dry with the downpour. Even under the canopy he’d made, they’d stay wet. And it would be too humid for them to dry here in the tent overnight. “We don’t have time for that. You have to get to a hospital. Look, I’ll be fine. It’ll take me a couple of hours to walk home at a fast clip. I’ll change as soon as I get there while I’m on the phone securing the horses.”
Courage To Believe (Cowboys of Courage 2) Page 3