A Life Restored by Karen Baney Page B

that she could fashion it into a chignon.
    Once she felt normal again, she tried to determine what to do with herself.   When would the men return?   Perhaps not until supper time, which was a good hour or two away.
    Walking back outside, she stood in the shade of the porch.   She heard the men’s voices in the barn.   They discussed something for another minute or two before the voices quieted.   Caroline headed that direction.
    Quietly, she slipped into the barn and listened for any hint of where they might be.   A soft splash sounded further back.   She followed the noise.   When she was close enough to see, she let out a little gasp.
    Thomas stood, with his back turned, shirt off.   Even the top of his long johns hung over the waist of his pants.   His back was marked with a few round dents of marred flesh.   Scars from the war?   Other than that, his back looked perfect to her.   Muscled.   Strong.   She stared at him, unable to move her gaze.
    When he started to turn, she jolted from her trance.   He saw her and quickly grabbed his shirt, clutching it close to cover part of his chest.   A wry smile played at the corner of his lips.   She hadn’t noticed how blue his eyes looked before—like little drops of the deep Arizona sky captured in tiny orbs—now glistening with a hint of laughter.
    “What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice very controlled and just above a whisper.
    “I… um…”
    What was she doing there again?
    He circled his finger using the same gesture she used earlier in the day, requesting that she turn around.   Heat singed her cheeks and she quickly turned her back to him.
    “I wasn’t sure if you were planning to press on to Prescott tonight,” she said, her voice quivering from her nerves.
    The sound of water splashing was the only noise that answered.   She waited.
    “You can turn around now,” he said.
    She did.   His sandy hair formed long wet clumps across his forehead.   He ran his hands through his wet hair several times before leaving it.   His shirt covered his chest now, though the memory of his back would stay with her for some time.
    Feeling self-conscious, she crossed her arms over her chest.
    His gaze traveled the length of her body, resting on her green eyes.   What seemed like minutes passed.   Caroline’s patience grew thin.
    “What are your plans?”
    A strange expression crossed his features before disappearing.   He hesitated.
    “It’s too late to try to head up the mountain.   We would lose daylight before making it up.   We won’t reach Prescott tonight no matter how hard we try.”
    “Don’t you usually ride the rest of the way in one afternoon?”   She challenged him.
    He narrowed his eyes slightly.   “Yes.   But, that’s by myself on a trail I know well.   You’ll be much too slow.”
    “You don’t know that.”
    “And you don’t know what we’ll find on that trail.   It’s too risky.”
    She expelled a long drawn out sigh, ending with her shoulders slumping.   She was tired.   She just wanted to be there already, safe with her brother and friends.
    “Look,” he started as he came closer.   He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.   Warmth spread from his touch.
    “I promise I’ll get you there tomorrow before night fall.   Probably even in time for supper.   Maybe even by noon.   It’s just not safe to head up that mountain at night.   I would only attempt it if our lives were in danger.”
    Caroline blinked back the tears.   Frustration chaffed on her nerves.   She should have listened to Millie.
    “I’ll talk to Perry and we’ll work out arrangements to stay here tonight.   No more surprise wake up calls, okay.”
    Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she nodded.   He squeezed her shoulder then removed his hand.
    “Good.”
    He stood in front of her, making no move to leave.   When she looked up into those gorgeous blue eyes, her breath stopped.   His gaze darted across