enough to offend anyone.
“Will you please get me my Vicodin?” she asked. “A lot of it?” She needed to shut down. She was too aware of the pain, too aware of Cain, too aware of the past.
“Sheridan.”
She wouldn’t look at him. She could tell from the tone of his voice that he’d noticed the tears threatening to spill over. She’d come back to Whiterock to put the past right—at least as right as she could put it. She owed it to Jason to do everything in her power to bring his killer to justice. And now she couldn’t do anythingexcept depend on this man. The man who was the reason Jason had been at Rocky Point. She’d used Jason, trying to make him jealous. “What?” she muttered.
“I understand you feel like shit, okay? But it’ll help if you eat. Then I can give you some tea to ease the pain. I also have an ointment. It doesn’t smell great—it’s actually for horses—but you’ll see what it does for bruising.”
Did he have something for heartache, too? She’d distanced herself from Whiterock for twelve years, and thought she was strong enough to finally come back here. And now this…
She rolled away from him. “Forget the food. Just give me whatever painkiller you’ve got.”
Putting a hand on her back, he briefly brushed the bare skin in the gap between the ties of her gown. He was trying to soothe her, calm her as he would one of his injured animals. She had no illusion that his touch meant anything more. “You have to eat, okay? The tea might make you sick if I give it to you on an empty stomach.”
“I’ll eat tomorrow.” Gritting her teeth so she wouldn’t groan at the pain caused by her movements, she burrowed beneath the covers.
He pulled back. “Being uncooperative isn’t going to help.”
His voice had become stern, almost angry; and she welcomed that because it allowed her to be angry in return. “Leave me alone.”
“No.” As he drew back the covers, she felt cool air. “I’m in charge of your care now,” he said, moving her firmly but gently into a sitting position and holding herchin so she had to look at him. “And you’re going to eat a few bites.”
“I don’t even know what I’m doing here. Why are you taking care of me?”
“Because last time I checked, there wasn’t a line forming!”
She brushed an impatient hand across her chin before her tears could drop onto her chest. “I don’t have a single friend here.”
“What have I done wrong?” he asked. “Because this sudden change in your behavior is confusing the hell out of me.”
“You’re confused.”
“That’s right.”
She glared at him, and he glared back. Like most men, he was uncomfortable seeing her cry and wanted to do something to stop it. But his attempts to help hadn’t worked and he was getting frustrated.
“Are you somehow blaming me for this?” he asked.
“The attack? No.” She couldn’t blame him. He’d saved her. And he’d been kind to her since. But she couldn’t banish the images Owen had evoked. Through the years she’d replayed that act with Cain like a favorite, worn-out movie—and enjoyed it every time. Knowing Owen had been there ruined it, made her cringe in horror.
“Tell me what’s changed.”
She sensed that Cain’s first instinct was to use his hands to calm her, but the way she’d responded to his touch made him rethink it.
Sheridan could understand why Cain’s dogs obeyedhim. She felt the same compulsion. But it was that charisma, that magic something he possessed, that’d gotten her into trouble before.
Throwing back her shoulders, she swallowed hard. “Owen was watching us that night,” she whispered.
Cain didn’t immediately speak. He glanced away, rearranging the fork that sat on the plate, along with some steak he’d cut into bite-size pieces. “What’re you talking about?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said with a bitter laugh. “I suppose with all the other girls, you must’ve forgotten. Just to refresh your
“Will you please get me my Vicodin?” she asked. “A lot of it?” She needed to shut down. She was too aware of the pain, too aware of Cain, too aware of the past.
“Sheridan.”
She wouldn’t look at him. She could tell from the tone of his voice that he’d noticed the tears threatening to spill over. She’d come back to Whiterock to put the past right—at least as right as she could put it. She owed it to Jason to do everything in her power to bring his killer to justice. And now she couldn’t do anythingexcept depend on this man. The man who was the reason Jason had been at Rocky Point. She’d used Jason, trying to make him jealous. “What?” she muttered.
“I understand you feel like shit, okay? But it’ll help if you eat. Then I can give you some tea to ease the pain. I also have an ointment. It doesn’t smell great—it’s actually for horses—but you’ll see what it does for bruising.”
Did he have something for heartache, too? She’d distanced herself from Whiterock for twelve years, and thought she was strong enough to finally come back here. And now this…
She rolled away from him. “Forget the food. Just give me whatever painkiller you’ve got.”
Putting a hand on her back, he briefly brushed the bare skin in the gap between the ties of her gown. He was trying to soothe her, calm her as he would one of his injured animals. She had no illusion that his touch meant anything more. “You have to eat, okay? The tea might make you sick if I give it to you on an empty stomach.”
“I’ll eat tomorrow.” Gritting her teeth so she wouldn’t groan at the pain caused by her movements, she burrowed beneath the covers.
He pulled back. “Being uncooperative isn’t going to help.”
His voice had become stern, almost angry; and she welcomed that because it allowed her to be angry in return. “Leave me alone.”
“No.” As he drew back the covers, she felt cool air. “I’m in charge of your care now,” he said, moving her firmly but gently into a sitting position and holding herchin so she had to look at him. “And you’re going to eat a few bites.”
“I don’t even know what I’m doing here. Why are you taking care of me?”
“Because last time I checked, there wasn’t a line forming!”
She brushed an impatient hand across her chin before her tears could drop onto her chest. “I don’t have a single friend here.”
“What have I done wrong?” he asked. “Because this sudden change in your behavior is confusing the hell out of me.”
“You’re confused.”
“That’s right.”
She glared at him, and he glared back. Like most men, he was uncomfortable seeing her cry and wanted to do something to stop it. But his attempts to help hadn’t worked and he was getting frustrated.
“Are you somehow blaming me for this?” he asked.
“The attack? No.” She couldn’t blame him. He’d saved her. And he’d been kind to her since. But she couldn’t banish the images Owen had evoked. Through the years she’d replayed that act with Cain like a favorite, worn-out movie—and enjoyed it every time. Knowing Owen had been there ruined it, made her cringe in horror.
“Tell me what’s changed.”
She sensed that Cain’s first instinct was to use his hands to calm her, but the way she’d responded to his touch made him rethink it.
Sheridan could understand why Cain’s dogs obeyedhim. She felt the same compulsion. But it was that charisma, that magic something he possessed, that’d gotten her into trouble before.
Throwing back her shoulders, she swallowed hard. “Owen was watching us that night,” she whispered.
Cain didn’t immediately speak. He glanced away, rearranging the fork that sat on the plate, along with some steak he’d cut into bite-size pieces. “What’re you talking about?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said with a bitter laugh. “I suppose with all the other girls, you must’ve forgotten. Just to refresh your
Similar Books
