Sarah's feet and ankles were snugly wrapped in elastic bandages, although they still were obviously swollen.
"Sarah?" His throat was dry, his pulse erratic, as he said her name. As she slowly turned her head, Wolf felt as if sunlight were bathing him for the first time in this last dark year of his life; a strange warmth flowed through him, easing some of the pain he carried within him twenty-four hours a day. Delicate bangs framed Sarah's gently arched eyebrows. Today she looked like a beautiful woman, not a waif. The change was heart-stopping.
Sarah turned at the sound of her name—and froze beneath Wolf's unexpectedly hot, hungry gaze. Never before had she been silently caressed like this. Automatically her gaze dropped to Wolf's mouth. What would it be like to kiss him—to feel that dangerous high- voltage power that seemed to throb around him?
Shaking off the strange, heated languor that threatened to engulf her, Sarah frowned. "You!"
Taken aback by the sudden change in her, Wolf halted halfway across the room. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" Sarah watched as he took off his ranger's hat and held it in his long, callused fingers. She hobbled around, hating the crutches and especially hating the fact that she had to rely on them. "Do you know how much just one day in this place has cost me? Four hundred dollars! " She halted a foot from him and glared up into his face. "Four hundred dollars! I can't believe it! I've got to get out of here. I want you to take me home!"
Wolf gripped her gently by the arm. "Come on, sit down while we discuss this."
"There's no discussion, Wolf. I want you to take me home. You brought me here, and you can take me back. You owe me that much."
He nodded and released Sarah's arm as she crossed with some difficulty and sat on the edge of the bed. Grabbing a nearby chair, he turned it around, swung his leg over it and sat down.
"What did the doctor say about your feet?"
Wrinkling her nose, Sarah muttered, "Same thing you did. No broken bones, just a lot of smashed muscles and skin. I've got to stay on these lousy crutches a week."
Despite her belligerent tone of voice, the distraught quality in her eyes made Wolf wince. "I thought so. How do you feel now?"
"Four hundred dollars poorer."
Wolf grinned, silently applauding her spunk. "I told you—I'll help you out. A loan you can pay back with no interest."
Adamantly Sarah shook her head. "I don't accept help from strangers, Harding."
Wolf sighed. There was such turmoil and anguish in Sarah's face. And there was turmoil within him, too. He had no right to offer her help, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "You'll never be able to take care of yourself up there right now, Sarah," he warned.
Her name rolled off his lips like a whisper of wind, and it sent a warmth through her. "Yes, I can! Quit treating me like I'm some breakable piece of glass. I've survived out there all my life just fine without you!"
"But not with two injured feet."
"Stop it!" Sarah awkwardly rose to her feet again. "I'm checking myself out and leaving right now—with or without your help! If I have to walk back to my cabin, I will!"
"What's going on in here?"
Sarah jerked a look toward the door. Her doctor, Bruce Evans, stood in the doorway in his white coat, running a hand through his gray hair.
"I'm leaving, Dr. Evans."
Wolf stood up, replacing the chair against the wall. He looked at the doctor.
"I'm Ranger Harding, Doctor. I'm the one who found Sarah on Blue Mountain and brought her here. Can she make it on her own?"
Evans smiled ruefully. "About ten minutes on your feet, Sarah, and all that pain will return." He looked over at Wolf. "The answer's no. At least for a week. She needs enforced bed rest to allow those feet to heal."
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but that's not an option." Sarah made her way slowly to the door. "Now stand aside. I'm checking myself out. I can't afford the bill that comes with this rest you're talking about."
Evans's fatherly face gave Wolf
"Sarah?" His throat was dry, his pulse erratic, as he said her name. As she slowly turned her head, Wolf felt as if sunlight were bathing him for the first time in this last dark year of his life; a strange warmth flowed through him, easing some of the pain he carried within him twenty-four hours a day. Delicate bangs framed Sarah's gently arched eyebrows. Today she looked like a beautiful woman, not a waif. The change was heart-stopping.
Sarah turned at the sound of her name—and froze beneath Wolf's unexpectedly hot, hungry gaze. Never before had she been silently caressed like this. Automatically her gaze dropped to Wolf's mouth. What would it be like to kiss him—to feel that dangerous high- voltage power that seemed to throb around him?
Shaking off the strange, heated languor that threatened to engulf her, Sarah frowned. "You!"
Taken aback by the sudden change in her, Wolf halted halfway across the room. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" Sarah watched as he took off his ranger's hat and held it in his long, callused fingers. She hobbled around, hating the crutches and especially hating the fact that she had to rely on them. "Do you know how much just one day in this place has cost me? Four hundred dollars! " She halted a foot from him and glared up into his face. "Four hundred dollars! I can't believe it! I've got to get out of here. I want you to take me home!"
Wolf gripped her gently by the arm. "Come on, sit down while we discuss this."
"There's no discussion, Wolf. I want you to take me home. You brought me here, and you can take me back. You owe me that much."
He nodded and released Sarah's arm as she crossed with some difficulty and sat on the edge of the bed. Grabbing a nearby chair, he turned it around, swung his leg over it and sat down.
"What did the doctor say about your feet?"
Wrinkling her nose, Sarah muttered, "Same thing you did. No broken bones, just a lot of smashed muscles and skin. I've got to stay on these lousy crutches a week."
Despite her belligerent tone of voice, the distraught quality in her eyes made Wolf wince. "I thought so. How do you feel now?"
"Four hundred dollars poorer."
Wolf grinned, silently applauding her spunk. "I told you—I'll help you out. A loan you can pay back with no interest."
Adamantly Sarah shook her head. "I don't accept help from strangers, Harding."
Wolf sighed. There was such turmoil and anguish in Sarah's face. And there was turmoil within him, too. He had no right to offer her help, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "You'll never be able to take care of yourself up there right now, Sarah," he warned.
Her name rolled off his lips like a whisper of wind, and it sent a warmth through her. "Yes, I can! Quit treating me like I'm some breakable piece of glass. I've survived out there all my life just fine without you!"
"But not with two injured feet."
"Stop it!" Sarah awkwardly rose to her feet again. "I'm checking myself out and leaving right now—with or without your help! If I have to walk back to my cabin, I will!"
"What's going on in here?"
Sarah jerked a look toward the door. Her doctor, Bruce Evans, stood in the doorway in his white coat, running a hand through his gray hair.
"I'm leaving, Dr. Evans."
Wolf stood up, replacing the chair against the wall. He looked at the doctor.
"I'm Ranger Harding, Doctor. I'm the one who found Sarah on Blue Mountain and brought her here. Can she make it on her own?"
Evans smiled ruefully. "About ten minutes on your feet, Sarah, and all that pain will return." He looked over at Wolf. "The answer's no. At least for a week. She needs enforced bed rest to allow those feet to heal."
"I'm sorry, Doctor, but that's not an option." Sarah made her way slowly to the door. "Now stand aside. I'm checking myself out. I can't afford the bill that comes with this rest you're talking about."
Evans's fatherly face gave Wolf
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