to rally, knowing Wolf didn't deserve her anger. "But my cabin. . . the mine. . ."
"I've already been up to your mine and cabin twice today. Everything's quiet. Don't worry."
"I'll need stuff from the cabin," Sarah said unhappily.
"I'll drive up there tonight and get clothes and anything else you want for your stay with me."
Sarah moved aside when the nurse brought in the wheelchair. She needed no nudging to sit down in it and take the pressure off her throbbing feet. Wolf was immediately at her side to take the crutches. Just his nearness sent an unexpected sheet of warmth through her, and for just a split second, she wavered. The absurd urge to simply open her arms and move into Wolf's arms was nearly overwhelming. Confused, Sarah sat awkwardly in the silence, unstrung by him. Her entire world was unraveling, and it was all she could do to continue to hold herself together. But, whether she liked admitting it or not, Wolf's quiet, steadying presence was shoring her up.
Skeet barked once in greeting when Sarah climbed into the truck with Wolf's help. The dog thumped his bushy tail.
Sarah rallied at Skeet's enthusiasm, offering a slight smile as she patted the dog's huge head. "I'll bet you thought you'd gotten rid of me, huh?"
Wolf climbed in the driver's side and shut the door. "He won't mind the company. In fact, he'll like it."
"Will you?" Sarah asked sourly as Wolf drove away from the hospital.
With a shrug, Wolf glanced over at her, feeling the tension building between them once again. "Does it matter what I think?"
Sarah set her lips and stared straight ahead. "Yes."
Wolf didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth, either. It was just too painful to talk about. "It will take some getting used to," Wolf admitted, "but I'll handle it."
Inwardly Sarah sighed. Living with Wolf was going to be like living with a wild animal. He was so unpredictable. And so were her wildly fluctuating emotions whenever he was near her.
"We have some talking to do now that we're alone," Wolf said seriously after a few minutes of driving in silence.
Sarah looked at him. She was trying to hold herself apart from him—trying to pretend she didn't caie what he would say. "About what?"
"I snooped around your mine this afternoon and took a closer look at that tree that fell on you yesterday."
"Yes?"
Wolf held her gaze. "The tap root and half the roots on the other side of the tree had been sawed through. Did you know that?"
His words sunk in, and Sarah gasped. "Someone deliberately sawed through those roots?"
Sarah folded her arms defensively against her breasts as Wolf nodded confirmation. " Summers ," she bit out. "It was that bastard Summers ! He sent some of his hired guns up there to do it." She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very alone and afraid.
Wolf forced himself to pay attention to his driving. "Look, I'm filing a police report on this with the sheriff's office, Sarah. Something has to be done about it. Before, I figured you were blowing things with Summers out of proportion." His straight black brows dipped. "Now I know you aren't."
"Sheriff Noonan will circular-file your report, just like he did mine on my dad's murder, Wolf."
The sound of Sarah saying his name moved through Wolf like a heated wave, thawing his once-frozen emotions. "You're paranoid, but in some ways, after looking at what someone did to that tree, I don't blame you." And then, trying to lighten the darkness he saw in her fearful eyes, he said, "I kinda grow on people like moss on a rock. This week at the house won't be too bad on you." He desperately wanted Sarah to believe he could help her through this period. But could he? He didn't know. He'd failed before—and a life had been lost. But as he stared over at Sarah, painfully aware of her situation, Wolf knew he'd never wanted to protect anyone more.
Sarah sighed, fighting the emotions his gruff kindness aroused in her. "When are you going to file the report?"
"Tonight.
"I've already been up to your mine and cabin twice today. Everything's quiet. Don't worry."
"I'll need stuff from the cabin," Sarah said unhappily.
"I'll drive up there tonight and get clothes and anything else you want for your stay with me."
Sarah moved aside when the nurse brought in the wheelchair. She needed no nudging to sit down in it and take the pressure off her throbbing feet. Wolf was immediately at her side to take the crutches. Just his nearness sent an unexpected sheet of warmth through her, and for just a split second, she wavered. The absurd urge to simply open her arms and move into Wolf's arms was nearly overwhelming. Confused, Sarah sat awkwardly in the silence, unstrung by him. Her entire world was unraveling, and it was all she could do to continue to hold herself together. But, whether she liked admitting it or not, Wolf's quiet, steadying presence was shoring her up.
Skeet barked once in greeting when Sarah climbed into the truck with Wolf's help. The dog thumped his bushy tail.
Sarah rallied at Skeet's enthusiasm, offering a slight smile as she patted the dog's huge head. "I'll bet you thought you'd gotten rid of me, huh?"
Wolf climbed in the driver's side and shut the door. "He won't mind the company. In fact, he'll like it."
"Will you?" Sarah asked sourly as Wolf drove away from the hospital.
With a shrug, Wolf glanced over at her, feeling the tension building between them once again. "Does it matter what I think?"
Sarah set her lips and stared straight ahead. "Yes."
Wolf didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth, either. It was just too painful to talk about. "It will take some getting used to," Wolf admitted, "but I'll handle it."
Inwardly Sarah sighed. Living with Wolf was going to be like living with a wild animal. He was so unpredictable. And so were her wildly fluctuating emotions whenever he was near her.
"We have some talking to do now that we're alone," Wolf said seriously after a few minutes of driving in silence.
Sarah looked at him. She was trying to hold herself apart from him—trying to pretend she didn't caie what he would say. "About what?"
"I snooped around your mine this afternoon and took a closer look at that tree that fell on you yesterday."
"Yes?"
Wolf held her gaze. "The tap root and half the roots on the other side of the tree had been sawed through. Did you know that?"
His words sunk in, and Sarah gasped. "Someone deliberately sawed through those roots?"
Sarah folded her arms defensively against her breasts as Wolf nodded confirmation. " Summers ," she bit out. "It was that bastard Summers ! He sent some of his hired guns up there to do it." She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very alone and afraid.
Wolf forced himself to pay attention to his driving. "Look, I'm filing a police report on this with the sheriff's office, Sarah. Something has to be done about it. Before, I figured you were blowing things with Summers out of proportion." His straight black brows dipped. "Now I know you aren't."
"Sheriff Noonan will circular-file your report, just like he did mine on my dad's murder, Wolf."
The sound of Sarah saying his name moved through Wolf like a heated wave, thawing his once-frozen emotions. "You're paranoid, but in some ways, after looking at what someone did to that tree, I don't blame you." And then, trying to lighten the darkness he saw in her fearful eyes, he said, "I kinda grow on people like moss on a rock. This week at the house won't be too bad on you." He desperately wanted Sarah to believe he could help her through this period. But could he? He didn't know. He'd failed before—and a life had been lost. But as he stared over at Sarah, painfully aware of her situation, Wolf knew he'd never wanted to protect anyone more.
Sarah sighed, fighting the emotions his gruff kindness aroused in her. "When are you going to file the report?"
"Tonight.
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