He inhaled on the first stitch, but remained perfectly stillotherwise.
"At least you've only pulled half," shemurmured.
"You're gonna have a wicked scar," Miles said from the table. He sounded far too excited for her taste. "Maybe it'll impress theladies."
Julianne dissolved intogiggles.
Megan frowned. "Some women aren't impressed with scars. Especially when they're stupidly earned. How'd you get this any way? From abull?"
The back door bangedshut.
"Dad!" Milesyelled.
Megan glanced up only for a second, noting the hard gaze that passed between Nate and Dan. Dan had tensed up beneath her hand, and whatever tenuous connection had been between themdisappeared.
"The lady asked you a question," Nate said tightly. "How'd you getthat?"
"Scraped against a nail while I was tearing out the fence in the westpasture."
Brady and Julianne had gone quiet, somehow sensing the tension between theadults.
"Try not to do any lifting or straining this time," shesaid.
"I couldn't let her fall," hemurmured.
Megan knotted the last stitch. "Done."
Dan turned away from Nate, shrugging his shirt up over his shoulder. He looked at the floor as he buttoned up. "You can send me the bill," he saidquietly.
"Nocharge."
His jawworked.
Nate said something to the kids that she didn'thear.
Dan flicked a gaze over his shoulder at the other man. Muttered something under his breath. Then, to her. "I pay mydebts."
Over Dan's shoulder, she saw Nate shoot a hard gaze at the injured cowboy. What was going on betweenthem?
Nate's son jumped up from the table, breaking the tension that had grown from uncomfortable to super-sized. "Are we headinghome?"
"Sure." Nate’s ease with his son was in direct contrast to his manner with Dan. "Better go check on your mom and the pups. Buster's all loaded up. We'll just stay and walk out with the gooddoctor."
Dan's tension seemed to ratchet up even higher, but he didn't say a word. He kept his eyes focused on the floor in front ofhim.
"Goodbye," shesaid.
He didn't answer, even as she walked out the door with thekids.
