So why had she run away from him when he was not only attractive but also a man of such high character?
That question had nagged her for the past months. Of course, her first and main excuse had always been her uncertainty about loving him enough to marry him. She’d cared about him deeply, but she’d had too many doubts about whether she was ready to commit to him forever.
But if lack of love had been the only reason for her unsettled feelings during those days leading up to the wedding, then why hadn’t she just told Sterling she needed more time and postponed the wedding instead of running away?
On one hand, she had told Sterling she was feeling rushed, and that was why she’d turned down his first proposal right in this cabin. On the other hand, maybe she hadn’t communicated her hesitancy well enough. If she’d been more direct and told him she wanted to court longer, would he have listened? Or would he have been upset at her anyway?
Whatever the case, she hadn’t resolved her issues by running away from the wedding, and she wasn’t sure she ever would understand what had happened. But now that she’d crossed paths with Sterling again, a part of her wanted to figure out why she’d thrown away a relationship with a man like him.
As he reached one of the chairs, he used his foot to position it. Then he lowered her as if she were a breakable heirloom, one he couldn’t bear to part with. Which wasn’t the truth. Maybe once upon a time he hadn’t wanted to part ways with her, but last night he hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough.
When he lowered her to the chair, he didn’t linger. Instead, he held her legs, dragged the other chair closer, then positionedher feet on it. He rolled up a blanket and positioned it under her foot, elevating it more.
“There.” He stood back and took her in. “That should help.”
She was wearing only one stocking, and her injured foot was bare. Her skirt had slipped forward almost to her knee, revealing not only her discolored and swollen ankle but also her calf. The showing of her leg was indecent, and she wanted to tug down her skirt.
But she forced herself to remain motionless. Of course Sterling wasn’t thinking about her bare leg at a time like this. He was focused on helping her bring down the swelling in her ankle. That was all.
“You’ll sleep in the chair tonight, and that should help ease the pain.” He towered above her, concern lines etched into his forehead.
She wanted to offer him a grateful smile, but his eyes were still guarded, even if they were no longer filled with loathing. “Thank you, Sterling—”
“If she falls asleep,” Hyacinth interrupted, hovering beside her, “she might topple out of the chair.”
“She won’t fall.” Sterling situated a bench beside Violet.
“She very well could.”
“I’ll be watching her.”
Hyacinth fisted her hands on her hips, disapproval radiating from her taut frame. Sterling just glared back at her.
“I’ll be fine.” Violet offered her sister a reassuring smile. “Now that Sterling is here and we have warmth, we’ll both rest easier.”
Hyacinth took a few more moments to warm herself by the fire, then yawned and crossed back to the bunk bed. The cabin was already much warmer than it had been only ten minutes previously, and it would continue to get warm now that the fire was blazing.
Hyacinth divided up the blankets into three piles, but Sterling refused to take any. She didn’t argue with him and gave Violet two extra and took a couple for herself. Hyacinth was asleep in minutes, and Violet could feel her eyes closing too.
She could hear Sterling heating water and adding more fuel to the stove. She wouldn’t mind having some quiet moments to talk to him and try to apologize again. But now that she was safe and warm, all her worries seemed to fade into nothing. She was strangely content with Sterling so close, knowing he would keep her and Hyacinth safe. Before she could ask him a question, she felt herself drifting off.
8
Why did she have to be so beautiful?
Sterling’s chest ached as he watched Violet sleep. He knew he shouldn’t be staring at her so openly and taking in every detail of her delicate features. But no one would have to know, since Hyacinth was still asleep and Violet was clearly tired too.
He’d checked the swelling in her ankle the last time he’d gotten up to add more wood to the stove, and it had been doing better. He’d been keeping an icy pack of snow on it off and on, and that had helped too.
With her body reclined and her head against the back of the chair, she’d managed to stay upright, although he’d repositioned her a time or two. He’d considered shifting his bench even closer so that she could lean against him if she wanted to. But that would be too much, wouldn’t it?
Already, his following Violet out to Devil’s Glen and the cabin bordered on crazy. Beckett had been sure to say so when Sterling had told his foreman of his plan to ski out to the cabin and see if the women were there.
He’d had to admit to Beckett the truth about the night before, how Violet and Hyacinth’s father had betrayed them, how the women had stayed in the house, and then how they’d taken the food and the skis.
Of course, Beckett had been there for the wedding disaster back in April. The ranch foreman had witnessed firsthand allthe pain and heartache Sterling had experienced on his wedding day and in the weeks afterward. So it only made sense that Beckett was leery about Violet now and didn’t want Sterling to get involved in the situation.
But with the snowstorm, Sterling hadn’t dared head out into the wilderness without informing his foreman where he was going. Because the truth was, he might not make it back to the ranch for a few days or maybe even longer.
