He hadn’t wanted to miss out on the vaccination of the cattle. He could very well return home to find the whole herd wiped out after Thatcher’s administration of the vaccine. But they’d decided it was their only hope at this point, that if they didn’t do something, they would lose all the cattle anyway.
Sterling just hoped he hadn’t made a deadly mistake.
He tore his gaze from Violet and focused on the flames that were dancing inside the stove. During the trip up into Devil’s Glen, he’d almost turned back a dozen times. She wasn’t his responsibility anymore. He didn’t love her or care about her or have an interest in what became of her.
Even though he’d berated himself during the difficult hike as he’d waded through the fresh snow and battled the wind, he’d kept going.
Now he was relieved he had. When he’d walked in on the women to discover they hadn’t been able to start a fire, he’d almost cursed aloud. They might have made it through one night without heat, but they would have frozen to death eventually.
He blew out a breath.
“You should sleep too, Sterling.” Violet’s groggy whisper startled him.
He didn’t move, though, from where he was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “How does your ankle feel?”
“It still hurts, but it’s not quite as painful.”
He nodded. Another sign that it wasn’t broken and was only a sprain.
Silence settled back over the cabin, bringing with it the soft crackle of the wood burning in the stove. The wind had finally stopped its incessant noises, and a peaceful quiet had descended all around the cabin.
It was a beautiful place, but it was unforgivingly brutal too. Especially for two inexperienced women like Violet and Hyacinth.
“Thank you for coming out here to help us,” she said, as if reading his thoughts.
“I did what anyone else would have.”
“You’re not like everyone else.” Her voice was not much more than a whisper.
What did she mean by that? It sounded like a compliment, like she even appreciated him. Irritation swelled just as swiftly as always when it came to his confusing feelings for her. “Let’s be clear on one thing, Violet.” He sat up and glared at her. “I didn’t come out here because I still have feelings for you. I did it because I knew you two would die, and I didn’t want to have a guilty conscience for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes widened, making the lush green brighter and turning it into a place where he could lose himself. Except that he wasn’t going to lose himself in her eyes ever again.
“I didn’t expect you to have feelings for me still—”
“Then why did you come to me?” His question came out harsh, and the moment it did, he lowered his head and blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m trying not to be angry. But it’s hard.”
She was silent for several heartbeats. “I should have gone to Hazel instead of you. She would have taken me and Hyacinth in. When we get back, I’ll seek her out.”
Hazel was like him and wouldn’t turn away a person in need. “That would be for the best.”
Violet dropped her gaze to her hands in her lap. “Okay.”
He was being a donkey’s hind end again. It was time to put the past behind him, wasn’t it? He couldn’t expect to move forward if he didn’t stop being so angry with her all the time.
He swallowed his resentment and forced himself to speak calmly. “I went into town and talked to your father.”
“You did?”
“I told him he had to figure a way out of his problems without involving you.”
“And what did he say?” She seemed to be holding her breath.
“He said he would call off the deal, that it wasn’t fair to you and Hyacinth to pressure you to work at the dancehall.”
“Do you think he meant it?”
Sterling shrugged. “I hope so.”
