“Why Raindrop? Although I guess that’s better than little one. It’s still kind of weird. You could just call me Emma.”
I smirk, but my head is tilted down as I clean her left hand with an antiseptic wipe, then cover it in antiseptic cream and wrap it. As I reach for her right hand, I catch her watching me with a disconcerted expression on her face.
“What?”
“I don’t understand. You were ready to kill me in the forest. It was obvious from the way you chased me down. But now you’re touching me like you’re afraid to break me. It doesn’t make sense. What’s changed?”
She’s observant. I’ll give her that. There’s no way to explain what I’m feeling without scaring her away, which is the last thing I want to do. I go with as much of the truth as possible. Mom always said to start as you plan to continue, which means being honest.
“I don’t like to see anyone hurting. Plus, the last thing you need is to get an infection.”
“Okay.”
I’m surprised she accepts my explanation, but I’m not complaining. When I finish up with her right hand, I place it gently in her lap. “Does that feel better?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Good. Now let me look at your leg.”
“You don’t have to. I’m sure it’s fine by now.” Emma squirms on the couch and reaches for the water glass.
“Not happening, Raindrop.” I bend down and lift her right leg onto my lap. With her hiking boot unlaced, I slide it off and remove her sock. My gaze meets hers when she gasps.
Besides the swelling and bruising I expected to find, there’s a recent scar on her ankle.
“Son of a biscuit,” she whimpers.
“What happened to your ankle, Emma? Is that why you fell?” I figured she’d tripped over a tree root or a rock, but seeing evidence of a prior surgery makes guilt churn in my stomach. I cup her heel in my hand as I examine the swelling. Her prior injury is an issue. I’m going to have to take her into town to see Doc Winston for an X-ray. He’s been the doctor in Maple Creek since my parents’ time, but he’s still sharp as a tack.
“It’s fine. I was in a car accident a year ago…” Her voice trails off, and her eyes fill with tears.
Without her telling me, I know that accident did more than injure her ankle. “It’s okay, Raindrop. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. But we need to get you to a doctor to have it checked out.”
Emma bites her lower lip. “I don’t think we need to do that. I’m sure I’m fine. I just put too much pressure on it.”
“Raindrop…” She’s saved from my growly response by knocking on the door. It didn’t take my brothers long at all. “Stay here, I’ll be right back. It’s probably just my brothers.”
four
Emma
When Asher gets up to answer the door, I release a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Holy cow the man is intense and gorgeous in a growly-bear type of way. His dark brown eyes have a thin gold ring around the pupil that seems to glitter when he focuses on me. But the worst is when he tells me to do something. I swear I could come just from him ordering me around. It’s crazy. Maybe I’m just losing it.
I finish the rest of my water while he stands in the doorway. I can’t hear what he’s saying just multiple male voices. His shoulders stiffen and then relax. What the heck is going on? He turns to look at me, probably checking to make sure I’ve listened. I don’t want to put weight on my ankle if I can avoid it. But I don’t want to go to the doctor, either.
My research must come first. With only two weeks to get enough data for my thesis, I can’t waste a minute of time with my plants. If his brothers are here, will they make him let me stay? Or will they agree and send me home? I have the dang email on my laptop. Why didn’t I print out a copy to keep in my pack? It would have proven my claim right away. Then again, I wasn’t expecting Asher the Bear to come at me. Hmm, Asher the Bear…Ashbear. I like it! Even better, he’ll probably lose his mind when I call him that.
Yup, if he’s going to call me Raindrop, I’m calling him Ashbear. He’s lucky I don’t just keep calling him fartknocker. Although, as he opens the door wider and two of his brothers walk into the cabin, I lose some of my bravado. Frack. Might be time to put my dad’s favorite saying into play—vivere in tempore—live for the moment.
“Emma? Are you okay?” Asher asks when he stops in front of the couch. I wonder whether he’s called my name more than once. This isn’t the time to get lost in my head.
“Yes, I’m fine. Although I’d prefer to be in my tent right now.” I know I’m poking the bear—Ashbear—but hopefully his brothers will tell him I belong here and they’ll let me go back to my camp.
“Hi, Emma. It’s nice to meet you in person. I’m Andrew, the oldest. This is Adrian. We’re two more of the Gallants. I’m the one who gave you permission to be here.”
As he says that, he gives Asher the side-eye. I’m so relieved I giggle, which draws everyone’s attention back to me. Holy shiitake mushrooms.
“That doesn’t change anything. Your hands are scraped up, and you can’t walk on that ankle. At least not until Doc Winston checks it out.”
