The honeymooners had taken a blanket and disappeared into the forest with a word of caution not to wander too far away. With their dad’s help, Jordy and Suzy were shaving branches off sticks for marshmallow roasting. Vince and Max sat drinking beer on one side of the fire pit, with Betty, Alice, Jenny, and Libby on the other.
Sam thought of the way Libby had gone to work when they reached camp, pitching in with the cooking, determined to pull her weight. She was exhausted, he knew, and part of him felt guilty. Libby wasn’t used to this kind of hard labor, or riding, or any of the things she’d been exposed to on the ranch.
But aside from the money, Marty had been a friend, and Sam knew the man believed sending Libby to work on the ranch was the right thing to do.
“Time for marshmallows!” Jordy hollered, racing back to the fire.
Caleb and little Suzy followed, Caleb passing around the marshmallow-roasting sticksthey had made.
Sam headed for the camp kitchen set up beneath a canvas awning, took out a couple bags of marshmallows, and returned to the fire. Everyone loaded their sticks with the puffy white balls and stuck them into the flames.
Sam’s gaze went in search of Libby. She’d been quiet all evening, and though every lustful part of him wanted a repeat of what had happened in her bedroom last night, Sam had forced himself to stay away from her. Even so, he found himself watching her, wanting to make sure she was okay.
Feeling a tug on his belt, he glanced down to see little Suzy looking up at him, blond ponytail drooping to one side of her head.
“My mars-mallow keeps falling off.” Suzy handed him her stick. “Can you fix it?”
Sam smiled. “Sure.” He grabbed the stick and a couple of marshmallows and slid them on just right. He walked her over to her mom. “Hold it right here, but don’t get too close to the fire, okay?”
Suzy bobbed her head, ponytail swinging precariously up and down. Jenny gave him a grateful smile. Unconsciously, Sam’s gaze went in search of Libby again. She was standing a few feet away, leaning over the fireto help Jordy.
Sam saw the flames racing up her pant leg at the same instant she screamed.
“Libby!” He hit her like a linebacker tackling the quarterback, taking the brunt of the impact as both of them went down. Sam rolled her beneath him, back and forth, back and forth, till the flames running up the side of herjeans were out.
Her eyes were huge and frightened as he jerked out his knife, flipped open the blade, and sliced open her pantleg. Her calf was red but not badly burned, and Sam felt a sweep of relief.
“I-I’m okay,” Libby said, her voice wobbly. “I’m okay.”
Sam pulled her to her feet and straight into his arms. She was shaking, but so was he. He didn’t let go, couldn’t force himselfto let her go.
“I-I’m okay,” she said again, holding him tight, her face pressed into his chest until the trembling in her bodybegan to ease.
Sam took a slow, deep breath and turned to see they were surrounded by everyone in the camp.
“She’s all right,” he said. “She’s going to be okay. I’ll put some aloe on the burn, and she’ll be fine.” But instead of going after the medicine, he swept her up in his arms and carried her into his tent. The flap fell closed behind him as he set her on one of the cots and grabbed the medical kit, took out a bottle of the clear, gooey cactus salve that was the best burnhealer he knew.
Sam looked at her pretty face and those incredible blue eyes, and anger swept in to hide how frightened he had been.
“What the hell did you think you were you doing? Surely you know enough to stand back from ablazing fire!”
Libby stiffened and tried to stand up, but Sam shovedher back down.
“Sit still. You aren’t going anywhere until I take care of that leg.”
“Give me the bottle, and I’ll do it myself.” She held out a hand Sam ignored.
He took a tortured breath and slowly released it. “Look, you scared me, okay? You could have been burned very badly.” Crouching beside the cot, he gently smeared on the cooling medicine, then turned her ankle to make sure the red streak running up her calf was completely covered with the gel. “I don’t think it’s going to blister.”
“I was trying to help Jordy,” Libby said. “I didn’t realize we were standing so close. I’m sorry.”
Sam reached up and framed her face in his hands. He looked into those beautiful blue eyes, leaned over and very softly kissed her. “I should have been paying closer attention. I usually do, but...”
Libby leaned in and kissed him. “It’s not your job to babysit me. No matter what you think.”
Sam kissed her one last time, then pushed to his feet. “I need to get back out there. They’re all worried about you.”
Libby stood up from thecot. “Sam...?”
