At her words, the surprise in his gaze morphed into something resembling concern.
“What?” he snapped. “How in hell did you do that, Kenna? Did you fall while you were traipsing around the semi-arid landscape looking for a signal?”
“What are you doing?” she asked, when her feet were swept out from under her and her world went spinning as he lifted her into his arms. He ignored her question and—despite the earlier curtness in his voice—handled her with extreme care as he deposited her sideways onto the passenger side of his Land Rover. He stood next to the door, right in front of her, crowding her a little.
“You can’t walk on that foot. Not until it’s been checked by a doctor.”
“Iama doctor, and I’m sure it just needs rest, an ice pack, some strapping, and a few hours of elevation, and I’ll be good to go.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. With the adrenaline long gone, her toe was starting to give her more than a little discomfort as it throbbed.
“You’re not allowed to self-diagnose, Kenna.”
“I need to get back on the road.”
“You’re not going anywhere tonight. It’ll be dark soon and you look like hell. You’re covered in bug bites, limping, and I don’t know if you realize it, but you’re coated with a thin layer of red mud.”
“My air-conditioning isn’t working. I had to drive with the windows open. I was hot and sweaty and the dust…stuck,” she muttered.
“That would explain the hair,” he said, pursing his lips as he stepped back to do an inventory of her person.
“Ugh, is it that bad?” Kenny asked in horror, combing a self-conscious hand through her untied, shoulder-length hair, and then grimacing when she hit a snarl.
His lips twitched and he lifted a hand to tug something from her hair. He held up the tiny twig he’d retrieved before tossing it aside.
“Suffice to saywindblownwould be too kind a description for it right now. Anyway, as I was saying, it’s not wise for you to drive anywhere tonight. You’ll have to stay over. A hot shower, a decent meal, and a good night’s rest and you can fuck off back to your world tomorrow.Afterwe’ve had that toe checked. You’d be a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road if you got back into your car tonight.”
“I suppose a night in a hotel won’t do any harm. I’ll leave at dawn.”
“Uh-uh, the doctor’s office only opens at…” Smith stopped speaking when Harris, who’d been checking Kenny’s car while she and Smith were talking, waved to get his notice. “What’s the damage, Harris?”
“It’s stuck in the loose sand.” Kenny refrained from rolling her eyes at that statement of the obvious. Spotting the problem was a matter of just looking. That oh-so manly little walk around the vehicle had been entirely unnecessary. Then again, the man was here to help and she was being a tad ungracious.
“It’s a miracle she made it this far on a two-wheel drive,” Harris said. “This road is mostly sand and loose pebbles.” Harris told him. “We’re going to have to create a ramp of some sort. Maybe let some air out of the tire for increased traction. Shouldn’t be too hard.”
“I’ll be with you in a second,” Smith told his friend before shifting his focus back to Kenny. His eyes roamed over her face once more, lingering in a few places.
Kenny knew she looked a fright and wished he wouldn’t peerquiteso closely.
“I think Tina probably has some calamine lotion at her place. You’re going to need it for the bites.”
Speaking of which…
“Those midges were relentless. Why do you and Harris appear to be immune to them?”
“Insect repellent,” he told her with a fleeting grin. Seeing him look so much like the man he’d been when they first met, Kenny’s heart ached. “The midges and mozzies are bastards here this time of year.”
Of course they were. Kenny was so unprepared—insomany ways—for this impromptu trip, it was ridiculous.
“Wait here,” he said, all business now. “It shouldn’t take too long to get your car unstuck. I have cold water in an ice box in the back seat if you’re thirsty.”
He spun away from her and was halfway to her car before stopping and turning his head to pin her with his cool gaze.
“In fact, thirsty or not, have the water anyway. You’re bound to be dehydrated after this crazy stunt.”
Crazy stunt, like Kenny was some attention-seeking teen who’d gone out looking for trouble.
“I stayed hydrated,” she told him, her voice stilted. “I’m not stupid.”
