Page 66 of The Search

She set the wolf carefully on the throw. “Bring me the bag with the medical supplies in that first kitchen cabinet.”

She knelt down and gently stroked the wolf’s muzzle. “What a beautiful boy you are. Don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you.”

Monty settled himself beside the wolf.

“You’ll have to get out of the way,” Sarah told him. “I’m going to stitch up that cut and set the leg. It’s fractured.”

Monty laid his head on his paws, his gaze on the wolf. “Here’s the bag.” Logan fell to his knees beside the wolf. “Tell me what to do to help.”

She looked across the wolf’s body at him. So far he had taken orders without question, and heaven knows she needed help. “First we have to clean the wound.”

“Are you going to leave Monty in there with the wolf?” Logan asked as he followed Sarah from the porch an hour later.

“I don’t think I could budge him.” Sarah set the medical bag on the counter and washed the blood from her hands at the sink. “Not until he’s sure the wolf’s okay. Coffee?”

“Yes.” He carefully lowered himself into the easy chair and raised his leg onto the hassock. “I could use it. How long will he sleep?”

“I hope another hour or so. And it’s she, not he. I assumed it was a male too, until I started working on her. I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”

“I was preoccupied.” His gaze shifted to the fire. “Aren’t you a little cold?”

“No.”

“Well, neither am I. Will you go put on a shirt?”

She glanced at him in surprise. “I’m wearing a bra. That’s no different from wearing a bikini top.”

“Trust me, there’s a difference.”

She inhaled sharply as she met his gaze. She quickly averted her eyes. “Oh, for God’s sake. I suppose I should have expected it even in a situation like this. It’s a guy thing. I read an article once that said men think of sex once every eight minutes.”

“Then I must be a cold fish. I’m sure it doesn’t pop into my head more than every ten minutes.”

His tone was flippant, and the disturbing moment was gone, she realized with relief.

She went into the bedroom and came back pulling a white T-shirt over her head. “Satisfied?”

“No.” He changed the subject. “What are you going to do with the wolf?”

“Get her well and then turn her back over to the Wildlife Federation to relocate.” She made a face. “If I can keep my rancher neighbors from busting in here and trying to kill her again.”

“Maybe I can help there.”

“What are you going to do? Pay them off ?” She shook her head. “These ranchers are independent as the devil and they’re not about to be bought. They’ve lost livestock and they’re mad as hell.”

“I’ll think of something.” He drew a quick breath. “I wonder—if I could—trouble you to get out your medical bag again. I may need a little first aid myself. I believe kneeling beside that wolf may have been the last straw.”

Her gaze flew to the leg propped on the hassock. A wide dark stain was spreading on the inner side of his thigh. “Dammit, you tore open the stitches.” She grabbed the bag off the counter and moved over to the chair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were busy. We were both busy. You seem to live in a constant state of emergency. I’m almost afraid to close my eyes around— What are you doing?”

“Taking off your jeans.”

“You seem to have no compunction about nudity in yourself or others.”

“There’s nothing shameful about nudity.” She wriggled the trousers off his hips and down his legs. “I can repair those stitches—unless you want me to call an ambulance.”

“No, you do it.” He closed his eyes and smiled faintly. “Just please don’t enjoy sticking that needle in me too much.”