Page 23 of Roping Her In

“This fire feels so good,” he said as she nudged his coat over and took a seat beside him. “Thank you for building it.”

“You’re lucky I managed it,” she said. “I can’t remember the last time I built a fire.” She flashed him a smile which only got enhanced by the golden glow of the firelight behind them. She flipped open the lid on the first aid kit and peered inside.

“I don’t know if I need anything in there,” he said. “Maybe some painkillers.”

“Do you think you broke your arm?”

“I don’t know.” Jake let the blanket fall open, and he looked down at his arm. “I think I’d know that?” He met her eyes, and Hailey’s expression seemed as blank as he felt.

“Let me see.” She set the first aid kit aside and reached out with one hand. “Can I touch it?”

“I’ll let you know if it hurts.”

“I’m sure you will.” She used just two fingers as she started at his knuckles and stroked upward. He imagined her to be using the same soft-yet-firm touch she did on the horses, and he suddenly realized what she meant by connecting with the animal before examining them.

By the time she got to his elbow, Jake had relaxed, and he trusted Hailey explicitly. But—“That hurts,” he said, flinching away protectively, instinctively.

“So it’s your elbow,” she said, her hand already back in her lap.

“It feels like the pain moves around,” he said.

Hailey twisted to her right and picked up a bottle of water. She twisted the lid and handed it to him. He took a small sip while she rummaged through the first aid kit for a packet of painkillers. She came up with one and ripped it open before letting the pills fall into her palm.

“Can I have two packets?” he asked.

She blinked a couple of times and then pulled out another packet and opened it. Jake cradled the open bottle of water in the crook of his right arm, suddenly thinking he’d spill it if he did that.

“Can you⁠—?”

Hailey took the bottle from him and passed him the pills. He put them in his mouth, then took the water from her and drank. He then let out a half-hiss, half-sigh like he’d just drank the most delicious liquid in the world.

That got her to smile, and Jake had never felt so victorious in all his life. “Thank you,” he said, smiling at her.

“Of course.” She took the water bottle from him and twisted the lid back on, her eyes glued to the bunks across from them. “Do those move?” She nodded to the other side of the room, and Jake followed her gaze.

“I bet they do.”

“I’m going to see if I can get them closer to the fire.” She looked at him, a measure of hope in her wide eyes. “And we might be able to get some sleep tonight.”

He nodded, realizing he still hadn’t texted Garrett. And he should probably let Beau and Libby know what had happened, where he was, and that he might need some help getting back to the ranch in the morning.

“I think my phone is…somewhere,” he said. “Could you maybe see if you can find it?”

“Yep.” Hailey groaned as she got to her feet, but she found his phone lying on the bottom bunk and brought it to him. He started messaging the people he needed to, and she managed to push the bunk bed across the room.

“Whew.” She wiped her bangs off her forehead. “I’m not cold anymore.” She flashed him a smile and then pulled the blanket off the top bunk. “Are you ready?”

“Ready?”

“To get in bed.” Hailey looked at him, something fierce in her expression he didn’t understand. “Look, let’s be honest.” She sighed and shook out the blanket, which sent dust and who-knew-what-else into the air, where the firelight caught it as it danced down to the floor.

“I’m not climbing up and down off the bunk as I babysit the fire tonight. And you’re not climbing anything, nor can you stoke the fire and feed it all night.” She looked into the flame for a few long moments, flinched, and then met his gaze again.

“If we don’t have the fire, we freeze. So we’re both going to sleep in the bottom bunk. You need the warmth anyway, and I can get to the fire easily.”

Jake gaped at her, sure he hadn’t understood her. “We’re not…I’m not wearing pants.”

Hailey tilted her head and grinned at him. “Great. Then I won’t have to either.”