Page 8 of Falling for the Bear Dad

“It’s not going anywhere tonight. Your face is pretty swollen. I really think we should call the healer and have him—”

“No!” Her eyes widened as she gave her head a shake. “I don’t—I mean, it’s nothing. I don’t need anyone to come.”

“All right. Don’t worry. Come into the kitchen, then, and I’ll get the first aid kit.” Stepping back, I waved her ahead of me down the short hallway. “We’ll fix you right up.”

“We?” Her brow furrowed. “Is someone else here?”

“Sorry. I will. My son is the only other person here tonight.” Jumpy much? I really wanted to make her feel safe, but it was difficult without knowing why she didn’t. “And he’s better with kissing owies than sanitizing them.”

“You’re lucky to have someone to kiss your owies.” She lifted a finger to her brow then let her hand drop. “Sometimes that’s the best medicine.”

For a moment, I thought she might be asking him to kiss her, but practicality held me back. Instead, I pulled out my chair at the table. “I’m afraid my son is in charge of that, but I have bandages and antibiotic cream.”

She flushed. “I didn’t mean you should…”

“I know. Sit here. I’ll have you patched up before you know it.” I retrieved the kit from under the sink and set it on the table. “Let me get a good look at you.”

“I’d rather you didn’t.” She ducked her head, staring at her hands folded in her lap. “It’s not a pretty picture.”

Did she really think that? Mya was beautiful, and her injuries did not detract from that. It only made me want to help her however I could. I moved to the refrigerator and got a bottle of water, set it on the table in front of her. “First, I want to clean up the wounds, then, I’ll get you an ice pack.”

She fell silent while I worked on her face, learning its planes and curves. Long lashes that fluttered down when I dabbed antiseptic on her brow. Being so close to Mya had my hormones jumping. Not surprising since I hadn’t laid hands or anything else on a female since my wife fell sick. But not an excuse to try to seduce a stranded innocent either.

She never whimpered or tensed, although it had to be painful, and by the time I finished, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. “Thank you,” she mumbled, taking the ice pack and pressing it to her face.

“You’re very welcome. In fact, why don’t you stay in our guest room overnight? You won’t be able to get anywhere else tonight.”

I watched a series of emotions flicker over her face before she nodded. I’d expected to have to argue to convince her.

Chapter Eight

Mya

First of all, what the hell was a healer? Did he mean a doctor?

Was that a regional thing they called doctors?

But the ice on my bruises did feel good, and he’d cleaned the cut on the eyebrow. First time it had been cleaned since it happened.

He was handsome, maybe the most gorgeous man I’d ever met, and his home was tidy, but so were those of serial killers. Weren’t they? I watched too many crime docs.

“Stay here? Overnight? I don’t know you.”

He nodded. “You’re absolutely right and it’s good to protect yourself, especially as a female, but you have nowhere else to go, right?”

I shook my head.

“The guest room has a lock on the inside, and I’d never try anything with you. I promise. My son is here.”

“You already said that.” And what a shame that he used the word never on trying something on me. Given different circumstances and maybe a different mindset, I might’ve liked that. Oh, who was I kidding? I liked it now.

A chuckle. “I did. You’re right.”

I sighed. “Maybe you could drive me to the motel? I don’t know how much it is, but…”

“Look, there are two motels in Sunshine, but I wouldn’t let anyone I knew stay at them even one night. My house is here and free and clean of questionable substances from strangers.”

I sighed, and he got the hint. He threw away the first aid trash and replaced my ice pack with a fresh one. I peeked inside his freezer while he was doing so, and he had dino chicken nuggets and mini frozen waffles. Oh yeah, he had a kid. Either that, or the man ate kid food. No judgment from me, but I would rather have believed he was telling the truth.