Page 20 of First Bride to Fall
“Huh?”
He hung his head and then looked up. “I’m really sorry about your fall. You getting hurt and everything. When I teased you about the tantrum, I didn’t really mean it.” He frowned. “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
Her heart fluttered because he looked so adorably sincere. She couldn’t believe he was guilting out over that. “No, you were right,” she said. “I’m sorry about freaking out like that. I didn’t mean to, and I know it was bad for the group—having to split up like that. I’m sorry about falling on you, too.”
His lips twisted wryly. “That part wasn’t so bad.” He held a little glimmer in his eyes that looked almost—predatory.
Nell caught her breath. “No. Uh.” She licked her lips, thinking about when she’d landed on top of him and about how he’d almost kissed her. At least, he’d looked like he’d wanted to, and she’d wanted him to as well. A lot.
She backed up a step and stumbled, accidentally setting down her right foot. “Ow!” She stared down at her wrapped ankle, remembering. “Er. You got that plastic?”
“I’ve got some trash bags,” he said. “Why don’t you get undressed, and I’ll wrap you up?”
“What?” Her heart hammered. Yeah, she wanted him to fall for her, but no, she wasn’t ready to get naked with him yet. In an old-fashioned way, she’d been kind of hoping to save that for their eventual honeymoon. Assuming they had one.
She planned to paint a slightly more adventuresome picture for Charlotte and Misty, though. Why not? They were always bragging on their boy toys, and now Nell finally had one of her own. At least she could make it look that way to them. She eyed the boxers again. Besides that, she intended to fake it until she could make it with Grant.
Which would hopefully be sometime within the next twenty-nine days.
He chuckled. “You can wrap yourself in a towel or something.”
“Uh…okay.” She shut the door, her heart hammering. Then she stripped off her very icky clothing. She had to tug off the boots first, and the right one was snug. But she finally worked it free, one inch at a time.
She slid the tight running pants down past her wrapped ankle and moaned, wincing at the jolt of pain. Next, she examined her panties—back and front. When she’d slipped in the mud, she’d landed on her butt, and the damage had seeped through the legging-like material. Maybe she could wash them out in the sink and dry them overnight?
At least then, she wouldn’t be stuck wearing Grant’s boxers indefinitely. Her face heated again, and she remembered he was waiting on her, so she hurried in removing her long-sleeve top. That was still clean, thanks to the waterproof jacket. Her bra was safe, too. So there were small mercies in this wardrobe disaster.
A moment later, he knocked at the door. “Ready?”
She opened the door the tiniest crack. She had the towel wrapped around her, but her bra and panties were still on. He couldn’t tell that, though, because the only part that she stuck out of the slightly opened door was the bottom half of her right leg—up to the knee.
“O-kay,” he said calmly. “Let’s get to this.”
She heard plastic crinkling and peered out the door.
Grant had crouched near the ground with a cut section of a black trash bag and a roll of medical tape. His focus was on her leg, so he didn’t see her spying on him.
“I’m going to slip this over your foot,” he called without looking up, “and start taping now. I’ll try to be careful with the pressure.”
She leaned back a bit and said, “Thanks.”
She peeked at him again and caught him grumbling to himself about bad luck and rotten timing. Something also about women at his cabin? It was indistinct, so not totally clear.
His chin jerked up, and he saw her watching him. “Oh hey!”
She bit her lip. “Hey.”
He stood and shook out his shoulders. “You’re all set. But try to keep it out of the water anyway. The heat will be no good for it.”
“Got it, thanks!” she said and quickly shut the door.
…
Grant heaved a breath. When he’d started out this morning, he’d never expected to wind up here with Nell Delaney. He hadn’t had a woman up at his cabin since Susan. After that, he’d vowed to keep this place as his man cave and never let a woman set foot in here again. But today with Nell was different. This wasn’t about romance. They’d had an emergency. Besides that, Nell clearly wasn’t Susan.
Susan was all about spiffing things up and wanting to change things. Paint these authentic knotty pine walls white and hang up art prints. She also wanted to toss out his very comfortable furniture and start over with a mid-century modern ensemble. It was only when he understood that she also wanted to makeover him that he’d decided he wanted out.
Grant shook his head, thinking of Nell. He’d always figured her for the quiet, shy type. But she’d exhibited a different—mildly flirty—spark today when he’d carried her down that mountain. She wasn’t really forward, though. Definitely not the type to want to hop right into bed together and snuggle up. Not that he was entertaining those thoughts, either. That wouldn’t be right under the circumstances. She’d gotten hurt on his watch, and he still kicked himself for it. The least he could do now was look after her, while doing his best to be a gentleman.
