Love on the Mend (15 page)
Stone eyed the teacher as she made her way back into the room, closing the door behind her. What made this woman tick? She seemed oddly determined to be hospitable, even going so far as to scold him into silence when he demanded to see her so-called proof of guardianship. She was stalling, of course, but he wouldn’t challenge her on it just yet. He’d rather see things play out. Besides, his head pounded like the very devil. He’d never admit it to her, but he might actually need a little time to recover. With his weapons confiscated, he’d need to be at his best to get the girl safely away.
The sound of water splashing into a basin echoed behind him, followed by a gentle swishing and finally a dribbling of excess water as Miss Atherton prepared her compress. A moment later, she came into view, her strides business-like, her expression neutral. Still not meeting his gaze, she halted directly in front of him. One hand held
a folded handkerchief. The other lifted to touch him beneath his chin, tipping his head back to give her a better view of his injury.
The touch reverberated through him like a battering ram sending shudders through a fortified wall. Her hand was damp and cool from the well water, yet heat, not shivers, coursed through him at the contact. He’d never felt the like. His first instinct was to shove her away from him and gather his bearings, but he forced himself to remain still. No sense in giving her reason to suspect her touch affected him. It didn’t, anyhow. It had just surprised him, that’s all. She was his target, an abductor of children, a destroyer of families, a villain of the worst order.
A villain with a very gentle touch.
Stone’s eyes slid closed as she dabbed the cool cloth against his scalp.
A villain who smelled fresh and clean and who mothered the children around her with calm authority and kind words.
Her fingers tunneled through the hair at the back of his head, searching for other wounds and sending a wave of unwelcome tingles down his nape. She found the tender spot where his head had slammed into the earth after Dobson unfastened the litter and dropped him. Stone sucked in a breath. She murmured an apology, then immediately moved the compress to the offended area and soothed it with welcome coolness.
“Here, hold this in place.” She removed her left hand from his chin and reached around to hold the compress in place, freeing her right hand to find his and lift it to the injured spot. “I’ll fetch a second cloth.”
He opened his eyes and watched her disappear around the edge of the bed.
Solicitous. Gentle. Protective. Of the kids as well as of him. He hadn’t forgotten the way she’d forbidden the bloodthirsty gnome from
disposing
of their unwanted guest. She wanted something from him, of that he had no doubt, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite convince himself she was the villain Dorchester had depicted when Stone had accepted this job.
And if she wasn’t a villain, where exactly did that leave him?
We hope you enjoyed this
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A Worthy Pursuit
by Karen Witemeyer.
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Two-time RITA finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author
Karen Witemeyer
writes historical romance because she believes the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher and shower singer, and she bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, Texas, with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at
http://www.karenwitemeyer.com
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Books by Karen Witemeyer
A Tailor-Made Bride
Head in the Clouds
To Win Her Heart
Short-Straw Bride
Stealing the Preacher
Full Steam Ahead
A Cowboy Unmatched*
Love on the Mend*
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