“Your dog bit me!” I managed to say. I couldn’t quite believe it.
The man knelt in front of me. There was a golden light thatseemed to emanate from him, brightening the sky that was otherwise as matte and purple and gray as a dusty plum. I had never seen someone so beautiful in all my life. His blond hair curled gently at his forehead, and his eyes were a shade of blue that was soft and deeply comforting. The pain in my leg momentarily ebbed; the man’s presence overwhelmed me.
“You’re bleeding.” His brows were knit with concern. I wondered if he was an actor from television. “Can you stand? We have a first aid kit in the house.”
“I’mfine,” I said. “But your dog could clearly use more to eat.”
He sat back on his heels and laughed, surprised.
I looked over at Amir. “Let’s go,” I said shakily. I had no idea how I was going to move.
“Now, wait a minute,” said the woman. “What were you doing, hopping over the fence like that?”
I tried to stand but putting weight on my injured leg triggered a stabbing sensation that made me stumble. Amir took my elbow and steadied me. And then, startling me, the blue-eyed man took my other elbow. Despite the pain I was in, I felt a shiver at his touch. So it wasn’t just Amir who did this to me. His hand was very soft. His skin was a beautiful cream color. His hair was a golden blond. Even his eyebrows were blond. How must I have looked compared to what he saw in the mirror every day?Filthy,I thought. My eyes were a murky green brown, my skin a dusky shade of tan, my hair a mix of blond and brown, my eyebrows as dark as the dirt under my fingernails.
“Take it easy,” the man said. “I think you’re more hurt than you realize.”
I had been trying to ignore the warm gush of blood that I felt trailing down my leg and pooling in my sneaker, but at his words, I looked down and then quickly away. Amir’s grip tightened on my elbow.
“Merrow,” he said, worried.
“Please, come inside and let me give you a bandage,” the man said. “It’s the least we can do.”
“Is it?” the woman asked. “I’m wondering why I’m not on the phone with the police right now.”
“Becauselookat her, Mom. Your dog is—”
“Deranged,”I said, yanking my elbow from the man’s hand.
“To be fair,” the woman said coolly, “Tiger was only doing his job.”
The man turned to her. “You’re not helping.”
“Is that the goal, William?”
“Yes.”
“We should go,” Amir said. He tugged at my elbow. “Come on, Merrow.”
“Merrow? That’s a lovely name. My name is Will Langford. This is my mother, Rosalie.”
“We’re leaving.” Amir’s voice was deeper than usual.
Will held up his hands, conceding. “Can I at least help you to your car?”
This made me laugh, and my laughter made the pain in my calf surge. I gritted my teeth and leaned into Amir, putting my weight on my uninjured leg. “We don’t have a car.”
“Oh.” Will frowned. “I’d offer to drive you home, but we’re stranded here without a car at the moment. We all drove fromSan Francisco together, and now my father is off with the car on a fishing trip.”
“You’re bleeding quite a lot,” said Rosalie. It was the first time I heard a note of concern in her voice.
I looked down again, and when I did, my balance faltered. In an instant, Will scooped me into his arms and began walking toward the house. I stared at his face, suddenly so close to my own.
“Please follow us,” he called over his shoulder to Amir.
Since I’d learned that it hurt to laugh, I now tried not to, but it was actually very funny to be carried in the arms of this handsome stranger as though I were a damsel in distress, or one of the ladies in the soap operas I had loved so much for a time. I felt entirely unlike myself—my leg throbbed and my surroundings were looking more unfamiliar by the moment. I rested my chin on Will’s shoulder. When I caught Amir’s unhappy gaze, I fluttered my eyes and lolled my head as though I’d succumbed to womanly weakness. Amir looked away and did not smile.
Rosalie strode past us and opened the front door, that terrible dog at her heels. We stepped into a space that seemed to have no purpose except to be beautiful. Below Will’s feet lay an Oriental carpet that did not seem like the kind you were supposed to wipe your shoes on.
