“Do you always have wipes on you? Most girls carry lipstick or perfume, you know?”
“Yeah, I’m not most girls.” She comes closer, carefully swiping the cloth around the bite with steady hands.
“Keep it clean, all right? And don’t scratch it. If it flares up or you feel off, tell me immediately,” she says, standing up.
I meet her gaze, the usual venomous atmosphere between us replaced by something softer.
“Thanks, Kat.”
She frowns at my use of the nickname, but she doesn’t comment. Instead, she gets back to work fitting a window frame.
Yeah, if there’s one thing I’ve learned on this mission so far, it’s that Katherine Lennox is one of a kind.
Chapter 8
"They’ll probably die of boredom if you keep going like that.”
Kat
I never thought I’d say this, but Archie Wilcott is not the man I thought he was.
Working with him yesterday shifted something in me. I saw how he carried himself with the others—making jokes, hauling supplies without complaint, bringing the team snacks without being asked.
I was expecting arrogance, laziness, distraction. Instead, he was… kind. Generous with his time.
I’m stepping out of my hut when Archie appears, fresh from a shower. His hair is damp and curling slightly, a towel slung low around his hips.
He grins. “Morning, Doc.”
I stare for a second too long before determinedly bringing my eyes to the tablet in my hands. “Hi. How are you? I’d like to check your vitals if you have a second.”
“Sure,” he says, turning in the direction of the clinic.
“Um, maybe you should change first?” I can feel the blush creeping up my cheeks, and I hate that he has that effect on me.
He looks down at his bare torso. “Oh. Right.”
Spinning back around, he strolls toward his hut like he’s the star of a shampoo commercial. I shake my head, then hurry to the clinic. He joins me there a few minutes later, thankfully now dressed in a T-shirt and shorts.
I check his blood pressure, then his pulse, trying not to focus on how close we are. Or how still he stands for me. Or how his skin is damp from the shower and smells faintly of something citrusy and clean.
“You’re all good,” I say, stepping back.
He winks. “Told you I’d survive.”
I just roll my eyes. “For now.”
Leaning againstthe wall, he folds his arms over his chest. “So. What are you doing today, since it’s our one glorious day off?”
“Working.”
“Tragic,” he says, clearly not shocked at my answer.
“Yeah, I know. There’s too much to do. The supply shipment finally came in last night, and I’ve already lost a day and a half waiting for it.”
“Well, a bunch of us are going canoeing. You should come. It’ll be fun.”
For a second, I want to accept his invitation. I know it’ll be fun—everything involving him seems to be. But that’s not why we’re here. I waited a long time to have this chance, and I have to help to whatever extent I can. “Tempting, but I have work to do.”
