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“You’re bleeding again!” She hurried toward him.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” He held her gaze. “It was just a scratch.”
“We’ll need to get you stitched tomorrow.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed. “Sit, I’ll put a new bandage on,” she said.
“Woah! Yes, ma’am.” He chuckled and sat. “It’s really just a scratch. I’m sure it’ll heal by morning,” he said as she walked around the bed to retrieve her bag. “What do you have there?” he asked as she approached.
“Just a little first aid kit I travel with.” She placed the little red box on the bed and reached out for his arm. “Now hold still.”
The wads of cotton she used, dipped in over-the-counter wound sanitizer, soon turned dark as she cleaned the scratches.
“You’re quite good at this,” he said, and she smiled.
“Better than you,” she said, holding up the used cotton balls to show him the mud on them. She dipped a fresh wad into the sanitizer, feeling the coolness against her fingers, and dabbed the length of the wound, tracing it until it was a light pink. “So, are all your tours this . . . exciting?”
He scoffed. “Oh, it’s not a real tour until someone gets attacked by a wild animal. But I don’t think I’ve ever had this many wild adventures before. You seem to attract them.”
She looked up sharply.
“It’s a good thing.”
Olivia smiled and placed the stained wad into a wrap. She used a Q-tip to gently put ointment on the cleaned scratches.
“You didn’t even flinch one tiny bit. I’m impressed.” She still had one hand on his wrist as she examined his arm.
He laughed. “Don’t tell me American men would flinch like little boys over a tiny scratch like this.”
She grinned and raised his arm to wrap a bandage around the pink and red flesh. “We have many brave men in America.” She briefly frowned. “I just have yet to meet them.”
“Are you saying that none of the men in your life would have saved you today?”
“Saved me from a bear?” She laughed out loud. “They couldn’t even keep it in their pants for me.” She shook her head in amusement, as if he had just made the most ridiculous joke. “My ex save me from a bear . . . too funny.”
“Then they were a waste of time, anyway, if they couldn’t see what was right in front of them.”
She smiled sadly. “Not too much, according to them.”
He frowned. “As I said, little boys not worth a woman’s time.”
The words floated around in her head as she turned away from him and put away the kit.
“You know what else I think?” Christian said and got to his feet. He was turning his arm, looking at the bandage in approval.
She faced him. “What?”
“I think you are one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Kind, brave, and selfless. A rare diamond.”
Olivia laughed, but he looked so serious. They stared at each other for a moment, the air thickening around them. Her cheeks flushed as she looked away.
“Are you sure that will be comfortable enough?” She nodded at his improvised bed on the floor.
“It will.”
She watched as he lay on the floor, carefully avoiding making too much contact with his injured arm. It looked uncomfortable, and it was going to be impossible to avoid rolling onto his arm all night.
“See? Perfect,” he said, grinning at her.
She shook her head. “No.”
