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She flicked the cap open and drew August’s hand over the sink. When she poured a copious amount of peroxide into the cut, bubbles and blood flowed into the basin. She twisted and turned his finger to get every last hint of dirt out of the wound. If he was working on a ranch, he didn’t have the cleanest hands.
When she poured more peroxide on the cut, he let out a low hiss.
She pinned her gaze on his, daring him to move even though he hadn’t pulled away.
“Where’d you find this one, Abel? She’s tough.”
Jaren let out a low chuckle. “You don’t know the half of it, August.” He peeled open a package of gauze and Trinny took some to dab away the moisture and blood. Then he opened a bandage and held it out for her.
“Hold that gauze on the cut,” she instructed August.
She accepted the bandage and peeled off the strips before applying it to his finger.
August wagged it right and left. “Lookie there. All fixed up. I owe you my thanks.” He thumbed his hat.
“Don’t mention it. And don’t get that wet for a while. If you see any red streaks, go to the ER right away. Also, when was your last tetanus shot?” She grabbed all the used medical supplies and dropped them in the trash.
“Are you a nurse or somethin’?” he asked.
Jaren only gawked at her.
Suddenly, she felt her nerves kick in. She hated the spotlight, and she’d just drawn all the attention to her.
She washed her hands in the sink and used a paper towel to dry them. Looking at Jaren, she said, “I’ve just been around animals, and everybody knows they can be unpredictable.” She lifted her chin. “You promised me horses.”
The men exchanged grins.
Jaren stepped forward. “That I did. You can find us in the barn or corral, August.”
“Thanks again, Trinny,” August called, but she was already rushing out the door.
What made her jump in and trust these friends of Jaren’s? She needed to be more cautious, just like she had been all those weeks with the rodeo. She always made sure to watch her back, to keep an eye on the crowd just in case…
Jaren made her let down her guard, and she was getting too comfortable, which could get her killed.
Someone was still after her. Her mother was gone. And the two were definitely connected. The break-ins didn’t start until after her mother’s funeral.
She racked her brain to recall that day. Everything was a blur of sad music and murmured condolences. She barely remembered who attended the service. Trinny didn’t know a lot of her mother’s friends, but they all offered their sympathies.
It was entirely possible that none of them were actually friends with her mother and only there for the same reasons she was friends with them—because it made her position look better in some weird way.
Trinny flipped through faces in her head. Couples her mother’s age telling Trinny some story about how her mother donated to this charity or that cause. A man who was only a blip in her mother’s—and Trinny’s—life when her mother dated him. He was actually more visibly upset by her death than the others, and Trinny didn’t think the two had even stayed in touch over the years. But she did wonder if any of those people made it into the photo album Trinny carried with her.
Sometime, maybe even soon, she’d crack it open and see.
She only made it a few steps before Jaren’s fingers closed on her elbow and he stopped her in her tracks.
Dark eyes burned down into hers with an intensity that felt like he’d taken off all her clothes and stroked her with his tongue. Twice.
“You don’t need to worry about August giving you away, Trinny.” He stepped close. So very close. His body heat washed over her from shoulder to ankle. His voice dropped low. “You’re safe here.”
Everything he did woke her body up. She felt like a flower blossom unfurling to the sun.
She started to speak, but a crash came from the barn, followed by some hollers.
Jaren spun toward the noise. “Fuck!”
“What is it?” she asked.
