She was a natural beauty with her classic features. Even in a hospital gown, or because of it, her shapely figure was evident beneath the sheet. Her cuts had been tended to. She looked to be in her midtwenties, but age could be deceiving.
“You don’t mind? I’ve brought in your cases.”
“You’re our savior, Mr. Clayton,” she said with a warm smile. “The doctor said he knew you and wasn’t at all surprised that the head of the Sapphire Ranch was the one to help us.”
“His wife and my new sister-in-law are close friends.” He set the cases by the wall before snagging a chair with his boot. “I understand Mr. Farnsworth will have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but you’ll be released soon. How can I help?”
“You’ve already saved our lives.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“No.” She shook her head. “If you hadn’t called 911 and come when you did, I wouldn’t have been able to pull Rob out of the cockpit by myself. The plane could have burst into flames. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened.”
Neither did he. “Tell me something. How did you get out of the plane? I took pictures, and your side was so dented the guys had to use a crowbar to pry it open.”
“I was desperate to get Rob out of the plane and crawled out the broken windshield.”
“You’re lucky you didn’t cut yourself more or break your leg jumping down. Because of your bravery, both of you will live to see another day.”
His admiration for her was as intense as his unwitting attraction. He hadn’t been this strongly drawn to a woman in years.
* * *
JASMINE COULDN’T HELP staring at the tall, fit, gorgeous cowboy dressed in a Western shirt sitting next to her. She’d seen him in the news recently, fighting to reintroduce grizzly bears to the area. Rob had been fighting against them, but this man had always been with a group of ranchers, and she’d never seen him up close before.
Her breath caught when he took off his cowboy hat, revealing wavy black hair. Below black eyebrows, his light gray eyes were fringed with thick black lashes. With his chiseled jaw, the kind that didn’t seem real, he had to be the most attractive man she’d ever seen in her life!
“Your hotshot pilot knew what to do to bring you home safely, Ms. Telford. He’s to be commended.”
She blinked. For a minute she was so blown away by him, she lost the thread of their conversation.
Rob wasn’t her hotshot pilot. But he was always in the news, and at this point she realized both men had come up against each other on more than one occasion. She could see why this man considered Rob a hotshot type. He flew his own plane and was an outspoken legislator on his way to the top.
After having turned down Rob’s marriage proposal, she wasn’t sure how things were going to be between them once he’d recovered.
“He definitely saved our lives by knowing where to put us down. I need to let his parents know what has happened.”
“I’m positive the police have already informed his family. The news will go out over the airwaves soon enough.”
One of the female technicians came in with some juice and checked Jasmine’s vital signs. “Are you hungry?”
“Not yet, but this tastes good.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“Do you know how Mr. Farnsworth is doing?”
“They’re still running tests on him. I’ll tell the doctor to give you an update when he can.”
“Thank you.”
She noticed the other woman check out Wymon Clayton before she walked out. In truth, Jasmine had been doing the same thing and had observed that he didn’t wear any rings. She found herself wanting to know more about him.
“How did you happen to be in the mountains this morning?”
“I was on my way to meet up with some rangers on business, which reminds me I need to contact them and let them know why I didn’t make it. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
She wanted to tell him she didn’t expect him to come back. He’d done more than enough for them, but he’d slipped behind the curtain before she could stop him. Once he’d gone, the doctor came back in and checked on her again.
“You’re free to get up, use the bathroom, get dressed. Then you can go see Mr. Farnsworth if you like. If you’re still feeling well in another hour, I’ll release you.”
“That’s good. I’m anxious to move around now.”
When she came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Wymon Clayton was waiting for her. It shouldn’t have excited her, but it did. His glance took in the jeans and knit top she’d pulled from her suitcase to wear, sending a slow burn through her body.
He stood there with his hat on. “The doctor told me you’re free to walk around. Why don’t you and I go to the cafeteria for a late lunch while we wait for Mr. Farnsworth to come back from his CAT scan?”
It was an innocent invitation offered by the man who’d come along in time to help save their lives, but she felt guilty when she said, “That sounds good. I think I’m getting hungry at last.”
All she took with her was her phone from the bedside table before leaving the ER with him. He seemed to know exactly where to go. She noticed that women young and old eyed him up as they made their way to the cafeteria at the other end of the building. Jasmine was five foot seven, but she felt small compared to Wymon. He had to be over six feet and was taller than Rob.
She felt wrong comparing him with Rob, but she supposed it was natural that she’d notice the differences between the two men.
Jasmine and Wymon each took a tray and went through the line picking out what they felt like eating. He paid for their food and led them to a table in the corner.
“I’ll pay you back when we get back to the room,” she said.
He helped her settle into her chair before sitting down opposite her. “I’m the one who asked you to eat with me.”
So he had. He had a quiet air of authority when he spoke, which had come across on TV. Again she got the sensation that she was doing something wrong. The first time it had happened, she didn’t know why, but this time she knew exactly what was disturbing her.
She felt an attraction to this man that was so much stronger than anything she’d ever felt before. Pure chemistry, hormones, whatever it was, it was powerful.
Keep it casual, Jasmine. Just be grateful for his help, that’s all. Remember the man you’ve been dating is getting a CAT scan right now—the man who wants to marry you and is still waiting for the right answer you can’t give him.
“Where were you headed when the hawk flew into you?”
She’d just
