returned the smile, relieved she still had her sassy sense of humor. “It’ll have to do for now.”
He unbuttoned her shirt and gently eased the fabric off her shoulder, trying to ignore the electric-blue lacy bra strap.
He ran his fingers lightly along her clavicle, stopping at a big lumpy spot. There was no doubt the bone was fractured. Swelling and discoloration had already begun.
Carefully he pulled the shirt back in place and buttoned her up. “You broke your collarbone.”
“I was afraid of that. I heard a snapping sound when I hit the floor.”
“What else?”
“I have a cut on my elbow. I think I landed on the corner of the bed frame.” She glanced down at her left arm.
He needed some space. She was leaning with her left arm against the wall. “I’m going to help you up and we’re going down into the kitchen so I can get a good look at your arm.”
“Okay.”
“Can you walk?” He couldn’t carry her without hurting her and he needed to assess her overall condition.
Her chin came up. “Yes.”
He stood up and backed down a step to give her the room to stand. She braced herself against the wall and swayed a bit.
“Dizzy?’ He grabbed her hips to steady her, braced to catch her if she fainted.
“A little.”
There was no color in her face and her skin looked clammy.
“I’m going to get beside you.” Tony stepped up to the same stair she was on and reached under the back of her shirt, grasping a handful of the waistband of her pants.
“Just take it slow.”
She nodded and started down the steep stairs, wincing as each step jarred her arm.
He guided her to a kitchen chair and she lowered herself gingerly. He knelt on the floor beside her and pulled the towel away from her arm. A jagged gash about three inches long lay across the elbow joint along the inside of her arm. The towel was so dark he hadn’t noticed the blood.
He went blank for a moment and then pulled himself together. On missions he’d acted purely on his training. It was different with Julie. She shook him up.
Tony pulled himself together and said, “It’s still bleeding. I need to put some pressure on it. Where are the clean towels?”
“The drawer next to the sink.”
He found a stack of white dish towels and made a thick pad with one, pressed it against the cut, then wrapped it tightly with a second towel.
He slid into the chair next to her. “Okay, that should hold you until we can get it stitched up.”
She raised an eyebrow and gave him a long look. “You want to do it? My grandmother’s sewing box is in the living room.”
He shook his head, knowing she was kidding. He had put stitches in before, but that was when there were no medics around. Her beautiful smooth skin deserved more of an expert than he was.
She stared at him. “Where did you learn to do all this?”
“Navy. I went through some medical training.” He helped her to her feet, grabbing hold of her waistband again. The skin on her lower back was smooth and warm. He wondered if her panties matched her bra. He had always been a sucker for those lingerie ads.
He shook his head, disgusted with his thoughts. He must be more hung up on her than he’d thought to be considering jumping her bones on the way to the hospital. “Next stop, Redwood City emergency room.”
Since the accident and Jimmy’s death he’d been numb, unable to feel any real emotion, but taking care of her this afternoon had changed that.
He wasn’t sure he was ready.
She twisted until she could get up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
The sisterly kiss sent a zing through his system. “No problem,” he said and led her out to his truck, knowing his comment was probably the biggest lie he had ever told.
His instincts had always been good. This woman could cause him plenty of problems, the kind he had never dealt with before.
The kind that involved his heart.
Chapter Two
Exhausted and fighting tears, Julie stood on the sidewalk beside Tony and contemplated the steps leading to her front door.
They reminded her of Mount Everest.
He had a firm grip on the upper part of her left arm. At least he was no longer hauling her around by the back of her pants.
“Thank you. For everything.” She tried to pull away from his big warm hand. She wanted to get in the house before she fell apart. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him.
Tony didn’t let go. “Let’s get you in the house.”
She looked up at the dark windows. “Thanks, but I’ve taken enough of your time.”
He ignored her and urged her up the stairs. “I’ll help you get settled.”
She didn’t want to be rude after he had rescued her, but she needed to be alone. She never let anyone see her cry.
Through the haze of medication that didn’t quite block the pain, she was beginning to realize she wouldn’t be able to work on the house for quite a while. The doctor had trussed her up like a Thanksgiving turkey, with her arm in a sling strapped to her chest to immobilize her broken collarbone.
She couldn’t finish fixing up the house on her summer vacation.
The utter frustration of her situation overwhelmed her and she groaned. At least her anger at herself helped overcome the urge to cry.
Tony dipped down until his face was level with hers. “Julie? What’s wrong?”
If she’d had a good hand, she would have smacked him. What wasn’t wrong?
She shook her head. This experience had turned her into a shrew. “Let’s just get in the house.”
Tony opened the door, flipped on the light in the foyer and led her across the threshold.
She needed to get him out of the house. She just wanted to go to bed and wallow in misery for a while. Tomorrow she’d think about what she was going to do.
“I really appreciate everything you’ve done. I’d like to pay you for your time.”
He looked amazed at her comment, then his mouth thinned into a grim line. “Pay me?
