Buckhorn Beginnings Read Online Free PDF

now.
    â€œIt’s not safe because…” She licked her lips, considered her words, then whispered, “Someone is trying to hurt me.”
    Sawyer stared at her, for the moment too stunned to speak.
    â€œIs this something I should know about, Sawyer?” Morgan asked.
    He almost groaned. Wishing he could remove the fear from her eyes, he gave her a wink, then turned to face his most difficult brother. “Eavesdropping, Morgan?”
    â€œActually, I was doing tea duty.” He lifted a cup and saucer for verification. “Hearing the girl’s confession was just a bonus.”
    â€œIt wasn’t a confession. She’s confused from—”
    â€œNo.” Trembling, she scooted upward on the bed, clutching the quilt to her chest. She chewed her lower lip, not looking at Morgan, but keeping her gaze trained on Sawyer. After a rough bout of coughing, she whispered, “I’m not confused, or making it up.”
    Sawyer narrowed his eyes, perturbed by the sincerity in her tone and the way she shivered. Ifanything, she sounded more hoarse, looked more depleted. He needed to get the questions over with so he could medicate her, get her completely dry and let her rest. “Okay, so who would want to hurt you?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    Morgan set the tea on the bedside table. “ Why would anyone want to hurt you?”
    Tears glistened in her eyes and she blinked furiously. One shoulder lifted, and she made a helpless gesture with her hand. “I…” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat roughly. Sawyer could tell how much she hated showing her vulnerability. “I don’t know.”
    Agitated, Sawyer shoved Morgan away from where he loomed over her, then took up his own position sitting next to her on the bed. “Honey—”
    The sky seemed to open up with a grand deluge of rain. It washed against the windows with incredible force. Within seconds the sky grew so dark it looked like midnight rather than early evening. Lightning exploded in a blinding flash, followed by a loud crack of thunder that made the house tremble and startled the woman so badly she jumped.
    By reflex, Sawyer reached out to her, closing his hand over her shoulder, caressing her, soothing her. “Shh. Everything’s okay.”
    A nervous, embarrassed laugh escaped her. “I’m sorry. I’m not normally so skittish.”
    â€œYou’re sick and you’re hurt.” Sawyer leveled a look on his brother. “And you aren’t going anywhere tonight, so put the thought from your head.”
    Morgan promptly agreed, but the curling of his lips showed how amused he was by Sawyer’s possessive declaration. “Sure thing. We can sort everything out in the morning after you’re rested.” He slapped Sawyer on the shoulder. “Let the doc here fix you up. You’ll feel better in no time.”
    Casey came in with the baseball jersey. “Sorry, it took me a little while to find it.”
    Sawyer accepted the shirt. “Good. Now we can get you out of these wet clothes.”
    Jordan lounged in the doorway, a small half-smile on his mouth. “Need any help?”
    And once again, Sawyer had to shove them all out the door. You’d think they’d never seen an attractive woman before, the way they were carrying on, when in fact they all had more than their fair share of female adoration. But as Sawyer closed the door and turned back to her, seeing her lounged in his bed, her long hair spread out over his pillow, her wide, watchful gaze, he knew he was acting as out of sorts as the rest of them. Maybe more so. He’d just never been so damn aware of a woman, yet with this woman, he felt he could already read her gaze. And he strongly reacted to it.
    That just wouldn’t do, not if he was going to be her doctor.
    He laid the shirt on the foot of the bed, resolute. “Come on.” After pulling the damp quilt