Dee, Lavada - Nothing to Lose [Blackhawk Brothers] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

there the other night when I saw you. If I would have been a few minutes earlier, I’d have missed you, but I would have had the office lights on, so you might have come on down for help.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I have been trying to keep a low profile, but with a sign of life, I probably would have figured I might be close to a town. So hopefully I’d have had the strength to keep going.”
    Again, silence filled the room. Galynn knew she was lying to herself. She knew that she’d reached the end of her endurance. Looking up, she caught Cooper’s gaze. “Who am I trying to fool here? If you hadn’t found me, I would have frozen to death last night.” A tear escaped, and she swiped it away. She didn’t want Cooper to see her cry.
    Dropping his pizza back on his plate, he moved over and took her gently by the arms, turning her to face him. His voice pitched low. “We don’t know that. And we’re not going there. You made it against what looks like incredible odds. Now you need to rest and get completely well. Take the time you need to do that.”
    She nodded. “How will I ever repay you?”
    He laughed. “Well, if you know anything about computers…”
    She pulled back and looked at him. “I do. I worked in a real estate office while going to school. I set up a network and even developed a website. I know Word, Excel, and QuickBooks. I can learn any other software you have.” She broke off as she realized she was talking too fast. “Sorry, but I really can help you with the office work, and I’d love to do it.”
    “Whoa, you’re supposed to be recovering.”
    “I’ll do that better if I have something to do. Are you going to work in the office tomorrow?”
“Yeah, but…”
    “Then I’ll go to work with you.” Galynn waited. When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Please, let me help.”
    “What the hell. Okay, but not until around noon. You can sleep in, and then we’ll run over to the mall and pick up some winter shoes and a coat.”
    “Thank you. You won’t be sorry.”
    * * * *
    The news was repeating itself by the time they’d finished their meal. Cooper already had second thoughts about her working in the office with him. There was a physical attraction between them that he wasn’t comfortable with, though he had to admit, he sort of liked it. He went out and poured a couple of cups of coffee and brought them back to the living room. “Here’s some fortification before we tackle that wound on your back. I’ll try to be as gentle as possible.” He’d brought the sack from the drugstore in with him and dug in it, pulling out a pair of furry slippers. “I should have given these to you when I first got in, but I forgot. Your feet have to be cold with only those socks to keep them warm.”
    They were a pastel green. Galynn ran her hands over them, and held them against her face. “They’re perfect and so soft. Thank you! Let me pay you for them.”
    “No way, they weren’t all that much, just ones in the drugstore.”
    “They’re priceless to me.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.
    What had her life been like? How long had she been with the guy that had done this to her? He wanted to ask her questions but held them back. Instead, he got up and motioned toward the kitchen. “We need to tend to your back. Probably be easier in the master bath, but if you’re more comfortable in the kitchen, we can do it there.”
    “No, the bath’s fine.”
    Coop grabbed one of the kitchen chairs, the sack his brother had given him, and the one he’d brought in. Handing the sacks to Galynn, he led the way into the bathroom.
    “If you straddle the chair and face the back, it will give me a clearer view and it will give you something to hang onto.” As an almost afterthought, he said, “Oh, and pull your sweatshirt off. You can hold it in front of you.”
    Galynn’s hands shook as she did what he instructed. He turned his back to lay the bandages and