Page 66 of Evening Shadows

With his agents protecting them, he relaxed somewhat but not enough he hadn’t heard Doc approach.

The big man—easily the largest on the team in height, muscles, and broadness of chest—smiled when he entered, the roof of the cave only a few inches above his head.

“How’s it going, Sugar? Boss?”

Of course he’d ask the woman first. He loved women. All women. Too many women.

Sam smiled at him, and for a moment, Ken thought she would hug him. A spark of jealousy gripped him and it took all his reasoning to release it and remember how she’d responded to him.

“I’ve got your stuff.” Doc handed Ken a handgun—probably from Cowboy since he also wore two weapons on his body. The blankets he handed to Sam. “Would you lay these out so I can get a good look at his injuries? Make sure it’s in the bit of light left. You can move them later when it’s time to sleep.” He also held a full water bladder for her to take. “Electrolytes.”

Ken grimaced, knowing the taste of them. He wanted to say he could manage on his own, but bending over didn’t agree with him. In fact, getting up and down might be a challenge.

It appeared that while his team had bonded and gotten to know each other as he had them, they’d absorbed everything about him. It tugged at his heart since he considered them family. “I can get back up.”Maybe.

“Doesn’t matter. I want you off the leg until tomorrow. When we’re back home, you’ll really need to stay off it. Pain level? Honest.”

Ken scoffed. “Does it matter? I’ll make it out of here. Now, are you planning to look at my wound?”

“Don’t need to.” He knelt by the pallet Sam had created. “You got shot. No matter if big or small, it still needs tending. Now, Sam, turn your back. Don’t care whether you go to the side or back of the cave. Just don’t block these last few rays.”

“Why does she need to move?” Ken asked. He’d love to have her hold his hand through this, not because of fear but because it’d be soothing.

“Because you’re going to strip for me.”

“Where’re my singles?” Sam piped in with a laugh.

“I’m worth more than one-dollar bills,” he countered with his best seductive smile aimed at her.

“All right, you two lovebirds.”

Ken stiffened. How had he known? If Franks had blabbed, he’d have him running drills sunup to sundown for weeks.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

“But—” Sam sputtered.

With him? Not with the men or Franks? “How—” He stopped, realizing he’d given them away with only the one word.

“Anyone with eyes could tell. Especially with how hard the two of you try to stay out of each other’s way at HQ.”

“No.” Indignation radiated from her.

“We’ll discuss it later. Let’s get Ken patched up so he can hold hisBarbie. Or Sugar in this case.”

For men who’d never played with any dolls other than soldiers or GI Joe, every time Ken took a woman out, they joked about him finding his Barbie. They’d even began to use the labels the dollmaker had like Cherry Pie PicnicBarbieDoll.

He’d heard that most of his life, so it slid down his back, but thought it funny so he’d played along, assuring them that his Barbie had gotten away. Which had been true.

Doc turned his gaze to Sam and raised an eyebrow. “Sam?”

She scurried to the edge of the cave on the side opposite them, holding her wet rifle as if it comforted her. It probably did.

“Let me see the leg.”

Sam turned to observe Doc take a look, only lightly touching once on the front and once on the back.

“Okay, your pants aren’t stuck to the wound. Your fall into the water would have helped. It probably washed away some of the dried blood, but you’ve got some fresh slowly oozing I’m worried about. Go ahead and undress. Let me know if you need help with the pants.”

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