Page 30 of Madly Deeply

She turned the knob and found it unlocked, so she pushed her way inside. A shirtless Callum stood with his hands on his knees, the light over the stove was on, and nearly every cabinet door stood open.

He lifted slightly to gesture at them. "Not so much as an aspirin in the place!"

He howled again and straightened, leaned back, then winced and bent forward again.

"Show me," she said.

He grunted, then turned his back to her. Even in the dim light she clearly saw the angry red swath in the shape of a smile, just above his boxers, which rode low on his hips. His shirt must have ridden up while he was bent over working in the garden.

"Oh my hell! Callum, I'm so sorry."

"Aye, I know," he said, bearing down against the pain. "I'm a right eejit. Should have listened about the sun."

"Have you tried a cold shower?"

"Fer hours now. I'll be damp as a frog until spring."

"All right. We've got to get you into the car. Can you put on some pants?"

His groan was answer enough.

"Don't worry about it. At least you're not naked. I'm going to soak a towel just in case, and I'm taking you to the emergencyroom. Your burn is at least second degree. And they'll give you something for the pain."

"And if that doesnae help, maybe one of yer neighbors will have a rifle?"

She laughed lightly. "We'll just hold off on that, for now."

He yelped and cursed all the way to the car, then sucked air through his teeth the entire ride while he leaned forward against the dashboard. "They'll laugh," he said. "They'll give me a plaster and send me home like a whingin' bairn.”

“It's already blistering. No one is going to laugh. If anything, they'll say you should have gone in sooner. But it was good you put cold water on it."

"I may have lost track of time." He tried to straighten up and groaned. "Waitin' for the pretty lass next door to come home and need m' help."

If she hadn't dawdled--

He started cursing again and saved her from the need to respond. Each time he dropped the 'f' bomb, he apologized.

"It wasnae any fault of yers, o' course. It's just that...what evil has overtaken the sun to have it burn folks in December!"

She glanced in the rearview to see Spreag's reaction, but he wasn't there! She hadn't given him a second thought while helping Callum into the car. But he could have come along if he'd wanted.

Oh well, it was probably best. The last thing she needed was to be caught talking to thin air in the ER.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The drive to the emergency room was an adventure in pain management. Every bump in the road drew another roar from Callum, until Alexandra finally rolled down all the windows to let him howl without deafening them both. Between the potholes and the 'f' bombs, they both apologized a hundred times before they pulled up to the door.

"Sorry," he gasped again after he cursed his way out of the car. "Thought I was made of tougher stuff."

"Burns are the worst pain in the world." She pointed to the wheelchairs, but he shook his head.

"Helps to stand," he said, though, when he straightened, he cursed again and reached for her arm to steady himself as he bent forward.

The touch was so unexpected, so solid and warm, it took her by surprise.

How long had it been since anyone had really touched her? Since she'd felt the simple comfort of another human being?

Since Shug had hugged her at the airport.

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