Page 45 of Hero Unbound

She nodded slowly and reached for him. He scooped an arm under her knees and around her back and lifted her out of the truck. She lay against him as he carried her inside and placed her on the couch in the main living room.

“I need to dry off the dogs so they don’t get everything damp,” she whispered.

He shook his head. “I’ll dry off the dogs. You just take a minute.”

She didn’t insist, which was a little worrisome in itself. He grabbed a couple of older towels out of the industrial-grade laundry room and headed for the dogs, glad they’d come to trust him the past few days. Once they were dry and he set out water bowls for them, he crossed back to Eva.

She was still lying on the couch, her stare almost blank.

“Hey.” He crouched down beside her. “The dogs are settled. Dried, had some water. They’re both conked out in the kitchen.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Mind if I take a look at that bump?” He didn’t like how she was acting. “Let’s make sure we’re not dealing with a concussion.”

She nodded, and he helped her sit up more fully. Her hands were still a little clammy, and she was soaked. She needed to get out of these wet clothes and into a warm shower.

He eased his fingers around her scalp, finding the bump quickly. It didn’t seem too excessive and had stopped bleeding. “Why are you so wet? This seems like a lot more than merely getting from your car to my truck.”

She nodded. “I was out in the storm longer than I thought I’d be.”

“Trying to get Spice to come with you? What were you going to do, walk?” He didn’t even want to talk about how dangerous that could’ve been.

“I didn’t have a good plan.”

“I’m glad you called me.” He helped her stand up. “How about we get you into the shower?”

She nodded. He didn’t like how dull her senses seemed, but he didn’t push it. Maybe after a shower and a little food, she’d feel better. Her pupils once again seemed fine, so whatever was happening with her was probably more emotional trauma than anything else.

“I’ll throw your clothes in the dryer while you’re in there. It won’t take too long.”

She stopped her shuffle toward the bathroom and looked down at her clothes before reaching up to touch her head. “I didn’t hurt myself on purpose. I didn’t do that.”

If she’d just followed his instructions and stayed in town, none of this would’ve happened. “Well, you kind of did.”

Her eyes got huge, and all the color drained from her face. “I did? I hurt myself? I did that?”

Theo had no idea what was happening right now. It was almost as if she truly didn’t understand how she’d gotten hurt. Maybe her head injury was worse than he’d thought.

He gripped her arms. “Can you follow my finger with your eyes?” He held a finger in front of her face then moved it from side to side. Her eyes followed it with no problem. “Does your head still hurt?”

“No, not much.”

“Do you really not remember what happened out there?”

She wrapped her arms around her body. “I—I hurt myself.”

What the hell? “No. No, you were out in the storm and got hit by some hail.”

“You said I hurt myself.”

“Jesus, Eva. I meant that you should’ve been tucked in safe and sound at the Mayor’s Inn rather than come out here to check on the animals. That’s what I meant when I said you hurt yourself—only that you’re too stubborn for your own good.”

Her brow wrinkled. “I didn’t hurt myself.”

He really did not understand what was happening in this conversation. He moved his hands up until they were cupping her shoulders. “You got hurt out in the storm. But I wish you hadn’t been out in the storm in the first place.”

She nodded as if that appeased whatever confusion was brewing inside her mind.“I’ll go take a shower.”

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