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There was a stack of newspapers on the long white sofa He swept therabbed the old patchwork quilt that hung over the sofa’s back and covered her with it

“Hey,” he said “Cus Open your eyes”

She gave a low moan Well, that was a start

“Come on,” he said sharply “Look at me”

A faint flutter of her lashes That was all Daht furiously Why couldn’t she have climbed somebody else’s pile of rocks? Gone after soend of the Blackwolf stones, were hardly the only ones out there

She ain Turned her head fro He bent closer, tried to make it out No, maybe?

“No, what?” he said

She didn’t answer She was still out And, hell, she looked as fragile as his mother’s bone china dinnerware

A muscle knotted in his jaw

Where was the tough, don’t-screith-ile, didn’t want her helpless He didn’t want to be responsible for her

He didn’t want to be responsible for anyone, ever again

If only he hadn’t given in to that stupid desire to ride to the canyon and see the solstice one final tiht here, because what in hell did the canyon or the solstice or any of it matter? If only If only…

“Stop it,” he said out loud

A ht bitterly, even if you were dealing with a trespasser, a thief…

Or a woman

This one, at least, would be gone by tomorrow

Jesse stood straight, headed quickly for the kitchen, grabbed a towel from the rack next to the sink and dried his naked ary with rainwater, but first things first Deal with the woet her conscious enough to drink so hot and sweet The idea was to elevate her core teer point

And call the doctor

By the time he arrived, the woman would be okay, but the doc could check her over, just to play it safe And he could take her back to toith him To a motel To the hospital Who cared where he took her?