get himself there and back with her help. She’d been trained to support bodies and knew the best way to get him moving and keep him moving, but he was a big guy. She was tall for a woman, but he topped her by at least four inches. She thrust from her mind the uncomfortable thought of being that close to him and not being able to get away.
She reminded herself that not all men were like her ex and that even if Conner turned violent, she was strong enough to deal with him. Despite his military background she instinctively felt safe with him, which made no sense. She had her own truck, she could move faster than he could, and as long as she remained aware of her surroundings and didn’t let him trap her in a corner, she’d be fine.
The very basic bathroom facilities backed onto the cabin and were accessed from the outside. There were plans in the works to remodel the cabins and make them more user-friendly, but nothing would happen until Conner moved out. Luckily, the overhang from the roof protected guests from the rain, but that was about as good as it got.
Even before they made it through the door, Beth realized they had a balance problem.
“Stay there.”
She propped Conner up against the doorframe and ran to her truck to retrieve the walking stick Juan had left in the passenger seat. She offered it to her patient, who looked affronted.
“I don’t need that.”
“Yes, you do. Use it to balance your weight on the other side,” Beth advised. “Otherwise, if you go over, you’ll probably take me with you and then I’ll never be able to leave in the morning because I’ll be very flat and two dimensional.”
He grunted, but did as she suggested, making her job way easier.
“Awesome.” She eased him along the path, his arm slung over her shoulder. “Almost there.”
“Great,” he muttered. “And don’t even think about coming in with me.”
“Like I’d dare.” She offered him a sweet smile as she pushed open the door. “Holler if you need help, okay?”
“I won’t.”
He shut the door firmly in her face and she turned back to the cabin, grinning. Knowing that men loved to spend hours in the bathroom, she left him alone and went to set the cabin to rights. The sun was beginning its descent now and the shadows were lengthening. It was still hot, which was unusual for this end of the valley. She certainly wouldn’t need her warm coat. Beth considered what a night without air conditioning would be like. It wasn’t as if she could strip off her clothes and sleep naked like she did at home.
She glanced down at her boobs. Not that Conner would care. She could probably run around the place nude and all he’d do was stare at her like she was nuts. She hadn’t been naked with anyone for years. Trusting someone to see her in such a vulnerable state hadn’t happened with any of the men she’d cautiously dated over the past five years.
But Conner O’Neil was different. For some strange reason she was attracted to him, and there was nothing she could do about it. With a sigh, she gathered the dirty sheets, pulled out the old washtub and soap, and dragged everything outside. She was too tired to wash the sheets now, but she could at least let them soak overnight and deal with them in the morning.
There was dinner to fix, Conner’s injuries to check, and a whole evening ahead trying to make conversation with a man who gave her lustful thoughts and who wished she’d just go away and leave him in peace.
* * *
Conner had considered shaving off his beard while he was in the bathroom, but he hadn’t had the energy. Despite insisting to Beth that he was one hundred percent fit, he knew he wasn’t. He also knew he should be grateful to her for showing up and taking care of him, but after the way he’d behaved he doubted she’d believe him even if he told her.
“Is the chicken okay?” Beth asked.
He looked across the table at her. “It’s great, thanks.”
She smiled and he was struck yet again by the openness and strength of her expression. She wasn’t beautiful by any standards, but he’d never seen a more interesting and mobile face. He kept wanting to touch her, to reassure himself that someone as vibrant as Beth could exist in his cold and lonely world.