far to the shop, only a few blocks. But it was quicker to ride Lacey’s bike there and back, and today—for once—Carin was actually in a hurry.
She pedaled off toward the shop, focusing on the new painting that was taking form in her mind. She didn’t see Miss Saffron’s cat dash across the road.
She didn’t see Zeno race after him—not until he was right in front of her. She slammed on the brakes, jerked the handlebars and swerved just in time to see Nathan, his hand on the small of the back of an absolutely gorgeous blonde woman, going into the grocery store.
Carin, gaping, wobbled wildly, swerved madly and hit a pothole.
The bike flipped. So did the lunch.
So did Carin.
And then she went splat.
CHAPTER SIX
“CARIN! Good God, Carin! Are you all right?”
Asinine question. Of course she wasn’t all right!
She’d flipped right over the handlebars of the bike! If he shut his eyes Nathan could see it still, in slow motion, Carin sailing through the air, arms flailing in an attempt to get her balance—and lay now in a crumpled heap in the road.
“Go inside. Tell ’em to call the doc.” He didn’t look to see if Gaby followed his directions or not. He had already hurdled the stair railing and was sprinting down the street toward Carin.
She was conscious. She was moving. She was scraped. He saw blood and he could hear her swearing a blue streak, saying words that would have shocked him if he hadn’t been tempted to say them himself.
“Don’t move,” he instructed as he crouched beside her. “Damn it, Carin! Stay still!” he commanded when she struggled to get up.
“Bloody, bloody—! Oh, hell! Owwww!” She was scrabbling on the ground, trying to pick herself up, but one arm wasn’t cooperating. And Nathan was afraid to touch her for fear of making things worse.
She had an abrasion on her cheek. Her legs were scraped, her hands bloody. And her arm—oh, God—her arm!
“Stop moving, damn it!” Nathan snapped at her. “You’ve broken your arm.”
Carin looked at him, stricken, white as a ghost. Only her lips and lashes had any color. “I haven’t! Oh damn! Oh hell! Oh—” She swore desperately. “I can’t have broken my arm!”
“You have. Stop moving.”
“You’re not a doctor! What do you know?”
“I know you aren’t supposed to have an elbow halfway down your forearm.”
She jerked her gaze down and really looked at it for the first time. Then she looked back at Nathan, went even whiter, and her eyes started to roll back in her head.
“Damn it, Carin! Don’t faint!” He did his best to get her head down, trying to avoid her arm, easing his around her, feeling her whole body tremble. He had no doubt that she was in shock. “It’ll be okay. Gaby’s got ’em calling for the doc.”
“Gaby,” she mumbled and shook her head as if she was dazed.
“My agent,” he explained. “That’s her name.” It seemed stupid to be talking about Gaby now. He wanted to see how badly Carin was hurt.
But people began appearing to stand around—Lyle from the grocery store, Emmalyn from the bakery, Otis who ran the hardware store. And Miss Saffron, holding her damned cat. Zeno was there, too, looking worried.
“Is she all right?”
“Carin, you ok?”
“Oh, Carin!” It was Elaine. “You’re hurt! You’re not dyin’?”
Carin saw her and dredged up the faintest of smiles. “Not dying,” she affirmed. “Your, um, lunch.” She managed a weak wave of her hand on the unbroken arm toward the contents of the bag that had been in the basket of the bike.
“Forget the lunch.” She stopped at the sight of Carin’s arm. “Your arm! It’s your right arm!”
The significance of this seemed to hit Carin at the same time it hit Elaine—and Nathan. Her right arm.
“I can’t paint!” There was panic in Carin’s tone now. “Oh, my God, I—”
“Here’s the doc,” Nathan broke in as Maurice pulled up in his Jeep and Doc Rasmussen climbed out.
He ran quick, practiced hands over her and turned to Maurice. “Call Hugh. Tell him we need to get her to Nassau.” As he spoke he put a temporary splint on Carin’s arm.
“Hugh’s already in Nassau,” she said weakly.
“We’ll get him back here,” Nathan promised. “Call McGillivray and tell him to get his ass home.”
Maurice shook his head. “Be lots faster if Molly takes her.”
“Who’s Molly?”
“Hugh’s sister,” Carin answered. “Yes, Molly can do it.”
Nathan noticed she wasn’t arguing about having to go to the hospital. But he wasn’t sure about Hugh McGillivray’s sister. He’d