She dressed in a black tank top and her new denim shorts, then made her way to the stairs—and froze. She looked down, felt almost dizzy. Eighteen stairs. Last week, this would have seemed like nothing, but now…
Damn.
The only stairs she’d done had been the front porch steps, but that had been on the way up. This was going down.
She thought about calling for help, but that would be wimpy. She remembered what Ellie had told her and tried to tuck both crutches under her left arm so that she could hold onto the railing with her right hand. Just when she thought she had it, one of the crutches slipped and went tumbling down the stairs.
The sound of running feet.
Chaska was there first, shirtless in a pair of jeans, Winona still in her pajamas a few steps behind him, relief coming over their faces when they saw her.
Win put a hand on her chest. “Oh, thank goodness! I thought you’d fallen.”
Chaska picked up the crutch. “I think you dropped something.”
Naomi wassuchan idiot. “I’ve never gone down stairs with crutches before.”
“I guess it’s a good time to learn.” Chaska walked up to stand on the step immediately below her and handed her the crutch, long, dark hair spilling over one shoulder. “Is this how they taught you to do it?”
She had a hard time answering because right now her mind was more focused on the man and muscle standing inches away from her. “Um, yes.”
“Just take it one step at a time. I’ll be here to catch you if you fall.”
“Won’t I just knock you down the stairs, too?”
A grin flashed across his face, making her pulse skip. “Not a chance.”
She drew a breath, steeled herself. “Okay.”
He stepped back to give her room. “Take it one stair at a time.”
One hand on the banister, the other holding her crutches, she moved the crutches down to the next step, then brought her good foot down.
“You’ve got this.”
She moved slowly downward, Chaska staying a couple of steps ahead of her. By the time she reached the bottom, she felt like a pro. “I did it—well, thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Chaska stepped aside, walking beside her back to the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes. How about you?”
“Like a rock.”
Naomi had a bowl of cereal, while Winona and Chaska finished their coffee, whatever they’d been arguing about put aside for now.
Winona refilled her coffee mug. “Chaska and I thought you could spend the morning at the clinic with me so that he can get some work done. Then, this afternoon, you can go on a drive through the mountains with him.”
Naomi stopped, the spoon inches from her mouth. “In the mountains? But isn’theup there somewhere?”
Chaska took his smartphone out of his pocket, typed something into his browser, then turned it so that she could see it. “We’re here, and Crestone is four hours south of us. We won’t be going that direction. There are lots of things to see around here. Trust me. I would never put you in danger. Besides, I’ll be carrying.”
It took her a moment to realize that “carrying” meant “carrying a gun.”
The warmth in his gaze confused her.Washe interested in her?
Did it matter?
She hadn’t come here for romance.