Chapter Three

“It’s a win-win,” Nova said an hour later as the two of them walked toward the bunkhouse on Nova’s family’s property. Actually, it wasn’t a bunkhouse anymore. Hunter had finally finished remodeling the building into his own “bachelor pad,” according to Nova.

Callie rolled her suitcase behind her, thinking “win-win” didn’t come close to describing the situation, but sometimes a person had to do the unthinkable.

“Hunt needs someone to keep an eye on him for the next couple of weeks and you need a place to stay. I’m sorry it’s not with me, but we appreciate your help so much.”

Nova lived in her brother and sister-in-law’s guesthouse, but Bethany’s mom and sister were arriving tomorrow to spend a few weeks to help with the new baby and they were staying in the guesthouse. Nova was temporarily moving into the spare bedroom inside Cole and Bethany’s house. The last thing they needed was another person invading their space during this special time.

They no doubt would have been fine with it because they always welcomed Callie with open arms, but Hunter needed someone to keep watch over him after his severe reaction to being bitten by a black widow spider. He’d been rushed to the hospital along with Bethany and injected with antivenin. The remedy had worked to help alleviate his reaction, but it came with its own set of side effects, too, and thus the doctor recommended he be monitored at home for the next two weeks, just in case.

“I’m not sure Hunter is going to appreciate it.”

“He’s going to love having you stay with him.”

“Ha! Is the poison affecting his brain, too?”

Nova darted a deprecatory look at her. “Trust me, you’re just what he needs.”

Callie had no idea what to make of that. “I doubt it, but I am happy to help out and thankful for the place to stay.” She tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear, ready to get out of her travel clothes and curl up in bed with a book. Given the late hour, and his sickness, Hunter would hopefully be asleep for the rest of the night.

“Knock, knock!” Nova called out as she opened the door to the bunkhouse without an actual knock.

Callie followed her inside. They walked through the dimly lit narrow building that included a well-appointed, functional kitchen, a living area with a deep leather couch and coffee table, and lastly a bedroom with a gunmetal-gray down comforter on a large platform bed. Each room flowed into the next, apart from a sliding barn door that gave partial privacy to the bedroom. The lump underneath the comforter with a shock of light brown hair belonged to their small town’s heartbreaker.

Kennedy rose from a sheepskin-upholstered armchair in the corner. “Hi, girls. You just missed Mom.” She motioned for them to step away from the bed. “Callie, it’s good to see you. Welcome home.” Kennedy wrapped her in a hug.

“Good to see you, too.”

“How’s the patient?” Nova asked.

“He’s grumpy, which is to be expected, and bummed about not meeting his new niece yet, but otherwise okay. Thanks so much for being here, Callie. He should sleep through the night with all the meds we’ve got in him, and for the next two days he should stay in bed, especially if he’s still got a fever. After that, we’ll need to watch for breathing problems, skin lesions, a rash or hives, joint pain, and any swelling to his face.”

“That’s a lot,” she said with concern and worry. She knew poisonous spiders could be harmful, but his breathing? She shuddered at the thought of him unable to take a deep breath. She had no medical background. At least half the Band-Aids she applied were crooked or fell off immediately. And she only knew how to do CPR from watching Grey’s Anatomy, which meant she’d be of no proper help there.

Maybe she wasn’t the right person for this job. “I thought he was bitten on the hand.”

“He was, but the poison spread through his body.” Kennedy squeezed Callie’s forearm in comfort. “I can see you’re worried, so if anything looks upsetting, or you feel something is wrong, text me and I’ll be right over.”

“If we didn’t have a wedding this weekend, and a brand-new baby to boot, I’d be here with you,” Nova said.

“I’ll check in on him in the morning before I go to the office.” Kennedy glanced over her shoulder toward his bed. “And again on my way home. Maverick will stop in when he has a spare minute. I’m sure Mary Rose will, too.”

The Owens family was close-knit, and everyone would no doubt be by to check on Hunter when available. Callie nodded. She could do this.

Kennedy said goodbye, and then Nova took a minute to point out where everything was in the bunkhouse.

“There’s only one bed,” Callie said, the realization finally hitting her. Jet lag had set in, so it wasn’t entirely her fault she hadn’t noticed sooner.

Nova scrunched up her nose. “True, but the couch is super comfy.” She grabbed some blankets and a pillow and placed them on the couch. “You’re the best for doing this, Cal.”

“I’m glad I could help.” Truly. Nova and her family had been there for her countless times over the years, Mary Rose like a second mom. And it wasn’t as if Hunter was a stranger. They didn’t know each other beyond the typical stuff, but if she had an emergency and no one else was around, he’d help without question. It was part of the sisters-best-friend code of conduct.

She and Nova said goodbye, and then Callie wheeled her suitcase to an empty spot along the wall and did a little unpacking. She’d mastered traveling and sleeping in small, minimalist surroundings while away, so this felt like being in a four-star hotel room.

With the couch all set for sleeping, her book near the pillow, and her pajamas on, she grabbed her toiletries bag and walked toward the one and only bathroom on the other side of the bedroom.

She’d taken all of two steps when Hunter entered her line of sight—buck-ass naked.

Ass being the key word because her eyes were immediately drawn to his firm, round gluteus maximus, paler than the rest of him. She gasped…or something. The sound was brand spanking new, so she didn’t know what to call it.

Hunter stopped, glanced over his shoulder. She quickly forced her gaze up, lest he think she was checking him out. She was fairly certain her tongue hadn’t gotten stuck hanging out of her mouth, but just in case, she bit down.

He stared at her for one second. Two. Then, like his being naked was the most natural thing in the world, the corners of his mouth lifted into a come-to-bed-with-me smile. She stood stock still and glared at him.

He gave a tiny shrug and resumed walking to the bathroom. She stared at his backside as he did so, unable to look away. Broad shoulders, trim waist, perfect ass, long muscular legs. A body born from hard work on the ranch, not a gym. Only when he disappeared inside the bathroom did her wits come back.

Irritation followed immediately afterward. If he thought he could prance around in his birthday suit while they were under the same roof, he had another think coming. There were rules to this arrangement, and they would be discussed right away.

A tinkling sound met her ears—he was peeing with the door open? Ew. She was a closed-door pee-er and liked others to do the same.

The toilet flushed. A sink turned on. She held her ground, ready to set some rules, dammit, when the image of his nakedness hit her upside the head with embarrassing clarity. When he stepped out of the bathroom to walk back to bed, she’d get a whole different eyeful.

She spun around so fast, she tripped over her own feet, then dove for the couch like the floor had suddenly disappeared. She covered herself with the blanket and pretended to be asleep. She’d seen enough of his naked body for one night, thank you very much. He’d given her his flirty smile, and when she hadn’t responded, he’d moved on. Right?

At least for tonight.

Faint footsteps, followed by the rustling of covers, eased her mind. He’d crawled back into bed. Thank you, cowboy fairies. She remained still, just in case, until his heavy breathing hinted that he’d fallen back asleep.

Relieved, but extra cautious, she mentally altered the new dress pattern she’d been working on for a few minutes before standing and tiptoeing to the bathroom. She didn’t so much as peek at the bed, cursing Hunter for the new image she now had of him.

Ugh. The next two weeks were going to be the longest of her life…