Honor Bound. B.J. Daniels

everything but her bra and panties. He could see she was about to chicken out. “You won’t want to ride back in wet underwear. I’ve already seen you naked, but I’ll turn around if you like. I can be a perfect gentleman. If that’s what you want.” His words were apparently sufficient.

      “I’m not as big a prude as everyone thinks I am,” she called to him without turning in his direction.

      He saw her unhook her bra, and he turned around as promised. He heard her enter the water a few moments later. He felt small ripples move against him. “Is it safe to turn around now?”

      “I guess so,” she said. She was neck deep in the water. Had the water been clearer he might have been able to see her below the surface. But he didn’t need the view. He’d never forget what she looked like after last night in the moonlight.

      He stayed where he was, sensing that’s the way she wanted it. But he was smiling to himself. He was damned proud of whichever Ainsley Hamilton was sharing the pool with him. He admired a woman who accepted a challenge, especially for something out of her comfort zone.

      “Have dinner with me tonight.”

      * * *

      SARAH HURRIED DOWN the hospital hallway, reaching Russell’s hospital room as the doctor came out. “How is he?”

      He recognized her from all her other visits and like most people in the county, knew that she had been Russell’s fiancé not all that long ago.

      “It is nothing short of a miracle,” the doctor said, closing the door behind him. “He’s still a little confused. We’ll need to run more tests, but it appears he will have a full recovery.”

      She breathed a sigh of relief that brought tears to her eyes again. “Thank you. Can I see him?”

      “Just keep your visit short.”

      Sarah took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The first time she’d come to see Russell was right after his attack. He’d been so badly beaten that he hadn’t been expected to live. The doctor had worried that he would have brain damage. So it really was a miracle.

      As she entered the room, she let the door close behind her. Russell lay on the bed on his back, his eyes closed.

      She moved quietly to his side and took his hand. His eyes opened at her touch, and he turned his head toward her, a smile coming to his lips.

      “I am so glad to see you’re awake,” she said, unable to hold back the tears.

      His smile wavered. “I’m sorry, I thought for a minute you were my daughter, Destry.”

      “I’m sure the doctor has called her.”

      He nodded and looked toward the door. “I thought the two of them would be here by now.”

      She stared at him. Now she was the one confused. “Destry and her husband?”

      “Destry and Judy, my wife.”

      Judy? His deceased wife?

      She stared at him. The doctor had said there was some confusion after such major injuries. “Russell, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I know you were just trying to help me. If I could take any of it back—”

      He pulled his hand free, his frown deepening. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do I know you?”

      She was momentarily stunned. “Russell, it’s me, Sarah.” He still looked puzzled. “Sarah Hamilton.”

      His eyes widened as he finally seemed to recognize her. “I’m sorry, but I thought you were... That is...” He looked around the room as if now not sure where he was. When his gaze came back to her, he looked more frightened than confused. “I’m sure I recall going to your funeral.” He fumbled for his call button to alert the nurse, all the while he just kept frowning at her.

      Sarah stared at him, almost too shocked to speak. “You don’t remember finding me on the road outside Beartooth months ago?” she asked, her voice breaking.

      “Finding you?”

      “You don’t remember...” She couldn’t bear to say the words. You don’t remember falling in love with me, asking me to marry you? You don’t remember promising to help me? The door opened behind them. Sarah turned as a nurse came in.

      “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave,” the nurse said, glancing from Sarah to Russell and back again. Russell was visibly upset.

      Sarah nodded. Russell was still frowning at her, looking scared since his last memory was going to her funeral all those years ago.

      “I was just leaving.” She forced a smile. He didn’t remember her. She’d heard about head injuries where there was memory loss. His had apparently wiped out everything they had been to each other since she’d returned.

      She thought of her own loss of memories due to Dr. Venable eradicating them. At least for Russell, forgetting her was a blessing. “I’m so glad you’re better,” she said, her heart breaking.

      * * *

      AINSLEY PLAYED THE conversation over in her head, mentally kicking herself. She still couldn’t believe that she’d actually gone skinny-dipping—again! It was so not like her and yet... She smiled to herself. She’d felt a sense of freedom like none she’d ever experienced. And Sawyer had been a man of his word. He’d behaved like a perfect gentleman.

      So what had made her say she would have dinner with this cowboy? He’d caught her at a weak moment, she told herself.

      “I thought you might enjoy getting away from here for a while,” he’d said. “I feel like I’m in a fishbowl up here, you know what I mean?”

      She knew that feeling only too well. But then she’d felt like that for months. “Not much goes on out here that someone doesn’t witness. That’s why there is so much gossip.” Fortunately, she hadn’t heard anything about her and Sawyer, given his early-morning exit from her cabin.

      Ainsley had been ready to leave it at that. Going into town with him would only get tongues wagging. She had opened her mouth hoping a good excuse would come out.

      “Unless you’ve gone back to being the old Ainsley Hamilton, the one who isn’t allowed to have fun...”

      She had groaned. Did he really think he could dare her into having dinner with him? “Last night I was—”

      “Drunk?”

      “A little overdramatic.”

      “So you don’t think going into town with me to the local café would be living too dangerous for you?”

      Right then she couldn’t imagine anything more dangerous. There was something about this man beyond his good looks, his obvious charm, his way of making her feel safe.

      “You’re making fun of me.”

      “Not at all. Like I told you, I like both the old and the new Ainsley. It will be interesting to see which one comes out with me tonight.”

      She’d laughed. It had felt good. It also felt good to be asked out by this handsome cowboy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken a man up on an offer for dinner. No way was she going to let that Ainsley Hamilton from last night out, but what would it hurt to let down her hair just a little?

      “Okay, cowboy,” she’d said. Only later back in her cabin did she worry. Sawyer brought out a woman in her she didn’t know. It scared her, but it also excited her. Something told her that she should keep her distance from the man.

      * * *

      SAWYER HAD MADE up his mind that he would tell Ainsley the truth at dinner tonight—if she went out with him. He feared she might change her mind. He didn’t like keeping the truth from her, now that he’d met her.

      But at the same time, she’d made it clear that she prided herself on her independence.