Later, she'd think of how, once again, to keep this man at arm's length and avoid him. The respite from having to do for herself was much too appealing. Later, she'd remind herself that allowing a strong man to take care of her without expecting anything in return was a foreign concept.
No doubt, once she was taken care of, he'd come for his payment. Tears stung at thinking what would have happened if Lucas McKade had not happened to come along. Sadness at the fact no one would miss her or ever look for her if she'd not come back to town.
Being alone was never easy, but times like this, with a man's arms around her, she realized how alone she truly was and would continue to be.
She refused to ponder on the future. Instead, she sagged against him and took what he gave at the moment. Shelter, safety and comfort were the three things that had always come with a price to her. Hopefully, she'd not pay too high a price for what Lucas McKade did at the moment.
She had little left to give, both her heart and soul were too hardened to be taken. No, the only thing she truly had to lose was her life and that, in her opinion, was far better than losing her heart.
The horse's steady trot should have settled Camille. But the fact that Lucas McKade didn't seem to be in any hurry to get to town made each passing moment more unbearable. It had been so long since she'd been this close to a man and her body instantly reacted to the sensations she'd worked so hard to forget. The fact the man was so handsome and virile did little to help the uneasy situation.
Once they arrived at the doctor's place, she'd insist he leave and then find her way home. Other than some scratches, she was fine. Admittedly, her hands stung like crazy and the side of her face throbbed, probably a scratch from a branch.
Lucas shifted, his large body pressed against her back dispelling all thoughts from her mind. "What were you doing out there, anyway?"
"Collecting herbs to make soaps and use for teas and such." It was then she remembered her basket. "I'll have to go back to collect my things."
"If you're referring to the basket, it’s been trampled beyond repair. I doubt anything inside it survived."
His deep voice vibrated from his chest into her back and she let out a breath, careful not to embarrass herself by sighing. It took some effort not to press back into the deputy. "I reckon you'll have to purchase a new one."
"I have another." Camille attempted to lean forward, but it did little good as his arms were around her handling the reins. "There really is no need to take me to Doctor Sutherland's. I am perfectly fine. Just scratched and a bit spooked."
"You haven't seen the gash on the side of your face."
Camille gasped and reached up to touch her temple, but Lucas stopped her by grabbing her hand. "Don't."
"What in the world happened?” Sarah, Doctor Sutherland's daughter, rushed to Camille when they entered the clinic. By the wide-eyed look on her friend's face, the gash must have been bad. Camille allowed Lucas to guide her to sit, mainly because she suddenly felt a bit dizzy.
Before she could speak, Lucas did for her. "A bull chased her up a tree. A branch caught her on the side of the face when she climbed down."
Camille slid him a sharp look. From the sound of his voice, he still found the thought of her up a tree comical. "I didn't provoke the damned thing. It just came after me."
"Of course you didn't," Sarah said and shot Lucas a warning look. "You poor thing, I hope it doesn't leave a scar."
Now, she was more than curious to see the cut. Not waiting for Sarah to stop her, she stumbled across the room to a looking glass. From her temple to the top of her right cheek was sliced open. Dirt and grime coated dried blood were streaked across her face. "Oh, my goodness." She wobbled a bit. "I didn't feel it."
The same could not be said for the next half hour as Sarah cleaned and stitched the wound. Tears slid down the sides of her face and plopped onto the pillow. As much of a brave front as she attempted to keep, a sniffle escaped every so often.
Through it all, Lucas remained holding her hand and reassuring her. Although she drew strength from the man, who was little more than a stranger, she wished he'd leave and not witness the continuation of a most humiliating day.
Lucas strode from Doctor Sutherland's clinic to the jailhouse. He'd yet to bring the news of what he'd found out during his trek to the next town. The situation with Camille Johnston had distracted him from his work.
Once inside the dim interior, he waited a few moments for his eyes to adjust before looking for Brogan Hage, the sheriff and his friend.
"Hey Lucas, I was beginning to worry about you." Brogan emerged from where the cells were located. He held rags and a bucket. "Damned drunks always manage to get sick once they are settled in." He wrinkled his face in disgust.