Cowboy Delirium

“Just hand me the gun so I can treat the wound.”

Luke grimaced and fell back to the couch, finally dropping the gun to the floor.

Rio kicked it to the other side of the room and turned to Jaime. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I didn’t shoot him. I took the gun from him but he wrestled it away from me. He was holding it when it went off.”

“We’ll sort it out later.”

“That’s how it happened.”

“I believe you.”

Not that the details mattered. For Rio, knowing she was okay stilled the panic that had nearly torn him apart when he’d first heard the gunshot and again when he’d seen the blood.

He took her hand and squeezed it. The touch vibrated through him and he dropped her hand too quickly, backing away from her and turning toward Luke before he had time to think about why she affected him the way she did.

He put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I should take a look at that wound.”

“If you can drag yourself away from the bitch that long.”

Jaime stood a bit shakily. “I’ll wash up in case you need help with Luke.”

Luke glared at her. “You lay a hand on me, and I’ll break it off.”

“Go back to the bedroom,” Rio said, trying to calm the wounded man and make this easier on Jaime. “If I need you, I’ll call for you.”

She nodded and walked away, shoulders squared, head high in spite of what she’d been through. Jaime was all woman, but she had a fighting spirit about her that would have fit in well with his team of frogmen.