“How’s your arm?” Ginny asked.
“The bleeding stopped. It was just a scratch.”
Ginny pressed a fingertip between his eyebrows when he kneeled down next to her. “Quit scowling. I’m fine.”
“You should have stayed in the building and called Moses or Silas. When are you going to stop being so fucking foolhardy?”
“I’ve been asking myself that question my whole life.” Ginny realized she’d been bitten on the same arm bearing the scar on her palm. “I tell myself it’s just because I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the truth is … I can’t help myself. I don’t know why.” She shrugged, then winced at the effort. “I didn’t want you to have to shoot when Suki was in the way, and I didn’t want you hurt. Both times I reacted without thinking.”
“I’m not only complaining about today!”
“I know.” Ginny bit her lip to keep it from trembling. “I don’t know why.”
“I do.”
Ginny looked away from Gavin, wanting to throw herself in Silas’s arms.
“Ginny goes where angels refuse to tread.” Silas bent down to kneel on her other side in the grass with a first-aid kit.
“Because they aren’t fools.” Gavin turned his frustration with her on Silas.
“Many heroes have been called foolhardy.” Silas opened the first-aid kit, then gently lifted Ginny’s arm to untie Gavin’s T-shirt. “Her heart has always been too big for her own good.” Supporting her arm from underneath, Silas began cleaning the wound with an antiseptic wash.
“I’m leaving, Silas,” Moses called out.
Silas didn’t take his attention away Ginny’s arm, raising his voice so Moses could hear what he was saying. “When I called Knox to tell him about the attack, he said the father admitted to having extra dogs that the daughter didn’t know about. They’ve all been vaccinated. Knox will fax the records to the vet.”
“We need to take her to the hospital.”
“Why? It’s barely more than a scratch.” Silas removed the sterile gauze that he was using to clean her wound, showing the marks. “Are you up to date with your shots?”
“Yes.”
“Once I have you bandaged, you can move around; make sure nothing else has been hurt. Dr. Price offered to meet us at the bottom of the hill. If he thinks it’s necessary, we’ll take her. I think it will be the safer way to go than exposing her to the germs at the hospital.” Smearing antibiotic ointment on the mark, Silas wrapped the wound with a clean dressing.
“Knox is sure the dogs have had their shots?” Gavin appeared to be calming down under Silas’s steady influence.
“I’m sure he is. You can call and ask him.”
When Silas would have helped Ginny to her feet, Gavin was there first.
His troubled gaze had her giving him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Silas is right; it’s only a scratch.”
“We’ll see what the doctor suggests,” Gavin conceded.
“Let me take a look at your arm.” Silas motioned to Gavin after using hand sanitizer to clean his hands.
Supporting Ginny with his arm around her waist, he lifted his elbow so Silas could treat his injury.
“Will Moses call once the loose dogs are all found?” Ginny asked. The thought of someone caught unaware coming into contact with the dogs terrified her.
“I’m sure he will. But I’ll call and get an update while you’re talking to the doctor,” Silas assured her.
“Your bite is worse than Ginny’s. You might be the one going to the hospital.” Silas finished cleaning the wound, then wrapped his like he had hers. “You two stay here while I go to the house to get the truck. I’ll be right back.” Silas closed the first-aid kit, preparing to leave.
A flash of lightning crossed the sky.
“The storm looks like it’ll hit any minute. We should walk back with you.”
Silas shook his head. “It’s still a ways off. We have time. Ginny’s hurting too badly to walk.”
Ginny sent her brother a dirty look. Just when Gavin was calm, he’d lit another fire in him.
“You can wait in the outbuilding if the lightning gets worse.”
Gavin’s gaze followed Silas until he was out of earshot, then Ginny found herself under his hawk-like scrutiny.
“What’s hurting you?”
“My back.”
“Then you’re definitely going to the hospital when Silas comes back.”
“I’m only sore from where I hit the tree,” Ginny protested. “I didn’t hit it with enough force to break anything. I’m not having any trouble breathing.”
“Turn around and let me see,” he ordered.
“I’ll show the doctor.” Ginny grimaced at how prudish she sounded.
“We’re going to the hospital to get X-rays.”
“Fine, you can look.” Ginny turned and used her good hand to lift the back of her jacket up. Gavin reached out to help her when it started slipping back down.
When Gavin remained silent, she turned her head to look over her shoulder. “How does it look?”
Gavin’s face was shuttered closed; she had no clue what he was thinking.