LITMIR.BIZ

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know that. I’ve been on the phone making arrangements. I have a large house. You can stay with me—”

      “I don’t even know you.” Annie leaned back, slightly stunned that he would suggest such a thing.

      Okay, now why had that shocked him so much? His mouth fell open. He started to say something and then paused, getting that same strange look on his face that he had had a few minutes ago. Finally he gazed back at her. “I’m the one you were in the wreck with.”

      “But the man—the one who was yelling? You’re the one who helped me.”

      Confused, she shook her head. Something wasn’t adding up.

      “He was angry that a tourist was blocking his business. He was easily paid off with a large order for meat.” Victor grinned slightly before the serious look returned. “No, Annie. I was coming into town to buy some paints, and a dog ran out in front of me. I cut right in front of you and caused the head-on.”

      She gaped as her mind tried to process what had really happened. She still couldn’t remember a thing other than driving down the street and then opening her eyes and finding herself injured. “Are you okay?” she asked weakly. She had leaned so heavily on this gentleman throughout her ordeal that she hadn’t even noticed whether he’d been hurt.

      “I have a much better car than yours. My air bag deployed. I’m a little stiff. But to answer your question, I’m fine. It’s you who was injured.”

      “I am so sorry,” Annie said, horrified. “You’ve been so nice. I’ve relied on you and now—”

      “Now I’m inviting you to my house,” he said, interrupting her. “Since it was my fault, not yours, there’s no reason to keep apologizing and every reason for me to make it up to you by giving you a place to stay while you’re here recovering.”

      He reached out and took her hand, lifting it and wrapping both of his hands around it again. Then he allowed his eyes to drift upward, over the planes of her face until they finally locked with her own brown eyes, and he said simply, “You’ll need someone who can interpret for you over the next few days while we get all of this sorted out.”

      Annie nodded. “But I don’t know you.”

      He shook his head slightly, started to say something and then let it go.

      “The doctor does. Everyone in this small town does,” he said. “If you need references, ask the doctor if I’m safe.”

      At that moment an older man came walking up with a chart in his hands.

      Victor dropped Annie’s hand and turned toward the doctor. They proceeded to have a rapid-fire conversation in Dutch.

      “Like the doctor would understand me if I asked him,” Annie muttered.

      Evidently she’d muttered it too loudly because both men turned toward her. “Ask me what?” the older man said in heavily accented English.

      “You speak—”

      “—English? Yes. There are few of us in town who do.” He smiled. “I’m Dr. Gaulkner.”

      “She wants to know if it’s safe to stay with me until she recovers,” Victor interjected into the conversation before Annie could say anything.

      The doctor lifted his eyebrows and turned toward Victor. He laughed outright. “Safe? Now what a question. Many people, they would appreciate to answer that.”

      Turning back to Annie he said, “He is more safe than staying in an hotel alone. And if that no reassures you, I’ll give you mine home phone number where that you can contact me. You should be grateful that Victor, he is taking such time out of his schedule to tend for you.”

      He smiled at Victor. “If you have the questions about mine instructions I’ve given you for her, you ring me.” He scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Annie.

      It was a set of numbers.

      “Mine number. Ring me up.”

      He turned and walked away.

      “Wait. How much do I owe? Where do I pay? Do you take travelers’ checks?” She gasped, her hand going to her mouth. “Oh, no, they’re in the car!” Panic built again.

      “It’s already taken care of,” Victor said. Catching her hand, he pulled her attention back to him. “I had my driver, who wasn’t driving me at the time, by the way, go by and collect your things. Leaving them in an unattended vehicle wouldn’t be wise.”

      He continued to hold her hand, stroking it gently.

      She noticed that.

      And he had a way of using his eyes that captured and held her attention.

      He was a very physical person.

      Nervously, she licked her lips.

      He smiled slightly, noticing the gesture.

      “I’m indebted to you,” she said simply.

      “Consider it payback for the wreck I caused,” he corrected with an odd look on his face.

      Finally, she nodded.

      “You know, you’re not what I expected,” he murmured softly.

      “Oh?” she asked.

      He glanced down at her neck.

      She fingered the small cross, not understanding.

      He obviously wasn’t going to explain. He changed the subject. “Can you stand and move into the wheelchair?”

      “Where are my clothes?” she asked, a bit of a blush working its way to her cheeks at having to ask a stranger such a question.

      He pointed and she nearly groaned when she realized they were next to her on the end of the bed.

      “Let me change,” she said, embarrassed that a stranger was standing here, helping her and she was dressed in next to nothing.

      He nodded and stepped past the partition, pulling it closed to give her some privacy.

      She took stock of her body. She already had some darkening areas on her chest. And her neck and shoulders hurt too. As a matter of fact, her lower back hurt, she realized as she dropped her skirt over her head and buttoned it around her waist. But the pain was pretty blunted. The medication, which muted the pain, made her woozy as well.

      “Ready?” Victor called finally.

      “Ready,” she replied, and thought she was more than ready to sit down as she dropped onto the edge of the bed.

      He returned and ran his gaze over her.

      “Amazingly enough, it only hurts when I move,” she quipped.

      “You’re still doped up from all the medication they gave you.”

      She glanced down at her hand and found a small bandage where an IV had once been. “Oh, yuck. I’m a mess.” Her clothes were bloody and on her legs, now bare of hose, she could still see some remnants of blood.

      “You can have a hot bath when we get home. Come on, let me help you.”

      He reached up and slipped his hands under her arms.

      She gasped at the strength in those hands.

      How long had it been since a man had touched her so intimately? The closest she’d been to a man in four years was an occasional hug at church.

      It was very disconcerting.

      “What is it?”

      She glanced up and realized her face was only inches from his. She couldn’t help but think how handsome he was and how very masculine.

      “Are you hurting?” he prompted when she didn’t answer.

      Jarred by the second

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