She gave the box a yank and it slid toward her. The cardboard came apart in her hands and a waterfall of huge leather-bound books tumbled down on her, knocking her from the chair.
As she hit the floor beside the bed she heard a sound that reminded her of a dry twig breaking.
She lay up against the bed, stunned. The books were ledgers from the insurance business her grandfather had run in Ferndale for years.
Furious with herself for being so stupid, she struggled to sit up. It hurt to move her right arm and she had a gash on the inside of her left elbow that was starting to bleed freely. Her legs felt okay, so she struggled to her feet and grabbed a towel from the bathroom to hold against the cut.
She got as far as the top of the stairs when she started to feel dizzy, so she lowered herself to the top step and leaned against the wall. She needed a moment to think about what she’d do next.
Tony skirted the rotten boards on Julie’s steps and paused at the front door. He glanced down at the plaster finishing tool he held in his hand. His offer of help so soon after she had turned him down twice might make her mad, but getting a smooth finish to match the rest of the room was tricky, and he wanted to help her out.
He turned the crank on the old doorbell.
“Come in.”
He heard her faintly through the heavy door. He stepped into the dim foyer and glanced up the stairs to find her sitting on the top step. She’d washed her hair and changed clothes.
He smiled. “Wear yourself out?”
“Something like that,” she said, her voice flat and low.
She was mad at him and he hadn’t even offered his help yet. She’d undoubtedly spotted the trowel in his hand.
But then he realized as he looked up at her something was wrong. She was leaning against the wall as if she needed the support. Her face was pale and drawn.
He dropped the trowel and took the stairs two at a time, flipped on the light switch and crouched down on the step below her.
“You showed up at just the right time,” she said, an edge of pain in her voice.
He could see her struggle not to cry and it tore him up inside. “What happened?” He didn’t want to touch her until she told him where she hurt.
“I was cleaning out a cupboard and pulled a box of books down on my head.”
“Did you fall?” He cupped her face gently in his palms and studied the bruise blooming on her cheek.
“Yes,” she said with a catch in her voice.
He dropped his hands from her face. “Off the ladder?”
She shook her head. “I was standing on a chair.”
“Did you black out?” This was not the time to tell her how foolish she had been. Besides he could tell by her voice she had already told herself the same thing.
“No. I remember every last detail.” She attempted a laugh but it came out as a little sob.
Tony didn’t want her to fall apart so he patted her briskly on the knee and said, “You’re doing fine.”
Julie nodded and seemed to pull herself together.
“Tell me what else hurts besides your cheek.”
“It hurts when I move my arm.”
She had a dark green towel in her lap. She’d been cradling her right arm with her left hand. “Okay. What part of your arm?”
“My shoulder.”
She had on an oversize blue shirt. “I need to unbutton your blouse, okay?”
She gave him a lopsided smile. “Is that the best line you have, cowboy?” she asked with a little hitch in her voice.
He returned the smile, relieved she still had her sassy sense of humor. “It’ll have to do for now.”
He unbuttoned her shirt and gently eased the fabric off her shoulder, trying to ignore the electric-blue lacy bra strap.
He ran his fingers lightly along her clavicle, stopping at a big lumpy spot. There was no doubt the bone was fractured. Swelling and discoloration had already begun.
Carefully he pulled the shirt back in place and buttoned her up. “You broke your collarbone.”
“I was afraid of that. I heard a snapping sound when I hit the floor.”
“What else?”
“I have a cut on my elbow. I think I landed on the corner of the bed frame.” She glanced down at her left arm.
He needed some space. She was leaning with her left arm against the wall. “I’m going to help you up and we’re going down into the kitchen so I can get a good look at your arm.”
“Okay.”
“Can you walk?” He couldn’t carry her without hurting her and he needed to assess her overall condition.
Her chin came up. “Yes.”
He stood up and backed down a step to give her the room to stand. She braced herself against the wall and swayed a bit.
“Dizzy?’ He grabbed her hips to steady her, braced to catch her if she fainted.
“A little.”
There was no color in her face and her skin looked clammy.
“I’m going to get beside you.” Tony stepped up to the same stair she was on and reached under the back of her shirt, grasping a handful of the waistband of her pants.
“Just take it slow.”
She nodded and started down the steep stairs, wincing as each step jarred her arm.
He guided her to a kitchen chair and she lowered herself gingerly. He knelt on the floor beside her and pulled the towel away from her arm. A jagged gash about three inches long lay across the elbow joint along the inside of her arm. The towel was so dark he hadn’t noticed the blood.
He went blank for a moment and then pulled himself together. On missions he’d acted purely on his training. It was different with Julie. She shook him up.
Tony pulled himself together and said, “It’s still bleeding. I need to put some pressure on it. Where are the clean towels?”
“The drawer next to the sink.”
He found a stack of white dish towels and made a thick pad with one, pressed it against the cut, then wrapped it tightly with a second towel.
He slid into the chair next to her. “Okay, that should hold you until we can get it stitched up.”
She raised an eyebrow and gave him a long look. “You want to do it? My grandmother’s sewing box is in the living room.”
He shook his head, knowing she was kidding. He had put stitches in before, but that was when there were no medics around. Her beautiful smooth skin deserved more of an expert than he was.
She stared at him. “Where did you learn to do all this?”
“Navy. I went through some medical training.” He helped her to her feet, grabbing hold of her waistband again. The skin on her lower back was smooth and warm. He wondered if her panties matched her bra. He had always been a sucker for those lingerie ads.
He shook his head, disgusted with his thoughts. He must be more hung up on her than he’d thought to be considering jumping her bones on the way to the hospital. “Next stop, Redwood City emergency room.”
Since the accident and Jimmy’s death