He skidded to a halt on the tile floor. The kitchen was crowded, what with Honey and her sister and Amber and Sawyer… Gabe stared at Lizzy, seated at the table with her back to him.
Sawyer was looking her over—not politely, but in minute detail. He leaned over Lizzy with his fingers grazing her cheek, so close to her she could probably feel his breath, for God’s sake.
Gabe’s brows snapped down to match Sawyer’s frown, and he demanded, “What the hell is going on?”
Everyone looked up. Honey was the first to speak, saying, “Gabe. I was just about to come get you.”
Misty shook her head at him in a pitying way, as if he’d gotten himself into trouble somehow, and Amber cooed at the sound of his voice. Gabe ignored them all to stare at his oldest brother.
Of course Lizzy would have to call at lunchtime, he thought darkly, when everyone was bound to be around. Normally Sawyer would have been in his office at the back of the house, treating patients. Luckily, to his mind, Jordan always ate lunch in town. Morgan used to, too, until he married Misty. Now he was likely to show up any minute. Gabe needed to get Lizzy out of the house before she said too much about their association. He could imagine the ribbing he’d take if his brothers knew he was interested in—as in majorly turned on by—a prickly little redheaded witch with freckles!
His face heated at the mere thought.
Then Lizzy turned to look at him, and he knew the heat in his face was nothing compared to hers.
His frown intensified, but for different reasons, as he drifted closer, studying her every feature. “Damn, Lizzy, what happened?”
She was bright pink with sunburn, her nose red, her soft mouth slightly puffy. Without thinking about his rapt audience, he knelt in front of her chair and smoothed a wayward tendril of hair gently behind her ear. God, even the tops of her ears were red!
She licked her lips, looking horribly embarrassed and glancing around at the others. “I’m fine, Gabe,” she murmured, trying to get him to stand up while sneaking glances at his family. “There’s no reason for this fuss.”
He paid no attention at all to her words, too intent on discovering every speck of skin that had been reddened. “I thought you had sunscreen on yesterday.”
“I did,” she assured him, looking more wretchedly miserable by the minute. “I guess it wasn’t strong enough, or maybe it washed off in the water.”
Sawyer made an impatient sound, recalling Gabe to the fact that he was on his knees in front of Lizzy, treating her like the most precious woman in the world. He jerked to his feet, but he still couldn’t take his concerned gaze off her. “Does it hurt?”
“No.” She tried a weak smile, then flinched. “Truly. I’m fine.”
Sawyer rudely pushed Gabe aside. “I’m going to give you some topical ointment for the sting. In the meantime, stay out of the sun—” and here he glared at Gabe “—and wear very loose clothes. It doesn’t look like you’ll blister, but I’d say you’re going to be plenty uncomfortable for the next few days.”
Honey stepped up with some folded paper towels soaked in cool tea. “This’ll help. I’m fair-skinned, too, and it’s always worked for me.”
Misty leaned close to watch as Honey patted the towels gently in place on Elizabeth’s bare shoulders. Gabe realized that Lizzy wore a shapeless white cotton dress, so long it hung to her ankles. He looked closely and could see by the soft fullness beneath the bodice that she wasn’t wearing a bra. His heart skipped a beat.
She’d said she never went braless, and her breasts were so firm and round, he believed her. The sunburn must indeed be painful for her to go without one.
To distract himself, he looked around the room and settled on smiling at the baby. At his attention, Amber flailed her pudgy arms from her pumpkin seat on the table, gurgling and blowing spit bubbles. Gabe laughed. “Sorry, kiddo. I’m too sweaty to hold you right now.”
Elizabeth watched as he reached out and tweaked the baby’s toe, and he knew she was planning on putting that into her little notebook, too. He scowled.
Morgan stepped in through the kitchen door and went immediately to Misty, lifting her into a bear hug that led to a lingering, intimate kiss. The way Misty continued to flush at her husband’s touch always tickled Gabe. Morgan had been well and fully tamed.
He turned and hauled Amber out of her chair and against his chest, then nuzzled the baby’s downy black hair. Amber squealed as he settled her in the crook of his arm.
Only then did Morgan notice Elizabeth. One dark brow shot up. “Hello.”
Misty shook the dreamy look off her face and smiled. “Morgan, this is Elizabeth Parks, a friend of Gabe’s.”
Morgan’s enigmatic gaze transferred to Gabe, and Gabe felt his face heat again. “She looks done to a crisp, Gabe. I suppose you weren’t…ah, paying attention to the sun? Had your mind on…other things?”
Gabe stiffened and said, “You know I can’t hit you while you’re holding the baby. Care to give her to her mother?”
“Nope.” He kissed the baby’s tiny ear and with a grin turned to Elizabeth. “Nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
She nodded. “And you, Sheriff.”
“You’re joining us for lunch?”
“Oh. No, please. I just… I’m sorry to impose. Really.” Her attention flicked nervously to Gabe as all his interfering relatives assured her she was no imposition at all. “I just had a few questions, if you have the time.”
Morgan pulled out a chair. “Questions about what?”
Gabe stepped forward before she could answer. “Lizzy, I’d like to talk to you. In private.”
She stalled, staring at him with a guilty expression.
Sawyer nudged him aside. “I’ve only got fifteen minutes left before I have to see a patient. You can wait that long, can’t you, Gabe?”
He wanted to say no, he damn well couldn’t wait, but he knew that would only stir up more speculation. So instead he took the cool towels from Honey and began placing them on Lizzy’s shoulders. A thought struck him, and he looked at her feet, set together primly beneath the long skirt. She wore thick white socks and slip-on shoes.
He gave her an exasperated look. “Your feet are burned, too, I suppose?”
Not since he’d met her had Lizzy been so withdrawn. She kept her wide eyes trained on him and nodded. In a tiny voice, she admitted, “A little.”
Gabe knelt and very carefully pried off her loose loafers, then peeled the socks off her feet. Like a wet hen, Lizzy fussed and complained and tried to shoo him away. He persisted, despite Morgan’s choked laugh and Sawyer’s hovering attention.
Her feet were small and slender. Looking at how red they were, Gabe had the awful urge to kiss them better, and instead looked at her with a warning in his gaze. “You should be at home, naked, instead of running around all over the place, asking your crazy questions.”
Honey gasped. Morgan guffawed, making Amber bounce in delight. Misty smacked Gabe’s shoulder.
But Sawyer agreed. “He’s right. Wearing clothes right now is just going to aggravate the sunburn. Taking cool baths and using plenty of aloe, and some ibuprofen for the pain, is the best thing you could do for yourself right now.” He glared at Gabe. “Of course if baby brother here had remembered that not everyone is a sun worshiper with skin like leather, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Gabe gritted his teeth. “I’m well aware of how delicate a woman’s skin is. I thought she had sunscreen