A Man Alone

“Who’s that?”

Morgan grimaced. “I think she said her name was Paige.”

“Paige?” Thane closed his eyes. He remembered that name from his high school days. A beautiful, shadowy, mysterious girl named Paige Black. She was half Navajo and half Anglo. A scared little rabbit of a girl with long, black, shiny hair, a thin, graceful body. As he recalled she was so excruciatingly shy that she always walked with her head down so she wouldn’t have to make eye contact with anyone.

“Paige Black, by any chance?” he demanded.

“Yes…I think that’s her last name.” Morgan cleared his throat. “Paige would be charged with your daily care, Captain. She’s a registered nurse and a licensed masseuse. Your mother would not be in charge and she understands that. She approved of Paige taking up residence in her home while you are there. She said it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Opening his eyes, Thane stared glumly up at the man. “Anything would be better than my mother, sir.”

“I see….”

No, he didn’t, but that didn’t matter to Thane. He wasn’t going to air his family’s dirty laundry in front of Morgan Trayhern. Thane also knew he didn’t have enough money to rent an apartment in Sedona for any length of time, as it was expensive real estate. Morgan was being more than patient and generous about this, and fortunate to get him a bone specialist like Briggs. Right now, keeping his leg mattered more to Thane than having to live under the same roof with his mother.

“I can tolerate the situation if Paige Black is going to be my nurse and take care of me,” he growled.

Morgan sighed internally. “I’m glad to hear that, Captain. Like I said, it has been my experience that home is the best place to heal.”

Not in his view, Thane thought, but he didn’t argue. “Thank you, for everything. I’m tired now, sir. I need to sleep.”

“I understand. Take a nap, Captain. My assistant is getting everything ready for a departure at 0600 tomorrow morning. We’ll be landing back on U.S. soil five hours after takeoff.” He squeezed the officer’s shoulder. “You’re in good hands, so just relax.”

After Trayhern left, Thane opened his eyes. He was tired, but he wasn’t sleepy. His heart in turmoil, he looked out the window and heard the noise from the traffic below. The sky was a deep blue, with a few wispy clouds. It was around noon, from what he could make out.

“Dammit…”

His softly whispered words, filled with pain, drifted eerily around the room. Home. He was going home. The last place he wanted to be. What kind of twisted fate did he have?

Moving his gaze angrily around the quiet room, Thane felt panic. He wanted to run. And then he laughed bitterly. Hell, he didn’t even have two useful legs to run anywhere on! And now he’d have to face his mother. That prospect made his gut clench and knot. For years he had avoided his mother and the ranch where he’d grown up. Even though he craved to have someplace to call home, he knew that place wasn’t with his mother. Oh, she had tried to instill the love of her family’s ranch and the land into him, but he’d ferociously resisted it. And yet in times of quiet, which weren’t frequent in his hectic life, his foolish heart would crave that place known as the Bar H. Home. And he’d catch himself and instantly deny he had any such longing. The Corps was his home, he reminded himself sternly.

His mind moved swiftly to thoughts of Paige Black. Instantly, his stomach unknotted. When Thane closed his eyes and pictured her soft, oval face, her skin that sunset-gold color that belied her mixed heritage, the thick, long folds of shining black hair that emphasized her high-cheekboned face, his heart settled a little. The panic he felt began to ease, too. In high school, Paige had been a shadow. Everyone had teased her and her two older sisters about being shy little rabbits. Oh, it wasn’t right that they had been treated like that, but Thane knew why it had happened. The Navajo people too often suffered from prejudice, and since Paige and her sisters were part Navajo, they had been branded by the white kids.

Sighing, he realized that during his high school years, he’d always been more than a little aware of Paige’s quiet, unobtrusive presence. He’d been too fearful to approach her, afraid she’d reject him outright because he was an Anglo. Not that he’d ever made fun of her. No, Thane’s prejudice didn’t run in that direction. Her large, liquid eyes had always reminded him of a beautiful, graceful deer, and he’d never forgotten them. He’d wondered, from time to time, what had happened to her. Well, now he’d find out because of fate. His life…his leg were being entrusted to her care.

She must have gone on to Yavapai College to become a registered nurse, he mused. He knew it was a nice little college with a satellite in Cottonwood, which was only thirty minutes away from Sedona. He was glad she’d made something of herself. In a way, he was surprised, because Paige had always been passive and shy. Four years of college required a lot of persistence. Somewhere beneath that quiet, graceful demeanor, she had a backbone of steel, and that made him grin with pleasure.

The Blacks had a small ranch, he recalled, a struggling one where they raised sheep to produce wool for their large extended family, most of whom still lived on the reservation. The Black family was renowned for their Navajo rugs, which were sold for very high prices around the world. Those rugs brought money so the whole family could survive. But a Navajo family was large and extended, and the money never went far enough. Everyone had made fun of Paige’s parents having a ranch off the res. But conditions in the Sedona area were perfect for raising sheep. Back then, it wasn’t accepted that Navajo could survive off their reservation. But the Blacks had, out of pure guts and perseverance. Thane respected the hard-working family for that. They worked twelve hours a day, a hardscrabble existence, but they had succeeded.

What did Paige look like now? Thane wondered. Life had taken them in very different directions. He’d gone on to Annapolis at age eighteen and into a career as a marine officer. He had wanted to follow the illustrious footsteps of his father, who had been a Marine Corps general.

Scowling, Thane remembered how his mother had divorced his father when Thane was only twelve years old. She’d wanted to go back to her family’s ranch to raise him. She’d wanted a steady place for him to grow up and become a young man rather than be shunted like a Ping-Pong ball from one Marine Corps base to another every two years. Bitterly, Thane recalled the nasty divorce and the judge making a decision that, yes, he would go to Arizona to live with his mother until he was eighteen.

Thane had always hated that decision. Hated his mother for divorcing his larger-than-life father. Thane felt once more the white-hot grief of being separated from his dad, whom he adored and took after in every way. He hated the years spent at the cattle ranch because he had only been able to see his father once a year—if he was lucky. His dad had been overseas for three of those painful years of separation, and during that time Thane never saw him at all. It left a big wound in him, a lot of anger toward his mother. She had no right to do what she’d done. Thane could never understand her reasons or her dreams. Or her.

But then, he reminded himself bitterly, he didn’t exactly have a great track record when it came to understanding women, anyway. Too many of them reminded him of his mother in one way or another, and that scored the still-open and bleeding wound deep within him.

Home…I’m going home. What a hell of a fix. What was he going to do? His mother was fifty-eight years old now. He hadn’t seen her in ten years. Then, two years ago, his father had died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Thane had seen her at his funeral in Washington, D.C. and had spoken stiltedly to her. She had pleaded with him to settle their differences and be a family once again, but he’d steadfastly refused. His father had died a lieutenant general in the Marine Corps, a man widely respected and well loved by those in his command. Thane tried to mirror him in every way. He’d loved his father deeply. And seeing his mother at the funeral only exacerbated his grief over his father’s passing.

“Damn….” he rasped.

The word echoed weakly around the silent room.

Only the fact that Paige Black would take care of his needs on a daily basis made going home anywhere near palatable. Thane felt like he had been thrown from the skillet into the fire. And yet his only objective while riding this emotional maelstrom was saving his leg and getting the hell out of his mother’s house as soon as possible, going back to work as a marine. Above all, he wanted his old job back. And one way or another, he was going to accomplish it. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

Chapter Three

Thane spent his time on the Perseus jet that flew him back toward the States writing letters of condolence to the wives and families of the men he’d lost on the mission. It was a task demanded of him because he was the officer in charge of the Recon team. Even if it hadn’t of been, he’d have written. These men were his friends; they were like younger brothers to him. His handwriting was shaky and his eyes filled with tears again and again, until he was done. Sometime after that, with his hands folded over the last letter he’d written, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

At some point, someone gently removed the heartfelt letters from beneath his hands, which rested on his blanketed stomach. It might have been Jenny, the trauma physician, or Morgan himself. Thane wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. Both were from the military and he knew they understood.

When he awoke, they were within an hour of their destination. Morgan was up in front, speaking on a phone, at a makeshift desk with papers surrounding him. The rear of the Lear jet had been revamped to make it easy for patients like Thane, who lay on a gurney with tubes hanging out of him, to ride with relative ease. Pain had awakened him. Jenny, who was in her mid-thirties, with short red hair and sparkling green eyes, adjusted the IV drip to give him more painkiller to ease his discomfort.

As soon as she did, Thane lapsed once more into a deep, almost comalike sleep. He was sure his need to sleep was due to many things: his injuries, the trauma of the surgery, his escalating emotions and grief over the loss of his men, his concern over what these losses were doing to the families, among other things. And, beneath it all, lay something he didn’t look at very closely: the fact that he was going home to a mother who was more a stranger to him than a parent. And to a house he’d hated growing up in because he’d considered it a prison. The weight of all those emotions raged through him, unchecked.

The next time Thane woke up, he found himself in a pale pink room. It took him a few minutes to realize that he was in a hospital—more than likely Red Rock Hospital, in Sedona, Arizona. It was a far cry from the Cusco hospital. This room was cheery in comparison, with fuschia venetian blinds, green plants hanging near the window and several paintings of flowers and landscapes. His leg was suspended, once again, with a set of pulleys and he noticed he wore a pair of light blue pajamas. The bed covering was a deep fuschia color and matched the venetian blinds. To his left was a huge set of windows, and he could see he was on the ground floor. There were shiny-leafed pyracantha bushes along the bottom edge of the window. Beyond that, he saw the gorgeous spires and buttes of Sedona.

New emotions filtered through him as he gazed upon the red rock country where he’d grown up, noticing once more how the red sandstone was sandwiched between layers of white rock as it spiraled high into the dark blue sky. Turning his gaze from the late evening dusk that hung over the small community, he saw there were a number of bouquets of flowers in the room—bright red, rust-colored, yellow and pale lavender wildflowers from around the area. He would recognize these flowers anywhere and he welcomed their sweet scent over the antiseptic odor he’d encountered in the Cusco hospital. There was no mistaking that it was June in Sedona, for summer had come to this tourist town in all its colorful splendor.

The door to his room cautiously opened. Thane turned, his heart thudding hard in his chest. A young woman dressed in a pale blue smock and loosely fitting dark blue slacks, a stethoscope around her neck and a chart in her hands, moved quietly into the room. She gave him a shy, hesitant smile.

Thane recognized her at once. It was Paige Black. The fear that had knotted his stomach when he’d thought his mother had come to visit him dissolved instantly. A warmth flowed through him at the sight of her. How had she grown so beautiful? Her eyes were large and damp looking, as if she’d been crying recently. Yet the look in them welcomed him with undeniable warmth and recognition.

“Hi. I’m Paige Black, Captain Hamilton,” she said uncertainly. “I was just coming to check on you, to see if you were awake yet. Your mother wanted to know so she could drive over and welcome you home.”

Thane’s eyes traveled over her from her head down to her toes, and back up to her face. Paige could barely hold his narrowed green gaze. She could feel his intense look sweep over her like a fire suddenly out of control, creating a burning sensation. Inwardly, she was trembling with joy as well as trepidation.

Thane swallowed convulsively. Paige was more beautiful than ever. He remembered her in high school, when she hadn’t been half as pretty as she was now. Perhaps it was her height that gave her such a magnetic presence, for she stood about five foot seven inches tall. Her shining ebony hair was drawn back with a large sterling silver, turquoise-studded comb at the back of her head. She wore no makeup, but that didn’t matter. Her thick, arched eyebrows set off her very large, cinnamon-colored eyes. When he saw her dip her head and avoid his eyes, he recalled belatedly that Navajo did not like to make eye contact with strangers. They felt it assaultive. Disrespectful. And he’d been staring at her like a starving wolf. Still, she stood there, her hands crossed in front of her, and patiently endured his inspection.

Clearing his throat nervously, Thane lifted his hand, though he was still very weak. “Call me Thane, Paige. It’s good to see you again.” And it was. He hungrily absorbed her soft, placid looking features. Her skin was golden, her cheekbones high, her eyes slightly tilted to give her a look of mystery and intrigue. More than anything, her mouth looked delicious to him. Her lips parted in surprise when he talked to her in such a friendly manner. She lifted her head like a startled deer caught in headlights. Why?

“Y-you…remember me?”

Just the soft, husky tone of her voice soothed his jangled nerves and raw emotional state. Her eyes were huge with shock as she stared across the room at him.

He managed a brief, hoarse laugh. “Remember you? Sure I do. Why wouldn’t I?” And indeed, why wouldn’t he? Thane felt his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He found himself helplessly devouring the sight of this quiet, tranquil beauty. Everything about her spoke of peace and calmness.

Paige smiled gently and touched her cheek, which felt hot. “You have a wonderful memory, Captain—I mean, Thane….” Awkwardly, she clasped her hands again. How handsome he was! Paige tried to stop the old pain in her heart from leaking through her joy at seeing him once more. She’d never expected to see Thane Hamilton again after he’d left for Annapolis. If he knew that she’d had a crush on him in high school, he’d laugh himself silly. Now he was back here—with her. But not of his own free will.

Thane lay back, feeling suddenly joyous for no discernible reason. Even the fear of his upcoming meeting with his mother melted away beneath Paige’s warm brown gaze. “I never forgot you,” he stated. And he hadn’t. For him, she’d always been a mystery—an ethereal creature who was more a shadow than a reality in his life.

The huskily spoken words riffled across her aching heart. Paige tried to sternly tell herself that Thane was her patient, someone she would care for during his convalescence, but that was all. More heat rolled into her face. She placed her hands against her cheeks and looked away.

“I’m blushing like a teenager,” she admitted, laughing breathlessly. “I guess our school days follow us around, after all.”

His eyes narrowed speculatively at her. A part of her was still a child, even though she stood before him as a tall, graceful woman. “We have a lot in common,” he told her, giving her a wan smile. “We went to the same high school for four years. I’m glad someone I knew then is taking care of me now, instead of a stranger.”

Trying to gather her scattered, joyful emotions, Paige forced herself to take a more businesslike stance with him. She hadn’t expected Thane to remember her. Or for him to say such wonderful words to her. Moving briskly, she came to his bedside.

“That’s true, we did. But you were the superstar of Red Rock High School. I was a nobody.” She was still a nobody, she thought as she checked the drips on the IVs feeding a painkiller and liquid nutrients drop by drop into an artery in each of his arms. “I work here full time as a registered nurse. I assist Dr. Malone, who is going to be your physical therapist. I’m also a licensed masseuse.” She looked at the IVs closely, pretending to be busy with them. Paige couldn’t stand the powerful masculine energy that surrounded Thane, energy as potent to her as sunlight. It always had been. Only now he seemed ten times more male, more powerful, to her. Paige felt panicked beneath his continuing stare. Was she so unattractive that he couldn’t tear his gaze from her? Johnny had been abusive to her in every way. He said she was dog ugly, that her face was misshapen. Once he’d pointed out that one side of her mouth moved up more at the corner than the other side, that her left eye was slightly larger than her right one. Everything about her was out of balance, and according to the Navajo way, the beauty way, harmony and balance was the goal of life. Maybe that was why Thane was staring at her like that. He saw the disharmony of her features, too.

“I’m impressed with your credentials,” he murmured. Paige was so close. So wonderfully close. He could smell the fresh outdoors on her, a slight, clean scent of sage. Her skin was a flawless dusky color, proudly proclaiming her mixed heritage. Her black lashes were thick and framed her sparkling eyes, which carried flecks of gold in their depths.

“Are you comfortable?” she asked, moving back a step from his bed.

Thane nodded. “As much as I can be. When did I arrive here? The last thing I remember is falling asleep on the plane about an hour from our projected landing time.”

“You got here an hour ago.” Paige glanced at the practical-looking watch on her slim wrist. “It’s 4:00 p.m. now.”

“And Morgan Trayhern? Is he still around?”

Paige shook her head. She was nervous around Thane. He was a large man, heavily muscled, and so very good looking. But, what had drawn her to him so many years ago was his sensitivity and care of others. He’d never been an egomaniac just because he was the star of the football team and had led their team to two state championships. Instead, he’d always talked about how each member on his team was a hero, how it was teamwork that allowed them to win. No, Thane had treated everyone equally. He never ran with a clique. And he’d been busy in several clubs at school as well, organizations that helped the poor and the elderly. Paige had loved him fiercely for his humanity, for his kindness to others who had less than he.

Realizing she hadn’t answered his question, she stammered, “Uh, n-no. Mr. Trayhern left, but—” she turned and quickly moved to the dresser opposite his bed “—he left this for you.” She picked up a thick manila envelope. Bringing it to his bedside, she said a little breathlessly, “And he said to tell you that the letters you wrote would be sent off tonight to the families, and not to worry about the details. He’d take care of everything, including sending flowers for the funerals, which will be held shortly.”

Thane frowned and took the envelope. “I see. Thanks….”

Paige saw the pain and grief in his eyes. His mouth moved into a thin line. She fought the urge to touch him, to comfort him as he grieved at the terrible loss of his men. “I…I heard what happened. Mr. Trayhern said you’re a hero. I’m sorry for the loss of your team, Thane.” It was impossible not to reach out, and so Paige risked everything, tentatively placing her fingers across his muscular forearm, covered with soft, dark hair.

Just the soothing, cooling contact of her fingers on his skin eased some of his pain. Thane saw her eyes fill with genuine care and sadness. He knew Navajo custom was that once someone died, that person was never spoken of again. Of course, in his world, things were different. But right now he didn’t want to talk about his friends. Maybe the Navajo had the right idea, after all. “Thanks,” he said, his voice rough with tears, despite how he fought the emotion he felt. Overwhelming grief surged up through his chest, creating a huge lump in his throat. He swallowed repeatedly and tried to contain his feelings.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Thane shut his eyes. Her soft voice penetrated the wall of pain he was barely holding on to. The firmness of her cool fingers was steadying to him. Taking in a jerky breath, he opened his eyes and stared straight ahead.

“No.”

The word came out flat and controlled. Paige’s hand left his arm. He felt bereft. Idiotically, Thane wanted to cry out, throw his arms around her and hold her tight against him, sobbing and screaming out his pain against her soft, rounded breasts.

Stunned by that reaction, he withdrew deep inside himself. He saw Paige step back. The look on her face told him he’d hurt her with his blunt refusal of her help. Damn. She was the last person he meant to hurt right now. Moving his mouth, he tried to apologize, but nothing came out. All he could feel was the grief that was ready to avalanche downward.

“Let me call Dr. Briggs. He wanted to know when you awoke.”

“Wait!”

Paige jerked to a halt. She turned. Thane’s eyes were filled with darkness. The grief, the need to cry, was etched in every line of his face. It took everything Paige had not to automatically wrap her arms around him, hold him and let him cry. That was what he needed, she realized. The tears glimmered in his eyes. He looked away, as if ashamed that she’d seen them.

“Yes?”

“Paige…I…hell, I’m feeling pretty upset right now. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

The forgiving smile that blossomed across her full lips was more than he deserved in the aftermath of his apology, Thane realized as he watched her hungrily. Paige was the only person he knew here. The only person he wanted to know. She represented a safe harbor to him, emotionally. The only safe one.

“I’m used to people being in pain and barking like angry dogs, so don’t worry about it. Pain makes a person grumpy. Okay?”

Thane ruthlessly looked her up and down. Did she mean it? Or was her response just empty words designed to make him feel better? No, Paige was telling the truth. Thane could see how every emotion she felt could be read in her face. In that way, she hadn’t changed much, from what he recalled. She was one of those people who couldn’t hide her true feelings. Even now, she didn’t try to. Thane marveled at that. Life had taught him to hide beneath a mask most of the time.

“Okay,” he said, his voice raspy with emotion. “You’re the only friend I’ve got here. I don’t want to chase you away by being a grump.”

Touched, Paige felt her lips curve deeply. “I’m honored to be considered your friend.” And she was. Johnny had said no one would ever want her—not even as a friend. Maybe he was wrong? Her heart rose with hope.

Thane knew that the Navajo valued friendship a lot more than most people. Being considered a friend was like being adopted into the family. He managed a broken smile. “From what I understand, you’re going to have to put up with me when I get out of this place, until I can get back on my feet.”

She placed her damp, cool hand on the doorknob. “Yes. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid. Judy has fixed up the guest bedroom for me to stay in. I work part-time over at her house, anyway. She’s so busy with the ranch that she needs me to take care of the house for her on weekends.” She didn’t add that Judy needed the help and couldn’t afford a cowhand. Because Judy had been tireless in her efforts to help the Navajo poor, this was Paige’s way of thanking the woman for her generosity toward Paige’s people.

How much Paige wanted to stay and just talk to Thane. To catch up on his life. In her heart, she was sure he had a woman whom he loved and who loved him fiercely in return. He didn’t wear a wedding ring, and Judy Hamilton had never said Thane was married, but Paige couldn’t imagine him not having a woman who loved him.

Thane scowled at the mention of his mother. “I’m sure she’s glad you’re there,” he managed to murmur as he struggled with an array of dark emotions.

Paige tilted her head. Thane’s face had closed once more when she’d mentioned his mother. Sensing something was wrong, but not quite knowing what, she whispered, “I’ll call your mom. And I’ll tell Dr. Briggs to drop by and see you. I know he wants to do everything he can to save your leg. He and Mr. Trayhern had a long talk about you.” Forcing a smile she didn’t feel, Paige added, “There’s more things for you to consider, but you look tired and I know you’re feeling a lot of grief right now.”

“Wait….”

Paige hesitated halfway through the opened door. She heard the desperation in his voice.

Thane gulped. She stood like a beautifully poised deer, one hand on the door and the other on the jamb. “You’ll be back, won’t you?”

Touched, she laughed gently. “Of course. I have a double assignment with you. Mr. Trayhern has asked Dr. Briggs to allow me not only to be your R.N. while you’re here at the hospital, but also to be your masseuse. I said I would.” She’d jumped at the opportunity, but Paige would never tell Thane that. He had no idea of how she felt toward him.

Relieved, he lay back. “Good…good…”

“I’ll see you in a little while,” she promised.

The door closed. Thane released a trembling sigh. He looked at his leg, which was again raised slightly. The position stopped blood clots from forming and killing him. Though he was assured he was in good care, he wanted to view his leg. To see what it really looked like. But it was swathed in layer upon layer of white bandages. The number of sterile white dressings attested to the seriousness of his injury, Thane knew.

Sighing, he moved his hand nervously along the blankets on his right thigh. His mother was coming. How the hell could he steel his heart, his emotions, against her? For six years he’d felt imprisoned by her. He resented what she’d done to him by divorcing his father. It had felt like incredible freedom to leave her ranch after his graduation from high school. Thane had never looked back. The most he would do was send her a card at Christmas and her birthday, out of social obligation.

Lifting the glass of water, he sipped it thirstily. How was he going to deal with his mother? Would she fuss over him? Want to hug him? Cry? Thane disliked all those possibilities. He didn’t want her compassion. He didn’t want anything from Judy Hamilton. Grimly, his mouth flexing, he glared at the door. Reminding himself of his focus—saving his leg—he forced himself to accept the fact that he had to stay at the ranch house with her. His mind could make the transition; his emotions were another story.

“Knock, knock. Thane?”

Jerking his head up, Thane heard his mother’s strong, firm voice. He frowned. The door opened, revealing a woman who was almost six feet tall, wearing a long-sleeved white blouse, blue jeans and cowboy boots. Her dark brown hair was streaked with silver at the temples.

“Come in,” he snapped. Anger edged his voice, though Thane tried to control it. It was old resentment from his teenage years. He’d thought that with time it would go away. But it hadn’t; it was right here, palpable, aching to be released. Clamping his lips together, Thane watched as his mother entered the room.

He was shocked by how much she’d aged since he’d seen her two years ago at his father’s funeral. There was a faded beauty to Judy Hamilton. She had always been a tall, noble-looking woman with an attractive oval face, strong chin and broad cheekbones. Her green eyes, so like his own, were large and clear. There were fine lines around the corners of her eyes and smiling mouth, and the silver strands at her temples gave her an air of authority. In one hand, she held a bouquet of yellow roses. In the other, an old, dusty, black felt Stetson. The hat, combined with the black leather belt with a large silver oval buckle she wore, made her look like a cowboy.

He saw the sparkling warmth in her eyes as she cast him a quick glance, yet she hesitated for a moment in the doorway and he saw a perceptible tremble in her long, worn fingers. She was nervous. Well, why shouldn’t she be? he asked himself angrily. Flexing his hands into fists, Thane watched her approach. His mother had always been a supreme athlete. The years of running a cattle ranch had done nothing to lessen her proud stature. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her body. She still had those same straight shoulders and long legs. Her skin had been sun-darkened by her years of hard, outdoor work.