Nicolette came back to the hideout about three hours later. Her trip home had been successful, as was collecting everything Adrian needed, but when she tried to head back to toward the area, she saw three men atop their horses near the road that she'd take to enter the forest. She wasn't certain if these were the same men, but one man's coat was the tattered rusted color that had been outside the hideout. Thinking he might recognize her, she hurried back home.

Before leaving the house again, she'd changed clothes. Mainly because Aunt Betty was awake and would certain say something about Nicolette's trousers. Not only that, but she had Adrian's blood on her blouse, so she needed to put on fresh clothes.

She really hoped Adrian didn't think she had freshened up for him. That would be ridiculous. Never would she have those kinds of feelings for him. Even though... when he had brushed the lock of hair off her forehead and his fingers trailed down her face to her neck, she'd experienced sensations jumping inside her body that she'd never have happen before. Men had caressed her cheek before, and a few had even kissed her, but they hadn't stimulated any kind of reaction from her body.

However, that didn't mean anything. She shook her head as she moved the foliage aside. She had felt those warm tremors inside her only because his touch had startled her. That was all.

She led the horse inside and glanced at the cot. Adrian was asleep. It would be best not to wake him up yet, so she quietly blocked the entrance with the foliage. She led the horse to the wall where she'd spread out some hay for her horse when she came to the office.

Thankfully, her horse had already arrived back at the house after bucking her off this morning, and nobody had wondered what happened to her. Uncle Teddy had a few servants, but they were mainly there to help Aunt Betty. Nicolette didn't want to think too much about the fact that she wouldn't be missed if she disappeared for a few days. Then again, she was of age and should have been married by now.

Adrian's words had stung when he pointed out why she hadn't been married yet. Although she had dreams of finding a wonderful and loving man who wouldn't mind her career choice, she hadn't sulked when her beaus gave up on her, either. She just didn't feel quite ready for marriage yet.

Once Adrian's horse was settled, she unloaded the bags that held the supplies. She had to sneak into Adrian's room and look through his trunks. They had arrived two days ago, so thankfully, he would at least have extra clothes to wear. And taking food from the kitchen was easy, since she'd been doing that for several years now. However, it was more difficult to sneak into Teddy's study to take a rifle and some ammunition only because she wasn't used to getting into his things.

After she had everything put away, she built a small fire and placed the coffee pot on the hot coals. She also hung a pan over the fire to warm up some beans. Periodically, she peeked over her shoulder at Adrian who still slept peacefully.

It still irritated her that he was back in her life. He hadn't changed that much, even though he proclaimed to be a different man. She may be able to forgive him for most of the things he teased her for as a child, but forgetting would be difficult.

After she had moved in with her aunt and she realized that Adrian resented her presence, it hurt her. After all, she hadn't had any siblings to talk with, and Adrian was the closest thing she had to one. Of course, she couldn't think of him as a brother, and he had constantly reminded her that they were not related.

Her mind returned to something he had said earlier today when she was trying to convince him to trust her. He'd said – Given the situation of our childhood, do you think that will ever happen?

She frowned. The way he'd said it made her think that this was all fault. What had she ever done to break his trust? She, on the other hand, had several reasons not to trust him.

"You're back."

His soft voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly stood and looked his way. He was sitting up in his cot, leaning back against the wall. His gaze moved over her slowly, from the top of her head, down her long hair, and over her clothes. She didn't know why her heart quickened and her palms moistened.

When he looked into her eyes again, he smiled. "You're wearing a dress."

"Yes, well..." Clearing her suddenly dry throat, she stepped closer to him. "I couldn't have everyone asking why I had blood on me. Besides that, my aunt was awake before I could leave, and as I pointed out earlier, I didn't want her to see me wearing trousers."

"You look nice."

She hitched a breath. Something must be wrong with him. Had he somehow got infection and he was feverish? That could be the only reason he'd give her a compliment.

She rushed to his side and touched his forehead. It wasn't hot. In fact, he felt a little cold. "Are you all right?"

"Except for the bullet holes in my shoulder, I'm fine. Why?"

She couldn't tell him that it wasn't in his nature to give her a compliment. That particular conversation she didn't want to visit. "You feel cool."

"I do feel a little chilled."

"I built a fire, so maybe it will warm up the cave a little. Or..." She moved to one of her supply shelves and pulled down a wool blanket. "I suppose we can wrap this around you, too."

Without thinking first, she moved close to him and started wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. He watched her, and she realized she should have let him do this personal thing. She quickly draped the blanket over his shoulders and stepped back.

"Thank you." He pulled the blanket around him more without taking his eyes off her. "This helps."

"Good." She wrung her hands nervously against her middle. "And I have some beans warming up in the pan, and I'll make you some coffee, too."

He smiled. "Aren't you the little caregiver now?" He cocked his head. "Maybe you have changed a little after all."

She snorted a laugh and moved back to the fire to stir the beans. "Of course, I've changed. However," she briefly peeked at him over her shoulder, "I've always been a caregiver. You just never wanted to get to know me to find out." She stared down at the beans. "For as long as I remember, I've always wanted to take care of animals. I remember before my parents died, we had a dog. He'd been my best friend, but then he went blind and died." She paused for a moment, remembering that sad time. "I had wished there was something that could have been done for old Copper. He was the best dog in the world."

"I suppose I didn't take the time to get to know you. But then, you were just a child, and I was seven years older. We had nothing in common."

She removed the pan from the fire and set it on a flat stone. "No, but you didn't need to be mean to me, either." After the words tumbled out of her mouth, she groaned. She really shouldn't have opened the conversation to that.

"I was only mean to you because you were mean to me."

"What?" She spun around, facing him. "When was I ever mean to you?"

"You honestly don't remember?"

"Apparently," she folded her arms, "your memories and mine are vastly different."

He nodded. "So tell me what you remember as a child?"

"For starters, there was the cellar that you would lock me in every time you had your friends over. You told me that if I made a sound, the devil would find me." She tapped her forefinger on her arm. "Oh, and how could I forget those times you burned the ends of my hair as a threat of not to tell your father of some of the things you'd done?" She cocked her head. "And have you forgotten those times Aunt Betty gave me a party and invited my friends? You had always sneaked into my bedroom and somehow altered my gowns. My friends laughed at me, Adrian. Do you know how humiliating that is for a ten year old girl?" Her voice cracked with emotion, so she stopped.

As she studied his expression, she thought to see humor in his eyes or that wicked grin on his mouth. Instead, he frowned.

"Actually, I had forgotten about your hair and cutting your gowns."

"But you remember the cellar?"

"Yes."

"And you don't think that was mean?"

He pulled the blanket around him a little tighter. "I was with my friends. You always wanted to be with me, but I didn't want you around. I told you to go away several times, but you never did. That's when I started putting you in the cellar and locking the door."

She turned back to the fire and threw another log on. She blinked, trying not to cry in front of him. Crying made her weak, and she was determined never to be that way in front of him ever again. "Is that why you though I was mean to you – because I wanted to be with you and your friends?"

"No, that's not why."

She stirred the hot coals around with a stick. "Then tell me."

"You waited up for me when I came home after drinking with my friends. You sneaked into my room dressed as Satan himself, knowing that I would believe I'd died and gone to hell because of my intoxicated state."

She bit her bottom lip. Perhaps she had done that a time or two, only excusing her action to get back at him for locking her in the cellar.

"And then there was that time when I had graduated school. My father and Betty invited most of the town, if you remember correctly, and Betty had the cook make my favorite dish."

Inwardly, she groaned as the memory returned.

"Nicolette? Tell me you remember what happened."

Taking a deep breath, she stood and faced him. "I had been learning about certain herbs that year, and I found one that would... um, well, that would upset a person's stomach, so I put it in your food."

He shook his head. "It was more than just upsetting a person's stomach. I spent most of the night in the outhouse, if you recall, instead of with my guests. You say how you were humiliated? Well, so was I, and it's much more difficult for a young man to feel that way in front of his peers."

Guilt filled her, and she couldn't believe she had been so vindictive. She'd convinced herself she was paying him back for all the mean things he'd done to her.

Slowly, she walked to the cot and sat down beside him. She didn't look at his face, and thankfully, he didn't look her way, either.

"I suppose we were both rotten to each other and felt that we had good reason," she said in a tight voice.

"Yeah."

She stared at the fire as her chest continued to feel heavier. "I had wanted your attention, because you were the only one in the house that was close to being my age. It hurt that you hadn't considered me family. More than anything, I had wanted a family, just as all my friends had."

Adrian sighed deeply. "I resented you from the day you moved in. I knew my father had wanted a daughter, and when he started spoiling you, I felt neglected. I thought he was giving you all of the love and attention he should have been giving me."

Finally, she turned and looked at him. His gaze was on the fire. "Adrian, you father loved you more than me. I don't know why you didn't see it, because I did."

Shrugging, he met her gaze. "Once again, we saw things differently."

"I'm sorry you felt that way," she whispered. "If I had known, I would have done something to show you that your father wasn't spoiling me. It was only Aunt Betty."

"And I'm sorry for..." He paused as he stared into her eyes.

During the silence, her heart raced. Could he really be apologizing? She didn't dare believe he'd do it, only because she knew she'd be let down when he didn't say the words.

He sighed and grasped her hand that rested on her lap. "I'm sorry for not being the family you had wanted. I was fortunate enough to have an older brother, but I never realized what you were going through. Will you forgive me for being so selfish?"

Her mind scrambled and unscrambled his words, trying to understand them. He wasn't really apologizing for being mean to her, but he was still apologizing. Tears burned her eyes and she blinked quickly, before he noticed.

"I'll forgive you for being selfish if you forgive me for being a bratty little girl who wanted everyone's attention."

Adrian smiled, and her heart did a few silly flip-flops in her chest. Why would she have such an odd reaction? Maybe she was the one who was feverish, instead.

"Yes, I'll forgive you." He nodded.

"Then I shall forgive you, too."

His thumb rubbed across her knuckle, and she realize how gentle he was to her right now.

"So... what do we do now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do we hug now?"

Heat surged through her from the mere thought, and she laughed uncomfortably. "Like friends?"

"Yes, like friends."

"Well, as your caregiver, I don't think you should move your arm, but I suppose a one-arm hug will be appropriate."

She leaned in and he slid his right arm around her, pulling her closer. As she wrapped her arms around his shoulder, she was careful not to bump his injury. His face moved to her hair, and she could have sworn he rubbed his cheek against her. Tingles grew inside her and her heartbeat sped up, so she pulled away before she was overwhelmed by those odd sensations.

Before she could finish pulling back, he cupped the side of her face, keeping her close. Her mouth turned dry. His hazel eyes sparkled, and she felt like she was... floating.

"I don't think I've thanked you for helping me." He stroked his thumb across her cheek. "I'm grateful you didn't let me bleed to death."

"That wouldn't make me a very good Veterinarian, would it?"

He smiled. "Do you still think I'm an animal?"

"Well... I still have my reservations."

His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she lost her breath. Oh, heavens! That couldn't mean what she thought it meant. No, she wouldn't believe he was entertaining those kinds of thoughts.

"Be glad I don't show you my animal side."

The fluttering in her chest was racing now, keeping up with her erratic pulse. What was he talking about? Images popped into her mind that shouldn't be there at all. With any other man, she wouldn't have thought such improper things, but with Adrian... well, she knew what kind of young man he'd been before leaving to join the military. Indeed, he didn't have morals back then.

She couldn't allow him to corrupt her mind, which meant that she needed to stop this conversation immediately.