she had a chance to protest. Then he shoved her sock down, revealing the bandage she’d wrapped around her ankle. In seconds he’d unwrapped it. “Dammit, Mary Beth, it’s still swollen!”
“It’s better than it was yesterday.”
“Maybe so, but it’ll heal quicker if you take it easy another day. Go into the living room and get off it.” He gave her a stern look when she didn’t move. “Right now. I’ll get you some ice.”
She opened her mouth to challenge him, but his next words stopped her.
“Do it, or I’ll cart you in there myself.”
Her expression indignant, Mary Beth clamped her lips together. Without another word, she snatched her boot from him and limped from the room with as much dignity as she could muster.
Deke watched her disappear though the doorway. She had an obstinate side to her, that was for sure, he thought,as he prepared an ice pack. Why did he find that side of her just as appealing? Shaking his head, he went into the living room. She was sitting on the couch, her foot elevated. She didn’t speak as he approached her, but he felt the cold chill of her gaze.
“Keep off it,” he ordered, undaunted. He settled an ice pack on her ankle. “I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back to check on you.”
Deke didn’t wait for her to answer. Rather than tempting fate by staying with her, he went outside to pick up where she’d left off. As he entered the barn, he saw that she hadn’t even started feeding the horses, so he figured she couldn’t have been on her ankle all that long.
He located the hay—at least, what there was of it. There was only half a bale. Wondering if she had the rest of it stored in one of the other buildings, he made a mental note to ask her about it.
Hours later Deke stepped into Mary Beth’s house, unsure of the reception he’d receive from his unwilling patient. He hadn’t meant to intimidate her or to make her angry, but the woman didn’t seem to know what was good for her.
He’d spent the better part of the morning tending to the horses, then riding out and checking her cattle. It was a good thing that he had. He’d found another break in her fencing. By the time he’d gotten the tools and had it repaired, he’d realized that he was getting hungry. While he should have gotten in his truck and headed back to the Bar M, Deke wanted to check on Mary Beth.
When he walked inside, she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, her foot propped up on a beat-up ottoman. His heart rate accelerated. At least she’d listened to him.
“How’s it feel?” he asked. He sat on the sofa, carefulto keep his distance from her. Removing his hat, he set it aside, then combed his hair with his fingers.
“Better,” she said, her voice tight.
“That’s good.” Deke doubted it. He itched to check it, but knew if he did, he’d just make her angrier. But then, maybe that was a good idea. Maybe if she was angry with him, he wouldn’t be so tempted to kiss her.
Risking her ire, he lifted the ice pack and examined her ankle. He was surprised and pleased to see that her injury did look better. Minimally, but there was a sign of improvement. It was still slightly swollen and several shades of purple. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It looks like it’s healing.” Maybe by tomorrow it would be hurt less and she’d be able to walk on it again without making it worse.
He sure hoped so. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her on her own, unable to get around.
“I made you some lunch,” she informed him, a bit of resentment in her tone. “Don’t worry,” she said before he could speak, “I was careful. I put everything on the table and sat down to do it. There’s also some soup warming on the stove. It’s canned, but it was all I had.” When she’d gone to the bathroom, she’d peeked out the window and had seen that his truck was still in front of her house. She hadn’t expected him to stay that long, but since he had, she figured he’d be hungry
“It’s better than it was yesterday.”
“Maybe so, but it’ll heal quicker if you take it easy another day. Go into the living room and get off it.” He gave her a stern look when she didn’t move. “Right now. I’ll get you some ice.”
She opened her mouth to challenge him, but his next words stopped her.
“Do it, or I’ll cart you in there myself.”
Her expression indignant, Mary Beth clamped her lips together. Without another word, she snatched her boot from him and limped from the room with as much dignity as she could muster.
Deke watched her disappear though the doorway. She had an obstinate side to her, that was for sure, he thought,as he prepared an ice pack. Why did he find that side of her just as appealing? Shaking his head, he went into the living room. She was sitting on the couch, her foot elevated. She didn’t speak as he approached her, but he felt the cold chill of her gaze.
“Keep off it,” he ordered, undaunted. He settled an ice pack on her ankle. “I’m going out for a while. I’ll be back to check on you.”
Deke didn’t wait for her to answer. Rather than tempting fate by staying with her, he went outside to pick up where she’d left off. As he entered the barn, he saw that she hadn’t even started feeding the horses, so he figured she couldn’t have been on her ankle all that long.
He located the hay—at least, what there was of it. There was only half a bale. Wondering if she had the rest of it stored in one of the other buildings, he made a mental note to ask her about it.
Hours later Deke stepped into Mary Beth’s house, unsure of the reception he’d receive from his unwilling patient. He hadn’t meant to intimidate her or to make her angry, but the woman didn’t seem to know what was good for her.
He’d spent the better part of the morning tending to the horses, then riding out and checking her cattle. It was a good thing that he had. He’d found another break in her fencing. By the time he’d gotten the tools and had it repaired, he’d realized that he was getting hungry. While he should have gotten in his truck and headed back to the Bar M, Deke wanted to check on Mary Beth.
When he walked inside, she was sitting on the sofa in the living room, her foot propped up on a beat-up ottoman. His heart rate accelerated. At least she’d listened to him.
“How’s it feel?” he asked. He sat on the sofa, carefulto keep his distance from her. Removing his hat, he set it aside, then combed his hair with his fingers.
“Better,” she said, her voice tight.
“That’s good.” Deke doubted it. He itched to check it, but knew if he did, he’d just make her angrier. But then, maybe that was a good idea. Maybe if she was angry with him, he wouldn’t be so tempted to kiss her.
Risking her ire, he lifted the ice pack and examined her ankle. He was surprised and pleased to see that her injury did look better. Minimally, but there was a sign of improvement. It was still slightly swollen and several shades of purple. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It looks like it’s healing.” Maybe by tomorrow it would be hurt less and she’d be able to walk on it again without making it worse.
He sure hoped so. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her on her own, unable to get around.
“I made you some lunch,” she informed him, a bit of resentment in her tone. “Don’t worry,” she said before he could speak, “I was careful. I put everything on the table and sat down to do it. There’s also some soup warming on the stove. It’s canned, but it was all I had.” When she’d gone to the bathroom, she’d peeked out the window and had seen that his truck was still in front of her house. She hadn’t expected him to stay that long, but since he had, she figured he’d be hungry
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