Page 58 of The Cowboy's Second Chance Bride

But I knew I’d get nowhere. He wasn’t ready to tell me. And in this moment that didn’t matter as much as the lesson I’d just taught myself, that I had depended on him for so much. Maybe more than I should have.

I took his hand. “I think I could use some meds too. My ankle is throbbing.” And so were my head, my heart, and my girl parts. But Tylenol wasn’t going to help me there.

I stuck out my hand. “Here, help me up.”

He stood. “Piggyback or…?”

“Just fling me from the top of the stairs and put me out of my misery. This throbbing is wearing on my nerves.”

He squatted down, his back to me, and I climbed on. He was like a powerlifter, standing right up as if it was no biggie that I was on his back. I really wanted to see the man’s thighs. I would have bet they were the size of tree trunks. Instead, I closed my eyes and stuck my head into the crook of his neck to enjoy the comfort of his body and smell.

“Don’t get too fresh there, or we won’t make it downstairs,” he growled roughly.

I giggled as he grabbed me behind the knees. Then he looked at my ankle and gave a low whistle as if sayingOuch. He carried me downstairs and set me gently on the couch, then put a pillow under my foot as he raised it to rest on the coffee table, using the most tender of touches.

CAL

She looked around the living room, then shook her head. “Can you take me to the kitchen? I’m starving.”

Her voice was breathy and soft, as if maybe my touch did to her what hers did to me. I wanted to test that theory. I met her gaze and watched her pupils dilate when I ran a finger down her arm.

“I can get you food. I can get you whatever you want.” My eyes flicked to her lips. I saw a flash image of her lying on the floor in her panties and bra, jeans pulled up to her knees, her hair a black halo surrounding her. “I just got you here.”

“Yeah, but what am I supposed to do?” she asked.

“You are supposed to let your body take time to heal. What’s wrong with you? Can’t you be idle? Sit and relax.”

Earlier, when I was braiding her hair, had been the first time I’d seen her slow down. I thought she stayed busy because she was avoiding all the sadness the last few days had delivered. When the calf had rejected her, anguish had flashed across her face, the same anguish she’d shown when the adoption agency dropped her. It was the hurt of a loss. And she hadn’t wanted to talk about it after that day. Even Cricket was worried, telling me Sabrina had clammed up and would tear up whenever Cricket pushed.

“Says the workaholic.” She frowned at me.

“Touché. I can go get your laptop or something.”

She pursed her lips like she was thinking about her options. Chances were high that she’d find something on the internet that would hurt her.

“If you actually let your ankle rest, it’ll heal faster,” I said.

She sat forward like she was going to push off the couch and opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when the front door slammed and someone squealed.

“Where is everyone?” my sister cried out from the foyer.

“In the living room. What’s wrong?” As I started toward the foyer, Brynna rushed into the room, holding a small glass bowl in the palms of her hands.

“Look, I did it. I finally did it. That evil cow mom helped me have a breakthrough.” She thrust the colorful bowl toward me. The colors looked like various crayon strokes: bold and childlike with lines of gray and black woven in between.

“You made a bowl?” I teased, knowing she had made dozens of bowls of various shapes and sizes.

“No, jackass, it’s the colors. I finally was able to make the pattern I wanted.” She beamed at me.

Mom came into the room from the kitchen, wearing an apron and wiping her hands on a towel. “What’s all the screaming for? Oh, Brynna, you made a bowl. It’s lovely, dear—perky and fun?—”

“But with a hint of sadness,” Sabrina said.

“Yes.” Brynna pointed to Sabrina. “You get it.” She handed her the bowl. “I call it The Disturbed Childhood.”

“Oh, Brynna,” Mom said, a hitch in her voice. “That’s so sad.”

“But it’s not meant to be fully sad,” Brynna said.

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