Page 15 of Roping Reba

She tried to sit up, but the second she moved, pain flashed across her face, and she hissed.

That was it.

I slid an arm under her knees and the other behind her back before she could argue.

“Johnny, no?—”

“Too damn bad.” I lifted her easily, adjusting her in my arms as she sucked in another breath. “You can yell at me later.”

She scowled, but there was no real fight in it. She was hurting. I carried her out of the pasture, ignoring the way her fingers curled weakly into my shirt. I could feel the tension in her body, the stubborn way she held herself, like she didn’t want to show how bad it really was. I wasn’t having it. By the time I got her to the house and kicked open the door, she was breathing heavily, her forehead damp with sweat. Moira came running over as I set Reba on the couch carefully, kneeling in front of her. “Let me see.”

She hesitated, jaw tight, but then she peeled her shirt up slightly, revealing the angry red mark already forming on her ribs and some slightly broken skin.

I cursed under my breath. “Damn it, Reba.”

“It’s not that bad,” she muttered.

I shot her a look. “It could be broken.”

“It’s not.”

“You don’t know that.”

“What happened?” Moira’s voice cut into my panic.

“That damn mare scared off and nearly killed Reba.”

“I’ll get some ice.”

“She needs more than ice!” My voice was far too rough for Moira. She certainly didn’t deserve my anger. “I’m sorry.”

Moira gave me a soft smile and made her way to the kitchen.

Reba exhaled sharply, wincing. “Johnny?—”

“I apologized. But you scared the hell out of me,” I cut in, my voice low, raw.

Her expression faltered for a split second before she looked away.

I ran a hand through my hair, forcing a slow breath. “I’m taking you to the hospital. Someone should check you over.”

“Dr. Nelson, or one of the nurses at the infirmary, can check her over for you, Johnny. That way, you don’t have to go into town, just back over to the Ranch,” Moira said, carefully placing an ice pack on Reba’s side.

Reba sighed but didn’t argue, which only made me worry more. I reached for my phone, but my eyes never left her. I knew one thing for damn sure, Reba might not be willing to settle down, but I wasn’t leaving this Ranch without figuring out how to get through to her. Because losing her, even for a second, wasn’t an option. It had damn near killed me.

Reba let her head fall back against the couch, exhaling as she pressed her fingers gently against the ice on her ribs. I wasn’t convinced she wasn’t seriously hurt, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to admit it.

“I’m fine,” she argued again, looking up at me, but her voice lacked its usual bite.

“You keep saying that, but you’re still sitting there holding your side like you just took a beating in the arena.”

She huffed but didn’t have a comeback for that. I watched her carefully. Her jaw was clenched, her expression set, but I knew her well enough to see past it.

“I’ll make sure the kids are okay out back. Do you want me to tell Jax what happened?” Moira asked quietly.

“No, I don’t want to scare him,” Reba said before I could answer.

“Very well, I’ll keep him here until I hear back from you both.”

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