Johnny’s stomach had never ached so bad as it had when Sara Beth had tumbled into the rocks and dirt. Red filled his vision and he didn’t remember anything until Michael pulled him off Lou.

 

Chest heaving, he hid his gratitude that Michael had stopped him from killing the man. How could that idiot try to force Sara Beth to a place that obviously scared her enough to claw her way from safety? What kind of therapy was that anyway?

 

Pulling her into his arms had been second nature. He needed to feel that she was okay, not just see it or even hear her say it. Johnny needed the solid weight of her in his arms. And he didn’t give a damn, if she wanted him to or not. Okay, he did, but that wasn’t the point.

 

The doctor’s office had been hell, waiting for scans and tests and then to have Sara Beth discharged for home. Apparently, there was nothing the hospital could do in Missoula that wasn’t already being done at Rourke Ranch. She had a nurse and constant care.

 

Back at the ranch, Johnny waited until Michael disappeared into the barn before climbing the steps and carefully treading on the wood to carry Sara Beth to her chair.

 

Her pallor faded as a rosy blush crept becomingly up her cheeks. She didn’t meet his gaze, choosing to look where they were going instead.

 

“Are you sure you’re okay? That was quite a fall. Just because the doctor said you’ll be fine…” Johnny couldn’t help the clipped edge to his softly spoken words. Adrenaline gave an added shake to his limbs. He’d most likely never get that image out of his head of her falling, the dry dirt poofing around her as she landed.

 

She nodded, quickly, as if she didn’t want him to know how scared she’d really been.

 

Johnny understood pride. Sometimes he wasn’t sure he hadn’t been the one to create it.

 

At the chair, Johnny moved past it and settled himself on the railing, Sara Beth safely resting on his lap. She pushed off his chest, searching for a way to get to her chair. Johnny pulled her closer, relieved when she didn’t fight his touch. “I’m sorry. Just for a moment, I need to hold you, okay?” He hadn’t been able to just hold her… and since she’d fallen, he realized he needed it more than he’d ever thought possible.

 

Sara Beth buried her face in his t-shirt. “Do you think it damaged my back more?” Heat from her mouth and moisture from hidden tears burned through the thin cotton material. “My legs were starting to tingle, you know? Like, I could feel them when I put a cold ice cube on the skin. I could feel it.” She sighed, shaking her head, curls brushing his cheek. “What if it ruined all that? What if I can’t get better? I’m going to be like this forever…”

 

Surprisingly, her nearness distracted him from logic or reasoning. Time was up for the cuddling. He placed her gently in the chair and knelt down to be on level with her. “Stop talking like it’s the end of the world. So you can’t feel or use your legs? So what?” He dropped the kid glove treatment. Worry combined with irritation did not make a happy Johnny.

 

Shock at his reply seemed to swing a curtain across her features, shutting off all emotion.

 

He rushed to fix what he’d said. “Look, Sara Beth, I’m sorry. It’s just…” He sighed and pulled his hat off his head, running fingers through his hair.

 

“Don’t you think you’re being awfully hard on her? She did just get thrown to the ground and she can’t walk.” Michael’s heavy footfalls punctuated his query as he neared, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Johnny stood, turning his attention to Michael while still staying close to Sara Beth. “Yeah, I know she can’t walk, but that doesn’t make her dead. She’s still her. She just has to figure out how to do some things differently.”

 

Michael eyed Johnny as he moved to a position that would give him full view of Johnny and Sara Beth. He watched them for a moment, and then pulled his fingers toward him, like a beckoning gesture. “Okay, spill it. What happened? Exactly.” They hadn’t talked on the way to the doctor’s, everyone more concerned with the pain Sara Beth endured with every bump and turn.

 

Fortunately, medicine dulled things and when Sara Beth glanced at Johnny, the sharp anguish he’d seen before the trip to town had been blunted.

 

He placed a hand on the top handle of her seat back. “Mr. Jensen carried Sara Beth around the deck which wasn’t a big deal until he started down the steps. Heading toward the barn where he knew she didn’t want to go, he ignored Sara Beth when she said no over and over. She even yelled it. Then she pulled his hair to get him to stop.” Johnny clenched his teeth. “And the idiot dropped her. Right in the dirt.”

 

“Sounds like that’s what she wanted, though.” Michael crossed his arms. “Did you want him to drop you, Sara Beth?”

 

“Yes and no. I wanted him to drop me more than I wanted to go to the barn. If that makes sense?” She lifted her chin, enhancing the high angles of her cheekbones.

 

Tapping his finger on his upper arm, Michael met her gaze. “Why don’t you go to the barn, anymore? You used to love it there. You haven’t seen any of the horses unless Johnny rides them by or leaves them out. It’s like you’ve cut out a huge part of yourself.”

 

But Sara Beth didn’t answer. She pressed her lips together into a fine line and glared balefully at her to-be-brother-in-law.

 

He sighed, throwing his hands in the air to land at his sides. “I’m not the enemy, Sara Beth. I want to help.” He ran a hand down over his face. “I’ll get another physical therapist out here later this week.” Ignoring Johnny, Michael left the deck, dropping his questions behind him.

 

Johnny’s curiosity picked them up. Taking the railing again for his seat, Johnny bent his head until he caught Sara Beth’s eye and she turned her head enough she could watch him comfortably.

 

They pondered each other for a long moment in silence.

 

But the silence had more in it than friendship.

 

Johnny’s over-caring had spilled onto the ground around them like discarded bells. No matter where they moved, one of them was going to make a noise. But who did it and where would it lead them?

 

Tears sparkled on the lower edges of her eyelids. Her gaze flickered past him and didn’t return.

 

Maybe platonic wasn’t a word Johnny wanted to use with Sara Beth. And maybe she didn’t either.

 

~~~

 

“Come on, Sugar. Let’s try this again.” Johnny reached for the reins of the spirited horse. She’d danced past him more times than she hadn’t.

 

Her next pass he would get the flicking leather straps. And he did, just barely, and wrapped them around his fist as he dug in his heels.

 

And then with one jerk of her powerful neck, she threw him on the ground – face first.

 

Spitting dirt from his mouth, Johnny pushed up from the lumpy training ring floor. He rolled to his butt, pulling his knees up toward his chest and wrapping his arms around his legs. Appraising the horse and the last three miserable days didn’t make him feel better or get him off the ground.

 

Determination to not lose to a horse did.

 

Standing, he dusted off his pants.

 

Laughter from the direction of the barn caught his attention. Alarmed, he glanced toward the building, his stomach tightening at the sight of the familiar brunette bobbing his way.

 

“Well, well, well. Since when do you slum it, Johnny Mayfair?” Lisa Trinkett tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and puckered her deep red lips just enough to bring attention to their plump shape.

 

Johnny had fallen for her wiles before. But now, he could see past her maneuvers and spot the vulnerability lying just beneath. He lifted his hat her direction. “Lisa. What can I do for you?”

 

She arched her professionally shaped eyebrows, and wiggled her fingers in the general direction of the house. “You own all this? Is your new name Michael Rourke?”

 

“You know it’s not. He’s up at the house.” Anxiety twisted in his lap. The woman had torn him up and then thrown him away. His heart might never mend. Had she come all that way to completely annihilate him? Take away any chances with his uncle? “What are you doing here, Lisa?” Exasperated, he tried his best to pretend like he didn’t care, but it wasn’t easy to hide when his underarms suddenly flooded and he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

 

Before she could answer, Michael opened the front door and called out. “Hello, Ms. Trinkett. Thanks for coming. She’s up here.”

 

She? What was Michael talking about? Who? What the hell was going on?

 

Lisa held up a finger to Michael. “Thanks, just a second please. I’m just saying hi to an old friend.” She winked at Johnny, sending electric bolts of anger to places where she used to make him tingle.

 

“I’m here as a physical therapist. Some girl is in pretty bad shape. So they called me.” She pointed toward a large silver truck with some kind of logo splashed across the side in green paint.

 

“That takes schooling, Lisa. When have you had time?” Admittedly, he didn’t know a lot about her. That’d been one of the problems while they’d dated. She’d been too secretive. He’d been played like a game of badminton.

 

She flashed sparkling teeth like a pageant girl, taunting him in his ignorance. “While I was competing for the pageant, I was also going to school. In fact the scholarship for second place helped me finish my degree. I’ve been working as a traveling therapist since last summer.” Glancing over her shoulder, she turned back to Johnny. “I need to get going. Nice seeing you again.”

 

And she disappeared, like she’d never been in his arms, or ever promised him her tomorrows then stolen them out from under him, taking his along with them.

 

Like she’d never sued him for sexual harassment and gotten him fired because of it.