“Call me if she doesn’t show improvement after you’ve switched her feed, which I suggest you do today.” Julia headed for the barn door, her strides long.

  Maybe it was because she didn’t look back again or because all he could think about was kissing her, but he jogged after her and grabbed her arm. He didn’t have a plan for what to say, but he wasn’t done with their conversation. She jerked away from his hold and stumbled back, her foot catching on a slight dip in the ground. A second later she was on the ground.

  “Dammit,” she said and sucked in a breath. Her hands went to her right ankle, rubbing it.

  “Jesus, Julia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” Jake dropped down next to her. His anger was gone in a second. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t injured, but she waved him away.

  “I don’t need anything from you,” she said. “Leave me alone.”

  “Let me help you up.” It was all he could do not to gather her up in his arms and lift her from the floor. “We’ll go up to the house and—”

  “Back off and give me a minute.” She gave a hiss when she probed her own ankle, making him think it had to be sprained, if not broken. But she seemed determined to ignore that possibility, insisting, “I’m fine. Really. I’ll just go home and ice it. I’m sure it’s just a sprain.” She attempted to struggle to her feet, rolling awkwardly to her side so her good leg took all her weight as she pushed herself up into a standing position. He hovered near by, waiting for her to accept his help—but she didn’t. “See, it’s all good.”

  “Julia, you can’t even put weight on it,” he argued.

  “Yes, I can.” She put her right foot on the floor and almost went down when it buckled beneath her. He caught her around the waist, keeping her upright.

  “You won’t be able to drive like this,” he said. “I’ll take you home.”

  “Get me to my truck,” she conceded, accepting his help for now. “I can drive with my left foot. It’s only a few miles.”

  “Nope, that’s not safe.” He steadied her with one arm while retrieving her bag with the other. With his help, she hopped out of the barn. Both their trucks were parked out front. Ignoring her attempts to head toward her own, he guided her to his.

  “I don’t need your help,” she gritted out.

  “How are you going to get in your house when you get to your ranch?” he asked. “Did you think of that?”

  “Fine. Take me home,” she said, hopping the last few steps to the passenger door.

  He helped her slide onto the seat. He tried very hard not to think about how good it felt to touch her, but he couldn’t stop mentally replaying the way they’d made love to each other. In this moment, they were boiling mad at each other, but that didn’t change the arc of attraction between them.

  He got in the driver’s seat and headed toward the main road. As he drove, he considered his options. He could take her home, get her ice and ibuprofen, and see that she had everything she needed for the day. But he was convinced that she required ongoing care.

  It might be a sprain as she thought, but even then she could do more damage by walking on it too soon. He’d learned that the hard way when he was a teenager and took a fall from a horse. He’d declared that his arm was fine, and he’d been partially right. It hadn’t been broken, but he’d made a bad sprain worse by continuing to use that arm until his mother forced him to go to the emergency room.

  Jake wasn’t letting that happen to Julia. He made the turn toward her ranch, but when her driveway came into sight, he drove on by.

  “What are you doing?” she said. “I live there.” She pointed behind them. “Or have you forgotten?”

  “I know where you live,” he said, gearing up for another fight. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

  “I don’t need to go there. It’s just a sprain. Turn around and take me home. Now.” Her tone was imperious, as if she expected to be obeyed—but that wasn’t going to happen. He continued driving toward the hospital.

  She crossed her arms in front of her and he heard her huff, but other than that it was a silent drive until he pulled up in front of the emergency room doors.

  “I’ll help you out,” he said, taking his seatbelt off.

  “I’m not going in. There’s no reason to. It would be a waste of my time. Drive me home or I’ll call someone who will.” She pulled her phone out and appeared to be scrolling through her contacts.

  “You can go in the easy way or the hard way,” he said, undeterred.

  She shot him a look across the cab and tapped her screen to pull up a number. He’d had enough, so he got out, went around to her side of the truck, and flung the door open. He clicked the button to undo her seatbelt, tossed her phone onto the seat, and flung her over his shoulder, fireman style, before stalking toward the entrance.

  “What are you doing? I don’t want to be manhandled by you.” Her fists beat on his back. “Put me down.”

  “You’re making a scene,” he said, giving a nod to the receptionist. “Cooperate or I’ll carry you like this all the way into the x-ray room. That’ll give the town gossips something to talk about for days.”

  She stopped pounding on him, apparently realizing that he was serious. “Damn you,” she muttered. “Put me in a wheelchair.”

  Progress. He gently lowered her into a chair, careful not to bump her injured leg. She’d loosened her boot on the drive and he could see how swollen her ankle was. When she was settled, he pushed Julia toward the receptionist, so she could check in.

  “Don’t bother waiting for me,” she said to him after speaking to the receptionist. “If you bring me my phone, I can get someone to pick me up.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” To prove his point, he stayed with her until a nurse came to take Julia through to the treatment area. After that, he walked outside to park his truck and make a few phone calls. His first was to the feed store, where he ordered a supply of his previous brand of feed to be delivered. They promised it would be there before evening.

  He didn’t want to believe that Luke would knowingly use an inferior product, but he needed to take immediate action to get Queenie back on her feet and prevent any of the other horses from becoming ill. He called his foreman next to explain to him the problem with the feed and the need to switch back.

  When that was done, he returned to the waiting room and took a seat. The news was playing on the television, but he ignored that and spent the time checking his email. He’d put out some feelers to ranchers and breeders in the area about purchasing a stallion. He’d even gone to see one about a half-day’s drive away, but he hadn’t been satisfied with the animal. The horse was decent stock, but not in the same category as Twister.

  Jake quickly sorted through the messages from sellers, but none of the horses they described seemed like a good fit for him. He’d have to decide on one soon, though. Julia wasn’t going to let him buy Twister. Hell, Jake would be lucky if she let him within a hundred miles of her after today. After that one, magical night together, he’d thought there was maybe something there—but ever since, he and Julia were like oil and water. She could put him on edge and make him feel things he couldn’t begin to describe, much less understand. To say the least, it was unsettling.

  About the time he started to eye the stack of old magazines and consider picking one up, Julia came from the back on crutches. Her boot was off her foot, and she had a brace strapped to her ankle.

  “Sprained,” she said before he could ask. “As I suspected.” She looked away for a second. “But the doctor said that it was a good thing I came in. I have to stay off it for a week, maybe two.”

  “Good thing to know,” he commented, keeping his tone neutral.

  “I appreciate you driving me here, but Sofia can take me home after she gets off her shift at the sheriff’s office. You don’t need to stay.”

  Like hell. “You can text Sofia from my truck and tell her that you’ve got a ride.”

  “You’ve done enough today,” she said, and he wasn’t sure what her tone conveyed.

  “Julia, you live next door to me. I have to go past your driveway to get to mine. I’m taking you home.” He hoped the logic of his argument would convince her. “I’ll bring the truck up.”

  He couldn’t be certain, but as he walked away, he thought he heard her say, “Thanks.”

  7

  Julia sat at the desk she used to manage her business paperwork early the following morning. Her schedule for the next few days was open on the screen. She’d had several appointments, both ranch visits and patients bringing in their domestic animals. Had was the word. She’d cancelled everything, knowing she couldn’t get around well enough to do her work. Heck, she couldn’t even drive to get to her clinic on the outskirts of Darby Crossing.

  Most of the appointments had been checkups and the owners had graciously agreed to a delay, but three people had opted not to reschedule. They all politely assured her that they’d just go to Family Veterinary Care instead. She knew they meant to be nice and take the pressure off her, but losing customers to the rival animal clinic only made her situation seem worse.

  “Come to make me feel better?” she asked as Magellan jumped onto her lap. The black cat was an explorer at heart and had earned his name, but he was also a sensitive animal and knew when she was hurting. She appreciated the comfort he offered her as he turned three times and settled down, waiting to be petted. “I’m not good at doing nothing,” she confided to him as she stroked her fingers down the curve of his spine. “And I’m really not okay with losing business. Not now.” She thought of the new equipment she’d ordered, banking on stud fees from Twister to help her make the payments. Fees that had yet to materialize. “It’ll work out. Somehow.” She closed her eyes, feeling sleepy. “I’ll feed you guys in a minute.”

  Her ankle had throbbed in the night, keeping her up as much as her worry had. She must have dozed off, because she jumped when a vehicle door slammed in her driveway. Magellan leaped down, dashing to the door to see who the visitor was and beating her two dogs who came from the kitchen, barking and tripping over each other.

  “Julia?” Jake’s voice called out.

  Great. Just what she needed.

  “Coming,” she said and grabbed for her crutches to hobble to the door. “I wasn’t expecting you. Did Queenie get worse?” Julia was already trying to figure out how she could examine the horse while hopping on one foot.

  “No, she’s about the same, but I did switch her feed back to what it used to be,” Jake said through the screened door. “I came to help you out. You’ve got a lot to care for here, and it’s going to be hard for you to manage. I figure I owe it to you.”

  Was that a Jake Thorne version of an apology? He was probably too stubborn to actually admit any wrongdoing. He’d said sorry in the seconds after she’d hit the barn floor, but he had shown no regret over taking her to the hospital without her consent and carrying her in like she was a sack of potatoes. She figured that story was all over Darby Crossing.

  Part of her wanted to tell Jake to get lost. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse his help when Fay, the boxer mix Julia had rescued from an abusive situation, leaned against her, almost knocking her down. She had to admit that she did need some help. Though it wasn’t a working ranch, she still had a number of animals, and they needed care she couldn’t provide until she was back on her feet.

  “That would be nice,” she said, forcing the words out. “Thanks.”

  “Great.” His smile was instant and a little too big. Was he reading something into her acceptance that she hadn’t intended?

  “I’m still ticked at you,” she reminded him, “and my accepting your help doesn’t mean that I’ve changed my mind about selling you Twister or sleeping with you again.” She wanted to be clear on both those things.

  “I wasn’t expecting anything. Just being neighborly.” His smile had disappeared when she spoke, but she noticed an amused twitch of his lips. If her animals weren’t hungry, she might have sent him away, but the chores needed to get done.

  “Come into the kitchen. We’ll start with the house animals.” She unlatched the screened door for him to enter. “I should make introductions. Magellan, sometimes called Jelly.” She pointed to the black cat. “Izzy is on the couch.” The calico kitty was perched on the back of the sofa. “Time to eat, Izzy.” Julia led the way into the kitchen, followed by Jake and her animals.

  “I’ve seen this dog with you before.” Jake petted the collie.

  “That’s Wellington. I worked in an animal shelter when I was in vet school. He was brought in one rainy night, soaking wet, underweight, and I fell in love.” She started to relax as she talked about her dog. “Sometimes he goes on ranch visits with me, but I like to leave him home to keep Fay company. Meet Fay.” She touched the boxer’s head. “My purloined pooch.”

  Jake laughed, and it was such a good sound that it made her forget some of the tension between them. Some more of it melted away when he listened seriously and attentively to her somewhat bizarre requirements for her animals. Izzy had to be fed up on a bench so that Magellan didn’t try to steal her food, and Wellington liked to have his ears scratched while he was eating. Jake dutifully did as she asked.

  “What’s in there?” Jake said with a glance toward a small room off the kitchen when the other animals were done eating. “I thought I heard something.”

  “It’s only Pocket. Do you want to see?” Julia crutched through the doorway with Jake behind her. Her hedgehog lived in a clear plastic enclosure complete with an exercise wheel and a tube to hide in. “Fortunately, I cleaned his cage yesterday morning, so you don’t have to do that. And I gave him some food when I got back from the hospital. Take a look at him.”

  Jake bent down and peered into the tube. “Hedgehog?” He shot her a surprised look, making her shrug.

  “His family was moving away and couldn’t take him,” she explained. “I meant to find Pocket a home, but then I got used to him. He’s very lovable in the early evening when he comes awake. They’re nocturnal, you know.”

  “I don’t know much about hedgehogs. You can’t rope ’em or ride ’em.”

  She smiled. “Nope, they’re just for fun. Should we head for the barn?”

  With the dogs circling around them, they made slow progress across the open area between her house and barn. Being on crutches was way more exhausting than she remembered, and she was suddenly very grateful for Jake’s help.

  “Sofia brought them in for me last night and fed them,” Julia said when they were in the barn and standing in front of the stalls. She believed horses should be out in the pasture when the weather was decent, but she’d been afraid she wouldn’t be able to round them up if a storm blew in.

  “I’d have come and done that,” he said, grabbing the feed bucket like it was second nature.

  “Not so much for Ally,” she cautioned when he approached her Paint horse’s stall. “I feed her smaller amounts four times a day. She doesn’t do well otherwise.”

  “No problem,” Jake said, giving her only a quarter serving. He moved down the line, stopping to talk to her horses as he fed them and checked their water supply. Watching him work made her feel better. He knew animals, and he had a way with them.

  She did notice that Jake spent extra time with Twister, who pranced around in his stall, neighing and tossing his head.

  “He really is special,” Jake said when he finally turned away and came back to where Julia sat on a bench.

  “My dad’s greatest success as a breeder.” She got to her feet and started toward the barn door. “Thanks for helping me out. I wasn’t quite sure how I’d manage.”

  “Let me make you lunch while I’m here,” he offered.

  She glanced at the wall clock. It was already after eleven. The entire day was ahead of her, and she was stuck hobbling around. Frustrating, but maybe she’d read a book on the porch. She usually didn’t have time for that. Food felt like a distant concern when she wasn’t really hungry yet—but it was going to become an issue eventually.

  “Please,” he said as they walked back toward the house. “I’ve been on crutches a time or two. Getting around in a kitchen is a hassle.”

  She’d figured that out the evening before when she tried to cook dinner. She’d given up and put a frozen meal in the microwave. “That would be nice.”

  “Have a seat,” he said when they got into her kitchen and greeted the cats who came for a little love. “I’m not a great cook, so this isn’t going to be gourmet, but I can manage something decent.” He checked the contents of her refrigerator and freezer, opened a cabinet or two, and then began to pull out ingredients.

  “What’s on the menu?” she asked while petting Izzy.

  “Chicken soup with gnocchi. You’ve got everything I need for that,” he said and went to work. Over the next half hour, she watched as he cooked chicken and diced carrots, onions, and celery. He added those and various seasonings to a pot with chicken broth and let it simmer on her stove. He waited until the soup was almost done and added the pasta for the final few minutes of cooking time.

  She had to admit to being a little impressed. Jake was efficient in the kitchen and darn cheerful about making her lunch. And he was good company as he talked about ranching and people they both knew.

  “Here you go.” He ladled a generous helping into a bowl and set it before her.

  She tasted the soup. It was good, really good. “That’s delicious.” She ate several more spoonfuls, enjoying the flavors. She looked up and noticed that he was packaging the leftover soup in smaller containers. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I made it for you,” he insisted, even as his stomach growled loudly in the quiet kitchen.

  “Get a bowl and sit,” she ordered but with a smile.

  “You sure you don’t mind?” he asked.

  “Not at all. It’s nice having you here.” She hadn’t meant to say that last part, but it was true. He was a good distraction from her worries about the lost clients, and he’d been an enormous help to her. And it was unexpectedly pleasant having someone in her house. Someone human, that is. Her pets offered plenty of companionship, but the conversation could be somewhat lacking.