“Don’t worry. I reckon you’re hurtin’ enough,” he replied, setting the hot water kettle on the stove to make coffee, “but you need some carbs. I’ll make us some spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner. In the meantime, have this protein bar,” he said, opening a cabinet and grabbing one from a tin.

  “Thank you. I guess I am kind of hungry,” she said gratefully, taking it from him and tearing open the foil wrapping. “Where did you learn to make meat sauce?”

  “Texas. It’s not hard. Fry up some hamburger meat, then just add a jar of whatever Italian sauce you want. Takes no time. I’ll be right back.”

  Pulling off his grubby T-shirt as he walked down the hall, he moved through his bedroom to his bathroom, tossing it in the hamper as he passed, then vigorously washed his face and hands.

  “That feels better,” he muttered, staring at his reflection and running a comb through his unruly hair.

  Grabbing a bottle of ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet, he stuffed it into his jeans pocket, then turning on the faucets on low, he poured a large amount of Epsom salts into the bath. Satisfied, he moved back into the bedroom and retrieved a clean T-shirt from his dresser, but before he could slip it over his head, his phone chimed, signaling a text. Lifting it from his pocket, he let out an annoyed grunt.

  “Jennifer! Dammit. Now what?”

  Change of plans. I’ll be arriving with Debbie tomorrow. We’ll be there earlier than arranged, probably around ten. Please confirm.

  With his appointments for the morning already rescheduled to accommodate her, he sent her back a quick response.

  See you then.

  The prospect of the morning drama loomed over him like a thundercloud. Would Megan’s injury prevent her from doing whatever it was she had planned?

  “Maybe I should just ask her,” he muttered under his breath, donning his shirt and leaving the bedroom.

  Still in two minds as he walked down the hall, entering the kitchen he was surprised to find her on her feet and pouring the coffee.

  “Hi there,” she murmured, darting her eyes up and smiling at him.

  Though on her feet, with her arm wrapped in the icepack and her face pale, the strong, talented young horsewoman looked weak and vulnerable. His heart melted.

  “Hey, darlin’. Let me do that.”

  “It’s done now, but could you get the cream?”

  “Sure,” he said, opening the refrigerator for the carton. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.”

  “We can’t be too long. Your bath’s runnin’.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I’m starting to feel those bruises you talked about.”

  “You’re gonna be sore tomorrow. Sit down, hon. There’s something I need to tell you.” Picking up their mugs, he followed her back to the kitchen table and settled across from her. “Megan, I just got a text from Jennifer Roberts.”

  “What did she want? I thought she was in New York.”

  “There’s been a change of plans. She’ll be here with Debbie Chandler in the mornin’. They’ll be rollin’ up around ten.”

  “I see,” she murmured, a frown crinkling her brow as she brought the mug to her lips and sipped her coffee.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Brad, can I ask a favor? Two favors actually.”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “I don’t want to meet these women, or even see them.”

  Her comment took him by surprise. How could she interfere if she wasn’t there?

  “Sure, darlin’. Whatever you want.”

  “Can we sleep in the cabin tonight? That way I won’t be anywhere near them.”

  “No problem, but the cabin only has a shower and you need that hot soak. When you’re done, we’ll have dinner then head on up.”

  “That’s great, Brad. Thanks.”

  “You said you had two favors. What’s the second?”

  “Teddy texted me earlier. He’s offered to come over. The thing is, you’ll be busy and I could use the company. Teddy and I have our differences, but he’s like my brother. Would that be okay?”

  “Of course. I’ll give him directions to the cabin when he arrives.”

  “You’re the best. Thank you for understanding.”

  He was on the verge of asking her if she’d changed her mind, and was prepared to let Bonny go without incident, but he held his tongue.

  Deniability.

  If something did happen, he’d be able to honestly say he knew nothing.

  Megan might be bruised and hurting, but he had no doubt she was still a force to be reckoned with.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  With the sauce simmering, and Megan soaking in the bath, Brad left to fetch the box from Megan’s Jeep and bring it back to the house. Not knowing how long it would take him to build the bannister, for the foreseeable future she’d be staying with him. She’d also asked him to collect a pair of socks and her pink fleece-lined sweat suit from the second drawer in the dresser, and her cosmetics bag from the bathroom.

  Walking down the driveway, he had a feeling much of her clothing would soon end up in his bedroom. He’d have to make room. He grinned, then frowned. He was crazy about her, and he liked the thought of having her around, but he’d never lived with a woman.

  Entering the barn, he was welcomed by a chorus of nickers. Unable to disappoint the hopeful horses with their heads over the stall doors, he fetched some carrots, snapping them in half and feeding them as he passed. Reaching Bonny and breaking the carrot, her ears pricked up and her eyes grew wide.

  “What’s up, girl?” he asked, handing her the treat. “Are you a little jumpy tonight? You shouldn’t be after all that runnin’ around.”

  Gobbling up the tasty morsel, her eyes softened, and she dove her head back into her hay.

  “You sure are an interesting mare. I’m gonna be sorry to see you go, assumin’ you do. I have no idea what’s gonna happen in the mornin’, but I’m ready for just about anything. You should be too.”

  Moving to the stairs, he picked up the soft silk scarf still lying on the floor. Catch was busy sniffing around the aisle, then stopped and barked, staring up at him expectantly.

  “I don’t know where your bone is, fella. See if you can find it.”

  The dog dropped his nose to the ground and continued his hunt, and Brad started up the stairs, but his phone’s familiar buzzing announced a text. Reaching the top, he opened the door and stepped inside, but suddenly found himself stumbling. Grabbing the doorjamb, though it broke the fall, he toppled sideways, barely escaping a tumble down the steps.

  “What the hell?” he exclaimed, staring at the box as he rose to his feet. “Dang it, Megan! That’s what you brought up here? So much for the last of your things. How the hell could you even see where you were puttin’ your feet carryin’ a box that big?”

  Cursing under his breath and lifting it up, he lugged it to the foot of the bed. While it wasn’t excessively heavy for him, it would have been for her, and it was unwieldy.

  “You’re lucky you didn’t trip carryin’ this,” he grunted as he put it down. “We’re gonna have some serious words, little lady.”

  Sitting on the edge of the bed to catch his breath, he remembered he had a text. Thinking himself lucky he hadn’t been holding his phone when he’d entered the loft, he opened the message. It was from Jeff, his neighbor.

  I just heard your voicemail. I hope Megan’s okay. I had an emergency of my own. My dad had a heart attack. Minor, thank God, but I didn’t pick up my messages until now. Can’t call. Still in the hospital.

  Hi, Jeff. Megan’s a bit banged up, but fine. Glad to hear your dad’s attack wasn’t serious. Sometimes warnings like that can be a Godsend. Speak to you soon.

  As he sent the text, it occurred to him the same was true for Megan. If she had slipped at the top of the stairs, not near the bottom, she could have been badly hurt. The thought made him more determined than ever she wasn’t going back to the loft until the handrail was in place.

  Continuing to chide himself for allowing her to move in without it, he walked into the bathroom, but found two toiletry bags, not just one. Unsure which to take, he placed the small one into the larger and zipped it up. Ambling back to the bedroom, he opened the second dresser drawer and found the sweat suit, but no socks. He found them in the drawer above, along with her lingerie. Letting out a whistle, he picked up a pair of lacy pink panties.

  “I’d like to see you in these, little lady, and I’ll enjoy taking ‘em off as well.”

  Lifting out two pairs of socks, he placed them, the underwear, and cosmetic bag into the sweat suit, rolled it up, then carried the bundle out the door and down the stairs. Catch was waiting at the bottom with his rubber bone between his teeth.

  “You found it. Good boy,” Brad said with a chuckle, lifting it from the dog’s mouth. “There you go.”

  Tossing it out of the barn toward the driveway, he watched as the dog ran after it hell bent for leather, and once again showed his athletic prowess, leaping in the air and catching it before it hit the ground.

  “One of these days that might come in handy,” Brad muttered, “but Lord only knows for what.”

  * * *

  Though the hot bath had felt divine, a few minutes after Brad left the house, Megan carefully climbed out, wrapped a towel around her waist and moved into the bedroom to get in touch with Teddy. Removing her phone from the jeans she’d left on the bed, she sat down and placed the call.

  “Hello?”

  “Teddy, hi, it’s me. I’m so glad you picked up.”

  “What’s wrong? You sound upset.”

  “Long story. I had a bit of an accident, but I can’t go into the details, I don’t have much time,” she said hastily, wanting to be back in the tub when Brad returned. “Is your offer to come over tomorrow morning still good?”

  “You bet.”

  “Great. I should probably warn you, Jennifer will be here.”

  “Shit.”

  “Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with her.”

  “Thank God for that. When we’re alone she’s fine, but with other people she acts weird.”

  “Must be her guilty conscience,” Megan suggested, surprised it wasn’t Teddy who felt awkward.

  “Probably. I just try to avoid the situation if I can.”

  “Understandable! Can you get here between nine and nine-thirty? She and Debbie Chandler will be arriving at ten. I’ll be up at a cabin above the paddocks, but Brad will be at his house and he’ll tell you how to get here.”

  “No problem. I’ll get there at nine-fifteen. How’s that?”

  “Perfect. I’ll be calling you later tonight to officially arrange this.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Teddy, you’re not just coming for moral support. I need your help with Bonny. I refuse to let her leave now that I’ve found her. I’m calling you secretly because I didn’t want to spring it on you at the last minute.”

  “Now you’re making me nervous.”

  “Don’t be nervous. This will be a piece of cake,” she said confidently. “This is what you’ll be doing.”

  Teddy had always been a good listener, and as she ran through her plan he didn’t interrupt, but when she finished she heard him take a long breath.

  “Megan, I’m not sure about this.”

  “Teddy, trust me, it will work,” she said earnestly. “I know what I’m doing.”

  “I have no doubt it will work just fine. That’s not what I’m worried about.”

  “Then what?” she asked impatiently. “Tell me quickly. I need to get off the phone.”

  “Crossing Tony Romano isn’t a good idea.”

  “I’m not crossing Tony fucking Romano,” she retorted. “I’m not crossing anyone. Bonny came here because Jennifer couldn’t handle her, and she never will be able to handle her. Nor will that Debbie Chandler person. Bonny isn’t cut out for their kind of life. Talk about a square peg in a round hole.”

  “I’ve known you my whole life, and once you’ve made up your mind, you’re as stubborn as an ill-tempered mule, but you can’t stop me worrying.”

  “Worry is your middle name. I need to go, but I’ll be calling you again in front of Brad to ask you to come over. Got it?”

  “It’s not rocket science, Megan.”

  “No, sorry, I’m just anxious,” she mumbled, wishing her elbow would stop throbbing. “I want everything to go perfectly, and this fucking accident has totally thrown me, but I can still pull this off with your help.”

  “I’ll do my best. You’ll tell me what happened to you later, right?”

  “Of course. Listen, Teddy—thanks. Seriously. This means the world to me. I’m not giving up Bonny without a fight.”

  “I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again. I’m always here for you.”

  “Back at ya. Now I really have to go. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  Sliding the phone back in her pocket and returning to the tub, she sank into the water, leaned back, closed her eyes, and pictured how she would control the events the following morning. It was only a short time later she heard Brad walking down the hall. With a jolt she realized she’d forgotten about the box by the door!

  * * *

  As Brad entered his room and headed toward the bathroom, he noticed an indentation on the side of his bed. He paused. Megan must have been sitting there. Then he saw her phone sticking out of the pocket of her jeans.

  “Brad? Is that you?”

  “Sure as hell better be,” he declared, stepping through the bathroom door, “or were you expectin’ someone else?”

  “I was, actually. A tall, dark, handsome cowboy who makes my toes curl. Seen anyone like that around here?”

  “And I’m lookin’ for a naughty girl who breaks her promises. You know where I can find her?”

  “Brad, if it’s about the box,” she said hastily, “I can explain.”

  “I’m lookin’ forward to that, but first, how’s your elbow?”

  “It’s still achy, but nothing like it was. When I fell I thought for sure it was broken. It hurt so bad.”

  “Elbows can be very painful. I’ll bandage it when you get out, and you need to keep ice on it as much as possible.”

  He’d spoken in a no-nonsense tone, then sitting on the edge of the tub, he tilted his body slightly forward.

  “What’s this explanation?” he asked, his voice suddenly stern. “You promised you wouldn’t carry any boxes up those stairs. Not only did you break that promise, the box in question was awkward even for me. If it had been on the small size and not heavy I might let it slide, but not that one.”

  She was looking up at him with doe eyes, and letting out a sigh, she shook her head. “You know what—I have no excuse. It was stupid of me. I wanted to get them both up to the loft and I thought I could do it. I’m sorry.”

  “Would you have told me?”

  “Uh, probably not.”

  He paused. She’d admitted what she’d done, but she’d had no choice. What kind of excuse could possibly justify breaking her word so blatantly?

  “We’ll talk about it more later, but thanks for bein’ straight with me. How’s the tub?”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Anything happen while I was gone?” he asked, wondering if she’d be as honest about the phone call.

  “Like what?”

  “Anything.”

  He could see her mind racing. She wanted to tell him, but she wasn’t sure if she should.

  “Megan, I’m gonna make this easy,” he finally declared, running out of patience. “I know you used your phone, and that’s fine, but you don’t want me to know about it. I’m not an idiot, and—“

  “No, of course you’re not! I don’t think that for a minute,” she exclaimed, cutting him off. “I just think... maybe... it would be better if you—uh—”

  “Don’t know what you’ve got planned for the mornin’? How you’re gonna stop Bonny gettin’ on that trailer?”

  “Exactly! I’m thinking of you! If anyone asks, you can honestly say you don’t know why... uh...”

  “Why what?”

  “Shit.”

  “You swore you weren’t gonna put yourself or anyone else at risk.”

  “No one will be,” she said vehemently. “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Then you’re right. Don’t tell me. I was going to ask you about it earlier, but changed my mind for that very reason. I don’t want to lie to anyone, and if I don’t know anything, I won’t have to.”

  “And that’s why I haven’t told you,” she said softly. “I don’t want to put that burden on you.”

  “I get it, and I’m grateful, but it doesn’t mean I’m not concerned.”

  “You don’t have to be. I may have been wrong about carrying that box up those stairs, but I’m not wrong about this.”

  “From what I’ve seen with you and horses, especially Bonny, I believe you.”

  “Thanks,” she said meekly. “It really will be okay.”

  “You about ready to get out?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Standing up, he helped her step from the bath and placed a towel around her shoulders.

  “Megan, you see this bath brush?” he asked, abruptly reaching past her and lifting it off the back of the tub. “When your elbow is better, I’ll be usin’ this to swat your ass.”

  “Because of the box?”

  “Yep, and not just because you broke your promise. I’ll give you the gory details over dinner.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  After bandaging Megan’s elbow and securing a fresh icepack, Brad dished out their dinner and set the plates on the kitchen table. As they settled down to eat, he told her about his visit to the loft, and how he’d almost fallen backwards down the stairs.

  “If you hadn’t broken your promise and taken up that oversized box I never would’ve stumbled over the damn thing,” he finished. “I know your elbow’s hurtin’, and I feel bad having to scold you, but Megan, you not only broke your word, you did it thinkin’ you’d get away with it.”