Page 4 of Love Me, Cowboy
“Excuse me?”
“Looks good, doesn’t she? Slimmed down and all.”
Crossing his arms, Tyler planted his feet wide. “Claire was always beautiful. A few pounds up or down wouldn’t change that.”
Billy nodded. “Can’t argue with you there. You helping with the cattle today?”
The indignation lit by his father’s comments on Claire waned with the change of subject. “Not today. I need some sleep, then I’ll have to check on Ginger again before heading into town for my PT.”
Not that the therapy was doing a damn bit of good. Tyler had taken a spill on a bull during the Mesquite Championships at the end of summer. Thanks to a nasty headbutt, he’d been knocked out cold but still attached to the bull by his rope. By the time the bullfighters had gotten him free, not only was the gash in his face bleeding like a stuck pig, his left shoulder was shredded.
The docs in Dallas said they’d fixed him. That he might be able to ride again. Tyler wasn’t interested in might.
“That’s fine,” Billy said. No one in the family talked about his injury. Just like they wouldn’t talk about his determination to ride again. “We’ll manage without you for today.”
Both men stared at the snuffling dog in silence.
“Think that’ll make him sick?” his dad asked, not sounding overly concerned.
“Probably,” Tyler answered.
Another short silence before Billy Holly shrugged, then turned back to the house. “I’ll check on Ginger before heading out. You’d better get some shut-eye.”
Chapter Two
Later that day, Tyler stood at the counter of Prescott’s Pharmacy awaiting the refill on his pain pills. He didn’t like the idea of taking them, proven by the fact that his first month’s supply took three months to run out, but his physical therapist insisted he keep them handy. Something about easing the pain helping to relax the muscles.
Right. Tyler had had enough relaxation in the last three and a half months to last him a lifetime. He wanted to get off his ass and back to normal.
“You have to be patient,” Mya kept saying.
He’d like to tell her where she could stick her patience but held his tongue. She was trying to help him. He had to remember that.
Prescription in hand, Tyler pulled out his cell phone to check the time as he passed through the exit. Which meant he wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and didn’t notice the tiny redhead charging down the sidewalk, carrying a stack of desserts.
A redhead he barreled into.
“No, no, no!” yelled Claire, as the two collided. She bobbled the dessert trays, dipping at the knees to keep them from hitting the ground.
Tyler dropped down as well, catching the top tray before it toppled over. By the time they both froze, the dessert trays hovered around six inches off the ground, and their faces were close enough for Tyler to see the gold specks in Claire’s hazel eyes.
They lingered there, staring at one another as if frozen in place. Tyler could feel Claire’s breath mingle with his own. Smell her cinnamon apple scent. The scent that always lingered around her. His eyes dropped to her lips, covered in a sheen of lip gloss. Claire cleared her throat.
“I think we saved them,” she said, returning to a standing position.
Tyler picked up the phone and bag of pills he’d dropped before rising to join her. “Sorry about that. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
Claire shrugged, nearly lost control of the pastries, then steadied again. “I’m starting to think this party wasn’t meant to have any cupcakes.”
With a nod, Tyler agreed. An awkward silence, punctuated by the sounds of traffic and holiday shoppers shuffling by, fell between them. Claire wavered again, and Tyler finally found his manners.
“Let me take one of those for you.” He lifted the top tray before she could argue. “Imperial Hotel, right?”
“That’s right,” she said. “If I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late again.”
“Again?” he asked, falling into step beside her. “So you didn’t make it on time this morning?”
Claire shook her head. “Missed it by three minutes. Of course Principal Jones had to be the one to find the kids being rowdy with no supervision.”