Page 54 of Hometown Cowboy

She was too close and he couldn’t stand up and walk it off. How was this possible? How could he have been so stupid as to mess around with her? This wasDarby. She wasn’t to be messed with. What had he been thinking?

He needed to move. He grabbed the crutches he’d left leaning against the chair and struggled upright. His whole body shook. It made it difficult to move. He had to get away from her, even if only to the other side of the room.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t…”

He stopped near the hearth of his wood heater, near the far wall of the room.

“How is this possible, Darb? Why…” He scraped a hand over his face. His heart still raced, his palms clammy. His gut churned and somersaulted, leaving him nauseous. “I don’t know what to do.”

Darby stood slowly. She didn’t come closer. “It’s okay. I’m not here to point blame. I wanted you to know what happened. I realise you don’t remember. I realise that we aren’t athing, not anymore. I’m not asking anything of you. You deserved to know, that’s all.”

Sadness and futility seeped from her, surrounding him.

“And people know?”

“Yes. Everyone.”

Everyone. The whole damned town knew, and he hadn’t. It was enough to make him lose his mind. Images of her holding his hand in the hospital, of her being upset, eyes red fromcrying, crashed into his head. It was a familiarity that hadn’t been there before.

“So, we’re engaged? Is that what you’re saying?” He hated that his voice shook so much.

Her shoulders slumped a little. “No. I turned you down.”

He blinked, blindsided for the third time in as many minutes. “Why?”

She surprised him by laughing. “Because I don’t want to get married just because I’m pregnant. I want more than that. I deserve more than that.”

Yes, she did.

The resignation in her eyes said what remained unspoken.

She deserved more thanhim.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Ryan knocked onthe heavy wooden screen to his mother’s kitchen door. He couldn’t open it with the crutches, so he had to wait.

Julie appeared in front of him and gasped. “Ryan! My goodness. Your face! You’re beet red! Get in here.”

She shoved open the door and stood back to let him inside.

“What on earth were you doing walking up here on those things? Sit down before you pass out.”

He was sure he didn’t look that bad, but he could appreciate sitting. His chest burned, his ribs ached like crazy, and his damned thigh hurt.

At least the godawful shaking had stopped.

A glass of ice-cold water appeared in front of him on the table.

“Why didn’t you wait for me to come get you? You’ll be all sweaty now.”

Ryan huffed what he thought might be a laugh. “Yeah, nah. I’m not going anywhere.”

“But, Darby—”

“Darby was here already. I take it you missed her car?”

His mother slowly sank to sit in front of him on the opposite side of the table.