Spurs and Heels(Divine Creek Ranch 5)(11)

I’m sure. You go on to supper with the girls. I’ll make sure she gets

fed and cared for.”

The guys nodded and waved. Actually, Adam and Jack saluted as

he started the truck and pulled out. Ash was sure they could hear her

yelling, even after the door was closed with the diesel engine running.

“If you think I’m going to let you talk to me like that and tell me

what to do, you’ve got another think coming, mister!” The fiery

redhead went on and on.

Holy shit, she’s got a mouth on her. Ash suppressed a grin

because he was sincerely worried about her injuries and didn’t want

her to be in pain. But by damn, he loved a feisty woman.





* * * *



Halfway through town, she finally ran down and became quiet, a

little too quiet, he thought. Damn, but she could get going once she’d

worked up a good head of steam. He glanced over at her to gauge her



Spurs and Heels

35

condition. She was sitting forward, away from the seat, and it looked

like the towel was soaked clean through. He reached out and held the

cloth to the wound, which was bleeding again. Her hand was in her

lap, and her fingers looked a little swollen. He happened to catch the

glimmer of sunlight in a tear as it splashed onto her other hand. Her

face was down, and her cheeks were red. More tears splashed, but she

didn’t make a sound.

He turned into the ER patient parking lot. She sat there quietly,

cradling her wrist in the ice pack, while he came around to her door

and opened it. He finally got a clear view of her face, which was red

and blotchy, her cheeks bathed in tears and running mascara. She

looked so injured and vulnerable. Broken. Then she made eye contact

with him, and his heart lurched when he saw the shame in her eyes.

“Aww, darlin’. It’ll be all right.”

In a shaky voice, she whispered, “Ash, I’m—”

One of the guys must have called ahead because an orderly and a

nurse came running to their parking space. The moment to say

anything further was lost as she was helped into a wheelchair. Never

arguing or insisting that she could walk, Juliana allowed them to help

her, but she held onto his hand as they wheeled her in, looking back at

him as if she were afraid he might leave.

They brought her into the trauma room and ordered Ash out to the

waiting room to register her. He gave what information he could,

deferring most of it to her to fill in the blanks. When they asked what

his relationship was to the patient, he lied and told the receptionist

that he was her boyfriend.





* * * *



Ash pushed Juliana’s wheelchair out to the truck later that evening

and lifted her onto the passenger seat. She was still quiet, and it was

beginning to worry him.



36

Heather Rainier

The doctor had given her something for the pain and had told her

to follow up with Dr. Guthrie about her wrist and the bump on her

head. He’d cautioned her to not be left alone overnight because of the

blow to her head. The medication she’d been given made her groggy,

and Ash hadn’t minded sitting with her while she’d dozed.

Grace must’ve called Evelyn and given her the rundown and

Ash’s phone number because Evelyn called him directly. She asked

him to let Juliana know that she should rest and not worry about the

store, that she and Leah would see to it for her the following day.

Juliana had accepted the message with a mute nod.

Ash followed her directions to her house in one of the older,

stately neighborhoods in town. Crape myrtles lined the sidewalk in

front of her home, and his dually pickup dominated her narrow,

concrete driveway as he pulled in and turned off the diesel engine.

She noticed her Camaro parked in front of the garage door and

realized someone must’ve brought it home for her.

Juliana handed him her house key, and he unlocked the door then

returned and lifted her out of the truck, holding her carefully. She felt

tense and frail in his arms, not at all like the lively spitfire he’d

handled earlier. Truth be told, he preferred the spitfire.

Resting her head against his shoulder, Juliana allowed him to

carry her into the house. He headed toward the back of the house

down the hallway that led to her bedroom. A lamp on one side of the

king-size bed dimly illuminated the room. She tensed up as he

lowered her to the bed.

“Are you hungry?” he asked as he squatted down. Her eyes were

downcast, and she looked completely wiped out. He wondered how

many hours of sleep she got on a regular basis.

“No, my stomach feels queasy from the medication the doctor

gave me. I think it wouldn’t be a good idea to eat and then lay down,”

she murmured, holding her hand to her stomach. “Um, Ash?” She