Home to a Cowboy

In a split second, a tragic accident ends Kathleen Somers’s ballet career. Her dreams shattered, she returns home to the Soaring S ranch...and her first love. Suddenly the local veterinarian, Dr. Nate Sterling, goes from her ex to her champion. With the help of a lively poodle therapy dog, the cowboy vet sets out to challenge Kathleen’s strength and heal her heart. He’ll show her there’s life beyond dance, even if it means she leaves town again. But maybe, just maybe, he’ll convince her there’s only one thing in life worth having...and he’s standing right in front of her.

Caring Canines: Loving and loyal, these dogs mend hearts.

“You sure know how to cheer someone up.”

She snuggled the dog against her cheek. The poodle licked a tear from her face, her tongue tickling Kathleen.

“So I see you’re happy about the dog,” Nate said behind her.

“If I tell you I am, your head is going to swell and you won’t be able to wear your cowboy hat.”

“I’ll get a bigger size.” He smiled. “Let’s walk her and introduce her to the Soaring S.”

Kathleen allowed him to draw her to her feet, only inches separating them.

His heartbeat kicked up a notch and all he could think about was holding her. But that would take them in a direction they shouldn’t go. She needed to figure out what she wanted. He did, too.

He took her hand. In the darkness he didn’t want her to stumble. That was the only reason.

Yeah, right.

He would support Kathleen, be there for her, help her. But he wouldn’t fall for her.

If only it was that easy.…

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for more than twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

Her Hometown Hero

Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

The Lord will give strength unto his people;

the Lord will bless his people with peace.

—Psalms 29:11

To my family. I love you.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Coming home should be filled with joy, but Kathleen Somers felt nothing. Numb, she was beyond caring where she lived so long as she could be by herself. She stared unseeing out the window of her older brother’s Ford F-150 as Howard turned into the family ranch outside of Cimarron City, Oklahoma. Green pastures were scattered with cattle grazing peacefully, their world not rocked like hers. To my very foundation, whispered through her thoughts.

In New York she’d been following her dream to become a principal ballerina in a major ballet company. She’d been close—a step away until she was hit by a car crossing the street on her way to the dress rehearsal for her big chance. As she remembered, her heartbeat slowed to a painful throb.

The motion of the Ford came to a halt. “We’re home, Kit,” her brother’s deep gravelly voice pierced through the emotions deluging her. “Beth hoped you would join us for an early dinner before going to the cabin.”

Kathleen slowly opened her eyes, not used to hearing her old nickname. In New York she was Kathleen, and it seemed to fit a ballerina who was on the rise in the dance world. She turned her head toward Howard. “I’d rather settle in first.”

“That’s fine. We can hold dinner. Give you the time you need.”

“I don’t think—”

“I know you’re hurting, but Beth has gone to a lot of trouble to make one of your favorite foods, and the kids are excited to see you again.” His eyes softened on her face. “Please.”

“I don’t want any special treatment. I’m tired...” Her voice trailed off into the silence when she took in her brother’s worried expression. “I’m going to be all right.” If I say it enough, maybe it will happen.

“Don’t forget I’ve known you ever since you were born twenty-six years ago. I know all your moods and probably what you’re thinking right now.”

Why had she decided to come home to the Soaring S Ranch? She should have known Howard would do this. Demand she become part of the family when all she wanted to do was hide and mourn the loss of the lower part of her leg—not to mention her career and her dreams. “Fine. I’ll come for a little while, but I really am tired and want to go to bed early. I’ll come up to the house after I freshen up.”

“Promise?” Determination mixed with the concern in Howard’s gray eyes.

She knew that look. He would get his way somehow. Anger seeped into the numbness. “I said I would.”

He grinned, purposefully ignoring the frown on her face. “Good.”

After restarting the truck, he backed away from the house and continued on the road toward the black barn. Kathleen’s gaze latched on to a new shiny red pickup parked by the paddock on the right side.

“Did Bud finally get a new pickup?” Howard’s foreman had needed a new truck for years, but somehow this vehicle didn’t seem his style.

“Nah, he’s still set in his ways and refuses to get a new truck. That’s the vet’s. He’s here checking on Cinnamon.”

She looked toward Howard. “What’s wrong with my horse?”

“Colic.”

“Is it serious?”

“I’ll know after he checks her out.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I wanted to get the diagnosis first. But for what it’s worth, I don’t think she’s in extreme pain.” Howard steered around the curve in the road.

That was when she saw the cabin. It stood a hundred feet away on the opposite side of the road from the barn, nestled among a yardful of flowers in bloom that her grandmother had loved to tend to. Childhood memories flooded her of spending time at the two-bedroom log cabin with her grandparents. She remembered helping Granny plant her garden out back every year, then picking the vegetables at the right time, often eating a few before taking them inside for her grandmother. The house had been empty since Granny died three years ago, not long after her grandpa had passed away and her mother had remarried and moved to Arizona.

She pushed away that sad memory of losing her grandmother and concentrated on the riot of different colored roses along the front of the cabin. Red, yellow and pink ones swayed in the breeze as though waving a welcome. “You all must be having a warm spring. The roses are blooming early. I didn’t usually see them this full-blown until the end of May.”

“Yes, which probably means a hot summer.” Howard pulled up to the cabin and switched the engine off.

“It wouldn’t be Oklahoma without a hot summer.” Kathleen pushed open the truck door and started to exit.

“Hold it. I’ll help you down.”

She swiveled around. “No. I can do this. I’m not an invalid.” She hated that word and was determined to take care of herself.

Her brother’s face tensed. “I didn’t say that. It’s a big step, you’re petite and you said yourself that you’re still getting used to your artificial leg.”

She didn’t respond to him, but instead scooted to the edge and put her good leg on the running board, then eased out of the cab to the ground, clutching the door for support. As she made her way toward the porch steps, Howard hovered nearby, one of her suitcases in his hand. Being tall and lanky, he had to slow his normally fast pace.

She glanced at the two rocking chairs with a white wicker table between them to the right. To the left was the porch swing. Many evenings she used to sit with Granny and talk about her day. She’d tell her any problems she had, and her grandmother would give her advice or her opinion. Over the years Kathleen had grown to realize Granny was a very wise woman. She had also been full of faith—a faith Kathleen was no longer certain she shared. Where was the Lord now when she needed Him the most?

Nothing is impossible for the Lord. Granny’s words taunted her when contrasted with the impossibility of Kathleen being able to dance again.

Howard opened the front door, a wooden one carved by her grandfather not long before he passed away. Kathleen moved inside, her fingers tracing the grooves in the piece of oak that formed a picture of horses grazing in a pasture. A work of art to match the carving of the rearing stallion in front of the main house.

A few feet inside, she paused and scanned the familiar surroundings. A warm chocolate-brown leather couch and two lounge chairs were grouped around a wood-and-glass coffee table on the right side of the cabin. To the left was a full kitchen separated from the dining area by a counter with four stools. On its beige ceramic countertop sat a bouquet of fresh flowers.

“I see Beth has been here.” Kathleen took a deep breath of the fresh air laced with the scents of apples and cinnamon as if her grandmother had just removed one of her special pies from the oven and was letting it cool on the stove top.

“She wanted to make sure everything was clean for your return.”

“I don’t want you all to go to any trouble for me. I can take care of myself.”

“I know that. We would have done the same thing for anyone staying here after it has been closed up for three years.”

“Who tends to the gardens out front?”

“Bud. Granny was like a second mother to him. He knows how much the gardens meant to her.” Howard placed the suitcase on the floor. “I’ll bring in the rest of your luggage. Are you having things from your apartment shipped here?”

“No.” She kept her back to him as she walked toward the hallway that led to the two bedrooms and bath. “I sublet my apartment furnished, and then sold or gave away everything else except what is in my three suitcases.”

“Kit—”

She stopped and glanced back at her brother. “Don’t say it. I don’t need any reminders of my life in New York.”

“But you kept your apartment.”

“As an investment for the time being.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

“Yes.” She frowned. “What else could it be?”

“Not moving on. You’re keeping that tie to New York.”

She lifted her chin. “Because I might go back one day? I might...” What? Return to her career? Emotions crammed her throat, and she couldn’t continue.

Sorrow in his eyes, Howard took a step toward her.

She held up her hand to stop him, shaking her head. If he hugged her at this moment, she would fall apart.

He respected her request, but still said, “I’m here for you,” before he pivoted and left the cabin.

She’d hurt his feeling by not letting him comfort her, but she couldn’t deal with it at the moment. This was all so hard on her. Leaving the life she’d had in New York. Getting on the plane this morning. Landing here. Coming to the ranch, the place where her dream had begun.

With a deep sigh, Kathleen continued her trek to the bedroom she used to use when she slept over at Granny’s. That was the one she would continue to use now, although the other room was a lot bigger. Pausing in the doorway, she took in the double-size brass bed with one end table and lamp beside it. The only other pieces of furniture were a six-drawer dresser and a Queen Anne chair of rose brocade that blended with the flowered coverlet on the bed.

Home. She suddenly felt more at home here than she had in the six years she’d lived in New York City. The feeling took her by surprise.

“Where do you want me to put these?” Howard asked behind her in the hallway.

“In here.”

“Why not the larger bedroom?”

“That will always be Papa Keith and Granny’s room to me. This is mine.” She ignored the ache in her leg and crossed to the bed to hoist the piece of luggage she carried. “When do you need me at the main house?”

“Will an hour be long enough?”

She nodded and opened her first suitcase. Whenever she traveled, she always liked to put her clothes and belongings away before doing whatever else she had to do. It gave her a settled feeling and right now she needed that.

“See you then. Carrie and Jacob are excited about you being here. Coming home at Christmas just isn’t enough for them, especially Carrie. You know that she wants to be you one day.”

Not anymore if she knew what happened to her. Carrie’s budding love of dance, much like hers at an early age, had been a bond between them even from a distance. The loss of the connection from their shared dreams was just one more thing the accident had taken away from her.

She opened her mouth to say something to her brother, but he was already gone. Her shoulders sagging, she sank onto the bed to rest a moment.

She loved her niece and nephew, but she wasn’t sure about seeing them and answering all the questions they most likely would pepper her with. They were curious and would want to know everything about what happened four months ago. They knew she’d had an accident but from what Howard had said, it was clear that they didn’t know she’d lost her leg. She would give them just enough information without a lot of detail or she would never be able to end the evening at a reasonable hour. She was thankful they would be going to school for at least a few more weeks. That would give her the time to decide if she wanted to stay or...

Or nothing. She was adrift, going wherever the current took her. No plans. No goals. So different from what she was used to, and what she needed in her life—a direction. She’d always had one—her dream to dance. The settlement from the insurance company of the man who had hit her allowed her to be financially solvent, and she was thankful for that, but the accident left a void she wasn’t sure she could ever fill.

She blew a breath of air out through pursed lips, then set about emptying her suitcases. For the time being, she stored her luggage in the closet in the other bedroom. When she glanced at the clock on the oven, she was surprised she still had thirty minutes. She was tired and could lie down for fifteen minutes, but she was afraid she would go to sleep. Maybe she’d check on Cinnamon before heading for the main house. She hoped the vet was gone and no one was in the barn. Dr. Harris had been their vet for as long as she could remember, and she felt good that her quarter horse was in his capable hands. But that didn’t mean she wanted to make conversation—with the doctor or with anyone else.

* * *

As Nate Sterling walked through the barn, he couldn’t stop thinking of the glimpse he’d gotten of Kit entering the cabin thirty minutes ago. Beth had told him she was coming to stay for a while, but it had still been jarring to see her. Kit’s sister-in-law had mentioned Kit had been injured and was recuperating here. He couldn’t see her staying long. Her life was in New York. He’d discovered that the painful way when Kit chose to pursue her career over marrying him. His love hadn’t been enough.

Reaching the doorway of the barn, he looked over to the cabin’s porch. He hadn’t seen her in years and yet physically she hadn’t changed. Her reddish brown hair was still long and pulled back in a ponytail, her favorite way to wear it unless she was dancing, then it was in a bun. He loved it when she let it down loose, a mass of curls about her face and shoulders. The memory of running his fingers through the thick strands made him clench his hand. He shoved the memory away.

But another image flooded him. Kit the last time he saw her, with excitement on her face from the news she’d received about being accepted into a New York ballet company. Her large, expressive blue eyes, fringed in long dark lashes, lit with a look he’d wished had been for him. That was when he knew even if he’d transferred to New York for college, it wouldn’t work.

“How’s Cinnamon?” a gruff voice asked behind Nate.

He tore his gaze away from the cabin and swung around to face Bud, the ranch’s foreman. “She should recover fine. I see Kit arrived.”

“Yeah, Howard and Beth have been working for days on the cabin to get it ready.” Bud’s sharp regard studied Nate.

Bud had come upon Nate not long after he and Kit had parted all those years ago at Christmas. Nate had ridden back to this barn while Kit had stayed up on the rise that overlooked the ranch. The older man had taken one look at Nate’s face and immediately asked if everything was all right.

Nate hadn’t said anything to Bud about breaking up with Kit that day, but later Bud had told him any time Nate wanted to talk, he was a good listener.

“Do you think she’ll stay long?” Nate finally asked the question nagging at him. He spent time at the Soaring S Ranch, taking care of the animals and renewing his friendship with Howard and Beth. He enjoyed his visits, but the thought of crossing paths repeatedly with his ex-girlfriend made him uncomfortable.

“Don’t rightly know. That, you’ll have to ask Kit.”

“Probably not. She never stays away from the dance world for long. Can’t, if she wants to stay on top.” For a moment Nate remembered how football had been for him in high school and college, at times taking over his life. “It’s like a football player training for the Super Bowl. It’s a nonstop process if you want to succeed, and if there’s anything I know about Kit, it’s that she likes to succeed and do her best.” Like him, except football hadn’t been his dream but his dad’s as a means to pay for college.

Bud’s craggy features split in a wide grin, the grooves on his tanned face deepening. “Yeah, that’s my gal.”

“Then why is she here? The spring season hasn’t ended for her ballet company. Why come all the way to the ranch for a short recovery?”

Bud’s bushy eyebrows hiked up. “You don’t know?”

Nate shook his head.

“The recovery isn’t as short as all that. She was injured four months ago.”

Four months and she still hadn’t recovered? Then the injury was more involved than Beth had led him to believe. For a few seconds he wondered if Kit might be back for good. Hope flared for an instant, only to be iced over with dashed dreams. She’d been injured before and went back to dancing—every time.

Nate released a long breath. “I’d better make sure Cinnamon is still all right.”

“Yeah, I totally agree. I’m sure Kit will want to ride Cinnamon as soon as possible. She always does when she comes home to visit.” Bud bent over and lifted a bale of hay, then sauntered toward the last stall.

Nate threw a glance over his shoulder toward the cabin. Would he see her again tonight? And why do I care? She’s made it clear that all we could ever be is friends because her life is dance.

* * *

When Kathleen stepped out onto the porch, she took a deep breath, the scent of mowed grass and roses from the multitude of bushes comforted her. She’d forgotten how much she missed this place, especially the horses. She’d missed Cinnamon. Hopefully the mare wasn’t dangerously ill. Although her brother didn’t seem to think it was anything serious, she needed to hear the diagnosis from Dr. Harris.

Noticing the red truck still parked near the paddock, Kathleen made her way toward the barn. When she entered the large black structure, where she’d spent many hours as a child, it took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Unless Howard moved Cinnamon, the mare usually stayed in the second-to-last stall on the right when she wasn’t in the pasture. Kathleen headed toward the stall, limping slightly, her leg throbbing. The day’s travel had been hard on her injury. She’d use that as a reason to cut the evening short.

A large man, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve, light blue shirt backed out of the stall, grasping a brown bag. Beneath a tan cowboy hat, dark, almost black, hair curled at the top of his collar. With broad shoulders and slim waist and hips, the man wasn’t Dr. Harris. She halted. Something was familiar about the guy with his back to her.

Then he turned toward her.

Nate Sterling. Her high school sweetheart—until he went away to college and she left to pursue a career as a ballerina.

She swallowed her gasp as his soft, gray gaze settled on her. The corners of his eyes crinkled with a smile lighting his features. For a few seconds she was whisked back to eight years ago when she’d said goodbye to him. He was a year older than her and had been a sophomore at Auburn in Alabama, where he was attending on a football scholarship.

The long distance hurt their budding romance. The summer after she’d graduated from high school, she’d left Cimarron City for San Francisco to be part of a ballet company, and they’d drifted further apart over the months. When she was offered a position in a corps de ballet for a New York company, she’d told him it wasn’t working and they needed to cut their ties all together. Worrying about their relationship drew her focus away from her dancing. New York was her big chance. She needed to concentrate on her career while she was young, not on a man over halfway across the country.

“Hi, Kit. I heard you were coming home.”

Her throat closed, the sound of his deep husky voice shivering down her spine. In the years they had been apart, it had grown huskier and deeper. Nate was also taller than he’d been by at least a couple of inches. He must be almost six and a half feet. His features—an aquiline nose, high cheekbones, square jaw—were sharper. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to speak. “You’re a vet now? I thought you were thinking about medical school.”

“In high school, sure. But during my sophomore year in college, I realized I wanted to treat animals, come back here.”

Whereas Cimarron City could never offer her what she wanted. “Oh,” she murmured, pressing her lips together, trying to remember if he had ever told her about his changed plans. By then they were only talking a couple of times a week that soon turned into only once a week. By Christmas of his sophomore year, she’d known it was over. She’d figured he felt the same way. He’d been troubled and not his usual self and for the first time in their relationship, not communicative. They had been going in opposite directions ever since she’d graduated from high school and become focused totally on her career.

He seemed to be waiting for her to reply. She needed to say something or go. The urge to escape was strong, especially when his gaze brushed down her length. Did he know about her leg? She’d asked Howard not to tell others in town, and with long pants it was easy enough to hide her deformity. “How’s Cinnamon doing?” she finally inquired, needing to ask about her horse before departing.

“I can treat her colic with antibiotics. She should be better in a few days. I’ll come back and check on her, but you should be able to ride her by next week.”

“Oh, good.” She concentrated on walking without limping toward the stall. She wasn’t ready to answer a thousand questions concerning her injury and her leg. But the act of doing that caused her leg to ache even more.

Nate sidled away to allow her to look into the stall where Cinnamon stood. The quarter horse neighed at the sight of her and came to the door, nudging Kathleen with her head. She stroked Cinnamon, her coat reddish-brown—similar to Kathleen’s own hair color. That was what had drawn her to the filly when she was born on the ranch twelve years ago. When she wasn’t dancing, she had been riding. Those had been her two favorite activities as a teen. She couldn’t dance anymore, but she should be able to ride. The thought boosted her spirits.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you, girl.” She rubbed her hand down the white blotch on the mare’s nose, then blew her a kiss, something she had done from the very beginning whenever she was leaving Cinnamon.

Kathleen rotated toward Nate, her mouth lifting slightly in a smile. “Are you working with Dr. Harris?”

“Yes, I’m his new partner. He’s great to work with, and his practice keeps expanding. I’m handling all the big animals and the house calls to the ranches.”

“Then you must be on the road a lot.”

“Usually half my day. We should go out to dinner and catch up while you’re still in town. I imagine you won’t be staying long. How’s your injury? When will you be returning to New York?”

Her chest constricted. Her breath burned her throat. He knew about her leg? “My plans aren’t settled yet. I’m just focusing on recuperating for now.” How much did he know? Surely her brother and Beth wouldn’t have betrayed her and told Nate.

“If you want to go to dinner, let me know. You’ve got to do something while you’re here healing.”

Something in the tone of his voice indicated he wasn’t totally convinced having dinner with her was a good idea, and she had to agree. He was the past, and at the moment she didn’t have much of a future.

“My plans are up in the air right now. I just arrived today. I’ll call you when I can.” Kathleen slowly backed away. She couldn’t see him. He knew her too well. Before they had dated in high school, he’d been her good friend, both of them hanging out with the same crowd. She couldn’t take pity, from him or anyone else. That was one of the reasons she’d fled New York. “See you around.” She turned and walked as fast as she dared, again putting all her concentration into walking without a slight limp.

She heard Nate call her name, but she kept going, escaping outside. Being around Nate would only bring back those times she’d had a dream to be a ballerina. That dream was shattered now, and she didn’t want to be reminded. But as she headed for the main house, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. He looked good. Too good for her peace of mind.

At least she had dodged the bullet, as the cliché went. Now that she knew he drove a red Silverado, she would avoid the barn area when he was at the ranch. She would also stress to her brother and his wife that they were not to say anything about her injury, which would only provoke questions about what happened. Questions about the car accident that she wanted so desperately to forget.

She halted at the bottom of the stairs to the two-story house she grew up in and sank down to the second step. She shut her eyes to the ranch about her. Immediately the streets of New York City filled her mind. With wall-to-wall people jamming the sidewalks, it was difficult to weave her way through the crowd. Noises bombarding her from all angles—horns honking, loud voices, a siren in the distance. But all her focus was on getting to her ballet rehearsal on time, the last one before the opening performance—her big break, something she’d been working years to accomplish. She was starring as the lead in Wonderland, a new ballet she’d even helped choreograph. She was ready. She could do it.

Then without checking if the traffic had really stopped, she stepped out into the street when the light indicated she could cross. The sounds of screeching brakes reverberated in her ears as she felt the impact of the truck against her body. Then nothing...until she woke up in the hospital with her left leg amputated from the knee down.

In that instant, her dream died.

Chapter Two

Kathleen stared at the nearby pasture where some mares with their babies grazed. There was something about the scene that eased the sense of panic the flashback to her accident had caused. For the first couple of weeks afterward, she had relived it several times a day. Now it was only every once and a while. Progress.

She grasped on to that and rose. Climbing the stairs to the back deck, she knocked on the sliding glass door to the den, which flowed into the kitchen area and breakfast nook. Beth waved and hurried to let her in.

Before she could step inside, her sister-in-law engulfed her in a hug. “It’s great to see you.” She moved to the side so Kathleen could enter. “Is everything all right at the cabin?”

“Yes. Thanks for getting it ready and stocking my kitchen.” Beth and Nate were the same age and had been friends growing up. In fact, Nate had introduced Beth to Kathleen and later to Howard. As Beth started dating her brother, Kathleen and she had become good friends. “You haven’t said anything to anyone about what happened to me in New York, have you?”

“No. You asked us not to. I’ll respect your wishes, although I don’t agree with them.” Beth combed her long brown bangs back and hooked them behind her ear, the gesture drawing Kathleen’s attention to her sister-in-law’s attractive features with green eyes, full lips usually set in a grin and a creamy complexion with a few freckles across her pert nose.

“What do Carrie and Jacob know?”

“I haven’t told them anything other than that you’re going to be staying here for a while. You said you want to tell them when you’re ready.” She smiled. “Besides, if I had told them, the whole world would know by now.”

“I’ll tell them when the time is right.” She wasn’t sure it ever would be, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to keep the truth from her niece and nephew for long. Maybe soon she would finally get a handle on what she was dealing with. Then she could explain it in a calm voice that would reassure Carrie and Jacob she would be all right.

But will I be all right?

She shoved that question away as her niece and nephew ran into the den, saw her and rushed across the room. Kathleen braced herself for their hugs. Before she could say anything, eight-year-old Carrie slowed down as she neared her, but her six-year-old nephew threw himself at her. Beth tried to intervene, but she didn’t move fast enough. Kathleen rocked back, the glass door stopping her fall.

“Jacob,” Beth shouted. “Is that any way to greet your aunt? Bowl her over?”

With a wide grin, revealing a missing front tooth and sandy-blond hair lying at odd angles, Jacob leaned back, his arms still clasping Kathleen. “Sorry, Aunt Kit. I can’t believe you’re gonna be here for a while.” He crooked his forefinger, signaling she should bend over.

Kathleen did, shifting her weight off her prosthetic leg. “You’re growing like a weed. You’re going to be taller than me in no time.”

Jacob’s smile grew. “I’m gonna be like Dad. Big.” Then he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Which made up for his overenthusiastic greeting. Kathleen mussed his hair, then held out her arm to draw Carrie to her. “I’ve missed you two.”

“We’ve missed you,” her niece announced. “My birthday will be in two weeks. Are you gonna be here for that?”

“Are you sure, Carrie? Didn’t you just have one?” Kathleen teased, knowing how important birthdays in the Somers family were.

“No, I’m positive,” Carrie replied in dead seriousness while shaking her head at the same time, her brown-haired pigtails swishing from side to side.

“Well, in that case, I’ll put it on my calendar.” Kathleen stared into Carrie’s cobalt-blue eyes, so similar to hers.

“Okay, kids. Give your aunt some breathing room. You two are supposed to be setting the table. But first wash your hands. So scoot. I’m starved.” Beth shooed them away.

As the two children ran out of the room as fast as they’d come in, Howard entered. “I see you’re here.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I know how to follow directions, and if I’m not mistaken, I was instructed to be here for dinner or you all were going to invade my home.”

Howard harrumphed. “You may know how to follow directions, but that doesn’t mean you do. Don’t forget I know you well.”

“Yes, yes. For twenty-six years as you informed me earlier.” Kathleen ignored her brother and swung her attention to Beth. “Can I help you?”

The doorbell rang.

Carrie yelled from the front of the house. “I’ll get it.”

“Me, too,” Jacob chimed in, even louder than his sister.

“I fear for whoever is at the door.” Kathleen started toward the kitchen with Beth. “Are you expecting anyone?”

Beth stopped in her path. “Since you mentioned it—”

“Dad, Mom, Dr. Nate’s here,” Carrie announced for the whole ranch’s benefit a second before Nate made his way into the den.

Kathleen’s gaze locked with his, her heartbeat reacting with a faster tempo. Seeing him at the barn was all she could handle for her first day back home. He’d always been so perceptive. He’d figure out how serious her injury really was if he was around her for too long.

“Nate is coming to dinner, too,” Beth finished.

* * *

A room separated Nate and Kit, but he could tell even from a distance something wasn’t right with her. He wanted to press her for answers, but it wasn’t really his place anymore. They had ended their relationship, not on a bad note exactly, but not a good one, either. He’d loved Kit, but things hadn’t worked when they were young.

He’d finally accepted that and moved on. He’d even dated and become engaged, but in the end he and Rebecca hadn’t been right for each other. After a second breakup, he’d decided to pour his energy into establishing himself as a veterinarian and building up his practice with Dr. Harris at Harris Animal Hospital.

Maybe Kit had it right to put her job before all else. He still wished her the best and prayed the Lord filled her life, but after that brief time in the barn, perhaps he should keep his distance. Seeing her again made him think of what could have been. Now it was too late.

Nate plastered a smile on his face and crossed the den. “Cinnamon should be fine, but I’ll come again and check on her,” he assured Howard.

“That’s a relief. With Kit back, I want Cinnamon well.” Howard settled his arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Are we having dinner soon?”

Beth laughed. “Some things don’t change, Kit. Howard still wants his dinner by six. Give me ten minutes to finish up and for the kids to get the table set. It’s a nice evening. Why don’t you all go out on the deck, and I’ll call you when it’s ready?”

“Are you sure I can’t help you?” Kathleen asked, a reserve in her expression, her chin lifted slightly, her gaze on Howard and Beth as if she was trying to avoid eye contact with Nate.

She was used to performing before thousands of people, and he was beginning to feel that was what she was doing now. Why? What was going on here?

“I’ve got everything covered. Go enjoy the gorgeous spring day.” Beth scurried toward the kitchen.

Howard slid the door open and swept his arm across his body. “After you two.” Once Nate and Kit exited the house, Howard poked his head outside. “I just remembered I have to make a call to the feed store. See you two in a few minutes.”

As the door closed, a frown descended over Kit’s face.

“We can go back inside,” Nate said, watching her usual expressive dark blue eyes dull, her mouth tightening even more. Again he sensed something happened that he was missing. What could be upsetting her? She was injured, but by the way she, her brother and Beth acted it hadn’t been that serious. She would spend some time here and return to New York. Why would she be so tense and uneasy over the prospect of a brief visit? Had something else happened—something outside of her injury?

“No, that’s fine.” She turned around and leaned against the railing, her hands gripping it so hard her knuckles whitened.

“No, it’s not. What’s going on? You seem upset to be here.”

She stiffened, nothing relaxed about her now, although she still tried to appear calm. “Why would I be upset? I’m visiting my family. I have done that periodically. You’re the one that hasn’t been in Cimarron City.”

Her defensive tone put him on alert. He bridged the space between them and sat against the railing, folding his arms over his chest. “I’ve been here almost a year.”

“So you were here last Christmas?”

“I was living here but wasn’t in Cimarron City for the holidays. I went to Gulf Shores to be with my mom and dad. It seems you and I keep missing each other.” Only confirming in his mind that they were never meant to be together as a couple.

“Two ships passing in the night,” she said with a forced chuckle. “I’m surprised Howard and Beth didn’t tell me you were back.”

“And they didn’t tell me you were coming to visit until I showed up today. How long are you going to be here?”

She shrugged her slender shoulder, staring at the pasture beyond the backyard, her profile more angular than he remembered, but her brown hair, with red highlights, pulled back into a ponytail was exactly the same as it had always been.

Frustrated, he released a long breath. “I know we haven’t seen each other in years, but...” But what? They had parted because they weren’t in love enough to put aside their dreams for each other. He’d been trying to play college football, which paid his way through Auburn, and trying to fulfill what his father wanted him to do—go pro when he graduated or become a medical doctor. But in the end neither path had worked for him. By his junior year he could no longer pretend those choices were what he wanted. As for being with Kit...that choice had been taken out of his hands.

Kit slanted a glance toward him. “I’m not who I was.”

“Neither am I.”

“Yeah, you never went pro. In fact, you stopped playing football your senior year.”

“By then I couldn’t juggle the demands of premed and football. I chose my studies over the game.” A game his father had played and in which he had achieved some success as a pro athlete. Dad had been hurt that Nate had not followed in his footsteps. And then when Nate decided to go into veterinary medicine instead of becoming a medical doctor, his dad had been disappointed again in his decision.

“A lot has changed since then for both of us.”

The sadness in her eyes touched his heart. He reached out and grazed his forefinger down her arm, the physical contact between them electrifying. “That doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends. We were once.” The words came out of his mouth before he could censor them. Okay, it wasn’t that bad. They could be casual friends. Surely he could do that. He’d had over eight years to get over Kit.

Her eyes glistened. “I don’t have anything to offer a friend right now. I...” She shook her head. “Tell Howard and Beth I’ll talk to them tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to skip dinner. I’m too tired from traveling all day.” She pivoted and strode toward the steps leading to the yard.

He wanted to go after her, but she’d erected a high wall between them. He knew she was hurting. He just didn’t know why. “Don’t go. They’ll think I drove you away. Did I?”

At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and looked up at him. “No, not really. I just can’t do this right now.” Then she walked toward the road that led to the cabin.

He started to follow when the sliding glass door opened.

“Where’s Kit?” Howard asked.

“Going back to the cabin.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure what happened, but she wanted me to tell you that she was tired and would see you all tomorrow.”

“Did she tell you anything else?”

Nate studied his friend’s face. “No, not really. Should she have?”

Howard’s mouth twisted into a frown. “I had hoped she would.”

“What?”

“I can’t say. She has to.”

“There’s something wrong. I knew it. Is it her injury?”

Howard swung around. “Dinner is ready.”

Nate gritted his teeth. What were they hiding? He intended to find out. Maybe the injury was worse than she had made it out to be. Had she been asked to leave the New York ballet company since she became hurt in the middle of their spring season? That would bother her since she’d dreamed of working with them above any other dance company. But if that was the case, he was certain she could triumph over the obstacle. When Kit performed, she pulled a person into the ballet story with grace and poise. She had so much to give the world with her abilities. Surely there was another company she could work with, if that was why she was upset.

He told himself it wasn’t really his concern. Whatever was troubling Kit, he was sure she’d find a solution—one that would take her far away from Cimarron City, and back to the world she’d chosen over him.

* * *

Having removed her prosthetic leg, Kathleen used her crutches to move around the cabin. She was thankful that Beth had stocked the kitchen, because she was hungry. She’d been looking forward to a good dinner, but had been driven earlier by her wheeling emotions to flee her brother’s house. When would she be ready to deal with others? Maybe she would have been better off staying in her apartment in New York, where she could be one of anonymous millions, in a town where she wouldn’t have to deal with others’ questions.

A moment of madness had prompted her to sublease her apartment for a couple of months and escape to Oklahoma. That, and her brother and Beth hammering at her resolve to stay in New York City. But the main motivator for her to leave had been when her dance buddies began ignoring her wishes to be alone and started dropping by to cheer her up. Nothing they did had worked. She knew she needed a change of scenery. As soon as she’d received the necessary help with her new prosthetic limb and the physical therapy she needed to be able to get around on her own, she’d hopped on a plane. She’d put everything into that, and since she was in good physical shape, she had succeeded quickly.

Now what do I do?

Kathleen rummaged in the refrigerator and withdrew some sliced turkey, lettuce and a tomato. As she searched for the bread, a knock sounded at her door. She thought of ignoring it, but when whoever was outside rapped again, she knew she had to answer it and tell the person face-to-face that she was going to bed soon and would talk later.

But when she opened the door, Beth charged into the cabin, carrying a plate wrapped in foil. “I know you’re trying to watch what you eat, but I figure you’ll get hungry sometime tonight so I brought dinner to you. Fried chicken is good hot or cold.”

“I was going to make myself a sandwich.”

Beth glanced over her shoulder at the turkey and other fixings on the counter. “Well, now you don’t have to. This dinner was made especially for you. I know how much you used to love your mother’s fried chicken. Howard tells me I prepare it as good as she does. I consider that a high compliment.” She placed the plate on the small dining table and patted her hips. “As you can see, I’ve enjoyed fixing and eating it often. You could stand to have a little of this fat.”

Kathleen stared at her friend, then for the first time in a long while burst out laughing. If she didn’t, she might cry. She laughed so hard that tears rolled down her face, and she swiped them away. “I’m not going to blow away.”

“Who knows? You know how windy it can get in Oklahoma. What if we have a tornado?”

“I’ll join the family in the storm cellar.”

“Sit down. Eat. I’ll get you some of the tea I fixed for you and put the turkey up. You can have a sandwich tomorrow.” Beth did as she said, then joined Kathleen at the table, sitting in the chair next to her. When Kathleen unwrapped the plate and took a bite of the chicken, her friend asked, “What do you think?”

“Delicious, but you don’t need me to tell you that. I’m sure my brother has on many occasions. If he hasn’t, I’ll have a word with him.” Kathleen enjoyed some more of the meat, then dove into the baked beans and coleslaw.

“Sorry the baked beans might be a little cold.”

“I haven’t eaten since I had breakfast at the airport this morning. And this sure beats that meal, even with cold beans.”

Beth rubbed her hands together. “I’m gonna fatten you up in no time.”

“We’ll see about that,” Kathleen said when she finished off the coleslaw. “You know how much I love this. Maybe you can teach me to cook. I guess I have time to learn now. With the company, my schedule was so busy that I usually ate out or had frozen dinners.”

“Carrie has been begging me to teach her to cook, too. Maybe I’ll work with both of you together. The three Somers girls.”

After appeasing her thirst with several large swallows of cold iced tea, Kathleen turned to the fried chicken again. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because this is my problem, not yours. I’ll overcome it like I have everything.” Kathleen tried to put conviction into her voice, but even she heard the flat tone as though there was no life behind the words. “Remember that summer I sprained my ankle? I was back dancing in six weeks.”

“This isn’t a sprained ankle, Kit. I wish it were. Let me help you.” Beth covered Kathleen’s hand.

She snatched hers away. “I’m fine. I wish people wouldn’t smother me. I’m not like a fragile china doll.” Or am I? She felt broken like one that had been dropped onto the concrete.

Beth’s eyebrows lifted. “Smother you? I’m not doing that. I’m being a caring sister-in-law and friend. That means being there for you—and helping you whether you think you need it or not. And it won’t just be me. Lots of people are going to want to help.”

“Why would they? No one knows what happened, right?”

“Yes, for now. But you can’t keep your injury a secret forever. Nate kept asking us why you were here, how long you would be at the ranch.”

“It’s none of his business.”

“That isn’t going to stop him. You two were in love once. I know it didn’t work out, but you all were so close in high school—the two of you, and your group of friends. They’ll all want to be there for you while you deal with this. Maybe it’s time you lean on the Lord, family and friends. There’s nothing wrong in doing that. We all need the comfort and strengths of others from time to time. It doesn’t mean you’re weak.”

“You think this is about feeling weak? I don’t feel weak as much as lost.”

“It’s not like your injury is a big secret. It was in the news in New York City.”

“A brief mention of a traffic accident buried in the paper. Hardly a big announcement and certainly nothing about my amputation.”

“I don’t want my children finding out from anyone but you, or at the least Howard and me. Just so you know everything, Reverend Johnson at church knows.”

Shifting toward Beth, Kathleen dropped her fork, and it clanged against her plate. “Reverend Johnson knows about my leg?”

Beth nodded.

“How? Who told him?”

“When Howard found out, he turned to Reverend Johnson for prayer and guidance. He was a big help. He won’t say anything, but I think you should at least talk to him. Hiding the seriousness of the injury isn’t the answer. You need to accept it and move on. Faith can help you with that.”

Kathleen struggled to a stand. Without her prosthetic leg, the movement made her wobble. Leaning into the table, she gripped its edge to hold her upright. “When something like this happens to you, then you can tell me what I need to do. Thank you for the dinner, but I’m exhausted and going to bed.” She fumbled for her crutches and positioned them under her armpits.

Painstakingly she hobbled toward the bedroom, weariness blanketing her like a blizzard covering the landscape. She sat on her bed, the sound of the front door closing.

Alone. The silence mocked her. Wasn’t this what she’d wanted? A quiet place to think and reflect on what she was going to do for the rest of her life. After laying her crutches on the floor, she fell back on her bed, swung her legs up onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t have any answers to her questions, but she didn’t have the chance to ponder them for long, either. That last physical exertion whisked her quickly toward sleep.

* * *

Nate stared at the computer screen, reading the story in a New York City paper about Kathleen Somers being hit by a car while crossing the street the day before the opening of the first ballet she was starring in. Other than the bare facts, not much else was written about what happened.

He dug deeper until he found another article about Kathleen being replaced in the ballet company by world renowned prima ballerina Rachel LeMasters. So was she out for the rest of the season? Did this mean she was out of the ballet company for good? Was she going to be here longer than a couple of weeks?

He shut his laptop, closed his eyes and imagined her crossing the street, the walk sign indicating it was safe, unaware that it wasn’t safe at all. In his mind he saw her being hit, tossed up into the air and landing on the concrete. Limp. Broken. Alone.

He rubbed his knuckles into his eyes, trying to wipe the vision away. His heart pounded a maddeningly quick tempo against his rib cage at the thought of her dreams shattered just before their realization. But that wasn’t the case. She was walking about with only a slight limp. Surely she would be back to her old self after she recovered. She’d been hurt before and came back stronger, more determined to prove herself.

The urge to drive to the ranch and demand to see Kit swamped him. He clenched his hands and hammered one fist into the arm of the lounger. If only he’d realized, he wouldn’t have insisted to know why she was back in Cimarron City. He wouldn’t have pushed to learn how long she was staying—as if he were protecting his own heart. He was vulnerable where Kit was concerned.

It had been hard to walk away from her, but he had realized he was no longer an essential part of her world. He’d never understood her total sacrifice for ballet. He’d been able to walk away from football without a backward glance after working years to excel in the sport.

What worried him the most was that he’d seen a Kit tonight who almost seemed defeated. Feelings stirred deep in his heart. He didn’t want to see Kit like that. If she was strong and doing what she loved, then his sacrifice of their relationship all those years ago was for something. If she wasn’t with the New York ballet company anymore, then he’d make her see she could be with a different one. She could continue her career after her recovery as she had before. And with her gone from Cimarron City, his heart would be protected.

Barney plopped his head on Nate’s arm and turned his soulful dark eyes up at him. “Ready to go for a walk?” Nate asked.

His Great Dane gave one loud bark. Nate needed the fresh air and some exercise while he figured out what he should do about Kit, if anything.

He pushed to his feet and grabbed Barney’s leash. When he stepped outside on his porch with his dog, the warm spring air, sprinkled with a hint of rain and blooming flowers, enveloped Nate.

As he walked with Barney, frustration warred with his sympathy and something more elusive. At one time, Kit would have told him immediately about what had happened to her. Finally sadness won out over myriad emotions surging through him. Their relationship had come to secrets and barriers.

When he returned to his house, a teenager stood on his porch, peering into the window to his living room. Barney tugged on the leash, and Nate released his Great Dane.

Steven Case, a large, muscular sixteen-year-old boy Nate worked with in the church youth group, turned at the sound of Barney racing toward him. The teen laughed when Nate’s dog pinned him against the window, his big paws perching on Steven’s shoulders, and licked him in the face.

Nate mounted the steps to his porch and took a closer look at the boy. Steven was always great with Barney and usually loved seeing him, but tonight Nate glimpsed the tension beneath the boy’s demeanor. “Barney, come here.” As Nate opened his front door, the Great Dane went inside. “Something’s wrong, Steven. What is it?” He leaned against his railing.

Steven stuffed his hands in his jeans’ pockets. “I wanted to tell Dad that I didn’t want to play football next year. I can’t. He’ll be so disappointed in me, but I can’t take another season. The coach is always on my case. I’m not tough enough. My father wants me to learn how to hit my opponent by taking boxing lessons this summer.” He began pacing. “I don’t want to hit people.”

For different reasons Steven and he had played a game in high school they didn’t want to—Steven because he couldn’t tell his father how he felt about the sport and Nate because he’d learned football, a game he enjoyed, as a means to go to college. “Do you want me to talk to your dad?”

Steven whirled around, opening and closing his hands at his sides. “No. Don’t. He already thinks I’m a wuss. I don’t want to make it worse by having someone else handle the hard stuff for me. I shouldn’t have come tonight.” The teen stormed from the porch.

Nate slapped his palm against the post nearby. He knew better than to make that offer to Steven. First he’d messed up with Kit today and now Steven. At the rate things were going, tomorrow probably wouldn’t be any better, because he intended to confront Kit about what was going on.

* * *

Kathleen sat at the table, sipping her second cup of coffee and finishing her bagel topped with cream cheese. When she had decided to come to the ranch, she hadn’t thought beyond that. But on this first morning, she was faced with what she should do with her time. The insurance company had given her a large settlement to the point where if she invested it properly, she wouldn’t have to work ever again. But she would give anything to have her leg back along with her ability to dance.

She glanced at the stack of books she’d put on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She’d never had much time to read and had bought these eight novels, but after that, what?

With her chin resting in her palm, she stared at the clock on the wall over the stove. The second hand going around and around reminded her time kept moving forward, no matter how much she wanted it to go backward. She was almost twenty-seven and had no idea what to do with the rest of her life. She’d always been so busy with work consuming her. Now there was nothing.

She could see if Beth needed any help. Maybe she could ride another horse until Cinnamon was better. Or she could—

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Nine o’clock. Beth had waited longer than Kathleen thought she would when she woke up.

With a sigh, she made her way to the entrance and swung the door wide, ready to launch into all the reasons she wasn’t ready to tell everyone about her amputated leg. The plain truth—she just wasn’t ready to deal with the fallout of that announcement.

She opened her mouth to speak, but when she saw Nate standing on her porch, she quickly swallowed her words.

She looked Nate up and down, taking in his jeans, short-sleeve, light green shirt, cowboy boots and hat. He’d always looked good dressed as he was. “What are you doing here?”

His face reflecting a brewing storm, he moved across the threshold without waiting for an invitation from her to come inside.

“We need to talk.”

Chapter Three

Did Nate know about her leg? That question flittered through Kathleen’s mind as she closed the door behind him, then slowly turned to face him. She squared her shoulders, preparing herself for whatever had put that scowl on his face. It couldn’t be good.

“Why didn’t you tell me how bad your accident was? You acted like your injury was no big deal. You were hit by a car and then later replaced in your ballet company. That sounds more serious than you implied yesterday.”

One sentence after another pelted her as though she were being bombarded with buckshot. For a few seconds a flashback taunted the edges of her mind, but she shut the memories down and focused on Nate standing in front of her. “I prefer not to discuss what happened. I don’t owe you an explanation of why I’m here.”

Nate blew out a long breath, his scowl dissolving into a neutral expression. “Okay, you’re right, but we cared about each other a lot once. I still care. Your dance career is the reason we aren’t together today. Will you be able to go back? Is there any way I can help you with your recovery, like I did the time you twisted your ankle?” His look and tone softened.

She balled her hands so tight, her nails dug into her palms. Her wish to be a ballerina wasn’t the only reason they’d broken up. Nate had had his own dreams, too. They weren’t committed enough to see if they could work their problems out as a team because, although they dated, she had led a very separate life from his. He’d loved sports and had played every one he could fit into his schedule, especially football, which gave him a free ride to college. “There’s nothing you can do. I don’t need a cheerleader encouraging me to exercise.” That was the last thing she needed. It wouldn’t take long for him to figure out what her problem was.

“I’m sure you’ve become quite disciplined over the years to achieve what you have, but it doesn’t hurt to let a friend in.”

She ignored the last part of his sentence and said, “Yes, I’m very disciplined. I had to be to get where I was.”

“Was? Aren’t you going back?”

“Dance will always come first in my life.” Which was true, but now only as an observer. Averting her head, she moved toward the couch, needing to get off her feet. Her leg ached, although usually each day was slightly better than the one before. “Would you like some tea?”

“You still don’t drink coffee?” Nate fit his long length into the chair across from the couch.

She shook her head and made a face. “It tastes nasty, and I still don’t understand why you drink it.”

“It’s an acquired taste.”

“One I’ll never have.” The bantering melted some of the tension gripping Kathleen.

“I’ll pass on the tea.”

She relaxed against the cushion, hoping they were off the subject of her accident. “Are you out here because an animal is sick? Cinnamon?”

“No. I’m heading to the ranch next to yours, but if you want, I can stop by the barn and see how Cinnamon is doing.”

“I’m sure my brother or Bud would call you if there’s a problem.”

Silence reigned for half a minute while Nate glanced around the cabin. Kathleen frantically searched her mind for something to talk about other than her injury. She wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the extent of the damage. She didn’t know if she ever would be able to. She was still trying to figure out how to deal with her accident, and it occurred four months ago.

“Why did you decide to settle here?” Nate had come to Cimarron City at the age of fourteen, but before that he’d lived in Alabama—and his parents had returned there several years prior. “I’d thought since you chose to go to Auburn you’d live in that area.”

“Dr. Harris gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Besides, I’ve always loved it here.” He shifted his warm, gray eyes back to her. “I made a lot of friends, and since returning, I’ve had the opportunity to renew my friendships with many of them.”

Whereas she’d largely cut her ties with her friends in Cimarron City. When she had visited at the holidays, she’d only had time for family. She’d thought she had all she needed in New York, but she wondered if she’d really been alone in a crowd of many. She certainly felt that way now. Her friends in New York had the life she wanted and would never have again. It was hard to stand on the outside looking in.

“I’m involved with the youth at church,” Nate said when the silence returned. “There are some future ranchers in the group, and we’ve done some fun activities. Howard has allowed me to use his place for several field trips. We’re thinking about having a fund-raiser the third weekend in June at the Soaring S. I could always use your help in the planning. They’re raising money for a mission trip to Honduras in August.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be here at that time.” She didn’t know what she was going to do from one day to the next, let alone over a month away. Before she’d always had a very structured life with everything revolving around ballet. Now she felt as though she were floating aimlessly in outer space with nothing to hold her in place. Even the Lord had abandoned her. All her prayers had fallen on deaf ears.

“That’s all right. I can use any help you can give me. I’m desperate. This is the first mission trip I’ve organized, and I’m feeling a little in over my head.” He cocked a grin. “Okay, a lot.”

“What made you volunteer for the job?”

“One word—Howard. He heads the youth services at the church, and he recruited me. He thought I would be perfect for the high schoolers.”

Her laughter sounded foreign to her ears. “Don’t tell my brother, but I agree with him. You will be. How long have you been helping?”

“A couple of months. I casually mentioned to Howard one day that I was thinking of becoming involved more with the church now that I’m settled. I’m warning you—be careful what you say to Howard or there is no telling what you’ll be roped into.” Merriment danced in his eyes, making them sparkle like polished silver.

“I’ve been properly warned.” The last of her tension slipped from her shoulders. This type of conversation, she could handle.

Nate placed his hands on his thighs and pushed up. “I need to leave. I’ll feel better checking on Cinnamon since I’m already here. Walk with me?”

She’d planned to see her mare this morning. Although her leg ached, she wasn’t in a lot of pain. The more she walked the faster she would become accustomed to her prosthesis. “Sure.” While he headed for the exit, she struggled to a standing position, still not completing that simple action effortlessly.

Turning toward Kit, Nate held the door open for her to exit first, then fell into step beside her. “You never answered me about helping while you’re here. It’ll give you something to do and, as I said, help a desperate man.”

“I hardly think you’re desperate. You’re one of the most organized people I know. Let me think about it. I just hate committing to too much right now.” She couldn’t totally stop herself from favoring her injured leg as she strolled toward the barn.

“The youth group is a great bunch of kids—you’ll like them.”

“I haven’t agreed yet. You haven’t changed one bit. You can still steamroll a person into doing whatever you want.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear I haven’t lost my touch. Working with teens is so rewarding.”

She shook her head, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “As I said, let me think about it more than a few minutes. I just got here and haven’t even settled in.”

“That almost sounds like you’ll be here longer than a couple of weeks. How serious is your injury?”

Kathleen gritted her teeth and regretted her comment. It was hard guarding her thoughts and words, especially with Nate, who was perceptive and knew her too well. She didn’t have to be so cautious with Howard and Beth and that gave her a sense of freedom. Peering at Nate, she paused under a large oak tree near the barn, not far from the wooden bench under it. Her teeth worried her bottom lip.

His gaze fastened onto the action, and his brow furrowed. “You’re not telling me something.”

She didn’t want to have this conversation. It had been hard enough going through the process of telling Howard and Beth. She’d done that over the phone. Not half a day later her brother had been in her hospital room, ready to whisk her back to Oklahoma. To smother her with the help and attention he thought she needed. The problem was she didn’t know what she needed. She’d begged God to show what to do with her life since being a ballerina was no longer an option. She’d had no real choice about keeping her leg, and at the moment she didn’t feel she had many choices for her future.

“Your silence doesn’t bode well, Kit. Can you continue your career?”

Her throat closed. Emotions she’d tried to keep at bay since she’d returned home surged through her. She now realized leaving New York City had been her first move away from her dream of dancing as a prima ballerina. She’d been so close to reaching the top.

“Now you really have me worried.”

She swung her full attention toward Nate. “I didn’t ask you to worry about me.” I do enough of that on my own.

“What’s wrong with your leg? You’re limping. Will physical therapy help?”

“No...” The words to tell him rose in her, but a knot in her throat kept them inside.

“Have you thought about aqua therapy? I’ve done some with race horses, and it has been successful.”

“It won’t make a difference because...” She sucked in a stabilizing breath. “I lost my left leg from the knee down.” The last part of the sentence came out in a bare whisper.

But Nate heard.

His eyes grew round, and the color drained from his face. “Why didn’t you say something yesterday?” He cleared his throat. “I mean I went on and on about your dancing. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said—”

“Stop right there. I’m not a porcelain china doll that you have to be extra careful with. I don’t want your pity.”

“And you won’t get it.” A steel thread strengthened each word. “I know you. If anyone can overcome something like this it’s you. I don’t pity you, but you can’t stop me from caring and being concerned.” Again that soft tone entered his voice.

She backed away until she gently bumped against the wooden bench. He closed the distance between them, trapping her. His gaze searched her features, penetratingly intense. She looked away and caught her brother standing in the entrance to the barn, watching them.

A band constricted about her chest as if Nate had roped her. Tears pricked her eyes. “I think you should check on Cinnamon. I’ll see her later.”

Please, Lord, help me get back to the cabin without crying. I don’t want Nate or my brother to see me have a meltdown. Please. Please give me this.

“Kit, you aren’t alone.”

Yes, I am. I’m the one who has to live with this. She squeezed past Nate and hobbled as fast as she could toward the cabin, her limp more evident the quicker her pace.

When she reached the safety of her temporary home, she sank onto the nearest chair, and the tears she’d thought she’d conquered swamped her, running down her cheeks.

She didn’t know who she was anymore.

* * *

A stabbing ache pierced Nate as he watched Kit limp away, but he steeled himself. She’d broken his heart years ago, and he was determined she wouldn’t again. But he didn’t want to see her like she was—he grappled with the word to describe it. Hurting, yes, but it was much more than that.

Defeated.

He’d never seen Kit give up. But they hadn’t seen each other in over eight years. He didn’t really know her anymore. He’d changed. Grown up. Become more focused on what he wanted. More anchored in his faith. Kit used to be a firm believer. Was she still? She would need the Lord to help her through the adjustments to a new life.

“Give her time,” Howard said behind Nate.

He pivoted toward Kit’s brother. “Who else knows?”

“Beth and our pastor. The kids don’t even know. Kit hasn’t accepted it yet. She tells me she has, but she hasn’t.”

“What can I do?”

“Like I said, give her time. She’ll get there eventually.”

“Will she be here that long?”

Howard stared past Nate toward the cabin where Kit was and shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think she does, either. But this is the best place for her.”

“She’ll figure that out.” Nate prayed she would. He still cared about her as a friend. “I’m trying to get her to help me with the fund-raiser for the mission trip. Put in a good word for me.” Nate began walking toward the barn. “I’ll check on Cinnamon and be on my way. But I’m coming back. Kit may not think she needs anyone, but she does.”

Howard followed him. “Why are you doing this? You were willing to compromise years ago. She’s the one who decided to cut all ties when she moved to New York.”

Howard’s question stopped Nate in his tracks. He glanced back at his friend. “I didn’t want to leave college to follow her around the country, but I was willing to continue a long-distance relationship. She wasn’t, and she was right. It wouldn’t have worked in the long run.”

“Because her focus was on her career.”

“Marriage is hard. If both aren’t committed, it won’t work.” I don’t want to come in second in my wife’s life.

“You can say that again. Beth and I realized that real quickly in our marriage.” Howard started for his house where his office was. “You’re welcome here any time, Nate. You’ve got a standing invitation to dinner.”

“Thanks, but I actually enjoy cooking at the end of the day. It relaxes me.”

“Don’t tell Beth. She’ll expect me to start helping in the kitchen. That wouldn’t be a pretty picture.”

Howard’s chuckles filled the warm air as he walked away. At the entrance into the barn, Nate peered toward the cabin. The urge to go see how Kit was doing nipped at his good senses, but he refrained. He knew her well enough to realize he had to let her get used to the idea that he was privy to the extent of her injuries.

* * *

“Emma, you have a way with animals. What I call a special touch,” Nate said to his assistant at the animal hospital, then finished entering notes in a computer file for his last patient, a Great Dane, similar in coloring to his own white-and-black one.

“Dogs are my specialty. Now give me a cat and I’m often at a loss as to why they do the things they do.”

Nate laughed. “That’s because they have an independent streak with a touch of stubbornness. It’s usually their way or no way.”

“I do have to admit I’ve trained a few dogs like that. Some I’ve given up on. Not all of them can be a service or therapy dog.”

He leaned against the counter in the examination room. “I’ve been thinking about talking to you or Abbey about Caring Canines,” he said, referring to the organization that Dr. Harris’s daughter, Abbey, had started last year to help supply service and therapy dogs for people who needed them, regardless of their ability to pay. “I have a friend I think who could benefit from a therapy dog.”

“What’s the problem with your friend?” Emma asked, her long blond hair pulled back in her usual ponytail.

“This isn’t common knowledge and must remain between you and me.”

“Always. When I train a dog for a person or someone comes to get one, what information they tell me remains private.”

“She lost her leg from the knee down in a car accident and is having a hard time coping.”

“No doubt. That can be quite an adjustment. Abbey is working with some veterans who have lost limbs. We’ve even matched up the ones who want a therapy dog. Nothing beats an animal attuned to your moods, especially when you’re depressed. Is she having any nightmares about the accident? Sometimes people will relive the moment their life changed over and over when they sleep. Their subconscious at work.”

“I don’t know.” And he didn’t feel he was in a place to ask her—at least not at the moment. For the past two days since Kit had told him, he’d wrestled with what to do about the information, but he knew he had to help her.

“Does your friend have a preference on the breed of dog? Will she talk to me?”

“I’m not even sure if she’ll accept a therapy dog, but I have to try. She used to have a black poodle as a kid. Missy went everywhere with her.” He could still remember the day Missy died and how hard Kit took it. He’d hurt almost as much as Kit, watching her deal with her grief. When she cared about something, she did deeply.

Then why couldn’t she have cared enough about me? That question came unbidden into his mind, warning him to be cautious with Kit.

“There’s a white, medium-size poodle at Caring Canines I’ve been working with. I could escalate her training, and she could be available by next week.”

“Great. In the meantime I’ll talk with Kit about it.” He’d have to think carefully about how to approach her so she didn’t get her defenses up and refuse. “What’s the dog’s name?”

“Lexie.”

“Okay, then, I’ll visit her and see what she says.”

“If she doesn’t want a poodle, bring her out to Caring Canines. We have several other therapy dogs ready right now.”

The receptionist peeped around the door frame. “Your next patient is here.”

“Thanks, Caroline. I guess we’d better get back to work,” Nate said as Emma made her way into the hallway to bring the next animal back to the examination room.

As Emma led in the next patient, a pet pig, Nate decided to call Howard and invite himself to dinner one evening soon.

* * *

Kathleen struggled but managed to secure the saddle on Cinnamon, put the reins over her mare’s head and rest the leather straps across her withers. After Kathleen let down the stirrups, she looked to see if anyone else was around the back of the barn where she would mount her horse. Howard had worked with Cinnamon to get her accustomed to being mounted on the right, but this was the first time that Kathleen had ridden her.

Since arriving at the ranch five days before, she’d kept to her cabin. But her brother had come to see her earlier this afternoon and told her about what he’d been doing the past few days since Cinnamon was better. He’d all but challenged her to go for a ride. She’d wanted to but always seemed to come up with a reason not to, even after Cinnamon was over the colic.

What if she couldn’t ride with her prosthetic leg? She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of others. Holding Cinnamon in place in front of her, she stepped up on the mounting block that Howard had adapted with a railing. With a mental count to three, she put her right foot in the stirrup then swung her leg with the prosthesis over the back of her mare and successfully sat on top of her horse. She punched her fist into the air, joy spreading through her.

But when she started out in a walk, her left leg slipped out of the stirrup. Frustrated, she stopped Cinnamon and slid it back into place. She didn’t go far from the barn in case there was a problem. Her foot came out a couple of more times until finally she left it out. Her balance was a little off, but she managed to walk Cinnamon around the pasture. Even for a brief moment, she relished the fresh air with the scent of newly mowed grass peppering the light breeze.

When Kathleen glimpsed a red truck drive up the lane—Nate’s—she thought about heading for the rolling hills to the east of the house but knew she couldn’t avoid him. She made her way back to the barn at a fast walk, her left leg bouncing around more than she liked, which only increased Cinnamon’s gait. She hung on and concentrated on keeping her balance. She wanted to dismount before Nate caught sight of her.

What are you afraid of? He knows. Do you really think you can keep it a secret from everyone for long? That inner voice that had been nibbling away at her resolve to hide from others kept chipping away at her. What was she going to do, not just for the rest of her life, but right now, the next few weeks? Sit around doing nothing? Maybe ride once a day? Would that be enough?

Kathleen made it to the mounting block as Nate strolled out of the back of the barn and paused near the entrance—watching her.

“Go away,” she said, her grip on the reins tight. Cinnamon tossed her head, and Kathleen loosened her hold.

“I came to see you.”

“I’m busy.”

“I can wait.” He folded his arms across his chest, the brim of his cowboy hat hiding his expression partially.

She drilled her gaze into his, trying to force him to leave. This would be the first time she dismounted with her prosthetic leg. What if she stumbled, fell? She swallowed over and over. “Please.”

He strode to her and patted Cinnamon while he looked up at her. “It’s okay to need help.”

“I need to do this by myself, and I don’t want an audience.”

“Okay.” He pushed his hat off his forehead, revealing his smoky-gray eyes, soft with concern deep in their depths. “I’ll be in the barn. Howard is meeting me down here.”

“Thanks.” She waited until he’d disappeared inside before slipping her right foot out of the stirrup and planting it on the block, and then she swung her left leg over Cinnamon. The past half an hour had drained her energy, and her thigh muscles burned. She sank down onto the piece of wood, holding Cinnamon’s reins while she gathered her strength to finish taking care of her mare.

Kit led Cinnamon toward the barn to remove the saddle nearer where it was stored. She heard murmurs as she approached the back entrance.

“Give it a try. It might work,” Howard said to Nate as she entered.

“Try what?” Kathleen asked, stopping at the saddle rack.

Her brother shot Nate a look as though to say, You tell her.

Nate cleared his cough. “I have a gift for you.”

Chapter Four

“I think I hear Beth calling.” Howard scurried to the exit, throwing a glance over his shoulder and adding, “Dinner is in an hour. See you both up at the house.”

Nate wanted to erase the worry in Kit’s eyes. “Your brother isn’t subtle. He wanted me to meet him down here, but when I asked him why, he didn’t have a reason.”

“I don’t think he knows the definition of subtle.” Kit continued her trek across the barn to the saddle rack. “What did you mean you have a gift for me?”

Realizing she might protest, Nate still hurried to help her with removing the saddle. When she allowed him to lift it off and onto the rack, surprise must have graced his features.

“I haven’t fully recovered from my accident. I’ve done too much today.”

He took the brush from the shelf nearby and ran it over Cinnamon’s coat, keeping a sharp eye out for any outwardly signs of colic. “She looks good. Howard told me she got into a bad batch of feed—that was what had her sick. He threw it out. Thankfully she was the only horse affected.”

“I’m glad she’s better. It felt good to be riding her again, but it was different. I’m used to using my legs some to control Cinnamon. I’m going to have to modify how I ride and work on building up certain muscles.”

“That won’t be hard for you. Cinnamon is a good horse and picks things up fast.”

“She’ll train better than I will.”

He slanted a look at her over Cinnamon’s rump and saw a grin tilt up the corners of Kit’s mouth. “You’ll do fine. I’ve seen you practice a dance move until you did it flawlessly.” Her smile faded when he mentioned the word dance. “You can’t forget what you did for so much of your life. Who’s to say you can’t do something else involving dance.”

She closed her eyes for a long moment, her chest expanding then collapsing before she regarded him again. “You never told me what the gift is that you have for me.”

He laughed. “You haven’t changed in that department. You always hated not knowing what I was giving you for your birthday or Christmas.”

“My birthday isn’t for a while, and Christmas is half a year away. I can’t wait that long.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll have the gift in a couple of days. That is, if you want it.”

She lounged against a post nearby while he finished with Cinnamon. “What is it?”

“A poodle named Lexie. She needs a home, and I know how much you loved Missy. She’s white and about the same size as Missy.”

Her face pale, Kit pushed away from the post. “I don’t know about that. I may not be here long.”

“That’s why I asked Howard if he’d keep Lexie if you left and didn’t want to take her with you. He said the kids would love to have another dog.”

“I know you’re a vet and come into contact with animals that need homes, but why pass her along to me? Why are you doing this?”

“You think I have an ulterior motive?”

“Do you?”

He began walking Cinnamon back to her stall. “Howard wants me to leave her here another night rather than putting her out in the paddock to make sure she’s still okay.”

Hands on her hips, she scrunched her mouth into a frown. “Nate Sterling, out with it. Why are you giving me a dog?”

After Cinnamon was safely in her stall, he faced Kit. He couldn’t keep from her where Lexie came from, but he’d wanted her to fall in love with the poodle before he told her. “I’m getting her from Caring Canines.”

“What’s that?”

“Abbey Winters, Dr. Harris’s daughter, and his assistant, Emma Tanner, run an organization to help match therapy and service dogs with people who need them.”

“I don’t need a service dog. I can do for myself.”

“I agree.”

Her eyes widened. “You think I need a therapy dog!”

“Do you?”

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Finally she limped toward the front barn doors.

“I never thought you were a chicken,” Nate called out from behind her. “I’ve seen you meet so many challenges head-on. What harm will it do to see if you and Lexie get along? She may be able to help you.”

At the entrance, she spun around on her right leg. She wobbled but caught her balance. “How?”

“Comfort you when you need it. Listen to you. You know how attuned animals are to us. You may not want my help, but take Lexie’s.” He couched his tone and words into a dare, knowing in the past she couldn’t refuse one. “I’ve talked to many pet owners and so many times they praise how much joy their pets bring to them.”

“Okay. I’ll try it on one condition. I don’t want you to look at me and only see my injury. That’s all I got from my dance buddies in New York. Tonight I plan on telling Carrie and Jacob about my leg. I’ll have enough to deal with them.”

“What makes you think I look at you like that?”

“Because you went to the trouble of getting Lexie for me. I’m not broken. I just need time.”

A surge of aggravation flashed through him. He clamped his lips together, trying to choose his words carefully. “I never said you were broken. You did. I’ve never looked at you like that. An injury isn’t what defines a person. How you handle it does.”

She glared at him, then turned toward the exit. “Tell my brother I’ll be up to the house after dinner to talk with his children. I’m suddenly not hungry.”

He wasn’t going to let her run away. He moved quickly and planted himself in her path. “No, you tell your brother that. I’m not your messenger.”

“You’re not my friend, either. A friend wouldn’t push me like you are.”

“I hope I have friends who will push me when I need it,” he fired back at her.

She stepped away. “Fine. I’ll call Howard. Be gone by the time I get there.” When she charged toward the cabin, her limp was more pronounced.

Nate deflated. He’d blown it. He’d wanted to shake some sense into her, but he hadn’t handled it at all correctly. When she was forced into a corner, she always came out fighting. Somehow he would find a way to reach her without putting her on the defensive. He might not be able to, but maybe the kids in the youth group could when they come to the ranch tomorrow to plan the fund-raiser. Tonight he’d solicit Howard and Beth to make sure Kit was there when they arrived.

* * *

As Kathleen strolled toward the main house, her attention zeroed in on Nate’s truck, parked out front. His red Silverado mocked her order for him to be gone. She came to a halt in the yard, trying to decide what to do.

Beth opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. When she saw Kathleen, she moved toward her, carrying two mugs. “I was wondering where you were. I made the special tea you like so much.”

“Trying to bribe me to stay?”

“Is it working?” Her sister-in-law passed the mug slowly under her nose.

Kathleen drew in the scent of peaches and cream wafting in the heat rising from the cup. “Maybe just a little. Is Nate inside?”

“Nope.”

“His truck is here.”

“Your powers of observation are sharp.” She started toward the house. “Let’s sit on the steps. It’s been a long day, and I could use the break. And tomorrow will be busy.”

“What’s going on?”

“We’ll have eight teens descend on the ranch. Howard offered this place for the Western Day Fund-raiser next month and the first onsite planning session will be held here.”

Kathleen frowned, clasping both hands around the mug and leaning forward. “Nate wants me to help him with the fund-raiser.”

“Are you going to?”

“After this afternoon, I shouldn’t even consider it.” She took a sip and welcomed the smooth taste as it slid down her throat.

“What happened?”

“He thinks I need counseling. He wants me to have a therapy dog.”

“That isn’t what having a therapy dog means. Abbey started Caring Canines because she has a sister-in-law, a child really, who lost her parents in a plane crash and her legs were injured. The doctors weren’t sure if she would walk again even though Madi had several operations to repair the leg. They fixed what they could. The rest depended on physical therapy and the little girl’s will. Abbey found a perfect dog to replace the one Madi lost. Her pet died in the crash. Cottonballs was trained to be a therapy dog. It’s not like a service animal. Cottonballs helped Madi deal with her injuries, and today Madi runs and plays like anyone her age.”

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