I think I think I need some fresh air.
They abandoned the floor midsong, and Sierra made a beeline toward the exit. Outside, the night air was cool against her skin, but the second she looked into Jarretts eyes, she was feverish again.
He spoke first. I hope I didnt upset you with what I said.
No. Im glad you showed up here. Glad I got to dance with you.
We dont have to stop, he said, pulling her closer.
But maybe we should. Despite her sensible words, she leaned into him, indulging herself in the feel of their bodies tangled together. Her hands glided up his back. This was such a bad idea. I work for you. My professionalism is very important to me. She was beginning to realize her job was all she had. I would never compromise myself with a patient.
He brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth, and she shivered. Then I guess, he said as he lowered his head, its a good thing Im not your patient.
Falling for the Rancher
Tanya Michaels
Chapter OneIt was surreal, staring at a photo of himself and feeling as if he were looking at a stranger. No, that wasnt exactly right, Jarrett Ross amended, studying the framed rodeo picture on the wall of his fathers home office. The word stranger implied he didnt know the dark-haired cowboy, that he had no feelings about him one way or the other.
A wave of contempt hit him as he studied the cocky smile and silvery, carefree gaze. Selfish SOB. Six months ago, his only concerns had been which events to ride and which appreciative buckle-bunny to celebrate with after he won. A lot had changed since then.
Six months ago, Vicki wasnt in a wheelchair.
Jarrett?
He turned as Anne Ross entered the room. Hed been so mired in regret hed almost forgotten he was waiting for his mother. Dread welled as she closed the door behind her. Did they need the privacy because there was more bad news to discuss? He wanted to sink into the leather chair behind the desk and bury his face in his hands. But he remained standing, braced for whatever life threw at them next.
How did Dads appointment go? Jarrett hadnt been able to accompany his parents to the hospital this afternoon. There was too much to do at the Twisted R now that he was the only one working the ranch. But even without the countless tasks necessary to keep the place running, he would have stayed behind in case Vicki needed himnot that his sister voluntarily sought out his company these days.
You know your father. Hes a terrible patient. Anne rolled her eyes, but her attempt to lighten the situation didnt mask her concern. Overall, the doctor says were lucky. Hes recovering as well as can be expected from the heart attack and the surgery. The thing is...
Jarrett gripped the back of the chair, waiting for the other boot to drop.
His mother came forward and sat down in the chair across from him, the stress of the past few months plain on her face. Even more telling was the slump of her shoulders. Shed always had a ramrod-straight posture, whether sitting in a saddle or waltzing across a dance floor with her husband.
I have to get your father off this ranch, she said bluntly. Ive been after him for years to slow down, to get away for a few days. I even tried to talk him into selling the place.
That revelation stunned Jarrett. Hed never realized his moms complaints about the demands of ranch life were serious. Hed thought her occasional grumbling was generic and innocuous, like jokes about hating Mondays. People griped about it all the time, but no one actually suggested removing Monday from the calendar. It was impossible to imagine Gavin Ross anywhere but at the Twisted R. Not sure how to respond, he paced restlessly around the office. Despite the many hours hed spent here over the past month, it still felt like trespassing. As if his father should be the one sitting behind the desk making the decisions that would affect the family.
Your dad refuses to accept that hes not in his twenties anymore, his mom continued. At the rate hes going, hell work himself to death! And after the added stress of Vickis accident...
Guilt sliced through him. Was his dads heart attack one more thing to trace back to that night in July? His mind echoed with the metallic jangling of the keys hed tossed to his younger sister. He hadnt gone with her because a blonde named Tammyor Taylor?had been whispering in his ear, saying that as impressive as hed been in eight seconds, she couldnt wait to see what magic he could work in an hours time.
Jarrett pushed away the shameful memory. So you and Dad want to take a few days of vacation? he asked, leaning against the corner of the desk closest to her.
A few weeks, actually. I havent discussed it with him yet, but Dr. Wayne agrees that its a good idea. My cousin has a very nice cabin near Lake Tahoe that shes been offering to let us use for years, and Dr. Wayne said he could give us the name of a good cardiologist in the area. Just in case.
When you were recovering from open-heart surgery, just in case wasnt nearly as casual as it sounded.
Your father is mule-headed. Now that hes starting to feel a little better, hell try to return to his usual workload. I cant let him do that. He may seem larger than life, but hes not invincible. Her gaze shifted downward. And...without us as a buffer, Vicki would naturally turn to you for company and assistance.
The soft words were like a pitchfork to the gut. His sister, younger than him by almost seven years, had grown up idolizing Jarrett. Now his parents had to evacuate Texas just to force her to speak to him again.
Shes going to forgive you. Anne reached over to clasp his hand. The drunk driver who plowed into the truck is to blame, not you.
He wanted to believe her, but it was his fault Vicki had been on the road. Theyd had plans to grab a late dinner. Between his travel on the rodeo circuit and her being away for her freshman year of college, theyd barely seen each other since Christmas. But instead of catching up with his kid sister as promised, hed ditched her in favor of getting laid. Vicki had been trapped amid twisted metal and broken glass when she should have been sitting in some restaurant booth, debating between chicken-fried steak and a rack of ribs. Shed always had a Texas-sized appetite, but her athletic hobbies kept her trim and fit.
Past tense. She no longer had much of an appetite. And although the doctors assured her that, with physical therapy, she would walk again, it would be a long damn time before she played softball or went to a dance club with her sorority sisters. She hadnt even been able to return to campus for the start of the new semester in August, another consequence that ate at him. Unlike Jarrett, whod earned a degree with a combination of community-college courses and online classes, Vicki had been accepted into one of the best universities in the state. How much academic momentum was she losing?
Anne blamed Gavins heart attack on years of working too hard and his stubborn insistence that deep-fried was a valid food group. But it was no coincidence that the man had collapsed during one of Vickis multiple surgeries. The stress of his daughters ordeal had nearly killed him.
Jarrett. Annes scolding tone was one he knew well from childhood. I see you beating yourself up. You have to stop. If not for yourself, then for me.
Im fine, he lied. She was shouldering enough burden already without fretting over his well-being, too. I was just processing the logistics of running the Twisted R while taking care of Vicki. Ill figure it out. You and Dad should definitely go.
Thank you. Be sure to voice your support when he objects to the idea. She pursed her lips, considering. We probably have a better shot at convincing him if youre not handling Vicki and the ranch by yourself. What if we found a part-time housekeeper who could act as her companion? Or, ideally, even someone with medical experience. My friend Pams a retired nurse. I can ask her about home health care.
Are we sure thats in the budget? The mountain of medical bills was already high enough that Gavin had recently let go of their sole ranch hand after helping him find a job on another spread. Gavin insisted the Twisted R could function as a father-and-son operation if Jarrett was available to help full-time. No more rodeos for the foreseeable future.
Or ever. He hadnt competed since the night of Vickis accident, and it was hard to imagine enjoying it again. Everything hed lovedthe adrenaline, the admiration of the spectatorsseemed shallow in light of what his sister and dad had suffered.
Im not suggesting we hire a long-term employee, she said. Just some help for a month or less. We have plenty of space. Maybe with Pams help we can find someone temporarily willing to accept low pay in exchange for room and board. There could be someone young who needs the experience and a recommendation.
His mother made it sound almost reasonable, as if there were lots of people who would work practically for free and wanted to move in with a surly nineteen-year-old and a rodeo cowboy whod taken early retirement. What are the odds?
Then again, they had to be due for some good luck.
Okay, he agreed. Call Pam and see what she says.
Meanwhile, hed cross his fingers that his moms friend knew someone who was truly desperate for a job.
* * *
WHAT THE HELL do you mean Im out of a job? In her head, Sierra Bailey heard the familiar refrain of her mothers voice chiding her. Unladylike language was one of Muriel Baileys pet peeves. I just got fired. Screw ladylike.
Eileen Pearce, seated at the head of the conference table, sucked in a breath at Sierras outburst. It was too bad Eileen and Muriel didnt live in the same citythe two women could get together for weekly coffee and commiserate about Sierras behavior. The board takes inappropriate relationships with patients very seriously, Ms. Bailey.
There was no relationship! Except, apparently, in Lloyd Carsons mind. Bodily contact between patient and physical therapist was a necessity, not an attempt at seduction. Sierra had never once thought of Lloyd in a sexual manner, but hed apparently missed that memo. The man had unexpectedly kissed her during their last session. Which, in turn, led to his wife angrily demanding Sierras head on a platter.
Taking a deep breath, Sierra battled her temper. Patients become infatuated with medical professionals all the time. Its a form of misplaced gratitude and
Yes, but in the year youve been with us, weve had multiple complaints about you. Granted, not of this nature, but your track record is flawed. Perhaps if youd listened on previous occasions when I tried to impress upon you the importance of professional decorum... Eileen paused with an expression of mock sympathy.
Comprehension dawned. This wasnt about Lloyd Carson and his romantic delusions. The board of directors had been looking for an excuse to get rid of Sierra. She felt foolish, not having seen the dismissal coming, but she truly believed she was good at her job.
Was she mouthy and abrasive? Occasionally.
All right, regularly. One might even argue, frequently. But sometimes PT patients needed a well-intentioned kick to the rear more than they needed to be coddled. Lord knows I did.