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Travis chuckled then reached across her to unbuckle her seat belt. Thankfully, this time she didn’t jump at his close proximity. Maybe her brain was finally remembering she wasn’t normally so jumpy around men. She was a grown woman who was around guys all the time—farm workers, her brothers, rodeo cowboys.
But none of them came to her rescue like a knight in shining armor, did they?
Oh, for Pete’s sake, he’d driven her to the hospital. Any decent human being would have done the same thing. She seriously needed that hot shower, some ibuprofen and about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.
She did her best not to grunt or wince as Travis helped her out of the truck, but her efforts proved futile.
Savannah leaned on his arm more than she wanted to as he helped her toward the E.R. entrance, but she wanted to collapse onto the sidewalk even less. “You had to have better things to do on a Friday night.”
“Nah. This is way more exciting than my normal Friday night.”
She glanced up at him. “That is one sad state of affairs right there.”
Travis laughed. “Don’t I know it.”
Despite her pain, she managed to elbow him a little bit for his teasing.
Once inside, he helped her to the check-in desk where she was finally able to lean against something other than Travis’s distracting warmth. Thankfully, the E.R. was next to empty, and they took her straight back. She glanced over her shoulder in time to see Travis grab a magazine from the rack and settle himself on one of the institutional chairs that was probably about as comfortable as sitting on a boulder.
She gritted her teeth through every movement, but she still didn’t think anything was broken. She’d had broken bones before. In fact, the bad break of her wrist that she’d suffered several years ago while riding in Cheyenne had led to her always carrying her ID and medical insurance card in her back pocket, even while she was riding. She didn’t want a repeat of having to sit in an emergency room waiting for someone to bring her proof of insurance to her before she could get treated.
As she waited for the X-ray results, her stomach startled grumbling, reminding her that she hadn’t had anything to eat since she’d left home hours ago. But she was also so tired that she thought there was a pretty good chance she would fall face-first into any plate placed in front of her. At the moment, she’d give up her slice of the Baron inheritance for a candy bar.
She’d finally found a position that was remotely comfortable to sit in when the doctor came into the exam room.
“Good news,” he said. “No cracked or broken bones. You do, however, have deep bruising that’s going to hurt for a while.”
“That I figured out.”
He smiled. “You’re very lucky because there’s also no sign of concussion.”
“I’ve taken enough falls over the years to know to protect my head.”
“Just get some rest and take it easy until you heal. Take over-the-counter painkillers as needed.”
After thanking the doctor, she headed out to the waiting room to find a pretty nurse talking to Travis. When he spotted Savannah, he looked happy to see her.
“My friend is finished,” he said as Savannah approached him.
When the nurse turned and saw her, the petite blonde’s features showed disappointment before she returned her attention to Travis. “If you’re ever in Mineral Wells again, give me a call.”
Travis didn’t respond other than to show the nurse a small smile.
Savannah resisted the crazy urge to tell the nurse to scoot as if she was a nosy cat. “Looks like you made a friend while I was gone,” she teased.
He made a sound deep in his throat that told her he was way less interested in the conversation with the nurse than the nurse had been.
Savannah smiled. “I’ve heard of picking up dates in bars, even at church, but never an E.R. waiting room.”
Travis glanced past Savannah then tossed what looked like a business card in the trash. Savannah swallowed any more teasing when she wondered if his resistance to the nurse’s advances had more to do with the loss of his wife than anything about the nurse.
Travis bent to retrieve a white paper bag from the burger place down the street.
“If that is for me, you are my new best friend.”
“A burger and fries is all it takes? What does the milkshake get me?”
“A homemade peach pie?”
He nodded. “I call that a good deal.”
Her stomach growled again, louder than before.
Travis laughed. “Sounds like I was just in time.”
She pointed toward the bag. “Oh, give me that and hush.”
She took the first big bite of her burger as they walked out the door of the E.R. A slurp of the chocolate milkshake followed as Travis’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and made a “hmm” sound that told her he didn’t know who it was. “Hello?”
She nabbed a couple of seasoned fries from the bag as Travis listened to someone say something on the other end of the call.
“Okay.” He extended the phone to her. “It’s for you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. It’s your dad.”
Chapter Three
Savannah cursed under her breath. Even before she accepted the phone from Travis, she knew someone had reported back to her dad that she’d been hurt. Sometimes it seemed as if Brock Baron had Big Brother–style eyes everywhere. It proved useful in business but was frustrating if you were his daughter.
“Dad? Why are you calling this number?”
“Because you won’t answer your phone.”
“It’s back in Abby’s trailer.”
“And you’re at the hospital, something you failed to mention to your family.”
Figured she’d get hurt at the one rodeo where none of her brothers or Carly was competing.
She stopped walking and had to keep herself from tossing the bag holding her dinner in frustration. “I was a little busy getting an X-ray. And before you ask, I’m fine. Just a bruise.”
A monster bruise, but her dad didn’t have to know that.
“Why are you with Travis Shepard instead of medical professionals?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she let fly what part of her wanted to say, the part that she always held at bay. “Because I didn’t think a bruise warranted an ambulance ride, especially when the bull riding is much more likely to cause serious injuries that would require an ambulance. I’m fine.”
“I can send someone to get you.”
“No. I’m here to spend the weekend with Abby.”
“You’re not riding hurt.”
She bit her lip because he would have never said that to her brothers. “No, I won’t be riding tomorrow, but I can cheer on Abby, hang out with my friends.”
Her dad didn’t immediately respond, and she wondered if for once he was holding back saying what he was thinking. It was very unlike him, but she didn’t want to tempt fate by pointing that out.
“As long as you’re sure that you’re okay,” he finally said.
“I am. Sore, but okay. You know it’s not the first time I’ve taken a spill.”
“Come see me when you get home.”
He might want to assure himself she was truly not badly hurt, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he also was using the opportunity to talk to her about the store. What little she’d eaten grew heavy in her stomach.
When the call ended, she handed the phone back to Travis.
“You all right?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got the feeling I should hire your dad to help me track down people.”
“Oh, please do. Obviously, it’s something he can do while laid up. Keep him busy.”
When Travis gave her a questioning look, she explained. “He was injured several weeks ago in a senior rodeo, so he can’t go to work. And let’s just say that he doesn’t do well with boredom.”
“Ah. But you’re gone a lot, right?”
She shook her head as he opened the car door for her. “I don’t ride as much as I used to. I run the farm store on the ranch.”
“Well, you obviously haven’t suffered much for not riding as often.”
“Ha. You seem to have forgotten the part about me crashing and burning tonight.”
Travis shrugged. “We all slip at some point.”
“So you have a great P.I. boo-boo story?”
Travis helped her into the SUV and automatically reached for the seat belt. “I do.”
“Can it beat falling off a horse in front of hundreds of people?”
“Does following a fugitive and having half a dozen Rottweilers trap you in a tree count?”
The image made her giggle. She lifted her hand to her mouth. “Sorry. What did you do?”
“Before or after I had to call 911 to get help?”
This time she snorted.
“That’s it. I’m taking back the milkshake.” He reached for it.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” She pulled the cup out of his reach. A stab of pain in her side caused her to gasp.
“Sorry.” Travis placed his hand on her jean-clad leg. “I didn’t mean to make you hurt yourself.”
“It’s okay.” Savannah tried not to focus on the feel of his warm hand against her thigh. He wasn’t squeezing or pressing down, but she still sensed his strength. And felt an odd tingle, as if his flesh were touching hers.
“If it makes you feel better, you can pour the milkshake over my head,” he said.
She forced her focus off the weight of his hand and lifted a brow. “And waste a perfectly good milkshake?”
“Saved by a sweet tooth.” Travis smiled as he backed away from her and shut the door.
She tried not to think about how she was simultaneously glad he’d removed his hand while also missing the connection. Jeez, maybe the doctor had been wrong and she did conk her head.
The dose of extra-strength pain reliever she’d been given must be taking effect because the ride back to the rodeo grounds wasn’t as painful as the trip to the hospital.
Savannah directed Travis toward Abby’s rig. Before he even turned off the engine, Abby came bounding out of the trailer and straight for the passenger side of the SUV.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she opened the door.
Savannah told herself to ignore the twinge of loss that she wouldn’t get to enjoy Travis’s touch one more time. The truth was she needed to get away from him and the unexpected attraction toward him. “Fine. Just sporting the mother of all bruises. What about Bluebell?”
“She’s fine. A scratch, nothing more.”
Savannah breathed a sigh of relief. Bluebell wasn’t just a horse to her. She was a good friend, family, a trusted partner.
As Savannah unlatched her own seat belt this time and slid out of the truck, Abby spotted her bag of food and milkshake.
“Did you two go to the hospital or out on a date?”
Savannah shot her friend a “What the hell?” look but quickly hid it when Travis appeared at Abby’s side.
“Her stomach was growling so much that I was afraid the hospital staff would think a wild animal had gotten loose in the E.R.,” Travis said, a mischievous grin on his face.
Savannah wrinkled her nose at him. “Very funny.”
Travis gave a little bow, as if on stage. “Thank you. I’ll be here all week.”
This time, Savannah rolled her eyes and headed toward the trailer. “Well, this chick is done for the day. I’m going to bed and calling do-over for tomorrow.”
After shooting Savannah a wicked wink, Abby headed toward the trailer to get the door. When Savannah reached the bottom of the steps, she stopped and half turned toward Travis.
