“No, you wouldn’t.” Lena didn’t lighten up. “Not with people warning you you’ll go blind or die if you don’t.” She brushed by Rachel and went to sit with Justino.
“Reality is setting in,” Caroline commented. “She’s been difficult since she got up this morning. Bit Garrett’s head off when he asked if she’d done her injection and argued with him about which cereal she should eat.”
Rachel nodded. “I’ll call the nurse educator and suggest they talk about food choices when Lena goes for her appointment this week. She can’t solve all her problems with insulin—she has to eat well, too. That white bread sandwich isn’t the best option. At least you offered whole wheat.”
“Susannah has been planning the menus and reading up on healthy choices for kids with diabetes. We’re all trying to help.”
“Lena probably realizes that, though she won’t admit it.” Rachel noticed that most of the kids were finished eating. “Shall I get started with first aid?”
“As soon as we get the table cleared off.” The process of cleaning up generated some grumbles, but in a few minutes Rachel found herself facing seven faces ranging in expression from indifference to outright disdain.
“Why do I have to take first-aid lessons?” Marcos snorted as she passed out the manuals she’d brought for each of the kids. “I’m not going to be no doctor.”
“First aid isn’t about being a doctor. It’s about what to do when there’s an emergency. What does the word rescuer mean?” She wrote the word at the top of the whiteboard she’d brought along.
“Hero,” Thomas said.
“Could be. What does a rescuer do?”
Lizzie raised her hand. “Helps somebody?”
Rachel smiled at her. “Right. And first aid is about knowing what to do in case of an emergency. What kind of situation would that be?”
“A car wreck,” Thomas said.
“A motorcycle crash,” Marcos added.
Thomas sneered at him. “That’s the same thing.”
“A bike crash is not the same as a car wreck,” Marcos insisted. “You get hurt worse in a bike crash.”
“That’s stupid. You can get killed in a car.”
“Right,” Rachel said forcefully, writing both items down. “Let’s get some other examples of situations when people need help.”
The list grew with suggestions from the others, including avalanche, tsunami and shark attack, as well as more relevant situations, including falling from a horse and hitting your head on a rock.
Leading the kids through the first chapters of the manual, Rachel was encouraged that most of them participated, though Marcos sat with his arms folded and a sneer on his face through the whole lesson. Nate was quiet but provided enough answers to prove he was keeping up with the material. Lena and Justino put their phones down, which constituted a major victory.
But before they became bored, she wanted to get them out of their chairs. “Suppose you go for a hike in the mountains with a couple of friends. You’re enjoying yourselves, but then suddenly one of your friends steps wrong and sprains their ankle. Now they can’t walk, but you have to get them to the parking lot for the ride home. What can you do?”
Marcos grinned. “Leave them to be eaten by bears.”
Rachel nodded. “That’s an option. Anything else?”
“Make a crutch?” Lena suggested.
“You could, if you had tools and supplies. Here’s another possibility. You could carry them to the parking lot.”
“Yeah, right,” Thomas said. “I can picture the girls carrying some guy down the trail.”
“If you have two people, it can be done with what’s called the two-handed seat carry. Choose a partner, and we’ll practice this technique.”
The kids paired up as expected—Becky with Lizzie and Justino with Lena, leaving Nate, Thomas and Marcos avoiding each other’s eyes. Rachel took Marcos by the hand. “You’re with me, and Nate, you’re with Thomas. Face each other and with one hand, clasp your partner’s arm above their wrist.” She demonstrated with Marcos. “The other person takes hold of you the same way. Now put your other hand on the person’s shoulder, and theirs on yours. Right. This way, you have a place where a person could sit down and be transported for a fairly long distance.”
“And I’ll test each one,” Garrett said, grinning as he joined them. “If you drop me, you’re in serious trouble.”
Chapter Seven
Garrett saw Rachel’s eyes widen in surprise. She’d been so focused on the teenagers she hadn’t noticed his arrival.
“Right.” She took a deep breath. “Mr. Garrett will be the victim. Try carrying him from the table to the far side of the room.”
“You’re too heavy,” Thomas said. “The girls will drop you.”
“We will not.” Becky brushed her pigtails behind her shoulders. “We could totally rescue somebody if we had to.”
“None of us is strong enough.” Marcos let go of Rachel’s arm. “You’re gonna fall flat on your butt every time.”
“Have a little faith,” Garrett said, approaching Thomas and Nate. “Here we go, guys. Hold tight.”
Pair by pair, the kids tried out the carry, and were surprised when they were able to support his weight. “I can’t believe it.” Thomas shook his head. “Even the girls can do it.”
Marcos and Rachel were the last to go. “Come on, Marcos.” Rachel held out her hands. “We’re as strong as everybody else.”
He eyed her warily. “I don’t know about that.” But he grabbed her arm and put his hand on her shoulder. “Okay. I guess.”
“Ready if you are,” Garrett said, standing facing away from them. “Go for it.”
They walked up behind him. “Sit,” Rachel said. “We’ve got you.”
As he bent his knees, they supported his thighs with their clasped hands and moved their arms down to cradle his back. He let his full weight rest in their hold—and didn’t fall.
“Way to go,” he said, when they set him on his feet. “Now we can try the three-person hammock carry.”
Rachel stared at him. “You’re awfully well informed.”
Smiling, he winked at her. “I’ve taken first aid. I still have the manual. So show us how this works.”
The kids clamored to learn the carry, so she gave them instructions, with Garrett again acting as their victim. For this exercise, he lay on the floor and three teenagers picked him up with an arm under his neck, his chest and waist, his butt and thighs. They worked in different combinations, including just the three girls, and all were successful in carrying him across the floor.
“Well done,” he said, getting to his feet after the last trio had finished. “I feel safer already having you guys around.”
Judging by the teenagers’ energy level, Rachel wouldn’t get their attention again this afternoon. “That’s it for today,” she said loudly. “Tomorrow we’ll talk about bugs and snakes.”
“I hate snakes.” Becky shuddered. “They’re so creepy and slithery.”
“What about spiders?” Lizzie asked. “I’ve seen spiders everywhere out here.”
“Some of them are poisonous,” Thomas told her with relish. “They bite you and you die.”
“Which ones?”
“I’ll have pictures tomorrow,” Rachel said. “Don’t worry about it tonight. Most spiders are not poisonous.”
“On the other hand, the snakes we run into…” Garrett grinned.
Rachel frowned at him. “Don’t get them started. You’re the one who’ll have to deal with Lizzie’s nightmares tonight.”
“Or to be more precise, Caroline will be.” He followed her over to the table and watched her erase the whiteboard. “You first session seemed to be a success. They were all participating, as far as I could tell.”
“I’m trying not to bore them with too much detail. Just a general overview.” She moved the board on its easel out of the way. “Hayley Brewster came to the clinic this morning.”
“Is sh
e sick? She was fine yesterday at church.”
“Just checking me out, she said. And she invited me to a welcome party on Friday night.” She looked at him askance. “I take it that was your idea?”
“That depends on how upset you are.”
She gave him a sunny smile. “Not at all. It’s a great way for me to meet my future patients.”
“Well, then, I claim responsibility for the whole plan. I’ll be doing all the cooking, too.”
“Now that I don’t believe.” She gathered her papers together. “I’d better make an appearance soon at the clinic in case someone else stops in. Thanks for your participation in today’s activity. Having you to carry made it more fun for them than carrying each other.”
“I’m glad I could help.” He walked with her to her car. “How was Lena at lunch?”
“Resistant. She doesn’t want any interference.”
“I got the same treatment at breakfast, which makes trusting her more difficult.”
“All you can do is keep an eye on her behavior. Either low or high blood sugar could be a problem if she’s not dosing properly. I’m sure it’s difficult to watch her with six other kids to monitor. And she might try to hide the fact that she’s not well.”
“I understand. We’re handling this.” She opened her car door and climbed in, but he held the panel so she couldn’t close it. “Have you noticed,” he said, “that all we ever talk about is Lena? Or maybe the other kids?”
Her brows drew together. “That’s what we have in common, Garrett. That’s why we see each other.”
He shook his head, rejecting that explanation. “You never did reveal what kind of books you read.”
She eyed him with exasperation. “Westerns and mysteries,” she said. “There are some really excellent writers these days setting their mysteries in the West. I love those.”
Garrett grinned. “Tony Hillerman and Craig Johnson—I’ve read their books. They’re great. But I’m a fan of traditional Westerns, too—Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey.”
“I’ve read them all.” Enthusiasm brightened her eyes. “Sometimes I try to choose a favorite, but there are too many wonderful titles to pick just one.”
“Are you a country music fan?”
“Classic country, definitely. Though I enjoy some of the newer songs, too.”
“So what’s your idea of a perfect rainy afternoon?”
Rachel laughed. “Reading a Western with George Jones on the radio, of course. And a bowl of buttered popcorn to snack on. What’s yours?”
“I’d go for ice cream instead of popcorn.”
“Then I don’t have to share.” She caught her breath. “I mean, if…” The picture she’d drawn hung in the air between them—the two of them spending a rainy afternoon together cuddled side by side on the sofa, reading.
“I like the idea,” Garrett said, giving her a wink. “We’ll have to try it one of these days. But for now I’ll let you be on your way.”
Before she could come up with a reply, he shut the door. Rachel sat for a moment, flustered. Finally, shaking her head, she reversed her SUV, circled and headed down the drive. Garrett waved and then watched until she’d gone out of sight.
If he could keep her off balance, he decided as he walked to the barn, he might be able to make some progress. When she wasn’t on guard against him, they were good together. Eventually she’d admit that. He’d simply have to keep surprising her.
At the top of the hill, he found some of the teenagers lounging on hay bales inside the barn, playing with their phones. Lizzie and Becky had gone out to practice running barrels with Caroline, and Nate usually went for a solo ride in the afternoon.
“How about some bucking practice?” Garrett suggested. “It’s not too hot today.”
But Thomas only shrugged. “Is that all we’re ever gonna do? Ride that dumb barrel?”
“I want to ride a real bull,” Marcos said, still wearing the bandage around his head. “I thought we were going to do an actual rodeo.”
Garrett leaned against the door frame. “You figure you’re ready to sit on a live animal?”
“Why not?” Marcos got to his feet. “How can we know if we don’t try?”
Thomas stood beside him. “Don’t you have some bulls we can ride?”
Garrett shook his head. “You are definitely not ready for bulls. The most we would try would be steers. That’s what your age group rides in the junior rodeo.”
“Could we do that?” Lena joined the chorus. “I want to ride a steer.”
Garrett didn’t like the idea, but this wasn’t the right time for an argument about what she could and couldn’t do. “I’ll have to talk to Ford and Wyatt and Caroline. For now, though, keep practicing. Thomas, you’re up first.”
Lena wanted to ride the barrel, too. Garrett was reluctant, but she seemed to be feeling fine, so he didn’t protest.
Then it became obvious to Garrett that the boys were not pulling the ropes as hard for Lena as they did for each other. She kept yelling at them, “More. More!”
Thomas and Marcos took the girl at her word and began to jerk the ropes with greater and greater effort. Lena stayed on for a few seconds, but then Marcos gave a big pull and she tumbled off onto her side.
Garrett rushed over to kneel beside her. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“Sure.” She rolled to her back, laughing. “That was the best ride ever. You guys make it too easy,” she told the boys. “That’s not fair.”
“Well, now it’s my turn,” Marcos declared.
Garrett gave Lena a hand up from the ground. “Maybe you ought to test your blood sugar,” he said in a low voice. “To be sure you’re okay.”
She rolled her eyes. “I just tested before lunch.”
“Exercise can affect your results. Why don’t you do a quick check?”
“Because I’m not making a big deal of this.” She marched over to the barrel and took hold of the rope Marcos had used. “Let’s watch you ride, Marcos. Come on.”
Short of taking her by the arm and marching her to the cabin, Garrett couldn’t force Lena to do a blood test. And he wasn’t sure even that would work.
“I lost that battle,” he said when he called Rachel later in the afternoon. “But I don’t know what I could have done differently. How do you convince a teenager to take care of herself?”
“I understand why you’d be frustrated.” Her ready empathy soothed his concern. “She’s probably going to have to experience some negative consequences before she accepts the importance of testing regularly. When is her appointment in Buffalo?”
“Thursday.”
“They should talk to her about exercise and diabetes, make it clear how activity can affect her glucose level. You don’t have to bear the entire burden of her care, Garrett. You’re part of a team.”
“I’m grateful to have your support, at least.” He didn’t want to let her go without some personal conversation between them. “How was your afternoon? More patients?”
“Terri, from the diner, brought in her six-year-old, who has tonsillitis. A couple of others. It’s a start.” She paused, and he expected her to end the conversation. “What’s on the camp schedule the rest of the day?” she asked, instead. “How do you keep them busy?”
He smiled into his phone. “Right now they’ve got a break, which they mostly spend on their phones. Some of them read. Then there’s dinner to cook, eat and clean up. Tonight we’re taking them out for a campfire in the woods.” He chose to push his luck. “Care to join us? It’s a special experience, shared with friends under the stars.”
There was a moment of silence. “Yes,” she said finally. “I’d enjoy that. What time should I be there?”
They settled the details and disconnected, but Garrett was still grinning when he strolled into the house. Ford and Wyatt were at the dining table going over insurance paperwork.
“What are you so happy about?” Wyatt asked. “I could sure use
something to smile over after all this mess.”
“Rachel is coming to the campfire tonight.” He sat at the end of the table.
“Aha. I thought you had a special gleam in your eye when she was here,” Ford said. “Pursuing the lady doctor, are you?”
“Doing my best, but she’s quite a challenge.”
“Shall we sing love songs tonight, provide a suitable soundtrack for romance?”
“With seven teenagers sitting around, I doubt there’ll be any romance. I’m just trying to get within arm’s reach.”
“Of what?” Caroline asked, coming into the room. She put her hands on Ford’s shoulders and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Your friend,” Ford said. “He’s fallen for Rachel Vale.”
Caroline stared at him, her brows drawn together. “I can see that. You would be good for Rachel—your positive attitude could bring more lightness into her life. She tends to be too serious.”
“Does that mean I have your approval?”
She held up a cautioning finger. “As long as you don’t hurt her.”
“Believe me,” Garrett said, “The way things are going, I’m much more likely to be the one who ends up getting hurt.”
*
IN HINDSIGHT, RACHEL couldn’t believe she’d agreed to go the campfire at the Circle M. Yes, she’d spent the past couple of nights alone in her apartment, cleaning and scrubbing until the paint peeled, vacuuming so often the carpet had started to unravel. And, sure, the idea of spending an evening outside under the Wyoming stars seemed the perfect way to end the day.
But… Garrett Marshall.
She’d be meeting him in an undeniably romantic setting, without any way to defend herself against his charisma. How hard could she make things on herself?
Of course the teenagers would be present, along with his brothers and Caroline. So there would be no possibility for a repetition of those kisses in the kitchen, the ones that tended to preoccupy her mind when she wasn’t being careful. Sleep had been elusive the past two nights, and filled with restless dreams when it finally did arrive, which made deliberately choosing to enjoy his company an even crazier idea.
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