by Milan Watson
“Yeah, I know,” Dusty called out as he dragged a hand through his hair, returning his hat. “I lost track of time. Blame Sammy, she seduced me into a ride.”
The painted mare nickered as if she agreed with him. To his surprise Gemma smiled, all impatience gone from her expression. “She’s beautiful. I would’ve been tempted myself.” He watched as Gemma moved towards his horse and rubbed her flank. “You’re a pretty girl, aren’t you?”
Being the haughty mare that she was Sammy neighed in agreement.
“So what was it you mentioned about stakes?” Dusty asked when she turned back to him.
Gemma shook her head. “I said we needed to stake out the plan and get a feel for space before we break ground.”
Dusty frowned as he glanced around and saw a bunch of stakes already pegged into the dirt. “You did all this?”
Gemma shrugged. “I came out an hour earlier, good thing since I’m almost done. Now you can take a stroll through what is going to be the dude ranch.”
Dusty shook his head not knowing if he should be irked that she had come onto their property earlier than agreed, or impressed at how many stakes she had planted. “I would’ve helped.”
“I know.” Gemma smiled. “But I like staking out the plans. Makes me feel like I do more than just draw them. Come, see for yourself.”
Dusty followed her as she moved towards a red ribbon tied to a stake.
“Red is for entrances, green is for pathways, and yellow is for cabins,” Gemma explained as they moved.
Dusty couldn’t help but feel excited. It was different walking through the space and envisioning what could be rather than simply looking at a bunch of lines on a piece of paper. By the time they reached the last cabin at the edge of the woods Dusty couldn’t hide his excitement for another moment. “Gemma, this is… its better than I imagined. Thank you.”
Gemma laughed as she punched the air. “Yes! I was so afraid you were going to hate it. If I have your okay then I’ll start contacting contractors to come out and give quotes.”
“You do that?” Dusty asked with a frown. “I thought the architect’s job stops at drawing the blueprints?”
Gemma shook her head. “Some do, but our firm has always been very hands on. If you want me to bow out now, I can, but I’d be more than willing to oversee the construction for you.”
Dusty thought of all his commitments at the ranch and everything that he still needed to do for the dude ranch. He had an initial business plan but still needed a website, a logo, and of course start on a marketing plan. “I’d appreciate it.”
Gemma smiled. “Great.”
Dusty felt that smile reach right down into his heart and open a wound that had festered for too long. They were standing right at the edge of the woods and the musky scent of Indian Paintbrushes in late bloom drifted to him on the breeze, reminding him of a picnic a long time ago.
“If there’s nothing else?” Dusty asked, clenching his jaw. The last thing he needed was to fall for Gemma Riley all over again.
“Actually,” Gemma said as her eyes sparkled with excitement. “There was one other thing I wanted to show you. Come with me.” She moved into the woods and Dusty followed a few paces behind her. “Remember that if one day you want to expand you should consider cabins in the woods, or even a tree house or two. These firs can handle it and it would be a definite selling point.”
Dusty nodded, intrigued as he glanced around the woods. All over the property they had copses of trees, but this one was the biggest. When you were a few yards in it felt like you were in the middle of a forest, he could definitely see the appeal. “That’s a great idea.”
“I know, isn’t it?” Gemma nodded.
For the first time since they began working on the project it felt to Dusty as if the past didn’t matter. As if the here and now should be all he concerned himself with. He started to move towards her when she stepped back.
“Ouch!” Gemma’s startled cry echoed through the forest as she was whipped up into a tree by her ankle. For a moment Dusty couldn’t fathomed what had happened until he saw the snare around the ankle of her boot.
“Dusty, help me!” Gemma cried out desperately as she hung upside down from a tree.
Dusty’s brow furrowed even as anger ricocheted through his mind. Snares were illegal and no Caldwell had ever planted a snare on their property. As he moved towards Gemma to see where the snare was attached he called up to her. “Gemma, I’ll get you down in a second; where’s your phone?”
His heart clenched when he looked back and saw her dangling upside down. Phoning for help wasn’t an option, he was going to get her down and then he’d deal with whoever had dared to set a tree-spring-noose-trap on Falcon Falls.
Chapter 9
Gemma’s heart was racing even as her head began to pound from hanging upside down. She drew in a deep breath as she saw Dusty reach into a pouch on his belt to withdraw a multi-purpose tool. He glanced up at her as he moved towards the rope used to snare the trap.
“Just hang in there. I’m going to cut you down and slowly lower you to the ground,” Dusty called to her as he reached for the rope and began sawing through with a blade on the tool.
Gemma nodded, trying not to struggle too much when she saw Dusty curl the rope around one hand just as the rope gave away. She dropped a few inches and cried out as the ground came racing towards her.
“Careful now, I’ve got it,” Dusty promised as he began giving leeway on the rope until her hands touched the ground. When she was on her elbow she saw him turning to her. “I’m going to let go now.”
Gemma nodded as her legs fell to the ground. The impact made her shriek with pain. “My ankle!”
Dusty rushed to her side, quick to investigate. “Did you hurt it on the fall or was it hurt with the noose snare?”
Gemma sat up and began rubbing her ankle. “The trap. It’s the one that got caught.”
“I need to call for help before I get you checked out. Where’s your phone?” Dusty said, already starting to slip off her boot.
Gemma flinched when she saw the angry red scar around her ankle.
“Crap!” Dusty muttered. “Your phone Gemma, where is it?”
Gemma pushed the pain and shock aside. “Uh… the car. Yeah, I left it in the car.”
“I’ll be right back,” Dusty said, rushing to her SUV.
Gemma rubbed her ankle trying to assess the damage. She shook her head still unable to believe she had been caught in a snare trap like a darn rabbit when Dusty rushed back to her side. “Ford is on his way to deal with this, I’m taking you to see Doc Pruitt.”
“Dusty, I’m sure it’s fine.” Gemma tried to be brave as she pushed up, but the moment she put the slightest pressure on her ankle her leg simply gave way from the pain.
“Yeah, sure looks fine to me,” Dusty said as he slipped one arm around her back and another beneath her legs. “We’re taking your car.”
Gemma was lifted up into the air, this time not by a trap meant to harm but by a man she had once loved. She glanced at his brown eyes but they were unreadable. She wasn’t sure if it was anger or concern shining in his gaze, but she knew that she had never felt safer regardless of the fact that her ankle was throbbing like all get-up.
“You get the door,” Dusty said when he reached the car.
Their lips were only inches from each other and for a moment Gemma forgot about being snared up into a tree, all she could think about was his scent, the feel of his arms around her and the quick way he acted.
“Thank you, Dusty,” Gemma whispered, afraid her normal voice would ruin the moment.
Dusty searched her gaze, his eyes narrowed with affection. She recognized that look from a long time ago. “I’ll make whoever set that trap pay for hurting you.” His voice was low, the threat in it clear, making a shiver run down Gemma’s spine.
She opened the door and Dusty gently set her down on the back seat. Gemma shimmied back, keeping her hurt ankle in the air. Within seconds
he was in the driver’s seat and headed to town.
Gemma sat quietly in the back trying to think of anything but the pain throbbing in her ankle. She had never twisted an ankle before and was almost certain this wasn’t just a sprained ankle. To have her whole body whipped into a tree by her ankle must’ve caused some kind of damage.
As they turned into town Gemma let out a sigh. “Old Doc Pruitt is going to scold me for wearing heels again. He’s done it since the first time my mother bought me a pair. He’ll probably say this is the result of years of walking on your toes.”
Dusty glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “This had nothing to do with your shoes. Besides, Sawyer ain’t an idiot.”
“Sawyer? I thought he was up in Boston getting his degree?”
Dusty shrugged. “Got back about a year ago and took over his pa’s practice.”
Gemma shook her head. “How things have changed.”
Dusty pulled up outside Doc Pruitt’s offices and moved around to the rear door before scooping Gemma up again. Although his friend Sawyer had taken over the practice, everyone still spoke of Doc Pruitt.
“Dusty, if you just give me a little support I can wobble.”
Dusty looked down and for a moment his eyes wandered to her lips instead of her gaze. “This is faster.”
Although he said it was faster he didn’t move. He stood on Main Street holding her in his arms and Gemma wished – not for the first time – that she knew what happened back then. Even after all this time he was still the only man to make her blood zing. The fact that he was heating her blood in the middle of the day, while suffering an injury, spoke volumes about the attraction that simmered between them.
“You gonna stand out there or get in here?” Sally Wilkins asked, opening the door to the practice.
Dusty cleared his throat as he began walking towards Sally. “Sorry, thanks for getting the door. She got caught by a snare, her ankle’s hurtin’.”
Sally Wilkins had been beautiful during high school. While all the other girls waited to fill out Sally had bloomed early. Ford had a thing for her in the fifth grade if Dusty remembered correctly. Right now her blue eyes narrowed even as her fire-engine red lips pouted.
“Dusty – you’re putting me on. What really happened? She trip over her feet for a Caldwell?” Sally chuckled. “Wouldn’t be the first.”
Dusty groaned. “Let us by, Sally, I ain’t foolin’.”
Sally’s eyes widened. “Oh dear, you’d better head right into exam room 2 then, I’ll tell Doc you’re here.”
Dusty moved through the small practice before setting Gemma down on the bed in exam room two. Gemma had never felt more embarrassed. Except that she was carried into Doc Pruitt’s offices she knew Sally Wilkins would make sure the whole of Saddleback Ridge knew about it before the sun rested on the hills tonight. “You can leave now, Dusty; thanks for bringing me. I’ll be fine.”
Dusty frowned. “You lost some of your marbles on the way down if you think I’m leaving. You got injured on Falcon Falls. I’m not going anywhere until I’m sure you’re fine.”
There was a light knock at the door and Gemma hoped that Sawyer would think her flushed cheeks were due to pain and not Dusty’s proximity. A smile curved her mouth at the sight of him.
“Sawyer, you’re back in town?” Gemma asked.
Sawyer Pruitt shrugged. “Guilty as charged.” His thick blond hair was combed back but his blue eyes still had that charming glint of a player. “Didn’t know you were back and hanging out with this guy.”
Sawyer playfully punched Dusty on the arm. Growing up Sawyer had been friends with all the Caldwells but he and Dusty had been the closest.
Dusty groaned. “Enough small talk. She got caught in a snare on our property. She was whipped up into the tree before I got her down. Her ankle’s not looking too happy about it.”
“A tree spring noose trap? Heck Dusty, we set those as kids and got our hides spanked by your old man for it. Who would set one on Falcon Falls?” Sawyer glanced at Gemma’s ankle with concern.
“Don’t know but I’m sure as hell going to find out.”
Gemma wanted to ask Dusty to leave but Sawyer was already assessing her ankle. After asking her to put a little weight on it, and trying to twist it, she was nearly exhausted with pain. She sat back down on the examination bed and waited for Sawyer’s verdict. “There is good news and bad news. Which would you like first?”
“The good news,” Gemma said at the same time that Dusty asked for the bad news.
Sawyer frowned as he glanced between them. “The good news is it’s not broken, the bad news is I suspect a few torn ligaments.”
“I need to go to hospital?” Gemma asked with wide-eyes.
“Not much they can do for you there. We’ll need to put you in a brace for a couple of weeks at least, and you’ll need to keep it elevated and iced for the next seventy-two hours. No driving, no walking without crutches, and no playing in the woods.”
“We weren’t playing,” Gemma and Dusty objected together.
Sawyer just chuckled. “That would be an answer as well. I’ll fetch you the boot.”
As soon as Sawyer left the room Gemma turned to Dusty. Instead of the anger she had sensed every time when he was near, there was something else now. Something very much familiar that had her looking away.
“I’ll wait for you in the waiting room,” Dusty said, turning and walking out of the room.
Gemma listened absentmindedly as Sawyer explained to her how to care for her ankle while fastening the brace. When they were done he helped her into a wheelchair before taking her into the waiting room where Dusty was still waiting.
“Thanks Doc,” Dusty said as he took over the wheelchair and pushed her to the car. He opened the door and helped her in like a helpless child.
As soon as he climbed in she allowed the anger, the hurt of the past, and the shock of today take control of her words. “I’m not a child and I don’t appreciate being treated like one.”
Dusty glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Right now you’re actin’ like one. I was only trying to help.”
“Where are you taking me?” Gemma demanded, glancing up at her apartment over Doc Pruitt’s offices.
“Home,” Dusty said as he checked Main Street for traffic.
Gemma huffed. “If you weren’t so set on taking over I would’ve mentioned I live above Doc Pruitt’s offices. The one with the pot of marigolds on the balcony.”
Dusty frowned as he shifted in his seat to look at her. “Oh… I thought you’d have moved in with your parents.”
Gemma opened the door. “You thought wrong. I’m not eighteen anymore, Dusty.”
His eyes darkened as if in agreement. Emotions were running high in her mind. She was exhausted, in pain, and wanted nothing more than to succumb to the comfort of her couch after taking some painkillers. Dusty moved around the car and once again picked her up before taking the stairs leading to the apartments two at a time.
“I would’ve managed,” Gemma argued when they reached her door. Instead of leaving Dusty carried her inside and set her down on the couch. Once he had her ankle elevated with pillows he added another one behind her back.
Gemma gasped at his proximity when he suddenly met her gaze. The fire was still there. It was the first time it’d blazed this high since she had come back to Saddleback Ridge. Dusty gently trailed his thumb over her cheek making her heart melt completely. “Dusty…” Gemma trailed off.
Her voice was the antidote to whatever had just transpired. Dusty straightened up and glanced at her ankle before meeting her gaze. “I’ll have Sally bring up your things.”
With that he turned and walked out of her apartment.
Gemma pinched the bridge of her nose. Great, she thought, now she didn’t just have a sore ankle but a headache as well.
Chapter 10
Dusty headed straight to the fridge when he finally got into the homestead an hour later. After leaving Gemma�
��s apartment it had taken him all of two minutes to realize he was in town with Gemma’s car and needed a ride home. Drake had taken care of collecting Sammy, and Ford had come to pick him up.
The last few hours had been taxing, except for finding a snare on their property and rushing Gemma to Sawyer, he had let his defenses drop enough to almost pay a visit to the past. He wasn’t sure what had his anger simmering more.
“What’s this business I hear about a snare?” his father’s voice rumbled as he joined him in the kitchen.
Betty joined them with an exasperated look. “Is it true that Gemma got caught in a snare?”
Dusty gave a frustrated huff. “Yeah, a tree noose snare. Right in the woods where we’re building the dude ranch. Dad, it whipped her up so fast I barely had a moment to realize what was happening.”
“You set those snares?” Clayton asked with a narrowed look.
Ford chuckled as he stepped into the kitchen. “Dad, the last time we set snares to catch rabbits you tanned our hides before threatening to snare us up. We didn’t set that snare, no one living on Falcon Falls did.”
“Call your brothers,” Clayton said to Ford before turning to Dusty. “Is Gemma badly injured?”
Dusty shook his head as he rolled the cool can of beer over his forehead. “Sawyer says it’s probably a torn ligament in her ankle, otherwise a really bad sprain. She’s got a brace she’s got to wear for a few weeks.”
“At least she wasn’t hurt more seriously,” Betty said with relief.
Dusty waited as Drake, Logan, and Ford all piled into the kitchen. “Anyone here set a snare on this property?” Clayton asked with a low voice.
Dusty and his brothers knew that admitting was better than lying, but one by one they shook their heads. It was Logan who pointed out the obvious. “Whoever set that snare did it intentionally. Hunting season for hares and rabbits only starts in October; it’s barely the end of July.”
“Could a hare-snare whip a grown woman into a tree?” Ford asked with a cocked brow. “Unless whoever set that snare was hoping for bigger game.”
