The Last Cowboy

by Lindsay McKenna

  “I’m fine,” Slade said. His whole leg burned white-hot from her unexpected touch. Oh, he knew it was a doctor’s touch, a medical examination, nothing more, but his body didn’t know that. And neither did his galloping heart. She stood there smiling down at him and taking off her bright red-yellow-and-orange scarf from around her slender neck. Her hair was softly mussed, and Slade ached to slide his fingers through it.

  “Good. I’m ready for a cup off coffee. How about you?”

  Nodding, his spirits soared as he was now beneath the spotlight of her warmth and care. She wheeled him into the brightly lit kitchen and placed him at the pine table so he could see what she was doing at the counter. Suddenly, Slade realized he felt a strange, new emotion. It was happiness. Shocked by it, he watched Jordana move around the spotless kitchen as she made them a pot of fresh coffee.

  “What happened at the hospital?” he asked. Her hands were long, her fingers beautifully tapered. Hands that performed surgery on people who had gotten into traumatic accidents. Hands that healed. Hands that he wanted touching him everywhere.

  “A rollover truck accident,” she said over her shoulder as she put the coffee grounds into the coffeemaker. “The kid was sixteen, going too fast and the sheriff’s deputy found him at the bottom of a hill.”

  “Did the kid live?”

  Jordana turned after she finished getting the coffee ready to perk. “Yes.”

  “Did you perform surgery on him?”

  “Yep, I did. But I had another specialist in there with me. He was an orthopedist. This kid shattered his left leg. He wasn’t wearing a seat belt, and as he was thrown from the cab, his left leg smashed through the front windshield and struck the side of the cab as he flew out of it.” Shaking her head, Jordana added more softly, “I don’t think he’s going to keep that leg. It’s too shattered. The bone surgeon did all he could, but he’s doubtful, too.”

  “Sixteen,” Slade muttered, his brows falling. “Messing up your life that young by losing a leg? That’s bitter medicine.”

  Sighing, Jordana felt her sadness lift as she sat down opposite Slade at the table. “I know. The parents are taking it hard.”

  “Who is the kid?”

  “Randy Bateman.”

  Cursing softly, Slade said, “I know them. They’re a local cattle-ranching family south of Jackson Hole. That’s a real shame.”

  She settled her elbows on the table and absorbed Slade’s quiet, strong presence. Even if he was crippled for a while, he was still so powerful that it rocked her emotionally as a woman. “That’s the hard part of my job, Slade. I love being a surgeon and I love helping people mend. What I don’t like—” and she clasped her hands in front of her “—are days like this. Randy is only sixteen. One stupid mistake of driving too fast around a curve is going to change his whole life, forever.”

  Frowning, Slade touched his injured leg. “I guess I have nothing to bitch about, do I? I might be laid up and crippled for a little while, but that kid might lose his leg.”

  “Right,” Jordana said, giving him a soft smile. “Hey,” she said teasingly, “I like this sensitive side to you, Slade. How come I never see it when I’m out at your ranch?”

  Giving her a shy grin, he melted beneath her sunny smile. “I’m your teacher out there. You’re my student. It’s a different relationship than what we share here.”

  Chuckling, Jordana stood up and went to the counter. “That’s true, but I like seeing this other side to you. It’s a pleasant surprise.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” Slade teased back with a slight chuckle. His heart opened powerfully as he sat there watching her take down two orange ceramic mugs and pour the coffee into them. How slender and firm she looked in her jeans and T-shirt. Her hips were flared, her legs long and coltish looking. The T-shirt outlined her small breasts and waist. She wasn’t voluptuous, but that didn’t matter to Slade.

  Sitting down after she’d delivered the coffee, Jordana said, “I’ll need to open that dressing before you go to bed tonight. It has to be changed twice daily.”

  The thought of her hands on him like that made Slade almost burn his tongue as he sipped the dark brew. She’d said it matter-of-factly, not like a woman who wanted to intimately touch him. Slade warned himself to be careful with how he was over-reacting to Jordana in such close, intimate quarters. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

  “After forty-eight hours, you will be able to do it for yourself.”

  “After forty-eight hours I’m going to be back at my ranch,” he warned her. Although Slade wistfully found himself wishing he could stay here with Jordana, instead. When she walked in that door, the whole place lit up with sunlight. When she was gone, it felt cold and lifeless. Slade didn’t know a woman could affect him so powerfully in such a positive way. He’d never experienced this with Isabel. And really, all Jordana had done was a generous offer to keep him here because he hated hospitals.

  Chuckling, Jordana said, “Yes, as your physician, I’ll write a script for you to go home.” She grinned over at him, and she liked his boyish reactions. This was a side to Slade that she’d never encountered. And she liked it maybe a little too much.

  “That’s big of you,” he said. Seeing the merriment sparkle in her blue eyes, Slade liked the fact he could make her smile. Teasing wasn’t something he did a lot, but with her, it came naturally, and it was playful and harmless. It made her laugh, and that sent a keening ache through him. Isabel had never made him laugh. Her contact was nothing like Jordana’s hand upon him. Their touches were so different, it made Slade realize how bad a choice he’d made when he’d impulsively married Isabel. His wife had been flirty, always grazing his hand or shoulder and giving him that sultry, come-on look. Jordana was the exact opposite. There was so much Slade wanted time to sort out. But time wasn’t on his side.

  “Uh-oh,” Jordana said, giving him a slight smile, “what were you just thinking? You went from being open to closing up like an iron book.”

  Startled, Slade realized he had allowed her to see his emotions. “Uh,” he stammered, “just thinking about the past was all.” He didn’t want to lie to Jordana. She was too kind and loving to have that done to her. And Slade wasn’t the type to lie, anyway. His blunt, unvarnished truth usually got him into more trouble than not. Lies weren’t a part of his makeup.

  Jordana had to tread carefully. She knew Slade’s house-related finances were in ruins, but he’d never let on about it to her. She surmised he was worried about not being able to ride Thor and winning the Tetons endurance race. “I don’t know about you, but my past put me in a financial hole the size of the Arizona meteor crater,” she said lightly. When Slade’s demeanor changed, and he looked interested, she added, “When I was at a New York City hospital earning my spurs as a resident, my boss made it impossible for me to continue working there. And when it was all over, I was just about penniless.”

  Frowning, Slade recalled the photos on the living-room wall. “You lost the suit?”

  “No, I won it, but as that happened, the stock market plunged and I lost my entire savings. I won the suit, left my job at that hospital and came out here. For the last two years, everything has been stressful for me insofar as finances went. I had to start all over. I didn’t want to put my money back into the stock market ever again.”

  Stunned, Slade digested her story. “I guess I never thought doctors were poor.”

  She smiled a little, her hands sliding around the mug. “Normally, you’re right. But I had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to my attorney. When we settled the case, there was four hundred thousand dollars given to me. I bought this house with it.”

  “I’m sorry to hear this. I didn’t know….” And he didn’t. Conscience eating at him, Slade said, “I want to reduce your monthly training bill to one thousand dollars.”

  Shocked, Jordana sat up. She had paid him two thousand dollars. “What? Are you serious?”

  As badly as Slade needed that money, he could no
t go on with his scheme to milk her for extra money. Even though it could hold off the wolves from the bank, he couldn’t do this to Jordana. She was the soul of kindness, and he’d rooked her because he hadn’t wanted to train a woman. “I’m very serious. I’ll write you a check when I get back to the ranch for that extra thousand. You need it worse than I do.”

  Alarmed, Jordana didn’t think so. “But Gwen Garner said you were on the brink of foreclosure, Slade.”

  Oops! She didn’t mean to blurt it out! Slade had already told her, too. She knew the topic was painful for him. Pressing her hand against her mouth, her eyes went huge, and Jordana saw the impact the words had on Slade. His gaze narrowed and his gray eyes darkened with pain.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” he said, his voice suddenly dull and bitter. The cat was out of the bag, so Slade didn’t tell Jordana that he’d tried to milk her out of an extra thousand a month because he’d thought she was a filthy rich doctor.

  She reached across the table and gripped his hand. “You’ve had such a hard life, Slade. Everyone who knows you tells me that you’re one of the hardest working ranchers in the valley.” She saw his eyes widen for a moment as she touched his hand that was curled in a fist upon the table. It felt so good to touch him. She could feel the latent power in that hairy hand. A hand she wanted exploring her. Surprised by her thoughts, Jordana quickly pulled her fingers away.

  “You need that extra money from me, then,” she said stubbornly. “I want to pay you that two grand a month, Slade.”

  “You can’t afford it, either, Jordana.”

  Hearing the frustration in his tone, she shook her head. “If I don’t put a thousand dollars into my savings a month, I’m not losing this house.” She gestured around the kitchen. “You, on the other hand, can use it to stop bank foreclosure.”

  Giving her a look of impatience, Slade growled, “You don’t understand, dammit. I charged you twice the amount of my other students because I didn’t want to have to train a woman for endurance!” There, the truth was out.

  Jordana’s brows flew up. “Oh,” was all she could choke out.

  Slade reached over and placed his hand over hers. “Listen, I was wrong about you, Jordana. Dead wrong. My own past with my ex-wife, who was from New York City, made me do this. I’m sorry. I really am. And I want to make things right between us because you don’t deserve this kind of trickery.” And she didn’t. Slade moved his fingers across her hand and watched her eyes turn soft and hungry. It was then he realized that not only was he attracted to her, but she was to him, too. Slade removed his hand. He’d hurt Jordana. Basically, he’d defrauded her. And Slade was ready to accept her censure, even if it meant she’d leave him and go train with Curt Downing.

  Sitting there, Jordana felt the wild tingles moving up from her hand, arm and encircling her pounding heart. Oh! Slade was dangerous-looking, his beard darkening his face, emphasizing his high cheekbones and those icy gray eyes of his. Her gaze kept returning to his mouth. A mouth she wanted to cherish and kiss and then she wanted to make hot, untrammeled love to this man. Swallowing hard, Jordana whispered tautly, “Slade, you had good reasons for your choices. I can forgive you for them.”

  Staring at her, Slade shook his head. “If I were you, I’d be damned angry.”

  Shrugging, Jordana finished her coffee. “You told me the truth, Slade. You’re willing to give me the money back. We all make mistakes. It’s what we learn from them that’s important.”

  How different Jordana was from Isabel! Her maturity was like a warm blanket surrounding him. “I’m learning to stop comparing you to my ex-wife, Isabel. It’s not fair to you. You’re nothing like her.”

  “After hearing your story about her,” Jordana said with a pained smiled, “you’re right about that.” She got up, feeling suddenly exhausted. It had been an intense one-hour discussion. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed. I need to change your dressing, but would you like to get a shower first?”

  Slade nodded. He saw the dark circles starting to appear beneath her eyes. “Is the dressing waterproof?” he wondered.

  “Yep, sure is. Come on, I’ll take you to the master bathroom because it’s very large and easy for you to maneuver around in.”

  “I can stand and take a shower on this leg?”

  “Yes,” she assured him, wheeling him out of the kitchen. Her master bedroom was on the opposite side of the house from the guest bedroom. “Do you need help undressing?”

  The thought was hot and provocative. Slade put a lid on it. “No, I’ll be fine. Just get me my hospital robe and I’ll call you when I’m done?”

  Nodding, Jordana wheeled him into the tan-tiled bathroom. It had a shower at one end and a Jacuzzi-style bathtub at the other. “I can do that.” Putting the parking brakes on the wheelchair, she called, “I’ll be right back with your robe.”

  Slade sat there appreciating the huge master bathroom. The tile floor allowed easy movement of his wheelchair. There were metal handholds outside the shower and inside, as well, so he could hold on to something if he felt dizzy or weak. Hearing her footsteps down the pine hall, he twisted his head. Jordana smiled and placed his bathrobe across one of the two basins.

  “Holler if you need help, okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. You just take care of yourself,” he told her gruffly. When she smiled a little, his heart raced. How could he ever have deceived this woman? Jordana was kind and generous. Reeling from how he’d treated her initially, Slade swore he’d right that wrong.

  Jordana closed the door. Her heart felt like singing. Almost giddy from the intimate and personal talk with Slade, she felt as if she were floating down the hall toward the kitchen. Although Slade had pride, he could swallow it when the chips were down. As she puttered in the kitchen cleaning up for the night, Jordana knew he didn’t have to tell her about the thousand dollars extra he’d hit her up for. She understood on a deeper level that Slade needed it to keep the bank at bay.

  Where was their relationship going? Jordana wasn’t sure. Had it been a mistake to bring Slade over here for two nights? She knew if he’d gone to his ranch, the rancor and bitterness he held against his twin, Griff, would have interfered with his healing process. Jordana knew this instinctively and breathed a sigh of relief for Slade. This was the first patient of hers that she’d ever allowed in her home. So what else was going on? As she stood at the sink staring out the curtained windows into the night, her heart whispered to her. She was powerfully drawn to Slade. But what were the consequences?

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE MORNING WAS CLEAR and cool as Jordana trotted Stormy down between the cow pastures. The sun was barely tipping above the Rocky Mountains to the east of her. Stormy was prancing and dancing beneath her hand, eager to get on with the thirty-mile training ride. Happiness thrummed through Jordana. Just having Slade in her home was working miracles for both of them, she realized. The intimacy was powerful, like an aphrodisiac. She hadn’t made love to a man in over two years. Now, she wanted to.

  Stormy snorted and tossed her head, her black mane flying. Laughing softly, Jordana leaned down and whispered, “Easy, girl. You have to warm up before we start.”

  Another snort and Stormy danced sideways.

  Jordana laughed out loud and pressed her left calf against the barrel of the horse. Stormy righted immediately and was impatient at being kept to such a slow trot. Jordana knew that if her horse was not properly warmed up, she could pull a tendon and that would take her out of the competition for a year. Tendon pulls or tears were an endurance rider’s worst nightmare. It could easily sideline a horse for six months. And sometimes, if the tendon didn’t heal properly, they could never resume that level of athletic challenge again.

  Up ahead, Jordana saw that Diablo, the Hereford bull who had gored Slade, was tossing his head. He, too, felt the coolness and was frisky. She knew he was being taken over to the cows for breeding, and it was obvious he was ready to take on that role today. Shorty would be
coming out in an hour to herd the feisty bull over to a smaller pasture where his girls awaited him. She saw the white jets of steam shooting out of his large nostrils.

  Joy filtered through Jordana. Yes, the day was young. Full of promise. She felt the movement of Stormy between her strong legs and smiled. Riding a horse was like being rocked in a cradle by a mother, she thought. It was a rhythm and movement she couldn’t live without.

  Suddenly, Diablo bellowed. Startled, Jordana saw the bull charging toward them! Stormy reacted first. As the bull hit the pipe railing with all his weight, the mustang leaped away to avoid the oncoming attack. Jordana followed through with her mare’s defensive movement. Diablo had never charged them before! She watched the metal-pipe railing tremble beneath the bull’s unexpected charge. He bellowed again. Leaping forward, his eyes rolling and spittle drooling out of his opened mouth, he charged.

  Jordana was about to ask Stormy to gallop in order to get away from the angry bull. Just as she pressed her calves into the horse, she felt Stormy falter. Oh, no! In seconds, the mare, who was trying to avoid the next assault by the angry bull, had slipped into a newly made gopher hole at the edge of the trail. Jordana threw the reins away to give Stormy her head in order to try and regain her balance. Stormy grunted. Jordana felt her left rear leg suddenly crumple beneath her. They were going down! Instinctively, Jordana jerked her feet out of the stirrups and lifted them upward. It felt as if she were in slow motion as the stalwart mare tumbled sideways and fell toward the ground.

  Pushing off the saddle with her right foot, Jordana sailed out of the saddle. Stormy hit the grassy ditch next to the cow pasture with a grunt. Jordana hit the ground on her back, and she curled into a ball to absorb the fall. Air whooshed out of her lungs. Jordana rolled several feet before coming to a stop. Anxiously, she leaped to her feet, alarmed for Stormy. Jordana ignored the bruises to herself. Diablo galloped down the fence line away from them.