by Joann Baker
“Nothing much. Just that you seem a might interested in our new doctor.”
Gabe gave a half-hearted relieved laugh. “They’re just saying that because I called Pops on his matchmaking schemes.”
“You mean they were trying to set you up with the doc?” Cal’s voice had a note of disbelief.
“Yes. No.” He shook his head. “Pops said, and I quote, ‘he wouldn’t do that to Frank’. And Gramps agreed.” Gabe couldn’t think straight with the remembered feel of Amelia’s warmth still in his head but the idea that they were against the setup pissed him off. “Not that I’d be part of it anyway, but why the hell does everybody think that would be a bad idea?”
Cal gave Gabe a thoughtful look. “Well, there is your reputation. You are kind of a love ‘em and leave ‘em type.”
“So the hell was Ryder before he met Georgia.”
“Georgie was the love of his life. That changes a man.”
Gabe couldn’t hold his brother’s gaze any longer. He turned away. “It certainly does.”
He felt Cal move and then the warm weight of his hand on his shoulder. “We know something happened to you—changed you—all those years ago, Gabe. Don’t you think it’s about time you got it off your chest?”
Gabe hesitated, wanting more than anything to talk about his past relationship with Amelia, but he knew he couldn’t. He wasn’t ready. He might never be ready. Especially if she wound up breaking his heart all over again.
“Thanks for the offer, Cal, but no. The time for talking has passed.” He shrugged away from his brother’s hold, needing to be by himself. Hell, he’d never be completely by himself. The memories of his time with Amelia—and all the might-have-beens—would stay with him forever.
CHAPTER FOUR
AMELIA POKED THROUGH the medical supplies on the small table in front of her—gauze, tape, antiseptic, and aspirin. Plus a good supply of elastic bandages for all the sprains and busted ribs she knew she’d be treating. She knew the amount of each item by heart. She’d put them out herself an hour and a half ago, just like she’d placed them the night before. She’d spent the last ninety minutes rearranging them again and again. She sighed and leaned back in the chair that she’d stationed behind the table and just outside the back of the county’s ambulance. It only made sense to set up next to it since the major supplies were inside the aging vehicle.
Several vendors separated her from the grandstands, but she could still see and hear the roar of the captivated crowd. The first event had been mutton busting where the younger fans had burst from the chutes on the back of a sheep and attempted to hold on for six seconds of glory. It was a way to generate interest for the rodeo in the next generation and had really livened up the already boisterous group of spectators.
Across the dusty arena, the judges’ stand sat high above the chutes, giving them a bird’s eye view of everything. For the last hour, ornery bulls had surged forth while precariously perched cowboys clung to their backs, the bulls snorting and twirling, shaking the contenders with brutal enthusiasm like rag dolls before leaving almost every one of them in a heap on the ground. Remarkably, as had happened last night, none of the cowboys had thus far suffered serious injury, thanks to the heroic efforts of the rodeo clowns.
Amelia knew next to nothing about rodeos, having only been to the one that summer when Gabe had competed. At that time, she hadn’t cared about the experience as much as she’d just wanted to be with him. Yesterday had been opening night and she’d spent a great deal of time trying to figure out exactly what was happening in each event. Barrel-racing was a no-brainer. Lovely cowgirls on beautiful horses performed an exquisite pattern around three barrels and the lady with the fastest time won. Pretty basic explanation for such a stunning display of horsemanship. She’d also figured out steer wrestling, team roping, and tie-down roping, all of which she found somewhat cruel. Bull-riding was also self-explanatory and, though she’d never say it out loud, probably one of the stupidest things she’d ever seen grown men do.
Not because they were Gabe’s events—or maybe because they were—her questions, mostly concerned saddle bronc riding and bareback riding. There were seven contenders in each of the two events, including Gabe. She’d almost chewed her fingernails into the quick as she’d watched him ride the wildly bucking horses. She wasn’t sure she could do it again.
She’d spent the last few days intermittently wondering if he’d thought of her after she’d left Saturday. If he had, it surely hadn’t been as often she’d thought about him. Angry with herself and her lack of willpower, she’d once again decided that avoiding Gabe was the best way to deal with her revitalized feelings. It wasn’t as if he was going to seek her out, she thought sourly. The only way she’d be forced into contact was if he got hurt.
God forbid.
“Hi, Amelia.”
Startled, Amelia yelped, her hand flying forward, sending several items flying off the table. She immediately started picking them up.
“Shoot, I’m sorry.”
From her kneeling position beside the table, Amelia’s gaze centered on the pair of male hands that were helping her pick up the boxes and bottles. A smile curved her lips as she pushed to her feet. “Hello, Ryder.”
The big cowboy stood, an anxious smile parting his mobile lips. “Sorry again,” he said, dumping the items haphazardly on the table.
“Don’t worry about it.” Amelia turned to the woman behind Ryder. “Hi, Georgia. How are you?”
“Tired of being pregnant.” She sighed, rubbing her extended belly.
“You’re only a couple days past due.” While Georgia was under the care of the obstetrician in town, the other doctor had asked if he could share Georgia’s information with Amelia since she was one of the doctors who worked in the ER. Just in case the baby decided to make an appearance in the middle of the night. Ryder and Georgia had immediately agreed and had even said they wanted Amelia to be at the birth no matter what. Amelia had agreed, drawn to the happy couple.
“That’s two too many,” the expectant mother replied dryly.
“I tried to get her to stay home in bed, but she wouldn’t listen.” Ryder took his wife’s hand, a worried expression on his handsome face.
“I’m pregnant, honey, not an invalid. And I’m here to support Gabe. Besides,” she looked at Amelia, “exercise is good, right doc?” She winked broadly.
Georgia’s feistiness and Ryder’s macho protectiveness was the best thing Amelia had seen in a very long time. That the two were very much in love was as plain as the horns on the snorting bull being led into the arena.
She nodded. “Yes, exercise is good. In moderation,” she cautioned.
“We’re only walking over to the concession stand to get something to drink.”
“Pops was wondering what was taking so long.”
All three turned at Cal’s deep voice.
“He said if his water was warm, there’d be hell to pay,” Kristen added, her hand held fast in her husband’s.
Another case of true love, Amelia thought with longing. “I take it Harvey is feeling better?”
“Much,” Cal drawled. “He’s back to ragging us more than once a day.” He grinned. “But he sent us to tell you…”
“That he wants his water. We know,” Ry nodded.
“Well, that and he wants everybody back pronto. The bronc riding is about to begin and Gabe drew third.”
“Come sit with us and watch,” Georgia urged.
Amelia wavered for just an instant. “I need to stay here.”
“We won’t be that far away,” Ryder inserted smoothly. “We’re just at this end of the stands. If anybody needs you, we’ll see them, and you can be here in a jiffy.”
“I don’t know.” Amelia continued to hesitate, not wanting to leave the medical tent without a good reason.
“Come on,” Kristen pleaded. “You can help us cheer for Gabe.”
While Amelia doubted he’d care one way or the other, she couldn�
�t resist the imploring look on Georgia and Kristen’s faces. If she were going to stay in Devil’s Spur, it would be nice to have them as friends. Not that she was staying. She’d already made up her mind about that. But still, there was no reason she couldn’t enjoy their company while she was here. As long as Gabe wasn’t around, of course.
“Okay. Just give me a minute to put this stuff back inside and lock up.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
Cal picked up the small table and set it carefully inside the ambulance. Although several boxes overturned, none fell off.
“Thanks.” Amelia quickly locked the doors and stuffed the key into the pocket of her jeans.
Ryder lightly touched his wife’s back. “I’ll get the drinks and meet you all back at the stands. What do you want, Doc?” He continued before she could reply, “Cal, Kristen, Gramps and I are having beer. Pops and Georgia get water.”
Amelia bit her lip as Georgia rolled her eyes. “I’ll have water too, please. Thank you.”
As Ryder went in one direction, they turned the opposite way. Pops and Gramps greeted Amelia with warm hugs, making her glad she’d decided to join them.
“After his score last night, if Gabe does as good tonight, he’ll be a shoo-in for the buckle,” Pops boasted proudly.
“I don’t really understand how the scores are calculated,” Amelia said sheepishly. “I mean, all the horses buck, and the riders stay on. For the most part. How do the judges decide which one had a better ride?”
“Did you notice how each of the riders comes out of the chute with their feet over the horse’s shoulders?” Cal asked.
“Yeah,” Amelia frowned, “I wondered about that, too. It’s a weird way to ride a horse.”
Cal laughed. “It’s how the event starts. Once the horse leaves the chute, the rider has to hold his spurs above the horse’s shoulders until the horse’s front feet hit the ground after its first jump. If he doesn’t, it’s an automatic disqualification.”
Ryder returned with the drinks, nodding his head at Cal’s words. As he passed out the beverages and took a seat beside Georgia, he added, “And after the horse’s feet hit the ground the first time, the rider then synchronizes his spurring action with the animal’s bucking which helps him get a higher score. If the horse bucks spectacularly instead of in a straight line, the score is likely to be higher. The rider’s control, the length of his spurring strokes and how high the horse bucks all accounts for the final score.” He paused to take a breath. “There are two judges and both of them will score the horse and the rider on a zero to fifty scale. Then they’ll add the scores together for the rider’s total.” He shrugged. “So a contestant’s score is equally dependent upon his performance and that of his animal.”
“Wow,” Amelia turned wide eyes to the arena, “I didn’t know it was so complicated. Is there anything else that can disqualify a rider other than dropping his legs too soon?”
“Sure,” Ryder nodded, “there’s lots of reasons. Just like in bareback, if a rider’s free hand touches himself, the horse or equipment, he’s disqualified. Or if his foot slips out of the stirrup or he drops the rein.”
Amelia shook her head in amazement. “That’s an awful lot to remember—and to accomplish for an eight-second ride.”
“But the thrill of winning is worth it to Gabe,” Pops said, taking a drink from his water bottle. “He also wants to win the prize money which he’ll donate to the local children’s hospital, plus the Ace in the Hole will match that amount,” he added proudly.
An odd feeling squeezed Amelia’s chest as she stared at the family around her. They were a close unit, yet they were also part of a bigger community family that cared deeply for one another. It was small town life at its best and, even though she’d been there only a few months, she was going to miss Devil’s Spur when she left. The application for the ER position had been completed and sent before she could change her mind. Not that she had that option anyway. She’d even printed a copy, just to remind herself what was real.
“Benson is up first, I see,” Cal said, drawing her attention to the arena. “Fifty dollars says his horse has a flank strap.”
“What’s that?” Amelia couldn’t resist asking. All she could see of Colby behind the metal gate of the chute was his shoulders and head.
Cal snorted. “It’s a strap made of sheepskin or neoprene that fastens around the widest part of the horse’s abdomen. Some riders use them to…encourage the horse to kick out higher and straighter.”
“That sounds unfair,” Amelia frowned, looking across the arena once more as if she could see beyond the gate.
“It’s not unfair,” Ryder frowned, “but some riders have been known to put a little extra incentive inside the strap, like a burr or a stone that irritates the horse. Gabe has never been a fan.”
“That just sounds cruel,” Georgia said, looking with distaste toward the chute where Colby sat, waiting for his ride.
Ryder laughed and hugged his wife close. “I didn’t say Colby was doing it, honey. I just said some riders do.”
“Well, he’d be the one to do if anybody did,” Kristen added in a voice that said she’d had a few run-ins with the man herself.
“He’d be disqualified if he did,” Gramps said, sipping his beer. “He may push things to the limit of legality, but he wants to win too much to actually go past it.”
“It doesn’t matter what Benson or anyone else does,” Pops said, “Gabe is the one with the edge.”
“How’s that?” Kristen asked.
“Because every cowboy knows that bronc riding was originally based on the…”
“Necessary breaking skills of a working cowboy,” both Ryder and Cal finished, a grin on their faces.
“Smirk if you want,” Pops shrugged, “but ain’t nobody better’n Gabe when it comes to knowing a horse.”
“He is one of a kind,” Gramps added proudly.
Sure enough, by the time Gabe’s ride ended, he had a hefty lead over his first three competitors. Amelia was struck by the beauty of man and animal and by the raw power Gabe exuded in performing the dangerous stunt. She’d held her breath for what seemed like five minutes instead of eight seconds as she watched him hold onto the wildly bucking animal. Standing in the middle of the arena after the brief ride, he’d lifted his head, staring directly at her as though he’d known she’d been there all along. The intensity of his look unsettled her. It reminded her too much of that night ten years ago when he’d taken her with him to watch him ride for the very first time.
“He usually comes to sit with us and watch the rest of the riders before getting ready for the bareback competition.”
Cheers from the crowd almost drowned out Pops’ words. Knowing that she could soon be face to face with Gabe had Amelia up and ready to walk. “I’d better get back to my station.”
“Not yet,” Georgia pouted. “Stay and watch the rest with us.”
“Yeah,” Kristen piped up, “there’s not an injured cowboy in sight. Thankfully.”
“I’d like to,” Amelia lied, “but I’m not here just for the cowboys. Someone in the crowd might need help and they wouldn’t know where to find me.”
“But you’ll come back later and watch the bareback competition with us, won’t you?” Ryder asked.
“I’ll try,” Amelia lied once more with a smile.
Amelia felt somewhat relieved that she hadn’t lied after all. Soon after the rider behind Gabe finished, he was at the station with a dislocated thumb. She’d barely finished setting it when an older gentleman who had taken a tumble in the stands appeared with a sprained wrist. Other minor injuries kept her busy until the rodeo was dwindling to a close, and most people had already exited the arena. Once she finished her final report, she’d be on her way as well. Two more nights and her chances of running into Gabe would decrease significantly.
Guilty at feeling thankful for an actual excuse not to rejoin the Anderson clan, she lifted her head from the report sh
e’d just finished when another form appeared in front of her table. Her welcoming smile vanished when she saw who it was.
The man she’d been trying so hard to avoid.
The man that still held her heart in his strong hands.
A heart he didn’t want…
“I need you.”
Although said heart tripped at his words, she could tell he didn’t mean them the way she wanted him to.
She was weak. Gabe was her Achilles heel. And her kryptonite.
“What’s wrong?” Quickly her eyes assessed him for injuries, even as her mind registered the fact that his last event—which he’d won handily—had been over for more than half an hour.
“It’s Georgia. Apparently, she’s been in labor for the past few hours and didn’t tell anyone. Her water just broke.”
Amelia smiled at his clipped words. The new life about to enter his world was the only thing she’d ever seen make a dent in the iron cowboy’s control.
Except when they’d made love…
“Okay, where is she?” Amelia made quick work of locking up the ambulance. Someone from the county would move it later.
“Cal drove them all to the hospital.”
“That’s good. Let’s go.”
He grabbed her arm and urged her toward his truck which was parked across the arena behind the holding pens. Once behind the wheel, he regained his composure somewhat. “She’ll be alright, right?”
Amelia smiled, still taken aback at the crack in Gabe’s self-control. “She’s bringing new life into the world, Gabe. She’ll be more than alright.”
Her words seemed to calm him, and the rest of the short trip to the hospital passed in relative silence. He parked with a minimum of fuss near the emergency entrance. Amelia didn’t wait for him to open her door. Jumping out quickly, she ran through the admittance doors with Gabe hot on her heels.
“Georgia Anderson?” She called to the nurse on duty who took a quick look at the computer monitor in front of her.
