“Dee, calm down.” Amber had followed him to the ground. “Calm down,” she soothed over and over again. Colt’s heart broke on her behalf. “Please, calm down.”
But there was no getting through to the child. He rolled around on the ground, kicking and screaming and moaning and making noises unlike any Colt had heard before.
“He’s stimming,” Jarrod pronounced—as if he hadn’t had a hand in causing it.
“I know.” Colt thought Amber might smack him.
Nobody could do anything about Dee. That was clear by the looks on their faces. They were forced to stand back and watch.
It was Mac that came to the rescue.
He plopped himself down right next to Dee, his eyes clearly fixed on the child’s.
Dee stopped moving.
Mac didn’t move, either.
“That’s incredible,” Colt heard Melissa say softly.
How long they stayed that way, he wasn’t sure. But then slowly, tentatively, Dee reached out. Mac nuzzled the boy, who laughed.
There were audible sighs of relief all around.
“I don’t know where you got that dog, but I want one just like him,” Melissa said.
“Me, too.” Amber gave Colt a smile.
She could have one all the time if she wanted to, Colt thought. But then he chastised himself. As if they could ever have a future together, with all that he’d kept from her.
“Where’d you get him?” Melissa asked.
“Down south.”
“I want that breeder’s number.”
“Let’s get back to work, people,” Jarrod said, glancing at his team. “We need to get him up on that horse.”
“But…” Amber glanced at Colt helplessly.
“Let Mac help out.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Watch.” He whistled. The dog instantly came to his side, and Dee sat up.
“Up, Mac,” he ordered, pointing to Oreo.
“You’re going to put him up on the horse?” Jarrod asked. “That’s ridiculous. No dog will do that.”
“He’s done it before,” Colt said, biting back what he really wanted to say.
Just be quiet, jerk-wad.
“Sometimes when we’re out gathering cattle,” Colt added, “I’ll give Mac a ride back to the ranch.” Granted, he’d always held the dog in his lap, but Mac probably wouldn’t care. As it turned out, the Australian shepherd didn’t. All Colt had to do was point to the saddle and the dog jumped up. Dee followed right on his heels. Oreo seemed to take it all in stride.
“Go on,” Amber said. “Climb on board. Mac wants you to go for a ride.”
Did the child understand? Amber had told him that autistic children understood far more than it might appear. For years psychologists had labeled them mentally retarded or developmentally slow. But, in fact, autistic children could have genius IQs.
Dee slipped into the saddle as if he’d been doing it all his life.
“I’ll be damned,” Jarrod said, clearly incredulous.
Of course, it took some twisting and turning before dog and child settled into the saddle together.
“I wish I had a camera,” Melissa said.
Colt did, too. But the sight was something he’d never forget.
“Here.” Jarrod held out his hand for the lead. “I’ll take over.”
Colt almost told him to get lost. But Jarrod was right. Colt was there to tend to the horses; it was the therapist’s job to work with the children.
He handed the lead over.
“Ladies, take up your positions, please,” Jarrod said.
“Be careful with my dog.”
“Thanks, Colt,” Amber said softly, glancing up at her nephew as they started the horse walking.
Colt watched them from a distance even though he should’ve gone back into the barn to lead the next horse out.
“Cluck, Dee,” Amber said. “Like this.” She made a clucking sound.
They walked away from the mounting block and toward the arena. Mac sat in front of the child as if he were the King of Pasha. And if someone had bet Colt six months ago that he’d be watching a child ride around while his dog sat shotgun, he’d have laughed all the way to the bank. He smiled as the pair coasted along.
“You done good,” Buck said, coming up next to him.
“Thanks.”
From a distance, Colt heard Amber say, “Do you see the trees, Dee? Trees.” She pointed. Ever the speech therapist.
Dee’s little body swayed back and forth. He began to smile.
“Look at that,” Buck said. “That’s what makes it all worth it.”
Dee let go of Mac, threw his arms up in the air.
“Dee ride,” he said as clear as a bell.
Colt saw Amber stumble. He heard Melissa’s gasp. Saw Jarrod glance around in self-satisfaction. “And that’s why we force them up,” Jarrod said.
“Pompous ass,” Colt muttered.
“He’s like a bull with one horn,” Buck drawled. “Swaggerin’ around like he’s something special with his lopsided head, when every cow in the pen can see he’s just a bull with one horn.”
Colt felt himself smile. “I’m surprised you put up with it.”
Buck hooked his thumbs in the front of his jeans. “Well, son, I’d put up with a lot to watch what just happened over and over again.” His rheumy eyes met Colt’s. “I don’t do this because of the money, that’s for sure. Though it pays better than most ranching jobs, and you get a comfy bed to sleep in.” He cocked his head. “But what are you doing here, Colt?”
Spying.
He would have thought that after a week his guilt would have faded. “It’s a job,” he admitted.
“Humph. I think you’ll find it’s a lot more than that.”
Colt knew he was right. He’d already seen that. During the days he’d been at Camp Cowboy he’d watched numerous kids come out of their shells. He’d heard more than a few first words. He’d seen the delight of therapists and children alike, and though he never figured himself to be the soft type, he couldn’t deny he’d been moved. Was even discovering a side of himself he hadn’t known existed.
“Is it always like this?” he asked.
“You mean chaotic? Rewarding? Loud?”
“That’s it.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Buck said. “And you’ll find the trouble is worth the price of admission.” He winked. “Especially when you have a pretty little distraction in the mix.”
Colt followed the man’s gaze. Amber was laughing. Dee was smiling. Colt knew in that instant that he didn’t want to let her go. For the first time in his life he felt more than mere attraction for a woman.
For the first time in a long time he was tempted to care about somebody besides himself.
Chapter Sixteen
Amber couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
He’d used words. In the right context. At the correct moment. A third time!
“Did you have a good day?” Gil asked as she entered the lodge. She was tired, but looking forward to catching up with Dee’s various therapists to see how the rest of his day went.
“Yeah,” she said, pausing by the office door. “It was great.”
She’d learned a lot. Dee hadn’t been the only one to have a stellar time. Other children had been equally affected by the horses they’d ridden. Amber wished she could figure out why. Guess she’d have to crack the therapy textbooks Jarrod lent her.
“Look, Amber,” Gil said, “Dee’s father called again.”
Her stomach dropped.
“I told him you were working and that you’d phone him back.”
“Thanks.”
“You really think we should add dogs to our therapy program?”
“I do,” she said, remembering Mac up in the saddle.
“Okay, then.” Gil’s wire-rimmed glasses caught the light. “I’ll look into it.”
“Let me know if I can help.” She moved away from the door
, lost in her thoughts, and nearly collided with Jarrod.
“You want to get a bite to eat?” the cocky blond asked.
Only if someone gave her a lobotomy beforehand.
“Actually—”
“She’ll be with me tonight,” Colt said, coming up behind her, Mac on his heels.
Jarrod glanced from one to the other in sudden understanding. “I see.”
And when Amber’s eyes met Colt’s, she saw, too.
“Whatever,” Jarrod muttered, turning away.
They were left standing there, together, in the main hall.
“Sooo,” Amber drawled. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you had a moment to talk,” Colt drawled right back, in his Texan twang.
In my bedroom?
She almost asked out loud, but didn’t have the courage.
“What about?” she said, although just the memory of what he’d done with her when they’d been in her bed together…
She wished he’d do that again.
“I hope you don’t mind what I said to Jarrod.” He hesitated.
Her heart fluttered like an anxious bird. Seeing him in his black hat and jeans, she was reminded of his innate masculinity, which never failed to excite her. Even now. Standing in a busy hallway, the two were forced to move out of the way as another therapist entered the lodge.
“I don’t mind,” she said. And then she swallowed back her bout of nerves. “If you meant it.”
He looked away for a moment, took a deep breath…?. He was nervous.
“I did,” he said at last. And then he placed a hand on her lower arm. A big hand, the same hand that’d touched her intimately not so long ago. “There’s something about you, Amber. I can’t seem to get you out of my mind. I’ve tried.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “Lord, how I’ve tried. But I can’t.”
“I know how you feel,” she said.
“But there’s something I need to tell you—”
“Amber!” Melissa raced down the steps, sounding out of breath. “Thank God. Nancy needs to see you right away. She’s in Dee’s room.”
“Dee?” Amber repeated.
“Yes. Go.”
The look in Melissa’s eyes scared the hell out of Amber.
She took the stairs two at a time, not looking to see if Colt followed.
She knew the moment she hit the second floor landing that something major had happened. A group of people, including Nancy, stood outside Dee’s room, staring in.
“What is it? What happened?” she asked the head nurse.
“Amber,” Nancy said, turning toward her, “there’s a problem with Dee, and when I looked at the emergency contact information, it listed you.”
“What’s wrong?” Amber pushed her way to the door. Her nephew lay on the floor, his body racked by convulsions.
“Dee,” she cried, rushing to him.
“No, Amber, stay back.” Nancy grabbed her by the arm. “I know you want to go in there, but you need to keep away. I’ve got an ambulance coming. We need to keep the room clear for when the paramedics arrives.”
Stay back? Not on her life.
“Let. Me. Go.” She wrenched free and darted to Dee’s side.
“Why are you listed as his emergency contact? Do you know his parents?”
“He’s my nephew,” Amber replied.
“Your what?” Nancy was clearly taken aback.
But Amber was too busy cradling Dee to care. She stared into his unfocused eyes. The world grew unfocused. Blurry. She felt dizzy. The room began to spin…?.
“Dee,” she murmured, holding his head as tremors continued to rack his body. “It’s auntie,” she soothed. “Settle down.”
“He can’t hear you,” Nancy said. “He’s seizing.”
“No kidding.” Amber held him tightly. “Dee, it’s me. Calm down, pumpkin. Don’t fight it—” Mac barked.
“Get the dog out of here,” Nancy snapped. “I’m sorry, Colt, but he’ll have to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere, and neither is my dog.”
Mac whined, raced to his friend.
And the convulsions stopped.
Dee’s back settled onto the floor. His head stopped thrashing. His limbs still twitched, but it was as if someone had turned the power off.
“Oh, Dee,” Amber said softly, tears trailing down her cheek. “That’s it. Calm down.”
Mac moved in even closer. Nancy, thankfully, didn’t say a word. The other nurse, a male one Amber had met once before, took Dee’s pulse.
“Coming through,” someone said a moment later. Amber had been so fixated on Dee she hadn’t even heard the sirens. “Everybody give us some space,” one of the paramedics, a dark-haired man, ordered.
“I’m not budging,” Amber said firmly. “I’m his aunt.”
“Right.” The guy set his medical kit down next to them. “Then give us some space to work.”
Amber scooted back. She didn’t know when Colt had knelt next to her. When he’d wrapped his arms around her. All she knew was that when she felt his comforting presence, all she wanted to do was cry. But she couldn’t. She had to hold it together. For Dee’s sake.
“Has this ever happened before?” one of the fire-fighters who’d arrived with the paramedics asked the room at large.
“No,” Amber answered. Her voice hitched. “This is the first time.”
She watched as the dark-haired man shone a light in Dee’s eyes. Her nephew looked so pale beneath the beam’s white light. So small and fragile.
“Dee,” she murmured.
Colt’s arms tightened around her. He was cradling her from behind, supporting her, and she was grateful for that. If he hadn’t been in the room with her, she’d have collapsed in a heap, crying.
“Pupils normal,” the man said to his companion, a woman, Amber finally noticed.
“Pulse 90 over 145,” said the woman. A blonde.
“Let’s get him on the board and out of here.”
The blonde nodded, and the pair worked quickly to get Dee immobilized. While they did, another team arrived, from the ambulance company.
“Is he being transported?”
“Yup,” said the male paramedic. “But he’s stable.”
Amber nearly collapsed. Only Colt’s arms kept her upright.
“Is there room in the ambulance?” Colt asked as they lifted the child.
“Yeah, sure,” a gray-haired man said. “You family?”
“She’s his aunt,” Colt stated.
“Works for me,” he said. “I can get some info from you while we’re on the way.”
Things moved quickly from there. Colt asked if someone could watch Mac. Melissa volunteered. They got Dee down the steps and into the ambulance in a matter of minutes, Amber keeping a wary eye on him the whole way. One of the paramedics helped her into the back of the ambulance. Colt stayed behind.
“No,” she said. “I need you to come with me.”
“There might not be room.”
“There’s room,” the blue-shirted paramedic said. He was busy starting an IV. “You’ll need to sit over there, though.” He pointed toward the front of the ambulance before poking a needle in Dee’s arm.
Dee hated needles.
But he didn’t even react to this one. Dear God. He didn’t react at all.
She felt nausea building inside her, thought she might lose it then and there. Colt kept her grounded, his big hand holding hers, guiding her toward the padded seat. They would need to put her in a padded jacket by the time this was over, she thought morosely.
Dee had had convulsions. Why, damn it? Why?
“He’s going to be all right,” she heard Colt say as they started rolling, sirens blaring.
“I don’t understand what could have happened.”
She raised her voice over the keening wail of the ambulance. “He was fine this morning.”
“You’re certain this has never happened before?” one of the paramedics asked.
She tore her gaze away from Dee’s prone body. “I’m positive.”
But she couldn’t keep her eyes off Dee for long. He still wore the same white-and-gray-striped shirt as before, his jeans somewhat dusty from his earlier collision with the ground. But in his stillness, he looked like a normal little boy. Except for being hooked up to the IV. The way his tiny body was strapped down…
“No,” she said. “Never.”
“Well,” said one of the ambulance paramedics, his body swaying as they rounded a corner, “he’s stable. And his vital signs have returned to normal. Pupils look good. He’s just out of it from the seizure. Happens. Well, not necessarily seizures, but I swear the human body goes into some kind of deep sleep after something like this happens. I’ve seen it a million times.” The man smiled reassuringly. “Can I get some information from you?”
Colt watched as Amber nodded, then grabbed a strap hanging by her head as they rounded yet another corner. She answered the paramedic’s questions, looking as pale and as drawn as her nephew while they made their way through city streets.
Her nephew.
Colt had known it. Still, such an abrupt confirmation of the fact left him reeling.
He wondered if he should question her. Act surprised, maybe even angry. But in the end, he didn’t have it in him.
They arrived at the hospital in minutes. A group of doctors was waiting once the doors opened. From that point forward, things got chaotic. Amber wanted to stay with Dee, but they took the boy into a room and told her to stay out. She didn’t like that, but Colt wrapped her in his arms, his chin resting on her head as they waited. And if he wasn’t mistaken, Amber cried. Gently and softly.
Dee was her nephew.
Back at Camp Cowboy, Colt had been about to tell her he knew that. Had been right on the verge of confessing everything.
Now wasn’t the time.
One of these days he’d have to tell her the truth. The question was would she forgive him?
“Ms. Brooks?” Colt turned to find a nurse standing in the doorway. “The doctors will see you now.”
Chapter Seventeen
She hated hospitals. They reminded her of the worst day of her life—the day her sister had died…?.
“Ms. Brooks,” said a Hispanic man with kind brown eyes and a light dusting of gray in his hair. “We’d like to take your nephew down for a CAT scan.”
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