Claiming the Rancher's Heart (7 page)

Stacie knew what she wanted him to do. She longed to be back in his arms with his lips pressed against hers, but he was right—such intimacy
was
a bad idea. Still, the urge persisted.

She desperately needed to put some distance between them…at least until she felt more able to resist temptation. Glancing around, Stacie saw a narrow path behind him. She guessed the trail would be an alternate way back to the horses.

“Catch me.” As she spoke, Stacie turned and scampered down the path, unable to resist tossing one last taunt over her shoulder. “If you can.”

“Stacie, no.”

She heard him call out, but didn’t slow her steps. The path quickly disappeared. Soon navigating her way through the dense brush and broken tree branches took her entire attention.

She could hear Josh closing in and considered conceding, but instead she pressed forward.

“Stacie, there are snakes—”

The words had barely registered when she stepped on something soft, yet firm. A feeling of impending doom settled over her. Perhaps running off
had
been a mistake.

Then she heard a hissing sound and realized there was no “perhaps” about it.

Swallowing a sob, Stacie pointed to the five-foot reptile slithering in the opposite direction. “A rattlesnake bit me.”

Josh’s gaze turned sharp and assessing. After a second he crouched down, gently pushing up the edge of her jeans.

“I don’t feel so good.” The world started to spin and darkness threatened.

“Lean over,” he said, urging her head down. “Take deep breaths.”

Bracing her hands on her thighs, Stacie focused on breathing in and out. After a few seconds the darkness receded.

“My ankle burns.” Though her insides felt like a quivering mass of jelly, her voice came out steady.

Josh met her gaze. “I’m taking you home.”

He scooped her into his arms and walked with long, purposeful strides back the way he’d come.

Though her ankle burned, it didn’t stop a thrill from traveling up Stacie’s spine. She’d never been carried by a man before. Never been held in such a protective embrace. It was so…Sir Galahadish.

The second they reached the clearing he gently sat her down and knelt beside her. “I’m going to take a closer look.”

Stacie tried to remember what she’d learned about snakebites in the first-aid class she’d taken in college. “Are you going to cut my leg and suck out the venom?”

He looked up from his examination and audibly exhaled. “Just as I thought, it wasn’t a rattler.”

Though she didn’t want to doubt him, the reptile had looked eerily similar to the rattlesnakes she’d once seen on Animal Planet.

“The snake you pointed out looked like a gopher,” he continued. “Those snakes have similar coloring to a rattler, but the head and body are slightly different. I didn’t want to assume anything until I checked the wound more carefully, but now that I’ve seen the fang marks, I’m positive it was a gopher snake.”

His voice was strong and confident, but a few doubts lingered. “How can you be sure?”

“Rattlesnakes have fangs only on the upper jaw, so when they strike, you see only one or two puncture marks,” Josh said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Gopher snakes have upper and lower fangs, so they leave two sets of holes.”

Stacie steadied her nerves and glanced down. Four needlelike punctures pierced the skin. “Are gopher snakes poisonous?”

“Nope,” Josh said. “No venom.”

Stacie felt light-headed with relief. “I was lucky.”

“You were
very
lucky.”

“I shouldn’t have run off like that.”

“I should have told you there could be snakes in the brush,” he said.

It was sweet of him to try to shoulder the blame. But she was the one who’d run into the wooded area without a second thought, and now she would endure the consequences. “My ankle still hurts a little. Is that normal?”

“I was bit once as a kid,” Josh said. “I remember it hurting
a lot.
”

The words had barely left his lips when a mind-numbing pain lanced her ankle. She gasped and then pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.

Concern furrowed his brow. “C’mon.” He straightened and then held out a hand. “I’ll carry you back to the horses. We’ll get your wound cleaned up at the house.”

Though he’d carried her from where she’d been bitten, that had been a relatively short distance. The horses were farther away. “I can walk.”

“No need to be brave.” He laid a restraining hand on her arm.

His chin was set in a determined tilt and Stacie sensed this was an argument she was destined to lose. Still, she hesitated. “I don’t want you injuring your back carrying me all that way.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He chuckled and she was back in his arms in an instant. “I lift calves the same size as you all the time.”

For a moment Stacie was taken aback, and then she had to laugh. Who but a cowboy could compare a woman to a cow and have it be charming? All the way down the path, she was acutely conscious of his broad chest and the strength in his arms. To take her mind off the pain—and him—she chattered nonstop about her aversion to snakes, mice and all things crawly.

When they reached the horses, instead of helping her mount Brownie, Josh lifted her onto Ace.

“I can ride by myself,” she protested.

“You may feel faint again. I don’t want you falling.” His tone brooked no argument. In a matter of seconds, he sat behind her.

Stacie worried if Brownie could manage without her. But the following mare kept a brisk pace all the way to the ranch. Of course, Bert’s reappearance, along with her missing puppies, may have had something to do with the mare’s willingness to keep moving.

By the time Stacie reached the house, her ankle had started to swell. After turning over the care of the horses to one of his ranch hands, Josh insisted on carrying her into the house.

This time she didn’t argue. Once inside he deposited her in the recliner with the footrest up and told her to stay put. He returned seconds later with a glass of water and four capsules.

“What are these?”

“Advil,” he said. “Eight hundred milligrams. Prescription strength. It’ll take the edge off.”

At her questioning look, he smiled. “Remember, my mom is a nurse.”

Stacie popped the capsules in her mouth and took a big drink of water. “What now?”

“You relax,” he said. “I’ll clean your ankle with antibacterial soap and then we’ll get some ice on it.”

Stacie glanced down at her injured foot. If she’d pulled on her pink goats as Josh had strongly suggested, the leather might have protected her skin. But no, she’d insisted on cute tennies without any socks.

“How about I go into the bathroom and wash up instead?” she said. “While I’m doing that, you can get the ice.”

The look on his face said he wasn’t sold on the idea. “What if you get light-headed?”

“I won’t,” she said in as strong a voice as she could muster. “I felt funny at first, but that was just the shock of it all. I’m better now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Josh disappeared into the kitchen and Stacie hobbled down the hall, doing her best to keep her weight off her right foot. By the time she reached the bathroom, her breath came in short puffs and her body started to shake. She placed both hands on the counter and inhaled deeply, willing herself to calm down.

A knock sounded at the door. “How are you doing?”

“Is it okay if I take a washcloth from the cabinet?” she asked.

“Use whatever you need.”

Several minutes later, Stacie returned to the living room feeling more in control. Though the burning and aching wasn’t any worse, it wasn’t much better, either.

Exhausted and finally ready to be babied, she took a seat in the recliner and let Josh fuss over her. With gentle fingers, he treated the puncture wounds with a disinfectant before putting an ice pack, wrapped in a pillow case, on the swelling.

“The ice should stay on for about twenty minutes.” He glanced at his watch. “Can I get you something to eat or drink?”

Stacie leaned her head back against the soft leather. Her stomach was still full from the picnic and, even if it wasn’t, the thought of food wasn’t at all appealing. “I’d rather you stay here and keep me company.”

“Hang out with a pretty girl.” Josh flashed a smile. “I can do that.”

But before he could sit down the doorbell rang. He glanced at Stacie. “Wonder who that could be.”

She shrugged, crossing her fingers that whoever it was wouldn’t stay long. While she normally held to the motto “The more the merrier,” she didn’t feel like making small talk.

The bell sounded again and Josh cast a glance at Stacie. “I’ll be right back. You stay put.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Stacie brought two fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. “But if it’s a snake at the door, don’t let him in.”

Though it wasn’t all that funny, Josh laughed and headed to the front door. He wasn’t sure who he expected to see on the doorstep, but it certainly wasn’t Wes Danker.

As usual, the big man didn’t wait for an invitation. He pushed past Josh and whipped off his hat. “You are not going to believe this. The mothership has landed.”

Josh had to smile. The last time he’d seen Wes this excited was when Sharon Jensen had started carrying Ding Dongs at the food mart. “What’s up?”

“Good times, that’s what.” Wes paced to the door then back to Josh. “And for not just me—for you, too.”

Uh-oh. In the last of Wes’s mothership landings, Josh had lost several hundred dollars to the slots at Lucky Lil’s in Big Timber. “C’mon, Wes. I gave it a try but I’m not into gambling, no matter how loose the slots are.”

“This is no gamble, my friend,” Wes said in that loud, booming voice that was as much a part of him as his ten-gallon hat. “This is a sure deal.”

From what she’d heard so far, Wes was selling something and Josh wasn’t buying.

“Misty saw you at the dance last night,” Wes said. “The little lady liked what she saw. Now I know you and Stacie—hey, don’t even try telling me you didn’t notice her.”

Josh said something that Stacie couldn’t make out.

“That’s right.” Wes’s booming voice drifted into the living room. “The hot blonde with the big boobs.”

Josh responded in a low voice and both men laughed.

Stacie clenched her fingers together in a fist.

“Her friend Sasha has the hots for me,” Wes said, and Stacie could hear the satisfaction in his voice. “She and Misty are both working at Millstead’s this summer.”

Millstead.
Stacie had heard the name before. After a second it came to her. It was a dude ranch south of Sweet River. Most of their summer help came from the area, but according to Anna they brought in outsiders, as well.

“The best part is the girls are just here for the summer,” Wes continued. “We can hook up, have some fun and if we get tired of ’em, it’s
adios
in September.”

Irritation shot up Stacie’s spine. She couldn’t believe Wes had stopped over on a Sunday night to fix Josh up. Had the big man forgotten his friend had already been matched? She ignored the tiny voice in her head reminding her that Josh was a free agent. That he’d only taken her to the dance because of pressure from Seth. That he’d only bid on her basket because no one else would—

Stacie shoved the thoughts aside and concentrated. Despite sitting in absolute silence, she could only hear a mumbled response. She cursed the ice pack on her ankle. Only a few feet closer and she’d be able to hear every word.

“I’m headed over there now,” Wes said. “Want to come along?”

Once again, Stacie heard only mumbling. But when the door closed and Josh returned to the living room without Wes, she exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Do you need more ice?”

She shook her head. “Who was at the door?”

“Wes.” Josh waved a dismissive hand. “He wanted to hang out.”

“You turned him down?” Somehow Stacie managed to keep her voice casual and offhand.

“Of course.” He flashed a smile. “I wanted to stay home and take care of you.”

Stacie searched his eyes. Though Josh hadn’t gone with the big guy tonight, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be joining him another time.

But there was no answer to her unspoken question in his liquid blue depths, only concern…for her.

Warmth spread up her spine. Josh was a good man. Caring, smart and handsome to boot. The thought of him in another woman’s arms set her teeth on edge.

“Stacie.” His voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

She blinked.

He moved to her side and crouched down, placing a hand on her leg, his brows pulled together in concern. “You have a funny look on your face. Is your foot hurting more?”

She stared at the face some lucky woman would one day love. A man
she
could find so easy to love.

A smart woman would let Josh take up with Misty, the dude-ranch girl. A smart woman would realize that such an action would mean someone’s heart might be broken at the end of the summer, but at least it wouldn’t be hers. A smart woman would never consider voicing the shocking proposal pushing against her lips.

Yet when Stacie opened her mouth, she knew she was headed down a path far more dangerous than the one she’d been on earlier. “I heard what Wes asked you.”

Surprise skittered across his face. “I hope you know that—”

“I have my own proposition for you.” She spoke quickly before she lost her nerve.

He cocked his head.

“If you’re in the mood for a fling,” she said. “Have one with me.”