Back to Buckhorn

“I heard.” Everyone knew everyone’s business in Buckhorn, at least to some degree. “How is she?”

“She fell off her horse, broke her hip and a few ribs.”

“Ouch.” He winced in sympathy.

“The breaks are bad enough, but now she has pneumonia on top of it.”

“The immobility probably helped that along.” Garrett knew her mother had had Zoey later in life. Knowing Zoey to be around twenty-four or—five, her mom would be in her mid-sixties. “She’ll be okay?”

“Yes,” she said with absolute conviction, as if she could will it so. “But I’m not sure yet when she’ll get to come home. They already did the surgery on her hip, but she’ll go to a different floor for rehab before they release her.” She repeatedly pleated and smoothed the hem of her shirt.

“Is that where you want me to take you?”

She shook her head hard. “No, not looking like this. I don’t want to embarrass her.” Her fingers curled into a fist. “She’s been living with my uncle the last few years, but there’s no way I can go there, either.”

Her uncle had been the football coach when Gus died. Shit.

“I don’t suppose you’d loan me your shower?”

Garrett shot her a look, but she didn’t seem to think a thing of her request. Typical of Zoey. Trying not to be too obvious, he checked the clock on the console. “If we make it quick, I have enough time.”

Relief took the tension out of her shoulders. “Thank you. I promise to be as fast as I can.”

“No problem.” But damn it, when he saw Amber, he’d let her know that her debt to him had just doubled.

* * *

Never had she met a man so hard to read.

Garrett Hudson, with his dark hair and incendiary blue eyes, didn’t seem to react to anything. He’d seen her standing there in her vomit-covered clothes, smelling of it, and he hadn’t blinked an eye.

He had to put her in his truck, and he just rolled with it. No fuss, no big deal. No censure or disdain.

Zoey should have remembered his even temper and iron control, but she hadn’t been expecting him.

No, she’d been looking for Amber—and when she’d spied Garrett instead, she’d whispered a quick prayer that he would look past her so she could slink away.

She never had been the lucky sort.

Even though he hadn’t let the appearance or smell get to him, he was her fantasy guy, her biggest regret, and he’d just found her looking as bad as any woman could.

Worse, she had to impose on him to use his shower. But good God, it was bad enough that he had to see her like this. She didn’t want to face the rest of the town looking like she’d been regurgitated from an ailing giant.

Zoey was pretty sure things couldn’t get any worse...until Garrett pulled up to an older Cape Cod and she saw two of his cousins in his driveway. It was all she could do to keep from groaning in agony.

Shohn Hudson was a year older, Adam Sommerville four years older, and they were both amazing specimens.

She tried to sink lower in the seat while Garrett quickly put the truck in Park and got out. “What’s going on?”

Shohn said, “Not much. Just had a few quick questions for you. Since Adam and I were heading out to dinner, we just stopped by.”

Hiding inside the truck, Zoey looked over the men. Amber had caught her up on all the family dynamics, so she knew Shohn, now engaged, was a park ranger. Seeing him in his uniform, his hair dark, his eyes darker, she’d be willing to bet a lot of women chose to get lost in the woods.

As a gym teacher, Adam stayed in amazing shape. A growing breeze teased his messy blond hair, and when he took off his sunglasses to see into the truck, she got stuck staring into sincere, chocolate-brown eyes.

Smile going crooked, Zoey waved.

“Who do you have in there?” Adam asked with a confused frown.

Only then did Shohn even notice her. He peered into the truck, too, and Zoey knew she had to quit being a coward.

Straightening the ugly gray T-shirt, she opened the door and got out.

Hands on his hips, head dropped forward, she knew Garrett resigned himself to explaining her unwelcome presence.

Nervousness always made her babble. “Hi. I’m Zoey Hodge.” Gray clouds rolled in, which she appreciated. The bright sunlight only ramped up the smell and showed all the mess more clearly. “Hey, Shohn. We weren’t in the same grade, but I knew you from school.” She watched for signs of recognition, but he only stared at her. “No? Well, that’s okay. I didn’t really expect you to remember.”

Shohn looked her over with doubt, and stayed quiet.

“But Adam, you’re older, right? I mean, of course I remember you. Duh. All the girls knew you. But I doubt you ever noticed me.”

Adam got his faculties working first and reached out to greet her. “Hi. Nice to—”

“No!” She held up a hand. “I got puked on.”

Adam froze, then, as one, the two men turned to stare at Garrett.

He let out a breath. “On the plane. Sick kid she helped care for.” He gestured. “Amber asked me to pick her up since she was dealing with that busted pipe.”

They turned to look at Zoey again.

“Garrett’s going to let me use his shower.”

Eyes widening, their gazes shot right back to their cousin.

Flustered, especially at how she’d blurted that, Zoey continued, “He’s been supernice, especially considering...” She gestured at herself. Unfortunately, the men were all downwind of her. It’d be best if she wrapped this up. “And Garrett, seriously, I appreciate it so much. I don’t know how I can thank you enough.”

“Not a big deal.”

“Of course it is.” Anxious to escape, she inched toward the back of his truck. “How about I take you to dinner sometime? It’s the least I could do, right?”

Garrett shook his head. “No, that’s not necessary.”

“I insist.” She bit her lip, saw that all three men noticed and quickly forced a smile. “I’ll just...” Turning, she strode to the truck bed to get her luggage.

“I’ll get it,” Garrett said.

“It’s okay.” The last thing she wanted to do was be more of a nuisance. She lifted the heaviest suitcase over the side of the truck bed. “I have it—” But in her haste, she lost her hold and the suitcase hit the ground.