Her Hometown Hero

He seemed to be waiting for her to reply. She needed to say something or go. The urge to escape was strong, especially when his gaze brushed down her length. Did he know about her leg? She’d asked Howard not to tell others in town, and with long pants it was easy enough to hide her deformity. “How’s Cinnamon doing?” she finally inquired, needing to ask about her horse before departing.

“I can treat her colic with antibiotics. She should be better in a few days. I’ll come back and check on her, but you should be able to ride her by next week.”

“Oh, good.” She concentrated on walking without limping toward the stall. She wasn’t ready to answer a thousand questions concerning her injury and her leg. But the act of doing that caused her leg to ache even more.

Nate sidled away to allow her to look into the stall where Cinnamon stood. The quarter horse neighed at the sight of her and came to the door, nudging Kathleen with her head. She stroked Cinnamon, her coat reddish-brown—similar to Kathleen’s own hair color. That was what had drawn her to the filly when she was born on the ranch twelve years ago. When she wasn’t dancing, she had been riding. Those had been her two favorite activities as a teen. She couldn’t dance anymore, but she should be able to ride. The thought boosted her spirits.

“I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you, girl.” She rubbed her hand down the white blotch on the mare’s nose, then blew her a kiss, something she had done from the very beginning whenever she was leaving Cinnamon.

Kathleen rotated toward Nate, her mouth lifting slightly in a smile. “Are you working with Dr. Harris?”

“Yes, I’m his new partner. He’s great to work with, and his practice keeps expanding. I’m handling all the big animals and the house calls to the ranches.”

“Then you must be on the road a lot.”

“Usually half my day. We should go out to dinner and catch up while you’re still in town. I imagine you won’t be staying long. How’s your injury? When will you be returning to New York?”

Her chest constricted. Her breath burned her throat. He knew about her leg? “My plans aren’t settled yet. I’m just focusing on recuperating for now.” How much did he know? Surely her brother and Beth wouldn’t have betrayed her and told Nate.

“If you want to go to dinner, let me know. You’ve got to do something while you’re here healing.”

Something in the tone of his voice indicated he wasn’t totally convinced having dinner with her was a good idea, and she had to agree. He was the past, and at the moment she didn’t have much of a future.

“My plans are up in the air right now. I just arrived today. I’ll call you when I can.” Kathleen slowly backed away. She couldn’t see him. He knew her too well. Before they had dated in high school, he’d been her good friend, both of them hanging out with the same crowd. She couldn’t take pity, from him or anyone else. That was one of the reasons she’d fled New York. “See you around.” She turned and walked as fast as she dared, again putting all her concentration into walking without a slight limp.

She heard Nate call her name, but she kept going, escaping outside. Being around Nate would only bring back those times she’d had a dream to be a ballerina. That dream was shattered now, and she didn’t want to be reminded. But as she headed for the main house, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. He looked good. Too good for her peace of mind.

At least she had dodged the bullet, as the cliché went. Now that she knew he drove a red Silverado, she would avoid the barn area when he was at the ranch. She would also stress to her brother and his wife that they were not to say anything about her injury, which would only provoke questions about what happened. Questions about the car accident that she wanted so desperately to forget.

She halted at the bottom of the stairs to the two-story house she grew up in and sank down to the second step. She shut her eyes to the ranch about her. Immediately the streets of New York City filled her mind. With wall-to-wall people jamming the sidewalks, it was difficult to weave her way through the crowd. Noises bombarding her from all angles—horns honking, loud voices, a siren in the distance. But all her focus was on getting to her ballet rehearsal on time, the last one before the opening performance—her big break, something she’d been working years to accomplish. She was starring as the lead in Wonderland, a new ballet she’d even helped choreograph. She was ready. She could do it.

Then without checking if the traffic had really stopped, she stepped out into the street when the light indicated she could cross. The sounds of screeching brakes reverberated in her ears as she felt the impact of the truck against her body. Then nothing...until she woke up in the hospital with her left leg amputated from the knee down.

In that instant, her dream died.

Chapter Two (#ulink_c5a3563c-eac0-5f38-8154-6a1c204a919c)

Kathleen stared at the nearby pasture where some mares with their babies grazed. There was something about the scene that eased the sense of panic the flashback to her accident had caused. For the first couple of weeks afterward, she had relived it several times a day. Now it was only every once and a while. Progress.

She grasped on to that and rose. Climbing the stairs to the back deck, she knocked on the sliding glass door to the den, which flowed into the kitchen area and breakfast nook. Beth waved and hurried to let her in.

Before she could step inside, her sister-in-law engulfed her in a hug. “It’s great to see you.” She moved to the side so Kathleen could enter. “Is everything all right at the cabin?”

“Yes. Thanks for getting it ready and stocking my kitchen.” Beth and Nate were the same age and had been friends growing up. In fact, Nate had introduced Beth to Kathleen and later to Howard. As Beth started dating her brother, Kathleen and she had become good friends. “You haven’t said anything to anyone about what happened to me in New York, have you?”

“No. You asked us not to. I’ll respect your wishes, although I don’t agree with them.” Beth combed her long brown bangs back and hooked them behind her ear, the gesture drawing Kathleen’s attention to her sister-in-law’s attractive features with green eyes, full lips usually set in a grin and a creamy complexion with a few freckles across her pert nose.

“What do Carrie and Jacob know?”

“I haven’t told them anything other than that you’re going to be staying here for a while. You said you want to tell them when you’re ready.” She smiled. “Besides, if I had told them, the whole world would know by now.”

“I’ll tell them when the time is right.” She wasn’t sure it ever would be, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to keep the truth from her niece and nephew for long. Maybe soon she would finally get a handle on what she was dealing with. Then she could explain it in a calm voice that would reassure Carrie and Jacob she would be all right.

But will I be all right?

She shoved that question away as her niece and nephew ran into the den, saw her and rushed across the room. Kathleen braced herself for their hugs. Before she could say anything, eight-year-old Carrie slowed down as she neared her, but her six-year-old nephew threw himself at her. Beth tried to intervene, but she didn’t move fast enough. Kathleen rocked back, the glass door stopping her fall.

“Jacob,” Beth shouted. “Is that any way to greet your aunt? Bowl her over?”

With a wide grin, revealing a missing front tooth and sandy-blond hair lying at odd angles, Jacob leaned back, his arms still clasping Kathleen. “Sorry, Aunt Kit. I can’t believe you’re gonna be here for a while.” He crooked his forefinger, signaling she should bend over.

Kathleen did, shifting her weight off her prosthetic leg. “You’re growing like a weed. You’re going to be taller than me in no time.”

Jacob’s smile grew. “I’m gonna be like Dad. Big.” Then he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Which made up for his overenthusiastic greeting. Kathleen mussed his hair, then held out her arm to draw Carrie to her. “I’ve missed you two.”

“We’ve missed you,” her niece announced. “My birthday will be in two weeks. Are you gonna be here for that?”

“Are you sure, Carrie? Didn’t you just have one?” Kathleen teased, knowing how important birthdays in the Somers family were.

“No, I’m positive,” Carrie replied in dead seriousness while shaking her head at the same time, her brown-haired pigtails swishing from side to side.

“Well, in that case, I’ll put it on my calendar.” Kathleen stared into Carrie’s cobalt-blue eyes, so similar to hers.

“Okay, kids. Give your aunt some breathing room. You two are supposed to be setting the table. But first wash your hands. So scoot. I’m starved.” Beth shooed them away.

As the two children ran out of the room as fast as they’d come in, Howard entered. “I see you’re here.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I know how to follow directions, and if I’m not mistaken, I was instructed to be here for dinner or you all were going to invade my home.”

Howard harrumphed. “You may know how to follow directions, but that doesn’t mean you do. Don’t forget I know you well.”

“Yes, yes. For twenty-six years as you informed me earlier.” Kathleen ignored her brother and swung her attention to Beth. “Can I help you?”

The doorbell rang.

Carrie yelled from the front of the house. “I’ll get it.”

“Me, too,” Jacob chimed in, even louder than his sister.

“I fear for whoever is at the door.” Kathleen started toward the kitchen with Beth. “Are you expecting anyone?”

Beth stopped in her path. “Since you mentioned it—”

“Dad, Mom, Dr. Nate’s here,” Carrie announced for the whole ranch’s benefit a second before Nate made his way into the den.

Kathleen’s gaze locked with his, her heartbeat reacting with a faster tempo. Seeing him at the barn was all she could handle for her first day back home. He’d always been so perceptive. He’d figure out how serious her injury really was if he was around her for too long.