Lip Service

She smiled through her tears, then hugged him with a fierce strength that squeezed the air out of him.

She’d been a part of his life since before he was born. Arturo had brought her to the ranch as his young bride. She’d helped his mother and Arturo had managed the ranch. His parents had never enjoyed staying in one place for very long, and when they’d left on their many trips, Arturo and Fidela had been the ones to take care of him.

He hugged her back, slowly, tentatively, remembering and wanting to forget at the same time. He was careful to focus on staying balanced, with his center of gravity where it was supposed to be. All the easy things he’d once taken for granted.

“I made enchiladas and beans the way you like. There’s pie and flan and all your favorite foods. Your room is ready, on the main floor. Just for now, though. That is what the doctor said when he called. Just for now.”

Mitch wondered what else the doctor had said. Mitch knew he’d been a difficult patient. He wasn’t interested in all the bullshit about how things happened for a reason and even when God closed a door, He opened a window. Mitch wasn’t interested in a window. He wanted his life back the way it had been before the explosion that had taken off the bottom half of his left leg.

“I gotta go,” he said, pushing away from Fidela and returning to the truck. “I’ll be back.”

She stared at him, her mouth trembling with an emotion he didn’t want to identify. Pity, most likely. And why not?

He slammed the driver’s door and started the engine. He didn’t know where he was going—as long as it was away from here.

He circled the barn and followed the dirt road toward the pastures. The fencing was new and in good repair. To his right he saw something that looked suspiciously like a whole lot of chickens, so he stared straight ahead until he’d crested a rise. From there he could see Cassidy land and the dark shadows that were the cattle. At this distance, the changes wouldn’t be so noticeable.

He got out of the truck, then winced when he took a step. His stump ached. He’d done too much, too fast, ignoring the advice from his doctor and therapists. He was supposed to get used to the prosthesis over time, to use crutches or a walker. Not that he would.

He limped over to a big rock and sat down, then pulled up his jeans and unhooked the plastic and metal replacing what had once been flesh and bone.

His knee was all banged up, scarred and still red in places. The field surgeon in Afghanistan had done his best to save Mitch’s leg, or at least what had been left of it. For that Mitch would always be grateful. Not happy, exactly, but grateful.

He hurt everywhere and on the days when he didn’t want to bother getting out of bed he reminded himself that, compared to a lot of soldiers, all he had was a scratch and he needed to get over it. His buddy, Pete, had risked his life to drag Mitch to safety and had gotten shot for his efforts. So Mitch owed him, too. There were…

The sound of steady hooves caught his attention. He started to stand, remembered too late he was missing a foot and nearly fell over. He grabbed for the rock and managed to stay upright. But before he could strap his prosthesis back in place, a horse and rider joined him on the rocky ledge.

Mitch stared at the one person in all the world he never wanted to see again. Did it have to be now? With him holding his fake leg in one hand? Did he have to look like the cripple he was?

Anger welled up inside of him. Living, hot anger that wanted to explode and burn and destroy.

“Get the hell off my land,” he growled. “You’re not welcome here.”

“Hello, Mitch,” she said, not acknowledging his order. “I just heard that you were back.”

Skye Titan drew her horse to a halt, slid from the saddle and onto the ground. She pulled off her cowboy hat.

Despite the years that had passed, she looked exactly as he remembered. Her dark red hair contrasted with her pale skin. Eyes the color of spring grass stared into his. She looked good. Too good, all curves and temptation.

“How are you?” she asked.

He motioned to the prosthesis. “How do you think I am? Go away. You’re not anyone I want to talk to.”

She wore jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt, one that hugged her breasts in a way that irritated him even more.

“I don’t think I’m leaving just yet,” she said.

His gaze dropped to her left hand. He didn’t see a ring. “What happened to husband number one? Daddy tell you to dump him?”

“Ray died,” she said, her gaze never leaving his.

“Living life as the rich widow or has Jed married you off again? Who is it this time, Skye? An old tycoon or some international banker?”

THE MITCH CASSIDY Skye remembered had been a funny, easygoing guy who rode like the wind and could kiss her senseless in a matter of seconds. He laughed as hard as he played and Mitch had loved to play. She knew war changed a man, but she hadn’t expected him to be a cold, mean stranger. His crack about a second arranged marriage hit close and hard. She took a step back.

“I’m sorry about your injury,” she said.

“I’ll sleep better knowing that.”

“Is the sarcastic bastard act specifically for me, or are you sharing it with everyone?”

He turned his back on her.

She supposed that was an answer of sorts, even if she wasn’t sure of the specifics.

She’d missed him, she thought sadly, staring at the familiar broad shoulders. His dark hair was military short, which suited him. The scar on the side of his jaw wasn’t one she remembered and she remembered everything about Mitch’s body.

He’d been her first love, her first lover and there had been a time when she would have walked through fire to be with him. But she hadn’t been willing to defy her father. Had that been a mistake?

“I wish things had been different,” she said, before she could stop herself. She meant the past, but then he spun toward her, his eyes narrowed, his mouth a thin line, she realized he thought she was talking about his leg.

“I don’t need your pity,” he growled. “I don’t need sh—”

He lost his balance and started to go down. Skye reacted instinctively, springing toward him. She grabbed him around the waist as he reached for the rocks. The prosthesis dropped to the ground.

He was heavier than she’d anticipated and the weight of him knocked her sideways. Her foot slipped. She scrambled to stay upright, then they were both falling.

The ground was hard. She landed on her back, him on top of her. Rocks jabbed her but that didn’t matter. She couldn’t draw in air.

Mitch was off her in a second. “Breathe,” he said, propped up next to her. “You’re fine. Just breathe.”

She sucked in a breath, then another.

“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded. “You’re too small to hold me up. What did you think you were doing?”

He looked furious, which was oddly better than cold and sarcastic.

“I’m not weak,” she told him. “I could so kick your ass.”

“On what planet?”

“Zorgon.”

One corner of his mouth twitched. “Don’t, Skye. Don’t try to make this okay.”

Because it wasn’t or he didn’t want it to be? “I missed you, Mitch.”

The humor faded and the coldness returned. “You should have thought about that before you dumped me.”