do?” Autumn asked.
“No,
Fall, you stay put. I’ll be fine in no time.” He heard Mel snort but he didn’t
acknowledge him. “Thanks, Bob. Take care of Myrtle for me, it wasn’t her
fault.”
“You
got it.”
Bob
gave Autumn a long look then swaggered away. She avoided his gaze and her face
grew grim. Jonas didn’t like it but he didn’t know what to think. Bob was a standup
guy. “ Yeow ! That’s cold!” He practically jumped out
of his chair.
Mel
chuckled. “It is ice you know.”
Jonas
frowned at his friend. “I know.”
“I’ll
leave for now. I’ll come back in half hour and put some of that salve that
little, vet gal put on you last time.” He nodded at Autumn. “Now you take it
easy, miss. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. He’ll be fine,
probably a whole lot better if you relaxed some.”
Autumn
glanced at Jonas. He nodded and her shoulders grew less rigid.
“See
ya in a bit, Mel. That salve worked well last time.”
Mel
started to walk toward the door. He turned and winked at Autumn. “Maybe it was
because that vet gal was putting it on you.”
Autumn
gasped and her gaze bore into Jonas. She waited until Mel left before she spoke.
“I guess I hadn’t realized. I mean, I thought you two were just friends.”
Her
frown and the hurt in her big blue eyes got to him. His heart squeezed. Mel was
a great guy but he had a big mouth. “We’re friends. Don’t worry about it.”
Her
body stiffened and she looked away. She laid her hands protectively around her protruding
belly. “You’re right. It’s not my business.”
Jonas
closed his eyes. The throbbing of his leg echoed in his heart. He hurt her and
he wished he could take the sad expression off her face. It would have to wait.
* * * *
Autumn
studied Jonas while he slept. He resembled a young boy. It had been a long
morning watching him in pain. Mel came back and applied the salve to Jonas’
leg, under Jonas’ protest. She smiled at the memory. Jonas protested taking his
jeans off and Mel laughed. Finally, Mel went and got a sheet to put over Jonas
to preserve his privacy. She’d offered to go into the bedroom but he wanted her
close. He said close and her heart zinged remembering it. Mel massaged the salve
into Jonas’ leg, wrapped it up and helped him back into his jeans and then left
as soon as Jonas fell asleep.
Jonas
hadn’t mentioned Dee Ann at all and she was dying to know the whole story but she
didn’t have the right to pry. Jonas stirred and opened his eyes. He looked into
her eyes and smiled. Somehow the smile reached her heart. What would it be like
to wake to that smile every morning? “Can I get you anything?”
Jonas
shook his head and yawned. “I’ll be fine in a day or two. Now you know why I’m
not married. I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through this. I’m not a whole
or a passably good-looking man. I’m battle scarred and broken.”
“You’re
no such thing.”
His
smile was weak. He blinked then turned his head away. “I really don’t want to
talk about it.”
“Dee
Ann will be here tomorrow and it sounds like she can help you.”
He
still stared at the wall. “She does deep muscle massage and it was the best
help I’ve had for my leg in years.” He turned his head and met her gaze. “Don’t
look so worried. The horses really responded to you.”
“Is
that what they were doing?” She grinned. “I wasn’t sure what hair licking and
playing keep away meant.”
“Myrtle
has been depressed and she never engages in having fun but she was having fun
with you. It lightened my worries for her considerably.”
“I
liked them right back.”
“Could
I ask you to do something for me?”
“What
do you need? Are you hungry?”
Jonas
shook his head. “I want to sit on the couch next to you and feel the baby
move.”
Her
mouth dropped open and her face heated. Quickly, she shut her mouth. “I’ll help
you to the couch.”
“No,
I just need
“No,
Fall, you stay put. I’ll be fine in no time.” He heard Mel snort but he didn’t
acknowledge him. “Thanks, Bob. Take care of Myrtle for me, it wasn’t her
fault.”
“You
got it.”
Bob
gave Autumn a long look then swaggered away. She avoided his gaze and her face
grew grim. Jonas didn’t like it but he didn’t know what to think. Bob was a standup
guy. “ Yeow ! That’s cold!” He practically jumped out
of his chair.
Mel
chuckled. “It is ice you know.”
Jonas
frowned at his friend. “I know.”
“I’ll
leave for now. I’ll come back in half hour and put some of that salve that
little, vet gal put on you last time.” He nodded at Autumn. “Now you take it
easy, miss. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. He’ll be fine,
probably a whole lot better if you relaxed some.”
Autumn
glanced at Jonas. He nodded and her shoulders grew less rigid.
“See
ya in a bit, Mel. That salve worked well last time.”
Mel
started to walk toward the door. He turned and winked at Autumn. “Maybe it was
because that vet gal was putting it on you.”
Autumn
gasped and her gaze bore into Jonas. She waited until Mel left before she spoke.
“I guess I hadn’t realized. I mean, I thought you two were just friends.”
Her
frown and the hurt in her big blue eyes got to him. His heart squeezed. Mel was
a great guy but he had a big mouth. “We’re friends. Don’t worry about it.”
Her
body stiffened and she looked away. She laid her hands protectively around her protruding
belly. “You’re right. It’s not my business.”
Jonas
closed his eyes. The throbbing of his leg echoed in his heart. He hurt her and
he wished he could take the sad expression off her face. It would have to wait.
* * * *
Autumn
studied Jonas while he slept. He resembled a young boy. It had been a long
morning watching him in pain. Mel came back and applied the salve to Jonas’
leg, under Jonas’ protest. She smiled at the memory. Jonas protested taking his
jeans off and Mel laughed. Finally, Mel went and got a sheet to put over Jonas
to preserve his privacy. She’d offered to go into the bedroom but he wanted her
close. He said close and her heart zinged remembering it. Mel massaged the salve
into Jonas’ leg, wrapped it up and helped him back into his jeans and then left
as soon as Jonas fell asleep.
Jonas
hadn’t mentioned Dee Ann at all and she was dying to know the whole story but she
didn’t have the right to pry. Jonas stirred and opened his eyes. He looked into
her eyes and smiled. Somehow the smile reached her heart. What would it be like
to wake to that smile every morning? “Can I get you anything?”
Jonas
shook his head and yawned. “I’ll be fine in a day or two. Now you know why I’m
not married. I wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through this. I’m not a whole
or a passably good-looking man. I’m battle scarred and broken.”
“You’re
no such thing.”
His
smile was weak. He blinked then turned his head away. “I really don’t want to
talk about it.”
“Dee
Ann will be here tomorrow and it sounds like she can help you.”
He
still stared at the wall. “She does deep muscle massage and it was the best
help I’ve had for my leg in years.” He turned his head and met her gaze. “Don’t
look so worried. The horses really responded to you.”
“Is
that what they were doing?” She grinned. “I wasn’t sure what hair licking and
playing keep away meant.”
“Myrtle
has been depressed and she never engages in having fun but she was having fun
with you. It lightened my worries for her considerably.”
“I
liked them right back.”
“Could
I ask you to do something for me?”
“What
do you need? Are you hungry?”
Jonas
shook his head. “I want to sit on the couch next to you and feel the baby
move.”
Her
mouth dropped open and her face heated. Quickly, she shut her mouth. “I’ll help
you to the couch.”
“No,
I just need
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