Western Man by Janet Dailey

accepted the indirect invitation. “Ridge should be up and around by then, so I’ll probably be home. Why don’t you call on Saturday to be sure?”
    “I’ll do that,” Andy agreed. “If you aren’t there, I’ll understand the movie date is cancelled.”
    “No.” She rushed to eliminate that conclusion, not entirely sure why she didn’t want to accept an easy excuse. “Even if I’m still at Latigo, we can go to the movies. Scott can come over and visit with Ridge if he isn’t in any shape to be left alone.”
    “As long as you’re sure that isn’t going to create any conflict, I’ll see you Saturday night around six,” he said.
    “Just be sure to call first to find out where I am,” Sharon reminded him.
    Goodbyes were exchanged and they rang off. Sharon bit thoughtfully at the inside of her lip as she turned from the wall phone and moved slowly in the direction of Ridge’s bedroom. She had the uncomfortable feeling that she was trying to use the Saturday-night date with Andy as some kind ofshield’—as if it could protect her from the long-held attraction she had for Ridge. If that’s what she was doing, it was both childish and cowardly.
    “Did you and lover boy have an argument?” His taunting voice halted her when she would have walked past his doorway.
    “No. Andy was calling long distance.” Or so she had presumed. Ridge’s earlier comment prompted her to add, “So we kept it short and sweet.”
    His face bore a disgruntled look. “I guess I owe you an apology for the way I snapped at you earlier—and for some of my remarks.” Apology didn’t come easily to him, and it showed in the tautness of his wording. Perhaps it meant something because it was honest, rather than an insincere attempt to smooth over an argument. “It doesn’t seem to take much to rub me the wrong way—not the way I’m hurting. It isn’t much of an excuse but—I do appreciate you staying here to look after me. I sure as hell can’t do it myself.”
    Not five minutes ago, Sharon had been prepared to stay angry at him for the duration. But all that resentment was fading in the wake of his apology and his grudging admission that he needed her.
    “Apology accepted, Grumpy.” A small smile touched her mouth.
    A glint of humor entered his drug-tired eyes. “If I’m Grumpy, you must be Doc. And those pills you put in my cocoa must be Snow White. Either that or they were the poisoned apple.”
    “Why don’t you stop fighting it and close youreyes?” suggested Sharon. “You need the sleep. I’ll be in the next room. Just call out if you need anything.”
    “Okay,” he said and let his eyelids drift shut, the potent drug taking its effect.
    Unfortunately, Sharon didn’t find it so easy to fall asleep. After she’d taken a bath and climbed into bed, sleep eluded her. The day had been so packed with activity that she couldn’t seem to bring it to an end, despite the late evening hour.
    The combination of a busy day, a strange bed, and the knowledge of Ridge sleeping in the next room denied her sleep until sometime after midnight. Even then, Sharon slept lightly, alert to any sound. Twice she went to check on Ridge in the middle of the night, positive she’d heard him. Both times he was sleeping deeply, and Sharon went back to crawl into her own bed to make another attempt to do the same.
    Exhaustion had taken her into a dreamless slumber when a loud crash shattered her sleep. She sat bolt upright and listened. The yellowing streaks of dawn were spreading through the grayness of the sky outside her bedroom windows. Sharon was still trying to decide whether she’d actually heard something or merely imagined it again when a muffled curse came through the wall between the two bedrooms.
    Sharon grabbed for her jade-green robe as she scurried out of bed and went flying into the hallway. She was frantically trying to tie the sash as shereached the open door and stopped to stare at Ridge. Half-naked, wearing only