Home on the Ranch: Wyoming Cowboy Ranger

by Rebecca Winters

  When Ron showed up in his room at five to three, Porter asked, “Do you know if Lily is going to be here for my appointment?”

  “Let me check.”

  He came back a minute later. “She’s there. How come you asked?”

  “She wasn’t here this morning. I’d rather work with her than anyone else.”

  The other man grinned. “I can’t blame you for that. Let’s go.”

  His adrenaline surged as Ron wheeled him downstairs to the examining room and knocked.

  “Come on in.”

  Both men saw her at the same time seated at her desk, but it was Ron who said, “Wow! I hardly recognize you with that new hairdo.”

  She smiled. “Is that good or bad?”

  “Oh, it’s good, all right!”

  “Thank you.”

  After Ron left, she stood up. “How did it go with Dr. Jensen this morning?”

  Today she’d worn a white blouse beneath her lab coat. She always looked fresh and smelled marvelous. Porter was still studying her hair, which had been styled in a feathery cut. It looked so sensational on her, he was tongue-tied.

  “I’m afraid I upset him when I asked where you were. It went well, but he doesn’t have your touch.” Porter would never forget the first time she’d touched him and the sensations that had passed through him.

  She avoided his eyes. “I just read the notes he sent to my computer. He agrees with me that we should forego the belt this afternoon and see how you get along. If you feel strong enough, why don’t you wheel yourself to the pad.”

  On his own steam he crossed the room, forcing him to use more muscles, but he felt no discomfort. She leaned over to set the brake. He had to suppress the urge to plunge his hands into her glossy black hair and pull her onto his lap. If he ever started kissing her, he’d never stop.

  “Before you get up, think of all the steps. Remember I’m right here to steady you should you feel the slightest weakness or pain. I’ll stand by you, Porter, ready to help.”

  He concentrated on what he had to do and stood up without using his back. Her tricks were working. He bent his legs again and got down on his knees, following her instructions. Incredible how well he moved. The all-over soreness was easing.

  She kneeled down and put him through his exercises. Her new hairstyle revealed the contours of her oval face and accentuated those dark-fringed lilac eyes he’d fallen in love with. Again he marveled at her gentle touch. She was careful not to hurt the bruising on his right leg, and knew just the right amount of pressure to exert.

  When he thought about it, if he’d never received therapy, he would never have met her and could have done so much damage by moving the wrong way.

  “All right, we’re through for today.”

  He didn’t want it to be over. What he wished he’d dare do was pull her down with him. But that would end everything, and he couldn’t allow that to happen if he hoped to continue seeing her while he needed her expert help.

  “Let’s see you get up on your own. Remember, Porter. No fast movements. Don’t do anything that could jar you and set you back.”

  If she only knew what he’d been imagining. But Lily was right. He might think he could do what he wanted, but the only reason this was working was because he was concentrating on her instructions.

  Before long he turned over and backed up to a kneeling position. Visualizing the final motion, he stood up and lowered himself into the wheelchair.

  Lily bent over to undo the brake and adjust the feet. Then she lifted her head. “You’ve made wonderful progress. No severe tension lines in your face this afternoon. If you’ll be this careful when you’re taken home tomorrow, I don’t see you having problems.”

  After she stood up, she walked over to the desk to make the phone call for the orderly. She never waited to give them a little more time to talk after their sessions. Lily Owens was professional beyond bearing at this point.

  He followed her in the wheelchair. “My boss said he’d arrange for someone to come for me.”

  “I see on your orders that it will be Helen Jeffries, who’s a licensed therapist. You’ll like her. She’s a wife and mother who does home visits, will stay overnight and drives patients to and from the clinic.

  “A couple of my friends will be on hand to help.”

  “Even so, Helen will bring you here on Friday for your ten o’clock appointment with me and stay with you through the weekend.” She paused. “Starting Monday you’ll come to the clinic three times a week at the same time. We’ll go from there and stay in touch with Mr. Fitzer.”

  “You’re giving me VIP treatment.”

  “We try to give it to everyone, but I’ll admit he thinks highly of you.”

  Porter took a deep breath. “Whom do I tell that I think highly of you? Dr. Jensen already knows how I feel. Is there someone higher up?”

  She let out a gentle laugh. “You’ll receive a form from the hospital you can fill out. I appreciate the compliment.”

  “Would it be out of line to tell you I like your new haircut?”

  “Thanks. With summer here, a shorter hairdo feels good.”

  Just then Ron walked in and interrupted their conversation, causing Porter to moan inwardly. Like clockwork she retreated to her safe place. He was dying to know where she went after work, how she spent her time. Did she have a man admirer whom she might want to be with? So far Porter could think of four, including himself, who’d kill to be that person.

  “Good luck going home tomorrow, Porter. Helen will have a list of instructions and numbers for you in case there’s an emergency and you need to reach me, Dr. Jensen, or your regular doctor.”

  “That’s good to know.” He eyed Ron, letting him know he was ready to go.

  “See you on Friday,” she called out as he was wheeled into the hall.

  Patience, Ewing.

  That was the medicine he was forced to take if he hoped to initiate a personal relationship with her. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t going anywhere, and certainly not without him.

  Chapter 4

  On Thursday morning, Lily took care of an emergency that had come in because she was free during the ten-o’clock hour. For the first three days of this week she’d taken care of the handsome ranger. It felt strange that she wouldn’t be seeing him today, almost unnatural.

  That’s what alarmed her. Throughout her university training, the students in her classes had been warned about growing too attached to a patient. The ability to remain objective while giving care was very important, but unfortunately that wasn’t always achievable. And in Porter Ewing’s case, it was impossible.

  The day he’d been wheeled in to her office, all her training went out the window. She was a total mess and had been ever since.

  Relieved to have made plans with Millie, she drove over to Style Clips on her lunch hour. They’d planned to go out for a bite to eat—Lily’s treat. When she phoned her, Millie came out of the salon and got in her car.

  She looked at Lily. “Your new hairstyle is perfect for a convertible.”

  Lily laughed. “I know. I love it. You did a wonderful job.”

  “Thanks, but the point is, how did the ranger react when he saw you yesterday?”

  “He made a nice comment about it before he was wheeled away.”

  “How nice?”

  “Just that he liked my new haircut. That’s all.”

  Millie smiled at her. “Have you seen him this morning?”

  She shook her head. “Not until tomorrow. I’m assuming he’s home by now. Since he’s been released from the hospital, he’ll have to be driven to the clinic for therapy. If all goes well, he’ll be able to drive his own car next week.”

  Lily took them to a new drive-thru that specialized in sandwiches and shakes. Since they both had to get back to work, they couldn’t ta
ke the time to go to a restaurant.

  “Jessica came in to the salon this morning to talk to her mom and ask her to tend her son Chase. It came up that the sheriff and some other friends were doing a surprise dinner for a good friend. She mentioned that his friend was just home from the hospital. Jessica could only have meant your ranger.”

  “He’s not my ranger,” she muttered. However, Lily had to admit that she was glad that Porter had friends to help him get through this period.

  “Are you sure you won’t let me to talk to Jessica? Maybe she can find out something about him through her husband without giving anything away.”

  “Positive! The last thing I want is for him to think I’m interested in him.”

  A smile played on Millie’s lips. “Even if you are.”

  “Yes.”

  “I know you’re afraid.”

  “I could lose my job for fraternizing with a patient,” she said.

  “Come on, Lily. That hasn’t stopped your boss from asking you out, to no avail. We both know why you’re really nervous.”

  Their food was ready. Lily handed her everything and drove to the parking area, where they could eat.

  “You’re right. Steve lied to me in the most painful way possible. Thank heaven my teammate told me the truth before it was too late. That killed my love for him.” She sighed. “But I hope I haven’t lost the capacity to trust. Probably nothing will come of having met Porter. It’s ridiculous to speculate. But thank you for being such a great friend.”

  “Ditto. Subject closed.”

  Lily drove them back to the salon to drop off Millie. “After work, I’m going to buy invitations for the shower and get them sent out. If you can think of anyone else you want to invite, let me know.”

  “Will do. You’re a doll for doing all this for me, Lily.”

  “It’s my absolute pleasure.” She smiled warmly at her friend. “Take care, Millie, and don’t work too hard. Aren’t you supposed to be putting your feet up?”

  “I do when I get home. Talk to you soon. Thanks for lunch.”

  After Millie went inside, Lily drove back to the clinic. When she walked inside, Cindy called to her. “You have a couple of phone messages.” She handed them to Lily.

  “Thank you.”

  Once in her own office, she sat down at the desk to see who’d called her. The first one was from Brody’s mother. The teen was still sick and wouldn’t be able to come in until next week.

  The second message shocked her. Call Ranger Ewing. Cindy had written the phone number.

  Quickly, before her next patient showed up, she picked up the receiver of her office phone and pushed the digits, but her fingers were trembling.

  “Ranger Ewing’s residence.” A woman answered, pulling the air out of Lily’s lungs. She recognized the voice.

  “Helen?”

  “Hi, Lily. I’m so glad it’s you.”

  “Is our patient all right?”

  “He seems to be. I helped him into bed and have given him his lunch. Now I’m in the living room. A few minutes ago the phone rang. It was one of his friends. A bunch of them are coming over this evening to bring dinner and he told me I didn’t have to stay overnight.”

  Lily’s hand tightened on the receiver as she listened intently to what the home-care aide had to say. “Mr. Porter insists he’ll be fine and says I can leave now.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s being very forceful about it. But my job is to be here. You have the final say in this, Lily.”

  “Does he have a phone extension in the bedroom?”

  “Yes,” Helen answered.

  “Tell him to get on the line and I’ll talk to him.”

  “Thank you!” The other woman sounded relieved.

  “Lily?” It was the sound of a familiar male voice. She swallowed hard.

  “Hi, Porter. I gather you’re home safe and sound and are already going crazy. Can I ask you a favor?”

  “What do you think?” he asked in that deep, masculine tone that caused her heart to skip a beat.

  “Helen would like to keep her job. Will you allow her to remain with you through tomorrow morning when you come for your therapy? She’ll stay out of your way during the party that I understand your friends have planned for you.”

  “Is a party against the rules?”

  “Of course not, but when you arrive at the clinic tomorrow, I’ll arrange for you to talk to my boss. He’ll have the final say on your treatment from here on out and clear it with your boss.”

  There was a moment of quiet before he said, “I didn’t expect her to bother you or upset you. I’m sorry.”

  “No problem, but it’s safe to say she hasn’t had a patient who worked for the forest service before. You guys are a little more self-sufficient and independent than other folks.”

  “How come you can handle it?”

  “I’ve lived around a father all my life who’s tough as nails. So was my grandfather. You couldn’t tell him anything. When he fell off the roof repairing some shingles and fractured a bone in his ankle, he got right up on the ladder the next day to finish the job. His doctor almost had a coronary.”

  That rich chuckle she loved rumbled out of him. “You’ve made your point. I’ll behave. Since I still have you on the phone, why don’t you drop by the ranch around six thirty and join the party? Helen will probably be happy for the company. Between the two of you, I should be well-guarded.”

  Her breath caught. Only an hour ago she’d told Millie that probably nothing would come of her meeting Porter. She gripped the receiver tighter. Seeing him off duty went against her own rules of self-preservation.

  “As you should know, attending a patient’s party is out of my job description, but thank you for the invitation. I hope you have a fun time, but please be careful so you don’t undo all the progress you’ve made.” She released a breath. “Tell Helen to call me anytime. Have a great day, Porter, and remember—no sudden moves!”

  On that note she clicked off, still incredulous he’d invited her over to his house for a party.

  “Lily? Is it all right to come in now?”

  She wheeled around. “Madge—I didn’t know you’d been standing there.” The golfer who’d lost her husband had thrown out her back and needed therapy.

  “I wasn’t sure it was you at first. I thought you heard me knock.”

  “I’m sorry. Please come in.”

  The older woman smiled. “You look fantastic in that new hairstyle.”

  “Thank you.”

  “When did that happen?”

  “Yesterday.”

  She shook her head with its titian-colored tint. “I can only imagine the number of car accidents you caused on the way to work.”

  “You’re hilarious, Madge. Come on over to the mat and we’ll get started.”

  “You know you look different? I’m not just talking about your hair.”

  “What do you mean?” Lily asked curiously.

  “I’m pretty sure a man has something to do with it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Why do women always say that?”

  “Because it’s often true! That’s my thinking, anyway. Even after the death of my husband, not a day goes by without me thinking of him.”

  “Madge...” She was handling her loss so well.

  “You know what I’m talking about.”

  The examining room rang with Lily’s laughter. “You’re like a burst of fresh air, Madge.”

  * * *

  “Happy twenty-eighth birthday, Porter!”

  The guys and their wives had learned he’d turned a year older today and had used his first evening home from the hospital to celebrate with great food and a cake. He thanked his buddies for the new leather gloves they’d given him as a gift for when he drove his truck.

  While every
one did the cleanup, with Mrs. Jeffries in charge, Holden walked over and sat next to him in the living room so they could talk privately. The therapist had helped Porter into an overstuffed chair that felt good on his back.

  “I wanted to ask you about the perp who ran away from you the night of your accident. Give me the sequence of events.”

  Porter thought for a minute. “I made him hand over his rifle before I searched him and his gear, but after my horse fell on top of me and the rifle, I couldn’t stop him from disappearing. He could have tried to get the rifle out from under me, but for some reason he didn’t. I’m not sure why he didn’t finish me off unless he worried the other ranger in the fire tower was looking for me.”

  “Thank goodness! We’ll find him. In your report you wrote ‘Jake Harrison from Big Piney, Wyoming,’ and that he works for the railroad.”

  “That’s what he told me.”

  “I put your information through the database, but nothing came up. Every answer was a lie. No one has ever heard of him. Tell me what you remember about him.”

  “He had no ID on him and was in his mid-twenties, maybe five feet nine, thin, overly long dark hair, a full beard and surly temperament. He wore a denim jacket and jeans that could have been bought anywhere.”

  Holden nodded. “Stan ordered the rifle brought in and taken to forensics. We’re trying to find out if he stole it or bought it somewhere in the state.”

  “That’s good. I was surprised he’d been brazen enough to light a fire and hunt without a permit when both aren’t allowed. He had no horse. My first thought was that he’s on the run and not up there to hunt at all. He had no way to carry out any game. It didn’t make sense. I’m thinking he had a contact.”

  “I agree.” The sheriff pressed his lips into a grim line. “Hopefully Cyril will get some fingerprints that will help us find out who he is and if there are outstanding warrants for his arrest.”

  “I’m glad you’re looking into it, Holden. I plan to be back on the job soon. Thanks again for the party.”