by Cat Johnson
Nick nodded. It took him two tries, but with Keely’s help, he managed to stand on his right foot.
“Maybe a bath would be easier for you,” Keely said.
“I doubt I’d be able to get out of the bathtub. I can hold on to the top of the shower stall and hop over the track at the bottom.”
She didn’t look convinced, but Nick proved he could do it by using her shoulder and the stall to lift himself over the track. Keely didn’t move her arm from around his waist until he settled on his right foot and released his grip.
“See? Piece of cake.” He refused to admit to her that his body felt like one big ball of agony.
He turned to face the wall that held the faucets and showerhead. “Will you hand me a washcloth?”
A moment later, she pressed one into his hand. Nick smiled at her over his shoulder. “Thanks. I’ve been showering on my own for a long time. I can handle it from here.”
Concern still shone in her eyes, along with an emotion he’d like to call awareness. It couldn’t be possible for her to feel any kind of desire for a man who smelled like smoke and could barely move on his own.
“I’m okay, Keely. I promise.”
“I’ll put a towel on the shower door’s bar and lean your crutches on the wall right outside the stall. Okay?”
“Perfect.”
“Do you want me to get some clothes for you?”
“I can do that. Thanks anyway.”
He waited until she left the room before he turned on the water. The cold stream hit his body, which didn’t do a thing to help his cock relax. At least he hadn’t developed a full-fledged hard-on in front of Keely. That would’ve been even more embarrassing than having to ask for her help.
For all she knew, he could’ve gotten sick all over himself in the bathroom. Yet she hadn’t hesitated to come to his aid without any reservation when he’d told her he needed help.
Her caring nature gave him one more reason to love her.
He already had plenty of reasons to love her. She had a sparkling personality that seemed to make the people around her feel better. Although she must have bad days, he’d never seen her lose her temper with a customer at Boot Scootin’, even the obnoxious ones. She had a quick wit and never seemed to run out of jokes or one-liners. Most of his friends always tried to sit in her section at the bar because they loved to pick on her. She picked right back, making all the guys smile and laugh, and leave her generous tips.
Of course, her looks didn’t hurt either.
That long, auburn hair called to a man to drive his hands into it while he kissed her rosy lips. Thick, brown lashes surrounded her gold-flecked green eyes. She had an ivory neck perfect for nipping, soft skin perfect to slide against his. Full breasts that would be firm when she pressed them to his chest. Wide hips a man could grasp while he fucked her, hard and deep.
He’d known Keely since their freshman year in high school. He’d watched her blossom from a teenager into a beautiful young woman. And he’d yearned for her the entire time.
Closing his eyes, Nick wrapped his hand around his rapidly hardening cock. He pictured Keely’s naked body on his bed, candlelight shining on her ivory skin. Her hair would be spread over the pillow. She’d cup her breasts in her hands, spread her legs so he could see the wet, pink flesh between her thighs.
He wondered if she shaved her pussy or left the natural auburn curls.
Nick tightened his grip on his cock. He imagined Keely holding out her arms, beckoning him to join her. He’d straddle her hips, lean over to sip from her lips. The only parts of their bodies that would touch would be their mouths, until she clasped his shoulders to draw him closer to her. Her fingernails would dig into his flesh . . . not enough to hurt, but enough to drive up his desire to take her.
Only when he knew she truly wanted him would he lie on her body so they touched skin to skin. His chest would cushion those beautiful breasts; her stomach would cushion his shaft. He would kiss her over and over and over before he began the journey down her body, not stopping until he feasted on the feminine folds that wept for him.
“Ah, fuck!”
Jets of cum shot from the head of his dick to splatter against the wall. Groaning loudly, Nick placed his arm on the wall, then rested his forehead on it while he waited for his head to stop spinning. He locked his right knee to keep it from buckling. The orgasm zapped every bit of his strength.
Removing the showerhead from its holder, Nick aimed the spray at his cum and washed it down the drain. He replaced the head and quickly finished his shower. His pleasure slowly faded and the pain returned. He had to sit before he fell.
Nick swiped most of the water from his body with the towel Keely had left for him and wrapped it around his waist. Leaning heavily on his crutches, he made it to the door. As soon as he opened it, he saw Keely.
“Are you okay?” she asked, worry evident in her voice.
“Sure. Why?”
“I heard you curse and groan.”
Nick didn’t embarrass easily, but the thought of Keely walking in on him while he jerked off sent heat shooting into his face. “Sorry about the cursing. It’s frustrating to only have the use of one foot. And the groan you heard came from pleasure at being clean again.” If she heard him, that meant she had to be standing in the hallway for the last few minutes. “Have you been here the whole time I was in the shower?”
Keely nodded. “You might have needed my help again.”
Tenderness welled up inside him. How natural it would be to take her in his arms and hold her, let her caring seep into his soul. Knowing he couldn’t do that, he pushed aside his desire and teased with her. “Maybe I should carry a little gold bell.”
She chuckled and her eyes twinkled with humor. “Maybe you should.” Her gaze dropped to his chest a moment before she returned it to his face. “Where are your muscle relaxers? I’ll get you one while you dress.”
“In my jacket pocket.”
He waited until she’d left the hallway before he turned toward his bedroom. Luckily, he didn’t have far to travel. Another few feet and he would’ve collapsed on the floor in a heap.
Nick closed his eyes and leaned against the chest of drawers to catch his breath. Getting dressed didn’t seem to be worth the effort.
“Here,” Keely said from beside him.
Opening his eyes, he saw a glass of water in her hand and a small white pill lying on her other palm. He wasn’t sure he had the strength to even swallow a pill. He hated to sound weak, but he had to be honest with her. “I need to sit down.”
Keely tugged the left crutch away from his hand and slipped beneath his arm. Between her helping him and using the right crutch, Nick made it to his bed. He sat on the edge, let the crutch fall to the floor.
“Take this now.” She pushed the pill into his palm and handed him the glass of water. Nick didn’t hesitate to obey her.
She set the glass on the nightstand, then gently pushed on his shoulders. “Lie back.”
He didn’t have the strength or willpower to fight her. Nick lay back and let Keely remove the plastic from his foot. She helped him pull up his legs and elevated the left one on a pillow. She covered him with the thick quilt from the end of the bed. Leaning over him, she pushed his damp hair off his forehead.
“I’ll fix you something to eat when you wake up, okay?”
“Okay.” Unable to resist touching her, he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Thank you, Keely.”
She gave him a gentle smile. “You’re welcome.”
5
Keely took care of straightening up the bathroom before she checked on Nick. He lay on his back exactly where she’d left him, lips parted, breathing deeply. Afraid the single quilt wouldn’t keep him warm enough and unwilling to adjust the thermostat without permission, she searched in the linen closet for more covering. She didn’t find another quilt, but did find a heavy crocheted afghan in different shades of blue.
She tiptoed bac
k to Nick’s bedroom and gently draped the afghan on top of him. He didn’t stir an inch.
Keely took several moments to simply look at him. The stubble on his cheeks and jaws gave him a rakish appearance, making her think of a pirate. Tilting her head to the side, she studied Nick closer. She could see him as a pirate. His dark hair already brushed his shoulders. She imagined it a little longer and his beard a little heavier. Add a gold hoop in one earlobe, a loose white shirt left unbuttoned to his waist, and he’d be the perfect pirate . . . ready to ravish her.
A delicious thrill passed through her at the thought of Nick ravishing her.
She’d helped him in the bathroom because he’d needed her. That didn’t mean she hadn’t taken the opportunity to look at his body. She’d seen him without a shirt a few times over the years and had always admired his lean, muscled build. He had no hair on his chest or stomach, but had the sexy “happy trail” that ran down from his navel. She’d often imagined following that trail to his cock with her fingertips, then her lips.
She’d never seen his bare butt until today. Tight, round cheeks . . . perfect for a woman to hold while he thrust into her sheath.
He had a tattoo on his right shoulder blade of two Fs swirled together, just like his ranch’s cattle brand. She assumed the second F stood for Fallon. She knew the ranch had been in Nick’s family for either three or four generations. Perhaps the first F stood for the name of whoever founded it.
His olive skin made him look tan all over, even his shaft. She’d chanced a peek at it while helping him to the shower. Not hard, but not completely soft either, and very impressive in length and width. Perhaps Nick being naked and close to a woman had made it respond without any encouragement from Nick. She’d always believed a man’s cock had a mind of its own.
She’d never seen his shaft before today—only felt it for a few bumbling seconds before he entered her—since the one time they’d made love had been in the dark.
She sighed. She couldn’t call what she and Nick had done the night of their high-school graduation “making love.” She didn’t know if Nick had ever been with another girl, but he’d been her first . . . and her only for a long time, until she finally accepted the fact that he’d never feel for her what she felt for him.
College had brought other boys into her life, and her bed. None of them had ever made her feel that deep connection she’d experienced with Nick.
His eyebrows drew together in a frown before he rolled to his side. Keely waited to see if he’d awaken. When he didn’t, she tugged the covers over his shoulders and quietly left the room.
Nick awoke to a growling stomach. He had no idea how long he’d slept, but his stomach demanded he feed it now.
He blinked several times to focus his eyes. He remembered Keely helping him to bed and drawing the quilt over him. After that, nothing.
Pushing the covers off him, he slowly sat up and looked around his bedroom. The cloudy skies made the room dim, but not dark enough that he couldn’t see Keely had leaned his crutches against the nightstand so he could easily get to them.
He smiled at her thoughtfulness.
Still moving slowly, he used the crutches to pull himself to stand on his right foot. His left thigh and ankle throbbed, but the back spasms had lessened. He crossed to the chest of drawers, then removed navy sweatpants from one drawer and his favorite Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt from another. Determined to get dressed on his own, he returned to the bed and sat so he could draw on the sweatpants. He’d chosen his oldest pair, the ones where the elastic in the legs had been completely stretched out through dozens of washings. Once they were at his knees, he stood again and pulled them up to his waist.
Feeling good about his accomplishment, he pulled the sweatshirt over his head and moved to his dresser for socks. He had an older, stretched-out pair in his hands when a back spasm reminded him bending over might not be easy.
Nick made a stop in the bathroom for deodorant and to answer nature’s call, then continued into the living room. Not seeing Keely there, he headed for the kitchen. He found her at the round table, holding an eReader in one hand and eating from a bowl of soup with the other.
His stomach growled loudly.
“Got any more of that soup?”
She jerked and quickly raised her head, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t hear you get up.” Keely laid down her eReader and rose from her chair. “There’s so much food, you can almost request anything and I’ll bet it’s in your refrigerator.”
Nick glanced into her bowl and noticed the big chunks of potatoes and pieces of bacon. “I’ll take some of that soup if there’s more.”
“There’s a huge pot of it. Beverly Coleman brought it over early this morning.” She motioned to the socks in his hands. “Need help with those?”
“Yeah.”
She pulled out the chair opposite hers. “Sit down. I’ll do that first, then warm up the soup for you.”
Nick sat quietly while Keely slipped the socks on his feet. She brought a pillow from the living room, placed it on another chair for his foot, then started preparing his lunch.
It felt right having her in his home.
“Would you like coffee or hot tea?” Keely asked.
“What kind of tea?”
“Orange spice. It’s very good.”
“Yeah, I’ll try it.”
She brought his mug of tea first. Nick sipped it while he watched her warm up a large bowl of soup and a piece of crusty bread. Once she’d served those to him, she applied the ice pack to his ankle before she sat again.
He didn’t speak until she’d taken another bite of her soup. “Thanks, Keely.”
Her tender smile lit up her eyes. “You’re welcome.”
“I don’t mean just for fixing the soup. I mean, thanks for everything you’re doing. You’re giving up your free time to be here with me. I really appreciate it.”
Her smile faded. She looked down into her bowl a moment before she looked back at him. Longing now filled her eyes. “You have to know there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Nick.”
Yes, he did know that, but couldn’t allow himself to accept what Keely offered him, at least not until the ranch’s books showed black instead of red. Having no idea when that would happen, he couldn’t ask her to wait until his finances improved. That wouldn’t be fair to her.
Three short bursts of the doorbell kept Nick from commenting on her statement. “You expecting someone?”
“People have been dropping by since early this morning with food. I hope it doesn’t have to be refrigerated. There’s no more room in your refrigerator.” Keely laid her napkin beside her bowl. “Be right back.”
Nick had time to take one bite of soup and bread before he heard a loud male voice. “Hey, Fallon, you lazy bum. Where are you?”
Nick chuckled at the sound of Luis’s voice. He turned his head to see his friend enter the kitchen, closely followed by Kirk, Kory, Dylan, and Quade, with Keely at the end of the line. It didn’t surprise him to see Luis, but he didn’t understand why the other guys had come, too. “What are y’all doing here?”
Luis grabbed Nick’s shoulders and gave them a friendly squeeze. “We’re here to help Dusty take care of your cattle.”
“You’re here to do what?”
Keely stepped forward, her chin high as if she expected him to argue with her. “I called Luis and asked him to round up some helpers. I knew you wouldn’t call anyone, and Dusty can’t do everything alone. I know his sons are coming tomorrow, but you need help today.”
“Snow’s gonna start soon,” Quade said. “It’s already snowing northwest of here and moving this way. We’ll make sure your cattle are fed before the weather gets any worse.”
Nick wouldn’t hesitate to pitch in to help if any of these men needed it. It didn’t surprise him that they came as soon as Keely called them. A lump of emotion formed in his thro
at to have such special friends. “Thanks, guys.”
“We even brought beer.” Kory nudged Nick’s upper arm.
Dylan drew his gloves from his jacket pockets. “This is more hot toddy weather than beer weather.”
“Finish with the cattle,” Keely said, “and maybe there will be hot toddies later.”
“Sounds good to me.” Luis clapped his hands. “Okay, guys, let’s go find Dusty.”
“Call his cell, 7-4-4-6,” Nick said. “He’ll tell you exactly where he is.”
The five men left the way they’d entered. Nick waited until Keely sat opposite him again. “Thank you for calling Luis.”
Keely shrugged. “I know there’s still some grass on your land from the mild weather, but I also know the cattle get hay, too, because there isn’t enough grass to feed them. You have small barns scattered over your property to store the hay until it’s needed.”
Her knowledge of the ranch layout impressed him. “How do you know all that?”
“Olive told me. She and I talked a lot this morning while putting away the food everyone brought.” She tore her piece of bread in half, dipped part in her soup. “I’m going to go through everything after lunch and make a list of what everyone brought.”
“Why?”
“Two reasons. One, so you’ll know what’s available to eat, and also to send thank-you cards.”
Nick paused with his spoon raised halfway to his mouth. “I have to send thank-you cards?”
“You don’t have to, but it’s the polite thing to do.”
“I, uh, don’t suppose you would do that for me?”
“Maybe.”
Her eyes flashed with humor, a grin tugged at her lips. That’s when he knew, once more, she would help him. With a smile, Nick dug into his soup again.
Keely couldn’t seem to stop staring at Nick. She’d never been so close to him for such a long period of time. With his injuries, he had no choice but to sit in his recliner and quietly work on his laptop, or watch TV, or nap. He did the latter now, thanks to the pain pill and muscle relaxer he’d taken after supper.