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Breaking apart, she grins at me. “Let’s close up so we can get inside where it’s private. Your ranch hands are around, right?”
I smooth my thumb down her cheek. “Some of them stay in the cabins on the property. Just give me one minute and then I’m all yours.”
Tearing myself away from Erin’s arms, I shut Bella’s stall door. Erin hurries to help me, but in her eagerness she slips in the mud leading up to Randall’s stall and falls.
“Erin!” I rush over to check on her, but she’s already laughing.
“Guess I’m not cut out for ranch work.” She grins up at me.
Taking both her hands in mine, I help her to stand. “I’m not really either, so join the club.”
Her expression sobers. “You’re really unhappy here, aren’t you?”
I don’t know what to say. Tonight is perfect so far, and I don’t want to ruin it by talking about depressing things.
Before I can respond, there’s a yell. Right away, I know it’s bad. It’s the sound of a man in shock and pain.
Erin’s eyes widen, but I’m already out the stable door, following the sound of the noise. Erin comes right behind me, and we run to the tool shed.
My ranch hand, Keith, is there, clutching his arm, blood pooling between his fingers.
“Keith!” I rush up to him. “What happened, man?”
“Cut myself with the saw,” Keith grunts out, his face twisted in agony. “It’s bad.”
Erin takes charge, rushing to take off the flannel shirt she’s wearing over her T-shirt. “Hold this tight,” she instructs as she presses it against Keith’s wound. “We need to get you to the hospital now.”
I nod, already pulling out my phone to call for an ambulance.
“There’s no time for an ambulance,” Erin says. “He’ll need stitches, and it’ll be quicker if we just drive him.”
I nod. Of course. Why didn’t I think of that?
We’ve had accidents on the ranch before, but luckily nothing too serious. My hands are shaking a bit, and I’m worried about my ability to keep it together.
But Erin is a natural in a crisis. Her calm and quick thinking are nothing short of impressive.
“Grab the truck,” she instructs me as she walks alongside Keith. “It’ll be okay, Keith. I’m a doctor.”
Together we get Keith into the truck, Erin in the back seat with him, holding the bloody flannel against his arm.
As I race towards the hospital, my heart is pounding. I don’t know what I would do without Erin, and I realize just how much she means to me. I’m not a man who talks about his feelings, but I’ve come to realize that there’s something special about Erin.
Since she came back home, everything has changed. Now, I’m going to do whatever it takes to show her how she’s made me a better man.
We make it to the hospital in record time. As I rush in with Keith, Erin’s right behind me.
“We need some help over here!” she shouts at the desk.
The nurse nods and helps us get Keith into a wheelchair. When he’s settled, Erin pats his other arm. “How are you holding up?”
Keith winces in pain but manages a weak smile. “I’ll live.”
Erin nods. “You will. I’m going to make sure of it.”
The nurse leads Keith away, and Erin turns to me. “Are you okay?”
I nod, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. “Yeah. Thanks for your help back there. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
