Page 22 of His Cowboy

This time Marshall did put down his phone. “The doctor said he wants you to take two weeks off from any field work. I would like to see you take a week off from work at the very least. Let yourself relax a little bit. Next week, you can work in the office, learn that side of things.”

I groaned. “I don’t want to be a burden.” I didn’t want to lose my job. I needed this experience to get into vet school.

Of course Reese chose that exact moment to push his way inside the room. I started to sit up, but he was at my side pushing me back down on the bed.

“You’re okay? You sure you’re alright?” His face was pinched with worry. I wanted to smooth the lines from his face.

“Yes, it’s just a small thing with my shoulder.”

“And your elbow,” Marshall said. He stood up, slipped his phone into his back pocket, and smiled at Reese. “Take care of this one. Don’t let him leave the house for a week. We’ll talk soon about having him come back to work.”

My gut twisted. Did that mean I might not have a job?

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” I said. “I really think I can work. Just a few days—”

Marshall cut me off. “Your job is safe, Perry. We’re gonna miss you for sure this week, but that’s why we want you to take the whole week, so you come back refreshed. Injuries happen to the best of us. This won’t be your last. Don’t you worry.” He put a hand on my good shoulder and squeezed.

I smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

Reese growled at that. “Thanks, Marshall,” he said, and Marshall left.

I let out a long sigh, holding back tears, but just barely. “I’m sorry,” I said.

“What are you sorry for, baby?” Reese moved his chair closer so that he was right next to the bed.

“We just talked about how I’m not contributing anything to the ranch or to the house and now I have to do nothing for a week. If I help with chores and get hurt, then I won’t be able to get back to work and—”

“Two weeks,” he said. “I talked to your doctor on the way in here. Two weeks of taking it easy, then after that we’ll determine how ready you are for anything.”

This time the tears did fall. This was worse than the time I’d come down with the flu and missed three shifts at the diner I was working at in college. I’d had to decide between buying groceries or paying my heat bill. I’d paid the heat and went hungry for an entire week. This time it wasn’t about money. I needed Reese to see me as capable as his equal. I wasn’t a charity case.

Reese gathered me into his arms. “You can get out of here real soon. I’m here now. Let me take you home.”

“Everything was just so perfect, and of course this happened. It’s like two steps forward and five steps back.” I couldn’t stop the words. Later I could blame the pain killers. “I don’t know what you see in me. I was stupid to think I’d ever save enough money to buy back Blossom.”

“There’s no need—”

“I need to, Reese. I need to be able to stand on my own two feet. Even if I can’t afford Blossom, I still can’t be dependent on you.”

“Is that you what you think you are? You think you’re dependent on me?”

I couldn’t look at him in that moment. I stayed focused on the thin, white blanket that covered me.

“You don’t need me, Perry. I know that. You put yourself through college. You earned a degree on your own. You got a job at a very well respected, highly sought after vet clinic on your own. You could leave the ranch tomorrow and be just fine without me. The thing is, I don’t want that to ever happen. I want you here, in my life, for the rest of our lives.”

I gasped. “It’s too soon for that—”

“Perry, I knew you were special five years ago. I saw it in the way you cared for Blossom. When you came to my ranch, I knew. You were it for me.”

“I’m no one, Reese.”

“None of that,” Reese said. “I don’t want to talk about you that way. You’re perfect in every way. If you told me right now that you never wanted to work again, I’d be fine with that. You want to be a vet and we’re going to make that happen. This is not a setback, Perry.”

“How can you be so sure of us?”

He cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes. The love and care I saw there stole my breath.

“How can you not be scared?” I said finally.

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