“Thank you for that high praise,” John says drily, setting a mug of coffee down in front of Danni.
Bear crouches down in front of me and gently examines my ankle.
“I thought it might be sprained, but it doesn’t hurt much now, and it’s not swollen anymore.”
“Looks good. Go gentle on it, though.” He levels me with a solemn gaze. “Fox mentioned that you weren’t keen on goingto the clinic. Looks like you need a splint to stabilize your wrist. But I would suggest an X-ray as well, just in case.” His eyes slide to John then back to me. “Did you hurt anything else when you went down?”
“Did some damage to my bike and my pride… but nothing else.”
He stands and leans against the cabinet. “So, what are you two not telling me?”
I glance at John.
“You can trust him, Wren,” John says. “But you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”
I meet Bear’s eyes. “I didn’t want to go to the clinic unless I had to.”
“Okay.” Bear nods and waits for me to continue.
“John saw a pregnancy test in my bathroom. He was concerned and wanted to make sure I was okay… because it was positive.”
Bear’s eyes soften. “Congratulations.”
Danni wraps a gentle arm around me. “That’s wonderful!” She studies my face, and I nod because as she says it, I let myself feel for the first time that yes, just maybe it could be a wonderful thing if I allow it to be.
Bear pulls a blood pressure cuff out of his bag and takes my blood pressure and pulse, then nods. “Looks great. But you need prenatal care, and we’ll help you figure that out. For now, though, Danni and I will run into town and see if we can find a small wrist splint at the pharmacy.”
“I hate to make you do that for me,” I tell them.
Bear crosses his arms and peers down at me. “We’re a close-knit community here, and we look after our own. And right now,you’reour own.”
Tears pop into my eyes.
Danni hugs me again. “Don’t worry. Going into town gives Bear a chance to get some ice cream at the Cosmic Creamery.” She glances at John. “Before you start grumbling, yes, we’ll bring some back for the three of you.” She glances down at Monster. “Oops. Sorry, big guy. And a very melted pup cup for you.”
I pull Danni to the side before she slips out the door with John and Bear. “I need to know if a photo of me was posted on social media today. Someone snapped it earlier when I collided into the ‘Don’t That Take the Cake’ sign. Can you look?”
“Of course.” She hesitates, chewing on her lip. “Does Fox know who you are?”
I shake my head. “I told him about Trey, but I haven’t specifically told him my name or Trey’s name. Or who my husband was.” I sigh in frustration. “I will. I just…” I shake my head. “It was a lot to lay on him.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to talk. Meanwhile, just try to relax here. John’s a great guy.” Her eyes are achingly kind when she rests a gentle hand on my arm. “Let yourself be taken care of for a while.”
I hug her. “Thank you, Danni.”
When she leaves, I join John and Monster on the veranda.
“There are a lot of chairs out here,” I point out. “You must get plenty of visitors.”
“After a long day, the ranch hands usually congregate out here or at Bear’s. None of them live on the ranch, so I make sure I feed them and treat them well before I send them home on the days they’re here. Unless they’ve got someone to go home to.” He nods toward another much smaller cabin nearby. “We have a couple young guys moving in the next couple days. Bear and I are mentoring them under Tank’s guidance. Have you met Tank—the guy who runs the Scuba and Snack Shack?”
I shake my head.
“I’ll introduce you to everyone… once you’re ready.”
I study his profile while he leans back and briefly closes his eyes. “Nice breeze today,” he says. “Sometimes it’s so scorching hot here that I feel like I’m back in the Sandbox. Today, though, is a good day to be out here, enjoying the weather.”
“The only thing that could make this even better is a beer.” He sits up and eyes me. “You want one?” He shakes his head, sheepish. “Forget I asked. Lemonade okay?”
