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Dare I believe the unspoken threat? I didn’t cower easily, but the way Luke’s gorgeous cobalt eyes darkened with irritation, his thinly veiled promise, and his overall posture sent me reeling. I figuratively grabbed the bull by the horns.
“Right. Do what you want.”
Luke cocked an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
“You’re actively preventing me from making sure Emma hasn’t injured herself.”
“Go on.”
If he rolled up a sleeve on his flannel shirt, I’d drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness. The mental image brought heat to my face. After staring at Luke for a full thirty seconds, I reluctantly directed my attention to Emma.
“I sincerely apologize, sweetheart. I’ve had a ridiculously long day. My frustrations aside, it doesn’t make up for the way I spoke to you.”
She sniffled, and the sound tugged on my heart strings. “I forgive you.”
Lucas cleared his throat expectantly. Shifting focus, I tried to think of a way to apologize. “I regret my tone. It wasn’t really directed at you, Sir.”
Shit. Lucas absolutely lived for the title. It had slipped out a few times in the past and it wouldn’t go unnoticed.
“Not quite the apology I was hoping for, Lee, but we’ll sort it out tonight.”
The resolve in Luke’s features coupled with what sounded like repercussions hardened my cock. I thought of terribly cold things to kill it. I had to tend to Emma, even if she was some sort of little trespasser, but her safety and well-being trumped my erection. I nodded at my best friend, having nothing else to say, and held my hand out toward Emma.
“Please come with me.”
Emma hesitantly placed her hand in mine, and I led her down the hallway. I did my best to focus on the situation in front of me, but I’d been neglecting my own needs. Hobbies had gone to the side. I skated with Luke’s students when they begged; however, I neglected to do things that brought me pleasure. I barely rode Chance, my black Arabian, anymore. Horses weren’t like a cat you could leave a food bowl out for, and pat once a week. Luke tended to three horses—Chance, his own Drake, and our Lady. The sweet trio adored his students. He brought them to the house to teach children basic riding skills. There were occasionally adults, typically women, who wanted a few lessons. It kept Lucas busy and filled his bucket without him performing.
We turned into a room off the kitchen. Luke had the space transformed into a medical room complete with an exam table shorter than one you would find at a standard office, but it had proven useful on several occasions.
“Since we are so far off the beaten path, sometimes our neighbors come here first if they aren’t feeling well or get injured. I offer my opinion on whether it might be more serious.”
“I’m afraid of doctors.” Huge tears welled up in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks before she brushed them away with the back of her hand.
“I’m wearing rainbows splashed across my thighs, sweetheart. I can’t possibly be that frightening.”
Emma casually glanced at the aforementioned part of my body, and a light pink blush creeped over her cheeks. “Maybe not.”
Scooting herself up onto the exam table, she unwrapped the blankets from her body. “Lie back so I can see if your ribs are all where they should be.” She complied, keeping her eyes on mine. Pressing along each side of her rib cage, down around her belly, and over her hips didn’t show anything out of alignment. “Does anywhere hurt when I press it?”
“Nope.”
Continuing down each of her legs, I stopped at her feet and tugged her socks off each foot in turn. Her right ankle was swollen, and her pinky toe was dislocated. The young woman in front of me wasn’t a typical patient. She didn’t belong on our property without being invited, but the haunted look in her eyes bothered me. However, a tiny smile had broken over her mouth when she noticed the rainbows and it would remain in my head for a while.
“What’s your favorite flower, Emma?”
“No one has asked me that in so long,” she admitted. “My favorite flowers to look at are orchids. They have to be tended to in a certain way, and they are all so beautiful. If we’re discussing the best flowers to smell, I’d say roses and lilacs are my favo-ouch!” She jerked her leg away.
“I’m so sorry. If I warned you, you might have tensed. Then your toe might not have realigned properly, and we’d be on our way to the emergency room. It’s not a fun place to be.” I hated causing her undue pain. Snapping a toe back into its proper place wasn’t a difficult procedure, but it was necessary. I taped two of her toes together in order to stabilize it before wrapping an ace bandage around her ankle.
“When I was younger, I broke the same ankle. The nurses at the hospital gave me lots of pain medication.”
“It’s not recommended to give meds when someone’s been in icy water. As long as your temperature isn’t low, I can get you some Tylenol.”
“Thank you.” Emma groaned as she sat up. “I’m still chilly.”
“We’re almost done, and then you can go back to the fireplace and rest. Does anything else hurt?”
“Nothing else.”
