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“She’ll be fine,” he repeated. “She just needs some shade and something to drink.” He met Constance’s worried gaze. “You can handle Chip?”
Constance nodded.
Dax offered her a reassuring smile and strode toward the main house. He’d have to have a serious talk with Zeke about training this girl. The sheriff wouldn’t be thrilled about the lack of safety that had occurred today.
3
Sarah
Everything was foggy—like a gray cloud had descended around her—but one that smelled really good. There was something soft that rubbed against her cheek. She rubbed her face into it and a soft moan escaped her lips.
Something in the back of her mind seemed to be nagging at her. Fear. Terror. Her heart rate accelerated once more, and her breaths came out short and sharp. There was a horse. It was chasing after her.
Her eyes flew open and she attempted to scramble to her feet. Strong arms held her tight against that soft, good-smelling place. The fog lifted, and her head snapped up to find that cowboy holding her.
Sarah let out a squeak and bucked within his arms. “Let me down. Put me down.”
“I can’t do that,” he grunted.
“Oh, yes, you can. Put me down, now!”
He sighed as if she were a child who didn’t know that she had control over her own body. “Little lady, if I put you down, you’re going to collapse.”
“Don’t call me that,” she ground out. “And you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine.”
“You will be as soon as I get you out of the sun and get you something to drink.”
She squirmed once more until he finally deposited her onto the porch swing. When she lifted her gaze to meet his, she found him shaking his head.
“What were you thinking?” he asked.
“Me?” she snapped. “I’m thinking I don’tknowyou. I don’t like that you think you can be so familiar with me. Whoareyou?”
“I seem to remember asking you that very question a few hours ago,” he said.
She rubbed her arms with both of her hands. “Well, you got me here. Now you can go.”
He still stared at her. His gray eyes doing that strange thing that she absolutely hated. It made her nerves light up with a tension that was almost painful. “If you’re fine, then prove it. I’m not leaving you here until I know you won’t do something stupid and end up flat on your face.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
“Have you ever had a panic attack? How about carbon monoxide poisoning? Because I’ve witnessed it first-hand, and I can tell you it’s no walk in the park.”
She snorted.
“I mean it, Sarah. If you’re okay, prove it. Stand up and walk over there.” He pointed to the other side of the porch.
Sarah huffed. “Fine.” She rose to her feet, and immediately stars filled her vision and her legs buckled. But before she could crumble to the floor, his strong arm slipped around her waist and pulled her back onto the porch swing.
She sucked in a sharp breath and stared at the legs that had betrayed her. It was like she’d been given some sort of paralyzing agent and the medication hadn’t worn off quite yet. This was definitely something she had never experienced before. Her stomach knotted and she felt the blood slowly return to her head. Okay, so he was right. She wasn’t ready to walk just yet. But now she knew. He didn’t have to stick around.
Sara pressed her lips together. “Okay. I get it. I’ll stay put for a little bit. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m not your ward or anything.”
He folded his arms and shifted his weight so he stood more firmly in front of her. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that. I’m going to stay here until Zeke comes out to discuss your training. We can’t have you causing this kind of trouble at every turn. Someone is going to get hurt, and it might not always be you.”
“What iswrongwith you?” The question burst from her without provocation.
But to his credit, he didn’t react.
