Page 8 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“I’ll be fine,” Jaxson said casually. The doc said he had a hairline fracture. He wondered how long it would take to heal. Would they put his ankle in a cast? The ankle hurt, but his ribs were worse.

“Where do we go from here?” Knox asked.

The doctor focused on Lemon. “We wait to get the results back from the CT-Scan. If it all comes back clear, as I suspect it will, we will then attribute your condition to dissociative amnesia.”

Lemon nodded. “Where will I stay?” she asked, looking concerned for the first time.

“We’ll keep you here overnight for monitoring,” Doctor Jepson said. “After that … well, I’m not sure.” He looked at the officers for help.

“Uh, I’m not sure what the protocol is for a situation like this,” Officer Williams said. “I guess we’ll have to talk to the Chief and see how he wants to handle it.”

Seeing the distress on Lemon’s beautiful face cut Jaxson to the core. Lemon was a successful businesswoman. Jaxson was sure there were plenty of people to whom she could go for help. She no doubt had vast financial resources, but she didn’t know any of that at the moment. As far as she knew she was homeless and friendless. He could only imagine how hopeless she must be feeling right now. He was tempted to rattle off how successful she was, but would it be too jolting for her to hear her life spelled out in a few sentences? Was it better to let her remember on her own? His next words seemed to issue out of their own accord. “After you’re released from the hospital, you can come to the ranch and stay with me.” When Zoe had moved back home with Milo and Madison, Jaxson had relocated to one of the guest houses. He had two extra bedrooms, plenty of room for Lemon to stay.

Birdie chortled out a cough. “What?”

Jaxson steeled his jaw. “The ranch is the perfect place for Lemon to recoup. She can learn about her past on her terms.” He looked at his mama and daddy, daring them to disagree. He was a grown man and could invite anyone he wanted to stay at his place. He knew that his mama was thinking it was improper for a woman to stay with him; but whatever Lemon was dealing with here trumped decorum. She needed help. Regardless of all the bad that had transpired between them in the past, Jaxson was determined to offer assistance.

Daddy regarded him thoughtfully. “I think it’s a good idea.”

Birdie’s jaw dropped as she turned to Knox. “You do?”

“Yeah.”

Birdie’s words rushed out. “Isn’t there another place where Lemon can stay? What about the other guest house?”

“Nope,” Jaxson quipped. “Gina and Hank’s son and his family moved into the guest house last week.” Gina, their longtime housekeeper, was like family, as was her husband. Their son, Shaw, lost his job, so Daddy had rented him the guest house for practically nothing until he could get back on his feet. Bless Daddy for being so generous. With Zoe and her kids at the main house, Shaw and his family in the guest house, Jaxson’s place was the best option.

Lemon moistened her lips, her eyes darting from Jaxson to Birdie to Knox. “I don’t want to be any trouble.”

“You won’t be,” Jaxson said firmly, offering her a reassuring smile. He looked at Mama, silently urging her to agree. From the stubborn lilt of her chin, he could tell Mama wasn’t budging on her opinion. Why did she have to be so dang proper? All he wanted was to help Lemon. Mama should be jumping onboard here. Jaxson knew there was one sure-fire way to sway Mama to his side. “If I’m looking after Lemon, I won’t have as much time to think about riding,” he added. He was a grown man and didn’t need Mama’s approval. Still, he’d been brought up to respect his parents. He wanted Mama on his side, especially considering that Daddy and Ramsey had been at odds over Hartley. Thankfully, that was now resolved. Daddy had shifted a hundred and eighty degrees and now thought Hartley was the best thing since buttered biscuits and fried chicken.

“Riding?” Knox asked dubiously. “What type of riding?”

Birdie caught eyes with Jaxson. “Are you trying to bribe me?”

“Yep.” Jaxson gave her a sheepish grin. “Is it working?”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe.” She held up a finger. “Only if you promise me that you won’t do any more rodeos.”

Knox bunched his brows. “Have you been bronco riding?”

“Sure has,” Birdie asserted, her hand going to her hip. “Your son won first place.”

A large grin split Knox’s face. “That’s my boy,” he purred.

“Don’t encourage him,” Birdie blustered, swatting Knox’s arm.

“Boys will be boys, hon,” Knox said with a proud grin.

Birdie lifted her chin. “Not my boys.” She gave Jaxson a steely look. “No more riding. That’s the deal.”

He sighed as he looked at his ankle. It was doubtful that he’d be riding anytime soon. “Okay, I agree to no riding for the next four months.”

“Eight,” Birdie countered.

“Six,” Jaxson fired back.

“Done,” Birdie said. She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ll revisit this conversation in six months.”

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