Page 38 of Rancher's Heart

“There’s no chance I’m going to see him tonight, babe, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.” Swinging the door open, she dropped our clothes into a pile on the couch.

“I’m going to put some clothes on. I’ll be right back.” Rolling up on her toes, she kissed me quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

“I thought clothing wasn’t part of this evening?” I called as she walked down the hallway away from me. Her laughter filtered back to me and I took a seat at the kitchen island.

I rolled my shoulder backwards, but every bone just felt like they were grinding together. Elle, returning down the hallway, caught my eye, and I turned to watch her. She hadn’t exactly gotten dressed but had on the shirt I’d given her the night she showed up here because of Billy Hays.

“Okay, just relax.” She said, walking back into the kitchen, as she set down the supplies she needed. The amount of oil she’dput on her hands made me feel like she was prepping me for Thanksgiving dinner.

“I went to see him, you know.” Why I felt the need to confess this to her, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want to hide things from her.

Elle put her warm hands on my upper back and began working on me. “Saw who?”

“Jake. After I saw you the day with the horses, I went to him to see what he would say.”

“And what did the good doctor say?” The lightness of her voice made all the voices in my head quiet. Trusting people wasn’t high on my priority list, but I couldn’t believe she was even here.

“He said to see you.” I turned and looked at her, grinning.

“Professionally, he said to see me professionally. I highly doubt he said to move me into your house and have sex with me.” She moved her hand over my shoulder, and I grabbed it and pulled her down so she was peering over my shoulder.

“Jake better not think of the word sex and your name in the same sentence, ever.” My voice was a low growl, and I could feel the scowl cross my face as I looked at her.

“Griffin Harp, are you jealous?” Her tone was full of amusement and teasing. Even though she’d worked twelve-hour shifts for the last few days, her skin was sun-kissed from all the time she’d spent out with her horses and freckles dotted the bridge of her nose. The dark brown of her eyes was a contrast to her satin skin and blonde hair. I had already etched each and every detail of her into my memory. Even with my eyes closed, I could see her vividly.

“Yes,” I grumbled. There was no point in hiding it. She’d see right through me anyway.

She bit the corner of her lip, making her shining smile lopsided. “Good.” Elle pulled away from me and shifted so she was standing almost in front of me as she worked on me.

The muscles in her arms rippled as she worked and I was amazed at how strong she was. “Ahh.” I groaned when she dug her fingers into one spot on my arm.

“Was that a good ahh or bad?” She stilled her hands but they remained on the place that she’d just hit.

“Good,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, sounded like it was good.” She shook her head and moved her hand slightly and put a little extra pressure on my shoulder. “Tell me what just happened.”

“My heart raced, and all the blood rushed to my cock.” It wasn’t a lie. Apparently all she had to do was touch me, and I was ready to take her to bed.

“Griff,” she groaned as she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Oh, you mean with my shoulder.” I nodded and winked at her. “A shooting pain ran from my shoulder to my middle finger.” Elle tilted her head and stared at my shoulder. It was like she was trying to use her brain to take an x-ray so she could actually see what was going on.

Gently, she lifted her hands back to me and pressed on the same spot. “Elle, stop.” Reaching up, I slammed my hand over hers to make her stop.

“You broke your collarbone right?” The woman changed before my eyes. With the furrow of her brows and the clench of her jaw, she crossed her arms and stared at me.

“Yeah. You were there for the aftermath.” I rolled my eyes and looked back to her and I was met with an arched brow.

“Did you follow every order the doctor gave you?”

“Of course.” I scoffed.

“Sure you did.” Elle huffed. Was this how she was at work? Of course, it was, she was no-nonsense and it’s one of the reasons I’d been drawn to her.

“Okay, well, if you don’t believe me, what do you think is happening?”

“You didn’t let your shoulder heal. The break healed wrong and I think it’s pinched a nerve, which is only getting worse with time.” She might as well have been talking gibberish because I didn’t really follow her train of thought. “You know when people have a slipped disk or compressed vertebrae in their back, it pinches a nerve?” I nodded convincingly in fear she’d press on that spot again. “I think that’s what’s happened, but in your shoulder.”

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