Page 2 of Falling for Brody

help setting her leg?"

She looked up at him with relief shining in her eyes. "Yes. I didn't want to do it on my own at the side of the road unless I had to."

"Well, I'm here now. You're not alone."

There was something that changed in her expression, but he didn't understand what it was.

He barely understood the full and heavy feeling he felt in his chest when he had to move away from her.

Brody put those feelings away in the back of his head as he moved to Roya's side.

The beautiful dog was nearly limp in the grass. The only sign of life was the shuddering rise and fall

of her ribs.

"What happened to you two?"

Pulling on his gloves, he reached out to examine the dog. It helped that he'd seen his father

do the same for years. When he laid his hand on the side of Roya's face, the dog's eye opened slightly, and he could see the glossy look in her eye.

She was suffering.

Badly.

How bad?

He didn't know animals that well.

But if she were a human, he'd be very concerned that she might not make it back into town. He

hoped so, but he just didn't know.

"Hold on, girl. Hold on, okay? Someone’s going to get my dad. He'll come and take a look at you. You'll be okay."

Roya closed her eye and her head seemed to sink into the grass under her head.

Brody swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. "Hold on."

Stripping off his gloves, he pulled out another set and pulled them on over his hands.

Avalon winced as he started to reach for her.

"Hey there,” he gave her an affronted look, “I haven't even touched you yet." He tried to keep his tone upbeat, but he could tell that Avalon wasn't buying it.

She made a vague gesture down toward her leg and then clapped a hand over her eyes. "You're

going to set my leg."

"Look at you, being so smart." He moved to a place where he could grab the opposite side of the break from the other EMT. Squatting down, he saw that his impromptu partner had a brace out and ready to fit around Avalon's leg. He nodded and met the EMT's dark eyes. He grinned when Avalon called him out on it, peaking through her fingers.

"Make eyes at the pretty lady later, Brody. Just set it already."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

Chuckling, he grinned. "It's like you really are my relative."

Avalon groaned and he smiled.

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