Page 47 of Midnight Secrets

I scooped it up and passed it to her. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Let’s get back so I can ice my leg.”

She was going to get more than ice. I planned to haul her into the emergency room for an x-ray. “You sure you can ride alone? We can leave it here and you can ride with me.”

“That just creates more work. I’ll be fine. We don’t have that far to go.”

“It’s an hour yet, Claire. We aren’t even back to the road.”

“But we almost are. Now stop yapping and drive.” She waved a hand in the general direction we needed to go.

Scowling, I started my ATV. “You lead, so I don’t go too fast for you.”

I didn’t have to tell her twice. She shifted her four-wheeler into gear and took off.

She didn’t stop once on the way back. Nor did she slow down. Once we hit the road, she sped up. I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. In any case, I was cursing her stubbornness. She didn’t need to be putting pressure on that leg until we knew how bad the injury was. I doubted Chief Bartles would mind coming back out with me tomorrow—or even later today—to pick up the machine.

When we reached the Bartles’s backyard fifty minutes later, I pulled up alongside Claire and was at her side before she could stand on her own. The bone-jarring ride likely hadn’t helped her pain level. I didn’t want her to fall when she tried to stand.

She shut off her four-wheeler and swung her legs over, holding onto my forearms as she stood. When she took a step forward, her leg buckled.

“Let’s not be superwoman.” I scooped her into my arms and turned toward the house.

“Ozzie! Put me down. I can walk.”

“Maybe. But should you?” I trudged across the muddy ground.

She huffed and speared me with a glare. “You’re going to freak Christina and Tom out.”

“Don’t care. It’ll get them on my side so we can convince you to go to the hospital.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. You need an x-ray.”

The back door swung open. “What on earth happened?” Christina called from the doorway.

“A moose tried to take her out,” I replied at the same time Claire said she was fine.

“A moose?” Christina’s eyebrows winged upward. “Did it kick you?”

“No. We were coming back and it ran out of the trees. I didn’t see it until it was on me, and I had to swerve. My ATV tipped and pinned my leg. I’mfine.” Claire turned her icy glare on me again, but I ignored her. “Someone’s just being overly cautious.”

“You still can’t walk without pain. You need an x-ray.” I walked up the two steps into the house.

“Take her into the living room.” Christina gestured to the doorway leading out of the kitchen.

“Are you sure?” I paused by the table and glanced at my feet. “My boots are muddy.”

“Yes. I have a mop. It’s fine.”

Maneuvering through the tight space, I went into the living room and deposited Claire on the sofa, then crouched in front of her.

“We need to check out this leg.” I touched her boot. “Do you want to take it off yourself or are you okay with me doing it?”

“It might be easier if you do it. Just go slow.”

I looked at her through my lashes. The tight pinch to her mouth told me it hurt. “Singing, is it?”

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