Page 3 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

“Nothing that brave,” she answered with a chuckle. “The snake decided he wanted to strike and I decided to flail backwards out of his way and landed in agopherhole.”

He shook his head. “I have to admit that’s a different slant on how to sprain an ankle. It’s usually cheerleading, or basketball, or some activity that requires moving from side to side. So no cheerleading, huh?” Hegrinned.

“Yeah, no. Those days are longbehindme.”

“Hmm.”

She gave him a side glance. “What doesthatmean?”

“Just trying to picture you in a cheerleadingoutfit.”

A loud laugh burst from her. “Not going tohappen,Doc.”

He smiled. Her gut tugged again. He had a beautiful smile. Full of white teeth and a pair of dimples. If she’d run into him at Leo’s Bar, she’d have figured out a way to make sure they met. But in this situation, she didn’t want to like him too much. She was pretty darn sure she wasn’t going to like where this appointment washeaded.

“Well, I have to admit a rattlesnake story is a first for me. I didn’t see many rattlesnakes during my orthoresidency.”

“Whereyoufrom?”

“NewYork.”

“And you moved from New York to Whispering Springs, Texas? Why would any sane persondothat?”

He laughed and that tug pulled again, almost taking her breath. His brown eyes sparkled with delight. Whew. Wait until the single ladies of Whispering Springs saw those eyes. Catfights wouldabound.

Not the time and not the place, she warned herself. Her engagement had ended badly six months ago. She wasn’t looking for, or needed for that matter, another guy in her life. She’d sit on the sidelines, eat her popcorn, and watch the others slug it outoverhim.

Too bad, though. He did make herheartsigh.

“I’ll be here about the next four months while Dr. Kelley does a fellowship in knees. Apparently, people in this town blow out kneesregularly.”

She snorted. “Oh yeah. Working cowboys and ex-rodeo cowboys. Hard onthebody.”

“Now,aboutyou.”

Sighing she frowned. “Yeah,aboutme.”

“You are a very lucky lady. Nothing broken, but you’ll need to rest your ankle for it to healproperly.”

“Forhowlong?”

“Not horribly long. Maybe three weeks. Four at theworst.

“I have to be off my feet for three to four weeks?” She immediately began shaking her head. “Nope. No can do. I’m a rancher. My parents are leaving on their dream vacation. I can’t lay around for a month. Have anotheroption?”

“For a Grade 2 sprain, I usually recommend an air cast. Light. Removable forshowers.”

There was a knock on the door and a woman’s head popped around the corner. “Needme?”

“In a minute,Debbie.”

The door shut and he paused. “What was I saying? Oh right. Air cast. It’ll make walking easier, but you’ll still want to baby that ankle. Rest, elevation and ankle exercises should fix you right now in no time. I’ll have my nurse come back and go over some dorsiflexion-plantar flexion range of motion exercises I want you to do atnight.”

“Great. Noproblem.”

“Rancher. Is that what you saidyoudid?”

Shenodded.

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