Page 4 of Texas Daze (Texas Montgomery Mavericks)

“Your problem will be riding a horse for the next couple of weeks. Even though your foot is in a stirrup, your leg hanging down like that will cause your ankle to swell. So, I suggest you stay off horses for a couple of weeks. Is thatdoable?”

“I can take the ATV when I need to go in to thepasture.”

She would have sworn he rolledhiseyes.

“Yeah,” he said. “Don’t do that either. Try to keep off your feet unlessnecessary.”

“Will I needcrutches?”

“I don’t see the need. The air cast will support your ankle. If you still have a great deal of pain after a week to ten days,callme.”

She’d love to call him but not because she wasinpain.

And, she reminded herself, he was first, her doctor and second, she wasn’tlooking.

But ifshewere….

She blew out a long frustrated sigh. This sucked. She had two new juvenile offenders coming out on Monday as part of the joint program. She’d assumed responsibility for the program and its teens last year from dad. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint him by being unable to doherjob.

Damngophers.

“Fine. Fine.Whatever.”

“I’ll send my nurse in with all the instructions. I know I’m throwing a lot of information at you, but everything is written down. Call me if you need anything.” He squeezed her knee. “Goodluck.”

There was nothing sexual about the touch. It was a doctor comforting a distressed patient but her heart shot off in a gallopnonetheless.

Nope, nope, nope. She would not be attracted to a short timer, especially aYankee.

Chapter2

Eli Boone closedthe door to the exam room and leaned against it for a moment. When he’d agreed to see a last-minute patient as a favor to his scheduler, he’d had no idea his world would turn upside down. It’d been quite a while since he’d had a date. Hook-ups, yes. Dates, no. But since moving to Whispering Springs two months ago, he’d even forgone the hook-ups. When Hank Kelly had asked him to come to Whispering Springs, he’d warned Eli about small towngossip.

“Watch out for the gossip grapevine.” Hank had said. “And no local hook-ups, unless you want a shotgunwedding.”

Eli had laughed, but Hank had added, “Trust me on this. Drive on into Dallas if you are looking for temporary companionship. The women in Whispering Springs are great, don’t get me wrong. But all the ones I know are looking for the gold band and white picketfence.”

Eli had had the gold band, but instead of a white picket fence, he and his wife had had a twentieth floor apartment in Manhattan. When Gina had died, he’d kept it for a while but finally he’d sold. Just too manymemories.

So, no. He wasn’t looking for a gold band, white picket fence or shotgun wedding. For now, he had a close and loving relationship with hisrighthand.

However, Marti Jenkins, with her laugh and mischievous twinkle in her eye, made him wish he could get to know her a little better. She intrigued him. The first woman to do so inforever.

He pushed off the door and turned Marti over to his nurse. It was better that he move on to other duties. Lust for a patient was a completeno-no.

He headed up one floor to physical therapy. Looking around, he had to admit that his old classmate had put together a first class facility. The first floor housed a pharmacy, administrative offices, a small café and a heated pool for therapy. Second floor held all the diagnostic services, clinic and treatment rooms, and private offices for the physicians. And finally, the top level was completely utilized by physical therapy activities. It was a very sweetsetup.

The physical therapy area was in full swing. Therapists worked with clients on mats, weights, rolling balls, stationary bikes, and other various devices of torture, as the patients called them. Sitting off to one side in a wheelchair was a sandy-haired teen, JoeManson.

Last year, Joe broke the state record in the one-hundred yard dash. Twenty-four hours later, he was riding shotgun with three friends when a drunk driver hit them head-on. Two of the three boys were killed instantly. One walked away with cuts and bruises. Joe’s legs were amputated in the metal wreckage. Actually, he was lucky to be alive, but he didn’t see it that way. Most days, he’d let everyone know that he wishedhe’ddied.

“Joe,” Eli called, walking across the room to the teen. “How’s itgoing?”

“I’m alive,” Joe said with scowl. “Not mychoice.”

Eli decided to not comment on the attitude. “I’ve been reviewing your chart. You’ve made incredible progress. Lucky for you, teens heal quicker than adults. You were in superb condition before the accident. That has helped the speed of yourrecoveryalso.”

Joe shrugged. “My superb condition didn’t do shit for me. I’m still a patheticcripple.”

---