thoughts of Noelle Barnes continued to slip in and out of his groggy mind. Normally Evan would’ve used this opportunity to toss a pile of questions at her. But with pain still beating at the backs of his eyes, it was all he could do to stay upright in the saddle.
Fifteen minutes into the ride, they passed a herd of cattle numbering a hundred or more. Evan wondered whether they belonged to Noelle Barnes, but he lacked the strength to ask her. A quarter of a mile later, a small house came into view. The run-down stucco sat on a knoll and was a faded beige that matched the color of the dead vegetation covering the land around it.
Several yards behind the house stood a big barn of weathered gray wood. The loft was open at the end, and he could see it was practically full of alfalfa hay. Next to the structure were several corrals, some of them made of wooden rails, the others crudely built with cedar posts bound closely. A cow with a small calf was in one of the pens, while two horses were stalled next to them.
Yep, there was definitely a man around, Evan thought with a measure of relief. This woman wouldn’t be ranching out here alone. It just wasn’t possible.
He followed her to an old hitching post erected a few feet in front of the barn. Nearby, the penned horses lifted their heads and nickered at their buddy. Other than that, nothing stirred.
Evan glanced from the barn area over toward the house. “Where’s your help?”
“You’re looking at it,” she said bluntly. “Get down and I’ll take you to the house before I deal with the horses.”
Evan wasn’t used to having a woman order him around. Normally he would’ve been irked by Noelle Barnes’s bossy attitude. But he was too busy thinking about her being out here alone to dwell on her brusque commands.
He climbed to the ground. As soon as his boots were firmly on the hard dirt, he was stunned to feel his knees shaking with weakness. Evan had always been a fairly healthy guy with hardly a sick day in his life. Feeling this vulnerable was something he’d never experienced. It jarred him to the very core of his being.
“I’m feeling better,” he said in the strongest voice he could muster. “And I need to leave my horse saddled. I’ve got a long ride from here.”
“You’re not riding anywhere.”
Not wanting to argue the matter and waste what little strength he had, he simply handed her the reins.
After she’d tethered both horses at the hitching rail, he followed her across the barren yard to a back porch with a low roof supported by cedar posts. The door opened directly into a small kitchen. As Evan stepped in behind her, he caught the scent of burned coffee and cooked apples.
Rough-hewn beams supported the room’s low ceiling, while the floor was covered with worn brown linoleum. A green curtain with roosters printed across the hem hung over the only window. Below it, a chipped porcelain sink was full of dirty dishes.
“Sit at the table and let me take another look at your head,” she said. “Looks like it’s still bleeding.”
Evan walked over to a white farm table pushed against the back wall of the room and removed his coat before he sank into a chair at the end.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
He watched her leave the room, then glanced curiously around him. Where was the phone? Surely she had a landline somewhere. He had to call in to the office. His coworkers had probably been trying to contact him for the past two hours.
The thought had him pulling his phone from its holder, but as soon as he turned it on, he mentally cursed. The signal was no stronger here than it had been in the dry gulch.
Deciding he didn’t have time to wait for the woman with the velvety brown eyes, he pushed himself to his feet and moved, albeit shakily, toward the open doorway she’d disappeared through.
He’d taken two steps into a tiny hallway when she suddenly stepped from a door on his right and nearly rammed right into him.
“What the hell are you doing?” she barked at him. “I told you to sit!”
He understood this whole ordeal was a nuisance and a huge interruption to her day, but he didn’t deserve this. Nor had he asked for it.
Squinting, he focused his aching eyes on her face. “I admit I got a wham on the head, but as far as I can tell, I still have my memory. I don’t recall you being my boss.”
Her lips, which had turned a darker pink since they’d entered the warm house, pressed into a thin line of disgust.
“I’m not trying to be your boss. I’m trying to keep you from falling on your face and reinjuring yourself.” She made a sweeping motion toward the front part of the house. “But be my guest and roam around all you want. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
With that, she started to walk away, but he snatched a hold on her forearm. She met his reaction with a questioning stare that had him immediately dropping his hand to his side.
“Sorry. Just tell me where the phone is. I’ll make a call and get myself out of your hair.”
She pointed to the right, where a doorway opened to another room. “In there. At the end of the couch.”
“Thank you. I—” Before he could finish, a wave of woozy weakness came over him. He instinctively reached out to her to brace himself.
He heard her mutter a curse under her breath as she grabbed his arm to steady him. “Come on,” she said in a gentler tone. “I’ll help you to the phone.”
With a supporting hand on his arm, she guided him out of the hallway and into a cozy living room. Along the way, he noticed she’d taken off the ranch coat, and he was surprised to catch the faint, mellowed scent of flowers emanating from the wool sweater she wore. The garment was tattered at the neck and the cuffs, and the Nordic weave across her breasts had faded. She hadn’t bothered with makeup or fussed with her clothing, but she’d taken time that morning to put on a feminine scent. Evan had always found it difficult to understand a woman’s thinking, but this lady was far too complex for him even to try to unravel.
He sank heavily onto the cushion of a short red couch. Noelle handed him a cordless phone from a nearby table.
“I’ll look at your head after you finish your call. Do you think you can drink something? Water? Coffee or hot chocolate?”
She was standing in front of him, her legs slightly apart and one hand resting on her hip. The faded denim outlined her strong thighs and rounded hips, while the sweater clung to her breasts. She was more woman than he’d ever had in his arms. In spite of the throbbing pain in his head, he had to admit to himself that there was something very sexy and sensual about her.
“Do you have any aspirin? I’d take two of those with a cup of coffee.”
“You think it’s wise to medicate yourself?”
He reached up and tentatively touched his fingertips to the lump above his ear. “I’ll make sure the doctor knows—whenever I see him.”
“You’re going to see him as soon as I can drive you into town. So make your call. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She turned to leave the room.
