To Protect His Own. Brenda Mott

compression fracture in my spine.”

      Hallie frowned. “What’s a compression fracture?”

      “It’s a break…it means I have to wear this back brace for another four weeks,” Caitlin said, lifting the tail of her shirt to expose the stretchy material that bound her like an old-fashioned girdle.

      “Will it get better?”

      “Probably.” But there would be residual pain, the doctor had warned.

      “So then you’ll be riding in the Olympics?”

      Caitlin pursed her lips. “Afraid not, kiddo.” She tapped her temple with one forefinger. “The concussion messed up my sense of balance. I can’t ride at all.” Hell, she could barely walk.

      “So who’s going to ride Silver Fox?” Hallie asked.

      Who indeed? Not me… Caitlin pushed the hated words from her mind. “I don’t know yet. My brother is going to pick him up today and take him back to my parents’ Thoroughbred ranch.”

      “He is?” The child’s face fell.

      Before Caitlin could answer, a rich, deep voice cut in. “Hallie, are you bothering Ms. Kramer?”

      Caitlin turned to look over her shoulder at Alex, noting for the first time how dark his eyes were. How his hair was almost the same shade as her own, what she could see of it from beneath his black cowboy hat. In faded jeans, a Western shirt and cowboy boots, he looked every inch the rodeo cowboy, right down to the big oval buckle at his waist. It bore the outline of a quarter horse and, to her surprise, was engraved like a trophy buckle. She wondered if he’d actually won it. She hadn’t noticed any horses at his place.

      “She’s fine,” Caitlin said. With effort, she looked away. The cane and her left arm, curled awkwardly at her side, made her self-conscious. She hadn’t even bothered with makeup since the accident, and her hair was in a careless ponytail much like Hallie’s. She looked more like a high school kid than a senior in college.

      Former senior. For the millionth time, Caitlin cursed the drunk driver who’d shattered her life and murdered the unborn baby of the Good Samaritan in the Chevy Blazer, a woman who’d been five months pregnant.

      “She knows better than to trespass,” Alex said, breaking her from her thoughts. But his tone wasn’t harsh, his voice conveying the love and pride he felt for his daughter. He grinned. “But then, so do I. Sorry about the misunderstanding earlier.”

      Caitlin shrugged. “No problem.” She really didn’t want to get into her personal issues with a stranger. She wished Dillon would hurry up and get here, and take Silver Fox away. Then she could hide in the house and lick her wounds the way she liked best. Alone.

      The three of them stood in awkward silence for a moment before Alex spoke. “Come on, Hallie. Let’s go home and fix some lunch.”

      But the child ignored him.

      He frowned. “Hallie?” He took a step toward the paddock.

      To Caitlin’s shock, when the kid faced him, a single tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t want lunch,” she said. “I only wanted to feed the horse.” Her eyes accused Caitlin. “But he’s leaving, too. Everyone always leaves.” She jumped down off the fence and raced across the road and through the barbed wire fence around her dad’s property, disappearing over a rise in the ground.

      “Hallie!” Alex called after her. He muttered, “I’m sorry,” then took off in pursuit.

      Caitlin stared after them. What in the world was that all about? From the paddock, Silver Fox nickered softly.

      “You’re always hungry, aren’t you?” Hobbling closer, she leaned the cane against the fence and cupped the gray’s head lovingly between her hands. He lowered his neck over the fence, rubbing against her. “Quit it,” she scolded him affectionately, scratching his jaw and the side of his face with her fingertips.

      She buried her face in his forelock, inhaling the sweet scent of his coat, which was already turning fuzzy with the coming fall. Prior to the accident, she’d always kept him blanketed and in a warm stall to prevent his winter hair from coming in thick so he’d look good in the show ring. But once she knew their riding days were over, she’d instructed the stable hands to turn the gelding out on nice days to gradually acclimate him to the outdoors. No sense in keeping him cooped up now when he needed the exercise of roaming free in the pasture.

      No sense in keeping him here, either.

      He’s leaving, too. Everyone always leaves. What had the child meant? But it was none of her concern. Lord knew, she had enough problems of her own without worrying about some guy and his kid.

      Caitlin felt a pull of sadness as she stood there. It wasn’t Silver Fox’s fault she couldn’t ride him anymore, and she shouldn’t take her spite out on the horse. She’d missed him during the weeks she’d spent in the hospital and in her bed at home. And unless she made a definite decision to sell him, there was no sense in shuffling the horse from one handler to another, one place to the next. She might not be capable of riding, but surely she could manage to feed and care for one single horse.

      Perhaps with the help of a little girl who obviously had issues, and who maybe needed a friend. She ignored her wicked inner voice that reminded her the girl also had a handsome-as-sin father and most likely a mother.

      It didn’t matter. No man would ever find her attractive again. Who in his right mind would want to take her to bed and look at her ugly, scarred and twisted body? It had been a while since she’d had a serious relationship. She’d chosen to focus on her horses, her riding and her studies. Thought there would be plenty of time for love later on.

      Now all that had changed. She no longer had the career she’d wanted ahead of her, and she also no longer wanted a man in her life. To say she had nothing wasn’t fair, because her family loved her, and for that she was grateful.

      She stared into the distance where Hallie and Alex had disappeared. Caitlin had thought to hide out in seclusion at the ranch. But something about Hallie had touched her.

      Caitlin looked at the horse and sighed. “Maybe you ought to stay here, boy,” she said softly. “At least for a little while.” At least until she figured out exactly what she meant to do with her life.

      Unclipping the cell phone from her belt, she dialed Dillon’s number. “Hey, big brother. You can have Dad follow you over here to bring my truck back whenever you get the chance, but forget the horse trailer. I’m going to leave Fox here with me. Yeah, that’s right.” Dillon’s rapid-fire response buzzed in her ear, and she rolled her eyes to the afternoon sky…so clear, blue and vacant above her.

      Vacant…

      Exactly like she felt inside.

      “Yes, I promise I won’t try to drive right now. But I still want my truck.” She disconnected, then cane in hand, made her way slowly and painfully back to the house.

      CHAPTER THREE

      ALEX FOUND his daughter facedown in a patch of grass, sobbing. It was enough to break his heart. He crouched beside her and gently touched her shoulder. “Hallie, honey. Sit up. Come on, baby, let me hold you.” He held out his arms, and she flung herself into his embrace. Alex stroked her hair, soothing her until her sobs faded to hiccups and finally to an occasional sniff.

      He pulled a clean handkerchief from his jeans and offered it to her. She took it, not saying a word, staring at the expanse of open land that stretched up beyond their property in a carpet of knee-high grass and dense clusters of scrub oak.

      “You want to talk about it?” Alex asked. He’d learned long ago from Hallie’s therapist to let his daughter work her feelings out, and not to push. But damn it, it was hard to sit by feeling helpless while his little girl hurt so much. He’d only wanted to make her happy by bringing her here to the western slope. And now he wondered if he’d botched that, too.