Blame It On Texas. Cathy Gillen Thacker

he handed Lexie a thermal cup of chili and a spoon. “I was bunking in the main house, and Brad had the guest cottage. When he married Lainey Carrington, and she and her son moved in with Brad, it made sense for us to switch places. Now they have two preschoolers, and another baby on the way.”

      “So I heard.”

      The presence of kids had his yearning for a family of his own growing by leaps and bounds, which was why he’d decided to go ahead and build his dream home, in the hopes that a special woman would follow.

      “Anyway, it makes sense for us to spread out a little more now.” He could still have meals with Brad and Lainey and the kids whenever he wanted, but he could have more privacy, too.

      Lewis watched Lexie work off the lid, being careful not to spill it, and balance her square of cornbread on her bent knee. He licked a drop of chili off his thumb. “So how come we’re sneaking around like a couple of teenagers?” he asked.

      Lexie swallowed the spicy concoction and arched her eyebrows at him flirtatiously. “Aren’t you having fun yet?”

      Reminded of how reckless Lexie had always been, Lewis nudged her knee with his and grinned. “You know what I mean. What’s going on between you and your folks?” He’d been wondering about that all evening. From what he recalled, they had always gotten along, until Lexie ran off to California to make her fame and fortune at the tender age of nineteen.

      She licked the back of her plastic spoon. “Let’s just say they are overreacting, as usual.”

      “They seemed awfully protective,” he noted as he munched on cornbread.

      In a way that didn’t make sense. Jake Remington was an accomplished businessman, known for identifying fledgling businesses and turning them into hugely successful operations. Jenna Lockhart Remington was a successful clothing designer known for her one-of-a-kind couture bridal gowns and formal-wear, as well as her boutique line. They were respected members of the community, renowned for their big hearts and Texas hospitality. Yet earlier, they could hardly have been more unwelcoming to him and, apparently, to everyone else who had dared appear at their front door since Lexie arrived home that morning.

      She shrugged, took another bite of chili and followed it with a big gulp of coffee. Lewis saw her looking around.

      He grimaced. “Sorry. I forgot to bring any napkins.”

      “That’s okay.” Lexie dabbed at the corner of her lips with her fingertip. She went back to eating. “So what kind of horses do you and your brother have out here?”

      It was all Lewis could do to keep his eyes off her. “You’re going to ride Lady—she’s a sweetheart.”

      Lexie’s eyebrows drew together. “She sounds tame.”

      “She is,” Lewis assured, not sure how long it had been since Lexie had actually ridden. “You won’t have any trouble with her.”

      She paused and put her chili aside. Frowning, she swallowed hard and shook her head in outright disagreement. “I wanted a challenge,” she argued.

      Brad’s horse was just that. The problem was, no one rode the stallion but Brad. Lewis’s cautious nature came to the fore. “It’s going to be dark, Lexie.”

      “So?” Lexie shot him an aggravated look and put a fist to her sternum.

      “So even with the lanterns I brought for us to hang on our saddles and the full moon, we’re going to have to be careful.”

      Lexie got out of the cab of the truck and began to pace.

      Not sure what was wrong, Lewis climbed out after her. Quickly, he circled around to her side. Then he watched as Lexie bent forward, perspiration dotting her forehead, her hands on her knees. Light spilled from the interior of the truck, bathing them both in a yellow glow. Lexie straightened again, her face ghostly pale. “Are you okay?” he asked, not sure what was going on with her, just knowing it wasn’t good.

      Lexie nodded. “I’m fine,” she said, in a voice thready with pain. And then she fainted.

      Chapter Two

      “I can’t believe you called my parents,” Lexie fumed.

      “What was I supposed to do?” Lewis was glad her anger with him had brought a renewed flush of color to her cheeks. When he had carried her through the automatic glass doors of Laramie Community Hospital, she had been white as a sheet. “Bring you to the hospital and not tell them?” That would have won him some points with her folks!

      “You weren’t supposed to bring me to the emergency room at all!” Lexie folded her arms in front of her.

      Before Lewis could defend himself, the door to the examining room was opened. His brother Riley, the family doc on call, and Lexie’s parents filed in. Jake and Jenna Remington looked as if they had been awakened from a sound sleep and dressed hastily. Their hair was still tousled. Jake needed a shave. Jenna’s face was pale with worry. They rushed to Lexie’s side and hugged her, being careful not to dislodge the IV taped to her left arm. “Thank you for calling us,” Jenna told Lewis.

      “Although what you were doing out with my daughter that time of night is still a question that needs to be answered,” Jake said grimly.

      “Don’t blame Lewis, Dad,” Lexie interrupted. “I asked him to take me riding.”

      Jake’s gray-brown eyebrows climbed even higher. “In the middle of the night?”

      “It’s not as if you were going to let me go if you knew about it,” Lexie challenged.

      Riley looked at Lexie sternly. “Your father told me you just got out of the hospital in London, Lexie.”

      Lewis did a double take. “Is this true?” he asked her.

      Lexie flushed and waved off the concern of all those around her. “It was nothing.”

      “It wasn’t nothing,” Jake Remington said gruffly. “You passed out over there, too.”

      “So I’m a little run-down.” Lexie shrugged.

      “You were having chest pains tonight,” Lewis said, repeating what he had already told the staff upon her admission. “Before you passed out. At least I think you were, the way you were pressing your hand to your chest.”

      “Acid reflux,” Riley explained.

      “You can give her medication for that, right?” Jenna queried, the picture of motherly concern.

      Riley nodded. “But you’re still going to have to lay off the spicy food, caffeine and highly acidic things like tomatoes and citrus until you heal, Lexie. And we still have to deal with your exhaustion. You need lots of rest, no stress. And you need to start eating right.”

      Lexie rubbed the back of her neck, looking as if all that sounded impossible to her.

      “How long before she’s back on her feet?” Lexie’s father asked.

      “Two weeks of R and R ought to do it,” Riley said.

      “I want to go riding,” Lexie grumbled.

      “Not for at least another week,” Riley cautioned. “We don’t want you passing out in the saddle.”

      “So when do I get out of here?” Lexie asked, impatiently.

      “As soon as the IV is finished,” Riley said. He wrote out a prescription for her and handed it over. “Provided you promise me you really will take it easy.”

      She nodded. “I promise.”

      “Okay, I want to see you in my office in one week, for a recheck. Call and make an appointment with my receptionist tomorrow. In the meantime, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call.” Riley accepted thanks from everyone, then exited the room.

      Jake Remington turned back to