He loved her spirit. He loved that in the face of adversity, she fought back. She would heal and she would go on to compete again, even if it wasn’t with Tenterhook. He was sure of it.
Sweet Montana Sky: Chapter Five
It seemed that life was at a standstill for Tabby when she got home from the hospital. She’d had a difficult time adjusting to the staircase up to her apartment with her crutches. Trip was afraid she’d fall, so each day, Trip or one of the hands would help her down the stairs when she felt like getting out for some fresh air and then someone would help her back up when she got too tired.
The pain killers the doctor had given her made her loopy. She hated the feeling. It made it hard to do much of anything other than sit on the sofa and sleep. Most days someone would bring her a meal and sit and talk for a few minutes before going back to work. Tabby would look out the window and see the barn where Tenterhook was confined to his stall, hopefully healing.
The chances were strong Tenterhook would never compete again. They’d been a team. He’d been her constant companion since her parents’ deaths. It wasn’t as easy as everyone made it out to be. Train with another horse? How could she?
When you trained for barrel racing, you spent a lot of time with your horse. She couldn’t just discard Tenterhook and forget that he was a big part of everything she’d learned about barrel racing.
Kas said it was only a matter of time that she’d start training with another horse. Maybe. But right now she was stuck. Alone. With no chance of getting out of this apartment on a beautiful sunny day to see her horse unless someone came to get her and helped her down the stairs. She couldn’t even work at the bakery at the grocery store in order to earn much needed money to help pay her bills and pay for ongoing veterinarian treatment Tenterhook needed. Her mood was so foul that when she heard the knock on the door, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to answer it.
After the third knock, Kas opened the door and slowly walked in carrying a plate of food. She was hungry. She hadn’t eaten anything since early that morning. But as soon as she saw his face, all thoughts of food disappeared. He smiled at her and emotion bubbled up her throat until she sobbed.
* * *
When Kas stopped by the bakery Tabby worked at to pick up some sweets and was told by a colleague that she worked with that she had a particular sweet tooth for cannoli, he figured it was the perfect excuse to drop by and see her. With the box of sweets in his hand and a plate that the ranch’s cook and put together for Tabby, Kas walked through her door and found her sobbing.
“I don’t usually get that kind of reaction from people,” he said.
“No? Well, then I’m unique.” She sniffed back a few tears.
“The door was open.”
“I don’t usually keep it locked during the day. It makes it easier for Trip and the hands to stop by without me having to get up and down from the sofa.”
He hesitated. “Can I come in?”
“As long as I can have whatever is in that pastry box. Please tell me Georgette was working today and told you what I like.”
He grinned. “She made them special for you.”
She sobbed a little bit more and then lifted her arms to take the box.
“Don’t you want to eat lunch first?”
“Spoil sport. Nothing is as good as Georgette’s cannoli.”
He handed her the box and she immediately broke the string holding it shut, and then popped open the top. She had a look of longing when she reached in, took out one, and held it in front of her.
“Are you into sharing?” Kas asked.
“Not usually. But since you did bring the cannoli, I’ll make an exception.”
She handed him the open box while she started devouring her cannoli. With both hands occupied, he put the hot lunch plate down on the side table and sat in the chair opposite the sofa.
She ran her tongue over her lips to scrape away the cannoli cheese and powdered sugar remnants. Then she gave him a sidelong glance. “You’re buttering me up for something.”
“What makes you think that?”
He took a bite of the cannoli. A little murmur of delight bubbled up his throat.
“See? Georgette makes the best,” Tabby said. She finished off her cannoli and rubbed her hands together, letting the powdered sugar fall to her lap. “So out with it. What’s the real reason you’re here?”
“Isn’t it enough to want to see you?”
She glanced down at her hands with guilt. “Sorry. Everyone has been going out of their way trying to make me feel better. But nothing is going to work.”
“You don’t know that.”
She chuckled wryly, reached down to her leg and knocked on her cast. “Well this is pretty clear proof things aren’t going so great.”
“That’s temporary. You know that.”
“But Tenterhook might not be. I can’t even get out to the barn to see him on my own. He’s hurting and he probably thinks I’ve forgotten about him.”
She started to sob again. This time more softly than when he’d first arrived. But still just as heartbreaking.
“I know you’re feeling lost,” Kas said.
Tabby turned her face to the white curtain behind the sofa. “I don’t want to talk about it, Kas.”
“Then don’t talk about it. Let’s just get up and do something.”
She glanced at her cast and then at him.
“You’re not going to let that get in the way, are you?”
“No, of course not,” she said sarcastically. “Let me just get my ballet slippers and tutu on right now and I’ll do a dance.”
“I wasn’t thinking of ballet slippers. I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a tutu.”
“Don’t push me. Please just leave me
