With body suddenly hard with desire and his head filled with a fantasy he couldn’t push away, he cleared his throat and coaxed her to sit in the chair. “Let’s get this on you before we never get out the door.”
Sweet Montana Sky: Chapter Six
Tabby was no stranger to the harsh Montana winds in January. Today, as she tried to stand on one foot at the edge of the frozen pond that glistened under the warm sunshine, she was thankful for the distraction of cold rather than the pain in her leg.
She’d taken over the counter painkillers rather than the script her doctor had prescribed. They didn’t make her sleepy and clumsy and she didn’t need that right now. Especially now that Kas had her out trying to maneuver the snow and ice with a cast wrapped in a white kitchen garbage bag.
“Where are you taking me? To a summit?”
“Quit your complaining. This is going to be fun.”
“Hey, you’re the one who dragged an injured woman out in the snow.”
He grinned, keeping his eye on the path in front of them as they moved so they wouldn’t step on any ice. “I have a feeling that if those words had come out of my mouth, you’d have punched me.”
“I would not have!” Tabby knew she would have. Maybe not the punching part. But she would have given him a piece of her mind for treating her like an invalid.
“Have it your way. Let me help you on this last part. It’s a little slick. I put some sand down but it’s still slippery.”
Kas led her to a spot next to the pond where there were two benches near the edge of the ice. She eased herself down into one of the benches and looked out around her. Peace filled her as she gazed at the snowy mountains. The trees were still covered with snow from last night’s snowfall. It was cold, but she knew how to dress, having lived in Montana her whole life. The sky above her was an amazing blue that she’d seen so many times in her childhood during every season. But there was something about the blue sky against the backdrop of snowy mountains that made the color more vibrant.
“Need help?”
“What?”
He pointed to the lone skate she’d brought with her. She hadn’t stepped foot inside her skates since high school and she hoped it still fit.
“Maybe.”
Kas dropped his duffel bag on the end of the bench and then positioned himself in front of her, crouching down in order to help her with her skate.
“Your socks are thick,” he said, rubbing the heel of her foot for a few seconds before placing the boot she’d just slipped off her uninjured foot on the bench beside her.
“That’s usually a good thing.”
“It is unless you’re foot doesn’t fit.”
“Are you calling my feet fat?”
He glanced up at her and grinned something warm and sexy. “I wouldn’t dare.”
She wondered what he would dare. After that smoky look he’d given her in her kitchen, she’d been sure he was going to kiss her. Just thinking about that moment now made heat rise up her chest and made her cheeks flame.
Kas didn’t notice, thankfully. He fiddled with her skate, holding her foot and turning it to squeeze it inside. When her foot finally slipped into the skate, he nodded his satisfaction. “It’ll do. I won’t lace it tight, but you’ll have to let me know if it doesn’t feel secure.”
“I don’t even know why we’re bothering,” she said. “I can just sit here and watch you for a while.”
“Nope. That wasn’t the agreement.”
“We had an agreement?”
“You’re here, therefore skating or the attempt thereof was assumed.”
With her hand, she motioned to the smooth ice in front of them. “There is no way I’m going to be able to do much of anything out there except crawl on my hands and knees. I’m surprised I was able to make it down that cleared path even with your help.”
“Giving up already?”
Her stomach sank. She wasn’t a quitter. At least, she’d never been before now. Even after her parents died in the accident when she was just eighteen, she hadn’t given up. She’d been devastated, and each day she’d gotten up, she’d wondered what her life would be like now that her parents were gone. All the images she’d had in her mind of what her future would be like were gone. Not erased from her imagination, but from her reality.
But then she’d learned about her father’s gift to her just days before his death. He’d purchased Tenterhook from Levon, who’d purchased him from the Bureau of Land Management the year before. Just days after the funeral, Trip had invited her down to the Lone Creek Ranch to train with Tenterhook, giving her a reason to get out of bed and be productive again.
At first, all her time was spent getting to know Tenterhook, talking to him and grieving with him. He’d been the only thing to bring a smile to her face for months, and then he’d become her best friend. By the time she started competing with Tenterhook, she didn’t have to force herself out of bed anymore.
She didn’t know what she’d do if she and Tenterhook couldn’t compete anymore. Or worse, if Tenterhook continued to be lame and needed to be put down.
“Hey, are you still with me?”
She glanced down at Kas’s face. He was still crouched down in front of her. Still holding her foot. But the skate had not only been placed on her foot but it was laced up and tied without her paying attention.
“Yeah, this feels fine.”
He smiled, but his eyes still held questions. “Good. Let’s give this a go.”
“Okay. But don’t expect me to do a figure eight.”
Kas took her hand and she carefully stepped toward the ice. She blew out a quick breath and said, “I have to be out of my mind. Why did I let you talk me
