He drove past the house and parked his car in the barn. When he shuffled out of the car, he looked around the farm. Kate was in the coral with a young horse and he could see a couple of the guys down the paddocks rounding up cattle.
Deciding to say hello as he passed, Cade hobbled up to the fence and watched her wrestling the spirited young colt.
"Need a hand with that?" He dropped his crutches on the grass and pulled himself up to sit on the top railing.
"In your condition you’d be more of a hindrance. Just sit back and let me get on with my job." She cracked the whip and made the colt break into a canter around the yard.
Cade watched her work, his gaze going from her long legs to the muscled arms and strong hands holding the lunge rope. The girl had a body on her and he approved of how well she’d grown up. Such a shame he hadn't noticed her more when she was a kid following him around, but she was in his territory now and Cade was enjoying the show.
She hung onto the animal as it fought and tossed its head. It had the bearing of all of the farm’s horses. A strong frame but perfectly well proportioned. The bloodline was obvious. This was a youngster from his father's favourite stallion. It had the same wild nature its father had and he mentally applauded her determination and stamina for the way she handled it.
This was a very different Kate from the one who had hung around him as a teenager. This girl was strong and capable, and wasn't afraid to show it. The younger Kate had been all legs and wild red hair with a scattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose. She was too scared to say anything, always hanging out in the corner of the room or the shadows of the group of kids that hung out on the farm.
"Slow down you, stupid colt," Kate growled to herself as the animal skittered around, throwing its head again. She held the lunge rope and stood her ground, speaking soothingly to it. Cade knew she was letting the animal sort itself out. He’d seen his father working the horses enough to know who’d taught her.
A gust of wind blew a puff of dust around her and the horse twisted its head pulling Kate off her feet to land in the dirt on her butt.
"Kate, look out," Cade cried out as the animal reared up, its front legs pawing the air in fright. Without thinking, he jumped from the fence to lend her a hand. Misjudging his landing because of the whiskey he'd consumed earlier, he stepped in a rut catching his foot. Screaming as the pain ripped through his knee, Cade fell to the ground.
"You frigging idiot!" Kate's curse broke through the haze of pain.
He heard her calming the horse and the shuffle of hooves before the slam of a gate. She hurried over and dropped to his side. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"It was..ahh..going to...fuck that..kills...ahh.. hurt you." The pain ripped through his leg and Cade knew he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he started to shake.
"You’re such a stupid shit, Cade. For the love of all I hold dear, you test my patience. I know that horse, it was just freaking out with the wind." She held his shoulders and let him lean back against her. "I'm not totally green you know. I rolled out of the way, it's not the first time he's put me on my arse."
"Shoot the bloody thing then…ahh, don't move." He sucked in shallow breaths to let the pain subside. The sweat dripped down his face and Kate wiped it from his eyes, shielding his face from the sun. He swallowed hard, pushing down the nausea rolling in his stomach.
"Let me know when I can move you. Or if you would rather, I can call an ambulance for you?" She brushed his hair back and smiled into his eyes. "You didn't have to do that Cade, but thanks for thinking of me. I never thought of you as a hero before."
"No ambulance. Won't do any good now." He lay back against her and closed his eyes. His life was now in ruins because he played the hero to a farm girl. No amount of whiskey was going to dull this pain. He was finished.
* * *
"I think you should go to hospital." Essie fussed over him. Kate had managed to get him into the house with the help of the farm hands and he was lying on the couch in the front room. His foot was propped up high on cushions and Cade lay back, his gaze on Kate as she stood at the end of the couch watching him.
"Just give me something to drink, Essie. I have painkillers upstairs beside my bed. Russ can give me something stronger when he gets home."
"Painkillers and alcohol don't mix, you should know that."
"Stop fussing. I know what I'm doing." Cade was furious with himself and taking it out on the people who meant the most to him wasn't making him feel any better. "Just be a love and get me a drink. Kate, can you run upstairs and grab the pills beside my bed, please?"
She turned and walked away, her footsteps pounding up the stairs before she walked into the room above his head. Her boots were muffled as she hurried across the carpeted room and then the tap on wood as she ran back down again.
He held his hand out for the packet she carried. "Thanks, much
