He drove past the houseand parked his car in the barn. When he shuffled out of the car, he lookedaround the farm. Kate was in the coral with a young horse and he could see acouple of the guys down the paddocks rounding up cattle.
Deciding to say helloas he passed, Cade hobbled up to the fence and watched her wrestling thespirited young colt.
"Need a hand withthat?" He dropped his crutches on the grass and pulled himself up to siton the top railing.
"In your conditionyou’d be more of a hindrance. Just sit back and let me get on with myjob." She cracked the whip and made the colt break into a canter aroundthe yard.
Cade watched her work,his gaze going from her long legs to the muscled arms and strong hands holdingthe lunge rope. The girl had a body on her and he approved of how well she’d grownup. Such a shame he hadn't noticed her more when she was a kid following himaround, but she was in his territory now and Cade was enjoying the show.
She hung onto theanimal as it fought and tossed its head. It had the bearing of all of thefarm’s horses. A strong frame but perfectly well proportioned. The bloodlinewas obvious. This was a youngster from his father's favourite stallion. It hadthe same wild nature its father had and he mentally applauded her determinationand stamina for the way she handled it.
This was a verydifferent Kate from the one who had hung around him as a teenager. This girlwas strong and capable, and wasn't afraid to show it. The younger Kate had beenall legs and wild red hair with a scattering of freckles over the bridge of hernose. She was too scared to say anything, always hanging out in the corner ofthe 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, speakingsoothingly to it. Cade knew she was letting the animal sort itself out. He’dseen his father working the horses enough to know who’d taught her.
A gust of wind blew apuff of dust around her and the horse twisted its head pulling Kate off herfeet to land in the dirt on her butt.
"Kate, lookout," Cade cried out as the animal reared up, its front legs pawing theair 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 steppedin a rut catching his foot. Screaming as the pain ripped through his knee, Cadefell to the ground.
"You friggingidiot!" Kate's curse broke through the haze of pain.
He heard hercalming the horse and the shuffle of hooves before the slam of a gate. Shehurried over and dropped to his side. "What the hell did you do thatfor?"
"Itwas..ahh..going to...fuck that..kills...ahh.. hurt you." The pain rippedthrough his leg and Cade knew he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. A coldsweat broke out on his forehead and he started to shake.
"You’re such astupid shit, Cade. For the love of all I hold dear, you test my patience. Iknow that horse, it was just freaking out with the wind." She held hisshoulders and let him lean back against her. "I'm not totally green youknow. I rolled out of the way, it's not the first time he's put me on myarse."
"Shoot the bloodything then…ahh, don't move." He sucked in shallow breaths to let the painsubside. 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 nausearolling in his stomach.
"Let me know whenI 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 dothat Cade, but thanks for thinking of me. I never thought of you as a herobefore."
"No ambulance.Won't do any good now." He lay back against her and closed his eyes. Hislife was now in ruins because he played the hero to a farm girl. No amount ofwhiskey was going to dull this pain. He was finished.
***
"I think youshould go to hospital." Essie fussed over him. Kate had managed to get himinto the house with the help of the farm hands and he was lying on the couch inthe front room. His foot was propped up high on cushions and Cade lay back, hisgaze on Kate as she stood at the end of the couch watching him.
"Just give mesomething to drink, Essie. I have painkillers upstairs beside my bed. Russ cangive me something stronger when he gets home."
"Painkillers andalcohol don't mix, you should know that."
"Stop fussing. Iknow what I'm doing." Cade was furious with himself and taking it out onthe 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 grabthe pills beside my bed, please?"
She turned and walkedaway, her footsteps pounding up the stairs before she walked into the roomabove his head. Her boots were muffled as she hurried across the carpeted roomand then the tap on wood as she ran back down again.
He held his hand outfor the packet she carried. "Thanks, much appreciated." Cade grimacedat the glass of water Essie passed over. "Don't let me hold either of youup any longer. I'm sure you both have a lot to do." Through half closedeyes, he watched the women share a glance and hesitate before leaving himalone.
The sound of theirvoices wounded him more than he thought possible. Cade, the football star, theall round sporting hero lay half drunk on the sofa, incapable of upholding thefarce his life had been for so long. It was all over and he’d lost it in frontof the last person he wanted to see that he was infallible. He’d had a front tokeep up and now it was gone.
Chapter Twenty-one
After a lousy
