Jules Bennett - To Tame A Cowboy

“How in the hell did he get there?” Ryan asked.

Piper nodded toward another ambulance and guided Ryan toward the open back. “He doesn’t remember.”

Ryan, still holding his side, put his foot on the back step. “He doesn’t remember how he got into the semi?”

“He doesn’t remember anything,” she whispered. “He didn’t even know his damn name was Alex when I was talking to him. He didn’t recognize me and he was totally clueless.”

“Damn it.” Ryan glanced around at the group of Mexicans being tended to by EMTs and talked to by the cops. “He has amnesia?”

Piper shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. He had a good-size knot on his head, but that could’ve happened from the accident. He’s on his way in the squad I came with, so we’ll catch a ride with another. Right now I think we both need to get to the hospital for multiple reasons.”

“I don’t need to get checked out, but I’ll appease you only because I want to see Alex for myself.”

Piper studied him, as if she could see beyond the surface and actually make an official diagnosis.

“You all right?” he asked. “You look a little pale.”

Piper caught his worried gaze and smiled. “I’m fine. And if the doctors give you the go-ahead and release you, I’m going to kick your rear end for worrying me to death when I saw your overturned car.”

Ryan’s wide, signature smile spread across his face. “There’s that Piper love. Come on. Let’s get to the hospital.”

“Oh, God, Ryan.” She held a hand on his arm before he could step into the back of the ambulance. “What about Cara? Someone needs to call her.”

Piper couldn’t even imagine what Alex’s fiancée, Cara Windsor, would think when she was told he was alive. Piper was stunned and thrilled, but she was worried about how extensive this memory loss was.

“Let’s get the facts from the doctor first,” Ryan suggested. “We can’t have her running all in there in hysterics and shock. We need to prepare her for this and have concrete information.”

Piper nodded. “I agree. Let’s get to the hospital. And while you’re getting checked out, I’ll find out Alex’s status.”

“Red—”

She held up a hand. “The fact my heart rate is still out of control after not knowing if you were okay or not gives me the right to override anything you say. Now get your butt in and let’s get to the hospital.”

Two

“Nothing broken.”

Piper stood inside the thin white curtain separating Ryan’s cubicle from the rest of the Emergency Room.

She crossed her arms and smiled. “Anything else you want to tell me?”

Ryan shrugged. “Not really.”

Narrowing her eyes, she stalked forward. “Keeping the bruised ribs and concussion to yourself?”

Busted.

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Nothing a little over-the-counter pain meds won’t fix or a good shot of my grandpa’s bourbon. A cure-all, he always claimed.”

Piper rested her hands on her hips, pulling the buttons across the chest of her cute little EMT uniform. Damn, but she was pretty when she was angry or about ready to light into him like some mother hen.

“You have a concussion, Ryan. No drinking.”

“You medical types always take the fun out of healing.”

As he’d intended, she took his joke and rolled her eyes with a hint of a grin.

“Seriously, I’ve had way worse getting bucked off a horse.”

“You’re staying at my place tonight,” she told him, pointing her finger at his chest. “No arguing.”

As if he’d turn down that invitation. Piper wasn’t only his best friend, but a friend with whom he’d always wanted more. Yeah, he may have a concussion from that accident, but he wasn’t dead.

He’d never pursued anything beyond friendship with her for a couple of reasons, the main ones being he was always traveling and she’d never shown any interest in him on an intimate level.

Added to that, her father had been a rodeo star and he’d heard Piper swear on more than one occasion that she’d never, ever fall for a cowboy.

But he was home now and ready to see if something beyond friendship could exist.

“Fine, I’ll let you pamper me. But only if you’ll make that chicken soup I love so much.”

Piper threw her arms in the air and sighed. “Don’t milk this, Ryan.”

He laughed and extended his hand for her to take. She moved closer and he wasn’t about to mention the trembling he instantly felt when they connected.

“Tell me about Alex,” he said, stroking her palm with his thumb. “What are the doctors saying? Did you call Cara?”

Piper eased a hip onto the edge of his very narrow, very thin E.R. mattress. “The doctors are still unsure as to whether or not the amnesia was caused before or during the accident. He has old bruises, so he was in a fight or some other accident before today. His wrist has several breaks and he’ll be going to surgery soon to repair that. More than likely they’ll either do a plate or at the very least pins.”

Broken bones were reparable, death was not. Ryan couldn’t even believe that Alex was here after all these months of wondering what had happened—whether he’d run away or been the victim of foul play. But now he was back and hopefully this amnesia was short term so he could explain just what the hell had happened.

“What about Cara?” he asked.

“I just checked with the nurse and Cara has been notified. I’m sure she’s on her way.”

“What did they tell her?”

Piper looked down at their joined hands. “That Alex was found alive, but he’d been in an accident. He has some memory loss and a broken wrist.”

“She’s got to be worried sick,” Ryan said.

“I can’t even imagine.”

“When can I get out of this bed?” Ryan grumbled. “I want to go see Alex and I think someone should be with Cara when she arrives. They’re going to need their friends.”

Piper nodded. “Dr. Meyers said you were free to go as long as someone stays with you overnight. I assured him you would be in good hands.”

Ryan only wished he’d end up in her hands. But, alas, Piper would never see him as anything other than her best friend. Even if she did have deeper feelings, the woman was stubborn and because her father had pretty much abandoned his family to dominate the rodeo circuit, Piper would never turn to a cowboy for any kind of a relationship beyond friendship.

And that left him out, considering he’d traveled the circuit for years and now intended to open a school for children to teach them his love of rodeo. The new ranch he’d purchased a few months ago just outside town had a vast amount of acreage, perfect for teaching young children the basics and allowing them to progress to higher levels of learning all in one location.

But as much as he loved his sprawling new ranch, he was more than willing to go to the small bungalow Piper was renovating.

“Let’s get to Alex’s room,” he told her as he eased off the bed, concentrating on his movements so he didn’t get dizzy, stumble and cause Piper to have him admitted. “Is he still in the E.R. or in his own room?”

“They just put him in a room and they’re going to do the surgery in a few hours once the surgeon is available and up to speed on what happened. They have to be careful with the anesthesia because of his head trauma.”

Piper slid the curtain aside with a swish and took off down the hall toward the elevators before she froze and turned back to him.

“Sorry, Ryan,” she said as she waited for him to catch up. “I’m so used to going at lightning speed, I wasn’t thinking you’re probably sore.”

“I’m fine, Red.” Though he wasn’t going to object when she slid her arm through his to guide him. Not that he needed it, but he appreciated her care. “I’ve been through worse with my job.”