Escaping the Past

“If you hate ranching so much, why did you want to come out here with me?” Lou asked, her brows knit together as she took a healthy bite.

“I don’t hate ranching. I hated having my choices taken away,” was his reply. “And besides, I had a hunch.”

“What kind of hunch?” Lou asked.

His hand gently cupped her neck and threaded into the air at the back of her neck as he pulled her forward. “A hunch you would taste like this.” His head tilted and his lips gently touched hers. He tasted of warm apple. His firm lips closed over hers as he lingered at her mouth. He deepened the kiss by turning his head and taking firmer possession of her lips. “Open your mouth, Lou,” he whispered gently.

She was so surprised by the command that her breath caught in her throat. Her mouth opened of its own free will, and his tongue slipped inside. He traced the line of her teeth and the inside of her lips with gentle circles. He gently and tenderly touched his tongue to hers. It rose in response. The kiss deepened and Lou’s heart began to pound in her chest. His hands played in her long dark hair, holding her head still as he assaulted her senses. His strong fingers cradled her head, gentle but insistent.

Just then, she heard a snort behind them again. Lou stiffened and tried to move back. Brody’s hand tightened in her hair, his tongue still probing her mouth. His eyes opened, and he took the half-eaten apple from her hand. He did not break the kiss but reached behind her and held out the apple to the mare. She ate it from the palm of his hand just like she did with Lou. Like before, she ran away after she stole her prize.

Brody broke the kiss and placed his forehead against hers, his breath coming in gasps. A small smile played across his lips.

“You had a hunch, huh?” she asked, her heartbeat returning to normal.

“Yep,” was his only reply. “I was right. You’re not as untouchable as all the hands seem to think.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in and then her spine stiffened. Her hand met his cheek with a resounding thwack, leaving behind a red handprint that covered the side of his face.

A muscle jumped in his jaw. He stepped back and raised a hand to his cheek.

“Don’t ever do that again,” he ground out.

“Ditto,” she ground back.

Chapter Three

The ride back home was completed in silence. Lou sat stiff as board in the saddle. She ate her cookie without a word and did not offer even the smallest crumb to Brody, who sullenly looked on. She figured his ardor was sufficiently dampened by the slap, so there were no issues with squirming and movement. Nonetheless, she was about as inviting as a cactus sitting in front of him.

As they rounded the corner and came out of the north pasture, Lou straightened in the saddle, realizing there was a vehicle with flashing lights parked in the driveway. She shielded her eyes with her hand to see what was going on.

“I think that’s an ambulance, Brody,” she said, concern evidenced by her tone.

Brody tore the reins from her hands and kicked the horse into a gallop. He held the reins in one hand and the other wrapped firmly around her waist with his arm beneath her breasts. He pulled her back against him so they fit as one in the saddle. They tore across the last half mile of open pasture and skidded to a halt before barn. Brody quickly dismounted and pulled Lou from the saddle. He handed the reins of the horse to a stable hand that stood nearby.

Both Lou and Brody ran toward the ambulance as Margaret Wester was being lifted into the back on a stretcher. She had an oxygen mask over her pale face and blue lips.

“Mom, are you alright?” Brody asked, his voice clouded with anxiety as he grabbed his mother’s hand.

Mrs. Wester’s eyes opened slightly but she did not speak.

Sadie placed her hand on Brody’s arm, “She wouldn’t wake up from her nap, son. I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did the right thing, Sadie. Thank you.” He squeezed her hand and climbed into the back of the ambulance with his mother. He was taking a stethoscope off a technician’s neck and listening to Mrs. Wester’s chest as the doors closed and the ambulance came to life.

Lou turned to Sadie and was immediately enveloped by her welcoming embrace. Sadie wrapped her arms around Lou who buried her face in the old woman’s neck. “I’m sure she’s going to be all right, child. Just you wait and see. Why don’t you get the car and meet them at the hospital? I’ll stay here and John will get Sarah off the bus. She can keep Jeb and

me company until you come back. Go on, now,” she said, patting Lou on the arm.

Lou walked quickly to the backdoor and retrieved a set of keys from the peg on the wall. She grabbed her purse and ran to the Jeep that was normally for farm use, started it and left, rocks flying in the driveway behind her.

Mrs. Wester would pull through this, wouldn’t she? Lou entered the emergency department via the sliding doors. She walked toward the reception desk to inquire as to the whereabouts of Mrs. Wester when she heard the shouting.

“Damn it! She’s my mother! I’m a surgeon for Christ’s sake!” said Brody.

“You very well may be, Dr. Wester, but you don’t have privileges at this hospital so you cannot be present during the diagnosis and testing phases. Your mother is critically ill. We need to concentrate on her care.” The doctor’s voice lowered and he asked, “Do I need to have someone escort you to the waiting room?”

With an exasperated look and a roll of his eyes, Brody shook his head. “Hell, no. I don’t need an escort to help me move to the waiting room.” His voice was suddenly nasal as he mocked the doctor’s tone.The doctor closed the curtain that separated mother and son and stepped behind it.