Hunter (Stud Ranch 2)

Isobel gunned the engine so the truck jerked forward.

Hunter’s pained grunt at his back hitting the seat again told her all she needed to know.

“Gimme.” She held out her hand.

“Fine, fine.” Hunter sounded like a chastened little boy as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Isobel flipped it over. Vicoden. A month’s worth. Damn, they weren’t kidding around. She’d seen a Walgreens on the way back from the Animal Hospital.

She paused right before turning onto the road to flip on the GPS and click ‘go’ for the hotel she’d mapped earlier. Casper was a bigger metro area, if you could call a tiny city like this a ‘metro.’ But it had a Walmart and, more importantly, a hospital, so she was happy to count it as one.

Apparently this was the main hospital for all of east central Wyoming. Or so the nursing attendant had informed her over and over when she repeatedly asked for news about Hunter. As in, “we’re the only hospital for all of east Wyoming. We deal with an incredible amount of traffic. Everyone wants to know about their loved one and I assure you, the doctors are moving as quickly as they can while also assuring each patient receives the best care possible. You’ll be the first to know as soon as there’s anything to know.” The woman spoke like she was reading off a script. “Now, have you filled out your loved one’s insurance information forms yet?”

Uh, Hunter wasn’t her loved one and no she hadn’t filled out the goddamned insurance information because she had no idea about any of that. She’d said she was his fiancé so they’d at least tell her about his condition. Except it turned out no one had ever come to tell her squat before Hunter himself came ambling out.

She stopped for the prescription and then they headed to the hotel.

Where there was only one room available—a single with one king size bed. They were lucky to even get that. The rest of the hotel was full of people displaced by the storm.

Isobel didn’t care. She was just glad to get Hunter to their room. She helped him down from the truck and supported him under his arm.

Together, they made it toward their room at the end of the hotel strip. They were on the ground level, thank God. Isobel would have hated trying to get Hunter up the stairs.

Isobel fumbled in her purse for the key.

Meanwhile Hunter leaned in from behind her, all but sandwiching her against the door.

She felt a soft tug on her scalp and looked back to see Hunter rubbing the hair of her sloppy ponytail between his fingers, the corners of his mouth turned down.

“You never wear your hair down. My wife didn’t either. She knew I liked it long. She said that was sexist.” He huffed out a sad sigh. “Maybe so.”

His eyes were apologetic as he looked up at her. “I still like your hair down.”

His ex-wife. He never talked about her.

Isobel knew she shouldn’t pry. If he didn’t talk about his ex, he likely had his reasons. And he was probably only talking about her now because of the drugs.

But the little devil on Isobel’s shoulder won out. “What was she like?” she asked as she finally got the door open.

Hunter let out another long sigh that expelled all the air from his chest. He winced at the movement and Isobel cringed with him. Was it too soon to take one of the Vicodin? What exactly had they given him at the hospital?

“Forget about it. Let’s get you inside.” She helped him in and over to the bed. She pulled back the comforter and then he flopped down on his stomach, boots still on.

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Isobel started reaching for his boots when Hunter’s sad laugh stopped her.

“Janie was beautiful. But hard. Like New York. Think that’s why I liked her. She wasn’t like any of the girls here.” He closed his eyes. She wondered if he’d drift off to sleep.

It was ridiculous, she knew. But it still hurt in some stupid, unnamable way to hear him talking about another woman. Knowing he’d loved her enough to marry her. And what about now? Did he still love her?

“I visited there once, did you know that?” He flopped his head sideways, cheek landing on one of his hands. “New York.”

Isobel shook her head but Hunter was already continuing. “And I thought, oh. I get it now. We never had a chance.”

He looked so sad and he shook his head again, his eyes dropping closed. “New York women.”

The next second, he shifted on the bed and let out a short grunt of pain.