Chapter 6
SOMEONE HAD ARRANGED the furniture to create what Ty called his “parking space” in front of the big picture window in the main house’s living room.
He sat there far too often, looking out over the little bit of ranch the view afforded.
To the east, he watched as one of the hired hands crested the hill on horseback, bringing in the newest group of guests from their first trail ride.
The horses all looked good. Ty would have to thank Cade for making that a priority despite all his other responsibilities.
Not that his brother wouldn’t have done it on his own, but Ty knew the horses were being paraded for his approval.
Probably to make him feel like he was part of things.
But he wasn’t. Not anymore. The cowboy never would have brought them so close to the house otherwise.
A sigh escaped him, sounding far too close to self-pity for his comfort.
Provided he was careful, didn’t reinjure his neck and did all his physical therapy, his disabilities were temporary.
Knowing that wasn’t enough to curb his frustrations, though.
Or his fears. Never in a million years had he thought his life would end up like this.
He’d been arrogant. Vain. Assumed himself invincible.
Now he rode an electric wheelchair instead of his horse.
Gizmo.
The stud horse would be home today, arriving three days after Ty had.
He was anxious, scared to see the horse who was more than just “an animal” to him, afraid Gizmo had suffered more than Ty had imagined.
And imagine he had. He’d thought of Gizmo a thousand times every day.
He’d created the worst-case scenarios over and over as he tried to spur his memory to recall the details of the fall.
Sure, his family had discussed the accident with him, but he’d chosen not to watch the replay on the DVR.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind, least of all his own, that he’d take it hard.
Still, if things had been as horrible as he imagined, the horse wouldn’t have come through with the positive reports from the vet. And only the vet.
Not once had Kenzie called him. Not once had she reached out to let him know how Gizmo was recovering or talk about this mysterious agreement that had been forged between them.
Pride kept him from admitting to his family that he had no recollection of the agreement.
He hadn’t wanted Gizmo’s care interrupted.
Selfish? Yes. That didn’t change the truth behind his choice, though.
He wasn’t stupid. There was no way he, or the ranch, could have afforded to cover the costs of the Galbreath center.
So he’d kept quiet, fighting to remember what he’d agreed to.
The one thing he knew? Whatever agreement they’d struck had been after the accident, because he recalled with great clarity everything that had happened before he’d gone into the arena.
Ty resented her for preying on his weakness and her choice not to communicate with him.
Sure, she’d been emailing Reagan as the veterinarian who’d take over Gizmo’s rehab when he came home. Reagan had relayed the messages.
But Kenzie hadn’t called anyone, hadn’t reached out to him at all.
She had to know how bad he wanted the information.
She understood what this horse meant to him, probably better than anyone.
She understood what losing Gizmo would do to his breeding program, to him.
Why? Because she understood him. Or so he’d thought.
Seemed he’d misjudged her character. Badly.
A dust cloud rose from the road that led into the ranch from the south. A horse hauler rounded the slight bend in the drive. The sun gleamed off its bright white-and-chrome exterior. Ty squinted. Behind the hauler came a fancy truck-and-trailer combo he didn’t recognize.
“Someone’s here,” he called through the house, doing his best to ignore the faint bitterness in his words. Before, he’d have slapped his hat on and headed out to meet the truck. Now? He’d been reduced to reporting the goings-on. Nothing more.
Heavy footsteps were followed by lighter, decidedly feminine ones. “Who is it?” his sister-in-law Reagan asked as she peered over his shoulder.
“Fancy setup,” his eldest brother and Reagan’s husband, Eli, commented. “Has to be Gizmo. I can’t imagine him arriving in anything less with a Malone arranging his travel.”
Reagan laid a hand on Ty’s shoulder and glanced back at Eli. “Says the man who lived alone in a six-thousand-square-foot house.”
Ty forced a smile. “Make sure they put him in the first stall past the tack room, would you?”
“Sure.” Reagan slipped her sunglasses on and headed for the door. “Might be handy to have the attorney around if there are forms to sign.”
Eli’s voice drifted back to Ty as he followed his wife. “Is that all I am—your legal monkey?”
“Just be grateful I haven’t sold you to a traveling circus.”
Ty listened as the front door closed and muffled their voices.
He wheeled his chair from the window so he faced away from the scene outside.
He envied them the sunshine on their shoulders, the breeze in their faces and open air around them.
The ability to walk without limitations or fear of falling.
To ride out across the pasture. To see the new foals that had arrived in his absence.
Those little ones wouldn’t know him, would consider him an unidentified threat, and that sickened him.
He’d never missed the birth of a foal, never missed the chance to rub them down and be there every day thereafter.
Now? It would be ages before he could get to the barn, get involved, get to know the babies.
“Hello, Ty.”
The feminine voice startled him. He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t heard anyone enter.
He spun the chair toward the intruder. Recognition was as effective as a punch to the gut.
“Mackenzie Malone. Couldn’t spare a call, huh?
So why are you here now? Come to check out the crippled cowboy?
Or did you come in to write a check in the hopes you’d buy some goodwill? I expected better of you.”
Her cheeks paled and she reacted as if shoved, taking a step back before recovering.
“Feeling’s mutual.” She lifted her chin a notch, her eyes narrowing.
“And I didn’t come into the house to buy anything.
I was there, in Texas, when you were hurt.
Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell me your attitude was maimed along with everything else.
” Kenzie stepped closer and propped a hip on the sofa arm, one leg slowly kicking back and forth as the other one held her in place.
“I didn’t immediately announce myself because you were brooding.
I thought I’d let you get it out of your system.
Looks as if that isn’t happening, so brood away. ”
“You didn’t spend two weeks in a coma. You didn’t nearly lose your life on national television.
Both your legs work just fine. Riding is a joy you indulge in and take for granted every damn day.
So don’t you come in here and judge me, Mackenzie.
” There was a world of accusation in his words, a world he hadn’t intended to tap into.
“Go back to your gilded castle and play at breeding quality horses. You have no right to be part of this, no right to be here.”
She stiffened, her eyes widening before she schooled the emotions chasing one after another across her face. “Don’t have the right?” Her lips thinned. “I beg to differ.”
“Begging’s a good place to start, sweetheart.
” Ty leaned against the wheelchair’s armrest to catch every single word, every expression, anxious to have it out with the woman who’d run off with his horse the first chance she had.
The same woman who had forgotten him as soon as she’d taken what she wanted, and it hadn’t been him.
It surprised him how much that stung, but damn if he’d admit it.
He curled one lip up in a half smile, half snarl. “Go on, then. I’m waiting.”
Her eyes narrowed to finite slits, blue irises sparking wildly. “I’m sorry?”
“That’s the way. Is this the first time you’ve ever groveled? Keep it up. You’ll get the hang of it.”
She opened her mouth only to snap it shut and stare at him. Seconds passed before she spoke again. “What’s your damage, Covington?”
“Are you blind?” he half shouted. “My problem is I’m sitting, Malone, and it’s not because I’m lazy.
I’m here, stuck in this damn house, watching as some stranger delivers my horse—my horse—and parks him in a stall in heaven only knows what condition!
” Yep. Full-on shouting now. He wasn’t proud, but he wasn’t going to apologize.
She had it coming, keeping information on Gizmo sequestered the way she had.
He’d understood the horse was getting the best care possible, but nothing in life was free.
At some point, she’d want something in return.
Crossing her arms, she stood.
“Lording it over me, huh?” he continued. “That you can stand and I can’t? Feel good to finally be able to beat me at something?”
Her lips all but disappeared in that beautiful face. “Of all the people outside your immediate circle, I’m most aware you were as injured as Gizmo. But don’t you dare, dare, throw down the verbal gauntlet unless you’re prepared to take the gloves off, too.”
“I had a right to know about my horse, to see him settled today!”