Erin had an idea where the conversation was heading, and her heart did a long, slow roil under her ribs. "What happened?"
"Rita was out with Stephanie one night. Rita and Nick had quarreled earlier. He never told me that, but I heard them. As usual, Rita was driving too fast. She lost control of her car at the Logan Creek bridge. The car flipped and went down the embankment. The top was down on the convertible, so it offered no protection. I'd been working for them for a couple of years at the time. I'd just put in a casserole for dinner when the deputy called Nick." Mrs. Thornsberry removed her bifocals and made a show of cleaning the lens with her apron. "Lord have mercy, what that man must have gone through." The older woman shook her head. "He hasn't been the same since."
Erin remembered Nick's account of the accident, and realized he'd left out most of the details. For the first time. his overprotective nature toward his daughter made perfect sense. "That's the accident that put Stephanie in the wheel-chair?"
Mrs. Thornsberry nodded. "He'd warned Rita about driving too fast, but she wouldn't listen."
"That must have been terrible for him."
"This family has seen more than its share of tragedy. I suspect Nick is so protective around Steph because he's afraid of losing her, the way he lost Rita. I keep telling myself he'll come around and stop being so… so vigilant. But it's been three years. He hasn't moved on. Not with Stephanie." The older woman looked at Erin. "Not with his own life."
Erin knew immediately they were no longer talking about Stephanie. or Nick's overprotective nature, but the fact that she and Nick had been caught in the throes of a passionate kiss the night of Stephanie's birthday party. The memory made her cheeks flame.
"There hasn't been anyone for him since the accident," Mrs. Thornsberry said. "That's a long time for a man to be alone."
"We're not involved," Erin said quickly.
"He's been… preoccupied since you came along. Nick isn't frivolous when it comes to women."
Translated, Mrs. Thornsberry was telling her that Nick didn't kiss just any woman out in his driveway. Erin didn't know what to say, didn't want this woman getting the wrong idea about her and Nick. There wasn't anything between them. Just that blasted, earth-shattering, mind-numbing kiss.
The older woman smiled wisely. "I've seen the way he looks at you."
"Like he wants to throttle me." Erin forced a laugh, determined to keep the conversation from going in a direction that would put into words a problem that had become increasingly difficult to deal with.
"You've shaken him up, Erin. You're strong willed and don't let him bully you. Until you came into his life, I didn't realize how badly he needed that."
Despite her efforts to keep the conversation light, Erin 's heart beat hard and fast in her chest. "I'm not the right woman for the job," she whispered a little desperately.
"That, my dear, remains to be seen."
"I can't get my boots on!" Stephanie rolled her wheelchair into the kitchen, her face filled with disappointment, her sneakers on her lap. "My feet are swelled," she announced.
"Your dad will have to rub them for you tonight." Mrs. Thornsberry clucked her tongue. "For now, you can wear your sneakers." Kneeling in front of the little girl, she shot Erin a look over her shoulder. "Put that other sneaker on for her, will you, Erin? Bandito is waiting."
"Up and at 'em!" Erin lifted the little girl up onto an ever-patient Bandito's back.
"I can't get my leg over," said Stephanie.
"Yes, you can." Erin ducked under Bandito's neck and tugged the child's leg into place. "Sheesh, how much do you weigh?" she teased. "A ton?"
"No!"
"Feels like it."
"Hey, I'm on!"
The joy in Stephanie's voice struck a chord in Erin. The change in the little girl was dramatic. Her cornflower-blue eyes were alight with happiness, her lips pulled into a grin. Erin had never seen her so excited, and felt her own excitement build in her chest like a rainbow in the wake of a spring storm.
Stepping back, she studied girl and horse carefully. "You're going to have to hold on to the horn," Erin said. "Don't let go no matter what."
Biting her lip in concentration, Stephanie wrapped both hands around the leather horn. "'Kay."
Five minutes later, Erin led Bandito down the aisle toward the barn door, with Stephanie astride. The little girl's right foot dangled uselessly, but she gripped the horn with white-knuckled determination. Satisfied, Erin said, "Looks like we're set. Let's take Bandito into the round pen."
"I don't like not being able to use my legs. Bandito knows leg commands."
"You two will just have to compensate." Standing on the left side of the horse, Erin led him toward the pen a dozen yards away. "Horses are smart, Steph. Bandito can be retrained, can learn new ways to receive his commands."
On reaching the pen, Erin opened the gate. She looked up at Stephanie and found the little girl grinning from ear to ear.
"He remembers me," she whispered. "I can tell."
"Of course he does," Erin said. "Horses don't forget someone they love just because they haven't seen them for a while."
She led the horse around the pen, watching the animal, but barely taking her eyes from Stephanie. The September sun beat down on Erin 's dark blue uniform, and she broke into a sweat. It was warm for fall in the Midwest, but she was so caught up in the magic on Stephanie's face, she barely noticed the heat. It was the perfect day for a little girl to ride her horse.
"I want to trot," Steph said.
"No way."
"I won't fall off."
"That's what people say right before they fall off."
Stephanie giggled. "Okay, at least walk him a little faster. He needs the exercise."
"I'm the one who's getting all the exercise," Erin grumbled good-naturedly, but she was thinking of Nick. "No trotting, kiddo."
"Okay, maybe we'll save that for next time."
Erin brushed a drop of sweat from her temple, hoping with all her heart there was going to be a next time.
"This is great!"
"Easy for you to say," she said. "Bandito and I are doing all the work."
Grinning despite the fact that she was breathing hard, and getting her clean uniform all sweaty, Erin continued around the pen. Dust coated her boots and the bottom of her pants. Her hair slowly unraveled from its knot at her nape, but she didn't care. She was having too much fun watching Stephanie-and feeling the heady rush of satisfaction that came with the knowledge that she'd made a difference in this sweet child's life.
At the far end of the ring, Erin finally paused.
"What's wrong?" asked Stephanie.
"I'm getting a stitch in my side." She was about to ask Stephanie if she wanted something to drink when movement at the end of the driveway drew her gaze. Erin 's heart plummeted when she spotted Nick's Suburban speeding down the driveway, a rooster tail of dust in its wake.
Chapter 8
Nick's heart stopped dead in his chest when he saw Stephanie in the round pen astride Bandito, with Erin walking alongside. He couldn't believe his eyes. The horse was walking fast enough to seriously injure Stephanie if she lost her balance and fell.
How could Erin act so irresponsibly?
He brought the truck to a skidding halt in front of the barn, out of sight from the pen. Throwing open the door, he hit the ground running. By the time he entered the barn, he was breathless not only from the short run, but from the burgeoning anger that had his pulse racing like hot mercury through his veins.