Lying on the couch with her forearm over her eyes, Sarah kept wishing she would wake from this nightmare. Of the hundreds of dude ranches in the United States, fate had conspired to send her to Sage Tanner's. Now all she wanted was to get her damn car running and escape Dodge.
"Here's a wet cloth so you can wipe your face," said Sage.
She lifted her forearm to see him squatting beside her. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and wipe his gorgeous baby blues from her memory. She took the cloth. "Thank you," she said stiffly.
He stood and looked down at her. "I called my doctor friend and he said I need to bring you to his office for an x-ray. My ranch hand will be here soon. Then I'll drive you to Doc's."
"No…no, just get my car running or call the rental company to send another one. I'll be on my way…" And away from you.
"Mims, that's not gonna happen. Looks like you're gonna be laid up for awhile."
"Mr. Tanner, I do not intend to be laid up for any length of time, and especially not here."
"Lady…Sarah…" There was a knock on the front door. Sage walked to open it. Sarah listened to a woman's high pitched voice.
"OMG, you're Sage Tanner! We're Mindy and Mandy. We're at the dude ranch for three weeks." There was a pause and then a very seductive, "What would you like us to do?" spoken by another woman.
Sarah groaned and covered her face with the wet cloth.
Sage said, "Welcome ladies. One of the ranch hands should be here soon to check you in. Do you see that building on the other side of the corral?"
"Yes, Sage," they voiced in unison.
"That's the dorm. Your room has a sticker with your names on it. Make yourselves comfortable and feel free to explore the facility. Just don't go into the barn with the horses, okay?"
"Okay, Sage," they said in unison again. The one who had first spoken said, "We can't wait to get to know you."
"Uh, nice to meet you, uh, Mindy and Mandy." He closed the door.
Sarah pulled the cloth down over one eye and watched Sage press his forehead against the door.
"Looks like you've got some groupies," she said, and then winced when a sharp pain traveled up her leg.
"God, why me?" he mumbled.
"Oh, the perils of being a gorgeous model," she retorted.
She watched him straighten. He turned and looked at her with narrowed eyes and opened his mouth to make what looked to be a nasty reply, but instead, smiled slow and devastatingly. "So, you think I'm gorgeous?"
Sarah sputtered and pulled the cloth back over her eye. "M and M obviously think so, but sorry, you don't do it for me. I like more than a pretty package."
There was another knock on the door. "Damn!" Sage exclaimed and opened the door.
"Hey boss, I just saw two bimbos drive toward the dorm."
Sarah pulled the cloth down again and watched Sage usher a weathered old cowboy into the room. The cowboy saw her and turned scarlet beneath his leathery skin. He removed his hat and held it against his stomach. "Ah, sorry, ma'am, I didn't know there was a lady in the room."
Sage said, "Newt, this is Mims…er Sarah Carter. Her vehicle stalled on the way in. She twisted her ankle walking to the ranch and Doc wants to see her. I've got to take her to his office–"
Sarah interrupted, "No, you don't have to take me anywhere. You just have to get my car running or call the rental company to deliver another one so I can leave and–"
Sage interrupted, "Newt, pull the truck as close to the front door as you can so we can get Miss Carter into the cab–"
"What part of, 'I'm not going to see Doc', don't you understand, Mr. Tanner?"
Silently, Newt glanced between Sage and Sarah, a puzzled expression on his face.
"Pull the truck up, Newt," Sage said, staring her down.
"Yes, boss." Newt rushed out the door.
"Mr. Tanner…" Sarah began in her iciest voice.
"I don’t give a shit what you say. I'm taking you to a doctor." He stalked out the door after Newt.
Sarah pulled herself into a seated position and threw the wet cloth across the room. Who the hell does he think he is? Gingerly, she put weight on her foot and stifled a scream.
The screen door opened again and Sage stepped back inside. "You are one stubborn woman, Mims." He walked to the couch and unexpectedly lifted and carried her to his truck. The sharp pain in Sarah's ankle almost made her faint. It took all of her concentration not to cry.
Newt had the passenger door open and Sage gently sat her on the seat. She bit her cheek, but a moan escaped anyway.
When Sage shut the door, she glanced out the window to see the M and M girls watching from a short distance away. One girl bent to the other and whispered in her ear. Her identical twin slowly shook her head back and forth.
Sarah wanted to yell out the window, "Don't worry girls, he's all yours." She rubbed behind her neck. As if they're worried. Jeez, look at them and then look at you. Sarah laid her head against the door frame and squeezed her eyes tight against the Twilight Zone playing out in her life.
* * *
Doc Jones said, "Nothin's broke. But you got a doosey of a sprain. You're gonna have to be on crutches for at least ten days."
Sarah looked at him in disbelief. Even though her mind screamed, No, her mouth wouldn't move. The shot Doc had given her relieved the pain, but it rendered her woozy and sleepy. Finally, she croaked, "I don't wanna stay with Gorgeous George," and closed her eyes.
As if in an alternate world, Sarah felt herself being wheeled outside and then lifted back into the rusty old truck. She just wanted to sleep. She snuggled against someone speaking in her ear. She heard words from far away, "Sarah, let go of my neck so I can close the door and take you home."
"Home? Yes, I want to go home." Thank God, her ankle didn't hurt anymore.
* * *
Sarah stretched and her eyes flickered open. A dim illumination lit the room. Slowly, she glanced around and then groaned. She was back in the male model's living room lying on his couch. She tried to sit up and her head went fuzzy at the same time her stomach roiled. Grabbing her mouth, she swallowed to keep from throwing up.
A young girl's voice said, "Are you okay? Should I get a trash bag so you can puke?"
Sarah gained control of her stomach and shook her head. Finally, after several deep breaths, she looked for the owner of the voice. Now standing above her a teenage girl of around fourteen or fifteen looked concerned.
"You've been sleeping ever since my dad brought you home about two hours ago. Right now, he's with the newbie dudes, getting them situated. He said I should keep an eye on you. When he gets back, we're gonna move you to the guest bedroom. It's next to my room. My dad said you've got a bad sprain and Doc's orders are for you to stay off it for awhile."
Sarah glanced at her ankle, wrapped and propped on a pillow. She groaned.
"Are you hurting? Doc sent pain pills. Should I get you one?"
"No," she croaked. She looked back at the girl and asked, "Who's your dad?"
The girl looked confused. "Sage Tanner."
The guy's got a wife and daughter? Never would have crossed my mind. I wonder where the wife is. Actually, she's probably the ex-wife.
"What's your name?" Sarah asked.
"Julie."
"Thanks for your help, Julie."
"No problem, ma'am."
The front door opened and Sage entered. Backlit by the porch light, his sun streaked mahogany hair and incredible bone structure made Sarah blink twice. He looked like an erotic angel.
"Hey, Dad, she's awake," said Julie.
"Good, turn a light on, sweetie."
Julie went to a lamp and switched it on.
"Did you get the guest room ready?"
"Sure did. Fresh sheets and dusted."
Sage patted his daughter on the head and then walked to gaze down at Sarah. "Looks like you're our guest for awhile. Newt's bringing crutches from the barn. Doc says the only time you can get up is to go to the bathroom. He wants you off the foot completely for at least three days, and then using crutches after that."
From her current prone position, Sarah looked up into Sage's azure eyes and wanted to curse the universe for putting her there.
"Doc said to ice your foot every two hours for at least fifteen minutes. Julie's gonna help with that." He squatted beside her and his ocean eyes threatened to drown her. "Are you hungry? I think you should eat. Whatever Doc shot you with for pain sure knocked you out. He sent some pain pills. If you need one, it's probably best not to take it on an empty stomach."
Sarah hated the feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control. She wanted to cry and quickly blinked back tears.
Sage said gently, "Are you hurting, Sarah?"
She shook her head, her eyes glued to his. He stayed crouched a moment longer, then stood. "I'll have Newt deliver supper here from the dorm."