Adam woke to someone jostling his shoulder. He couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips. Every part of him ached. Tongues of fire danced down his spine.
What in blazes had he done to himself? Where was he?
Cool air bit his cheeks, and the jostle came again.
"Nygh," he mumbled.
"C'mon, greenhorn."
Breanna. It all came to him in a rush. Bear Creek. Iowa. The race.
Pain.
He forced his eyes open. It was still dark, not even a hint of sunlight on the horizon. Breanna was a shadow above him, her hand still pressing into his shoulder.
He struggled to a sitting position, tangled in the bedroll.
Around them, most of the cowboys still slept, though he could see a few shadows moving around.
"Want me to check your boots for critters?" she whispered.
He couldn't see her, but he could well imagine the quirk of her lip as she said the words.
"Ha."
She slapped his back. "I'll round up the horses from the corral. Get movin'."
He was glad for the darkness, glad that she'd left him to fight his way to his feet without a witness. It wasn't pretty.
Her gelding was tacked up by the time he hobbled to the corral. She'd lassoed Domino and was reaching for his saddle thrown over the corral railing when he stopped her.
"I'll do it."
She handed him the rope halter and went to her horse, though he didn't miss the looks she kept shooting him as she adjusted a buckle on her saddle.
"I'm not going to keel over," he said. It took everything in him not to grunt as he hefted the saddle and slid it over the horse's back.
More of the cowboys were stirring now, rolling up their bedrolls in the pre-dawn darkness. Nearby, two younger cowboys he recognized were tacking up, talking in low murmurs.
"Miss Breanna!" A young voice called out. And then a young girl to match the voice came flying toward them.
He held the stallion's halter as the animal snorted and stomped at the small projectile with her skirt flying out behind her.
"Good." The girl panted. "You haven't left yet."
Breanna knelt to the girl's level.
"We had a couple extra biscuits from breakfast, and Mama said I could bring 'em to you if you were still here." The girl was still breathless but now Adam saw that it was more awe than from the girl's sprint.
He looked back at the farmhouse where a teen girl stood on the porch, watching.
Breanna took a bundle in a handkerchief, giving the girl a hug to her shoulders. "Thank you. I had fun chatting with you and your sister last night."
"I wish I could race like you," the girl said.
Breanna squeezed her shoulders. "Get a little bigger first."
When Breanna released her, the girl seemed to notice Adam watching them.
