Because he’s chatting with a very attractive, tiny brunette woman who’s looking up at him like he just told her the secret to solving climate change. I bend down closer to Rameses’s head. “Calm down, you worrywart, she might be his cousin.”
My head still craned, I see her touch his upper arm andlingeronher way down. I mean, I can still hope she’s his cousin. Me and Beau, we’re in a thing. I don’t know what it is, and it’s not a full-blown relationship, but it’s athing. And no one else need apply while thethingis ongoing.
The mysterious woman goes in for a hug that lasts much longer than it needs to, in my humble opinion.
“Ramses, I’m beginning to think she is not his relation,” I whisper through clenched teeth.
Carl directs Ramses on (what seems like) a very sharp turn, and my eyes stay glued on the nefarious woman. Who hasn’t let go of my...hasn’t let go ofthefarmer.
Physics, teaming up with the mysterious villain to ruin my day, kicks in. I start to slide off the blanket on top of the saddle as Ramses gets further away from Beau, and don’t realize it until my body tips past the point of no return and slides completely off the camel.
I fall down the length of Ramses as he kicks to get away from me, barely missing my head. My left arm isn’t as lucky, and a sharp pain explodes in my wrist as it makes contact with the ground.
“Oh, shit.” Pain radiates up my arm. Still having momentum from the fall, I keep rolling away from the fleeing Ramses, who’s taking my fledgling riding career with him.
I end up in the fetal position, left arm clutched in close to my chest, breathing choppy as tears flow down my face. I focus on keeping my hand close as activity explodes around me, a rush of feet and calves coming into my view.
“Are you okay?” Eve sounds frantic above me, and I think the fashionable heels must be her. Who else would wear heels in a barn?
“She’s in the fetal position hugging her arm, I don’t think she’s doing great right now,” Beau snaps from somewhere above me as well. I see some boots and think those could be his, but a lot of people are wearing boots around here.
“Clear the way, I’m a doctor.”
Oh, that’s lovely. And I’d tell the nice voice that if I wasn’t focusing so much on getting a full breath in. Until the owner of the voice bends down closer to get in my field of vision.
Great. My doctor is also my nemesis.
Chapter Thirty-One
Can’t I have one tiny break? Would that be too much to ask for?
“I think I’m going to be fine.” I find the strength in me to lie to my nemesis.
“Of course you are. Just lie back and let me have a little look at that arm. If it’s all good, there’s no problem. And if something is wrong, we’ll get you patched up.”
Why is she being so caring? Doesn’t she know I just slept with the man she probably loves? Maybe she wants to get me to her medical offices and poison me in private. Ah. The nosiness of the Guptas is being followed by the drama of the Guptas.
“No, I think it’s really okay.” I sit up, holding out my left arm to prove everything is amazing.
Except even I can see my wrist is already starting to swell through my tear-filled eyes and I can’t actually bend the normally bendy part. This is less than ideal.
She pokes at my inflamed wrist in a very cavalier manner, earning a pain-filled scowl directed her way.
“Yeah, let’s get the X-ray to tell us that,” Dr. Nemesis says.
“Come on, Sonia, get checked out for me. So I won’t worry.” Beau enters my vision next to the evil, sexy doctor.
“Sure, Beau.” Ha! Take that, doctor lady, he wants me to get medical treatment.
Agreement secured, Beau slides his arms under my knees and back and lifts me up. I start to tell him it’s just my arm that hurts and not my legs, but he looks so happy I’ll let him carry on carrying me. And I’m not mad that I get to be held by Beau in front of my nemesis.
Beau takes me out to his truck without breaking a sweat and gently deposits me into the front seat. The pain has calmed down a little, but it still aches and sends sharp pain up my arm if I even think about moving it or look at it too hard.
“Are we going far?” I ask when Beau gets in the car.
“No, we’re just around the corner,” Dr. Nemesis says with her calm, soothing voice as she gets in the back seat of the truck. Haven’t I suffered enough?
Dr. Woman-I-Refuse-To-Name-Because-I-Don’t-Know-Her-Name is right. A painful fifteen minutes later, where Beau finds every pothole and pile of dirt that he can, we’re at a medical office run out of a cute, potentially historic house.
