Jameson winked at her and left the bathroom, leaving her alone with Dr. Greene.
“Caroline, I know you trust Jameson. It doesn’t mean you have to go alone with him. I can send someone with you or tell him you’re not up to this,” she said, offering her a way out if she felt she didn’t have a choice.
“No. I trust him,” she said with absolute certainty. “He won’t hurt me.”
Dr. Greene patted her knee. “Good. Let’s get you dressed and complete your treatment. It appears you’re going outside today.”
Half an hour later, she waited on the bed with the mask over her face, impatiently waiting. Jameson entered with a box in his hand.
“You can’t ride a horse in Texas without one of these,” he said, handing it to her.
She pulled out a dark brown leather hat with a lavender twig stuck in the band. She smiled as she took it out and smelled it. “Thank you. I don’t deserve a present.”
“You don’t have to do anything. And you do deserve it,” he said, placing it on her head and adjusting it.
“It’s pretty. I’ll be done in a minute,” she said, gesturing toward her mask.
“Then stop talking and keep breathing. If Mom doesn’t catch us, we might push it a bit longer than an hour,” he said, wagging his brows.
Caroline giggled. “If she overhears you, she’ll punch you in the arm again.”
“I’m a tough guy. I can handle it,” he bragged as Dr. Greene came around the corner and punched him again.
“Apparently, you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with,” she said. “One hour and no more.” She removed Caroline's mask and listened to her chest. “Go.”
Jameson held out his hand, and she placed hers in his. They left the medical cabin like two teenagers escaping a parent’s supervision.
She stepped off the porch to see a painted horse with a white coat and brown spots. “Does he belong to you?”
“No. He’s one of the ranch’s horses,” he told her. “May I lift you up on the saddle?”
She held onto his arms as he placed her on it.
“If you feel uncomfortable at any time, let me know. I’ll walk and lead the horse,” he explained.
“Then how will you show me everything?” Caroline said. “I already feel better, breathing in fresh air. It’ll take longer if you walk. Why don’t you join me?
Jameson considered it for a moment before mounting behind her, scooting back to give her space to feel comfortable. “Keep what I said in mind.”
“I will,” she assured him.
He started down the driveway, pointing out security cameras and turning right. The spring brought out colorful flowers as he navigated the horse into the shade. It opened up to a log cabin subdivision.
“When you recover, you can stay in one of the cabins here. Over there,” he pointed, showing her the community center.“Everyone gathers to eat their meals. During the day, they use it to teach skills, take classes, and the kids have a teacher who comes in to evaluate them. In the evening, they use it to play games, learn social skills, and watch movies.”
“Wow. They thought of everything,” she said, amazed by their organization.
“Before I came here, I lived on Serenity Mountain in Washington. The woman who owns the hospital there, Kassie Winters, has a similar setup for veterans and teens. She used to live here. When her sister died after getting involved with the mafia, she asked this team to find survivors and help them regain their lives.”
“I’d love to meet her. She doesn’t have a clue how much hope it gives me,” she said, taking in the scenery.
“I’m sure she’ll visit at some point. She’s currently running the hospital and has a house filled with kids,” he told her.
“Did you work for her?”
“I protected her. Unfortunately, the team didn’t feel the same way, and I ended up here.”
“You sound a little bitter,” she guessed. “Something must have happened.”
