Glancing at his watch, he finished his tasks with two hours to spare. On Thursday, they expected a herd of cattle to arrive. Garrett wanted to oversee the unloading. Since starting, he found two lazy workers who half-assed their jobs. If they continued doing it during unloading, he planned to speak with Mac.
Deciding to call it a day, he put Gus out to pasture and returned to his cabin. He entered from the garage door, and his mouth shot open at seeing Riley balance herself with one crutch and stir something in a pot with the other. Anger filled him as he watched her grab the other crutch with practiced ease.
“Garrett, you’re back early,” she said, startled. “We didn’t expect you.”
“I see. Where’s Tara?” he asked impatiently as he pulled out a kitchen chair and motioned for her to sit.
“She’s in her room studying for her chemistry test. I’m keeping an eye on the beans,” she said nervously.
Garrett scanned the counter, noticing the onions chopped and bowls pulled out to make other items. “How long have you done the cooking?” he asked, patiently.
“Since I stood on a stool and mixed the cornbread batter with Mom,” she said, sitting down. Sweat covered her brow,and the crutches wobbled as she set them next to her, letting him know she did too much.
One of the crutches slid to the floor, and she bent to pick it up. The neck of the God-awful smock dress the saleswoman sold him opened, and he got a view of her ample breasts. He turned away to keep from embarrassing her as he swallowed down the saliva, which seemed to pool as he thought about cupping them in his hand and sucking the tiny buds.
“Tara,” he said, knocking on her door.
A minute later, she opened it, and her eyes grew wide at seeing him standing there. She slid the earphones from her head onto her neck. She glanced at Riley and fidgeted with her hair. “Hi, Garrett. You’re home early.”
“Yeah, it seems I’ve surprised everyone. Can you explain why Riley’s cooking in the kitchen? If you needed to study for your test, you only needed to tell me,” he chastised softly, unwilling to make her feel guilty. Heaven knows the teen worshiped her older sister, who most likely insisted on doing it.
“I…I told her to stop after we finished the laundry. She says it’s good to move around, and the doctor agreed.”
Garrett’s lips thinned and his eyes narrowed on Riley, who shrank in her chair. “It’s fine,” he assured Tara. “Matthew visited me in the field this afternoon. Rachel invited Kara over after school today. She wanted to know if you might like to join them for dinner. Matthew will bring you home when you’re ready.”
“Oh,” Tara said excitedly. “Rachel told me about her. When can I go over?”
“You have a test to study for,” Riley exclaimed. “It’s a weeknight, too.”
“Please, Riley,” Tara begged. “She’s my age, and I haven’t had a friend in like forever.”
“What about your test?” she pointed out.
“I’m almost done studying. I took the practice test and got an A. Please let me go,” Tara said, her big blue eyes pleading with her sister.
“It’s good to have friends your own age,” Garrett chimed in, noticing the scowl cross Riley’s face.
She sighed, realizing they ganged up on her. “All right. Finish studying. School doesn’t let out for another hour, and then you can go.”
“Oh, thanks. Do you want me to do your vacuuming before I leave?” Tara asked innocently.
Garrett’s gaze went to Riley, whose cheeks flushed as she avoided peering at him.
“Sure.”
Tara closed her door while Garrett stalked over to the kitchen table. Riley’s fingers appeared swollen and her toes seemed purplish blue.
“What the hell?” he muttered as he handed her the crutches. “How long have you been doing the house chores and cooking? Don’t even think of lying to me.”
She huffed as she took the crutches and went into the living room. She swung her leg up on the pillows and stuffed one under her arm. “Do you feel happy now? What do you expect me to do all day and night? I’m about to go out of my mind. I can’t plant my ass on your couch and watch gameshows all day.”
“You’re supposed to rest. Have you not noticed your fingers and toes? The doctor said to keep your leg up until the swelling goes down. Tell me how long this has gone on,” he demanded.
“Since the third day you left for work. I don’t always stand. Sometimes I sit at the kitchen table and peel the potatoes or apples,” she offered, hoping to minimize her guilt.
Garrett gazed up at the ceiling and counted to ten. “Riley, if you don’t stay off your feet, you won’t heal properly. What will you do when you work crazy hours somewhere else, and your body can’t handle it?”
“I’ll suck it up as I do now,” she insisted. “Garrett, I’m bored. Please don’t get angry. Usually, Tara helps me. I swear she only left me alone this time. Mom always said I have ants in my pants. I guess she was right.”
