Heath came galloping into the front yard of the Barkley home with Karen clutched firmly in his grip. Two of the ranch hands came forward. One took the reins from Heath while the other helped him with Karen. "Karen, honey, you need to let go of me for just a minute. Just long enough so that both of us can get down off the horse. Then, you will be in my arms again and we'll get you up to your room where you can lay down and relax. Okay?"
She nodded and slowly released his shirt from her grip. It took her a few minutes to let go due to the strength with which she had gripped it in the first place. But she did it. "One of the ranch hands is right here and he's going to help you down. Then, you step away and I'll get down. Okay?"
She nodded again and slid down to the waiting hands below her. Once she was stable on her feet, she stepped away and turned to look at Heath. He jumped down from the horse and spoke softly to the ranch hands nearby.
"No problem, Heath. We'll take good care of your horse for you. You just go ahead and take care of Miss Karen. Your mother and sister having been waiting most anxiously for her return to the house."
"Thanks, Charlie. I appreciate that." He shook hands with the man and walked over to Karen. He held out a hand and her trembling one accepted the gesture. He pulled her close and wrapped one arm around her shoulder before turning her toward the house and taking her inside.
Victoria and Audra had been waiting patiently in the living room. When they saw Heath and Karen walk in, both women got up and rushed over. "Karen, dear, are you alright?"
"I hurt my wrist, Ms. Victoria. I wrapped the reins around it to try to hold on better and it tangled, twisting my wrist. It really hurts."
Victoria looked closely at the hand that was draped across Heath's hand as if she couldn't hold it up on her own. It did look painfully swollen and sore. "Don't worry, dear. We'll get the doctor to come out and take a look at it for you, shall we? He'll fix you up right as rain in no time." She looked at her son.
"Nick and Jarrod were checking Flamestar to see if they could find out what made him rear and bolt like he did. They said that they would bring him back after that. It may be awhile, Mother. We rode hard and fast to catch them."
"I understand, Heath. Why don't you walk Karen to her room? Audra, you can go with them to help her change back into her nightgown for now. I seriously doubt that she can do it on her own right now. And I don't think she'll be much in the mood to do much of anything for a while. That wrist is going to take time to heal."
"Yes, Mother." Audra was quick to submit to her mother's wishes. She knew her mother was most likely right and Karen would need help to get back into her nightgown. She could tell Karen was exhausted. A ride like that would definitely do that to a person. "Come on, Karen. Heath and I will help you up to your room and get you changed for going back to bed. I'm sure that you would appreciate a nap while we send someone for the doctor."
Karen just nodded and leaned into Heath's arm around her as they walked toward the stairs to go up to the second floor so she could lay down. When she stumbled on the third step, Heath didn't say a word. He simply picked her up and carried her up the stairs and down to her room.
Laying her on her bed, he kissed her forehead. "Rest now, Karen. Audra's here and she'll give you all the help you need to change into your nightgown."
"Thank you, Heath. You're always so good to me." Karen yawned as she finished her statement and rolled over as if to go to sleep without changing into her nightgown.
"Karen, let's get you changed and then you can sleep. I promise," Audra said firmly, touching the young woman's right shoulder.
The gasp that left Karen at the pain flaring through her right shoulder drew both Audra's and Heath's attention. "Karen, did you hurt your shoulder as well?"
"I think so. I hadn't noticed it until Audra touched that shoulder. But it does hurt quite a bit. I think before this, I was just more focused on the wrist."
"I can understand that. Your shoulder probably hasn't moved nearly as much as the wrist has tried to. And when you rolled over, you went to your left side. You wouldn't have noticed it then."
Heath looked down at Karen. "Would you like some help sitting up so that you can change?"
She nodded. Heath sat down on the bed next to her and gently wrapped one arm around her from the left side and pulled her to an upright position. Once she was sitting up, Heath stood back up and moved away from the bed. "I'm going to wait in the hallway. Once you're in your nightgown and under the covers, I'll come back in and sit by the bed for a while. I promise."
"Okay." Karen sounded so sleepy that it brought a smile to Heath's face.
He walked to the door and stepped outside just as Nick and Jarrod came down the hall towards him. "Did you find out what caused Flamestar to bolt like that?"
"Several rows of sandburs had been put on the underside of his saddle blanket. We've got the blanket put aside so that we can show the sheriff. Mother asked us to tell you that she's already sent someone for the doctor." Jarrod looked at the door. "How is she?"
"It looks like she not only hurt her wrist but also the right shoulder as well. Audra touched it and she gasped at the pain that went through her. Scared both of us for a moment."
All three men heard as Karen stifled a cry of pain. Heath had to steel himself not to run in and put a stop to the pain she was going through just trying to put her nightgown on. He knew that it was necessary for her to be in her nightgown when the doctor arrived. It would make it far easier for him to examine her.
"Heath, I admire your strength." Heath looked over at Nick. "I could never just stand here as my woman tried to get her clothes changed to see the doctor."
"She's not my woman yet, Nick. But I do love her and since I know this is for the best as it will make it far easier for the doctor to examine her when he gets here, I can steel myself."
"Still, I don't think I could do it. I'm too much of a hothead."
"You could. If it meant getting her the proper care and making her feel better."
"You have more faith in me than I have in myself." Nick shook his head. "I just tend to react more from emotion than thought. You know that by now, Heath."
"I do. But I also know that you would do whatever it took to make sure that the woman you loved could be taken care of properly. So that she could heal quicker and go back to being the woman you needed in your life."
"And is that really how you feel about Karen? That she's the woman you need in your life?"
"I do. I think that she's the only woman I'll ever need. I think that she can be my equal in every sense of the word, Nick. I really believe that. Especially considering everything she's been through in the past year or so. The kidnapping and everything else has just made her a much stronger person. And considering that she grew up in the Cartwright household, that just amplifies the whole thing."
"Heath, I think the two of you will make a magnificent couple. But I also don't think things will be easy for the two of you." Jarrod's words brought a nod from Nick. "I do, however, think that you will come through everything just fine if you remember to let the two families help where they can. Know, little brother, that all of us will stand with you whenever you need us. There is no way to scare us off. We're all glad that you've found someone that compliments you so completely. She does that in ways that are almost uncanny."
Nick smiled and nodded. "I don't think Heath could have found a better partner than Karen. She's strong and yet willing to admit when she needs help. Can't often find that in a person."
Just then, Audra poked her head out of the room. "Heath, she's changed and tucked in. I think she's already nearly asleep. The ride and the sheer fear from Flamestar bolting that way must have just worn her out completely. You can go on in now. I think it would be good to just let her sleep until the doctor gets here. She whimpered quite a bit while we were changing her into her nightgown but she only cried out the one time. When we had to get her right arm into the sleeve. She had to move that shoulder and that was what did it. She cried out when she had to lift the arm to put it into the sleeve."
"We heard it. Heath started but he kept himself from running in there and helping. I couldn't have been prouder of his self-control. I don't know if I could have restrained myself that well." Nick wanted to let his sister know just how proud of Heath he was. Jarrod nodded as if to agree with his brother.
"We both watched as he reacted to the cry. But he didn't do what we both expected him to do. I was also half expecting him to run in to help and get it over with quickly."
"I couldn't do that to Karen. It would humiliate her. I have to let her do things for herself where she can. Her family never coddled her as she was growing up and we can't do that now. It would ruin her self-confidence."
"He's right. We can't baby her just because she's hurt. But we can let her know that we'll be there to help her if she needs it."
"I'm going in to sit with her for a while until the doctor gets here. Will someone let Mother know?" Heath received nods from all three of his siblings before he walked into the room and sat down in the chair next to Karen's bed.
Heath never saw his siblings walk away to let their mother know that Karen was changed and resting in her room with Heath watching over her until the doctor arrived.
He sat next to her watching her sleep. Even though her back was to him, he could hear her whimpering in her sleep, undoubtedly plagued by nightmares of the panicked ride she endured the day before.
He wanted to hold her and comfort her but, with her shoulder hurting the way it was, he didn't dare. At least, not until the doctor told them what was wrong. He didn't want to hurt her any more than necessary. He could be content to sit and watch her as she slept.
About an hour later, Victoria knocked and entered the room with the doctor right behind her. "Heath, the doctor's here. Would you wake Karen?"
"Of course, Mother."
Heath stood up and sat down on the edge of the bed, placing one hand on Karen's back and the other in front of her on the bed. "Karen? Karen, you need to wake up now. The doctor's here. He wants to look at your wrist and shoulder so that he can see what's wrong and how to fix it."
Karen stirred and twisted on the bed. "Heath? You weren't in here when I laid down were you?"
"No, honey. I came in after. Audra came out after helping you into your nightgown and told us that she had tucked you in and you were all but asleep already. I came in and sat down beside the bed and watched over you to make sure that you didn't roll over onto that right shoulder or wrist. I didn't want you to hurt yourself worse."
"Thank you. Can you help me to sit up?" Heath nodded and helped her to sit up on the bed and then she looked at the doctor. "Thank you for coming out to see me. I've just been so tired since this all happened."
"Why don't you tell me what happened before I start examining the shoulder and wrist? That way I have all the information ahead of time and know what to look for."
Karen proceeded to tell the doctor all about the crazy ride that she'd been on that morning. Heath had only stepped in once to explain that the blanket had been laced with sandburs. Karen looked horrified at the thought that someone could be that cruel to a horse. But she also wondered who would have or could have done such a thing.
After the tale had been told, the doctor started examining Karen. He even went so far as to check her range of motion on her shoulder.
"I think we'll wrap that wrist and put a sling on in order to support the shoulder for a while. I'll come back out in a week and check to see how you're doing. We'll make further plans then. Sound good to you?"
Karen nodded. "Thank you, doctor."
"Don't thank me yet. I have a feeling you'll be dealing with some serious pain in that shoulder over the coming week. Warm towels will help keep things loosened up. And I want you to at least move that shoulder a little bit every day. It will hurt but, if you don't, it's going to stiffen up and you'll never get it healed properly."
"I promise. Thank you again."
Heath saw the doctor to the door of the room and then looked back at Karen. "I'll be back shortly, Karen. You just relax and we'll get you tucked back in shortly and you can sleep some more before supper." Karen nodded and lay back against her pillows.
By the time Heath returned after walking the doctor out, Karen was sound asleep, having pulled the covers up to her neck as best she could. Heath pulled them up better and tucked them in around her.
She didn't even move.