Part 6 (1/2)
”You fell off your horse.”
She stopped struggling and turned her unbelieving gaze on him. ”I never fall off my horse,” she declared, wincing with pain. ”You must have done something to me.”
A flash of anger prodded Madison's temper, but he tamped it down before he could utter any more ill-chosen words. His anger sprang from guilt; he could only atone by accepting the responsibility for what he had done.
I said something I shouldn't. It made you too angry to watch where you were going. Your horse stumbled and you pitched forward into the creek. I wouldn't be surprised if you have a deep concussion as well as a few broken ribs.”
”How do you know?” she asked, her eyes wide with trepidation.
”I checked.”
”You handled me?” she asked, anger and fright mingled in her voice.
Madison didn't know why her reaction should irritate him so much. He couldn't expect her to like being handled by a stranger.
Yet it made him furious.
Because she made him feel guilty. And after struggling so hard to control his physical desire, he felt he deserved a little credit. If she guessed what he would have liked to do, she probably wouldn't wait to see him hang. She'd shoot him herself.
I touched you as little as possible.”
”How dare you touch me at all!”
”What was I supposed to do? Ask a pa.s.sing gopher? Forgive me if I didn't follow the proper etiquette for a woman who dresses, acts, and expects to be treated as a man. You'll have to explain it to me sometime.”
I don't want to see you ever again,” Fern exploded. She pushed against his chest, then groaned with agony.
”You may have some broken ribs,” Madison said, sympathy and concern battling with anger and guilt. ”Stay still until I can get you to a doctor.”
”Take me home,” she cried.
”I did, but your father was gone.”
”Take me back this minute.”
”When is he supposed to get back?”
”I don't know. Maybe tonight. He's gone to sell to the drovers.”
”Who'll take care of you?”
”I can take care of myself.”
”No. You need a doctor to look at your chest to see if you really are hurt.”
”No man is going to look at my chest!” Fern exclaimed. ”Let me down right now.”
But when she tried to break his hold, her face crumpled with pain.
”You wouldn't make it five yards. You'd collapse in the street.”
”That's none of your concern.”
”Ordinarily I would agree with you, but somehow it would get around town that I was responsible for your fall. Next thing you know, people would be saying I took you home and left you to die. By tomorrow every man in d.i.c.kinson County would be after my blood.” ”It wouldn't do them any good. I'm going to get it all.”
Madison surprised them both by laughing. ”Why don't you just relax and let me take you to a doctor? Which one do you normally see?”
”I haven't seen a doctor since I was born, and I don't intend to start now.”
That shouldn't have surprised him. She was just the type to refuse to admit she needed any kind of help.
”Pick one.”
”If you don't let me down, I'll scream.”
”For someone wanting to be treated like a man, you sure are quick to use a woman's trick,” Madison said.
”I'll use any trick I can to get away from you,” she replied. ”Now let me go.”
For a moment, Madison was tempted to do just that. She wasn't his responsibility. But the pain in her eyes wouldn't let him.
”I will make a compromise with you. I'll take you to my sister-in-law. If she says you're okay, I'll take you home. If she says you're hurt, you're going to see a doctor.”
He expected her to keep arguing. Her capitulation convinced him she was suffering a lot of pain.
”At least allow me to ride my own horse. I may let her examine me, but I won't be carried through town in a man's arms, particularly yours. I'd rather have all my ribs broken.”
Madison was tempted to break her neck, but he decided it might be a little rough on George to have two brothers hang at the same time.
”Can you hold on to the saddle horn?” he asked.
”Of course. What kind of mollycoddle do you take me for?”
”Why don't you just answer my question?” ”I can hold on,” she said, subdued.
Madison slid from the saddle. Without his support, Fern swayed, but she managed to stay erect. ”It'll be easier if you stay on Buster. I'll lead the horses.”
She didn't like that arrangement, but she was finding that without his support, the pain was much worse. The increased discomfort took the steel out of her resistance.
”Don't take me through the middle of town,” she managed to say through teeth gritted with pain. ”I won't be paraded around like a circus freak.”
”How am I supposed to get you there without using the streets? I'm not a magician with a magic carpet to transport you. I doubt whether Buster or your pony would ride on it if I did.”
”For a grown man, you talk more foolishness than anybody I ever met.”
”I'm sure my professors at Harvard are chagrined they allowed me to graduate first in my cla.s.s.”