Page 117 of A Rancher's Vow

Time had no meaning. Tears streaked Charity’s face as her eyes watered from the sharp wind. Her fingers gripping Kelli were rigid, and her entire body felt shaken through and through. None of the discomfort mattered, though.

Dustin. Where was he?

Annie veered sharply to the right.

Kelli slowed and pulled to a stop. Caleb switched from riding to running without a pause, racing to where Annie was scratching at a broken board laying sideways across the base of a wide culvert.

An instant later Kelli was helping Caleb lift the wood. Charity crowded in as well, the rough slab biting into her palms, splinters breaking off as they heaved it sideways.

He was beneath the board, half sunk into the mud. Dustin lay face up, his skin pale and a trickle of blood running down his temple. Charity dropped to her knees beside him, pressing her fingers to his pulse.

When a solid thump struck, she could have wept for joy. “He’s alive.”

“Thank God.” Caleb crouched beside her, one arm around her shoulders. He touched his knuckles to his brother’s cheek. “We won’t move him yet. Kelli is calling in our location for a medivac.” He squeezed her shoulders tightly.

Instinctively, Charity reassured him. “Dustin’s going to be okay.”

Caleb took a deep breath, shrugging out of his coat and covering Dustin the best he could. “He is.”

“He has to be.” Charity lifted Dustin’s fingers to her lips and kissed them. “You hear that, Dustin? You’re going to be okay.”

Patchwork Annie slipped under her arm on the opposite side, whining because her favourite person wasn’t petting her. Charity gave her a hug instead. “You are the best and smartest pupper ever.”

The dog settled beside Dustin, staring at him with concern.

Charity held on tight and fought to be brave. “I love you,” she whispered, suddenly glad that it wasn’t the first time she’d said it. “I love you,” she repeated, louder this time. “Now you need to get better so you can tell me you love me too. Because that was our deal.”

Caleb was back, and Kelli was there, all of them crowded around to try to warm Dustin as they waited for the rescue team to arrive.

Inside her heart, a warm glow burned steady, and Charity put all her effort into holding Dustin there with the strength of her love.

26

Dustin’s head hurt. Come to think of it, his butt hurt, his back hurt, and his mouth felt like trash. Small beeping sounds echoed from his right, and his hands couldn’t move.

What the hell had he been doing?

“You’re awake.” Charity whispered the words.

He twisted his head toward her, and a spike of pain shot through his skull. “Ouch. What…?” A rush of memories arrived. The smoke by the shelter. Being hit. “Damn it. Someone clocked me.”

She stood beside him now, fingers linked with his. “Yeah, they did. But you’re okay.”

“You’re lucky you have a very hard head.” Luke this time, stepping up behind Charity. His expression held more relief than amusement. “Like I’ve always told you.”

Dustin didn’t have the energy, but some things were sacred. “Picture me flipping you off right now.”

He clearly was in a hospital room. The nondescript grey-white walls and the scent would have been enough of a clue. But the bed railings and the IV sticking into the back of his hand were unavoidable proof.

Caleb now stood shoulder to shoulder with Luke, both towering over Charity who refused to let go of his hand. “You scared the hell out of us,” Caleb said.

“I’ll apologize after I find out what happened.” Dustin lifted his free hand and gingerly touched his head. “Bandages?”

His oldest brother said something over his shoulder, and Luke stepped away. Caleb turned back and answered the question. “You might have a tough head, but even rocks get broken when smacked with tire irons.”

Crap. Nasty shit. “Who was it?”

A second’s pause. Charity made a face. “Well, you know how you said we didn’t have to worry about your stalker anymore?”