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“Were you trained as a medic?” He knew nothing about the service. He was the ‘college at fifteen’ guy.

“We all got basic medical. We go in as a team, and we all have specialties, but yeah, I got some training.”

“I’m sorry for asking. I do that. Ask inappropriate questions after worrying about losing my hand.”

Luke chuckled. “You’re beat to hell. I can let it slide.”

“I appreciate it.” He found himself beginning to shake, the room seeming cold as fuck.

“Let me get you a blanket.” Luke wheeled away for a moment, then came back to toss a blanket around Rory’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” His teeth were chattering.

“You’re in shock. I need to get your feet up, but I have to get the wounds cared for first.”

“What can I do?” Matt asked, ducking in the back door again.

“No beer.” Rory felt a little hysterical, and he set his teeth together to keep it in.

“Something warm, Matty. Hot tea? And I need to get him prone.”

“Coffee? Put him on the sofa. He can’t hurt it.”

What? Luke was going to give him a ride?

Luke must have felt the same way, because he snorted. “I have a leverage issue, bro.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, McConnell. Let’s get you up.”

“Up? Can I just crawl?”

Luke shook his head. “Way you’re tore up, that will hurt worse. Trust me.”

“Don’t be a pussy, cowboy. Get your ass up.”

Rory glared at Matt. “Screw you, LeBlanc.”

Rory growled and levered himself to his feet, stumbling toward the other end of the kitchen. His brain shut down everything not important, working his feet, one and two and three and four.

“You think we need to get an ambulance here, Luke?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.”

“Shut up,” both brothers told him.

“I don’t like that one cut on his leg, but I think if the blood stops flowing so hard under that bandage he’ll just need to see his family doctor tomorrow.”

He wasn’t sure, but he was beginning to understand these twins were bossy fuckers.

Matt helped him stretch out on the couch, and that put him at a level where Luke could tug off the rest of his clothes. There was hot water, some kind of pills he thought were Tylenol with something else in them, and some floating …

He wasn’t sure this was how his afternoon was supposed to go.

“So, did you accept my apology?” Rory finally asked through chattering teeth.

Luke finished the last bandage wrap and grabbed blankets to bundle him up. “I did.”

“Oh, good. I’d like to be friends.”

“Yeah? Stop trying to buy out my brother.” Luke winked at him. “I could use friends.”

“I’m trying to keep Harris’s hands off the land. If I knew Matt was going to be able to keep it, I’d be fine.”

“You got a thing against Harris, huh?” Luke tucked the blankets around him. “Want that hot drink now?”

“I do.” On both accounts.

“I think Matt is making broth, but you could have coffee.”

“Broth? You boys have broth?”

“Well, we have boullion, I think. Hell, for all I know he’s out there killing a cow.”

He didn’t want to ponder imminent cow death. No way. Rory had grown up on a ranch—he got it, but, dude. Not just for soup.

“Coffee is fine.”

“You got it.” Luke left him, and Rory tried to keep his eyes open so he could get a feel for Matt’s house. He’d always been so curious.

It was pure cowboy—leather and antlers, creams and browns and oh, look at those exposed beams. He really liked it, though they ought to get a more comfortable couch. This one was old and a little flat. Droopy under his butt and hard under his shoulders.

It was a thing. Couches should be good to sleep on.

He could buy them a new couch instead of buying their land. Man, he was thirsty, and oh… The pills began to kick in. Yay .

That made life better.

“How’s it going, man?” Luke leaned over, peering at him.

“I feel like I might die, but I wouldn’t care. Is that bad?”

“Yep. Then again, it might just be the pills.” Luke winked. “I got your coffee. There’s a lady here named Lori. Says she wants to see you.”

“Oh, she’s my guardian angel. Sorry if she’s bothering you, but I would see her.”

Lori came roaring in. “Oh, God. Rory. Honey. Oh, God. Your poor baby body. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t. I was saving horses.”

“You look like you were being trampled by them.” She knelt next to him.

“Dragged.” He glared at her and rolled his eyes, the world spinning. “I was coming to apologize.”

“These men are bad luck for you, Rory. No offense.”

“None taken,” Luke said. “Want some coffee, ma’am?”

“No thank you. Do you want me to take you home?”

No way. He’d been promised food. “They’re making chili.”

“I like chili.” Lori smiled. “Do I need to call in a doctor?”

“Ask Luke—he’s in charge. I’m just hanging out.”

“Hanging…” Lori stared. “Did he hit his head?”

Luke chuckled. “Maybe. Honestly, I patched him up and he was pretty adamant about no hospitals. I do recommend seeing his family doctor tomorrow.”

“I’m okay. I’ll be sore as fuck, but I’m okay.” And hanging out on the LeBlanc’s sofa like he belonged here. God. Have a little self-respect and get up .

A sheriff’s deputy appeared next to Lori, staring down at him. “Mr. McConnell. Are you up to giving me a statement?”

“I am, sure.” He levered himself up, keeping the blanket wrapped around his lower half. “I guess I was the one was was there. ”

“Yes, sir. Just tell me what happened. If I have any questions, I’ll save them until the end.”

That part was easy. Horses, truck, gunshots, assholes— boom, boom, boom .

“Do you remember any details regarding the truck? Color? Make or model?”

“Silver GMC king cab.” That much he knew. “I didn’t see the driver, and I sure didn’t see a plate.” They’d started shooting a ways off. “I was parked in the middle of the road, because I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

As terrible as it would have been to hit and kill a horse, the person driving would have been in a world of hurt too.

“You had your emergency flashers on?”

“Shit, man, I had set up cones. I didn’t do flares since it was still daylight, and it would have scared the horses.”

“Huh. So, they had to see you.”

“You think?” He was trying not to lose his shit, but he was quickly running out of patience. “Look, they were shooting at me. At Matt. Not at the horses. This was not someone just having fun or pissed off because the road was blocked.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“Hemorrhoids?”

Lori whacked his arm. “Boss!”

“Sorry. Pain addled, you see. I’m pretty tore up.” ‘Pain addled’, his ass. This was bullshit.

“Well, I’ll let you rest, then. If you think of anything else, here’s my card.”

Lori took the card. “I’ll call. I’m his assistant.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The little deputy stared at her like she was a redneck-eating tiger with a yen for someone who used too much Axe body spray.

Lori snorted. “As if. I’ll call if and when my boss thinks of anything, Barney. Off with you.”

Matt LeBlanc was chuckling, the smell of the chili was actually appetizing, and Rory thought he might live.

As soon as the deputy was gone, Rory glanced at Luke. “Did you see him gawking at my personal assistant?”

“Yep. That was something else. I couldn’t tell if he was afraid or interested.” Luke winked. “Hey, Miss Lori, I don’t suppose you have a cornbread recipe up your sleeve? My last attempt was bad.”

“That’s what smartphones are for, Mr. LeBlanc.” A couple of taps and there was a recipe, called right up.

Luke laughed. “Sure, but I suck at sorting through. I should just buy a box, but I’m stubborn.”

“I don’t know anyone like that,” Lori said, side-eyeing Rory.

“Shut up, you evil old bat.” God, he adored her.

“I’ll come look at your oven and your pan.” Lori rose. “Sleep for a bit, boss. Lead the way, Wheels.”

So PC his Lori.

“I could kill you without leaving a mark, you know,” Luke said, heading toward the kitchen.

“What fun would that be?”

Rory smiled, letting his eyes go unfocused like he wanted to. Lori and the LeBlancs in one place. Again. And he was the one who was half-dead. Go figure.

Life was a weird and wonderful thing.

Now, he just had to survive long enough for chili.