Aaron didn’t fight being cuffed again. He knew it was inevitable, and right now...in spite of the pain pills Rick had given him, his knee was hurting so badly that he wasn’t going to try and move anyway. All he could do was lie here and hope that the pain would subside.
Waiting for her return, he was a little surprised to get something else to eat besides a frozen dinner. The salad actually looked...pretty appetizing. He grinned a little. “What? You don’t cook?” Pulling himself up to sit, he winced as his leg moved, but he managed to at least get into a position that eating wouldn’t be hard. Taking the salad, he chose the Italian dressing, and took a couple bites.
“I don’t understand why you keep apologizing,” he mused, glancing her way. “You said you were sorry about Garret, you apologized for putting me back in cuffs, and now you seem to think you should be feeding me something other than a good-tasting chicken salad.” He shook his head. “This is your job. I’m the prisoner. So either you’re a whole lot softer than I thought, or more of a rookie than I assumed.” He let his statement hang in the air as a question, fishing for what made Sam tick. She talked tough, but then would turn around and be nicer than he expected. So who was she really?
Travis’ smile widened as Ashlee agreed to go with him. He’d actually been thinking more of something in town, but maybe it would be better this way. From her reactions, he wondered if maybe she wasn’t used to a guy asking her out, so, better safe than sorry – a picnic it would be.
Waiting for her return, he was a little surprised to get something else to eat besides a frozen dinner. The salad actually looked...pretty appetizing. He grinned a little. “What? You don’t cook?” Pulling himself up to sit, he winced as his leg moved, but he managed to at least get into a position that eating wouldn’t be hard. Taking the salad, he chose the Italian dressing, and took a couple bites.
“I don’t understand why you keep apologizing,” he mused, glancing her way. “You said you were sorry about Garret, you apologized for putting me back in cuffs, and now you seem to think you should be feeding me something other than a good-tasting chicken salad.” He shook his head. “This is your job. I’m the prisoner. So either you’re a whole lot softer than I thought, or more of a rookie than I assumed.” He let his statement hang in the air as a question, fishing for what made Sam tick. She talked tough, but then would turn around and be nicer than he expected. So who was she really?
Travis’ smile widened as Ashlee agreed to go with him. He’d actually been thinking more of something in town, but maybe it would be better this way. From her reactions, he wondered if maybe she wasn’t used to a guy asking her out, so, better safe than sorry – a picnic it would be.
“That sounds like a good idea. Maybe...tomorrow? Lunch?”
“Hey, Travis, there you are.”
Travis didn’t turn around, but threw Ashlee a glance and rolled his eyes. “Talk later,” he whispered. “Yeah, Dad?” He turned and left Ashlee and Moonbeam, going back to taking care of Casper.
Lane arched an eyebrow at the odd tension in the air as he approached, and patted Casper’s damp back. “Just hadn’t seen you all day. How was riding?”
“Good.” Travis kept his eyes on his work as he rubbed down the gelding.
“Feeling okay then?”
“I’m fine.” Travis glanced up to his dad and sighed. “Angel cleared me. I’m not falling apart, okay?”
Lane gave him a sorry smile. He knew he was just being overprotective after everything that had happened. “Okay, okay.” He glanced over to Ashlee, then back again before cocking his head.
Travis caught his look and smirked. “Not now.”
Lane grinned. “Alright, Romeo.” He held up his hands. “Just take it easy, huh?”
“Right, Dad...” Travis shook his head and finished up with Casper so he could put him back out in the pasture. He was not in the mood to have his dad giving him dating talks, especially only a few feet from Ashlee.
Justin listened quietly to Ryan, paying attention to every detail. She was moving more slowly than he liked. Some people took longer than others, and he knew that, but he had hoped she would be at a healthier spot by now.
“It’s okay,” he assured gently. “Less is better. You’re making progress. You’re back to work more, you actually went to a race...I think that’s good.”
He cocked his head and studied her for a few moments. “I still think you’re not letting go though, Ryan. It’s something you’re going to have to do eventually. I think that’s why you’re still seeing Alec, because you haven’t gotten to that spot where you can admit he’s really gone.” He kept his words soft, but he had to say them. “That’s one thing that you need to work on. When he shows up like that, you need to tell yourself, either in your head, or out loud, that he is gone. I know it’s not easy...but in the end, we all have that choice. We can hang on to what we loved or...let go. And I think you’re still hanging on to Alec, but it’s keeping you from living life the way you should.”
“Hey, Travis, there you are.”
Travis didn’t turn around, but threw Ashlee a glance and rolled his eyes. “Talk later,” he whispered. “Yeah, Dad?” He turned and left Ashlee and Moonbeam, going back to taking care of Casper.
Lane arched an eyebrow at the odd tension in the air as he approached, and patted Casper’s damp back. “Just hadn’t seen you all day. How was riding?”
“Good.” Travis kept his eyes on his work as he rubbed down the gelding.
“Feeling okay then?”
“I’m fine.” Travis glanced up to his dad and sighed. “Angel cleared me. I’m not falling apart, okay?”
Lane gave him a sorry smile. He knew he was just being overprotective after everything that had happened. “Okay, okay.” He glanced over to Ashlee, then back again before cocking his head.
Travis caught his look and smirked. “Not now.”
Lane grinned. “Alright, Romeo.” He held up his hands. “Just take it easy, huh?”
“Right, Dad...” Travis shook his head and finished up with Casper so he could put him back out in the pasture. He was not in the mood to have his dad giving him dating talks, especially only a few feet from Ashlee.
Justin listened quietly to Ryan, paying attention to every detail. She was moving more slowly than he liked. Some people took longer than others, and he knew that, but he had hoped she would be at a healthier spot by now.
“It’s okay,” he assured gently. “Less is better. You’re making progress. You’re back to work more, you actually went to a race...I think that’s good.”
He cocked his head and studied her for a few moments. “I still think you’re not letting go though, Ryan. It’s something you’re going to have to do eventually. I think that’s why you’re still seeing Alec, because you haven’t gotten to that spot where you can admit he’s really gone.” He kept his words soft, but he had to say them. “That’s one thing that you need to work on. When he shows up like that, you need to tell yourself, either in your head, or out loud, that he is gone. I know it’s not easy...but in the end, we all have that choice. We can hang on to what we loved or...let go. And I think you’re still hanging on to Alec, but it’s keeping you from living life the way you should.”
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