Free Whenever You Come Around by Robin Lee Hatcher Page A

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    By the time they reached the dead end, the walk had workedits magic. Charity’s headache was gone. Not only that but her confusion and frustration had been driven out as well. She wasn’t fooled. When she opened her laptop again, the action might bring headache, confusion, and/or frustration rushing back. But for now, she enjoyed the sense of calm that filled her.
    She remembered Terri telling her that she needed to relax and forget about the book for a while. She hadn’t followed her sister’s advice. She’d tried to write something— anything —every day since she arrived in Kings Meadow. How much worse could it be if she simply took a week off and let the story simmer?
    “But what would make me relax and forget the book?” she whispered.
    Immediately she thought of Buck’s horses. They were being fed daily, but no one was riding them. They must need exercise. Maybe getting into the saddle would put her in the mood to write a cowboy romance.
    “It couldn’t hurt to try.” Could it?
    Especially since Buck Malone was supposed to inspire her love story. In a fictional sense, of course. Not for real.
    B UCK STARED AT THE CAST ON HIS WRIST AND WISHED he could bust out of it. But he knew better. The bones were just beginning to knit. He needed to follow doctor’s orders for a few more weeks. It would be difficult to make saddles with a bum right hand, and he wouldn’t be of much use as a guide either. Not when it came to setting up and breaking down camps. Not when it came to swinging an ax or having strength in an emergency situation.
    Patience. He had to exercise patience.
    He rolled the scooter to the large window in the living room and looked south toward the river and the mountains beyond it. What he wouldn’t give to be outside on this fine day. The boredom grew worse by the minute. He eyed the steps leading down from his front door. If he was careful, maybe he could maneuver down them on the scooter.
    With a woof , Cocoa came racing across his front yard. The dog stopped on the front stoop and looked at Buck through the glass, silently asking for admittance. Buck chuckled. Cocoa seemed to like him a lot. He was even beginning to believe Charity had warmed to him a little. Speaking of whom, there she came, following the dog at a slower pace. Instead of the shorts and slip-on sneakers he’d seen her in several times, she wore jeans and boots. It was a good look on her. But then, she would look good in just about anything.
    Buck rolled to the front door and opened it. “Hey, Cocoa.” He patted the dog’s head, then lifted his gaze. “Hey, Charity. Nice morning.”
    “Yes.” She stopped on the stone walkway. “It’s beautiful out.”
    “Think you could help me get outside? I’ve got cabin fever something fierce.”
    The request seemed to trouble her. “I suppose we could try. If you’re sure you should. I’d hate to be the cause of another fall.”
    He gave her a hard look. She was a slight thing, true. But she was stronger than she looked.
    “Maybe you should wait until your brother or one of your friends comes over to see to the horses.”
    “Nobody’ll come again until this evening. I need outside now.”
    Charity worried her lower lips with her teeth.
    “Help me out the back door to the patio.” Buck sensed her weakening. “Half an hour in the sunshine will do me a world of good.”
    There was a long silence before she said, “Okay. I hope you don’t regret it.”
    Buck backed out of the doorway, a silent invitation for her to enter. After a brief hesitation, she did so. Giving her no chance to change her mind, Buck turned the scooter and headed for the kitchen exit. He heard the click of Cocoa’s claws on the floor, then the sounds of Charity’s boots. He stopped the scooter and reached for the doorknob before rolling through the open doorway.
    “Here,” Charity said as she stopped at his side on the back stoop.
    He looked at her, and she held out a crutch to him. “I