Free Healing Trace by Debra Kayn Page A

with Aunt Sharon, and having to move away to a strange place and
from everything familiar. How could she break Katie's heart, again?
    "Joan?"
    "I'm
here." She sat up straighter. "It won't be long now. Let me finish
this job, and then Trace's doctor will probably release him to continue therapy
on his own. After that, we can see about getting you back home where you
belong. Just hang in there a little longer, okay?"
    "All
right! I'm going to call Jessie and Melanie and let them know I'll be starting
my senior year back at Durham High with them. Me and the besties will be back
together." Katie laughed. "Thanks, Joanie. You're the best sister ever."
    Joan
clicked off the phone and lay down in the grass. The sobs came deep from her
soul, stripping her of hope. She couldn't tell Katie the truth. It wasn't fair.
She had to do something to make sure she came through for her sister. I'm
sorry. I'm so, so sorry…
     
    ***
    "Dammit,
where is she?" Trace sat on the edge of the couch, well out of the reach
of his crutches. "She's been gone too long."
    "It's
Joan's day off. Give her a break. She probably wants to spend all her free time
away from you for a change. If you haven't noticed, you're not real fun to be
around when you can't work." Devon passed him a plate loaded with pizza
that Brody brought home on his way back from the reservation.
    "I'm
anxious to see her. I missed talking with her the last couple of days. I never
realized how a woman changes the atmosphere around this place." Devon
spoke around a mouthful, swallowed, and grinned. "I think I might even ask
if she wants to see a movie when she's done babysitting Trace."
    "Screw
you, Dev. And, that goes to both of you. You're not putting the moves on
Joan." Trace set his plate down and pointed across the room. "Bring
me the damn crutches. I'll look for her myself. Knowing her, she's lost out
there or ran into one of the bulls."
    "I
think he protests too much." Devon elbowed Brody. "Go look for her,
so Trace will calm down."
    Brody
smiled. "You don't have to ask me twice. I think I'll take Red Moon for a
ride. I kinda liked the way Joan held onto me last time I got her up on a
horse. Makes me feel like the warrior of my ancestors, bringing home the
redhead to be my—"
    "Screw
you, Brody." Trace struggled to get his foot under him. "Don't.
Touch. Her."
    Brody
left the room laughing and waved over his shoulder. "Don't wait up for
me."
    Trace
plopped back down on the couch, grabbed a pillow, and threw it across the room.
His good leg bounced in a steady rhythm with pent up frustration. He was
responsible for the way Joan had grown quieter the last twenty-four hours. He'd
become more inpatient and discouraged the longer it took him to get back to
normal. He had a million things to do, and he couldn't do it sitting on the
couch all day long. He'd slipped back to taking his frustrations out on Joan
for no other reason than she made him want something different in his life, and
it left him angry.
    A
vicious sense of possessiveness emerged in him and he fought to control
himself. Brody was more than a lifetime friend. He was his brother, closer than
anyone he allowed in his life. It'd been Brody, with his positive attitude,
that'd dragged him kicking and screaming back to living life after...he
couldn't think about that time.
    He
had no claim on Joan. He didn't even want her here, hovering over him, making
him do his exercises, and incorporating fun into his day. The fact that she
was, and she brought out these feelings in him, made him want to run away. Yet
he wanted her back home where it was safe, and he could make sure she was safe. Shit. I'm messed up.
    "I
talked to Joe down at the Lakota office. He wanted to know if you'd be able to
have the sale sheets finished in a week or if you wanted him to hire someone
else until you're back to working." Devon wiped his mouth with the napkin.
"I told him I'd talk to you, but I was pretty sure you'd be able to finish
in time. I haven't