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“Yes, we do. And I like you a lot,” he blurted, as if the confession embarrassed him. Bash dropped a kiss on her forehead, and his hand lingered on her backside as he guided her out the door.
“’Sup,” Cal said, answering the phone. The three of them were still riding a high from Sunday’s unexpected win. “I know, right? They even let me keep the ball.” Cal’s first touchdown catch of his professional career came early in the second half, and it had turned the tide in their favor. It helped that the offense held the line and Bash could complete more unhurried passes. “Is she okay?” Cal walked away from his dinner, a telling sign that something was very wrong. Bash and Lucas followed. “They discharged her?”
“Put it on speaker,” Lucas hissed.
Cal nodded and set the phone down before saying, “Mags, I’ve got you on speaker with Cal and Bash.”
“Hey, great game, guys. How’s your hand, Lucas?”
“It held. Who’s hurt? Barbara?” Lucas was in the habit of joining Cal at Thistlestone on their off days, helping Barbara with the animals and repairing the bee hives and equipment, leaving Bash free to review manuscripts in peace and quiet.
“No. Penny, and she’s fine, but she needs to stay off her feet for a few days.”
“What happened?” Bash asked, moving closer to the phone, and missing his roommate’s surprised expressions.
“Decorating accident.”
“People decorate using their hands, not their feet. What happened, Maggie?” Bash barked, and Lucas smacked his arm.
“She, um, picked up a cold and was on heavy cold medicine, and she lost her balance and fell.” Maggie rushed through the last part and Bash’s fists clenched.
“Did she fall off a ladder?” he asked. His hands gripped the counter as he tried to control his temper. This wasn’t Maggie’s fault.
Maggie’s heavy sigh filled the room. “I promised her I wouldn’t tell.”
“Your non-answer is all the answer I need. What happened when she fell?” Stubborn, stupid, woman.
“It all happened really fast, and I didn’t see—”
“You were there?” Lucas asked.
“It goes quicker with two.” She sounded defensive.
“Were you on a ladder, too?” Lucas asked, looking worried. Bash wasn’t the only ladder non-fan.
“The short one. Anyway, Penny was reaching off to the right and stretched too far. She fell and landed weird on her ankle, then knocked her head on a table before the ladder fell on her.”
“So, she sprained her ankle?” Cal asked, sounding unconcerned. Bash was furious. He’d told her to wait, and he’d help her. If she’d listened to him, she wouldn’t have hurt herself.
“Yes, and she’s got a goose egg on the back of her head and stitches near her hairline where the ladder cut her when it fell. Grandad took the ladder back to the ranch to smooth out the sharp edge.”
“When did this happen?” Bash asked.
“Sunday night.”
“And you didn’t tell us until now?”
“You guys had to work, and we got everything cleaned up and helped Elspeth today, but Cal, can you help at the store tomorrow? I know it’s your day off.”
“If this happened Sunday, she should be okay to work tomorrow,” Cal said, and Bash wanted to strangle him. His sister was hurting, and they needed his help.
“She has a cold and is on pain medication, and you know what that does to her.” Maggie spoke slowly, stressing each word as if giving him a clue. Buchanan code? But for what?
“Yeah, sorry. Forgot.” Cal said, understanding what Maggie hadn’t said. His shoulders slumped, and he sighed. “Can’t Nanna or mom?”
“Between cleaning up the blood and helping Elspeth, Nanna was here all day. Mom rescheduled appointments to help, but she’s booked tomorrow.”
“If Nanna was there all day today, she’ll need us at the ranch to play catch-up,” he argued.
