Read Online The Rough and Ready Rancher by Kathie DeNosky - Free Book Online

bring him around so we can get some water into him.”
    Jenna knelt so her body shielded the man’s scorched face from the blazing sun. “Come on, Jim.” She bathed his parched skin with the cloth. “You’ve got to wake up.”
    She watched Flint retrieve the saddlebags from his horse, then open Jim’s shirt to run his hands along the cowboy’s torso. “I’d say from that bruise on his side, he might have a couple of cracked ribs.” His face grim, Flint nodded at the odd angle of Jim’s lower leg. “And his leg’s broken just below the knee.”
    When Flint used his pocket knife to cut Jim’s jeans and peeled back the fabric, he muttered a succinct curse. The sight of the twisted leg caused Jenna to turn away and swallow against the bile rising in her throat.
    â€œYou going to be all right?” Flint asked.
    â€œYes.”
    She turned back to face him, and her expression told Flint she was relying on pure grit to do what had to be done. “Good, because the swelling around his boot is cutting off the circulation to his foot. I’m going to need you to hold his leg steady while I try to get it off. Think you can do it?”
    Her face pale, Jenna’s resolute gaze locked with his. “Yes.”
    The sparkle of determination in the clear, gray depths of her eyes, the squaring of her slender shoulders, convinced Flint that Jenna was a pressure player. She wouldn’t turntail and run, no matter how unpleasant the situation became. Even if she had to rely on sheer raw nerve, she’d see the job through to the end.
    Unbidden, Whiskers’s sage words whispered through his mind. When the chips are down, she’d be right there givin’ all she had and wouldn’t give up until she couldn’t go no more.
    On impulse, Flint reached out, placed his hand at the nape of her neck and pulled her forward for a quick, hard kiss. “Hang in there, darlin’. You’re doing just fine.”
    His lips, pressed even briefly to hers, sent a shockwave straight to the pit of his belly. He’d only meant it as a gesture of encouragement, but his body wanted to argue the point.
    â€œReady?” Flint asked, determined to ignore the tightening in his groin.
    He watched Jenna clamp her lips together, then reach down to steady Jim’s leg. He could tell this was hard for her, but she wouldn’t give up. He admired that kind of grit.
    Flint split the side seam on the boot’s shaft. “Hold him tight, while I try to ease this off.”
    Regaining consciousness, Jim groaned. “Hurts…like hell.”
    â€œJust a little bit more, partner.” To help distract the man from his obvious pain, Flint asked, “What happened?”
    â€œComing back from the gorge…I caught sight of a coyote dragging a calf hide.” Jim’s breath caught as Flint worked to free the swollen foot. When the pain eased a bit, Jim continued, “Like a damned fool, I dallied the reins around the saddle horn, pulled my rifle and gave chase. I never figured on running across a buzzy-tail, though. One whiff of that rattlesnake and old Red went berserk. He piled me in two jumps, then kicked me in the ribs for good measure.”
    Flint worked to free Jim’s foot. “Did you get the coyote?”
    â€œHell, no!” Jim chuckled feebly. “That old prairie wolf turned around pretty as you please and watched the rodeo. Then I swear it sounded like he had a good laugh as he trotted off.”
    â€œHe probably did. I imagine you and Red put on quite a show.” The foot finally pulled free of the boot, and Flint blew out a relieved breath. He handed Jenna his canteen. “Here, try to get some water into him.”
    When she placed the canteen to Jim’s cracked lips, he took a sip, then gazed up at her. “Damned nice to wake up lookin’ into the face of an angel.” Paling, his lopsided grin suddenly turned