The Cowboy's Healing Ways (Cooper Creek) by Brenda Minton Page B

out of bulldozing it down and instead they turned it into a community center.”
    They rode a little farther before she asked, “Why is his last name Hightree, not Cooper?”
    Jesse glanced her way, smiling a little. “You ask a lot of questions.”
    “I’m sorry—that’s probably personal.”
    “It is, a little, but everyone knows the story. He’s a Cooper, but he isn’t Angie’s son.”
    “Oh.” Laura didn’t have all of the pieces but she got it. All families had stories.
    The horses picked up the pace, breaking into a bone-jarring trot. Jesse pulled back on his reins and rode next to her.
    “Ease him back a little and try to get in rhythm with the gait. He’ll smooth out a little when you get him settled into the right pace.”
    “Promise?” She managed a smile through clenched teeth and eased back on the reins the way Jesse had taught her when they first took off. And he was right.
    “See?” Jesse grinned and pushed back his hat a little. She had pushed hers down tight to keep it on her curls and to keep it from flying off in the breezy weather.
    “You love being right, don’t you?”
    “I do.” He eased the horse back to a walk. “But I can admit when I’m wrong.”
    Her heart tugged her in his direction but she pushed back, unwilling to let herself take a chance on being hurt. She worked for Jesse Alvarez Cooper, she reminded her heart. She couldn’t possibly fall in love with him. And she wouldn’t let his kindness fool her into thinking she meant more to him than someone he wanted to help.
    In a few short months he would leave for South America and she’d be the person taking care of his home while he was away.
    End of story.
    They rode into the yard of the community center and the door opened. The man standing on the porch of the building smiled big and waved.
    “Hey, you’re just the person I needed to see.” He walked down off the porch, taking the steps two at a time.
    Jesse rode a little closer, his black horse pawing at the ground restlessly when he pulled back on the reins. “What’s up?”
    “We have a few sick kids. Beth noticed it earlier and took the baby home to keep her from catching it.” The man she guessed to be Jeremy Hightree tipped his hat in Laura’s direction. “You must be Laura.”
    She wished for a cool breeze to ease the heat from her cheeks, but it didn’t happen. “I am.”
    “Good to meet you. I’m Jeremy Hightree.”
    “Good to meet you, too.” Her horse moved forward, stopping next to Jesse’s.
    “So what’s up with the kids?” Jesse took the conversation back to where it had been left.
    “A couple of them have a pretty bad cough. One of them loses his breath every time it hits.”
    “Where are they now and where are their parents?” Jesse swung his right leg over the back of his horse and landed easily on the ground. He reached for Laura’s horse and she attempted to do the same but when she came down, her left foot was still in the stirrup. Jeremy rushed to her rescue and held her shoulders as she pulled her foot free.
    “Pull your foot out before you swing your other leg over. You wouldn’t want a spooked horse with your foot caught like that or you’ll go on a ride you weren’t expecting.”
    “Thank you.” She stood next to the horse and waited for her legs to feel like muscles and bone again, not the jelly that they seemed to be made of.
    “The parents don’t have any money, Jesse.” Jeremy had moved back to the front of her horse. “I called and told them the kids need to see a doctor. But they’re strapped.”
    Jesse handed his reins and then the reins of Laura’s horse to Jeremy. “If you want to put these horses in stalls, I’ll take a look at the kids. But I’ll need for you to call their parents and have them come down here.”
    “Sounds great. There’s a room downstairs that has plenty of light. I’ll get on the phone with the mom.”
    Jesse led Laura into the church and to a door that led to the basement.