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been in full working order, he wasn‟t going to.
    “You‟ll need to work harder,” Craig deadpanned, bringing Gable right back down to the ground. “Let‟s take the casting so we can make you a temporary prosthesis, and then we‟ll agree on a schedule for your exercises.”
    Gable nodded. He wasn‟t looking forward to this, but he wasn‟t the type to run away from the hard realities of life. At least not when he‟d finally decided he was going to give it his all.

    GABLE didn‟t return home until later that afternoon. He‟d taken Calley out to lunch to smooth their friendship over a bit and to get his mind off that morning. Having the casting made had been a major confrontation.
    Craig had examined the stump carefully and had made Gable look at it with him, instructing him what to look out for once he was wearing the prosthesis. He‟d cautioned him to not overdo it and check for small wounds around the amputation site to make sure he kept his leg in full working order. Although Craig was happy with the way everything had healed, for Gable it was hard to look at what was left of his lower leg.
    He‟d long since forgiven Flynn and Calley for agreeing to the operation, but that didn‟t mean it was any easier to be confronted with the result.
    Once he was home, he realized just how worn out he was. He knew he had to start on dinner, because Flynn would be coming home pretty tired as well, but right now he didn‟t have the energy, so he laid himself down on the daybed and soon dozed off.
    When some noise woke him up, it was getting dark outside, and he was wiping the sleep out of his eyes when Flynn walked in from the mudroom. He didn‟t look like he was in a good mood.
    “Everything okay?” Gable asked cautiously.
    “Yeah, fine,” Flynn answered flatly. “What‟s for dinner?” He didn‟t wait for an answer as he ran upstairs. Gable figured he was going 145

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    to take a shower, so he got up from the daybed and hobbled to the kitchen on his crutches.
    When Flynn came back downstairs, yesterday‟s leftover potatoes were frying in the pan and Gable was adding some vegetables and getting ready to throw a couple of eggs over it. “Omelets okay with you?” he asked Flynn, who nodded. “You better add the seasoning then,” Gable added, trying to be more lighthearted than Flynn looked.
    Flynn still didn‟t smile, but stood next to Gable at the stove.
    Gable looked at him while he was adding salt and pepper and a bit of cayenne, but Flynn was either ignoring him or his thoughts were miles away.
    “So how was it at Hunter‟s?”
    Flynn threw him a stern look.
    “Must have been nice to work on a big ranch again?” Gable asked, trying to get Flynn to loosen up.
    Flynn sighed and then turned toward Gable. “Why did you send me there?”
    Gable shook his head as if he had no idea what Flynn was getting at. Deep down, he was worried that Flynn was on to something, though.
    “They looked like they were surprised to see me. They had a hard time finding stuff for me to do, as if I was just some day laborer Hunter had picked up at a stoplight. We moved some horses, and I fixed a few bridles and mucked out some stalls. Happy?” Gable couldn‟t help feeling the anger in Flynn‟s words. Damn Hunter! Then again, he couldn‟t blame Hunter for this. He was going to have to make amends with Flynn.
    “I‟m sorry, I—”
    “Why did you need me to be away from the ranch, Gable?” Flynn interrupted him. “I‟m your partner, Gabe. At least I thought I was, after everything we‟ve been through. What‟s going on? Are you taking Grant back?”
    Gable was flabbergasted. “Wh-what are you talking about? What does Grant have to do with this?”

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    “Grant‟s working Hunter‟s ranch,” Flynn spat out. Gable could tell Flynn was slowly losing his cool, so he moved a little closer. “He‟s working this place too, although I haven‟t caught him in the act yet.
    Well, I had plenty of time to think while I was mucking out Hunter‟s stables and I figured that was why you wanted me gone. Grant‟s been here, hasn‟t he?”
    “Flynn?” Gable called after him, but Flynn had run outside by the time he reacted.
    “I haven‟t seen Grant since he left me, Flynn,” Gable said, standing in the doorway and looking at Flynn standing on the porch.
    Flynn‟s hair was still wet from his shower and it was cold outside.
    “Come inside to talk before you get sick again.” Flynn