Earth and Sky

man!” Izzie shouted as she answered the phone. “Where the blasted hell are you?”

    “Hi, sis,” Hunter answered, surprisingly calm.

    “You better tell me you got laid last night.”

    Hunter chuckled as he realized she wasn’t angry with him. “I didn’t. The reason I left had to do with Grant, though.”

    “Everything all right, Hunter?” she asked.

    Hunter could hear the concern in her voice. “Yes and no. Grant had an accident last night. He’s in the hospital.”

    “Shit! What happened?”

    Hunter sighed. How much should he tell Izzie? He had to tell someone, and he did trust her. “He asked for time off again but still refused to tell me what he needed it for, and I guess I got jealous.” He winced at hearing himself say the words. “So I followed him, for six exhausting hours.”

    “Damn! And I know how he speeds around on that motorcycle of his. So what did you find out?”

    Hunter sighed. “Nothing much. Just that he takes long trips. He got whacked by a monster truck and ended up in a ditch with a cracked pelvis and ribs and a really bruised body.”

    “Awww, honey,” Izzie replied, concern in her words. “He’ll be all right, though, right?”

    “Yeah, doctors think he might be able to come home tomorrow or the day after.”

    Izzie chuckled. “Well, you’ve missed the pandemonium around here as well.”

    “Oh?” Hunter replied

    “I’ll tell you when you get back. And in the meantime I’ll hold the fort here. Oh, and take care of Grant, okay? We’re going to need him around here. Not to mention you’ll need him, right?”

    “Yeah, I do need him,” Hunter said.

    “So take care of him, get back when you can, and the ranch will still be here.”

    The line clicked off, and Hunter realized Izzie probably thought he and Grant had shacked up together somewhere, like they had the last time she’d covered for them. Then he shook his head, thinking Izzie would never believe he’d come up with such an elaborate lie.

    The mention of pandemonium around the house did make him worry. Izzie didn’t sound too upset about it, though, and Hunter knew that a house full of women meant hysteria was never far away anyway. All he could think was that Bernie had eloped, although she’d never shown any interest in boys her age and had only ever focused on riding her eventing horse. What else could cause trouble at the Blue River Ranch? He’d just have to curb his curiosity until Grant was healthy enough to travel back home.

    When Hunter returned to Grant’s room, Grant was not only awake but sitting up in the chair Hunter had slept in earlier. He didn’t look entirely comfortable, but the swelling in his face had gone down enough for him to open his eyes.

    “The nurse told me you went for a walk.”

    Hunter smiled. “You know me. Can’t stay cooped up inside for long before I get all antsy.”

    “They said that if I can sit up for a while without any trouble, they’ll transfer me to an ordinary room, and then maybe I can go home tomorrow.”

    Grant’s face was soft and inviting, and despite all the swelling, there was a clear smile playing around his lips. Hunter felt a curious flutter in his stomach and an overwhelming urge to pull Grant into his arms. He knew that would have to wait, though.

    “I’d love to take you home,” Hunter said instead.

    By the time Hunter was allowed to take Grant home with him, two more days had passed. Hunter had strapped what was left of Grant’s motorcycle on the back of his truck and had been in touch with Izzie to give her an estimate of when to expect them back and to ask her how everything was going at the ranch. She’d been as vague as the first day, telling him she’d bring him up to date once he returned. It only worried Hunter for a moment. His attention was fully focused on Grant, whose face had finally started to look familiar again. He’d been declared out of danger of complications and was allowed to go home, despite the fact he could barely walk and was clearly still in considerable pain. Of course, he tried his best to keep a brave face.

    “Stop fussing around me, okay?” Grant pleaded when Hunter tried to help him out of the obligatory wheelchair at the hospital exit. He sounded annoyed and his body language conveyed the same, but Hunter couldn’t help himself. He hated seeing how much effort everything took out of Grant and only wanted to make things a little bit easier for him. Of course, that