Dakota returned and tossed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt at him. She was in different clothes now too. He offered her a smile. “Thanks.”
“Will you need help?”
The look on her face left nothing to the imagination. She wanted nothing to do with being his nurse. She’d done enough, and if it took him two hours to put on a pair of pants, he’d do it. Shaking his head, he broke eye contact to stare into the fire. “I think I can manage.”
She nodded. Transferring her weight from one foot to the other, she pointed to the kitchen. “I’m going to make you something to eat. If you need help, let me know.”
When she was gone, Brady sighed. What a rollercoaster. Never in a million years did he think he’d be at the mercy of a girl like her. Not many women could resist his charms, but he enjoyed the challenge.
Glancing toward the kitchen, he grinned. He’d like to see her try to resist him when he really tried to win her over.
Cool air wafted across his chest, pulling his attention to the fact that he was practically naked. He tossed the blanket aside and using his one good arm, attempted to put his legs into the pants Dakota had brought him. He struggled with getting his bottoms on. He clenched his teeth and bit back a curse.
The smell of food drifted into the room, and he knew Dakota would be back soon. He placed his palm on the couch behind him and struggled to get to his feet. Finally, he was able to get the waistband over his hips, but after all that effort, he was out of breath.
So much for being in the best shape of his life. One night had ruined all of that. He sat on the couch and leaned back. Running a hand through his still damp hair, he closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. He just needed some rest.
Chapter Six
Dakota pressed her palms on the kitchen counter and squeezed her eyes shut. He was going to be okay. The horses were safe too. Things could have been a lot worse. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins had dissipated and now all she felt was pure and utter exhaustion. Her muscles ached, her head pounded, and she just wanted to go to sleep.
But Brady needed something to eat. He needed to start healing and he couldn’t do that in his current state.
Breathing in deeply, she pushed off the counter and moved to the fridge. Opening it, she frowned. Shouldn’t there be a lot of food in here? This fridge looked like it belonged in a bachelor pad. She considered poking her head back in the living room to see if Brady was aware his fridge was near empty but thought better of it. Of course he would know.
Grumbling, she went through some cupboards, coming across some cans of chicken noodle and tomato soup. She found the bread and cut some slices of cheese to make a sandwich, then found a pan.
While she grilled up the cheese sandwich, her thoughts returned to the man in the other room. He really didn’t seem to remember the first time they’d actually met. Of course he wouldn’t remember her. He’d hit on her friend that night. She got to see firsthand how he worked. The way he flirted was truly an artform. Her friend was a goner from the second Brady set his eyes on her.
Shaking her head, she flipped the sandwich. Dakota wouldn’t be like that. Brady wasn’t going to get to her no matter how amazing he looked without a shirt, no matter how sweet his compliments became.
She warmed up the soup and poured it into large mugs. Placing the food on the tray, she returned to the living room. Slowing her pace, she stopped a few feet from him. Brady appeared to have fallen asleep on the couch. He still didn’t have his shirt on. He looked so sweet and peaceful when he wasn’t awake and hitting on her.
The smell of the soup and sandwiches reminded her how much he needed to eat. “Brady?”
He didn’t move. Dakota put the tray down on a nearby coffee table and sat beside him. She pushed his shoulder. No response. Anxiety flooded her senses and she jumped up. Pressing her fingers to his throat, she felt for his pulse. It was weak, but there. His breathing was still irregular. He’d pushed himself too hard.
Dakota grabbed the water she’d brought him earlier and lifted it to his lips. Holding her hand under his chin, she attempted to get him to drink. He moaned again and his eyes fluttered open. He turned his head, the water spilling from the cup and down his chest. Brady sucked in a breath.
“That’s colder than I thought it would be.”
Dakota smiled. “Sorry!” She reached for the blanket on the floor and dried him off. “You really do need to drink something.”
Brady took the glass from her and sipped. “Thanks.”
“I brought your dinner too.” Dakota retrieved the tray. “Do you want chicken noodle or tomato?”
Brady made a face. “Soup? That’s not dinner.”
Dakota tucked a hair behind her ear. “Your kitchen leaves much to be desired, Brady. When was the last time you went grocery shopping?”
“There’s food in the kitchen?” Brady looked past her.
“That’s what the kitchen is for…”
“Yeah, I know.” He chuckled. “But Mary keeps most of the food for the ranch in the kitchen at the cafeteria. She keeps snacks there for me too.”
Dakota lifted a brow. “Are you saying you have someone cook for the whole ranch and for you?”
Brady shrugged. “Mary’s cooked for me since I was a teen. When my dad took over Hickory Hollow, she just kept doing it.”
She gave him a disbelieving stare.
“What? Doesn’t the Terry Hill cook do that?”
Dakota snorted. “No.” She picked up a sandwich and took a bite. After swallowing, she gave him a look. “The cook has better things to do than cater to a full staff of ranchers and the owners of the ranch. I hope you give her days off.”
Brady took another sip of water, the side of his face scrunching up in thought. “She always refuses to take time off.”
“Wow.” Dakota shook her head. “If I were you, I’d make sure she feels worshiped. That’s a lot of work and if she ever decided to quit, you’d have a challenging time replacing her.” She motioned to the food on the tray. “So, what soup do you want? If you don’t pick, I’m going to pick for you.”
Brady eyed the tray. “Chicken noodle, I guess.”
Dakota placed the tray on his lap and removed her sandwich and mug of soup. “Eat up.”
“You mean you aren’t going to feed me?”
Dakota’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious.”
He made a show of reaching for the spoon and dropping it back in the mug. “I can barely keep my hand steady. I’ll burn myself.”
He had to be faking, right? Dakota studied him. But then she recalled how weak he was when she came back into the room.
“Fine, I’ll help you with the soup, but I’m not feeding you the sandwich.”
Brady grinned as she took the mug of soup and dipped the spoon into the liquid. She held it up to his mouth and he took a sip, then swallowed. “Not bad.”
She rolled her eyes. “It came from a can.”
“Well, I bet no one heats a can of soup like you.” His warm brown eyes met hers with such sincerity. She had to remind herself to retrieve another spoonful for him.
She needed to get her head on straight. He was flirting, just like he had with Courtney. “Knock it off, Brady.”