“Good Lord, no. He is too gorgeous to be a brother.” Scott’s mom exclaimed

  “I would agree with that.” Lindsay said with a big smile “About two months ago, Nick was injured while he was breaking a horse. In the helicopter on the way to the hospital he said some things that upset me and I tried to leave home and did for about a month. When I got back we had a huge fight and then discovered our feelings for each other and now here we are. That was only the week before I was attacked.”

  “Wow, that is a love story.”

  Lindsay smiled and agreed. The kids, Nick and their fathers came back to the ladies. “Lindsay, Nick is ready to take us for a ride come on.” Scott said as he grabbed her hand.

  “Ok, let’s go.” She moved with him and walked along with Nick.

  “Katie is going to go first with him since she is his girlfriend.” Scott proclaimed as they reached the corral. Nick moved to mount the horse and then Larry picked up Katie and sat her in front of Nick.

  “Ready?” Nick asked Katie

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll hold onto you and the reins. You hold onto this pommel.” He said patting the part of the saddle. He directed the horse into a slow walk and they moved away from the crowd. The families were taking pictures and enjoying seeing their kids so happy after such a long battle with cancer.

  Lindsay was crying, Katie’s mom was crying and so was Scott’s “This is so wonderful. I am so thankful to him for this. They have been through so much and now to be riding a horse with him. I was so scared for months that they wouldn’t get well and now look at them.” Scott’s dad wrapped her in a hug.

  Nick kept up a running conversation with his new girlfriend as they rode around the corral. She was excited and talked more than he had ever heard. Katie relaxed against him and trusted him to keep her safe. One time as they passed Lindsay, Nick winked at her and she mouthed “I love you” to him.

  Scott called out that it was his turn so Nick returned to them and Larry lifted Katie down. Then he picked up Scott and his turn started. Scott kept trying to get Nick to go faster but Nick just kept them at a walk.

  Nick returned to their spectators and Larry lifted Scott down. Then as Nick dismounted, two of Larry’s ranch hands opened the corral and brought in two small ponies. Larry picked up Scott and placed him on one while Nick picked up Katie and placed her on the other. The kids were directed how to hold the reins and where to put their feet in the saddle. Nick and Larry put a rope on to the bits of the horses and led them around the corral.

  Again, Scott tried to get Larry to go faster but wasn’t successful. “Ah, man. I want to run.”

  “Sorry, buddy” Nick answered “Not today.”

  After a few minutes, the ponies were led back to the parents and the kids dismounted. Everyone moved back outside the corral and Scott rushed to his dad. “Did you see us? That was so cool.” He said and then rushed back to Nick and Katie. “Can we look more at the horses?”

  “Take your moms and show them your favorite horses and the babies and I will catch up to you.” Nick said

  “Ok, come on mom.” Scott said grabbing his mother’s hand. The kids and their parents left to walk to the horses.

  “How are you feeling, Lindsay?” Nick asked

  “Good.” She hugged him as best she could “You are you wonderful with them. You are going to make a great father.”

  “You will be a fabulous mother. They adore you.”

  “And you.” She emphasized

  They walked slowly to catch up the Jones and the Dowd’s. Larry and his hands were letting the kids feed the horses and they were having a ball. The kids were shown how to brush the horses and how to take care of them.

  “Lindsay, I like this one best don’t you?” asked Scott as he showed her his favorite.

  “He is a great horse.” Lindsay replied

  “Look at my favorite, Lindsay.” exclaimed Katie

  “She is beautiful too.” Lindsay replied to Katie

  The kid’s energy level was starting to wane and Scott’s mom gave Nick the pre-arranged signal. “Ok, Scott and Katie, we are going to let the horses rest now and go rest some ourselves. I’m tired and hungry.”

  Larry led the whole group up to the area in back of his house. The families were introduced to each other and the kids were settled in some chairs while the adults talked. Larry’s family had fixed a scrumptious barbeque and everyone ate until they couldn’t move. Nick sat in a huge chair with Katie and Scott after they had eaten. He got them to talk quietly and then finally got them to rest.

  “He is fabulous with them. He is a keeper.” Katie’s mom whispered to Lindsay.

  “I plan to keep him. He is going to be a great father.”

  “Absolutely. He barely knows these kids and look how he takes care of them. He adores them and they adore him.”

  “He hopes to keep in touch with them when we go home if you all agree.”

  “That would be wonderful. He has our phone numbers and we will exchange email addresses so they can write each other.”

  Nick let the kids sleep for about an hour as was prearranged by the parents also. Then he took them back to the barn and rode again with each of them. As he finished with each, Larry handed him a huge sack. “Scott and Katie you are now an official cowboy and cowgirl.” Nick said as he pulled out cowboy hats and boots that he had purchased for them.

  Scott exchanged another “high five” with Nick and Katie hugged him. “We look like you now.” She said putting her hat on. “See”

  The parents took more pictures of their kids dressed up and standing next to Nick then it was time to head home.

  “Nick, you have made this so special for us.” Scott’s mom said as she hugged him. “We can’t thank you enough for this.”

  “It was my pleasure.” Nick responded “They are wonderful kids. I had as much fun as they did.” He knelt down and was mobbed by Katie and Scott. “Bye Nick.”

  “Bye guys. I will talk to you soon.”

  As the limousine drove away, Nick turned to Larry. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

  “It was our pleasure. They are great kids. Tell their parents to call us when the kids are stronger and they can come again anytime.”

  “I will. They will be so excited.”

  Lindsay extended her hand to Larry. “If you ever need anything, call us. This outing was very special for us.”

  “I hope you get well fast Lindsay. I am glad you got to come.”

  “Me too. It was amazing to watch.” She said as she got into their limousine. Nick shook Larry’s hand and said his thanks again and joined her.

  As they drove away, Lindsay was capturing Nick’s hand in hers. “I love you. You are the most special man I have ever known.” She kissed his hand “And when we get to the hotel I am going to give you a real kiss but right now, I can’t lean that far.”

  “I had a great time. They are such great kids.”

  “And you were great with them. You planned it perfectly and let them rest also. Their mother’s said you were a keeper.”

  “A keeper?”

  “Yep, I told them I was keeping you.”

  Nick laughed “Then I am keeping you too.”

  “I love being kept.”

  “Me too.” He said as he kissed her cheek. “How are you feeling? Was this too much for you?”

  “I am tired but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I had a great time watching you with them.”

  “And I had a great time watching you. You are stunning.”

  “Bruises and all?”

  “What bruises? I see my Lindsay.”

  “You are a charmer.” She smiled shyly

  “I am telling the truth. Now lie down and rest.”

  “Yes, sir” she saluted

  “Brat” he said back at her

  They had been back at the hotel about an hour when Lindsay
’s cell phone rang. The display showed that Sarah was calling.

  “Hi Sarah”

  “Did they have fun?”

  “It was so wonderful. Nick was so good with them. They barely left his side.”

  “He is a keeper.”

  “And I plan to do just that.” Lindsay replied winking at Nick

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired but getting stronger.”

  “Good, we hope to see you soon. We miss you all.”

  “Us too.”

  The girls talked for a few more minutes then said their goodbyes. Lindsay said she needed a shower so Nick followed after her. She was getting better at moving around but she still couldn’t bend over. Nick didn’t seem to mind helping her.

  Nick was finishing helping her “I will miss this when you can do it by yourself.” He said as he hung up the towel. “I get to see all of this gorgeous body and look to my heart’s delight. But then, I will have to be satisfied with less.”

  “Won’t you be tired of taking care of me and ready to get back to work?”

  “No way. Working versus seeing you naked, no contest.” He teased her as he helped her into bed. “Naked wins every time!” he kissed her and then went to take his own shower. “I’ll be right back.”

  A few days before Nick and Lindsay were going to fly back to Arizona; Nick called and invited the Dowd’s and the Jones’ to come to the hotel for dinner. “We want to see you all again before we leave.”

  Lindsay was getting dressed with Nick’s help when they arrived. “Hi Katie, how’s my best girl?” Nick said as he hugged her. “Hey dude, how are you cowboy? He said with a “high five” to Scott. Both kids were dressed in their boots and cowboy hats. Nick directed everyone across the hall to the private dining room. Lindsay arrived a few minutes later and was gently surrounded by the kids. “We missed you guys.” She said with a hug for each of them.

  “We missed you too.” They said back to her

  “Lindsay, this is quite a hotel. How did you get a special suite, limo rides and this private dining room?” Deena asked

  “Well” Lindsay stammered and blushed “my family owns the hotel so I can pretty much get what I want around here.”

  “You own this hotel?” Deena asked astonished. “Wow, I am impressed. It is a lovely hotel.”

  “Thanks. My brother Dalton is responsible for our hotels and restaurants. His motto is “He loves to live like a king so everyone should too.” He makes sure his guest staff follows that principle or they don’t work for him.”

  “What a great philosophy?” Scott’s mother commented absently.

  The guest staff arrived with their meals and they all had a great time. “How did the kids handled all the excitement? They didn’t have any setbacks did they?” Nick asked

  “No, they are fine.” Katie’s dad answered. “Katie has been talking about her Nick and wearing her outfit all day every day.”

  “Scott too.” His dad answered. “He called his grandpa and grandma as soon as we got home the other day. It was “Nick did and Nick said” the whole conversation. When I got on the phone, my mother was crying she was so happy to hear a healthy little boy.”

  Lindsay had tears running down her face as he finished his story. “Lindsay, don’t do that, we will all cry if someone starts.” scolded Katie’s mother. “It is a rule, no one cries alone in our presence. And I am just too happy to cry.”

  Lindsay laughed and dried her tears. “I am so glad for you all. Can I ask how long they have been battling with cancer?”

  “Three years for Scott.” His mother replied solemnly “This is the second time through treatment. But he is healthier this time as he finished.”

  “Two years for Katie. But like Scott, she is healthier this time than last.”

  “You are the most amazing parents I have ever met. You have dealt with so much in their short lives. I admire you all greatly. They are so lucky to have you.”

  “Thank you. But we are the lucky ones, they are terrific kids. And they are the lucky ones to have picked Nick up.”

  “That was a great day for me too.” He replied around the lump in his throat. “I have never been bribed for a ride on a horse before.” And everyone laughed.

  “Tell us more about your family, Lindsay.” Scott’s dad asked

  “Well, you met pretty much everyone. David is a champion horse breeder and Nick is his assistant. My brother Dalton is the head of Matthews International and my sister-in-law Sarah is the president of the HQ Service Foundation.”

  “What is that?” he asked again

  “Several years ago before she was my sister-in-law, she got sick. She has a chronic illness that affects her balance basically. Her body collects too much fluid in her inner ear and it can throw her into a spinning sensation or make her lose her balance. So as a result, she was inspired to start this foundation to service others in the country with a chronic illness. They help others find the right services to meet their needs. It is multi-functional and very successful.”

  “That is a wonderful idea. She is special.”

  “Yes, she is.” Lindsay agreed and Nick nodded too

  “And your family, Nick?”

  “My father is the head wrangler at her ranch, my mother is the general in charge of everyone, my brother Travis is a computer/electronics genius and works at Matthews International and my other brother Colin is a veterinarian.”

  “Underachievers I see?” Scott’s father commented sarcastically.

  “Yep, every last one of us.” Nick responded just as sarcastic. And everyone laughed again. “If you met my Mama, you would understand. She is the most special person and she drives you to be your best in all things.”

  “What a legacy she has” Katie’s mom said “Every mom wants to be known like that by her kids.”

  “His mother is wonderful. After our parents died and probably before, she just treated us all as her kids. I have had two of the best mothers ever.” Lindsay said as she clasped Nick’s hand.

  The four adults continued to talk as the kids played or watched the TV Nick had had the staff bring up. He would play with them for a while and then go back to the grown- ups. Soon they both climbed on his lap and fell asleep against him. Lindsay smiled at him. “I think you have some friends for life.”

  “I hope so.” He whispered.

  “We better get them home.” the parents commented. Each dad came and gently picked up their child. The mother’s hugged Nick and Lindsay and said their goodbyes. “Have a safe trip home.” They said as Nick and Lindsay walked them to the elevator. “Thank you for everything.”

  “It was our pleasure.” Lindsay said with tears in her eyes. “We will call you often.”

  “Please do. Email works too.”

  “Send us the pictures from their ride.”

  The elevator arrived and they all climbed on board and left. Nick and Lindsay walked back to their room and got ready for bed.

  “I’m so sorry you got hurt here, but I am not sorry to have met those families and those adorable kids.”

  “Me either. You are so wonderful with them.”

  “They captured my heart with the first request to ride my horse.”

  “You are a pushover for anyone who wants to ride your horse. You think he is the greatest thing going.”

  “Do you want to ride my horse?” Nick asked “I might let you, but I get to ride at the same time.”

  “Someday I will take you up on that.” She said as they snuggled in bed and went to sleep. “I love you.”

  “I love you my Lindsay”

  The day arrived for Lindsay and Nick to go back to Arizona. The doctor had checked her over thoroughly and said her lungs had healed. Her ribs were better but not completely mended. “No riding for a least a while yet. Even when the pain goes away, at least another month; you’ll thank me for making you wait.”

  “Yes, sir. She
will wait. I promise we have followed your instructions to the letter so far and look how good she is doing.”

  “You did take good care of her.” The doctor said shaking their hands goodbye. “If you still have questions, just call me.”

  “Thank you for making me better.” Lindsay said as they left.

  Nick had them all packed and was bringing the suitcases to the door when there was a knock on the door. Lindsay opened and heard Dalton say “Did someone call for a plane to Arizona?”

  “Dalton! What are you doing here?” Lindsay exclaimed as she moved to hug him. He returned her hug gently “I wanted to fly with you, so I came to get you and the big bum Nick.” He said shaking Nick’s hand. “Are you ready to go home?”

  “Yes, we are” Lindsay replied and Nick nodded. “I want to see my mama and eat her cooking.”

  “Well, you won’t have long to wait. She sent some food on the plane in case you were hungry. Of course, no one is ever this hungry. The plane had to take on extra fuel just to accommodate the weight.” Dalton said in exasperation. “She has been cooking for days. Everything you could think of as your favorite food is waiting for you.”

  “Let’s go, I’m starved already.” Nick said grabbing Lindsay’s hand as the bell staff retrieved their luggage. Lindsay laughed and followed her man.

  Gabby was pacing the kitchen when David came in to shower and change. “Why aren’t they here yet? Is the plane having trouble?”

  “Relax, Dalton just called and they are less than thirty minutes out. Everyone is fine.” He said teasing her “She will be here shortly for you to spoil.”

  “It’s about time. I should have been with her all this time helping her. She needed me.”

  David took hold of her shoulders to stop her pacing. “We have discussed this every day since Lindsay was injured. Nick was taking good care of her and if they needed help they would have called. You taught him well and he did a fine job so I am told. You can take care of her now that she is home.”

  “Yes, but..”

  “I am not discussing this anymore. I am going to shower. Just watch for Nathan to be bringing them shortly, I promise.” He said walking away.

  Sarah came in the door a few minutes later, “they just landed and they will be here in a minute. Nathan is bringing Lindsay while Nick and Dalton get the luggage and Dalton’s car.”

  Just as she finished speaking the front door opened and Lindsay came in, “I’m home.” She called. Gabby and Sarah rushed to greet her. Gabby cried “I missed you. Are you okay?”