Page 21 of Her Wild Cowboy Billionaire

“It would. I would keep this safe. I’ll leave it in the holder, so it’s harder to lose.” Dan handed her the chip.

She wrapped her right hand around it, holding it tight so the chip didn’t fall out.

Standing behind Willow, Travis placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Dan, I’d like for you to set those phones up now. No sense in putting it off, and it won’t hurt Mindy to learn to carry one.”

Willow turned and looked up at him. “You’re right. She should get used to it. I just hope she doesn’t lose it.”

Travis shrugged. “I bet she’s a pretty level-headed kid. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Willow felt at a loss. She nodded. “She’s very smart and once she knows the phone is for her safety and not a toy, she’ll take good care of it.”

Her back went up a little when Travis sounded like he was making decisions for her, but she had to admit she would have done the same things. So she let it go. This time. But she wouldn’t allow him to interfere with her raising of her daughter.

A little over three weeks later, the time had come for Travis to get his casts off and for Willow’s important work to begin...physical therapy. She was on her way downstairs to the kitchen and an antiacid. Just the thought of the helicopter ride had her stomach revolting.

Hopefully, Travis would be as eager to return to normal as she was to leave and would put in the work needed to recover. Though, why she wanted to leave when she was safer here than anywhere gave her pause. But she needed to put distance between them because she’d only known one other man like him. One who was kind, gentle and treated everyone with the same respect he expected from them. And goodness, if he didn’t get that respect, he let them know about it. Alex was like that.

And she was afraid she was falling in love with Travis and wasn’t prepared for that to happen. What if it didn’t work out? How would that affect Mindy? She already loved Travis, and it would kill her if Willow and Travis couldn’t make it work. Better not to try. Right? Why did she feel like she was making the wrong decision for the wrong reasons? Was she already trying to sabotage any sort of relationship they might have?

They’d had no more late-night talks. She avoided him, unless Mindy was around. Her daughter adored Travis and loved being with him, and Willow couldn’t say no. He was good to Mindy. He seemed to enjoy having her around as much as she did him.

And for all Travis’s protesting that he wasn’t the marrying type or the family kind, he treated Mindy better than any man Willow had ever met. Although she knew Alex would have been a great father, too. Regardless of Travis’s protests...he liked kids.

Willow rode in the helicopter with Travis when he went to the doctor to have the casts removed. Mindy stayed with Claudia on the ranch, though she fiercely protested.

In the helicopter, Willow’s heart pounded so hard she thought it would explode out of her chest. And she kept her eyes closed for most of the ride, squeezing them shut tight when they landed.

Travis almost had to pry her hands from the safety belt she’d clutched the entire flight.

Jason, the pilot, drove them to the doctor’s office and back to the helo.

At the doctor’s office, she watched the casts come off and then examined the ankle.

“What do you think, Doctor? Can he start physical therapy right away?” She touched the ankle and then squeezed it a little while looking at Travis for signs of pain. “Does that hurt at all?”

Travis shook his head. “Is it supposed to?”

Then she held his foot and his leg and slowly bent the foot toward his leg, stretching the tendons. “How about now?”

Again, he shook his head. “That doesn’t hurt either.”

Last, she bent the foot down with the toes pointed like a ballet dancer. “What about now? Any pain?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t feel good. I know it will take a while, but I don’t like that. I still have pain.”

She stopped testing his responses. “Okay, now I know what to work on. Did I miss anything, Doctor?”

“No. His ankle will be the hardest to rehabilitate. His wrist will be easier, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy.” He turned toward Travis. “You’ll have to put in the work, just like getting ready for a rodeo.”

Travis sighed. “I hear you, Doc, and I’ll do it. If there is one thing I want more than anything, it’s getting back to the rodeo.” I need to keep up the pretense. I don’t want anyone to know that I’m afraid to go back.

The doctor grimaced. “I’ll be honest. You won’t be going back for this season and even next season might be too soon for your ribs. You’ll just have to play it by ear and see how you’ve healed. But if you push it, you’re liable to have a relapse, so listen to Willow.”

“I will, Doc. Thanks.

They left the office and headed back to the helo and another tortuous ride for Willow. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to flying back and forth to town. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to go except to go to the doctor with Travis. She preferred to get the information straight from the doctor and not second hand.

When they arrived back at the ranch, Travis had to use crutches because his ankle wouldn’t bend correctly yet, so he couldn’t wear his cowboy boots. He needed to do intensive exercises. First, though, he needed to take a bath and scrub off the dead skin from being in the casts. Both his ankle and wrist needed it, but he could do it on his own.