“We’ll talk about that later,” Stevie said. “I fell through the floor, and I think I tore my leg on a nail. I didn’t check to see if it was rusty or not, but I’m on my way home. Can you meet me at the bunkhouse? It might need stitches, and I know I’ll need a tetanus shot.”

“Are you sure you can drive? Do you need me and Addy to come get you?” Cody sounded genuinely worried.

“I can make it home. I’ve got it wrapped in a towel to keep from getting blood on Mama’s car seat. See you in ten minutes or so,” she told him.

By the time she reached the bunkhouse, blood was seeping through the towel, but by keeping her leg turned just right, she avoided getting any on the seat. She opened the door and got out carefully, then limped toward the porch. Cody and Addy must have heard the car’s engine because they rushed out and helped her the rest of the way into the bunkhouse and onto a kitchen chair.

Cody already had his tools laid out on the table and dropped down on his knees in front of her to remove the towel. “Good grief, you really did a number on this. Addy, we’ll need to cut her jeans off her, and this boot is ruined.”

“These are Mia’s rubber boots…” Stevie said.

“And they’re the least of your worries. We buy these things by the dozens,” Addy said as she began to cut the jeans away. We’ve got to clean it out first, and then it’s going to need stitches. My guess is at least ten.”

“Fifteen or more if we want to keep them close enough together that she doesn’t have a bad scar,” Cody said. “These first shots are going to sting a little.”

“Ouch!” Stevie almost yelled. “That hurt.”

“But it will numb your leg up so that you won’t feel the stitches,” Cody said.

“I know,” Stevie said, “but I’m usually not the one on this end of the needle.”

“I can’t get at this thing from this position,” he said with a frown. “I’m going to pick you up and lay you on the table.”

Addy brought a pillow from the top bunk and had it ready to put under Stevie’s head when Cody scooped her up in his arms and laid her out on the kitchen table. “There, that’s much better. I swear, I can’t let you out of my sight for five minutes that you don’t hurt yourself, woman. The wound on your head hasn’t healed, and now you’ve torn up your leg.”

“Don’t call me woman,” she scolded.

“Okay, then love it is,” Cody teased as he started suturing up the gash.

“Not that either,” she told him.