not when Otis was beginning to bark in the backyard to come in and would be wondering why she was leaving him out there.
She shifted positions and only then did she realize what a fix she was in.
She couldn’t possibly lift herself from the ground in her current state—not when she couldn’t put her full weight on her left hip.
Shoot. What was she going to do? She didn’t want to call Olivia. Her daughter still seemed convinced Juliet needed someone here all day with her and this would provide fuel to her argument. Caitlin was in school. She couldn’t call her. Maybe one of Juliet’s friends could come by. Or she could call Cooper and have him send one of his cute firefighter friends over.
She reached inside the pocket of her sweater for her phone and had the horrifying, sickening realization that she must have left it beside the recliner earlier, when she got up to put the dog out. Now what? If she couldn’t call for help, she simply would have to get up on her own. She could not spend the afternoon here, with pain still throbbing through her.
She was trying to twist herself into a position so that she could use the chair behind her for leverage when she heard a vehicle pull up. An instant later, Henry was racing toward the porch, a horrible look of fear on his features.
“Juliet! Good Lord. What are you doing? What happened?”
Though it had only been maybe five minutes since she fell, it felt like forever. She sighed, mortified that, of all the people in town who might have driven by and seen her predicament, Henry had to be the one who came to her rescue.
“Don’t make any jokes, but I really did fall and couldn’t get back up.”
“I’m afraid to move you. Should I call the paramedics? Did you hurt anything?”
“Only my pride. Who knew I had any left? I didn’t have my phone to call for help and was just trying to figure out how to get back up on my own when you pulled up. I just need a helping hand.”
In answer, he reached down and lifted her effortlessly, pushed open the door and carried her inside.
“Bed or chair?”
“Wheelchair. It’s in the kitchen. Thank you. But you don’t have to carry me. I can walk.”
Kind of.
“Be quiet,” he ordered, and carried her through the house to the wheelchair, where he lowered her down with a tenderness that made her throat ache.
“How long were you on the floor?”
“Not long. Maybe five minutes. I got yelled at by the physical therapist today for not pushing myself hard enough, so I decided to go a little farther on the crutches.”
“Why isn’t someone here with you?”
“I don’t need a babysitter. For the most part, I’m able to get around. I can get in and out of my chair, the bed, the bathroom and can go into the kitchen for something to eat. Olivia checks on me during the day and usually sends someone from the garden center over, too. I knew if I waited out there long enough, someone would come.”
She just hadn’t expected it to be Henry.
What would she do if her condition worsened and she needed more consistent care? It was a worry that kept her up at night. This hip injury had only reinforced it.
She was a lousy patient and had a feeling she would only get worse.
“You don’t have to tell me. I should be more careful about keeping my cell phone on me at all times so I can call the garden center if something happens.”
“Good thing I was passing by and happened to see you up there—though I think I lost ten years of my life.”
Too bad he hadn’t. Then he would be two years older than she was and one more obstacle between them would be gone.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said gruffly.
“Would you mind letting the dog back in?”
“Sure.”
He went to the back door and opened it for Otis, who rushed inside and immediately jumped into her lap, as if to reassure himself that she was all right.
Henry followed more slowly. “Since I’m here, I’ve got a truck full of shrubs and plants ready to go in at Hidden Creek. I bought them yesterday and I’m heading down today. Do you want to see what we’re planting?”
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “I would love to. I think I’ll have to use the wheelchair, though.”
She started to wheel through the house, but Henry quickly took over, helping