Authors: Marla Monroe
“I’m getting hungry. Better start dinner. Want to keep me company while I cook?” she asked.
“As long as I get to taste test.”
She heaved out a big sigh and shook her head. “You’re always hungry. Of course you can test the food. Just leave some for your brother. He’s going to be hungry when he gets in.”
She walked into the kitchen and looked over at the wood they had nailed up over the broken window. It sent shivers down her spine thinking about it. It was a solemn reminder of the wolf attack. She would be glad when they fixed it.
“Don’t worry, baby. We’re going to go to Sky Line and get a new window as soon as we take care of the wolf situation.”
“I know. I just hate seeing it. Now, what shall I cook tonight?”
Chapter Sixteen
Everyone gathered at Brice, Garrett, and Ronnie’s house on the afternoon agreed upon. Brice and Jonathan were staying behind to guard the women. The rest of the men were going hunting. Leigh chewed her nail at the thought of Joel out in the woods with a bunch of wild wolves.
“Leigh, baby. It will be fine,” Jonathan said, wrapping his arms around her.
“I can’t help but worry. They’re vicious animals. Why aren’t they scared of man anymore?”
Joel walked up and kissed her on the nose. “Because there are so few of us out here now. They’ve bred and had free run of the place. Now we’re moving back in and they’re threatened.”
“Please promise me you’ll be careful, Joel,” Leigh begged.
Joel pulled her out of Jonathan’s arms and hugged her.
“I’ll be careful, baby. We all will.” He let her go and looked up at Jonathan. “Take good care of her, brother.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
The men all gathered together to go over their plans one last time. They shook hands all around before filing out the door. Brice locked the door behind them, and he and Jonathan herded the women to the kitchen and down the cellar stairs. It was arranged with thick blankets on the floor and blankets for them to wrap up in, as well as lanterns for light, food, and water.
“It’s a mini home away from home,” Leigh pointed out.
Ronnie laughed and huddled under a blanket. “I just wish we had a fireplace down here.”
“I’ll talk to Garrett about that, honey.” Brice sat down next to her and hugged her close.
Jonathan picked Leigh up and settled her on his lap on the floor. He wrapped the blanket around her, and then his arms.
“Heather, move over here between us so we can help keep you warm,” Jonathan said.
Heather hesitated then slid between Leigh and Ronnie, and Jessie. Brice wrapped the blanket around her and secured it.
“How’s that, Heather?” he asked.
“Good, thanks.”
“You’re married to Brandon and Bolton, right?” Brice asked.
“Um, yeah.”
“How far along are you?” Ronnie asked.
She blushed. “I’m six months.”
“I’m only a few weeks, I think.” Ronnie grinned at Heather.
Both women smiled at Leigh.
“Hey, don’t look at me. I’m not pregnant.”
“Yet,” Ronnie said with an even wider grin.
“Let’s not tempt fate here, Ronnie,” Jonathan said with a smile. “We’ve got to get past this wolf problem and get you two delivered before anyone else turns up that way.”
“How are Brandon and Bolton handling it?” Ronnie asked.
“They’re driving me crazy. I can’t do anything without one of them stopping me.”
Ronnie looked over at Garrett with a smirk. “Yeah, I know what you mean. They think that
everything
will be bad for the baby.”
Leigh smiled. She had a feeling that with the way Ronnie had said everything that she was referring to sex. The men must be worried it would hurt the baby. She sure hoped if she got pregnant she wouldn’t have that problem with her men.
She suddenly realized that she could remember her love for them now. It had all come back. They loved her and she loved them. Everything would be okay now. She grinned wide enough that Jonathan noticed when he looked over her shoulder.
“What are you grinning about?”
“I’ll tell you later,” she said, and leaned back into his arms.
They all settled down to wait. Heather and Ronnie both ended up going to sleep after a while. Leigh just couldn’t get settled enough to. She managed to finally get comfortable and warm, but remained awake worrying about the men. She didn’t want any of them to get hurt, but especially not Joel. He was hers.
After what seemed like all night long, the men returned in a cacophony of voices and noise. Everyone jumped to their feet and raced for the steps leading up to the kitchen. Brice and Jonathan managed to get between the women and the door.
“Hold up, ladies. Let us be sure what is going on first.” Brice lifted the board blocking the doors from opening and pushed open the door. Garrett met him at the doorway.
“We’ve got two wounded. They’ll be okay. If you can keep the women down there until we clean them up…”
“Not a chance,” Leigh said, bounding up the stairs. “You let me out. Jonathan! I want out right now.”
Jonathan wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Joel!” she yelled through the men trying to hold her back.
“Better let her out, guys. She’s going to hurt herself if you don’t.” Jonathan held her close to him as they walked through the door.
Joel lay on the kitchen table covered in blood. Leigh immediately broke free of Jonathan’s arms and went to him. Someone had removed his shirt already. There was blood all over his chest and abdomen.
“Joel? Can you hear me? Oh, God. We’ve got to stop the bleeding.” Leigh started feeling of him in an effort to locate the origin of all the blood.
“Easy, baby. Most of it’s not mine. I’m okay,” Joel said in a strained voice.
“What happened?” Jonathan asked.
“They surrounded us once we found them. We got a lot of them, but they managed to get a few bites in as well. How is Brandon?”
“Don’t know, man. I’ll go find out. Hang in there.” Jonathan squeezed Leigh’s hand and walked off.
“Where are you hurt?”
Brandon walked over with wet towels. “They got him on the shoulder.”
“Here, let me. I’ll clean him up. Then if he needs stitches one of you will have to do it. I don’t think I can.” Leigh took the wet towels and began to clean Joel’s shoulder and chest.
Joel hissed out a breath through gritted teeth.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying to be careful, Joel.” Tears slid down Leigh’s face.
“I know,” he said. “Don’t mind me. It’s going to hurt. Nothing you can do about it. It needs to be cleaned.”
Leigh went back to work on him, wincing every time he hissed or moaned. The bite proved to be deep, but there was no real tearing of the skin. She wasn’t even sure they could stitch the wounds closed. They might have to stay open to drain.
Jonathan walked back over. “He’s doing okay. He has a nasty tear on his chest that they’re going to have to sew up.”
“Jonathan, I don’t think they can sew up this. I think we’re going to have to leave it open to heal. What do you think?” Leigh moved back so that Jonathan could get a good look.
“Hmm. I think you’re right. We’ll keep it covered for a few days until it starts to heal so it stays clean. We’ll let Brice look at it, though. He was a paramedic.”
Ronnie walked over with a glass of water. “Here. He’s probably thirsty.”
“Thanks, I hadn’t thought of that.”
Leigh walked back to Joel’s head on the opposite side of his injury and held the glass of water for him to sip on. He managed to lean up on his elbow to drink.
“Thanks, baby.”
“Okay, let me look at you.” Brice walked over and began probing Joel’s wound.
Leigh winced and finally turned away into Jonathan’s chest. She couldn’t stand to see Joel in pain.
“Yeah, it needs to stay open. Puncture wounds usually drain. Keep it covered for a few days. After that you can leave it open to air. If it gets puffy or oozes, boil it out with peroxide. I’ll do that now. Just wash it with warm, soapy water for now, but be sure it gets dry and stays dry.”
“Jonathan, we don’t have any peroxide. You used it all up on me.”
“I’ll give you a bottle of mine,” Ronnie said. “We have quite a bit.”
“Thanks. Brice, when can we go home?”
“As soon as he feels up to sitting up.”
“Jonathan, can you move him to the living room now that he’s quit bleeding? I need to clean up the kitchen.”
“Oh, no. I can do that, Leigh.” Ronnie held Leigh’s hands.
“No, you’re pregnant. You don’t need to deal with blood. Garrett, come get Ronnie.”
Garrett walked over with an indulgent smile. “What are you up to, honey?”
“She’s trying to clean up the kitchen, and she doesn’t need to do that. I can do it.” Ronnie crossed her arms.
“Leigh. You need to get Joel home and in bed. Brice and I will clean up the kitchen. I promise we won’t let Ronnie do it.”
“I feel bad about leaving this mess for you. I don’t mind cleaning it up.”
“No need for you to. Ronnie, get that bottle of peroxide for them, honey.”
Jonathan loaded Joel in the truck then came back for Leigh. She sat on the side of the door to keep Joel’s wounded shoulder off the door. She was a little softer than the door. He didn’t complain at all on the way home, but did some impressive cursing when Jonathan helped him out of the truck and up the steps to the house.
“Think I’m going to be sleeping on the couch for a night or two,” he said with a hiss when he sat down.
“We’ll keep the fire going in the fireplace for you,” Leigh promised.
“I’m going to go get covers for you.” Jonathan started up the stairs.
“Don’t forget his pillow, Jonathan,” Leigh called up the stairs.
It was nearly midnight when they finally got Joel settled down. Leigh didn’t want to leave him downstairs alone in case he needed something, but Jonathan refused to let her sleep on the floor.
“We’ll sleep upstairs in the bed. I’ll come down and check on him through the night. You are going to get some rest.”
Leigh hadn’t realized that Jonathan could be so bossy. She stuck her tongue out at his back when he headed for the stairs. Joel caught her and grinned. Then he sighed and motioned for her to follow Jonathan upstairs.
“Go on, baby. I’ll be fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I love you, Joel.”
Joel stilled then grinned. “I love you, too, baby.”
* * * *
Joel settled back on the couch, wondering at why she had all of a sudden said the words. Did she mean them, or was she worried about him and said them to reassure him? Her eyes had filled with love, so she had to have meant it. Did that mean she remembered now? He couldn’t wait to find out.