Authors: Melody Snow Monroe
“How are you doing?” Heath tipped his head down and raised his gaze.
He did look concerned. “You got about an hour?” He smiled. “The bottom line is that my head is killing me, and I don’t seem to be able to move my fingers all that well.” She held up her cast.
“The doctor told us you had brachial nerve damage.”
Her heart stopped. Even though she didn’t know anything about that nerve, she needed every body part fully functioning to run her ranch. “Will it get better?”
“The doc said in time you should make a full recovery.”
That was a relief, but she’d be out of commission for too long, which might affect her bottom line. Her next biggest dilemma was how to hide the incident from her family. Telling them she’d run into the rustlers and almost died would freak them out. There was no way to stop them from learning about the broken arm.
“Knock, knock.” Sheriff Sutton stepped in the crowded room.
“Hey, Will.” Now for a second interrogation. Will Sutton was a family friend. While he was only a few years older than she was, he had the respect of everyone in Intrigue.
“Samantha.” He nodded to Wade and Heath.
Wade stood. “I’ll let you have at her.”
“Stay. The doc said you found her. You might have seen something.”
For the next twenty minutes, all three told the sheriff what they knew, which wasn’t much.
The sheriff closed his notebook, and as he stood, Sam reached out to stop him. “Do me a favor, Will?”
“If I can.”
“Don’t tell my dad about the cattle being stolen or about me getting shot. I know I’ll have to let him know about the broken arm. I’m good with that.”
He cocked a brow. “You think he’d hire some bodyguards for you or something?”
She wasn’t sure exactly what he’d do, but she wouldn’t like it, whatever it was. “Or something.” Bodyguards would make her appear weak to her hands.
“You’re no longer a little girl. There’s no law requiring me to tell your daddy anything. But if he asks, I won’t lie.”
“Didn’t expect you to. Thanks.”
Will told them there had been no other gunshot wounds reported.
“I’m guessing that means I didn’t hit anything.”
Too bad
. Though if she had killed someone, she’d have nightmares for the rest of her life.
The sheriff tipped his hat and strode out. She looked from Wade to Heath. “Do you think one of you could find that doctor so I can get out of here?”
Heath sat in the chair recently occupied by the sheriff. “With that concussion, you know they’re going to wait a good twenty-four hours to make sure your brain doesn’t swell.”
She didn’t need the image. “Right.” Disappointed, she dropped her head onto the pillow. “In that case, how about giving a girl some privacy so I can rest?” No one could sleep with these two
hotties
watching her every move.
They eyed each other. “We could use some shut-eye, but we’ll be back tomorrow to check up on you. When the doctor gives the okay, we can take you home.”
“I’d appreciate it.” She certainly couldn’t call anyone in her family to come get her without getting everyone in an uproar.
As much as she wanted to be alone, as soon as the two men left, it was a bit lonely. Sure, the nurses came in regularly to check on her, but being in a hospital was so not her style. The food would probably suck, and the pain in her head still throbbed.
Around 7:00 p.m., the doctor entered, picked up the chart at the foot of her bed, and looked up but didn’t smile. “And how are we feeling?”
We?
“My head hurts.” She wouldn’t have told him that much except she wanted some sleeping pills for the night.
“That’s to be expected.” He jotted some notes. “I want you to stay another couple of days.”
“I have a ranch to run.” She wasn’t that hurt. She bet if one of the twins had been shot, the doctor would have released him the next day.
“That may be, but you’re too weak to be running around. Gunshots aren’t something to be taken lightly.”
Damn. Maybe she ought to sneak out. The hospital couldn’t make her stay. “So day after tomorrow?”
“We’ll see. Do you live with someone who can help you get around?”
“No, but I can take care of myself.”
“You’ll need to find someone to stay with you for a while. You’ll find it difficult to get dressed with your arm basically out of commission. You won’t be able to drive until the cast comes off.” He held up a finger. “And absolutely no riding.”
Her mind rebelled. “I can’t do that.” Her day consisted of mucking stalls, ordering supplies, and riding the range. She couldn’t afford to hire someone to do those chores. The rustlers had already cut into her profits big-time.
“I’m sorry, but if you want full use of that hand, you’ll need someone with you for a while.”
“I’ll figure something out.” She looked off to the side.
“That wasn’t a suggestion. There could be complications, and I want you watched.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of complications?” She’d just gotten a little hole in her arm.
“The bullet nicked part of the bone, which might have been why your arm bone broke when you fell. The surgeon said he tried to get out all of the chips, but no telling if one of the pieces will get lodged someplace else and do some damage.”
If he was trying to scare her, he’d succeeded. “Okay.” She could ask her sister to stay with her, though that would be a tough sell. Better yet, one of her men could check up on her during the day. That should be good enough.
“You’ll have the cast for about four to six weeks, and then you’ll need therapy to get full use of the arm. The nerves might take longer to get back to normal.”
Wasn’t he Mr. Cheer? “Can I have a sleeping pill?”
“No. We want to monitor your concussion.”
Could this get any worse? “Fine.”
The next two days went by agonizingly slow. Wade and Heath stopped by for an hour or two. She understood and appreciated the sacrifice they made by being away from their land for so long. The hospital was an hour away.
On the third morning, the two hunky Watson brothers strolled in, looking refreshed and oh so clean. “You ready to go home?”
Music to her ears. “Did the doctor give the all clear?” Her pulse sped up. The nurse had been in several times during the night, but not the doctor.
“Yup. Get dressed and we’ll drive you home.”
They both disappeared so she could change. She sat up, and from the quick movement, her head spun. Easing to a stand, she went to the bathroom and groaned at her reflection. If those two had ever entertained getting her in bed, one glance at her appearance this morning would surely make them change their minds. She washed the best she could with one hand then searched for her clothes. As soon as she placed her outfit on the bed, she realized her dilemma. She couldn’t put on a bra with the use of only one hand, but she decided she didn’t need one. Her shirt was thick enough and would cover her tits quite nicely. She did manage to take off the gown, but even putting on her panties took forever.
Damn it
.
Not wanting to get exhausted before she left, she rang for the nurse, praying the female attendant would be the one to come in. To her delight, she got her wish.
Sam waved her casted arm. “Can you help me dress?”
“Sure, honey.”
Even with the nurse’s help, it took twice as long as normal. How was she going to stay this helpless for four to six weeks? She had to find a way to get back her independence.
Her new jacket, a birthday present from her mom, was ruined, so she threw it out. Not only was there a hole in the sleeve, but blood had stained the inside. Good thing the nurse said it was in the midsixties and she’d be warm without it.
“I’ll be right back,” the bubbly nurse said. “I need to get you a wheelchair.”
She would have argued but knew it was standard procedure. This accident was getting worse by the minute.
“Here we go.” The nurse pushed her out to the lobby.
The men helped her out of the wheelchair. She was about to wave them off when she got another head rush. She stilled for a moment, waiting for her heart to pump faster. Once she was steady, she let them lead her to their car, which one of them had parked at the curb.
“Sit in front,” Heath said.
This time she wouldn’t argue. She couldn’t wait to get home and take a bath. To her surprise, they didn’t pummel her with questions about how she felt. Instead, they talked about a big Fourth of July party they were planning to throw, and how their foreman’s wife was expecting their first child. Listening to everyday events helped calm her and made her want to get back to the business of ranching.
When they pulled into her drive, her heart sped up. “I am so happy to be home.”
They both smiled, but from the way Wade glanced in the rearview mirror at Heath, they were up to something. Her stomach soured. They wouldn’t be her concern in another few minutes.
Wade wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her inside. “Why don’t you sit?” He led her to the sofa.
Heath hovered over her. “Can I get you a drink?”
This was her house. She could get her own food. “I’m good. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.”
“You’re welcome. We’ll let you rest, and then we’ll help you pack.”
Her body froze. “Pack?”
“Wade and I want you to stay with us so we can look after you.”
His serious face made her laugh. That caused her head to pound, which in turn sent an ache up her arm. “I’m not going anywhere.” If anyone learned she needed help, she’d lose any respect she’d ever gained.
Wade sat down next to her and took her good hand in his. “Babe, you’re going to need help to cook, shop for food, dress, and get clean.”
Her head swam at the image of getting naked in front of him. “I’ll have my sister help me.”
“You sure? You might let it slip that you got shot. I thought you were trying to keep that incident a secret.”
Damn
. He was right. “I’ll figure something out.”
Wade looked over at Heath then back at her. “Are you sure we can’t convince you to come stay with us?”
“No.” She lifted her head, hoping they’d believe she could deal with the injury by herself.
They both stood. “Then we’ll be seeing you.”
She couldn’t believe they gave up so quickly. “Thanks for bringing me home.”
They both nodded and left.
Okay, then
. First order of business was to get clean. Getting in and out of the tub might be hard, but if she wrapped her arm in plastic, a shower might be easier. She found a garbage bag to protect the cast and a scarf to tie it closed. Feeling proud of her ingenuity, she headed to the bathroom. Only then did she understand how difficult it was to take off her clothes. Her frustration built with each tug, but eventually she got undressed. Now she had to drag on the garbage bag and tie it tight to keep out the water.
She had to use her teeth and her free hand to seal the plastic bag. She was sweating by the time she stepped into the shower. At least the warm water soothed her aching muscles. The hardest part was holding the heavy cast up so that the water dripped downward off the plastic.