Suited to be a Cowboy (11 page)

Give your head a shake,
McGovern.
With her family background, what would she want with a no-account
man orphaned at birth? One who no one even wanted to adopt given his lack of
medical history.

“Jimmy, can we go now?”

“Yep.” While he was lost in thought, Aaron had cleaned his
plate. Jimmy gulped down the remainder of his coffee, now lukewarm.

They went directly to Melissa’s room, but she wasn’t back
yet. Jimmy went to the nurses’ station to inquire as to her whereabouts.

“Mrs. Dehavilland is in the osteopathy lab having a cast
put on. They’ll have her back shortly and the doctor will be in to see you. You
can wait for her in the exam room if you like.”

Jimmy glanced down. “Aaron? What do you think?”

“Can we go to the waiting room? At least there’s a TV in
there.”

“Sure. Let’s go.” He nodded to the nurse.

Television held no interest for Jimmy as he kept a
constant vigil for Melissa’s return. He must have dozed off because when next
he opened his eyes, Aaron was calling his name.

“Jimmy, wake up. The nurse was here. She said Mom’s back.”

“Okay, I’m coming.” He stood, stretched out the kinks in
his neck and back, then followed Aaron to Melissa’s room. The doctor was with
her.

“Hey, Mom. How you feeling?”

“A little sore, but I’ll soon be good as new.”

“Are these the men who brought you in?” asked the doctor.

“Yes, Jimmy and my son, Aaron. This is Dr. Dakota.”

“So it’s all right to speak in front of them?” the doctor
asked.

“Yes.”

“As you know, you have a broken arm and three cracked
ribs. We’ve fixed you up the best we can, but you’ll need to take extra care in
the coming weeks to heal properly. There isn’t any internal bleeding, but the
concussion worries me. I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.”

“Is that really necessary?” she asked. “I’d rather go
home.”

“I have first aid training and I know what to watch for if
she’s determined to go home,” Jimmy said.

“You’re the one who fashioned the splint?”

Jimmy nodded.

“A fine job. It prevented further damage to nerves and
muscle tissue. If you’re prepared to play nursemaid, who am I to argue?” He
turned back to Melissa. “No horseback riding until that cast comes off. Keep it
dry. No physical activity of any kind for the next week or two.” He slanted a meaningful
glance at Jimmy. “Her body needs time to heal. Any questions?”

“What do I take for the pain?”

“I’ll leave a prescription with your nurse. She’ll help
you get ready to leave, unless your husband wants that honor.”

Jimmy thought fast. “No, I’d better stay with Aaron. We’ll
wait outside.”

“Good. I’ll send the nurse in. Come back in six weeks to
have the cast removed. If you have any problems, check with your family doctor
or return here.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Once the doctor left, Melissa fixed a drowsy, yet
pain-filled gaze on Jimmy. “My husband?”

Jimmy felt his face grow warm. “I didn’t say that. They
just assumed. Besides, it was better for Aaron that way.”

She glanced at her son. “Yes, I suppose so.”

The nurse came in and Jimmy took Aaron out into the hall,
but it wasn’t long before they appeared with Melissa in a wheelchair. He and
Aaron walked beside her to the exit.

“Aaron, wait with your mom while I go fetch the truck,”
Jimmy said.

“Okay.”

All Jimmy thought about on the way to his truck was that
he’d have another chance to hold Melissa in his arms as she wouldn’t be able to
climb into the cab. He drove to the entrance to pick her up, immediately
feeling contrite for wanting to take advantage of her misfortune.

Chapter Eight

Melissa was glad to be out of the hospital, but the ride
home jarred every aching bone and joint in her body. Night had fallen long ago
making it hard to see the potholes, even though Jimmy drove slow. A sigh of
relief escaped her as they turned in through the ranch gate.

“Sorry. I know that was a rough ride, but we’re home now.”

“That’s okay. Thank you for the ride and for keeping Aaron
occupied.”

“No problem. He’s a good kid.”

“Thanks. I think he fell asleep, but my ribs hurt and I
can’t turn around to check.”

Jimmy glanced to where Aaron was sitting. “Yep, he’s
sleeping.” He parked the truck close to the front entrance and turned off the
engine. “I’ll go unlock the door and be right back.”

Her right arm was useless, the cast extending from her
wrist to up past her elbow. Coupled with her cracked ribs, she couldn’t even
turn sideways to open the truck door. It galled her that she had to wait for a
man to open it for her, but then she remembered how considerate he’d been,
taking care of a scared little boy when most men, even Aaron’s own father, had
avoided that responsibility like the plague.

Her door opened and Jimmy lifted her and carried her the
short distance to the house. “I can walk you know.”

“You heard the doctor. No physical activity for a couple
of days. This is easier than you trying to walk huddled over. I don’t think
your arm or ribs could take that kind of punishment right now.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks.”

He hesitated in the foyer. “Where do you want to go? Bed?
Kitchen? Living room?”

“Aaron’s room, if you don’t mind. I always tuck him in at
night.”

“Which way?”

She pointed down the hall with her good hand. “Third door
down on the right.”

Jimmy carried her in, sat her on the edge of the bed, and
turned down the covers before leaving to carry Aaron in. His departure, however
brief, gave her time to collect her thoughts. It had felt so good to be held in
those strong arms—too good.

Aaron slept soundly, awaking only long enough to say, “
G’nite
, Mom,” when she removed his sneakers. She stood and
leaned over to tuck him in, her ribs protesting the slightest movement.

“Good night, love. Sweet dreams.” She bestowed a quick
kiss to his soft cheek before straightening and whispering to Jimmy. “I’m starving.
Care to accompany me to the kitchen?”

“We ate at the hospital, but I can rummage something up
for you,” he said as he walked beside her.

She sat down in a kitchen chair. The walk had drained her
strength.

“Want an ice pack for that bump on your head?”

“Yes, please. We keep them in the deep freezer in the back
porch.”

He came back with a gel ice pack and a towel, covering the
pack before handing it over to her.

“What would you like to eat?”

“Can you check to see if there are any leftovers? I’m not
sure what Sheila had planned for tonight’s dinner, but we missed it.”

“Darn! I should’ve called her.”

“She wasn’t aware of us leaving?”

“Not that I know of. Brian may have told her if she’d gone
looking.” He shrugged as if to say ‘too late now.'

“Probably. Don’t worry about it, just check the fridge.”
She smiled to take any sting out of the order, but she was hungry.

He removed a casserole dish and lifted the lid.

“Looks like mac and cheese with bacon on top,” Jimmy
informed her.

“Yep, she knows I got hurt.” At his bemused smile, she
continued. “It’s my favorite comfort food.” She shifted in her seat, slightly
self-conscious at the admission of needing comfort now and then, be it in the
form of food.

“This looks good. Mind if I try some?”

She nodded and winced. “Ugh! It still hurts to move my
head. Go ahead and dish some up for both of us. Sheila makes it much better
than I do.”

Jimmy put the first plate in the microwave and stood with
a pensive look on his face.

“Penny for them.”

“Just wondering how best to serve you. If I transfer your
food to a bowl and give you a spoon, it might be easier.”

“Good idea. Put it in a soup bowl, one of the ones with a
handle, and I should be able to manage all right.”

He transferred her food to another dish and cut up the
slices of bacon for her. He was much too considerate. “Why haven’t you ever married?”
she blurted.

His head popped up and he caught her staring, a devilish
grin transforming his features from handsome to downright gorgeous.

“Why? You interested?” he teased.

“No! I mean, well, you’re so considerate and gentle. I
would think some lucky woman would’ve snapped you up by now.”

“Uh-huh. Because I’m gentle and considerate?”

“Well, yeah, but you’re also a hard worker, ambitious,
handsome…” Her words trailed off as she realized he was enjoying this. “…and
your head is so full of pride and arrogance that I just answered my own
question.”

Jimmy laughed as he carried her dinner and a glass of ice
water over to the table. He looked into her eyes and the laughter died. “If you
only knew.”

“Tell me.”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”

“Anywhere you want to.” She spooned up her first bite of
macaroni and cheese. So creamy and tasty. “Is there anyone special back home?”

“Nope. Haven’t had much time for dating.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

He joined her at the table, taking a bite and chewing
slowly. “I guess I was too busy.”

She chuckled softly. “Too busy to date? A fine specimen
like you? I don’t believe it. Women would have lined up for a chance to spend
an evening with you.”

“Yeah, a few, but when they realized I wasn’t the marrying
kind, they drifted away.”

“You don’t intend to marry—ever?”

He set down his fork and looked her way. “All my life I’ve
had a dream…the dream of owning my own ranch. Everything I have ever done was
in support of that dream. I wouldn’t allow myself to be sidetracked. At
thirty-two years old, I’m almost there. I’ve allowed nothing or no one to stand
in my way.”

She considered his words, so serious when he was normally
such an easy-going individual. “Well, I knew you were ambitious and planning to
buy a ranch, but don’t you want to share it with someone? Ranch life can get
pretty lonely at times.”

“Tried that. Was engaged once, until I found her in bed
with my rich college roommate. That’s when I realized I have nothing to offer
anyone. No roots, no heritage, nothing. Don’t you see?”

“No. What I see is a caring, gentle man who would give his
all in any situation. Look at what you did for me today. Don’t count yourself
short, Jimmy. Life is to be lived, enjoyed. You deserve that and so much more. You’d
make a fine husband and father one day.”

His sudden sneer cut her to the core. “For you?”

Oh, he was touchy.
She drew in a harsh breath. “No, not for me. Once down that road was more than
enough. The painkillers are kicking in. I’m going to my room now.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Without another word he pushed to
his feet and came around the table to give her a hand up, keeping hold of her good
arm as they traversed the hallways to the east wing and her room.

“Need anything?” he asked as they reached her door.

“No, thank you. Good night, Jimmy. Sleep well.”

“I’ll be back and forth to check on you every couple of
hours. In the meantime, try to get some sleep. Good night.” He turned on his
heel and left, closing the door behind him and leaving her in the dark.

She felt his hurt, his anger, but it wasn’t directed at
her. He may have had a rough start in life, but he’d set goals and done well
for himself. She would’ve admired him for that if nothing else. He had so much
to offer, if only he could see it.

Lights flicked on across the courtyard, drawing her gaze
like a magnet. She’d forgotten to close her blinds and she saw him clearly, his
shoulders slumped, his posture one of defeat as he rested his head against the
glass doors. How she wished she could run to him, hold him, and assure him that
everything would be all right.

He moved to undress and crawled into bed, turning out the
bedside lamp. The darkness of his room had to be comparable to the bleakness in
his soul. Somehow, she’d figure out how to help him. There had to be a way. No
one should have to walk through this world alone.

Her mind made up, she struggled to remove her clothes and
lie down. The movements jarred and her bones renewed their painful assault on
her system. Jimmy woke her when he came in to check on her, and passed over one
of her painkillers, gently lifting her to a sitting position.

“Thanks, Jimmy. How did you know I needed one?” she asked
as she lay back against the pillows.

He removed a small flashlight from his pocket and shone it
in her eyes. “Chalk one up to moaning and groaning in your sleep. Hope they
work fast. Your pupils appear normal, so no trouble there.”

“That’s good.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

“Some company until the meds kick in. Can you stay for a
while?”

“Sure. You want the TV on?”

She shifted her position so she could see him better. “No,
just talk to me. I’m real sorry about Sherry. Any word on the bloodline yet?’

Jimmy shook his head. “I have a call in to the breeder I
bought her from but there’s no word yet. I’m not too worried, though. As Sheila
wisely said, nature will run its course, regardless of our wants and needs.”

“True, but it hinders your plans somewhat.”

“Not so much. If I can train a few of those Mustangs and
sell them, I can always buy another purebred or two. Actually, the rodeo would
probably love to get their hands on some wild horses for
bronc
busting. I’ll have to check into it.”

“I’m glad you’re not mad anymore.”

“I was more worried about my horse than mad, but I hated
the tension that incident caused between us.”

“Me too. I think I can sleep now.”

“That’s my cue to leave. See you in a couple of hours.”

*
* * *

Awakened by birds chirping, Jimmy rolled over and tried
for more sleep. He had sat at Melissa’s bedside for most of the night and only
when he felt she’d be all right did he crawl into his own bed. Yesterday’s
happenings and the conversation last night came back to him with a vengeance.
Why had he shared his life story with Melissa? Nobody in his professional life
knew him for anything other than what he was, a successful accountant and
financier. He’d left his poor beginnings behind when he graduated high school
and went off to college on a scholarship. His life wasn’t a secret, per se, just
something he never spoke of. He respected and trusted Melissa. Was that why
he’d shared? Or was it to warn her off?

He turned over to lie on his back, stretching out some
unaccustomed stiffness as he did so. Melissa didn’t weigh much, but he’d
exerted muscles he hadn’t used in a long time. He swung his legs over the side
of the bed and sat upright before pushing to his feet and heading for the
shower. He emerged to pull on camouflage khaki shorts and a muscle shirt, both
in army green, slipped his feet into brown, leather sandals, wrote a note and
crossed the courtyard to tape it on Melissa’s door. He made a tent with his
hands against the glass and saw that she was still sleeping.
Good.
The body heals much better when at
rest.

His gaze strayed as he pulled away from the window, and he
took a second look. The blankets had slipped off, exposing one creamy-skinned,
satiny leg to his view. Her hip was exposed too, sporting a huge purplish-black
bruise. He winced. That had to hurt. Her cast rested on a pillow and beneath her
raised arm he saw the bandages wrapped around her midsection. She’d really done
a number on herself.

He still didn’t have any answers as to what had spooked
her horse. He’d ask her later, maybe go do some investigating. This area wasn’t
known for rattlesnakes, but he wouldn’t rule them out. He’d talk to Brian and
the wranglers too. They knew the property a lot better than he did.

His stomach rumbling in want of nourishment, Jimmy headed
for the kitchen, ate, and took his coffee to the office where he booted up the
computer and resumed entering data. About an hour later, his cell phone rang. “Hello,
James here.”

“Jimmy, could you come help me? I’m in my bedroom.”

“Be right there.” The sound of her voice, so velvety soft,
had his heart pounding harder. He strode from the room, knocked once, and
entered Melissa’s bedroom to find her sitting at the vanity table. She was
dressed in yellow shorts today and a white tube top. Good choice, since it
didn’t have to go over her busted arm.

“You’re looking better this morning. Did you sleep well?”
he asked.

She grimaced. “It took a while to get comfortable, but
yeah. Under the circumstances, I slept pretty good. Thanks for keeping me
company.”

Jimmy could have told her how he’d sat at her bedside for
hours, watching and worrying, but he didn’t. “No problem. You never told me what
spooked your horse.”

“Gunshot. Sounded close, too close for my liking. This is
private property. No hunting allowed. I have signs posted all over.”

“Could one of the men have stumbled upon a coyote?”

“That’s possible. I’ll check with Brian. We usually carry
a rifle when out riding, just in case. I’ve been forgetting lately.”

“You know how to shoot a gun?”

“Don’t sound so incredulous. Grandpa taught me to shoot
when I was about twelve or so. Said I needed to be able to protect myself.
There are plenty of wild animals roaming the woods hereabouts.”

“Yeah, I reckon. Ready for breakfast?”