Burke stared at her. He looked like hell. She wondered why.
“
Annie, do you know where you are?
”
he asked.
“
Do you know who I am?
”
Annie took her left hand out of his large hand.
“
I know who you are,
”
she croaked before she turned her head away from him. She couldn
’
t deal with the wave of emotions she felt. She couldn
’
t look at Burke and she certainly didn
’
t want to talk to him.
A few days later,
Annie smiled at her doctor as he declared her able enough to leave the hospital.
She had
been there for two days and she
’
d had enough of being constantly poked and prodded. She was still in a lot of pain
, but
anything was better than the hospital.
Heck, s
he was even ready to put up with Burke and Alice while she recovered. She figured that Alice must be leaving any day and maybe, just maybe she and Burke could find a way to settle their differences. She wasn
’
t sure if they could ever come together again. She harbored a lot of hurt and heartbreak
, and
she had a right to her feelings, but she felt bad every time Burke came to visit. He was often unshaved and he had circles under his eyes. He looked at her with big blue eyes full of remorse and pain. More often than not Annie had to turn away from him. She just didn
’
t know if she could forgive the conversation she had heard between
him and
Alice. The pain that he didn
’
t love her
still
felt too fresh, too
raw
for her to forget.
Annie planned to bide her time, get well and then weigh her options. She knew that she was strong enough to walk away if necessary. It would be painful, but she was already living an emotional nightmare.
She forced a smile as Burke entered her room. He carried a small bag of clothes for her in one hand and a single red rose in the other. Annie looked at the rose wistfully. She took it when he handed it to her. She could smell its full fragrance
,
and she wished that the rose had been given for its true meaning, love. Annie quietly thanked him not quite looking at him, but rather at a point just off to the side of his face.
*
*
*
*
Burke knew that she was avoiding his gaze and he pretended that he didn
’
t notice as he helped her into her clothes. He wanted to talk about their marriage. He wanted to tell her he was on her side. He wanted too much and she wasn
’
t receptive to his conversations about them.
Every time he brought up the subject of their relationship, she shut down. She looked the other way and refused to answer him. It was pure agony knowing that he
’
d hurt her. He wished to hell that he
’
d just gone ahead and told Alice that he loved Annie. He just hoped it wasn
’
t too late.
He talked to her about mundane happenings at the ranch
,
trying to lighten the mood by telling her all of the escapades of his ranch hands, Dan, Surly, Yates, and Nash. He did manage to get her to smile when he told her how they had started a fight with hands from another spread at the diner and Noreen managed to whack Yates in the head and Surly on the arm before she was done.
Annie almost laughed aloud before she reined herself in.
“
Are they okay?
”
she asked concerned.
“
They
’
ll live,
”
Burke replied.
“
The real injury was to their pride. Dan and Nash won
’
t let them forget it.
”
He chuckled, happy that she was finally talking to him.
“
What about Noreen?
”
she inquired.
“
She proclaimed herself the hero in the whole thing.
”
Annie finally laughed. The tension shortly melted away
altogether
.
“
I don
’
t know how I
’
ll get around the next few days,
”
she said ruefully as she gestured toward her sprained wrist and broken leg.
Burke took her hand in his and gave it a quick reassuring squeeze.
“
In sickness and in health,
”
he said, not taking his eyes off hers.
“
I
’
ll take care of you and it will be my pleasure.
”
The ride home from the hospital was silent, but to Burke
’
s relief it wasn
’
t uncomfortable. He had a feeling that Annie was going to need some time before she was accepting toward him and he prayed that he hadn
’
t blown it for good. He was almost glad that she was in a cast and couldn
’
t go anywhere else; he wanted her home where she belonged.
*
*
*
*
Annie needed him, at least until she recovered. What
would
happen after that, she wasn
’
t sure; it would be a wait and see kind of thing. She already knew that men couldn
’
t be trusted and once again, lesson learned. She only hoped that this time the lesson stuck in her brain. She couldn
’
t let her guard down again or allow her heart and emotions to make her decisions anymore. It just added up to heartbreak.
Annie smiled as she saw the ranch house come into view
.
S
he
’
d come to think of this place as her home. Her roses swayed in the light Texas breeze and it felt as though they were welcoming her. They were in full bloom and she looked forward to sitting on the front porch enjoying them. She waited in the truck for Burke to open her door.
H
e was going to have to carry her in and she shivered slightly in anticipation. She knew that she would never let another man close to her again and she wanted to make memories that she could carry forever.
She stared at Burke as he lifted her from the truck seat into his arms. Annie put her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck, loving the smell of him. He was all man with a scent of leather and spice. She closed her eyes, not wanting this moment to change.
Annie made a sound of protest
when
he
finally
put her down. Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, she saw raw desire. It gave her a start
, but
it gave her confidence as she realized that she had such power over him. He still wanted her
, and i
t made her feel womanly and beautiful. She luxuriated in these feelings before she closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable on the couch. She waited until she heard him leave the room before she opened them
again
. She knew she had taken the coward
’
s way out
, but
she couldn
’
t think of anything to say to him. She needed to find her center first.
E
motions were
high
and she needed to remember that she
’
d be leaving soon.
Annie was startled out of her musings by Alice waltzing into the family room with a tray of tea and sandwiches and a big old false smile. Annie would have been amused if she hadn
’
t had some inkling that Alice was somehow responsible for her fall. Annie knew that she tripped on something and it wasn
’
t her own feet. Alice was dangerous
;
she could just feel it. She had underestimated the woman before
, but
never again.
“
So how is our little patient this afternoon?
”
she cheerfully asked.
Too cheerfully Annie felt.
“
I
’
ll be laid up for a while,
”
Annie began.
“
And that is why I have volunteered to stay on and nurse you back to health,
”
Alice jumped in.
Annie
’
s eyes grew wide in horror.
“
I don
’
t think that will be necessary,
”
Annie insisted.
“
Let
’
s just keep to your original schedule.
”
“
It
’
s really no problem. It
’
s the least I can do,
”
Alice said a bit panicky.
Burke grabbed a sandwich, acting totally ambivalent to the tension in the room.
“
I haven
’
t eaten all day.
”
He settled into his usual leather chair by the fireplace and began to eat. It didn
’
t seem to take him long to realize that the other two women looked upset. He groaned as he asked the question.
“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Annie felt insulted that Burke seemed to ask the question of Alice and not of her. She remained quiet, waiting for Alice to offer her services. She didn
’
t have long to wait as Alice began listing all the vast reasons and benefits to all of them if she stayed to help. Annie withdrew and shrank into herself. It was hard to see Burke watching Alice in rapt attention. Soon she stared out the window, trying to block them both out.
“
Annie?
”
Burke prodded.
“
Annie
,
are you listening? This involves your life.
”
Annie turned her head to look at him, surprised that he wanted her input.
“
I want her out of my house,
”
she simply said and turned her head away, not wanting to continue the conversation any longer.
“
Alice
,
could you give us some privacy?
”
Burke asked.
Alice smiled.
“
Certainly,
”
she said as she sashayed out of the room.
Burke waited until the screen door slammed before he spoke.
“
I
’
ll have her out of here in three days.
”
“
But,
”
Annie tried to interrupt.
“
Mrs. Harvy is unavailable until then and you can
’
t be here all day by yourself,
”
He said with disappointment in his eyes.
“
I know that Alice rubs you the wrong way.
”
“
That
’
s an understatement
.
C
all Sherry.
”
Annie responded.
Burke knelt in front of the couch, grabbing Annie
’
s left hand. He kissed her palm making her tingle.
“Ted
and Sherry are out of town for a few days.
I promise you, she will be leaving in three days.
”
Annie took his hand and rubbed the back of it against her cheek.
“
Let
’
s just hope it
’
s a quick three days,
”
she conceded.
Burke smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips then stood up.
“
Get some rest. I
’
ll be back in a few hours.
”
Annie nodded and yawned.
“
Good idea,
”
she said with a slight smile.
“
By the way, where
’
s Cat? I expected her to greet me.
”
Burke frowned.
“
I
’
m sure she
’
s around. I
’
ll look
for her
.
”