Touching Scars (34 page)

My palm was tickling and twitching, causing me to stir. I flexed my fingers, thinking that it might be
me
twitching. It didn’t take long for me to register that something was in my hand and it was tracing circles on my skin. My eyes flew open as I realized that I was still in the hospital and I’d fallen asleep. Turning my head to the side, I saw half-mast blue eyes watching me.

“Hi, baby.” His voice was scratchy.

“Timber? Oh my God, Timber! You’re awake.” I flew up, causing him to wince. “Shit, did I hurt you? Shit!”

“Kat, it’s fine, I’m fine. Could I get some water though? I feel like I swallowed a bag of sand.”

I put my hands on the sides of his face, searching every inch of him, drinking in the blue I’d feared I wouldn’t see again. “Jesus Christ, you scared me.”

“Kat, the water.”

“Oh my gosh, I forgot.” I got out of bed as gently and quickly as I could, getting him something to drink. When I brought it over to him, he yanked on the tube that was in his nose and slipped it over his head. “I don’t think you should do that. The doctors might still want that there.”

After he chugged the water, he handed the glass back to me. “I’m pretty sure that I’m breathing just fine on my own.”

“How are you feeling? Are you tired? Do you need any pain medicine? I feel like I should be doing something.”

“No, I need you to just sit for a minute so I can look at you.” I sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. His eyes had black rings under them, and he looked sad. “Tell me what happened.”

I looked at our connected hands. “We’ve got plenty of time to talk about that. Right now I want to know how you’re doing.”

He thought about it, assessing himself. “I’m sore. I feel like I could sleep for days.”

I figured as much. “I need to go get a doctor so they know you’re awake and can do whatever it is they need to do.”

“Okay.”

I went to the nurse’s station and let them know Timber was awake. A doctor followed me back to his room and started looking through his chart. “Hi, Mr. Nelson. I’m Dr. Tillman. How are you feeling?”

“Like the biggest piece of ass.”

I smiled at his candidness as Dr. Tillman cleared his throat. “
Yes, well, you’ve been through quite a trauma. We went in and removed a bullet from your diaphragm and gave you several bags of blood. Fortunately, the surgery went well and we were able to patch you back up.”

Timber looked over at me, his blue eyes understanding my worry. “Am I going to be okay?”

Closing the chart, the doctor came over and listened to his heart with a stethoscope. “Well, it appears that way. Your heart is strong, your pulse is steady, and I have no doubt that you’ll make a full recovery.
We’re going to have to keep you for at least a week to make sure any bleeding you may have isn’t more than what’s expected, and we need to make sure you’re able to get up on your own.”

“Sounds good, doc.” He laid his head back and closed his eyes.

“Miss Pierce, he’s going to need his rest. I’m going to have to ask you to go home and get some rest yourself. You can come back this afternoon when he’s gotten some sleep.”

Timber’s eyes opened and he was watching the exchange between the doctor and me. I dug my heels in and shook my head. “No, I’m staying.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist.”

I bit my tongue and prayed I didn’t yell. “And I’m afraid I’m going to have to respectfully decline. I’m not leaving him.”

“Well, keep in mind that he’s only going to heal faster with rest.”

“Understood. Thank you.” It was my way of dismissing the doctor and telling him to fuck off. They couldn’t pry me away from Timber right now if they tried.

When we were alone again, Timber’s eyes were closed but his lips were tipped up in a small smile. “Well. You told him, didn’t you?”

“Shut up, you’re supposed to be resting. That means no talking.” I curled back up next to him, careful to not jostle him too much.

“Don’t make me laugh, Kat, I think it might hurt.”

“I think you’re right, so stop talking.”

He peeled one eye open and looked sideways at me. “You’ve gotten mouthier since I’ve been out.”

“Timber,” I scolded, closing my own eyes. I knew he was grinning at me.

It was quiet for a bit, but then he asked the question I knew was coming. “Is he dead?”

I turned my head to look at him, and he did the same. “Yes.”

“You shot him.”

“I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

His tired eyes softened. “You should have run to get help like I told you to.”

My eyes got watery. “If I had, you wouldn’t be here.”

I felt his fingers slip through mine, giving my hand a squeeze. “Let’s not think about that, okay? I love you, but the next time I tell you to go do something, I mean it.” His deep voice scratched.

“Fine, but you better not ever scare me like this again. I won’t survive it.”

Timber yawned hugely. I knew he needed to get some sleep, but just hearing his voice was soothing me. “Never, baby.”

“Get some rest,” I whispered, brushing his messy black hair back from his face. In the short time that he’d been awake, his coloring had already turned brighter. He was going to be okay. My man was a fighter, and he’d never leave me if he could help it. Sighing, I watched him as he slept, continuing to count his breaths and feeling his heartbeat beneath my fingertips.

(2 months later)

“T
IMBER
,
WOULD
YOU
HURRY
UP
? Ed wanted to meet us downstairs like ten minutes ago,” Kat grumbled, slipping on her shirt and stepping into a pair of shoes.

“Never, woman. You keep looking like that and I’ll be forced to get you naked again. I’m pretty sure I haven’t licked the tattoo on the back of your calf yet.” I heard her gasp and I chuckled. “Let’s not keep the old man waiting.”

I swatted her butt on the way out the door and she gave a little yelp. When we were both downstairs, Ed was standing behind the bar, drinking a bottle of beer and looking around the place with reminiscent eyes.

“Hey, you two, come over here and have a seat. I’ve got some paperwork for you to look over.”

Kat and I sat down on a bar stool and looked down at the stack of papers in front of him. “What is all this?” Kat asked.

He looked across at her with love shining through his eyes. “This is the deed to the bar. I’ve gotten a few legal papers drawn up to transfer this place over from my name to yours, and the lawyer put these tabs on here so we know where to sign.”

Kat’s mouth dropped open, and I think mine was somewhere on the floor too. “What do you mean you’re putting my name on the deed?”

“I’m giving this place to the two of you.”

“What?” I asked. Was he off his rocker?

Ed’s smile grew wider. “Listen, I own this place free and clear. I bought it back in the nineteen fifties. Rose and I paid it off right before she passed and I’ve run my course with it. I’m too old to be running a bar anymore. I’d like to give it to you two to run and care for like Rose and I did.”

I looked over at Kat, whose eyes were brimming with tears. “You’re giving me the bar?”

“Yes.”

“And Timber?”

“Yes.”

“Just like that?”

He chuckled. “Yes Kat, just like that. I’ve come to love you like a daughter, and I’m happy that Timber has come to take such good care of you. I’m ready to pass this place on, and I couldn’t think of two better people.”

“What about Beaver or Mel?” she asked.

“What about ‘em? I love those two too, but neither of them cares about this place like you do.”

I looked at the white haired old man that was so generously handing over not one, but two things that he cared for, to me — Kat and The Hole. “What are you going to do?”

“Oh, I figured I’d go explore parts of the world I haven’t seen yet. Gotta do it while I’m still young.”

Kat and I both laughed. “I don’t know what to say, Ed, except thank you.”

He nodded at me. “Here’s a pen, and here’s the stack that I need to stick back in the mail so it can be filed with the city clerk.”

My girl sniffled beside me and I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, kissing the top of her head. We went through at least two dozen papers, signing and initialing by each little sticky note. When we were done, Kat got up and rounded the bar, walking straight to Ed. She threw her arms around him and cried into his neck.

“You’ve been so good to me, Ed. I love you.”

He put his hand on her back and patted her lovingly. “I love you, too.” He pulled her away from him and coughed a few times. The old guy was trying not to choke up. “Alright, you two, I better get going. I’ve got my first plane to catch out of Houston, and I still need to drop these off at the post office. I’ll stop in to check on things every once in a while.”

“You’d better, old man,” I said, and Ed laughed.

Kat and I both saw him off and then came back to the stools we’d been sitting on. Her dazzling hazel eyes were sparkling with excitement.

“Holy shit, we own this place.”

Holy shit was right. I’d have never expected this was what he wanted to talk to us about, but either way, I was happy about it. After I’d left the oil field, it was bought up by a larger company less than a week later. Roger had told me that my job was still available, but I’d had to decline. I wasn’t sure if working the rig was what I wanted to do with my life and it kept me away from Kat for too long during the day. Making that decision wasn’t hard, but figuring out what I was going to do next was. I was certain of only one thing, and she was sitting right next to me. Ed’s surprise landing in our laps was exactly the answer that I didn’t know I was looking for, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“Hey, you?” I nudged her with my shoulder.

“Hmmm?” She was still dumfounded, looking around the place like she’d never seen it before.

“I say we christen the place.”

She looked over at me and smiled a devious little smile. “Where do you have in mind?”

“Well, preferably a place that Beaver hasn’t had his naked ass spread all over.” She busted out laughing. “I’m going to try my luck and say… pool table.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Pool table, huh. This could get interesting.”

“It could indeed,” I retorted.

“Especially since you’ll need to catch me first.” She took off around the bar, running at full speed to get away from me.

I chuckled at her playfulness. I was delighted to see my girl so happy again. Kat had always been vibrant and full of life
. The Adam hurdle was one that we still sometimes worked to climb over, but she was slowly healing.

Kat had decided that she’d held in her secrets too long and it was time for her to talk to someone about it. She’d been seeing a counselor for just over a month now, and it seemed to be working out well. After every appointment, she walked out with her shoulders held a little higher. She was even starting to believe that she wasn’t to blame for the bastard’s decisions. She was a victim, but in the end, instead of running, she’d faced him head on and won. I admired her spirit and tenacity to keep fighting. It made me fight for myself. I’d gone with her to a few appointments and shared the dreams that I’d had every night before Kat. I too had blamed myself, taking on all the responsibility for how my life had played out, when I’d really had no control. Now I know I was meant to be here, with her, and there’s simply nothing more to it. She was my life now.

I jumped up from the stool and stalked towards the way she went. I heard her giggle and it made me smile. “I gave you a head start, but you know I’m going to find you.” When I turned the corner to the hall that led to the bathrooms and office, she saw me and squealed. Capturing her around the waist, I picked her up and hauled her back into the bar.

“Timber, put me down, you’re tickling me.”

“Never.” I made it to one of the pool tables and laid her down across it. Leaning over her, I ran my nose along her throat. “Next time, run in my direction baby. It’ll save you the trouble.”

She snickered. I placed my mouth over hers and kissed her deeply. Our tongues were pushing against one another, fighting for space. I felt like I was being consumed by this small woman under me. She licked and nibbled on my lower lip, causing my groin to stir. She wrapped her arm around me as she threaded her fingers from her other hand into my hair. I climbed up onto the table so that I was straddling her legs.

“Are you happy?” I asked.

“Deliriously,” she stated simply.

I yanked her shirt off as she lifted slightly to help me. Her nipples hardened when the air hit them. Palming her breasts and flicking my thumbs over the soft little peaks, she arched her back and moaned.

“Feel good?”

“You know it does.”

Her own hands went to work, unbuttoning my pants and tugging at my shirt. “Off,” she demanded. I did as she told me to. I watched, completely entranced, as she unzipped my pants and pulled my erection out. She wrapped her fist around it and pumped it a few times, causing all of my muscles to strain.