Willow (22 page)

“
Willow, did you kill Daniel Smith?”

Willow lay back on the pillows while Mr. Gibson argued with the two agents. She felt the bed shift and knew without opening her eyes that it was Jared. When he laced his fingers with hers, she relaxed. She had no idea why she found that comforting, but it was. When he ran his fingers up and down her arm, Willow felt her body begin to settle, become soft, and before she knew it, she was asleep.

It was dark in the room when she woke the next time. She moved her uninjured leg before she thought and was surprised at how little it hurt. She lifted her arm that wasn’t attached to the IV and it felt better too.

“
You’ve healed quite a bit in the last several days. I’m glad. I hated seeing you in pain.”

Willow looked over at Mrs. Stone. Then around the room. They were alone. And not only alone, but the door was shut too. Willow turned the light over her head on and looked at her, wondering what she could possibly want.

“
I’ve asked them to go and get some dinner. I told them I’d be happy to sit with you.” She smiled at Willow. “I’d hope you’d wake so we could talk.”

“
Mrs. Stone, I’m very sorry about all this. I never meant for this—”

“
Sorry for what, dear? Having a madman hurt you? Having been kidnapped? I hardly think any of that was any fault of yours.” She pinned Willow with a look. “Unless of course you’re sorry for the affair you’re having with my son.”

Willow flushed. “I’m not having an affair with Jared. And whatever we had…did is over. It was just sex. Nothing more. He’s…he doesn’t mean…I don’t mean anything to him.”

“
Hummm, I would say that’s not true and that you know it. Jared is in love with you. And if the way you look at him is any indication, I’d say you love him too. Do you?”

Willow looked away. Mrs. Stone was seeing entirely too much. And she didn’t… no, she couldn’t love him. He’d lied to her.

“
I’ve fallen in love with your house.” Willow looked at her again. “Your parents insisted that we stay there with them. Jared has been making use of that beautiful kitchen or yours. Marta said you’ve never used it.”

“
I don’t cook. She does it when it suits her. She tends to be more bossy than—” Willow stopped. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Stone nodded as if she knew what Marta was like. “Jared has always wanted a house with a huge kitchen. He’d like to raise lots of children in his kitchen. Do you want children? Marta was telling us what else you’re planning for it. I can’t wait to see it when it’s complete.”

Willow nodded then shook her head. She wasn’t sure what she was saying yes or no to, but her head was beginning to spin. “I only work on it when I have some spare time. The bedrooms on the second floor are taking—he doesn’t love me. You’re mistaken about that.”

“
Marta is a dream. I’ve been trying to steal her away, but she won’t budge. And those sticky buns she makes are to die for. Yes, he does. Do you think I could get a copy of the recipe when you marry Jared?”

Willow stared at her for several seconds. The changes in subjects were making her crazy. She was having trouble keeping up.

“
It’s a family recipe. Her mom works for my parents. What do you mean marry—I’m not marrying anyone. Especially not…he hasn’t asked me ye—” Willow took a deep breath. “You know what? This conversation is over, Mrs. Stone.”

She just laughed. “Perhaps you should call me by my first name, dear. ‘Mrs. Stone’ could get rather confusing at the family get-togethers. My first name is Slade.”

Willow stared at her, waiting for her to say she was kidding. When she didn’t, Willow started to giggle. “Your name is Slade Stone.”

“
Yes. My father wanted a son. I was his last chance at naming a child after him. I have six sisters all with very girly girl names.” Slade was laughing now too.

Willow knew it was going to hurt, knew as sure as she laid there she was going to regret it, but could no more stop the laughter that burst out than she could breath.

And that was how Jared found them when he walked in later. Both of them with tears on their cheeks while someone from the nursing staff was trying to get her to eat some lime Jell-o and tepid tea.

~Chapter 23~

His mother left an hour later. Willow and she seemed to be getting along, but he knew his mother was a great person and could charm anyone into anything. Jared watched as Willow tried to struggle with the sheets before he finally got up and began straightening them for her.

“
I can do it. Just go home. To your home, why don’t you? I have nurses here if I need something.”

Prickly. He could handle that. It was the indifference that he hated. He smiled at her as he sat down on the sheets and trapped her hands beneath them. She looked up at him with a huff.

“
I want to talk to you about something. You and I are long overdue for a—stop fighting me and sit still.” She was trying to get out from under the sheet. “Willow, look at me.”

“
I want you to go. I don’t want you here. And I’ve got that thingy with the Feds in the morning and I need my rest. Your mom said that you are in charge of the site now and they start to work—”

He kissed her quiet. It had the desired effect, but some of it back fired too. He loved this woman and he wanted her to know it. When the kissed ended, much too soon for his thinking, she lay back against the bed again.

“
Why do you keep doing that? You and I are not going to be seeing one another after this thing tomorrow so I’d like for you to stop doing that.” She wouldn’t look at him.

He laughed and she snorted at him. He’d heard her dad do the same and wondered who had taught who that. There were a lot of things he wanted to know about her. But he had to get over this lie he’d told her.

“
Willow, Talbor got to Conley and his family.” her eyes jerked up to his. “Thomas and his wife are in the hospital. His children are being cared for by his mom. But everyone is going to be okay. One of his kids, the oldest I think, got up to go to the bathroom and saw the light on in the living room. He called nine-one-one when he…Talbor had beaten his dad up pretty good, and his mom…Mrs. Conley had been beaten too, but not as badly.”

“
And the other kids? Molly and Blake, are they all right too?” Jared nodded. “Thank goodness. Why? Why did he hurt her and him?”

Jared stood up and toed off his shoes. “I don’t know. She said that he kept asking her for keys. Said you’d hidden them from him and he needed them.”

“
He asked me about keys too. He kept telling me he only had so much time and that he needed the keys.” he watched as she licked her lips. “What are you doing?”

The chimes sounded then a soft bell through the quiet of the room. Jared looked at his watch as the announcement was made that visiting hours were over and thanked people for coming in. Jared started on the buttons of his shirt.

“
I’m tired. I thought we’d make an early night of it before you have the rest of your interview in the morning.” He laid his shirt over the back of the chair. “Agent Gant said he’d be here by nine.” He walked over to the little nightstand and began empting his pockets. He hesitated about taking out the jewelers box and decided now was not the time to propose. She was still a little mad at him.

“
You can’t…what do you think you’re doing? You have to leave. I want you to leave. Now. I have nothing more to say to you.” her grip on the sheet had her knuckles white and her voice cracked a bit. “I thank you for the information about Conley, but you need to leave.”

Jared handed her the slip of paper he’d asked his mom to get for him. It stated that he could stay after visiting hours and that the staff was to accommodate him and Willow in whatever they needed.

“
This doesn’t say you can sleep in here. Nor does it mention you needing to be naked either. Dress and get the hell out of here.” She was panicky again. He refrained from pointing that out to her.

He simply looked at her as he pulled off his belt. There was no way he was leaving here before morning. And especially not until he could convince her to marry him and soon. He grinned when he thought about what his mother had told him when she handed him the permission.

“
You make this work with her or so help me Jared, I will disown you and adopt her. Right now I like her a damn sight better than I do you. I will be extremely disappointed in you if you can’t convince her that you love her.”

He laid the belt on the chair. “I’m not going anywhere. Scoot over some. These beds are much too small for two people.” He unbuttoned his pants and lowered the zipper as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Here and It are with Alexander by the way. And I took them to their vet appointment. I didn’t know they were purebloods and not related. That’s awesome.”

“
The idiot who named them bought them to breed. And—why did you take them? They don’t like to ride in strangers’ cars. Marta has to fight to get them in her car.” She looked ready to cry. “They don’t like strangers’ cars.”

“
Honey, I bribed them. I gave them a slice of bacon when they got in and then when we got finished with the vet. Now every time I open the door, I have to drag them out again. It was a mistake with the bacon, I’ll admit that now.” She smiled a watery smile at him and he felt like such a heel. “Are you going to move over or do you plan to take up all the bed?”

“
Jared, please? I don’t want…You have to go before you break my heart. I know you don’t…I know you won’t ever love again and I can be okay with that as long as you leave now.” He didn’t know what she was talking about. “Your leg.”

Love his leg again? Then she pointed to his calf. He looked down at the long forgotten tattoo. He took the sheet from her hand and climbed into the bed with her. After getting her comfortable, he wrapped his arms around her gently and pulled her into his arms.

“
I was seventeen and she was…she was considerably older so she broke my heart—or as broken as a horny teenager can have their heart broken. She’d seduced me, easily, I suppose. Anyway, I was having the affair of a lifetime and thought I’d found my true love. Turned out she was married.” He felt her stiffen beside him and nearly laughed. “She had kids my age.”

She turned to look at him. He could see the anger there in her eyes and was pleased by it. That was until he realized that the anger was directed at him.

“
You should be horsewhipped. That poor woman—”

“
Poor woman?” He sat up. “She seduced me. I’m the one who got his heart broken. I’m the—”

“
Oh poo. You could charm the panties off a nun and you know it. Of all the…did you expect me to be sorry about it for you?”

Jared wasn’t sure whether he should be happy or insulted by her assessment of him. Before he could say anything else, she continued.

“
I suppose you were drunk when you got that sappy tat, too.” He didn’t answer because she was right. “If you think that every time we fight you’re going to get yourself inked, well, you can just forget about using my kitchen. Do you hear me?”

It took him several seconds for his head to catch up with what she was saying. Then when he did, he couldn’t hide the hope in his voice. “Willow? Are you asking me to move in with you?” His heart hammered in his chest waiting for her answer.

She took her time. She settled into the bed and pulled the sheet up and over them both. Then she fussed with the blanket before she reached over and turned off the light. The room was plunged in darkness.

“
If you want. Your mom said...she said that you’d been using the kitchen anyway. Marta claims you’re a good cook.” Her voice was low and soft. “And the dogs seem to like you.”

He waited for what seemed an eternity. What for, he wasn’t sure, but he knew that there was more. She had more to tell him.

“
And you, Willow? Do you like me too?” He took her hand in his as he waited for an answer.

“
Sometimes. Mostly I…mostly, I love you. I know we’ve not really known each other all that long and I know I’m really inexperienced wh—where are you going now?”

He went to his pants and got out the little box. Then he stood next to the bed “Turn on the light please.” She turned on the light to dim. “More.” The room brightened and she had tears in her eyes.

Going down on one knee near the bed, he took her hand in his again. Ignoring her protests, he opened the box and showed her what was nested inside. Her “oh my” gave him courage.

“
Willow James, will you please marry me? Marry me so I can make love with you every night and every morning? Will you marry me so that I can cook you wonderful meals in your kitchen? I want you to marry me so that I can stand on our deck and shout ‘Come Here, Damn It’ to our dogs. But mostly, will you marry me because I love you with every part of my body, my heart, and my soul?” He stood when she didn’t answer right away.

“
You’re insane. Do you know that? You make me nuts too. Marry you? Do you know that any children we have are going to need to be watched so that they don’t pick up any of your—”

He kissed her. She’d said yes. Even if she didn’t say the actual word, he was taking her comment about children as a yes. Pulling back just enough to look at her, he grinned at her dazed expression.

“
I love you, Willow.” He took the ring out of the box and put it on the tip of her ring finger. “Will you let me dress your finger?”