To Claim a Wife

by Susan Fox

  Her hair had been burned. She’d cried when she’d realized it, then felt foolish because it was such a minor loss. Both she and the boy could have died. But the minor burns on her skin were far less upsetting to her than the damage to her hair.

  The soothing ointment they used on her scorched face was rapidly healing the skin there, and she’d have no burn scars on her face, arms or hands. Only a tiny part of the bums on her shoulder and back were second degree, and no one would ever see those scars.

  Her vision had cleared, but she was plagued by headaches that grew worse when she was tired. Because she had no one to take care of her, the doctors were reluctant to approve her release from the hospital.

  She tried not to think about Reno. Why had he come to the hospital? Why had he spoken so gently to her? Why had he sent the roses? The questions hounded her, and though the strain of not thinking about them wore her out, she made the effort.

  Because she’d finally gotten smart. Love and family were not possible for some people, certainly not for her. She’d never open her heart to that kind of pain again. She couldn’t let herself hope that Reno might finally have softened toward her, when his actions were probably motivated by simple pity for her injuries. Besides, she’d never again try to tell him about Beau, so it didn’t matter why he was doing these confusing things now.

  After she left the hospital, maybe she’d live like Maddie did. She’d buy herself a grand house somewhere where no one knew her, or a small ranch, and live as she pleased, investing her money, living her life as a rich hermit who needed no one. She’d never been out of the country, so maybe she could travel. Perhaps she could find a charity and throw herself into that. As long as she didn’t interact with anyone on a personal basis...

  Reno had given Caitlin time to get better. He’d given her eight days.

  He’d managed to track her progress through a woman on the hospital housekeeping staff who was married to one of his men. While he hadn’t asked her to snoop in Caitlin’s medical chart, she’d been able to tell him how Caitlin looked, whether she was able to get out of bed and move around, and how well she seemed to feel.

  He’d waited every day for a new report, but was frustrated when the woman had a day off and nothing new to tell. Time crawled even slower on those days, and his impatience to see Caitlin climbed to monstrous proportions.

  After eight days, he’d reached his limit. He’d see her tomorrow, whether she wanted to see him or not. He’d done her a grave injustice, they all had. But the injustice he’d done to her was so large and so terrible that letting her have her wish to keep him away would only compound it. She needed to know that things had changed, she deserved to know that he no longer blamed her, that he was sorry and meant to make it up to her.

  And now that he knew everything about Beau’s death, the attraction he felt toward Caitlin had become deeper and more profound.

  He’d talk to her doctor first thing in the morning.

  Caitlin returned wearily to her room after her first major walk without the encumbrance of the IV stand. The doctors had tentatively agreed to release her later that morning, so the IV had been taken out. Because she knew they might not approve her release if they knew she planned to spend a few days at a motel until she felt like driving to San Antonio, she’d been vague about where she would be going when they let her out.

  She’d called the ranch and asked that her rental car and her belongings be brought to the hospital. She’d asked Lucky to bring them because she was eager to see the old cowhand. She hoped he hadn’t been offended by her request for no visitors. When she’d spoken to him on the phone about the flowers a few days ago, he’d seemed to understand. But then, Lucky was too kind and too much a gentleman to ever let her know if he’d taken offense, so she’d worried about it.

  Regret made her sigh as she set her cane aside and climbed gingerly onto the bed. She lay back and pulled the sheet and light blanket over herself. God, she hated regret. Was there anything she would ever do right? She closed her eyes and tried to banish the feeling. Regret and guilt couldn’t be part of the new life she was going to make for herself. She’d had enough of guilt and enough regrets to last two lifetimes.

  Her head was throbbing again, but she resisted the urge to ask for more medication. She was exhausted enough after her walk to fall asleep without it.

  The sound of the door swishing open woke her later. She forced away the lingering fog and glanced toward the sound. She’d expected Lucky to bring her things sometime that morning so she could get dressed, but the cowboy who walked into the room was Reno.

  Her first unwary glimpse of him sent a bolt of excitement through her. She stared, hardly believing her eyes as she watched him cross to her bed and set her overnight bag beside the nightstand.

  The next moment her excitement switched to panic. She reached for the call button fastened to the bed sheet beside her, but Reno’s hand shot out to unclip it and snatch it away. He set it out of reach on the nightstand.

  “We need to talk.” Reno’s tone was no-nonsense.

  Her instant “I’ve got nothing to say to you,” made his stern expression harden. She found the button to raise the head of the bed. He allowed her to raise it to a sitting position before he leaned down to brace his fists on the mattress on either side of her thighs and loom close.

  “That’s good. I’ll do all the talking.” He didn’t give her time to object. “I’m taking you home. I’ll hire a nurse if you need one, but you’ll be well taken care of. When you feel up to it, you can decide what you want to do with the ranch. It’s yours. You can run it yourself, have someone run it for you, or sell it off. You’re a respected member of the community, so you’ll be able to choose anything you damned well please.”

  Caitlin’s heart caught on the words You’re a respected member of the community. Her eyes stung with pain.

  “Since when?”

  The flicker of softness in Reno’s eyes had to be her imagination going wild. His voice went low.

  “By now, everyone knows what happened when Beau died. And risking your life to save the boy has made you a heroine.”

  Caitlin almost couldn’t choke back her emotions. “So, even though I murdered Beau, saving the boy makes up for it? A one-for-two record is nothing to brag about.”

  Reno shifted. His hand caught hers gently.

  “Everyone knows what happened when Beau died. They know he put his own life in danger, that you aren’t responsible for his death in any way.”

  Caitlin’s breath caught. Surely she was imagining this. Five years of pain made itself felt, five years of lonely, guilt-ridden exile. The faces of everyone at the funeral, Maddie, the cowboy and his wife—Reno—flashed in her mind. The harsh, unfriendly faces, the self-righteous, condemning faces of the people who’d considered her a murderess. She couldn’t accept—or trust in—this sudden reversal.

  Caitlin threw off his hand. “Get out.”

  The faint glint of shock in his eyes was the only chink in his take-charge armor.

  “I’m here to take you home where you belong.”

  “I don’t have a home,” she insisted bitterly.

  “You do now.”

  The calm words stoked her fury. “Surely you don’t go along with all this. It was your brother I killed.”

  “You didn’t kill Beau.”

  The words she’d hoped to hear, the words she would have accepted if he’d ever allowed her to tell him what happened, sent a flash fire of resentment through her.

  Her angry “How do you know?” made her voice tremble.

  “Lucky and I had a talk,” he said gruffly. “I know what happened at the canyon.” He paused and she had to glance away from the regret in his eyes. “I know I can’t ever—”

  “What?” The remark brought her gaze back to his and she flashed him an angry look. “You couldn’t bear to listen to me, but you and Lucky have a talk and suddenly you know everything? You believe everything?” Her voice rose with each word.
She shook her head and looked away.

  She’d tried to tell him herself, but he’d hated her too much to listen. She’d lived in agony these past years, lived with crippling guilt and the pain of Reno’s hatred. Then the fire had broken out. If it hadn’t, she’d be long gone by now and none of this would be happening. But because she’d saved the boy and been injured, suddenly Reno was willing to listen to the truth.

  If there had been no fire, Reno would have gone on blaming her—and hating her—for the rest of his life.

  “I came here to apologize.”

  Her gaze flew to his and his solemn look made her boil She was so furious she could barely speak.

  “Lucky says a few words, you suddenly believe him, so now everything is wonderful, all’s forgiven, let’s be friends?”

  Her belligerence clearly surprised him and she gave a bitter chuckle. “Thanks for the offer of an apology, Reno, but no thanks. Lucky might not be there the next time my word or actions are called into question.” She sat up straighter to emphasize her words.

  “There’s no way I’ll ever live someplace where people rush to believe the worst of me, where no one believes anything I say. And if you’ll recall, Lucky and the others’ testimony and a judge’s ruling weren’t enough to back me up the first time around. Now suddenly, because I tried to save a child from a fire, what Lucky has to say about me is gospel? Oh, no thanks.”

  Caitlin shook her head adamantly, then flinched at the pain in her head and reached up briefly to soothe it. She was beyond upset. She was so angry, so furious that she couldn’t contain herself.

  As if concerned by the gesture that signaled pain, Reno touched her, but the jolt of awareness that went through her set her off again. She lifted her hands to Reno’s chest to press him back. The effort barely moved him, but he moved back to appease her.

  “No one in their right mind would live in a place where people make such harsh judgments,” she railed, “then, over some minor act of heroism, make such sweeping reversals.”

  Her eyes were blazing and she was shaking wildly. “What happens during the next flood or barn fire? If I can’t save the next one, will everyone’s opinion swing back the other way?”

  Outrage and pain set off a new geyser of emotion. Her eyes were stinging, but she fought the urge to cry. She’d die before she gave in to the overwhelming urge to sob out her disappointment in the reason for everyone’s change of heart.

  She couldn’t help that her voice was choked. “And you’re the worst of all,” she declared hoarsely. She had to turn her face away before she shamed herself. Her head was pounding so hard she was nauseous.

  Suddenly, her doctor strode into the room and Caitlin was pitifully grateful for the interruption that kept either of them from saying more.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Caitlin gritted her teeth and made one small, stiff nod. She forced herself to look at the doctor and give him a tight smile to prove it.

  “Mr. Duvall assures us that you’ll be well taken care of at home.”

  Caitlin’s angry gaze shot to Reno’s and glowed resentfully. “I can take care of myself. I’m going to a motel.”

  The doctor’s pleasant smile faded to a sober line. “If that’s the case, we may have to keep you longer. You shouldn’t be alone until you’ve recovered a bit more from that concussion.” He paused and his gaze searched hers. “Right now, my guess is your head’s pounding like a bass drum.”

  Tears stung her eyes at his perception. Her head hurt terribly. Her whole body ached and she was weak. Rage had drained her and she doubted she had the strength to get out of bed.

  “I’m tired of being here.” The admission was difficult to make without sounding as weak and weepy as she felt.

  The doctor nodded. “Then why don’t you let Mr. Duvall take you home? He explained the situation to me, and I have his assurance that you’ll be very comfortable and happy in your home.”

  The gentle words were persuasive. Caitlin saw the quick look that flashed between the two men. It was a confirmation that they’d conspired together against her.

  “H-how long before I can reasonably take care of myself?”

  The doctor looked relieved, and so did Reno. “A couple of weeks will make a huge difference. We’ll take off the shoulder bandage now, and switch the hard cast for a removable one with Velcro straps. As I said, the concussion is the thing we want to watch. You can walk on the foot, but doing everything for yourself is still too much. You need good food, plenty of rest and more time.”

  Caitlin felt herself losing the battle. But once she was on the Broken B and no one was watching, she could leave. The doctor was exaggerating. She wasn’t helpless. She was weak and uncomfortable, but she could cope on her own. She didn’t need anyone, least of all Reno Duvall.

  She made herself give a small nod of agreement, then submitted to a final exam after Reno stepped out of the room.

  She’d go with him now to the ranch. But she’d leave on her own at the first opportunity.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  HE’D been arrogant to think he could waltz into Caitlin’s room, apologize, and that it would be enough. He’d been hard on her, too damned hard, and he couldn’t blame her for blowing up at him. He’d put her through too much, hurt her too much for her to get over it easily.

  In spite of her towering anger just now, Caitlin had been in terrible emotional pain. He’d seen it, but he’d also seen her fear. She was terrified of everyone’s change of heart, and when he thought about it from her side, he could understand.

  Like she’d said, she’d told the truth at the inquest and had testimony that backed hers up. The judge had ruled that she wasn’t responsible for Beau’s death, but everyone else had judged her guilty. Especially him. Now everything had changed, and she was afraid it could just as easily change again.

  Was it even possible for her to forgive him? Until Lucky had gotten through to him, it might never have been possible for Reno to forgive her.

  But this was about much more than Caitlin forgiving him for what he’d done to her. It was about him making things right, about restoring what she’d lost, and maybe giving her the things she’d never had. Caitlin was still that lonely, heartbroken kid who hadn’t been loved or treated very well by the important people in her life, him included.

  He remembered even more clearly now when she was a kid. Though she’d tried to hide it behind her solemn glances and carefully neutral expressions, he’d seen her excitement when he came around. A word of praise, no matter how minor, sent a blushing glow to her pretty face that she’d immediately tried to conceal. Sometimes, as if his praise was too wonderful for her to stand, she’d become even more shy and find some excuse to get away from him for a while. The sad part was that he’d never said anything particularly lavish to her. Just a couple of laconic words now and then.

  He’d sensed right off that she was starved for attention, and once he’d given her a little, she’d shadowed his every move in hope of more. But as she got older, he’d become uneasy with that. He was ten years older than she was, so when those solemn blue eyes began to show hints of infatuation, he’d distanced himself from her.

  He knew he’d hurt her then, but there’d been no help for it. A teenaged girl had no business developing a crush on a man who was ten years older, and a decent man would never encourage it.

  But now that Caitlin was a mature twenty-three, the ten-year age difference between them didn’t matter. At least not to him.

  The doctor came out of the room then, and gave him a nod. He explained some of the limitations he wanted Caitlin to keep and when he wanted to see her in his office. After the doctor left, Reno turned toward her room and prepared himself for her resistance.

  Caitlin fought him. Though he could see she was worn out, he’d asked her if she’d like to stop by a beauty shop to have her hair trimmed. It didn’t look that bad to him, but he’d seen her catch sight of her reflection in the plate glass in the front lobby of the
hospital. She’d lifted a hand and touched one of the jagged locks, and he’d sensed then that she was self-conscious about the way it looked.

  Once she was in the car and the overnight bag he’d brought was stowed in the trunk, she’d not looked his way. His offer to stop by the salon had made her stiffen, but she’d nodded. Once they arrived at one of the better ones in Coulter City, she’d refused to let him help her to the door. Even with the cane she’d brought from the hospital her progress was slow, and by the time she reached the door of the salon, he could see the perspiration that had broken out on her face. The sun was hot, and the tender exposed skin of her face and hands must have been smarting, but she’d gritted her teeth and endured it.

  Once inside, she was instantly recognized. The women in the place tracked her every move. The stylist—who was also the owner of the shop—took care of her, first shampooing her hair, then giving it a good cut with a couple of subtle layers that trimmed the damaged parts away and restored a healthy look. Caitlin declined to have her hair dried, and Reno knew it was as much because she was too worn out to wait as it was because the air from the dryer would be too hot for her skin.

  Caitlin looked profoundly uncomfortable when the owner refused her money and cheerfully told her that the shampoo and cut were on the house. Her declaration that she was proud to have Caitlin Bodine come to her shop, sent a tide of fiery color up Caitlin’s cheeks. Though she thanked the woman, by the time they got to the car, Reno could see she was shaking with embarrassment and fatigue.

  Once Reno was in the car and got it started, his quiet “Things have changed for you,” sent her temper skyward.

  “Today they’re changed,” she burst out “Tomorrow they can change again.” She glanced his way then, and he saw the fear in her eyes. He reached to touch her, but she shifted her arm to avoid him.