Kurt: Cowboy (Members From Money Book 23)

by Katie Dowe

  “She suffered a blow to her head and she is suffering from a severe case of hyperthermia which is under control.” His gaze went to Kurt. “I am sorry man but she lost the baby.”

  Kurt swayed and had to clutch the window frame to hold on. “She was pregnant?” he whispered.

  “Early stages. I doubt that even she knew.” Ian said sympathetically.

  “I am so sorry,” Tessa said tremulously as she stared at her brother.

  “Will she be okay?” Erica asked numbly.

  “Eventually.”Ian frowned a little bit and then continued. “This was not an accident Kurt.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There is a deep wail on her back as if someone had taken a whip to her.”

  Kurt stared at his friend in shock. “Someone did that to her?”

  “I am afraid so.”

  Without a word, Kurt turned and left the room with Tessa running after him. Ian caught her and held her arm. “Let him go.” He said quietly. “He needs to be alone.”

  “It’s my fault Ian,” she said with a sob as he wrapped his arms around her.

  Erica sat down heavily on one of the chairs feeling as if everything was spinning out of control!

  *****

  He pushed Thunderbolt ruthlessly as he cleared fences and thundered across the level ground. He ignored the bite of the wind — all he wanted to do was to clear his head. Someone had taken a whip to her and almost killed her. That person had killed their child! He felt his body trembled with rage and sorrow. It was going to be déjà vu all over for her when she wakes up!

  Unknowingly he was being watched! Connie had seen him streak out and mounted his horse and galloped away. She wanted to know if the bitch was dead then she could swoop in and give him comfort and eventually she would become his wife! He was hurting now but she would find ways to comfort him and make him forget her. After all, he belonged to her! With a pleased smile, she bundled up her coat and made her way home.

  Chapter 8

  Kathy clasped her hands together and stared into the fire. She had been asleep when everything was happening and had only heard this morning when she came down for breakfast. Kurt had not come back to the house but had spent the night with Alexis. Erica and Tessa had come back home and that was when she had gotten the news. It was Wednesday and the Thanksgiving Dance which they had been preparing for in so many weeks would not be happening again. Work had slowed down and it was as if they were all on holiday, even the household staff looked as if they had lost a loved one. Kathy looked up as her sister came into the room. “You did not sleep.”

  “I caught a nap in the early hours of the morning but I woke up after that and could not go back to sleep. Kurt hates me.” She sat heavily on the sofa and shook her head at the maid who came over to ask her if she wanted to eat. It was seven in the morning and their mother had gone back to check on both Alexis and her son.

  “You know that is not true. He hates the person who took a whip to her and caused her to fall.” Kathy heaved a sigh. “Who could have done that? Was it one of those guys who are always sneaking onto our property?”

  “But why now? And why her? I have been racking my brain to figure it out. We have been taking rides since we were little and nothing like this has ever happened before. Why Alexis?”

  “I am going to find that out myself,” both girls jumped to their feet as their brother strode into the room.

  “How is she?” Kathy asked her blue eyes wide as she stared at her brother. He had not shaved since yesterday and his hair looked disheveled as if he had ran his fingers through it constantly. He had showered and changed at least and looked as if he was heading back out. They doubted that he had anything to eat.

  “The same,” his blue eyes wandered over to Tessa. “I am sorry I blamed you.”

  “I should have told you she was going out,” Tessa said tearfully.

  “Yea, you should have but that’s beside the point now.”

  “Do you want me to ask the chef for something you can take with you?” Kathy asked him feeling helpless.

  “I am not hungry,” his expression softened as he looked at them. “See you later.” He jammed the hat on his head and headed out.

  “I have never seen him like that.” Kathy murmured.

  “He has never been in love before.”

  *****

  Kathy found him knee deep in dirt as he mucked out the stalls. She stood there watching him for a moment without him noticing her. He had on a thin white shirt that was already sticking to his back. She had not been with him for a week now because she had told herself he was an ass and she needed to stay away from him but that had not worked.

  He looked up suddenly as if sensing her presence and threw down the shovel, using the damp cloth to wipe his face. “I heard about Alexis,” he said quietly as he came towards her. “Pretty rough. How is she?”

  “She is unconscious,” she moved her shoulders restlessly. “I should go, you are busy.”

  “Don’t leave,” he said abruptly. He stood there looking at her. She was wearing a designer dark blue pants and he was pretty sure that the blue sweater she was wearing was cashmere. Her blonde hair was streaming down her back and her pink and white complexion was perfect and he wanted her!

  “I am dirty.” He added. “But I want to take you into my arms and lose myself in your beautiful body. I want to taste your lips right now Kathy.”

  She shivered as she looked at him. His white t-shirt had turned dingy from the dirt and was sticking to his muscled chest. “I don’t care if you are dirty,” she whispered as she came closer to him and spread her fingers over his chest. “I want you too.”

  He pulled her into his arms and took her lips with his savagely, crushing her to him!

  *****

  “I came as soon as I heard,” Connie said breathlessly as she came into the living room and took off her coat handing it to one of the maids. It was late afternoon and there were still no changes. Kurt had not leave her bedside not even to have a meal and they were all worried about him. He was existing on coffee and liquor alone. Erica had finally forced him to eat something. “How dreadful!”

  Tessa looked at the woman with barely concealed dislike. She had never understood what her mother had seen in the girl. She was demure on the outside but Tessa sensed that she had a mean vindictive streak in her. “What do you care?”

  “Tessa,” Erica sent her a warning look. She and her elder daughter were in one of the sitting rooms going over some figures that needed their attention. They had been neglecting work because of the situation but it was catching up to them. “She is still the same Connie and thank you for coming over.”

  “Of course Erica,” she said graciously as she sat on one of the sofas and folded her hands primly. “Mother and I have been praying for her recovery.”

  Tessa gave an unladylike snort before she could help herself.

  “Thank you dear,” Erica said as she gave her daughter another look.

  “So I guess Kurt is with her.”

  “He never leaves her side, not even to eat.” Tessa told her coolly.

  “The poor man.” Connie said sympathetically.

  “Would you like something to drink Connie?” Erica asked her.

  “I would love a cup of tea and if the chef has any of that delicious biscuits that would be nice.” She said with a charming smile.

  “I will go and see what’s available.” Erica sent her daughter another warning look before leaving the room.

  “What is your problem darling?” Connie asked Tessa silkily as she settled back against the cushion. “We used to be friends in high school.”

  “And then I found out who you really are Connie,” Tessa told her coldly. “You almost got Petal thrown out of school because you believed that she was into Blaine. Remember?”

  “We were children then. You need to move on.” She smiled cattily. “There are rumors going around that your nights are spent at the medical center. Are you pl
anning on taking up medicine?”

  “Do you know why Kurt has never been interested in you darling?” Tessa ignored the barbed question and turned to her. “He saw right through your efforts to appear to be a lady when you are not. You are ghetto Connie, beneath that blonde hair and that demure manner you are trash and Kurt would never marry trash.” She smiled and stared as the mask was taken off the girl’s face. For a minute, the ugliness was revealed before she masked it carefully.

  “You think you are better than me because you are a Murphy?” she asked softly as she got to her feet. “You need to watch yourself bitch!” she smiled at her viciously and then turned as Erica came back into the room, her stance changing. “I am so sorry Erica but I need to get going. Duty calls.”

  “Okay dear,” she looked from one to the other as if trying to find out what happened. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  “My pleasure,” she turned and looked at Tessa and the mask slipped slightly. “I will be seeing you.”

  Erica waited until she had left before she spoke. “What happened?”

  “Just girl talk,” Tessa said lightly, curling her fingers to stop the trembling. There was something wrong about that girl!

  *****

  “It’s been two days Ian. What the hell are you not telling me?” Kurt asked him harshly.

  “Her vitals are stable and any minute she can wake up. We just have to wait and see.”

  “I am not good at that.” He walked over to the window to look out. Thanksgiving had come and gone without the usual dance. He shied away from thinking about the fact that he had wanted to announce their engagement during the dance. Now she was lying in a hospital bed for the past two days and had lost their child because someone had put her there. He had not been able to do any investigation and had only called the local police to let them know but so far nothing had surfaced. His work was slipping because he spent most of his time at her bedside. “Should I airlift her to a hospital?”

  “She is doing fine here Kurt but if you want to do that it is your right.”

  Kurt stared at his friend in frustration. “I was going to announce our engagement yesterday,” he said bleakly.

  “I am sorry man.” Ian clapped him on the back sympathetically. “She is going to wake up.”

  Kurt nodded. “I need to be with her.” He turned and went to the room where she was. The nurses took care of her and of course his mother and sisters came by regularly to visit and bring clothes and flowers to brighten up the room. Even his stable hands asked for her on a regular basis and sent tokens. She had wormed her way into their hearts the short time she had been here.

  He pulled up a chair and took her limp hand in his. Someone had combed her hair away from her face and one of the nurses had put on a fresh bandage. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “Wake up baby please. I miss you and I am afraid that I am a wreck without you.” He closed his eyes as he placed her hand against his hair roughened cheek. “If you don’t wake up my darling, this place is going to run to a wreck and it is going to be your fault. I love you baby and I really cannot do this without you.”

  *****

  “Oh God Miller no!” it was the screams that woke him up, the third night she had been out!

  He jumped up and shook his head as he raced to the bed. She was thrashing around, her arms flaying. He reached to her the exact time Ian and a nurse came running into the room. “Alexis baby it’s okay.” He held her arms and he finally got through to her. She stopped and opened her eyes to look up at him.

  “Kurt?”

  “I am here my love.”

  “Where--”

  “At the medical center.” Ian answered. “I need to check her vitals.”

  Kurt nodded and stepped back.

  Kurt went to look out the window while Ian and the nurse attend to her. She obviously remembered and that was a good thing, maybe. She had called his name, the first thing she had done was called his name and he wondered what the hell that meant!

  “We will leave you two alone.” Ian said as soon as they were finished.

  Kurt came over and sat on the edge of the bed gingerly. “How are you?”

  “I feel as if I have been out for weeks,” she said with a slight smile. “What happened?”

  “You fell from your horse.”

  She frowned a little bit and then shook her head. “Someone made me fall.”

  “Did you see the person?”

  “No. I heard hoof beats behind me and I thought that maybe it was you. The next thing I knew was I felt a sharp sting and I fell off the horse.” She looked at him for a moment. “Someone tried to kill me.” She said in wonder.

  “It appears so.”

  “Why?”

  “I am going to find out.” He brushed the hair off her face. “You called out Miller. Does that mean you got your memory back?”

  She looked away and then back at him. “We were involved.” She saw the pain on his face. “We broke up weeks before we took that plane ride together. We were on our way to Texas to speak to a potential investor as the magazine was going under.” She heaved a sigh. “We had an argument right before we boarded the plane and I accused him of running the magazine to the ground. I was not in love with him Kurt.”

  He gave a shuddering sigh and bent his head to her hands. “Oh baby, I thought I had lost you.”

  She curled her hands around his neck. “Not on your life,” she murmured huskily as she rubbed her hands up and down his hair roughened cheeks. “You need a shave.”

  He laughed softly. “Now that you are awake I will do that.” His expression sobered. “I have some bad news.”

  “What?”

  He told her about the pregnancy.

  She stared at him wide eyed. “I never knew.”

  “It was early stages.” He said huskily. “You were pregnant with my child.”

  “Will I be able to--”

  “Ian said yes? I am going to insist that we get married as soon as you get out of here. I am not going to take the chance of losing you.”

  She brought his head down to hers and curled her fingers into his hair. “I agree.”

  *****

  Connie screamed and tore at her clothes! The bitch had survived. She had woken up and they were closer than ever. She had cornered Kurt at the end of the corral a few days ago and had sympathized and told him that if there is anything she could do he must let her know and he had barely looked at her. Now rumor had it that they were getting married in December.

  “Connie, what’s going on?” Carmen ran into the room and stared at her daughter. She looked unhinged and disheveled as if she had been in a fight. “Honey?”

  “Get out!” she screamed. Carmen jumped aside as she picked up a hairbrush and flung it towards the door.

  “Honey what is going on?” Carmen felt the fear in her breasts. She had known something was wrong for some time but had put it down to Connie being Connie.

  “She is alive. That bitch is alive.”

  “Who is alive?”

  “Alexis is alive. I did not do a good job.”

  Carmen felt her heart lurched. “What did you do Connie? Did you cause something to happen to that girl?”

  “What do you think you stupid lark?” She asked sneeringly as she plucked the sheet off her bed and wrapped it around her trembling body. “She took my man away from me and I had to get rid of her.”

  “Oh my Lord!” Carmen felt as if her legs could not hold her up. “Oh Connie, what have you done?”

  “Ever since I was a little girl I knew he belonged to me.” She rocked herself back and forth, her eyes glazed. “You told me that he was going to be my husband and I believed you.” She looked up and stared at her mother accusingly. “You lied to me!”

  “Honey, I am sorry-“

  “Get out before I kill you!” she shouted as she picked up a pair of scissors.

  Carmen ran out of there immediately, and grabbing her jacket she went to get her car. There was s
omething she had to do!

  *****

  “Welcome home!” Kathy wrapped her arms around Alexis as soon as Kurt put her down gently onto the sofa in the living room.

  “Thanks.” Alexis said with a smile.

  “You were missed,” the more reserved Tessa said giving her a quick hug.

  “How about something to eat?” Erica asked with a beaming smile as she squeezed the girl’s hands.

  “I would love that.”

  Kurt sat next to her and pulled her into his arms. “I am trying to persuade her to go and lie down.” He kissed the top of her head, his expression unbelievable tender.

  “Erica, could you tell your son to stop fussing and go and do some work?” Alexis asked as she looked up at the ruggedly handsome man who was not afraid to show his feelings.

  “She is right darling and besides we have a wedding to plan.” Erica said.

  “I want her up and about before all that excitement.” Kurt warned.

  “We will do all the work,” Kathy piped up. “I have the numbers of your friends at the club and their wives so I could make the calls.”

  “I will call Monique so she could fly some dresses out for Alexis to fit.”

  “Thanks guys,” Kurt said gratefully. He tilted her chin. “Are you sure you will be okay?”

  “I am sure,” she wrapped her hands around his neck. “Please, you are making me feel guilty about you not working.”

  “Okay baby.” He kissed her tenderly. “I won’t be late.” He looked up at his mother and sisters. “Please take care of her.”

  They waited until he had left before turning to her. “We have never seen him like that before,” Erica murmured.

  “He did not eat all the time you were out.” Tessa commented. “He loves you very much.”

  “I know.” They looked up as Kurt came striding back inside. “Kurt you promised--”

  “This is Carmen, Connie’s mother and she has quite a story.”

  Chapter 9

  “She tried to kill me? Why?” Alexis gripped the edge of the sofa and stared at the rumpled looking woman in shock.