by L. Wilder
“That had to be tough.”
“It was, but things are getting better,” I told him as I started to stand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to carry on so much… I just wanted you to know that I get it. I know it’s hard to lose someone you care about.”
He reached out and placed his hand on my arm, stopping me. “Wait a second. How long has it been since she died, again?”
I lowered myself back to my spot. “It’s been a few years. My dad’s still having a hard time with it. He’d never admit it, but I think it’s one of the reasons why he’s working so much.”
“Distractions can be good.”
“I guess. He loves his job, but he works these crazy hours and doesn’t take good care of himself. Brandon and I moved home to help him out, but I’m not sure it’s doing any good,” I explained.
“I bet it helps more than you think,” he replied as his eyes met mine. I couldn’t explain the feeling I got when I looked at him. Behind all those crazy, lustful urges, there was something more, something I wanted more of.
“I hope so. It’s just that so much has changed since we moved to Washington. Life was so different before. I kind of miss the way things used to be.”
“Different how?” he pushed, seeming to actually enjoy listening to me ramble on.
“It was just different. Things back home were more laid back, I guess. It wasn’t so rushed, and there wasn’t so much pressure. It’s mostly just me—because of my job. I love what I do, but it seems everyone is always trying to be the top guy on the totem pole.”
Despite the fact that I was the one doing most of the talking, I loved being with Smokey. I couldn’t believe how easy he was to talk to, and I was disappointed when. During our talk, I’d received several text messages, and when I got the fourth one, I finally took my phone out of my back pocket. I saw then that all of the messages were from Brandon. I glanced up at the time and was surprised to see that we’d been sitting there talking for over an hour. I’d totally forgotten that I was supposed to be back at the office to meet my brother for dinner.
I shot up from my spot suddenly as I blurted, “Sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Everything okay?”
“Oh! Yeah, I’m just late,” I told him as I dusted the dirt off my backside.
“Hold up, and I’ll help you down.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ve got it,” I told him. Without waiting for Smokey’s help, I walked over to the ladder and started down. I’d only made my way down a few rungs when I missed one of the steps.
I heard Smokey call out my name as I lost my grip and dropped to the ground, landing on the hard dirt floor with a sickening thud. The wind was completely knocked out of me, and pain radiated from my shoulder. I lay there, dazed and confused, trying to take a breath and doing what I could to not pass out from the pain. I tried my best to lie still and take slow, easy breaths. I had to calm myself so that I wouldn’t panic. I heard Smokey calling my name as he clambered around above me. I didn’t have the strength to answer him. He yelled over and over, each time sounding a little bit closer. Finally, I felt myself being gently lifted up from the ground and cradled into strong arms as Smokey rushed me out of the barn.
The bristles of his beard brushed across my earlobe as he whispered, “I’ve got ya, doll. It’s going to be okay.”
Damn. The hot biker was rescuing me yet again.
Chapter 7
Smokey
My heart stopped cold in my chest as I saw her hand slip off that ladder. She’d only made it halfway down when her foot slipped and she’d lost her grip. I tried to get to her, but I wasn’t fast enough. I could only stand there helplessly and watch as she fell back and hit the hard ground. I looked down at her, seeing the color drain from her face as she gasped for air, and I panicked. As soon as I got to her, I could see that she was struggling to breathe. I wasn’t sure if the wind had just gotten knocked out of her or if she’d punctured her lung with a broken rib. I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I skipped calling an ambulance. The farm was thirty miles from town, and it would’ve taken them at least an hour to get to her. I knew I could get her to the hospital in half the time, so I carefully lifted her in my arms and carried her out to Emily’s SUV. I tried my best to move her as little as possible as I laid her in the back. Thankfully, the keys were in the ignition, so I cranked the engine and headed straight for the hospital. I’d barely made it out of the driveway when I heard MJ whimper from the back of the truck.
“MJ, I’m taking you to the hospital,” I told her. When she didn’t respond, I asked, “Marley Jo? You with me?”
“Um hmm,” she managed.
“You’re going to be alright. Just hang in there.” When I looked in the rearview mirror, I could see that she was trying to move and I worried that she might make things worse, so I said, “Try to be still, doll. We’ll be at the hospital in just a few minutes.”
Trying my best to keep her steady, I pressed the accelerator forward and raced towards the hospital. Every minute seemed to drag by as I sped down the highway. I couldn’t get there fast enough, and all the traffic was only making me more impatient. When I finally pulled up to the emergency room doors, I jumped out of the car and motioned for someone to help. A kid in light blue scrubs immediately came out pushing a gurney, but he was in no hurry as he strolled over to the truck. He was in his early twenties with a doesn’t-give-a-shit attitude that irritated me from the moment I laid eyes on him. He leaned forward as he peered into the truck and asked, “What do we have?”
I hesitated for a moment, thinking I might need to pick her up and carry her inside myself, but decided against it and said, “She’s had a bad fall. She’s conscious, but she’s in a lot of pain. Not sure how bad it is.”
He turned back and with a mischievous smirk, he asked, “Is she your wife?”
“No. She’s a… friend,” I growled.
“Damn man. She’s a hot little number…. with a looker like her, I’d be making all kinds of close friends with her.” He snickered as he started to reach inside the truck to get her.
Before he had a chance to lay a finger on her, I grabbed the back of his shirt, tossing him over to the side of the truck as I shoved my forearm under his throat and snarled, “Don’t fucking touch her.”
“Whoa, man,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean nothing by it!”
“Clarence!” I heard a nurse call. She scrambled over to us and said, “Sir… I need you to release my orderly. I can’t help your friend until you do.”
I glared at him as I said, “Don’t fucking touch her.” Without taking my eyes off of him, I pulled back my arm and released him from my hold.
“Clarence, go back inside and send out Katie. We’ll discuss this incident later.”
He nodded, and as soon as he was gone, she looked into the vehicle and said, “I’ll need your help.” As we lifted her out of the truck and onto the gurney, she said, “We’ll need her name and insurance information.”
MJ’s head rolled to face her as she mumbled, “My name is Marley Jo Thompson. My insurance… card is in my purse. I don’t… have it.”
“I’ll get it,” I told her as I reached for my phone and texted Clutch, explaining the situation in as few words as possible, then told him where Marley Jo’s purse should be and asked him to bring it to the hospital.
Another nurse came rushing out of the emergency room doors and came over to help us get MJ inside. I followed them both to one of the back rooms and just as the nurse was about to pull the curtain, she looked at me and asked, “Are you her husband?”
“No.”
“A relative?”
“No,” I answered.
“Then I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to go out to the waiting room. Only family members are allowed to stay with the patients. It’s hospital policy.”
“I don’t give a shit about the hospital policy. I’m not going anywhere,” I growled.
“Sir, this will go a lot faster if you just play by t
he rules. We’ll look her over, and as soon as we know something, I will come and find you. You have my word,” she promised.
I could see the pain in her eyes as they found mine and she said, “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little rattled… it’s okay.”
“Alright.” I frowned. “But I won’t be far,” I added with a quick glance toward the nurse.
The older nurse smiled and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of her.”
I leaned over the gurney and gently kissed MJ on the forehead. As I walked out the door, I turned back to her and said, “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
She gave me a half smile, then turned her attention back to the nurse beside her. I headed out to the waiting room. When I walked in, the place was practically bursting at the seams. People were crowded around the vending machines and sprawled out across the chairs, while several paced back and forth as they waited to hear from their doctor. It was a madhouse, but I managed to find a couple of empty seats in the back corner. I’d been there almost an hour when Clutch showed up. I could always count on him when I got in a bind. He’d just patched in when I’d started prospecting almost eleven years ago. Since then, he had been one of my closest friends and never failed to be there when I needed him.
Clutch walked over to me. As he handed me MJ’s bag, he asked, “What happened?”
“MJ fell when she was coming down from the loft.”
“Who? And you should know… your sister is pretty upset. She said you took her truck without even telling her what was going on.”
“Shit. I forgot.” I grabbed my phone and sent her a message.
Clutch asked again, “So who is MJ?”
“Marley Jo. She’s a lawyer from Smith and Wells or something. She’s handling my father’s will,” I explained.
“His will?”
“Yeah. He died a few weeks ago. We were in Salt Lake when it happened. I just found out about it this morning.”
Clutch’s eyes filled with sorrow as he put his hand on my shoulder and said softly, “Smoke… I’m sorry, brother. I know you two were on the outs, but it still has to hit hard.”
“Yeah… wasn’t expecting him to die, and I sure as hell wasn’t expecting him to leave me half of everything.”
“The farm?”
“All of it. Left it all to me and Em, so now I gotta figure out what the hell I’m gonna do about it.”
“So what does any of this have to do with this MJ chick?” he asked. After explaining everything that had happened, Clutch seemed even more confused than he was before. He shook his head and asked, “She’s the one you told me about… the chick who locked her keys in the car?”
“The one and only.”
“Well, you screwed the pooch on that one, brother. She won’t give you the time of day after you let her fall like that,” he taunted. I didn’t answer. I just stood there eyeballing him, letting him know that I wasn’t in the mood for his messing around. He had a cocky grin on his face as he snickered, “Damn, brother. You got a thing for this chick, don’t ya?”
“Mr. Abrams?” the younger, stocky nurse interrupted.
I quickly turned and faced her as I answered, “Yes?”
“I wanted to give you an update on Ms. Thompson,” she started. She looked down at the chart and then said, “She has a mild concussion, so she’s going to need to be supervised for the next twenty-four hours. I’ll give you medical instructions when she is discharged. She also has a dislocated shoulder, which the doctors are working on now. She’ll be in a sling for four to six weeks, and…” She paused as she checked the chart again. Then she looked up at me and continued, “She has several bruises, so she’s going to be sore for the next couple of days. You’ll need to keep an eye on her.”
“Shit,” Clutch mumbled.
“When can I see her?” I asked.
“It’s just going to be a little bit longer,” the nurse assured me. “When she’s back from recovery, I’ll come and get you.”
As soon as she left the waiting room, Clutch said, “You’re gonna need a few days to sort your shit.”
“No doubt about that,” I sighed. “The mountain just keeps growing. I’ll give Cotton a call when I leave here.”
“Sounds good. Let me know if I can do anything to help,” he offered.
“You know anything about apples?” I chuckled.
“I know they taste good in pie,” he smiled. “That’s about it.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. “Well, shit. You aren’t any help at all.”
“Moral support, brother. Got all you need.” He laughed as he gave me a quick slap on my back. “I gotta get rolling. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” I told him as I watched him walk out the door. I wandered back over to my corner and when I sat down, something jabbed me in my side. I reached into my side pocket and realized it was the second letter. With all that had been going on, I’d forgotten that I’d brought it with me. Giving into my curiosity, I carefully pulled the letter open. The noise around me seemed to fall silent as I read:
Evan,
They say that everyone’s life is full of regrets. I know mine is. I’ve had tons. Especially when it comes to you. I know I wasn’t a good father to you, and that’s my biggest regret. I wasn’t there in the way you needed me to be, and it drove a wedge between us. I shouldn’t have waited so long to try to make things right with us. I should’ve tried from the start, but I let my pride get in the way. I know you tried, but then, you always have been better than me when it comes to things like that. I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the phone all those times you tried to call. If I could go back, I would. I’d answer it, time and time again.
You were right when you said my life was wrapped up in the farm. Every season, I’d watch the buds begin to sprout, and I’d know with just one look whether or not we’d have a good harvest. I watched the sun rise and set over those trees and marveled at the harvest they would bring a few months later. I felt like I was a part of the orchard, and it was a part of me. It’s the main reason I decided to give the farm to you and Emily. It truly is the best part of me. I hope one day you both will come to appreciate it the way I always did.
I love you, son.
Dad
My chest felt tight as I put the letter back in its envelope and shoved it into my pocket. I took several deep breaths and tried to calm the storm of emotions stirring in my chest. Nothing helped. I sat there, going over it again and again as I tried to make sense of it all, and I was still trying to sort everything when the nurse came to the waiting room to get me. Thankful for the distraction, I followed her into a small room where the doctor was in the process of discharging MJ. She was propped up on the gurney and already looking better as she listened intently to all of his instructions. She didn’t look at me when I walked in, but I could tell by the light pink blush that flushed her cheeks that she knew I was standing there. Damn. She was so fucking beautiful, and it gutted me to see her wearing that sling.
“Take it easy for the next few days. No slipping off to work.” The doctor smiled as he handed her two prescriptions. “You can get these filled downstairs.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll schedule you an appointment with the orthopedist at the Bone and Joint clinic first thing tomorrow. I’ll have my nurse call you with the time.”
She smiled and said, “Thanks, Dr. Teagan.”
When he started for the door, MJ finally looked over in my direction. I walked towards her and asked, “How ya feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I’ll be fine. My ego… now that’s another matter altogether,” she confessed.
I ran my hand gently down her arm and smiled as I asked, “What’s this about your ego?”
Her eyes rolled towards the ceiling as she groaned, “I can’t believe I fell off that stupid ladder. I feel like such an idiot.”
“You gave me quite a scare, I’ll give you that, but there’s nothing for you to
be embarrassed about. It’s an old ladder. I shouldn’t have let you go down without some help.”
“I was in a rush… oh no!” she gasped. “My brother! I need my phone.”
I got her purse off of the counter and as I handed it to her, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“He’s the reason I was in such a rush in the first place. He was planning to meet me at work, so we could go to dinner,” she explained. She dug around in her purse and pulled out her phone. Panic flooded her face as she looked at the screen. She began to scroll through the texts and mumbled, “Well, shit.”
“I take it he’s sent a message or two?” I teased.
“More like twenty-six.”
“You better call him.”
She sighed as she dialed his number. As soon as he answered, she said, “I’m okay. I’m…” She paused as he interrupted her. Then, after several seconds of him yelling, she finally snapped, “If you will stop shouting for two seconds, I will tell you what happened! I had an accident. I’m fine, but I’m at the hospital. I fell…” She stopped again when he started yelling for the second time, and then the line went dead.
“I take it he’s upset.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Brothers worry. That’s what we do.”
“Well, mine tends to go a little overboard… way overboard. He takes being protective to a whole new level. It drives me nuts. And to make matters worse, he’s on his way here. He’s just around the corner at my office, so he’ll be here soon. Apparently, he’s been going a little nuts wondering where I’ve been.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad.” I smiled. I tried to hide my disappointment that her brother was coming to take her home. Seeing her look so damn sweet and vulnerable made my inner beast want to grab her up in my arms and take her back to my place. I wanted to have her all to myself while I made sure she had whatever she needed to get back on her feet. Unfortunately, I knew with her brother coming that wasn’t going to happen.