Alex gave a start and carefully turned around. From atop the loft, she had the perfect vantage point. She placed her hand to her chest and felt her heart thud against her fingers.
"Did Uncle Jason send you out here to fetch me?"
She bent over to grab the kerosene lantern, but froze when she heard a soft hissing sound. Tell me that isn't what I think it is, she thought with a shudder. She lifted the lantern toward the area where she'd heard the noise. A strangled gasp escaped her lips and her heart lodged in her throat.
"D—Danny,” she stammered, her eyes glued to the nest of rattlesnakes before her. “G—go get help. R—rattlers. M—mother doesn't l—look happy."
That was an understatement. At least a dozen long, slender infant snakes surrounded their mother, but as the tail of the mother began to rattle its warning, the offspring slithered in her direction.
"Oh shit,” Daniel croaked. “O—Okay. Don't move. I'll get Jason and the others."
As if she could? She could scarcely draw in a breath let alone force her muscles to work long enough to climb down from the loft.
"Trust me, I'm not going anywhere."
She watched with growing apprehension as the small snakes slid and jerked in her direction. She didn't know much about snakes, but from what she could remember from her high school biology class—damn, why hadn't she paid closer attention?—venom from young snakes were more deadly than that of adult reptiles. Meaning, if just one of those little snakes bit her, she was done for.
From outside, Daniel's frantic cries for help brought immediate results. The only question was would her uncle arrive in time? Alex looked around. Nothing. The ladder was too far away and there was no telling what lay in the hay below. For all she knew, a pitchfork could be in the pile, killing her if she were to land on its prongs.
Tears pooled in her eyes. Her uncle had warned her that the barn was dangerous and she'd ignored him. And for what? To fill a childish need to get even for separating her from Brett.
"I haven't learned a thing.” She twisted the knob on the lamp until the flame snuffed out. “All I've learned to do is manipulate people."
"Alex!"
A faint smile touched her lips at the horrified tone in her uncle's voice. If she lived through this, she had no doubt he would be livid. However, the emotion in his shout was enough to turn the trickle of tears into a stream. She now saw why Jason had confronted Brett. It wasn't because he disapproved of their relationship. It was because he worried about her. He didn't want her to end up in a situation she couldn't get herself out of.
Like this one.
"I would call Doc Kennedy if I were you.” She let out a tiny scream and jerked her body to the side. “If I live through this, Uncle Jason, I am going to nominate you for sainthood. You forgave a greedy brother for letting you take the wrap for a crime he committed and now you're stuck with a niece who's about as dumb as a sack of rocks."
"The hay pile is clear, Jason,” Charlie announced. “All right, Alex, you're going to have to jump. It's like when you were a kid and played in a leaf pile."
"I can't! If I move they're going to strike.” The tears continued to roll down her cheeks. “Why didn't I listen?"
"Because it's not in your nature,” Jason returned in a gentler voice. “You're just like me, sweetheart. Now do as Charlie says. If anything happens to you, Brett will never forgive us. Now, jump!"
Alex crossed her arms over her chest and fell back. Before she could topple over the edge however, she felt a sharp prick on her shin, followed by a searing pain that shot straight up her left leg.
Letting out a cry of pain, she fell—perhaps ungracefully—into the hay pile. Upon impact, the air rushed out of her lungs and she lay where she was, desperately trying to catch her breath and grasping at her shin.
"She's been bit.” Charlie climbed the hay pile and slipped his arm beneath her shoulders. “Can you sit up?"
Alex wanted to nod, but the pain left her without the ability to rationalize her thoughts.
"I think I'm pregnant,” she said instead.
The instant the words were out of her mouth, she knew they were the wrong ones, but it was too late to think about that as Charlie helped her to sit up.
He blinked his astonishment. “Does Brett know?” When she nodded with a wince, he set his jaw and removed a red handkerchief from his back pocket. “Then we'll make sure you're taken care of. Hold still while I tie this to your leg."
He slipped the cloth beneath her leg and she yelped when he made a knot above the blackening wound.
She took his hand when he started to get up. “You won't tell the others, will you?"
"I won't tell a soul.” He eyed her carefully and when her eyelids fluttered, he squeezed her shoulder. “Alex, don't you faint on me. You didn't pass out when you fell off the ladder and I'm not going to let you do it now. Do you understand me?"
She forced her eyes to focus and glanced around to see the others crowding the hay pile. Her gaze landed on Brett and her heart ached upon seeing the fear in his eyes.
"Do me a favor.” She leaned against Charlie for support. “Don't let on that you're holding me up."
She couldn't let on to the others that she was feeling weak, especially not in front of Brett. Charlie tightened his hold around her shoulders and offered her a reassuring smile.
"You and I will be the only ones who know.” Then to Jason, “Dr. Kennedy should be here any minute, so we should move her to the ground."
Jason nodded and climbed into the hay. “Honey, I know you're in a lot of pain, but I need you to move your legs toward me so we can lift you out of here."
Easier said than done as she swung first her good leg toward her uncle and then her injured one. Fire ripped through her leg and the limb went limp.
She shook her head. “I can't, Uncle Jason. It hurts too much."
Charlie slipped his arms beneath hers and leaned toward her ear. “You're doing just fine,” he murmured as Jason gently took her foot and brought it around. “On three?"
Jason nodded and waited for Charlie to finish counting down.
Alex was surprised there wasn't any pain when she bit her lip. Instead, all she felt was a strange tingling sensation followed by a bitter metallic taste coating her tongue as the two men lifted her from the hay pile and gently set her on the straw covered floor.
She lifted the back of her hand to her mouth and when she pulled her fingers away, a smear of blood remained on her skin. Charlie gave a mild protest from behind her and his arms fell away before a set of stronger, more familiar arms wrapped around her.
"You're going to be okay.” Brett kissed her hair. “Are you feeling sick?"
She nodded. The nausea was building, but thus far, she'd done a remarkable job of hiding it. Despite her desire to keep Brett from knowing just how lightheaded she felt, she sagged against his chest. He tightened one arm around her while gently wiping away the sweat beading on her forehead.
"Hold on, baby. I can't lose you. You're all I have, you know that, right?"
Again, she nodded. “I'm sorry. You and Uncle Jason tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen."
"Where is she?"
Alex lifted her eyes to the doorway and watched in mild disinterest as Dr. Kennedy hurried into the barn with Hudson quickly following. The men stepped out of the way and a moment later, Dr. Kennedy was crouching beside her.
"I know you're in a lot of pain, but I need you to tell me what the snake looked like,” he said and checked the bandana wrapped around her leg. “Good, it's not too tight. Has the wound been washed?"
Charlie shook his head. “No, Doc. We just got her down from the hay pile not a minute or two ago. I can run back to the house to get some soap and water."
Dr. Kennedy shook his head as he removed a bottle from his bag. “No need, Charlie.” He opened the bottle and removed a small handful of cotton balls from the bag.
Alex grimaced as he applied the cold, blue liquid to the wound. “It was
a baby snake,” she said between clenched teeth. “A rattler. I didn't get too close a look, if you want the truth."
Dr. Kennedy smiled reassuringly and dabbed a couple of the cotton balls near the wound. “No, I reckon you wouldn't have. That's okay. We'll get you taken care of."
Once the area was clean, Dr. Kennedy removed a small, rectangular case from his medical bag. “Do you have any known allergies?"
Alex shook her head.
"Are you on any medication at the moment?"
Again, she shook her head. “I, um, I might be pregnant."
From by her feet she saw her uncle stiffen. She swallowed hard and lowered her eyes. From behind, Brett winced and she felt his heart thudding through the fabric of her tank top.
The doctor removed the cap to the needle and glanced first at Jason and then at Brett. “Hold her still.” In a soothing voice, he said, “That's something we'll have to deal with later, dear. Right now, we need to make sure you don't become any sicker than you all ready are."
He means dead, she thought dismally as he inserted the needle. When I don't listen, I really don't listen.
Oh how she hoped she lived through this. If she did, she would do whatever it took to follow the rules. Even if it meant staying away from the man she loved.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Twenty-Six
It was close to ten o'clock that night when Jason returned to the ranch. Brett had figured Alex would need to spend a couple of days in the hospital, but seeing Jason enter the house unaccompanied left a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was it disappointment or fear? Jason had heard Alex's comment about the possibility of her being pregnant and he was sure he was going to get it.
I might as well start packing, he thought glumly and pushed himself out of the kitchen chair. He lifted his eyes to see Jason standing in the doorway. Even in the dim light trickling in from the living room, he could see the haggard expression in the man's eyes.
I'll be lucky if he doesn't beat the tar out of me first.
"Leaving on my account?"
Brett shook his head. “No, sir. I figured I should get a head start on my packing."
He was going to miss the Bar K. The ranch had become something more than just a correctional facility. It had become a home and the prisoners who worked it, his friends, his brothers. Never having had a real family, he'd become spoiled with the way the other men looked out for each other. For the first time in his life, he knew what it meant to be accepted—even loved.
Jason waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “You haven't called me sir in the six and a half years you've been here.” He pointed to the chair Brett had been in. “Sit. I want to talk to you."
Brett plunked into the chair and watched with apprehension as Jason moved to the coffeepot on the counter. He turned on the light over the stove and removed the carafe from the machine.
"I know what you must be thinking—” Brett started, but stopped when Jason set the carafe down hard and turned to face him.
"You don't have the first clue what I'm thinking!” He closed his eyes to regain his composure. “I'm going to tell you something, Brett, and you're going to sit there and shut up until I've finished. Got it?"
"Yes, sir, um, Jason."
Man, he sounded like an idiot. If he sounded like this with Jason, then how would he ever get through a meeting with Alex's father? She had told him that she wanted him to meet Franklin Kincaid and in the aftermath of a night's worth of lovemaking, he'd agreed. Now he wished he hadn't. If he couldn't form an intelligent sentence in front of her uncle, a man he'd grown to consider a father, there was no way he could face her billionaire father.
Jason allowed a faint smile to curve his lips. “Until this past June, I've never seen any of my nieces in person. I've watched them grow up through pictures and phone calls. I knew my brother had spoiled them rotten without giving them any sense of love. When Frank told me he wanted me to take care of Alex, I wanted to teach her two things. One, how to do things for herself and two, show her love didn't always come with a price tag.
"I wasn't lying when I said I expected one of you boys to become smitten with her, but to be honest, I wasn't expecting y'all to fall in love. I expected it to be a passing fancy. In fact, when I confronted you this morning, I still believed what you two were experiencing was nothing more than a case of raging hormones."
Brett's cheeks flushed. “So, you were testing me?” Wouldn't it have been easier to simply ask him what he felt?
"No,” Jason hung his head. “Not exactly. I gave you the ultimatum this morning, because I didn't want you two getting yourselves into a situation you couldn't get out of."
Brett's cheeks burned more. “You didn't want her to get pregnant.” As he thought of what had occurred that day, the heat fled from his face and its stead was an icy fear. What if she had been pregnant? If the bite hadn't killed the fetus—his child—the antivenin shots surely would have.
"She wasn't, was she?” he asked, panic creasing his voice. “I'd never forgive myself if she was."
Jason switched on the coffeepot and strode to the table. “No, thank God. She was given a blood test and it came back negative,” he said and sat. “However, she could have been and that's why I wanted to talk to you. Tell me, just what is it that you feel for her?"
"I love her,” he replied without hesitation. “I know we've only known each other a few short months, but I love her. If she had been pregnant, I don't know what I would have done, but I would have figured something out."
"That's what I wanted to hear,” Jason murmured. “The entire trip to the hospital, Alex begged me not to send you away. She even went so far as to tell me she would go back to Bangor if it meant letting you remain here."
She couldn't go back. For the first time in her life, Alex had the chance to prove herself. If she returned, everything she'd worked for would be for naught. Not to mention, she would be near Greg. The very notion of that bastard touching her sent waves of jealousy coursing through him.
"No!” he blurted. “I would rather face three months in Hutchins than let her go back there. I don't know her father, but I know how he made her feel and I won't let her go through that again. And I sure as hell won't let her near that son-of-a-bitch, Greg."
Jason held up his hand. “Whoa! No one's going anywhere,” he said in a soothing voice. “I'm just telling you what she told me. She was expressing how much you meant to her and if this sudden outburst is any indication, then you obviously feel the same way."
As Brett's pulse slowed to normal, he could scarcely believe what he'd said. What was more, he'd meant it. If it meant keeping Alex safe in San Eduardo, he would gladly face his worst nightmare.
"You have no idea,” he muttered.
Jason peered at him intently. “Right,” he said when Brett returned with two mugs. “There's something you should know. I had to call Frank. As much as I like to keep what goes on here private, Alex was injured and he is her father."
Brett paused with his mug an inch from his lips. If Jason's apprehensive expression was any indication, the rest of his announcement couldn't be good.
"He's coming out here, isn't he?"
Jason nodded. “And he's bringing Morgan and Mindy. Until Alex comes home, they'll be staying in Victoria. It might be as long as a week,” he said in a soft voice. “I won't lie to you. This visit isn't going to be a picnic. Just keep in mind you only have three months left until you're free. Do not let your temper get the better of you."
Just what was Jason expecting to happen? He'd heard enough stories about Alex's twin to know what to expect from her and he had heard nothing but good things about their younger sister, Mindy. Perhaps the problem lay with Franklin himself.
"You never let your past rest, did you?"
Jason stiffened.
"There's a difference between forgiving and forgetting. You couldn't have forgotten since you tell your story at Round Robin. You relive it every time. I know you do,
because we all do."
"I reckon you're right,” Jason submitted in a growl. “However, that's not what I'm afraid of. Y'all are my boys ... and girl, as the case may be. Whether Frank wants to admit it or not, Alex has become accustomed to this ranch."
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Brett smiled. Just two nights before, he and Alex had spent the night lying in her bed, discussing what they wanted to do once he was free. The one thing they agreed upon was that San Eduardo would be her home. A part of him felt guilty about her schooling, but when she suggested that she finish getting her degree nearby, he'd been ecstatic.
"She likes it here,” he murmured. “I know a large part of her decision to remain is because of me, but she admitted that she wants to be here for Matt and Danny too. Especially now that Danny has conquered his first hurdle. His meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln was as much of an accomplishment for her as it was for him."
Jason nodded with a wistful smile. “You boys have become livelier since she's been here, I'll give y'all that,” he admitted. “I'm going to be counting on you and Charlie to keep the others in check around Frank. He may be my brother, but if he threatens to take Alex away, there's no telling how the others will react."
Brett lifted an eyebrow. “And you're certain I'll be able to keep my temper?” he asked with a laugh. “You saw how poorly I handled Greg's visit."
"No, but I don't have a choice. You can keep Alex calm while Charlie keeps the others at bay. I don't expect much trouble, but be advised my brother sees y'all as you are."
"As convicts.” He should have figured. At least he would be meeting Alex's father on familiar ground. It was more than he would have had if he'd gone to Maine to meet the man.
* * * *
"When's Alex getting back?” Daniel pushed his eggs around his plate. “Jason said she was all right, so why keep her for a week?"
Of all of the workers, Daniel had taken Alex's absence the hardest. He hadn't said more than a handful of words the entire time she had been gone. At one point, Jason had even asked Alex to comfort him.
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