Murky Pond

by T. L. Haddix

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  When Lily got to the stables after dropping off her bag and taking a few minutes, she headed straight to Mickey, knowing exactly what she needed to do to keep her sanity while they waited for word on Easton.

  “How’s the weather looking? Did you all get the deluge yesterday we got down south?”

  “Just a sprinkle or two, nothing more. And it looks like good haying weather until midweek. I was about to head out and start cutting.”

  She touched his arm. “Do you mind if I take a tractor?”

  He patted her hand. “Not at all. I’ll walk down to the garage with you.”

  A few minutes later, she was on a tractor, heading out to the field to start cutting the first hay of the season. It would take her, Mickey, and two other farm hands with tractors four days to bring in the hay. They had just over a hundred acres dedicated to growing hay, split in half into active or fallow fields, all of which were Ben’s territory. Her father liked to experiment with the fields that weren’t active, sometimes growing cover crops, sometimes just ignoring them for a season to let the ground rest.

  In any event, cutting hay would give her something to do but not be so distracting she couldn’t think. She could use the time to get a handle on her grief over Easton, and to ruminate about other things as well.

  “Like a stubborn, too-attractive man who’s sending out mixed messages in a big way,” she said on a growl. She didn’t know what to think about Warren. Truly, she was at a loss.

  When he’d awakened her so early this morning, he’d been so caring, so tender. She could feel his pain as he helped her get through the rest of the night and the morning, and the concern he’d exhibited had seemed to be very, very personal. Maybe she was imagining it, but the last few hours had felt different than when they’d had to support each other in the past.

  She’d been cutting for a couple of hours when the tractor started coughing. A quick scan of her gauges didn’t show anything amiss, and she tapped on the screens to make sure a needle wasn’t stuck, but nothing moved.

  “Oh, come on, Bessie,” she told the machine. “Don’t start this shit with me.”

  But the coughing didn’t stop, and in fact seemed to be getting worse. Cursing the tractor for everything she was worth, she turned off the blades on the mower and headed for home, hoping she could make it before whatever was going on disabled the tractor entirely.

  By the skin of her teeth, she managed to limp back to the equipment garage. No one was around when she pulled in, and she parked the tractor in the wide service bay, then she shut it down. A metallic clanging sounded, and a horribly loud backfire made her jump and cower.

  Angry with the machine and the world in general, she picked up her work gloves and smacked the steering wheel repeatedly, yelling and calling the tractor names that to this day would probably get her mouth rinsed out with soap if her mother overheard.

  “And you can go straight to hell too!” she yelled as she got out of the cab, giving the front tire a hard kick for good measure.

  Thanks to that kick, she was limping almost as badly as the tractor as she made her way to the main barn in search of either her mother or Warren. When she walked in and saw him talking to Logan and Archer, she blew out a hard breath. At least her foot had quit throbbing enough for her to be able to stand up straight, she thought.

  “Hey, Tiger Lily,” Archer said, giving her a hug as she joined them. “You look tired.”

  “Hey, yourself. I am.” She squeezed his waist, then groaned and rested against him. “Any word on Easton?”

  “He’s regained consciousness, but he’s still pretty well out of it,” Logan said. “Your dad just got back with a bunch of Campbells. Rachel and Lee are still at the hospital.”

  “How’s Colin? Has he made it back in yet?”

  Logan nodded. “He texted me. He’s resting at your caboose. Thanks for letting him borrow it.”

  She waved. “Anytime he needs it. You know that. Where’s Mom?”

  “Setting up Jonah’s house. How goes the cutting?” Warren asked. “You’re back sooner than I would have expected.”

  Lily growled. “My tractor died. Didn’t you hear it backfire?”

  “We heard something.” Warren frowned. “Any idea what’s wrong with it? We just had it serviced.”

  She shook her head and told them what had happened. “I’m just happy to have made it back in.”

  Archer and Logan exchanged a look. Archer was the service manager at a car dealership in Hazard, and he and Logan had grown up working on engines, as their father had owned a garage.

  “Want us to see if we can fix it or at least diagnose it?” Archer asked. “We were just begging Warren to put us to work.”

  Warren smiled a little. “I’d appreciate it very much. You should be able to find most of the tools you need in the garage with the tractor.”

  Lily gave Archer the keys. “Good luck. I would have shot it if I’d had a gun, just because. I’d really have to work overtime to pay that off, so I guess it’s a good thing I wasn’t armed.” As her uncles left, she asked Warren, “Where do you want me, boss?”

  He stepped closer to her and pushed her hair away from the wound on her forehead, examining it with a wince. “Honestly? Up at the big house, resting. I’ll settle for passing off some paperwork to you. There’s a load of data entry that needs doing and some charts that need updating.”

  “I’m perfectly able to work.”

  “I know. I’m giving you the option to not have to. Leave off the heavy lifting for a day or two. Humor me.”

  The look he gave her was hard to read, soft and intense at the same time. He was near enough that one step would bring her into contact with him, and the temptation to close that distance was almost more than she could bear. “Is the fridge stocked?”

  Warren’s smile was off-center and endearing. “When is it not?”

  Lily nodded as she smiled back. “Then I’ll take the lazy work. Thank you.”

  For an instant, she thought he was going to kiss her, but the sound of a door slamming reached them, and he stepped back. “You should find all the paperwork in the inbox on top of my desk. Let me know if you have any questions.”

  “I’m going to sneak away before anyone gets here,” she said, heading for the door opposite the driveway. “I’m not up to company. Buzz if you need me.”

  Once in his office, she sat in the comfortable leather chair behind his desk with a sigh, grateful he’d gone easy on her. At the same time… she inhaled deeply. The office, especially the chair, smelled like Warren. If she turned her head, she could almost catch a whiff of his subtle cologne, and for a moment, she sat there, resting her face against the chair as though it were offering her comfort. She ran her fingers over the duct-taped arms and shook her head, laughing at herself.

  “You are hopeless, Lily Campbell. Absolutely hopeless. And you’d better get started on that work before you curl up in this chair or on the couch and go to sleep,” she said, reaching for the stack of papers.

  She almost felt as if she was running away, and maybe she was. Maybe she should be at the house, helping her parents settle the family into their rooms. She knew Ben and Ainsley would let her know if she was truly needed, and she fully expected at least one of her cousins would seek her out before long.

  But she was so tired, having not slept well for several nights and having worked so frantically yesterday during the rescue, she didn’t have the strength to face the family. Especially considering that she was running on only three hours of sleep.

  She eyed the couch around a yawn. “Maybe I should try to catch a teeny nap. I won’t get a chance to later.”

  As though the idea of a nap had turned on the sleep-inducing center of her brain, she found herself practically nodding off a couple of minutes later. She set the papers aside and headed for the
couch, grabbing a long-sleeved shirt of Warren’s from the rack on the back of the door to cover up with.

  “I’ll catch up on the work later. They know I’m good for it,” she mumbled as she lay down. Sleep caught her as her head hit the small throw pillow, and she sighed into slumber.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Warren had just finished grooming Sorbet and was giving her a treat for being such a good girl when he glanced up and saw Molly approaching.

  “Hey, Doc.”

  “Hey. How’s the arm?” She stopped several feet away, horse shy, and waited for him to turn Sorbet over to a stable hand.

  Warren walked over to her once he was free. “Mostly healed. How are you?”

  She shrugged, her attempt at a smile failing miserably as she accepted his hug. “Weary. What a blasted summer this has been. Ups and downs and all arounds. Where’s my girl?”

  “Lily? I sent her to the office a couple of hours ago to do paperwork.” He glanced at his watch and frowned, seeing that it was nearly one o’clock. “Actually, it was closer to three hours. I’m surprised she hasn’t finished by now. Walk with me?” He gestured with his thumb toward the office.

  “Sure. How are things between you?” She crossed her arms over her middle as they walked.

  Warren wasn’t sure how to answer. “Changing, I think. It’s time for us to talk, I know, but this thing with Easton has thrown a bit of a wrench into that plan. What’s the latest?”

  “He’s undergoing evaluation for the eye. We should know more later today.”

  They fell silent as they approached the building, the seriousness of the situation putting a pall on the conversation. When they went inside, no noise indicated that anyone was there. A twinge of concern had Warren frowning, and he increased his pace.

  But when he crossed the threshold of the office and saw Lily on the couch, sound asleep, his heart melted into his boots. She had one of his shirts pulled up to her head, nearly covering her face, with just the top of her head showing.

  Molly touched his arm, and he looked at her. She was smiling, shaking her head. “I guess she was tired.”

  “I imagine so,” he said, keeping his voice low even though he knew Lily could sleep through quite a bit of noise. This wasn’t the first time she’d fallen asleep on his couch.

  “I’m going to head back to the house. Let her know I was looking for her when she wakes?”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  When she left, she pulled the door closed, and Warren didn’t know whether to laugh or thank her. Moving carefully, he eased to a seat on the end of the couch beside Lily’s feet. She didn’t wake up, but she did sigh and stretch out her legs, effectively pinning him to the couch.

  Warren lightly placed his hands on her calves, then he eased her boots off, letting them fall to the floor. He smiled when he saw her socks, which were bright pink, green, and blue baby owls on a black background. Settling in, he sighed and scooted down so that his head rested against the back of the couch. He couldn’t afford to go to sleep, but taking a few minutes to sit quietly with Lily and rest his eyes wouldn’t hurt anyone.

  A quiet but persistent knocking penetrated Lily’s brain, and irritated at the intrusion, she growled and pulled the covers farther up over her head. At least, she tried to. The blanket felt oddly light, and as sleep fell away, she realized she wasn’t in her bed.

  “What in the world…” She knew she needed to wake up, but she was having a hard time prying her eyes open. The sound of a door opening nearby gave her enough of a jolt of adrenaline to manage it, though her vision was blurry without her glasses.

  At the same time as she realized she was on the office couch, she felt the warmth of another person near her legs, and she sat up on her elbow, still half covered by Warren’s shirt.

  “Here you are,” her father said quietly, stepping into the office with Owen. “We wondered where in the world you two had gotten to.”

  Lily yawned as she peered up at them, then she looked down the couch to where Warren sat, sound asleep, his head propped up on his arm.

  “Oh.” Another yawn had her nearly unhinging her jaw, it seemed, and she tried to disengage her legs from Warren’s lap without waking him. “What time is it?”

  “Nearly two thirty. How long have you been asleep?” Ben went to Warren and gently shook his shoulder.

  “Daddy! Let him rest. He’s dog tired,” she said as Warren woke with a little start. “And I think it was a little after ten or so when I laid down. It’s really two thirty? Wow, I’m sorry.”

  “You should go home and get some real sleep,” Ben told Warren.

  “I’m good,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. Hey, Owen.”

  “Hello. I hear you two had quite the adventure yesterday.” Owen took the spot beside Lily and touched her forehead. “I’m glad you’re okay, young lady.”

  Lily leaned into his hug. “So am I. It’s just a scratch with a really spectacular bruise. Is there any news on Easton?”

  Ben sat on the corner of the desk and crossed his arms. “Lee just called a few minutes ago. The ophthalmologist is reasonably optimistic that Easton will regain most, if not all, the vision in his eye. It was a close thing though. Bear’s with him for the next little while, and Lee and Rachel are finally on their way out here. He’s going to try to get her to rest for a bit.”

  “What about the bastards who did this to him?” Warren asked. He grunted as he stretched his arms over his head. “Have they caught them yet?”

  “One of them, at least after a fashion. He decided to suicide himself at the end of a state police shotgun. As if this wasn’t already a tense situation for the Hazard post, given how close some of them are to Easton.” Ben’s jaw was set. “From what we’re hearing about him and the other guy, it’s no great loss to society. They both have a record a mile long, and not for lightweight stuff either.”

  “With any luck, the second scumbag will go the way of the first. I just hope he takes care of it himself,” Owen said. “If he stands trial… I don’t know how we’ll hold back from killing him.”

  Seeing her father and grandfather so coldly angry had Lily rubbing her arms against an invisible chill. She didn’t disagree with their anger or the sentiment, but she hated the level of upset that had been brought upon her normally peaceful family.

  “So what’s the game plan for Easton and all of us?” she asked, reaching around Warren’s legs for her boots. “I don’t remember taking these off.”

  “I did it,” Warren admitted. “I figured you’d be more comfortable without them.”

  “Oh. Thank you.”

  “It’s still the same,” Ben said, answering her question. “He won’t be able to have visitors until tomorrow, but they might move him to a step-down unit tonight. I think that’s what it’s called. He’s trying to boss Rachel around, get her to rest, which is why I think she gave in. He’s improving, and he is half Campbell, so with any luck, he’ll do as well as Eli did.”

  Two summers ago, Eli had been involved in an accident with an overturned vehicle in Afghanistan. He’d ended up with a below-the-knee amputation, and though his recovery had been as challenging as one might expect, he had healed with a remarkable speed that left his doctors shaking their heads.

  “Easton’s also going to have a very persistent, devoted personal nurse from what I hear,” Owen said, smiling a bit. “Molly’s offered to step in and help while he’s in the hospital and after he’s discharged.”

  Lily nodded, her eyes misting. “I figured she would. She needs to be needed right now.”

  Ben gave a soft laugh. “Yeah, I think any argument her brothers were even thinking of throwing at her regarding her decision to quit has been tossed out the window. The timing’s almost providential.” He lightly slapped his hands on his knees and stood. “Okay. We’ll get out of your hair now tha
t we know you haven’t eloped.”

  Lily’s jaw dropped. “Daddy!”

  Owen and Ben laughed, and when she dared look at Warren, he was grinning, so she lightly smacked his arm.

  “You three are warped, I tell you,” she muttered as she got to her feet with a groan. “Oh, I’ll pay for that nap. I can’t move. Do you mind if I go find some food? I’m starving,” she told Warren.

  “Not at all. I might go in search of some myself. I skipped lunch.”

  “Come on up to the house,” Ben said as he and Owen went out the door. “Everyone who can cook has been. There’s plenty.”

  Warren nodded. “I’ll head that way shortly.”

  “Ditto.” Lily was still trying to get her muscles to straighten out, and she staggered to the bathroom to address a pressing need.

  When she came out a couple of minutes later, Warren was standing by the door.

  “You didn’t have to wait on me,” she said as she joined him.

  “I know. I wanted to.” He caressed her face, then straightened and headed for the main door. “Let’s go eat.”

  Lily caught up and walked alongside him toward the house. They didn’t speak as they walked. She didn’t want to say anything. It was enough, for now, to be beside him.

  Chapter Thirty

  Warren was still castigating himself Saturday morning when he got to work. In all the years he’d been working at Dragonfly Creek, he’d never fallen asleep on the job like that. Oh, he didn’t think Ben and Ainsley would mind—for heaven’s sake, there was something of a bunk room in the space beside his office in the space that had served as his apartment when he’d first moved to the farm. There were a couple of twin beds in there, ready for anyone who might need them since it wasn’t unheard of for hands to have to stay overnight to tend to sick horses.

  But for him to be covering for Ainsley, with Mickey out in the field, and especially to have it happen during a family crisis? He felt horrible. As soon as he could that morning, he apologized.