Stone Cold Cowboy

by Jennifer Ryan

  Unbidden tears kept coming, trailing down her cheeks. She didn’t wipe them away, but stood like a statue unsure what to do.

  “Miss Higgins?”

  She turned to face the doctor and spotted Rory walking down the corridor from the elevator behind him. She didn’t think, didn’t say a word, just went with instinct and ran to him.

  Rory caught her when she leaped into his arms and slammed into his chest. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her wet face in his neck. He held her close, her legs dangling against his shins. The wracking sobs she let loose made him think the worst happened, but he spotted the doctor standing in the doorway of the room she’d come out of and headed in his direction, carrying Sadie down the corridor.

  “I got you, sweetheart. Everything is going to be all right.”

  “It is now that you’re here.”

  Those words went straight to his heart. He held her tighter and kissed her on the head. He stopped in front of the doctor.

  “I’ll leave you two alone with Mr. Higgins. If you have any questions, Sadie, or need anything, please ask the nurse to call me. I’ll be back later to check on your father.”

  The doctor nodded at Rory, then walked down the hall. Rory took Sadie into the room. He dropped the bag he’d brought on the floor and sat in the chair beside her father’s bed. He cradled Sadie in his lap and let her cry.

  Rory rubbed Sadie’s back. “It’s okay, sweetheart, let it all out.”

  A nurse came in with a box of tissues and set it on the bed within reach. “Can I get you anything?”

  “If you don’t mind, a glass of water, please.” Rory hugged Sadie closer as her tears faded, but her grief kept her clinging to him. He didn’t mind. In fact, her need for his comfort, the way she’d flown into his arms, relieved to see him, spoke to how close they’d become in such a short time.

  The nurse handed him the glass of water. “I’ll be back to check on Mr. Higgins in just a little while. Uh, there’s a bathroom two doors down if she’d like to get cleaned up.”

  “Thanks, I’ll take care of her.”

  Rory waited for the nurse to leave. He held Sadie close, his cheek pressed to her head. Her breath washed over his neck in uneven gasps and hiccups. She lay curled into his chest on his lap. He rubbed her back in soft circles until her breathing evened out and she rested quietly against him.

  “Sadie, sweetheart, drink some of this water. You’ll feel better.”

  She sat up on his lap and took the plastic cup. She sipped the water, then set it on the nearby table. The sigh she let loose reverberated through him.

  “Better?”

  “Not really, and yes.” She finally looked him in the eye. Hers filled with unshed tears again. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  He leaned in and kissed her softly.

  She leaned back. “I’m sorry I cried all over you.” She wiped his shoulder, over his wet T-shirt.

  He took her hand to keep her from fussing for no reason. “I don’t mind. I’m sorry about what’s happened and that you’re sad. It kills me when you cry.”

  Rory gently pushed her forward to stand as he rose from the chair. He took her hand and led her to the door.

  “Where are we going?”

  He held her hand up for her to see. “You need to get cleaned up. We’ll only be a few minutes,” he added when she stared back at her father. He picked up the bag he’d dropped on the floor.

  “Where did that come from?”

  “Your closet.” He led her down the hall to the bathroom door. He knocked once to make sure it was empty, opened the door, and pulled her inside behind him.

  “You went to my house and packed my clothes?”

  Rory turned the water on in the sink and adjusted the hot and cold to make the water warm. “When you didn’t show up at my place, I went hunting for you. I saw your father’s room. Man, Sadie, that scared me to death.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”

  “You were taking care of your father. Now, let me take care of you. Come here.” He took Sadie’s hands and held them under the water.

  “I forgot.” She held her hands up, staring at the red water running over her hands.

  “I’m here to think about the mundane. You’ve got far more important things to think about right now.”

  “My heart is in that room with him, but all I can think about right now is how lucky I am to have you here with me.”

  Rory stopped in the process of scrubbing soap over Sadie’s hands and forearms. He rubbed his thumbs over the scars on her wrists. “I almost lost my chance with you, and now all I think about is being with you. You’re kind of driving me crazy.”

  That earned him a small smile.

  “I am, huh. Well, I’ll try to stop.”

  He shut the water off and pulled two paper towels from the dispenser. He patted her hands dry. “It really is your fault I get nothing done anymore. I find myself wondering what you’re doing. I lose all track of time daydreaming about you.”

  “What am I doing in all these daydreams?” Her husky voice and the way her eyebrow cocked up made him grin.

  “You don’t want to know what I picture you doing,” he teased. To keep things light, he distracted himself from looking at her by picking up the duffel bag and setting it on the lip of the sink.

  “Maybe I do. How else am I going to fulfill your every fantasy?”

  He groaned, reached out for her neck, and drew her in for a soft kiss. He lingered over the task. His pleasure to take his time and taste her sweetness. He brushed his lips to hers, then pressed his forehead to hers. He didn’t open his eyes, but held the image of her and him in bed together in his mind. “You win. I’ll stop.”

  “Please don’t. Not on my account.” She pressed her lips to his, sliding her tongue along his, tempting him to take more. He did, taking command of her mouth and holding her close, her breasts pressed to his chest. Mindful of where they were and why, he didn’t mind distracting her from reality, but he wouldn’t give in to her temptation here. He wanted her with a desperation that went beyond a simple hunger that could be slaked with a quick romp. When he made love to her, he wanted to take his time, explore all the wonderful things about Sadie, and tap into this sultry, seductive side she hinted at with her bold statement about fulfilling his every fantasy.

  Just the thought made him ache, but he kept the kiss tame with a hint of the heat they could share.

  She pulled away and pressed her rosy lips together, her eyes still closed. “Rory.” His name on her lips sounded so sweet. Like a siren’s song. But he didn’t answer it. He reined in his baser needs and brushed his hands down both sides of her long blond hair, remembering his true reason for being here. To comfort her.

  “Take your clothes off.”

  Her eyes flew open and went wide. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. “What? Here?”

  “Yes.” He loved teasing her, but had to put a stop to this before he couldn’t stop. “You’re covered in blood. You need to change out of those dirty things and put on the clean clothes I brought you.”

  “Oh.” She released him and stared into the bag he’d packed.

  “When I finally get you naked, we will be somewhere private. We will have all the time in the world to be alone and together.”

  She stared up at him. “I wish that’s where we were now instead of here.”

  He leaned down and kissed her. “Me too.” He held her gaze, letting her see in him how much he wanted her. How much being with her mattered to him.

  She sorted through the clothes he’d packed, looked up, and smiled. “So your brother prefers lace panties, but you’d rather I wear none.”

  “Um, I guess I wasn’t thinking when I packed.”

  Her mouth turned down into a fake frown. “Perhaps your subconscious made the slip on purpose.”

  “I’ll be sure to thank it later.”

  Sadie smiled, gathered her stack of clothes in her hands, sidestepped around him, and set
the clothes on the toilet tank. He turned away, giving her space to get dressed. Didn’t mean he didn’t sneak a peek at the back of her in the mirror. She pulled her soiled T-shirt over her head and dropped it to the tile floor. Ruined, better to just throw it away than try to clean it. She probably didn’t want to wear it again and remember today.

  She shimmied out of her jeans, giving him a nice view of her round bottom encased in pink cotton panties with white lace trim. He gulped and averted his gaze.

  “The blood soaked through everything.” The tremble in her voice made his chest tight.

  “Take it all off. There’s no one here you need to impress or be embarrassed in front of.”

  “Can you pull out the dark purple shirt you brought? I don’t want to wear the white without a bra. Don’t want to give the whole hospital a show.”

  Rory wet some paper towels for her to clean up. He handed them back to her and she cleaned the blood from her body and tossed the mess in the trash. He pulled the shirt out of the bag and held it out behind him without turning around. She took it from his grasp, and he caught a glimpse of the side of her breast and her bare bottom in the mirror. Not even the faint puncture scars dotted all over her took away from her beauty.

  “Are you peeking?” The teasing lilt in her voice made his immediate fear she’d be pissed at him turn to embarrassment.

  “Uh, I’m a guy. Of course I peeked.”

  “See anything you like?” This time her voice held a hint of shyness.

  “I like everything about you, sweetheart.”

  She pulled the leggings up over her hips. He had to admit, the disappointment hit him hard. She had a really great ass.

  She glanced over her shoulder and met his gaze in the mirror. “What would you do if I turned around right now?”

  He swallowed, knowing exactly what he’d see. Her bare breasts. His mouth watered just thinking about putting his lips on her skin and sliding his tongue over her nipples.

  “Have mercy.”

  Her eyes narrowed and her lips hinted at a wicked smile. She turned just slightly. He held his breath, his gaze dipping to her bare shoulder, anticipating what he’d see. At the last second, she turned back, grabbed the shirt, and pulled it over her head, giving him another glimpse of the curve of her side and full breast.

  “You’re killing me.”

  Her soft laugh didn’t hold much humor.

  “Sweetheart?” He hoped he hadn’t made her uncomfortable.

  She quickly pulled on her socks and stuffed her feet back into the pair of tennis shoes she’d slid off earlier.

  “I’m fine.”

  Rory turned to her as she bent to pick up her discarded clothes and rolled them into her jeans.

  “I’ll ask the nurse if she’s got a bag to put these in.”

  “I’m sure we can find something.”

  “Okay.” She turned and headed for the door. With her hand on the knob, she stopped and hung her head.

  “Sweetheart, what is it?”

  “In here, it’s you and me talking, teasing, being together, and experiencing this thing between us that seems so new but is as comfortable as a favorite blanket. Out there, my father is dying.”

  Rory closed the distance between them, letting her feel his body pressed to the back of hers. He kissed the top of her head. “As much as I like being in here with you, I’ll still be out there with you, too. You’re not alone, sweetheart, but you are strong enough to face this.”

  She leaned back into him. He wrapped his arm around her middle and pressed his hand to her stomach, holding her close.

  “Promise me when this is over, we’ll make more moments like this.”

  “Count on it.”

  They walked back to the room. Sadie stood at the end of the bed, staring at her father’s still form. “He liked you.”

  “What’s not to like,” he teased, hoping to keep her spirits up. “I like him, too. I wish I’d gotten to know him better. He loves you.”

  “Yes, he does. I miss him already.” She placed her hand on her father’s foot and rubbed softly. “I’m here, Dad.”

  Mr. Higgins didn’t acknowledge her. Rory felt her disappointment.

  Sadie tossed her bundle of clothes on the floor next to her purse. Rory set the bag next to both. Sadie squatted and dug through her purse, pulling out her phone.

  “You called me.”

  “Twice.”

  She listened to her message and smiled softly at him. “You’re sweet.”

  “On you, yes.”

  That earned him another soft smile. “Did you threaten to kill my brother?”

  “Several times,” he admitted.

  “And you tried to strangle him?”

  “I thought some of the blood in your father’s room might be yours, so yeah, when he showed up and I couldn’t find you, I demanded to know if he had something to do with your disappearance. You’ll remember how I found you the first time we met.”

  Sadie put her hand on Rory’s chest. She needed that connection. “I’m sorry. That must have been scary to see all that blood and not know what happened.”

  “I thought you were dead. That’s twice now. I can’t do that again, Sadie.” Rory pulled her into his arms and held her close, his cheek pressed to the top of her head.

  “Let’s hope there won’t be a next time.”

  “There better not be, or I won’t be so nice to your brother.”

  “You choked him.”

  “I didn’t kill him. In fact, I let him go.”

  “He wants to talk to me.”

  “I thought he shut his phone off or tossed it so the cops can’t track him.”

  “He gave me a number to call.”

  “Call him. He’s probably worried about your dad.”

  Sadie stepped back just enough to look up at him and see the sincerity in his eyes. “You mean that. You’re not going to demand I call the police and give them this number?”

  “If it was me, I’d want to know about my dad, no matter the circumstances. He’ll probably ditch the phone as soon as he speaks to you anyway.”

  “So we’ll get him another day, is that it?”

  “Today is about what you need, Sadie. This is about your dad and family. We’ll deal with everything else your brother has done another day.”

  She pressed her hand to the side of his face. His beard stubble scraped her palm. “You’re a really good man.”

  “Doesn’t mean I still don’t want to kill him for what he did to you.”

  “And for stealing your cattle.”

  “I can live without the cattle.”

  Sadie held her breath. Difficult to do with her heart growing ten sizes in her chest with his unsaid I can’t live without you. Maybe he didn’t speak the words, but she knew he meant them. The intense way he stared at her implied how much he wanted her to hear what he couldn’t quite bring himself to say.

  “Call Connor. Tell him what’s happened with your father.”

  “I wish he could come here and . . .” Say goodbye. She couldn’t speak the words, because she didn’t want to say them herself.

  “Maybe this will make him realize there is nothing more important than family. This is where he belongs.”

  “You think that. I think that. Connor only ever thinks about himself.”

  “Remember that the next time you try to help him and it turns out you’re the one who really needs the help. He’s proven he’ll save his ass over yours. I have two brothers of my own. I’d do anything for them, just like you’ve tried to do for Connor.”

  “But.”

  “But I know sometimes the best thing I can do for them is knock their heads together and shake some sense into them.”

  “Your brothers can be reasoned with. Mine’s got a brain addled by drugs. He doesn’t see reason, or even right from wrong anymore. He only sees what he wants and does things without thought to consequences or how it affects others. He’s got a false sense of being invincible.”
/>   “Unfortunately, he’ll learn he’s not the hard way, because talking to him does no good.”

  Mr. Higgins gasped for breath behind the oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. He struggled, inhaling and exhaling in uneven gasps. Sadie took his hand and placed her other hand on her father’s heaving chest. His breaths evened out but remained labored. His heart rate skipped across the monitor, erratic even to her untrained eyes.

  The ICU nurse rushed in, checked the monitors and her father’s vitals. “Looks like he’s in need of some more pain meds. It’s rather soon, so I’ll have to consult the doctor. I’ll be back shortly.”

  “Call your brother,” Rory coaxed, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  She dialed quickly, pinching her lip with her fingers, waiting for her brother to answer, but he never did. Of course she couldn’t get ahold of him when she needed him.

  “Either he dumped his burner phone for a new one, the phone is off, or he’s not picking up.”

  “Try him again later.”

  She raked her fingers through her hair and admitted, “Actually, I’m kind of glad he didn’t pick up. I’ve got more than I can deal with right now. I’m happy to forgo the Connor drama until later when I’ll have to tell him . . .” She couldn’t bring herself to talk out loud about her father dying.

  She leaned down and kissed her dad’s cheek. “I love you, Dad.” His hand contracted in hers. Just for a second and barely more than a twitch, but she felt it and it eased her heart.

  Sadie turned and stared down at the man sitting behind her, waiting for her to come to him, knowing that she needed him. He held his hand out to her. She took it and he tugged her down into his lap. He didn’t say anything, just held her knowing there was nothing left to say. She didn’t need the words. She knew how he felt and what he’d say.

  The heaviness in her heart eased just being close to him, feeling his strength and kindness surround her.

  Rory stayed by her side through the difficult night. They barely slept, watching her father struggle to breathe, his erratic heartbeat sounding alarms nearly every other hour.

  The calmer morning gave way to an afternoon filled with denying the end was near and Rory coaxing her to drink or eat something she didn’t want. Not when her heart had dropped into her stomach like a stone that weighed half as much as her grief.