by Marla Monroe
Marx nodded and took a sip of iced tea. “That’s probably a good idea on the trade magazines. Go ahead and advertise for the office manager in there, too. You might get lucky and find someone with actual ranch experience, as well as business knowledge.”
They tossed around some more ideas while they finished up eating. Then Marx handled the cleanup while Jackson settled in the living room to watch TV. He was caught up in an interesting movie when Marx joined him sometime later. He wasn’t sure what made him look over at his brother, but he was surprised to see him leaning back in the recliner with his eyes closed. That wasn’t like Marx.
“Is everything okay, Marx?”
“Fine.” He didn’t open his eyes.
Jackson turned off the TV. “You don’t look like its fine. What’s going on?”
Marx sighed and opened his eyes. “I’m worried about Kelly. I don’t think she feels entirely comfortable around me. I think if she did, she would have already talked to us about her past.”
“Normally, I would say you’re probably right, but I don’t think that’s the case with her. I think she’s just so caught up in fear that she isn’t letting herself relax enough to tell that she can trust us. Don’t take the blame on you when it’s not your fault.”
“I’ve never worried about coming on too strong before because it didn’t really matter all that much. It matters this time, though. I don’t want to screw up our chances with her.”
“How do you feel about her, Marx? I mean really feel.” Jackson watched his brother closely. It was obvious that he was struggling for control.
“I fucking love her so much it scares me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next few days flew by in a rush now that Kelly was out of the ICU. She felt like a different person despite the constant cough that slowly got better. Even her voice was clearing up. She was getting so used to one of the men being there with her that she was worried that once she moved into a new apartment, she would have withdrawal symptoms. They made sure she had everything she could ever need and took every opportunity to touch her in some way.
The doctor would be by in the next few minutes to talk about her discharge. She couldn’t wait to get out of the dreaded hospital bed. She was tired of the nurses coming in and out at all hours of the night to check on her and ogle whichever man was staying with her that night. She hadn’t realized she was so attached to them until she began to get jealous of the nurses who flirted with them.
The sound of the door opening jerked her attention back as the doctor walked in carrying a chart. She figured it was hers.
“Good morning, Kelly. How are you feeling today?”
“Ready to get out of here, Doc.”
Jackson’s chuckle made her smile. He was well aware of her feelings about being stuck in the hospital. She’d made it clear that she would beg the doctor to discharge her if she had to. He’d suggested begging him for other things much to her embarrassment.
“Well, I’m not surprised. You’ve been our guest for a while now. You haven’t had any temperature for several nights in a row. That’s good. Your last chest X-ray looked much better.”
“So you’ll let me go now?” Kelly couldn’t keep the hope from her voice.
“I think that it would be safe to discharge you under two conditions.” He looked down at her.
“Anything.”
“One, you have to remain indoors for a week. Two, you have to see me in a week to check how your lungs sound. If they are clear by then, I’ll let you return to work.”
“A week! I’ll go crazy cooped up inside for a week.” Kelly couldn’t help the whine in her voice.
“Don’t worry, Doctor. She’ll follow your orders, and we’ll keep her busy so she isn’t so bored.” Jackson’s amused voice didn’t make her any happier.
“She’s lucky I’m not confining her to bed all that time.” The doctor’s lifted eyebrows calmed her down just a bit.
“Okay. I’ll be good. Can I go home now?”
Dr. Greer chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll write up your discharge papers for this afternoon. You can leave after lunch.”
“Thank you! I really do appreciate what you and all the nurses have done for me, but I’m ready to get out of here.” Kelly all but bounced in the bed as the doctor walked out the door.
“Settle down, kitten. You’re going to get too hot and start coughing again.” Jackson ran a hand up and down her arm.
“I can’t help it. I’m ready to go now. I need some clothes to wear.”
“I’m going to call Marx and let him know the good news. He’ll bring you something to wear home with us.”
Kelly suddenly remembered that she didn’t have a home to return to. That sobered her excitement some. She was worried about staying with Marx and Jackson. They would no doubt smother her if she let them. She would just have to stay on her toes and not let them.
“Don’t go worrying again, Kelly. We’ve already had this conversation. You’re staying with us. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“It’s not that I’m not grateful to you guys, but I don’t like depending on anyone.”
“We know that, babe. You’ve made that very clear.” Jackson’s expression said that she’d probably been a little rude about it.
While Jackson called Marx and told him about her upcoming discharge, Kelly thought about her next moves now that she would be leaving the hospital. She needed to locate a new place to live so she could move out as soon as she had enough money saved up. Staying with the guys any longer than was absolutely necessary was a dangerous idea. Her love for them was so complete now that she was sure they could ask her anything and she would agree. It seemed that her only recourse was to put distance between them. The next week was going to be pure torture.
Several minutes later, Jackson finished talking with Marx and turned his attention back to her. She felt the heat of his stare like a physical touch. She turned to look at him and found him staring at her with a hint of need in his eyes. She chose to ignore it.
“I need to gather up my things. Everyone has brought me so many nice things that I need a suitcase to pack them all up.”
“Don’t worry about it. Marx is bringing one with him. I’ll gather everything in one place, and then we’ll load it up once he arrives. You don’t need to get too hot and excited. I don’t want you to start coughing again.”
“You’re getting awful bossy around me.” Kelly frowned at him.
“Have to be to keep you healthy. You’ll push yourself to the limit if I let you.” Jackson began picking up things and arranging them at the foot of the bed.
Kelly watched him and sighed. She wanted so much to let them take care of her and all her needs like they promised, but fear kept her from totally relaxing into what they were offering. She needed to overcome her fears, she knew, but not right now. Not until she had her own place in case she needed space to regroup.
Marx arrived a little before her lunch did, carrying a suitcase. He opened it up on the bed and extracted a soft-looking set of warm-ups in a pastel pink along with sexy matching underwear and a comfortable pair of tennis shoes. Before she could think about it, Kelly launched herself in his arms and kissed him.
“Thank you for the clothes, Marx.” Then she realized what she had done and started to climb down.
Marx smiled his half smile and held her closer for a few seconds before letting her go. She slid down his body until her feet where safely on the floor.
“You’re welcome, baby. Now go get your shower and get dressed. I’m sure lunch will be here when you get out.”
Jackson winked at her. “Need some help with your shower?”
Kelly couldn’t help her happy mood and laughed. “No. I think I can manage, but thanks for the offer.”
She gathered her clothes and realized that they had even washed them before bringing them to her. Their thoughtfulness was overwhelming. She had never met anyone who treated her with such care and respect. Ma
ybe they were sincere in their promises to want to care for her but not own her. She shook her head and turned on the shower. She needed to stick to her original plan of finding another apartment as soon as possible.
Once she was dry and had managed to put on her clothes, Kelly felt much more normal than before. She had even managed to wash her hair despite how tender the spot around the cut was. She was thankful they had removed the stitches the day before so she could actually get it wet.
When she opened the door and walked out carrying her bathroom supplies, the men instantly stopped what they were doing and converged on her.
“You look beautiful, babe. How do you feel?” Jackson brushed her still-damp hair back from her face.
“Much better now that I am clean and have on actual clothes.” She grabbed the hair dryer Marx had brought. “I’m going to dry my hair and then I’ll be ready to go.”
“I’ll hold the hair dryer while you brush out your hair. There’s no need for you to wear yourself out before you even get home.” Marx took the dryer from her and urged her back into the bathroom.
Instead of protesting, Kelly let him handle the thing. The truth was, she was a little tired after her shower. Although she had been in and out of the hospital bed ever since they had moved her to a room, Kelly hadn’t done much at one time, and the shower had just about wiped her out.
Marx proved very adept at handling the hair dryer while she brushed out her hair. He didn’t leave it in one spot long enough to burn her scalp, but kept it in the right positions in order for her to get her hair dry.
“Looks like you’ve about got it taken care of, Kelly. Why don’t you let me finish the back here and you can rest your arms?” Marx reached out for the brush as he swiped the dryer back and forth over her hair.
Kelly nodded and handed over the brush with relief. Her arms were tired. She watched in the mirror as Marx finished her hair. Then he pulled her back into his arms and kissed the top of her head before gathering up the cord of the dryer and wrapping it up to take with them. She walked out of the bathroom to find the nurse delivering her lunch tray.
“Eat up so you can go home. I’ll be back to pick it up and get your paperwork started in about thirty minutes.” The nurse winked at her before leaving.
“Looks like a yummy lunch, Kelly.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. They both knew she hated the food they served. It was bland and did nothing for her appetite. Today she had baked chicken with English peas, carrots, and a roll. For dessert there was green Jell-O.
The guys busied themselves packing up the room while she sat up in the chair and ate. She wasn’t all that hungry, but she knew they wouldn’t let her go if she didn’t clean her plate. Despite the almost tasteless flavor, she managed to eat the majority of it, drawing the line at the green stuff.
When the nurse returned, she was ready to leave. She listened as the woman went over all the paperwork and explained the prescriptions and what they were for. Then she had Kelly sign the various forms and provided her with copies of everything.
“Wait here while I go get a wheelchair. One of you nice gentlemen can pull your car around to the front entrance, and we’ll meet you there in about five minutes.” The nurse disappeared through the door.
“I’ll go get the truck. I can take a load with me so there won’t be much for you to deal with bringing out.” Marx grabbed the suitcase and a bag before heading for the door.
Jackson picked up one of several plants various people had sent her. They had removed the cards from the various flowers that morning and taken them out to the nursing station for the nurses to enjoy. They wouldn’t have survived the trip out to the ranch in the truck.
Once the nurse returned and Kelly was settled in the wheelchair, they made their way to the front doors of the hospital after the nurses at the station all told her good-bye. She figured they were going to miss the men more than they would miss her, but she really couldn’t blame them. Marx and Jackson were handsome men who had perfect manners.
Marx was waiting by the front door of the truck when they arrived out front. He quickly opened the door and helped her into the front seat. Then he and Jackson loaded the plants up in the back seat and they headed to the ranch. Kelly was excited to be out, and despite knowing it wasn’t a good idea, she was happy to be going home with them. She knew they would make sure she took care of herself while she finished healing. If left on her own, she would have overdone it and possibly ended up back in the hospital.
Marx parked the truck out front and began unloading her things while Jackson helped her down from the truck. She followed Jackson inside the house and collapsed on the couch. It felt so good to be there. She realized that she had almost said home and frowned. She couldn’t let herself think of it that way.
The guys finished unloading the truck and sat down on either side of her. Marx pulled her feet up into his lap and pulled off her socks and shoes. He began to massage her feet while Jackson leaned her back against his chest.
“Feels good to be here, doesn’t it, baby.” Jackson squeezed her lightly before kissing her cheek.
“Mmm.” She didn’t speak. She was much too comfortable to do or say anything at the moment.
Marx actually chuckled. “She’s almost asleep. I think the excitement was almost too much for her.”
“Just resting my eyes,” she managed to say.
The next thing she knew, Jackson was carrying her in his arms. She frowned up at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you to your room and putting you to bed for a nap. You were snoring in there.”
“I don’t snore.”
“Sure you do. It’s cute.” Jackson pulled back the cover on the bed and gently laid her down.
“Hey! Isn’t this the master bedroom? I don’t need this much room.” She got up on her elbows and glared at him.
“This is your room. It’s got its own bathroom, and there’s plenty of room for you to work in here with your jewelry. See, we set up a workstation for you over there next to the window.” Jackson pointed at a pretty wooden desk with all of her things set up on it.
She started to get up to go look at it, but Jackson pressed her back down.
“You can look at it after your nap. Rest for now, Kelly. You’ll feel much better when you wake up.” He bent over her and gently kissed her.
Kelly had to resist the urge to pull him back down for a more thorough kiss. Now wasn’t the time to be starting anything. She was still recovering from pneumonia and needed to be concentrating on staying strong where they were concerned. Kissing Jackson wasn’t a good idea.
He covered her with a sheet before leaving her alone and walking out of the room. She immediately wanted him to come back. Having been around them twenty-four hours a day for the last several days had spoiled her. She needed to get used to being alone again.
Kelly relaxed against the pillow and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately, her body resisted. She wanted one of the men with her. She didn’t think she could need someone this badly after her experience with her old Master. Worry plagued her once again, and she fought the panic that threatened to take her breath. She had to stop allowing the past to dictate her emotions. Sure, she was going to be careful and not allow that to happen again, but letting it control her wasn’t healthy.
Several minutes later, she felt better and turned over to her side. Her ribs actually felt better when she laid on them. Despite everything bouncing around in her head, Kelly felt her body relax once again. When she got back up, she planned to check out her new work spot and see if she could do a little bit before the guys came looking for her. No doubt they didn’t plan on her starting on it right away, but she ached to get back to work.
Chapter Twenty-Three
By the end of the week, Kelly was ready to pull her hair out. The guys were driving her nuts. Between checking on her constantly and bringing her presents every day, she was having a very hard time keeping her distance with them. All s
he wanted to do was wrap herself around them and never let go. It wasn’t a good idea.
When they had surprised her with a brand new HD Kindle Fire, Kelly had nearly fainted. It was more than she could have ever dreamed of. She tried to refuse, but they wouldn’t let her. After that, she realized they weren’t going to stop with the presents. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She needed to move as soon as possible before she didn’t have the strength.
Finally, she decided she needed to have a talk with them. Maybe if she were honest and explained that she couldn’t stay with them and why, they would understand and respect her decision. She planned to do it after dinner that night when everyone was relaxed.
By the time they had finished eating, Kelly was a nervous wreck. If the guys noticed, they didn’t let on. For once they hadn’t fussed at her about eating all of her food. She insisted on helping with cleanup and hoped that she would be in better control once they were finished. Once Marx had turned on the dishwasher, the three of them headed toward the living room. As soon as the guys had settled in their recliners, Kelly stood up in front of the TV and cleared her throat.
Jackson turned it off and sat up in the chair. “What is it, Kelly?”
“I need to talk to you about something.” She hesitated. Now that she had their attention, Kelly wasn’t sure what to say.
“Go ahead, babe.” Marx sat up as well.
“You both have been so good to me. I can never repay you for all that you’ve done.”
“Honey, you don’t need to repay us…” Jackson began.
“Let me get this out before you say anything.”
Marx and Jackson looked at each other from across the room then turned back to her and nodded.
“The thing is, I need my independence. It’s important to me to be able to make my own decisions. You see, I was in a relationship before I moved here that started out fairly vanilla but slowly moved into something that was more than I could take. I felt like I had lost my sense of self and was just an extension of my Master. I can’t live like that. I don’t want to live like that.”