“This is such a peaceful place to wait it out,” Nash said.
“Yes, it is. I’ll be going now. Lila says to tell you that she’ll be by in the morning for a cup of coffee,” Hope told Kasey. “Call if you need anything. Neighbors take care of each other in this part of the world.”
“And family,” Nash told her.
“That, too.” Hope nodded as she headed back toward her truck.
“My head is really starting to pound,” Nash said. “I reckon maybe we should get back to the house and I’ll take one of those pills the doctor gave me for pain. I know it will knock me on my butt, but I don’t want to waste a single minute with you.”
“I’ll be here when you wake up, Nash. I promise,” she said.
“Right beside me where I can just roll over and look at your beautiful face?”
“Maybe not that. I’ll sleep upstairs tonight, but if you need me all you have to do is call out for me. I’ve been a light sleeper ever since Rustin was born,” she answered.
“Why can’t you sleep with me? I don’t like it when we’re apart.”
“No sex, remember?”
“That doesn’t mean no sleeping together if all we do is sleep,” he said. “But you’re probably right. It would be frustrating to have you that close and not be able to make love to you.”
“Exactly.” She tucked her hand into his and tugged on it. “Time to tell the sheep good night and take your pills.”
He touched his forehead. He hadn’t known pain like this since that time when he woke up in the hospital in Afghanistan. He’d been blown backward when an IED right outside the base perimeter went off. His head landed on a rock, knocking the sense right out of him. They said it took a week for him to realize where he was, and by then he was already back in the States.
So this isn’t my first time for this rodeo, he thought as they headed toward the house. I’ll need to tell Dr. Paulson about this tomorrow when I visit her.
When they were in the house, Kasey went to the kitchen table, read the instructions on a bottle of pills, and shook two out into her hand. When she handed them to him, he kissed the tips of her fingers. “You’re a good nurse. Did you ever want to be one when you were a little girl?”
“Oh, no! I wanted to ride bulls and broncs like my brothers.” She laughed.
“Did you?”
“One time was all it took for me to realize that wasn’t my dream. So I decided I wanted to be a wife and a mother and maybe run a ranch someday.”
He swallowed the pills with a sip of cold coffee from the cup she’d left next to the pot. “Glad I could help you fulfill that dream.”
“Me, too,” she whispered. “Why don’t you rest in your recliner while I go upstairs and have a nice long bath? It’s been a hectic day for us both.”
“Will you wake me when you get done and give me a good night kiss before we turn in for the night?” he asked.
She patted his cheek. “Of course I will.”
He eased down into the recliner and threw the lever to bring up the footrest. Closing his eyes, he went to that place where he’d been trained to go to avoid pain. In seconds, he was on the bayou in a pirogue, bringing up the shrimp nets. Tonight they’d have shrimp boil for supper, and tomorrow morning his grandmother would make étouffée from the leftovers.
Did Kasey like the shrimp dish served over rice? He tried to bring up a vision of the two of them out in East Texas on the Louisiana border, but it wouldn’t appear. Damn this headache anyway.
The pipes rattled as hot water started through them and the noise sent him back to the sand pit. Six of them went over there and only three came home. Three dead and one injured. The hurt one being him with that damned concussion that erased everything for weeks and forced a medical discharge on him. Christmas carols were playing in the hospital when he awoke, and the tree in the waiting room where his grandmother came to visit every day was decorated in red, white, and blue.
Where were Kasey and the kids? He frowned as a few memories surfaced. They had to have come around, but he couldn’t remember anyone besides his grandmother and mother. His grandmother stayed in a nearby hotel for two weeks, but his mother only visited and went home. He understood. His father hadn’t been well in those days, and he needed her at home.
That same hopeless, helpless feeling he’d had back then washed over him. What if he never remembered his kids’ birthdays? What if he couldn’t see the faces of those three friends who’d died that day when their vehicle exploded?
His eyes snapped open. He could imagine Rustin with his dark hair and blue eyes, but Emma was too far away to make out the color of her hair. He was in a barn looking down at her from a loft—must’ve been the wedding Jace talked about. He could see Rustin, and Emma looked just like her mother. But which one of those little kids was Silas? He couldn’t remember him at all. Just that Kasey was pregnant with him when he left for that last mission. Finally the medicine kicked in and he fell asleep, only to dream of Kasey sitting with him under a big weeping willow tree somewhere near a bubbling stream that flowed down over a small rocky dam.
* * *
Kasey called her grandmother while the water ran for her bath. “Granny, tell me what I’m going to do if he’s still in this fantasy world tomorrow. I’ve checked the bedrooms, and we can get away with sayin’ that the kids’ things were delivered to Hope Springs and…”
“Slow down,” Hope said. “Tell me what Nash was talkin’ about when he said that the house was different. Minnie loved her knickknacks. Are they all gone?”
“You are trying to take my mind off things, aren’t you?”
“There’s that, but I’m nosy, too. Tell me about the upstairs bedrooms,” Hope said.
“One bedroom has a double bed and the walls are painted yellow, and another room has two twin beds and is wallpapered in pink and blue flowers. The one I’m sleeping in might have been a nursery because it does have a rocking chair, one twin bed, and a crib that looks like it came out of an antique store.”
“Okay, you will sleep in the one with a double bed. The boys will go in the nursery room, and Emma gets the floral room if they have to be there for a few days. I will have Jace bring over enough toys and clothing to make it feel like you’ve been there a couple of weeks.”
“How are you going to pull that off?” Kasey asked.
“You can make an excuse that y’all need to go to town and Jace and Brody can bring over whatever you need to make it work while you’re gone,” she said. “Just make a list and email it to me.”
“There will be talk about me living here with him. This could be a nightmare in the making,” Kasey moaned.
“Rosalie Varner already called a few minutes ago to see what was going on.”
Kasey rolled her eyes.
“She thinks you are doing a fine thing, helping Henry’s great-nephew when he doesn’t have family in this area. She said that if he had broken his leg or his arm or been paralyzed from that fall, everyone would understand that as a good neighbor, you were stepping up to take care of him. A head injury is no different. Just hang in there, honey. He’ll come back to the real world pretty soon. Until then, just let me know what I can do to help,” Hope said.
“Well, thank God that the queen of the rumor mill has passed judgment,” Kasey smarted off.
“Hey, now!” Hope scolded. “Rosalie was a friend of my mother’s, and her opinion carries a lot of weight around here.”
“Sorry, Granny. I’m stressed out to the point of breaking right now. And we’re going to the therapist tomorrow. Think Jace and Brody could fix things in the bedroom while we’re gone?” she asked.
“Definitely. Just leave either the front or back door unlocked. Want us to bring the kids home for you?”
“No, we’ll get them on our way back here after his doctor’s visit. Maybe it won’t even be necessary. When the pain in his head goes away, he could remember everything in a flash,” she said. “Tell Lila I’m looking forward to seein
g her.”
“She and Brody have already gone to the bunkhouse and Jace is the only one here. I’m about to leave, but I’ll let him know what we’ve got to do tomorrow afternoon.”
“Thanks, Granny, for everything.”
“Family takes care of family,” Hope said. “Good night.”
“Night,” Kasey said.
Time was when Kasey would do anything for a wounded veteran. They’d had fund-raisers, picnics, lawn parties, and all kinds of events for their men when they needed help. She’d spearheaded a committee to raise money for special needs that the VA didn’t cover when she and Adam were in Lawton, Oklahoma. And when one of their own came home wounded, they’d gone into double-time to help out however they could.
So what’s the big deal here? asked that pesky voice in her head.
“I didn’t kiss any of those guys,” she blurted out as she dropped her jeans and clothing on the floor.
She had barely sunk down into the tub when the ring tone said that her mother was calling. She answered it with a sigh, “Hello, Mama. Are the kids okay?”
“They’re watching one of their little movies. They’ve had their baths and we’ve had our reading time. I’ve got to admit, I’m worried about you being over there like this, Kasey. If you have to stay very long, there will be talk for sure.” Valerie’s tone left no doubt that she was fretting about the exact same things on Kasey’s mind.
“I know, Mama, but then we’ve weathered talk before, and Granny says that Rosalie Varner thinks this is a noble and good thing,” Kasey said.
“Well, once Rosalie sets her mind, no one is going to change it.” Valerie’s chuckle was brittle. “I guess us Dawsons are no strangers to the rumors. Do what you think is right and we’ll wade through the muck, but as soon as you’re able to do so, I want you back at Hope Springs.”
“Remember that old saying about whoever stirs the shit pile has to lick the spoon.” Kasey giggled at her grandmother’s old adage.
“There could be a lot of folks walking around Happy with bad breath even if Rosalie has spoken,” Valerie said. “Most will understand if you’re only there as long as you have to be.”
“I’ll be in Amarillo tomorrow. I’ll buy extra breath mints,” Kasey said.
“Love you, baby girl,” Valerie said.
“Love you back. Kiss my babies good night for me.”
“Will do. Call me tomorrow or sooner if Nash gets his mind back,” Valerie said.
The screen went dark, and in seconds the phone rang again.
Rustin’s picture popped up and she hurriedly hit the right icon to talk to him. “Hey, son, how’d school go today?”
“It went great. Gramps told me that Nash fell out of a tree and broke his brain and you got to stay with him. I want to come over there, too, Mama. I like him and if his brain is busted and he can’t work, I can help him with the chores.”
“His brain is just scrambled, kind of like a puzzle. He’s got all the pieces, but he has to fit them together. I’ll pick you up at school tomorrow and we’ll see about stayin’ here a couple of nights,” she said.
“Okay. I’ll pack up my duffle bag,” he said seriously.
“Grandma is going to do that for you. You just bring home all your schoolwork and whatever you took to your Nana and Gramps’s house. I love you, Rustin.”
“Love you, Mama,” he said. “Gramps is going to play checkers with me now so I’ve got to go, but Nana wants to talk to you.”
“Kasey,” Gracie said. “I just want you to know that Rustin is fine and welcome to stay as long as he wants.”
“Thank you, but I’m planning to pick him up at school tomorrow.”
“You’re doing a good thing. Adam would be proud of you for helping Nash. I’ve talked to Valerie, and we both think you should go home soon as possible. Helping is one thing. Staying past that would cause talk.”
Kasey’s cheeks burned. Adam would not be proud of her for kissing another man, not even in the present circumstances, and he damn sure wouldn’t be glad that she’d liked it. And then a bit of anger rose up. She was twenty-six years old, had three kids, and was a war widow. What gave her mother or her former mother-in-law the right to tell her what to do?
“Hopefully, he’ll regain his memory before long, but, Gracie, he can’t drive until he goes back to the doctor on the fifteenth, so I’m going to help him until then,” she said.
“You can drive him wherever he needs to go without living there.” Gracie’s tone got colder with each sentence.
“And what if he has a seizure. The brochure said that was possible,” Kasey asked.
“We’ll talk about this when the time comes,” Gracie said. “For now, Rustin is fine, and we’ll keep him as long as you let us.”
“Thanks again.” Kasey didn’t want to argue with Gracie, but there was no way rumors were going to railroad her into something she didn’t want to do. She could actually feel her heels digging in for the first time since Adam died. She’d let her family make the decision for her to come back to Happy when her lease was up on the house in Lawton. And she’d stepped into the role of chief cook and bottle washer as well as bookkeeper for Hope Springs because that’s what she was supposed to do. But enough was enough.
She laid the phone on the ladder-back chair beside the old claw-footed tub. The water had gone lukewarm so she crawled out and wrapped a towel around her body. She groaned when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Granny had forgotten to pack her mousse, so her hair was going to look like corkscrews when it dried.
“Oh, well, maybe that’s what will bring reality back to Nash.” She dried off and dressed in a pair of gray sweat bottoms and a faded T-shirt that was two sizes too big. It might be all right for her to be there, but Hope Dalley was not going to aid and abet in any hanky-panky.
With a nervous giggle, she checked the rest of the bag she’d found at the top of the stairs. Toothbrush and her favorite toothpaste, jeans and a flannel shirt, cotton underpants and a clean white bra. Nothing sexy and no perfume or makeup.
She wrapped a towel around her wet hair and padded down the stairs in her bare feet. Nash looked up from his recliner and smiled, his face far more relaxed now that he’d had some rest.
“What time is it? Did I sleep all night in this chair?” he asked.
She settled into the corner of the sofa and pulled a quilt from the back over her legs. “No, only about an hour. I talked to the kids, and Rustin can’t wait to get home tomorrow.”
“I’m lookin’ forward to them all bein’ here,” he said. “My mouth is so dry. Probably from the meds. Want a beer?” He popped the footrest down and stood up, only to sit back down in a hurry. “Wow! Talk about a head rush.”
“How about a glass of iced tea instead? Might not be a good thing to mix alcohol and your meds,” she suggested as she threw off the cover. “I’ll make us both one and then maybe we can watch a movie. This is the time of year they play all the old Christmas classics.”
“We’ve got to get our tree put up and maybe put out some decorations. This place doesn’t look like kids and a family even live here. Did we just move in or something? The kids will expect a tree. And have we even started shopping?”
“I’ve got most of the presents bought already. Tomorrow evening we’re helping decorate over at Hope Springs, and after that we go to Mama’s for desserts and to see her tree and house. Maybe we can put ours up on Wednesday. Do you remember where it is?” she asked.
His eyes twinkled. “You’re testing me, aren’t you? In the attic. The door up there is at the end of the upstairs hallway. My grandmother reminded me when she called the last time.”
“Yes, I am testing you, and you just got an A.” She threw the words over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen.
But I failed my test today. She glanced down at her wedding ring and felt torn between the past and the present.
Chapter Six
Kasey was so happy to see Lila the next morning that she grabbed h
er sister-in-law in a fierce hug before she could even remove her stocking hat and jacket. “I’m so glad you’re here. Coffee is made. Let’s go to the kitchen and you can tell me all about the honeymoon.”
Lila stepped back and whipped off the hat, shoved it into her coat pocket before she took it off and tossed it on the sofa. “You’re so strung out, girl, that your whole body is humming. First of all, give me a quick tour of this house. I love old two-story places and I’ve never been upstairs. Brody and I kind of broke into the place and watched a movie when we were teenagers, but the living room was the only place I got to see,” Lila said.
“And what’s this about ‘kind of’?” Kasey laughed as she motioned for Lila to follow her.
“This was back when Henry still lived here, but he and his mama had gone to visit his sister. He’d hired Adam’s dad to do his chores for him, so we knew how long they were going to be gone.” Lila opened the door and dragged in a couple of big suitcases. “I didn’t want to bring these in until I was sure that Nash wasn’t in the house.”
Kasey clapped her hands and squealed. “Thank God!”
“No, just me. God didn’t have time to pack for you this mornin’. He was busy with more important things.” Lila laughed.
“Then bless your heart, and I mean that in the best way possible,” she said as she picked up a bag and carried it to her room. “I have to take Nash to the therapist this morning, and I hated to wear the rattiest clothes that Granny could find in my closet.”
“She said something about hanky-panky.” Lila grabbed the other suitcase and followed her.
“I knew it!” Kasey said. “I could hear it in my head when I saw what she’d sent.” She unzipped the suitcase and brought out two pairs of decent jeans, a couple of shirts, her western belt, dress boots, and a denim jacket, plus her makeup bag, hair straightener, and perfume. “I owe you big-time. While I change, tell me about you and my brother breaking the law by breaking and entering.”
Lila sat down on the edge of the bed. “Well, we didn’t actually break in because there was a key under the mat and we didn’t hurt anything. We just borrowed the television and DVD player to watch a movie and make out on the sofa.”
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