by Bellus, HJ
“Sterling, is there something you want to say?”
He only shrugs his shoulders.
“Just checking on you.”
“Are you sure that’s it?” I shuffle the stack of file folders to the side of the counter. “Because it seems like it’s a bit more right now.”
My own confidence shocks me a bit as my voice comes out strong and steady.
“No, nothing else. Just making sure you’re doing good.”
“I’m great, actually.” I smile back at him.
“Good for you, Clover. You going to the rodeo tonight with Marvel?”
I shake my head from side to side. “No, took an extra shift but get to spend the whole day on the ranch tomorrow.”
“Excellent. You picked a great family, Clover, and an even better man.”
The whole conversation becomes rapidly awkward as I grow uncomfortable talking to him about my situation, which he’s not a part of anymore.
“Well, I better get back to my rounds.” I round the counter and wave over my shoulder to him. “Have a good night, Sterling.”
“Will do. I’ll tell Marvel hi for you at the rodeo.”
“You do that.”
The first time ever a creepy vibe fills me and it stems straight from Sterling. When I turn back he’s staring at me from the end of the hall with hands tucked in his pockets. I mentally note to bring this up when I call Marvel on my break.
I’d much rather be with him or around his family than feeling spooked here in the hospital. My mind begins to race if Sterling had something to do with Marvel’s accident. I watched the newscast and have read every single article on it, but nothing adds up or makes sense.
Looking down at my wristwatch, I see I have at least six more hours before I even get to think about going home and the possibility of seeing Marvel.
* * *
Six hours my ass. Eight hours later, I’m finally walking out into the dark and vacant parking lot. A two-car collision called for all hands on deck at the hospital. Every bone in my body aches with each step I take, and typically I’d be scared shitless walking out in the dark like this, but complete exhaustion distracts me from caring an ounce.
My car finally comes into vision. I tuck my head and keep walking, willing my eyeballs to stay open. The night air is cool and silent, not even a bird chirping or any crickets singing. If I wasn’t so damn exhausted I might stop and take in the beautiful Texas night.
Squealing tires and loud metal crashing clang into the night, grabbing my attention, and when I look up I see a lime-green truck racing into the parking lot. The aluminum trailer it’s pulling rattles like hell over the cracked pavement and speed bumps.
I freeze in the dark, peering around, seeing no one else around me. The dim lights of the parking lot make it damn near impossible to make anything out besides the neon color of the truck. I start to walk backward, thinking it’s only about fifty steps until I could be in front of the hospital on the lit up sidewalk.
I begin backpedaling when the back door of the truck flies open and a body lurches out. It’s the final straw that causes me to whirl around and sprint toward safety. The same eerie feeling comes over me that Sterling left me with.
“Hey.”
I ignore the voice and sprint even faster toward the light.
“Clover.” The voice is closer, as is the stomping footprints behind me. An arm grips around my lower waist, and that’s when I scream, seeing it as my only option of getting any help.
“Clover, calm down, it’s me.”
I barely hear the voice as I continue to scream. It’s not until I smell the scent of the person holding me that I calm down.
“It’s just me, baby.”
I turn and look up to see Marvel. His rich hazel, loving eyes staring back at me helps me calm down a bit.
“Jesus,” I finally huff out as I turn all the way into him and wrap my arms around his waist, letting my bag drop to the ground.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to surprise you.”
“Oh, well, you did that.” I laugh into his chest, picturing myself running like a crazed lunatic across the parking lot.
“I feel like an asshole. I was just trying to surprise you.” I feel his lips on the top of my head and his arms tighten around me. “I missed you like crazy.”
“I missed you too, Marvel. Probably more than I should have.”
His grip around me loosens as his hands come up to cup my face. “How about we start our tomorrow date tonight?”
“I’d love that, but I’m starving and damn tired. I might not be that much fun.”
“I’ll take ya, toots.” He grips my hand, pulling me toward the truck that nearly made me shit my pants.
“My car.” I point to the lonely Volkswagen bug in the parking lot.
“Oh, honey, cowboys don’t do that.” He shakes his head with a slight little grin peeking out under his cowboy hat. The man can melt panties with that damn hat. I’ve noticed he wears different hats from other cowboys, with it sitting tilted on his head and different bend to the sides.
I only shrug, already able to tell he’s determined not to ride in my car.
“Marvel, kiss me.”
My words stop him dead in his tracks, and he doesn’t hesitate as he turns to me and devours my lips. I rub my hand over his jawbone, letting the stubble tickle my palms.
“Let’s go. You can bang out your uglies when you get home.”
The new voice startles me, and once again I bite down on Marvel’s bottom lip. He doesn’t say anything as he rubs it. I squeeze his hand and let him drag me over to the truck, and once we get closer I feel silly for not recognizing it. Challis’ lime-green truck is one of a kind—bright, bold, and always has a trailer hitched to it.
“Hey.” I wave to them as Marvel shoves my ass up in the truck, and I don’t miss that he takes his time caressing it and leaves me with a stinging slap. “How was the rodeo?”
“Fucking amazing.” Merek pulls his hat down low on his head and lies back in his seat.
“Ignore his ass, Clover. He’s tired and pitching a fit.”
“Oh.” Marvel pulls me in closer to him and kisses the top of my head. He’s never been so handsy and quick to show his emotion. I adore each time he runs his hand up my arm or lays a tender kiss on my cheek.
Challis continues to talk from the front seat. “Merek won tonight with a rank ride of ninety. Lil’ Mav won the junior calf roping. It was a great night.”
“Real fucking great you two wouldn’t even let the champ go out and celebrate.” Merek folds his arms over his chest.
“I told you I’d make up for that when we get home.” Challis stretches her arm out over the console, snagging one of his hands, and then lacing her fingers in them.
“Where is lil’ Mav?” I ask.
“He went home with Ella and Maverik after the rodeo.”
I nod in the dark back seat, watching streetlights fly by my vision and mentally focusing in on each of Marvel’s touches. Something real has happened over the last few weeks with Marvel. I’m really going to live out a fairy tale or really have my heart shattered and bruised. But unlike Marvel’s healing wounds upon his skin, the ones he’ll leave behind on my heart will be permanent and never heal.
“You ready for another riding lesson, Clover? I’m free tomorrow morning,” Challis chirps out.
“A what?” Marvel asks, sitting up and forcing me to face him.
“Shit, I forgot it was a secret. Sorry, Clover.”
“You sneaky little shit.”
I only shrug and climb into his lap, gauging his face to see if I’m causing him any pain. Since he was released from the hospital he doesn’t do anything slow.
“I’m not good enough to teach you to ride?”
I lie back on his chest and rest my head on the top of his shoulder. He nips at my earlobe while I try to explain my reasoning.
“I just feel more comfortable with Challis, and she doesn’t make
me feel dumb for asking questions and being scared.”
“I made you feel dumb?”
I don’t miss the hurt in his voice with just the thought of making me feel dumb. I reach back and rub the other side of his face while I pepper his other cheek with kisses.
“You don’t make me feel dumb.” I pause and point to Merek, who is now soundly snoring. “And I have no friends here, so I thought it would be perfect.”
“She’s doing great, Marvel, learning real quick. I think she’s a natural.”
“It was just hard getting over the fear of the horses, but I actually love them.”
“My little Californian nurse is turning into a cowgirl.” Marvel squeezes me tighter in his arms.
“I have her on Dolly and they’re quite the pair.”
“Well, when you’re ready, baby, I’d love to go on a ride with you.”
“Deal. It’s almost, like, therapeutic for me when working with the animals, and makes me realize that I’m just fine the way I am.”
“Yes, you are,” Marvel whispers.
“Being around you guys has made me realize how horrible my mom is.”
“And your dick uncle who kicked you to the curb.”
Merek’s phone goes off in the front seat. A steady stream of curse words flow from him as he sits up to answer it.
“Is he really pissed?” I whisper.
Marvel shakes his head up and down. “He really wanted to go out tonight.”
“But you came to get me?”
“That and the FBI agents said it wasn’t a good idea to be in such insecure locations.”
“I’m sorry.”
I don’t need him to go into great detail about the rest of the story or ask why he sounds so depressed. His accident has put a toll on him and the rest of the family, and I know every second of the day Marvel allows the guilt to eat him alive.
“You dumb motherfuckers. We are almost home and will be there in a second. Don’t touch anything else.”
“Who was that?” Challis asks.
“Irrigation line busted and the well is down.”
“Okay, but who was that?” she asks again.
“Sterling.”
“Why in the hell is he there?”
“Waiting on Maverik to get home to have a beer, I guess. Said some horses were out in the pasture and thinks they busted up the lines.”
“He’s back,” is all Challis says as she turns down the driveway.
“You don’t know that. Shit happens.”
I’ve never seen Merek so pissed off in my life, and I’m not sure what in the hell has him so frustrated.
My stomach lets out a loud growl as the truck falls silent. I nearly forgot I was starving and exhausted before Marvel swept me off my feet in the parking lot of the hospital.
“I’ll get you fed,” Marvel whispers into my ear. “And just ignore him.”
“I wish you’d share more with me.”
“Clover, I’ve told you time after time that I don’t want you mixed up in this shit, and I just want us to be us.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I force my body closer to him, trying to melt into him.
Merek storms from the truck once Challis kills the engine.
“I wish I could help him.”
“Go get your girl some food. I’ll deal with my cranky asshole.”
Challis follows Merek over to the barn and they soon disappear behind the doors.
“She’s really become a good friend. I like her a lot.”
“Yeah, she’s a good cat.”
“You say the weirdest things.” I jump to the ground and give him time to get out of the truck. Marvel amazes me each day as he begins to move faster and do more. He’s a true walking miracle.
“You just gonna stare or invite me to cook you up something?”
“I can’t help it that you’re one of the sexiest men I know.”
“Get your ass moving.”
I step in front of him toward my front door, digging in my cluttered purse for my house keys. I’ve already had my ass chewed by every member of the Slatter family about not locking my house. Before I turn the key in the lock, I feel Marvel’s hot breath hit the tender skin on my neck. Then his hands wrap up around me as he pulls me back into him.
“Stop, I can’t focus, Marvel.”
“Why is that?”
One of his hands sneaks up under my scrub top, and the connection of his skin on mine stops me turning the key. My knees buckle underneath me as Marvel takes his sweet time roaming my skin with his hand. His fingertips brush the bottom of my bra before his hands find their way to my breasts. I moan out loud at the touch and battle to control my urge just to melt into him.
Marvel runs his lips along the length of my neck, leaving a wave of passion behind. “I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you tonight, baby.”
“By all means, go ahead, cowboy.”
My stomach lets out another deep, long, and loud growl as Marvel goes back to kissing my neck and roaming his hands all over my flesh. I feel a smile spread across his face in the nape of my neck, and then laughter fills the night air.
“What? A growling stomach isn’t sexy?”
“Everything about you is sexy, baby, but let’s get you fed and all tucked in.”
He turns the key and covers my hand with his, with his lips still leaving a trail of kisses on my neckline.
“Go take a shower and I’ll throw some stuff together for you.” He maneuvers me by the shoulders, guiding me to the bathroom and leaves me with a slap to my ass.
I turn and watch him walk away, resting my back on the wall. He melts my heart with everything he does. His sexy swagger, even if it does include a limp, his tilted cowboy hat, and his heart. I think his loving heart is my favorite part about him. It took me a while to find it and chip away at his anger, but it’s a treasure I’d never give up on.
“Shower, Clover. Quit staring at my sexy ass,” he hollers out, not even turning to make eye contact.
“How did you know?”
He only laughs back at me and never answers. I know there’s shards of anger lingering within him and loads of healing and forgiving that needs to be done for Marvel to be complete again. I’ll stand by him throughout all of it.
The water is piercing hot, relaxing each one of my muscles. The steam clears my mind, and the only thing I see is Marvel. My life has changed so rapidly over a short amount of time, and it makes my head spin when I think about it too long.
When I turn off the water and step from the shower, all I see is my favorite wine glass filled. Then the aroma from the kitchen hits my senses, and on cue my stomach growls once again. I dress quickly, throwing on some yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. My feet make no noise walking down the hallway to the open living room and kitchen. I sip on my wine, walking slowly and taking my time to soak in Marvel at my stovetop with his back to me.
He whistles while he works over something on the stovetop and then takes a pull from his beer bottle. He keeps a secret stash of beer hidden in my refrigerator, and even against my will he indulges once in a while. I quit lecturing him since all he would do was brush off my medical advice and call me Nurse Nancy.
Leaning on the corner of the wall, I take another light sip of my wine.
“Thank you.”
Marvel turns around with a grin on his face and shoots me a wink. I walk over to him and kiss his cheek.
“Cheers.” I hold up my wine glass and wait for him to mimic the action with his beer bottle. “To us and this.”
“To us,” he whispers, then kisses my lips while he clinks the neck of the beer bottle to my glass. The sound is sweet and his lips even sweeter with each of our drinks so representative of us. City girl and cowboy, rough and tough mingled with gentle ease, all coming together in one beautiful love story.
“Sit.”
“Okay, bossy pants.” I whirl around and make for the small kitchen table before we get wrapped up in each other, which we tend to do quite ea
sily.
An old local newspaper lays on the table and sports none other than my uncle Saint Johnson. His face turns my stomach and all I feel is hatred, then it morphs into being pissed off. It seemed like many moons ago, but the agent’s advice about not telling anyone who my uncle is runs through my mind all the time.
I’ve spent several nights lying awake in bed wondering just how horrible of a man he is. Chills spread down my spine, leaving behind a cold and eerie feeling.
“Oh, hey, Marvel, I have a question about Sterling.” I change the subject matter, averting my spiraling nasty thoughts.
“What about him, baby?” He sets down a plate of piping pasta smothered in Alfredo sauce and strips of grilled chicken.
“You made this?” I point down to the plate, amazed.
“Would you believe me if I said yes?” He sits next to me with his legs spread out, sipping from his beer.
“How in the hell did you do this?” I wind a healthy amount of pasta onto the fork and moan out loud when I take my first bite.
“I called Maverik and he ran it over. Some of their leftovers.”
“Holy shit, I was about to marry your ass on the spot and lock you up in my closet to hide you as my own personal chef.”
“I like the sounds of the locking up part.” He raises an eyebrow.
“God, I’m eating like a pig.” I can barely get the words out as I shovel in the food.
Marvel plucks a piece of chicken off my plate as I inhale the entire bowl. I’m surprised I didn’t nip at his finger when he nabbed some chicken.
“What about Sterling?”
I look back up to him and remember I’d started to ask him a question. “He came by the hospital tonight and really creeped me out.”
“How?”
“Just asking about us and then kept talking.” I shrug my shoulders, because now it just seems like I’m being a snob. “It was just weird.”
“Sterling’s a good guy, nothing to worry about. I think he’s just lonely since coming back home.” Marvel turns the corner of the newspaper as he looks down at the same article that made me sick. I open my mouth to tell him that’s my uncle, but he uses his arm swiping across the table, knocking everything off of it but my bowl. His familiar anger rolls up, and I’m nearly afraid to ask him what set him off.