by Cat Schield
Lost in her misery, Lark barely noticed the minute pressure against her hand. But she saw Skye’s finger twitch. Too scared to blink lest she missed it again, Lark stared at her sister’s pale hand and willed it to move again. Nothing happened.
“The difference between Keaton and Jake, though,” she continued, hoping that maybe something she’d been saying had reached her sister, “is that while Jake loved you with all his heart, I’m not sure if Keaton’s thinking of forever and me in the same sentence.” Still no movement from Skye, so Lark kept going. “Mom told me he’s using me. She’s convinced that as soon as we’re no longer taking care of Grace, he’ll head back to the Holt Ranch and never give me another thought.”
The pain her mother’s words had caused was reflected in Lark’s voice, but it all vanished in an instant when Skye’s fingers moved again, more obviously this time. Maybe all this time Lark had been using the wrong stimuli to reach her sister.
“It hasn’t happened yet, but they’re going to make me choose. The same way they made you choose. I’m not as strong as you. I’m worried that I’ll end things with Keaton, but that Mom and Dad still won’t want me as their daughter.”
Another pulse came from Skye’s hand. This one stronger than ever.
“You’re waking up,” Lark exclaimed, dropping her head over her sister’s hand. “You’re finally waking up.” And as pain tore through her chest, she began to cry.
* * *
At six in the morning, Keaton was awake and troubled over the empty bed beside him. Lark should have been home a little after midnight. Something was wrong. He bolted up and reached for his phone. Nicki leaped to her feet and came over to nudge his hip with her nose. He absently stroked the Aussie’s head as he checked for messages.
A three-word text explained where she was.
Skye’s waking up.
He was in the middle of responding when he heard the garage door and slid out of bed. He met Lark just inside the door between the kitchen and the garage. Without a word, he threw his arms around her and spun her off her feet. Nicki frolicked around them, animated by their excitement.
“I just got your text,” he explained, setting her on her feet so he could frame her face with his hands and survey her expression. “How is she?”
“She only came to for a couple seconds, but it was fantastic. Her doctor told me she’ll go back and forth between conscious and unconscious for a while with the periods of consciousness growing with time.”
“This is fantastic news.” News he longed to be able to share with Jake. Not wanting to dampen Lark’s euphoria, Keaton pushed his annoyance aside. This was a time to celebrate. “Do they have any idea how long her recovery will take?”
Lark shook her head. “It’s too early to tell.” She leaned her head against his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tight. “It’s going to be all right.”
“I never doubted it.”
Keaton set his cheek against her soft hair and pushed his own news to the back of his mind. This was not the time to tell her about the documents he’d found in the wreckage of the town hall. And until his lawyer was able to verify their validity, there was no reason to stir up trouble. That was why he hadn’t told his mother. She’d feel obligated to tell her husband, and Keaton’s father would waste no time confronting Tyrone Taylor. Keaton wanted to handle the delicate situation with Lark before the news got to her father.
“Is it okay if I grab a couple hours of sleep? I wasn’t sure what your plans were this morning.”
“I’m supposed to be back at the town hall around nine. Do you want me to call my mom again and see if she can come by?”
“No. I’ll be fine with a quick nap. I’m used to sleeping when I can, so I’ll grab naps while Grace sleeps.”
With the way her eyes were sparkling, Keaton wondered if she’d sleep at all. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the hospital and sit with Skye after you get some sleep?”
“She’s in good hands and it will take a while before she’ll be coherent enough for conversation. I’ll go check on her tonight. If anything happens between now and then, the hospital will call me.”
“And you’ll call my mother?”
“Definitely.”
They grabbed a leisurely shower together and Keaton felt Lark’s muscles loosen beneath his hands. As tempted as he was by her soft murmurs of pleasure and the skimming of her palms over his own soapy flesh, Keaton tucked her into bed without exhausting her further. She was fast asleep before he dressed and left the room.
Grace lay awake in her crib, her eyes fixed on the mobile above her. Unlike her father, she tended to wake happy in the morning. Keaton recalled Jake dragging himself blurry-eyed to school every morning.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he crooned, lifting her into his arms. She blinked at him, her blue eyes not quite able to focus. “Your auntie Lark has come home with great news. Your mother has come out of her coma and she will be so excited to meet you.”
Keaton wondered how long before mother and child were reunited. He hoped for Grace’s sake it was soon. Although he and Lark had done a good job, Grace needed her mother. And her father.
As promised, Lark woke in two hours and took charge of Grace so Keaton could get back to the town hall. Between feeding, burping, changing and a stint in the infant gym, Grace was ready to go back to sleep.
Lark put the baby down, kissed Keaton on the chin and shuffled off to the bedroom once more. She was half-asleep; her extra-long shift and the excitement over her sister’s recovery had drained her. Keaton wanted to stay home and watch over both her and Grace. With Skye awakening from the coma, his time with the pair was growing short and he hated the empty hollow in his chest at the thought.
There was nothing he could do about losing Grace. She belonged with her mother. But preventing Lark from slipping from his life was something he could control. The previous day’s discovery gnawed at him. As close as he and Lark had grown these last several weeks, there was no question in his mind that the revelation of the misplaced bill of sale would put a strain on his relationship with Lark if she sided with her father on the issue.
He might just lose her forever.
Yet he owed it to his family to fight for the land the Taylor family currently claimed. They needed the lakes on the disputed property to keep their cattle fed. Because of the water, this area was abundant with grass. They could shift the herds until they could complete repairs on the damage the tornado had done to the system they used to irrigate their current pastures and buy more lightweight calves to increase their herd.
Keaton realized the implications of the choice he had to make. Jake had prioritized love over family. Keaton had no idea if his brother was happy with his decision, but if he had to guess, he’d say the answer was yes.
But Keaton had never been one to lead with his heart. He acted based on facts and logic. Choosing a technical approach to the cattle business, he’d altered the type of grass in the pastures and set up irrigation. The plentiful, high-quality forage allowed them to double the number of cattle per acre. This had enabled the ranch to become wildly profitable.
Logic told him to do what was good for his family and the ranch. He and Lark had known each other for less than a month. They’d been involved for two weeks. No matter how intense the chemistry between them and how much his heart ached when she snuggled against him, was he really ready to choose something as intangible as love over something that would benefit his family for decades to come?
The answer was very clear.
* * *
Lark sat in the chair beside her sister’s bed and reached for her hand. From what Jessa and Ivy had told her, Skye had awakened twice since Lark left the hospital earlier. Both times, she’d only been conscious for a few minutes, but she knew her name and although she seemed surprised to be at Royal Memorial Hospital, she recognized the town she grew up in.
“Your baby is eager to be held by her mommy,” Lark said, w
illing Skye to open her eyes. “The sooner you start getting better, the faster you two will be reunited.”
A tall man in white approached the bed. “How’s our patient today? I heard she’s woken up quite a few times.”
The smile Dr. Lucas Wakefield sent Lark’s way was supposed to fill her with encouragement. The handsome, accomplished surgeon oozed confidence in the operating room where he excelled, and at a patient’s bedside. It was hard to feel anxious when he was around.
“Yes,” Lark said. “I can finally breathe again.”
“I know this has been very hard on you,” Dr. Wakefield said. “And I hope you realize that she has a long recovery ahead of her. There will be physical therapy and it sounds like she may have gaps in her memory.”
“There’s more than you’re saying.” Lark braced herself. “What else are you worried about?”
“She might have trouble doing everyday functions. The memory loss may be extensive and permanent.”
“You’re trying to say she may not be back to a hundred percent.”
“We’ll know more as she stabilizes and begins to respond to stimuli.”
Ever a pragmatist, Lark struggled against being swallowed by anxiety. Dr. Wakefield was simply trying to prepare her. She briefly closed her eyes and longed for the support of Keaton’s strong arms.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done,” Lark said. “I know my sister wouldn’t have survived without your skill.”
Dr. Wakefield smiled. “Thank you. I’ll check back in later.”
Left on her own once more, Lark fought back tears and tried to remember a time when her emotions had run away with her like this. Falling in love with Keaton had brought her feelings into sharp focus.
“Lark?” Skye’s voice sounded blurry and far away.
“Skye.” She stood up and leaned over her sister. Brushing her fingers against Skye’s pale face, she met her sister’s green eyes and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re awake.”
“I’m in the hospital.”
At least her short-term memory was okay. “Do you know how we can get a hold of Jake?”
“Where is he?” Skye’s gaze searched past Lark. Panic tightened her face. “I need him.”
“I know.” Lark fought to keep her voice calm and soothing. “Do you have his cell number?”
“Phone.” Her lids drooped, voice fading.
“Your phone is gone.” But it was too late. Skye was out once more.
Lark suspected that her sister would have no idea what Jake’s number was. She’d probably programmed it into her missing phone and never given it another thought. But if she remembered her own number, then perhaps they could get a hold of a bill and Jake’s number should be on it.
But that wasn’t going to happen soon, and Lark settled back to wait for her sister to return to consciousness.
* * *
Keaton paced his lawyer’s office. The document had been authenticated, but the battle was far from over.
“It could take months before the courts agree that the land belongs to your family,” Sean Abbot said, “and that’s if the Taylors don’t decide to tie things up with a counterclaim.”
If that happened, the battle was going to be ugly, and the one who would suffer would be Lark. Skye was waking up. She would contact Jake and the two of them would spirit Grace off, perhaps never to return again. Keaton’s heart lurched at the thought.
“Any idea how to keep that from happening?”
Sean had been the Holts’ lawyer for the last twenty years. He’d been involved in every lawsuit and countersuit that the two families had thrown at each other.
“I’ve heard you’ve been staying with Lark and helping her out with your niece. Does she have any pull with Tyrone? Maybe if she spoke to him.”
Keaton shook his head. “Even if I thought it would help, I’d never ask her to do that. This is my battle with Taylor.”
“Well,” Sean said, his expression somber, “that’s what it’s going to be. A battle. Do you want me to get the court documents started?”
Keaton hesitated before answering. He picked up the envelope with a copy of the bill of sale. “I’ll call you in a couple hours.” Before he moved forward, he had to tell Lark and then her father.
He wasn’t looking forward to either conversation. Lark deserved to know before anything happened, but she was preoccupied with her sister’s recovery and didn’t need to be worried about how the discovery of the lost document was going to impact her family. She’d probably insist on going with him to confront her father.
Tyrone was going to rant and threaten and end up taking his frustration out on Lark because he would view her as a traitor for suggesting they try for an amicable solution.
She was at home when he called looking for her. This relieved him. He wouldn’t have told her at the hospital where her reaction might have been noticed by her coworkers. The twenty-minute drive gave him plenty of time to prepare the best strategy for approaching the subject of the long-lost bill of sale. He hoped that she’d be sensible when she found out he intended to take the land back.
The woman who greeted him at the door wasn’t the bubbly, optimistic woman who’d headed for the hospital earlier that day. She threw herself into his arms and clung as if he was the only thing keeping her safe.
“What’s wrong?” he murmured against her hair, wondering if something had happened to Skye. “Is your sister okay?”
Lark pushed out of his arms and ran her fingers under her eyes to scoop up the moisture. “I’m such a mess.”
“You’re beautiful.” He cupped her cheek in his palm and leaned down to kiss her. His heart thumped against his ribs as she yielded beneath his lips. Before the chemistry between them flared, he broke off the kiss and drew her toward the couch in the great room. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Dr. Wakefield came to see Skye today while I was there. He’s concerned about her memory and warned me she may never be back one hundred percent.”
Keaton had done some reading on head trauma and knew the recovery was slow and sometimes not complete. He hadn’t said anything to Lark about it, figuring as a medical professional she already knew the odds and didn’t need him heaping worry on her.
“But she’s young and strong. And she has a beautiful baby girl to motivate her.”
They sat down on the couch and Lark made a move to kiss him. Keaton drew back and she regarded him in confusion. Now it was her turn to ask what was wrong.
“While moving the records at the town hall, I made a discovery.” He began his tale in gentle tones, knowing what was to come would be jarring.
“What sort of discovery?”
“An old bill of sale that’s been lost for years.”
She stared at his face, and her expression froze. “The one our families have been battling over for years?”
“That’s the one. It was behind one of the antique filing cabinets in the records room.”
“Rather convenient that you found it,” she said, her tone flat.
“It’s not a forgery if that’s what you’re implying. It’s been authenticated.” In his rush to avert her suspicions, he didn’t consider the conclusions she’d draw from that.
She shifted away from him. “How long ago did you find it?”
“A few days.”
“Days?” She looked stricken. “How many?”
“I found it the day Skye woke up for the first time.”
“We’ve been together a bunch of times since then.” She scurried off the couch. “We...we made love. You should have told me. I deserved to know.”
“You were worried about Skye. I didn’t want to distract you.”
She clenched her hands into fists. “Distract me? Seems more like you wanted to deceive me. I trusted you.”
“You still can.” Keaton stood. Had he subconsciously known her deep-seated distrust of his family would overwhelm any faith she’d placed in him? Was that why he’d waited so long to tell her? “I d
idn’t want to upset you unnecessarily if the document wasn’t valid.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“The land belongs to Holt Ranch.”
“So you’re going to just take it?”
“It’s not like that. The land isn’t yours.”
“You can’t just take it back. My family needs those lakes to irrigate our tree farm and water our cattle.”
He tried to assume a placating tone. “If your father would see reason for a change and work with me, we could offer him a water lease.” It was more generous than Tyrone Taylor had ever been with the Holts.
“You intend to charge us for what’s been ours for decades?”
So it was us now. After how her parents had treated Lark. The way they’d refused to help with Grace. Their abandonment of Skye as she lay in her hospital bed fighting for her life.
His anger with her parents, specifically her father, boiled over. “It’s Holt land.”
Immediately he knew he’d chosen the wrong tack. She looked as if he’d slapped her.
“We’ll fight you.” Her voice quivered with dismay. “With everything we have.”
“Lark, be reasonable. Let’s talk about this.”
“Reasonable?” The word carried the weight of all her distress. “Why do I have to be reasonable? My father was right about you. You Holts will do anything to get what you want.” Her breath caught. “Even sleep with me.”
Her accusation struck him like a whip. “You can’t really think that.”
“My mother said you were using me. She was right.”
“That’s not true. I only wanted to help you with Grace.”
“You did a little bit more than that.” She spoke the words as if they tasted bitter.
“You’re right,” he said, all passion leaving his voice. “I also fell in love with you.”