Just Down the Road

by Jodi Thomas

  She heard the man yelp in pain. The second big man shouted something while the little man ran for his open car door.

  The instinct to survive, born on the streets, kicked in. Reagan turned and ran through the orchard. She tripped once, twice, but she scrambled to her feet and kept going toward the fence at the back of the trees.

  In the distance she heard the van engine being gunned and guessed the short man had left both his friends behind to face Old Dog. Maybe he hated dogs, maybe he was just through with the thugs and figured he could disappear easier without them along.

  She didn’t think, she just ran. Evil had stepped onto her farm, and all she could do was escape.

  Chapter 42

  HARMONY COUNTY HOSPITAL

  TINCH CAME AWAKE ONE PAIN AT A TIME. HE’D BEEN IN enough bar fights to recognize each injury. Cracked ribs, stitches on the side of his head, a lip that tasted of dried blood, and a half dozen more.

  “Be still, Mr. Turner,” someone close to him said. “I’m almost finished.”

  “Doc?” He knew it would hurt too much to open his eyes, so he just guessed. She had a kind of hurried sound to her voice when she was nervous or trying to act all professional.

  “Yes, it’s Dr. Spencer. I’m just checking your side. You’ve lost a great deal of blood, Mr. Turner.”

  Tinch shoved his pain aside and tried to clear his mind. Something was wrong. She hadn’t talked like this to him since before their first kiss. Everything that had happened in the darkness washed back over him. Waking to tell Jamie to run. Meeting the men with rifles loaded. Being shot. Being beaten. Waking at the sound of Noah McAllen yelling at him.

  “Jamie?” Tinch needed to know that the men who had beaten him hadn’t found the boy.

  “He’s fine,” Addison said as she touched his hand. “He’s outside in the waiting room with Noah at his side.”

  Her touch had been light, her voice still formal, almost as if she didn’t know him or the boy. Tinch remained still as she bandaged his side. He sensed more than heard others in the room.

  His entire body felt heavy. If he could have, he would have pulled her against him and told her how much she meant to him.

  The familiar sound of machines beeping and clicking reminded Tinch that he’d be out of this place as soon as he could walk. He hated hospitals. The sounds. The smells. If he could just wake up, he’d find a way to get out, but all he seemed to be able to do right now was listen.

  “You did a good job, Addison,” a man’s voice sounded from several feet away. “This fellow will have very little scarring thanks to you. Your skills are meant for much more than sewing up cowboys who’ve been in gunfights.”

  The man with Addison sounded older, twice Addison’s age. Tinch couldn’t place the voice, but the accent definitely didn’t belong in Texas.

  He felt Addison’s touch on his arm, a gentle pat as if to say she was close. “Mr. Turner wasn’t in a gunfight. He was protecting a child from men who meant him harm.”

  “Whatever.” The man’s voice sounded bored. “Can we move on? I really don’t have much time and I have to talk to you. I didn’t fly halfway across the country to make rounds with you.”

  “No, you don’t,” Addison whispered as she tucked the sheet back over Tinch’s arm. “We’ve nothing to say. You wasted a trip. I’ve told you that several times on the phone.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, dear. The sooner I get you out of this hick town the better. You’ve proved your point. Now it’s time you come back where you belong.”

  Her hand was back, moving along his arm as if she needed to hold on to him even though he could offer her no support. “Tinch,” she whispered.

  He felt her brushing his hair off his forehead, and he moved slightly into the warmth of her fingers.

  “Tinch, are you awake enough to hear me?”

  He nodded.

  “The sheriff wants to talk to you. Can you answer a few questions?”

  “I’ll try, Doc.” His voice sounded broken and rusty.

  “I’ll go find her.”

  They moved away, Addison saying something to the man in the room, and Tinch could no longer make out the words.

  An hour later, when he woke again, he wasn’t sure he hadn’t dreamed the strange conversation he’d had with the sheriff. She’d asked him questions, but the answers kept getting jumbled up in his mind.

  Slowly he molded his hand into a fist. He was stronger now. Less groggy.

  Blood seemed to be pumping in his veins again. The blinds were closed and machines created a dull buzz. He heard the door open and close almost silently, and then Tinch felt a small hand slip into his.

  “Hello, Jamie,” he whispered. “Glad you’re here.”

  “You don’t look so good, Uncle Tinch. Your lip is all puffed up and one of your eyes is funny colored.”

  “You should see how it looks from this side.” Tinch laughed, then groaned in pain. He tried to open one eye. “You all right?”

  Jamie nodded. “I didn’t like what they did to you. I wanted to run and tell them to stop, but I remembered what you said about staying in the rabbit hole until I knew it was safe to come out.”

  “Rabbit hole?” Noah asked from somewhere behind Jamie.

  “That’s what we call this little spot halfway between our place and the doc’s. It looks like flat land from our porch, but when you get to it, you see it’s a little bump in the ground where the dirt piles up high enough to hide a person. I could look between the weeds and see the porch. If anyone came near, all I’d have to do was roll down in the hole a few inches and no one could find me.”

  “Pretty ingenious,” Noah offered.

  “Tinch says it’s an old Apache trick.”

  “Jamie?” Tinch interrupted. “You stay with Noah until I get a little better. You understand? Go with no one but Noah or the sheriff or Doc.”

  “I understand.”

  Tinch wanted to ask where Addison was and when she’d be back in, but his brain felt like someone had poured pudding inside it. Thoughts could barely move forward enough to be voiced.

  He knew there were details he needed to ask about, things he should know, but right now it seemed enough just to know that he was alive and Jamie was safe. The rest could wait.

  Chapter 43

  TRUMAN FARM

  BY THE TIME REAGAN MADE IT TO THE PROPERTY LINE fence at the back of the orchard, she was covered in mud and her hand was bleeding. In the distance, she heard the sound of a siren, then a moment later, one, two, three shots in rapid fire from the house.

  No one but the two guys left by the van driver was there. They wouldn’t have any need to shoot a lock off anything, and no one was there to try to stop them.

  So, why the shots?

  Reagan fought down a cry as she realized why. They’d killed Old Dog.

  Every ounce in her wanted to go back and fight, but reason told her she had to survive first. If the driver hadn’t gone back for his partners, the men left behind would come looking for her after they searched the house. If they noticed her truck keys, they’d probably widen their search and head toward the orchard. From there, they might see her. She had no idea why they were here, but she knew they were trouble. Bad trouble.

  As she moved along the fence line, she heard a car and looked down the road in time to see the sheriff pull into the farm entrance with sirens blaring. Two highway patrol cars were ten feet behind her.

  Reagan smiled, almost wishing she could run back through the orchard in time to see the men’s reaction. She didn’t know why they’d decided to come to her place so early, but she had a feeling they’d be leaving in the back of one of the cars.

  She watched the road. It bothered her that she hadn’t seen where the van had gone. If he’d come toward Lone Oak Road, she would have heard him. From the front yard of the old house, he could have taken a half dozen turns. The orchard, the barn, one of Jeremiah’s storage barns for the old tractors he collected. There was even a rough ro
ad that circled round the new orchard behind the house and ended up almost at the entrance to the farm.

  Logic told her she wasn’t out of danger yet. She’d learned a long time ago that trouble doesn’t always need a reason to come calling. Her one and only plan right now was simply to stay out of their way.

  Reagan climbed over the stile Jeremiah had installed just in case folks wanted to steal a few of his apples. Half the people in town admitted to the theft, including the sheriff. Reagan always thought her uncle was proud of that fact. He said once if he’d plant watermelons, his farm would be the stealing capital of Texas.

  Trying to shake mud off her, Reagan walked toward town. She wanted to know what was going on at her place, but not enough to get between the cops and those guys. Trying to give them the benefit of a doubt, she thought they might just be lost. Only someone asking for directions usually didn’t come before dawn or shoot the watchdog.

  A diesel engine barreled down the road toward her. Reagan looked up to see Big heading straight for her.

  “Rea!” he yelled as he jumped from his truck. “You all right?”

  “I fell down.” She felt like a child holding out her hand to show him the small cut. “What are you doing here?”

  “Noah called me and told me you needed me.”

  “But …”

  Big lifted her into the truck. “I don’t know any answers. Noah just said when I found you to bring you straight to the hospital and, from the looks of that cut, I figure that’s just where you need to be.”

  Chapter 44

  HARMONY COUNTY HOSPITAL

  TYLER WASHED UP AS BEST HE COULD IN THE WAITING room bathroom, then walked down the hall to the maternity ward.

  It was far too early for visitors, and Tyler knew he had to get home and clean up properly before anyone saw him with his pajamas on beneath his coat. Only he couldn’t leave without saying good-bye to the baby. He had to see her one more time. He’d wave. He didn’t figure she’d wave back, but he wasn’t sure.

  He stood in the nursery window and watched Autumn’s tiny baby sleeping with her little pink cap down over her ears. He’d be forty-six his next birthday—well on his way to fifty, he thought—and this was the first time he’d been part of a birthing. True, the two firemen, Willie Davis and Big Biggs, had done most of the work, but he had taken his turn at holding Autumn’s hand tightly during a few contractions. Once they moved to the delivery stage, both boys had gone in with her to help, but Tyler took sole duty of pacing.

  He must have walked ten miles before Big rushed out to tell him everything was going well. Near the end, both firemen joined him, and then finally the doctor came out with the news. Eight pounds four ounces. Tyler had no idea if that was big or small for a newborn, so he asked, “How much did you weigh when you were born, Big?”

  Brandon “Big” Biggs sat down on one of the couches and took a deep breath. “I feel funny,” he said, just before he rolled onto the floor, out cold.

  Tyler watched in amazement as nurses, hearing the thud, rushed in to help. They managed to roll him over and prop the back of his head on the couch cushion. After two bottles of water and a cold towel, one very tall nurse announced that he’d simply fainted.

  Everyone talked at once, saying things like they were glad he hadn’t toppled in the delivery room, and one said she thought the big guy looked cute spread out like a bear rug in the waiting room.

  When everyone left except the tall nurse, who was still patting Big’s hand, Tyler finally got a word in. “All I did was ask him how much he weighed at birth.”

  The nurse had a kind smile. “I’m not due on until five. I just came up, when Big called, to see if I could be of help. It appears the best thing I can probably do now is take this one home.”

  Tyler agreed, though he doubted Big needed any help getting home. He lived only half a mile away and, though he looked a little pale, her constant patting seemed to have helped him recover.

  The nurse helped Big to his feet. “Mr. Wright, will you tell Willie what happened?”

  Tyler nodded, noticing Big had to lean on the pretty nurse.

  “And Mr. Wright, you could go home too. Autumn worked hard tonight. She’ll sleep for a few hours and so will the baby. You should get a few hours’ sleep yourself and then come back in the morning.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll wait until one of the girls from the office gets here. Just in case she needs me.”

  Tyler stood watching them go. He couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not till it was morning. Then he’d go man the office while the others came. He couldn’t leave and face his apartment alone.

  Walking to the window, he stared out into the sleepy town. Today would be a great day. Autumn’s baby was born and Kate was safe. All his worries over the baby being late or Kate not coming home washed out of his thoughts. He knew trying to get any sleep would be a waste. It was time to plan his day.

  The women would come up straightaway after they were called. Then he’d clean up, transfer all calls to his cell, and go shopping. He and Kate had already decided they would be grandparents to Autumn’s baby, and a grandparent should buy things.

  Tyler was thinking a swing set for the square of grass off Autumn’s apartment would make a nice gift. Maybe he could rip up ten feet of the driveway out back and make the yard bigger. And, of course, he’d need to plant a tree for shade. He thought he’d have a circle walkway poured so the little girl could ride her bike.

  As he strolled back to his place in the waiting room, he thought maybe the walkway was something he could wait on.

  Sitting down in the middle of a long empty row of plastic-covered chairs, he held his cell, wishing Kate would call back and give him a little advice. She might be in her forties also, but surely she’d been to baby showers over the years. Maybe she’d know what to buy.

  As he planned, his eyes grew heavy and he closed them while he thought. The room was warm and still. Within a few minutes he was fast asleep, the smile still lingering on his face as the morning warmed into day.

  Chapter 45

  NOAH HAD BEEN PACING THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE TINCH’S room for ten minutes. Each time he passed the windows, he looked in on Jamie, sitting next to Turner’s bedside. The kid looked so small as he held his uncle’s hand. He was too young to be mixed up in such trouble.

  Hell, Noah thought, I’m twenty-one and I’m too young.

  A nurse from down the hall passed by, frowning at him, about every fifteen minutes. Each time she reminded him that Tinch was being carefully observed and didn’t need visitors.

  Noah ignored her comment. He wasn’t a visitor and neither was Jamie. If she wanted them out, she’d have to bring more than a frown to the fight.

  The elevator door rattled and Noah moved close to Tinch’s door. He didn’t care how many deputies were downstairs watching for the drug dealer, Noah planned to stand his guard until they caught the guy who did this to Tinch and Jamie was out of danger.

  His sister had phoned in that the two thugs he’d seen running from Tinch’s place were now in custody, but the little weasel leader had slipped past them somehow. She’d told Noah that Reagan hadn’t been at the house when they made the arrest. He already knew that much. If she’d been home, she would have answered the phone and he wouldn’t have had to call Big to go check on her.

  Noah stared at the elevator, wanting it to be news of Reagan, but half wishing it would be the guy named Memphis. Noah wouldn’t mind pounding on him for a while. Noah was a man who ate adrenaline for breakfast, and right now he was starving.

  Big stepped off the elevator, and for a second Noah was furious that he hadn’t protected Reagan, and then he saw her walking a step behind Big.

  Noah felt the tug on his heart that he always did when he first saw her. He thought he fell in love with her that first day he saw her, the new kid in high school with no one to talk to and a chip on her shoulder so big she could barely carry it around. She wasn’t tall and long legged like a beauty queen, but da
rn if she wasn’t adorable.

  As she ran toward him, he noticed her clothes were all muddy and she looked like she’d been crying. As always her wild red hair circled around Reagan like her very own cloud of fire.

  Noah waited until she looked up when she was almost to him, and then he took one step and swept her into his arms. She was the one woman he’d ever known whom he couldn’t get enough of. The one girl he couldn’t hold tight enough.

  “You all right, Rea?” he whispered against her ear.

  “I look worse than I feel.” She smiled.

  “That’s good.” He smiled, thinking he’d seen men dragged around the arena by a horse who had less dirt and mud on them than Reagan Truman had.

  She tried to explain what had happened, but there were too many pieces to the puzzle she didn’t understand. “Big said he’d better bring me right here or you’d be fit to be tied.”

  Noah looked around to thank the huge man, but Big was nowhere in sight. “Where’d he go?” Noah had trouble believing three hundred pounds of muscle could disappear.

  “He said as soon as I was with you, he’d go find someone to take a look at my hand. I told him not to bother. I’ve been hurt worse, but he just said he’d be back in a minute.”

  Noah hadn’t noticed her hand until now. As he looked at the small cut running across her palm, he frowned. “Looks bad, Rea. I think we’ll have to amputate.”

  “Shut up.” She pouted. “It hurts.”

  Looking around, Noah saw his options as few. He couldn’t leave Tinch and Jamie, and he didn’t plan on Reagan stepping out of his sight. Somehow this one hospital room had become their bunker. “Come on.” He opened Tinch’s door. “You need to wash up before that hand gets infected. There’s a sink in here and Tinch is too out of it to care.”