Best of Cowboys Bundle

by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Barbara White Daille, Judy Christenberry, Christine Wenger, Shirley Rogers, Crystal Green, Nina Bruhns, Candance Schuler, Carole Mortimer

  “I can teach her,” Andy exclaimed.

  “Not yet. She still needs to crawl. Can you give her another example of crawling?”

  “Sure!” Andy agreed, getting on his hands and knees to lead Betsy across the rug. Betsy fell right in behind him and crawled just like he did.

  A few minutes later, Debra put Betsy in her playpen. “I have to go fix your supper, Andy. You watch Sesame Street and Betsy will watch from here.”

  “I want to have supper with everyone else, like Betsy does. Why can’t I, Mommy?”

  Debra sighed. She’d been afraid Andy would complain about his early bedtime. “Sweetie, I just think it’s better this way.”

  “Please, Mommy?”

  Debra finally relented. “Okay, we’ll try it for tonight. If you get too tired, you’ll have to start going to bed early.”

  “I promise, Mommy!” Andy gave her a hug. “Will I get to sit by John?”

  “I think you’ll sit between me and Uncle Bill.”

  “But I want—”

  “Andy!”

  “Yes, Mommy,” he said, giving up his request. He turned obediently to the TV and Debra headed to the kitchen.

  She had dinner almost ready when she heard an engine start up out back. She stepped to the window and saw Bill driving away in his truck.

  Debra didn’t know what could make Bill leave right before dinner. She hoped nothing was wrong. Maybe she could ask John when he got there.

  When she heard the back door open, she hurried to the kitchen door, eager to find out what was going on. But it wasn’t John who walked through the door. It was Mikey, Jess and Darrell.

  “Where are John and Bill?” she asked.

  “Uh, don’t get upset, Debra,” Mikey said.

  “About what?”

  Jess stepped forward. “John fell off his horse.”

  “John? What happened?”

  “His horse was surprised by a snake.”

  “Is he hurt?”

  Jess nodded, watching her closely, as if he feared she’d burst into tears. “We think he broke his leg, that’s all. Mikey made it sound worse than it was.”

  “So Bill took him to the doctor?”

  “That’s right. They should be back soon.”

  “Thanks, Jess. And you, too, Mikey.” She forced a smile. “Come on in. I’ve got dinner ready.” She worked hard at sounding normal, but all she could think about was John suffering. Truth be told, she did feel like bursting into tears, as they’d expected. But she wouldn’t. “How was your first day, Darrell?” she asked.

  “Just fine, Mrs. Richey.”

  “Call me Debra. Excuse me a moment. I’ll go get the children. They’re both eating with us tonight.”

  She brought Andy into the room with Betsy in her other arm. “Gentlemen, this is my son, Andy. He’s three years old, and he likes cowboys. And, of course, you all know Betsy.”

  The men greeted Andy who was still holding on to his mother.

  “Sweetheart, why don’t you sit over by Jess, next to Betsy’s high chair.”

  Andy looked around. “Where’s John? And Uncle Bill?”

  The men glanced at Debra. “Uh,” she stammered, “they had to run an errand.” No sense upsetting the boy till she knew something.

  As Andy got in the chair she’d indicated, she settled Betsy in her high chair. Then she began serving dinner. She kept looking at the window even as she fed Betsy.

  “I’m sure Bill and the boss will be along soon,” Jess said, having noticed her anxiety.

  “I guess—” The ringing phone interrupted her. She jumped up at once to get it. “Hello?”

  “Honey, it’s Bill.”

  “How is John?”

  “The boys told you, I guess. He’s going to be okay, but he’s broken his leg in several places. Doc says he’s going to be down for a while. The thing is, they don’t have the staff here to take care of him. Doc said if you can take care of him and keep him off his feet, he won’t have to go away to a hospital. It’ll only be for a couple of days. The leg is all swollen and they can’t put him in a cast until the swelling goes down.”

  “Of course I can take care of him, Bill. Bring him home at once.”

  “You sure? He can be a bear when he’s injured.”

  “Are you sure I’ll notice the change?” she asked with a grim smile. She felt guilty about that comment, but John had been difficult in the past.

  Bill hesitated. “I guess not. Okay, we’ll be there in about half an hour. Ask the guys to hang around so they can help carry him to his bed.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  After hanging up the phone, she turned and told the men of Bill’s request. They immediately agreed.

  “Will you keep an eye on Andy and Betsy for a minute? I need to go straighten up the bedroom before they get here.”

  Mikey agreed to try feeding Betsy.

  Debra left the kitchen and ran down the hall for John’s bedroom. She straightened the bed. She’d just changed the sheets yesterday. She didn’t think he wore pajamas. At least, she hadn’t washed any. She quickly searched through his drawers and found a lone pair in a bottom drawer. She laid them out on the bed, along with a T-shirt.

  Then she hurried back to the table to take over feeding Betsy and supervising Andy. They had all just finished eating when they heard Bill’s truck returning. The three men went out to assist him with John.

  “Mommy, what happened to John?” Andy asked.

  “He fell off his horse, sweetie, and broke his leg.”

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Yes, a lot. Now, I need you to run upstairs and put on your pajamas. I’ll be up to tuck you in as soon as I can.”

  “But I haven’t had my bath, Mommy.”

  “I know, but we’re going to skip it tonight. Okay? Now, I have to get Betsy in bed, too. Scoot along. Betsy and I will be right behind you.”

  She changed Betsy’s diaper and put her in a night gown and tucked her into bed. Fortunately, the baby was agreeable and settled down right away.

  Debra ran into Andy’s room and kissed her son good-night. She told him to get in bed and she’d be up to see him later. Then she hurried down the stairs.

  The men were just then carrying John toward his bedroom. She slipped ahead of them and turned down the covers. John was moaning and seemed to be under the influence of some drugs. He didn’t even seem to realize that Debra was there.

  “I thought it might be good if he put on the pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. Wouldn’t he be more comfort able?” she asked.

  “Probably,” Bill said. “But he might start cussing if we tried that.”

  “I’ve heard cussing before, Uncle Bill.”

  “I don’t think you should be in here,” Bill whispered.

  “Who do you think is going to take care of him during the day? You and the others are going to be out working your tails off, trying to cover for him.”

  “That’s true. Okay. Try to move his leg as little as possible. The brace doesn’t hold it all that steady.”

  “Do you need us for this, Bill?” Jess asked.

  “Uh, naw, Debra and I will handle it. Thanks for the help.” He said nothing else as the men filed out. Then he looked at Debra. “Hopefully they’ll forget all this before John talks to them again.”

  “You’re making a big deal about nothing. I’ll pull the jeans down as you lift him off the bed. We need to do it quickly to minimize his pain.”

  “Okay. Let’s do it.” Bill leaned over his boss and slid his hands under him.

  Debra unzipped his jeans and pulled them over his hips as quickly as she could. Then she carefully slid them down his legs. A groan told her she’d caused him some pain. But the jeans were now off. Then they slipped on the loose pajama bottoms.

  “Maybe we should leave his shirt on him until he’s awake and can help with the T-shirt,” Bill suggested.

  “Good idea. Where are his pain pills, and can he have more now?” Debra waited for Bill to dig t
he bottle out of his pocket. Then she read the directions. “Every four hours? I guess he took some before he left the doctor’s office?”

  “Yeah, about seven-thirty. So he can’t have any more until eleven-thirty. You’ll be asleep long before then. I’m sure he can wait for them first thing in the morning.” Bill took a step toward the door. “You don’t need me anymore, do you?”

  “No, but I saved you some dinner if you want it. It’s in the fridge.”

  “Thanks, honey. I’m starved.”

  Once she was left alone with John, she slipped two extra pillows under his leg to elevate it a little. Then she pulled the sheet and a blanket over his body. Before leaving the room, she turned out the light, hoping he would fall asleep.

  She hurried upstairs to check on her son. The light was still on and the book she’d given him to look at had fallen to the floor. She gave him a gentle kiss as he slept and slipped out of his room, turning off the light as she went.

  Then she checked on Betsy, who was sound asleep, also.

  There were three children now, she thought. John was going to be as helpless as his daughter, and probably much grumpier. But now she would have a chance to get to know him. Only seeing him at meals meant she knew little about him. She had told herself that was a good thing, but she looked forward to under standing him a little better.

  Determined to stay awake until eleven-thirty when she could give him more pain pills, she went down to the kitchen. First she cleaned up, then she got to work on the quilt.

  Three hours later, she went to check on John, carrying a glass of water and two pills. He was groaning as he wriggled, trying to find a comfortable position.

  She sat down on the side of the bed and put her hand on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart. “John? John, wake up. I have more pain medicine for you.”

  “It hurts,” he muttered.

  “I know it does,” she said soothingly. “If you can raise up on your elbows, I’ll give you the pills and a glass of water. Come on, John.”

  She coaxed him into taking the pills, then sat beside him, soothing him until she saw the medicine take hold and relax him a bit. He was such a handsome man when he relaxed. Very lightly she touched his brow, then traced his jawline, strong and chiseled, down to his chin and up to his mouth. She lingered over his lips, firm and pink, and had to fight the urge to see what they tasted like.

  As if she were a child reluctantly following an adult’s directions, she got up and, with a sigh and a last glance at him, she shut off the light.

  It was for the best, she thought as she dragged her feet to her own room. There was no sense in kissing her husband….

  John knew it was still dark outside when he woke up, but he didn’t care. He wanted relief from the pain he was feeling. He hadn’t connected the pain to his leg, but he did when he tried to move it.

  Almost at once he heard a soft voice telling him to raise up and take more pain pills. Without opening his eyes, he did as the voice suggested and swallowed the pills with the water. Then he fell back upon the pillow. A soft hand soothed his brow and he turned into the hand, liking the feel of it.

  Slowly he lost consciousness again.

  “Mommy, where are you taking that food?” Andy asked as he sat by the playpen amusing Betsy.

  “Remember, last night at supper we talked about John having broken his leg? Well, he can’t come to the kitchen to eat. I’m taking him some food.”

  “Can I help?”

  “No, sweetie. Stay here and keep an eye on Betsy.”

  She reached the bedroom in time to hear John groaning. “John, I’ve brought you some breakfast,” she announced in gentle tones. His eyes flew open and he stared at her as she put the tray on his bed.

  “I need medicine,” he muttered.

  “I agree, but you also need to eat. I brought you a biscuit, some scrambled eggs and bacon and orange juice. Eat something and I’ll give you your pain pills.” She scooped up some scrambled eggs to entice him. She never expected him to open his mouth and let her bring the forkful to its destination. Was he even coherent? “Maybe I’d better put some more pillows behind you to help you sit up a little. Can you lean forward?”

  John made the effort, but it wasn’t an easy task. “I’m—I’m so weak.”

  “I think any accident takes a lot out of you,” she said soothingly as she helped him. “Now we can man age better.”

  She was about to continue feeding him when his hand reached out for the fork. When he was unable to do it on his own, she took over. An odd sensation nestled in her middle at taking care of him, seeing him so vulnerable. No doubt he’d hate it, but she actually enjoyed seeing him let down his defenses for a change. When he finished, she bent over him to remove the pillows from behind him so he could go back to sleep.

  “You smell good,” he mumbled.

  Debra came to an abrupt halt. That was the first compliment he’d ever paid her, other than slight praise about her cooking. She stared at him, hoping he might say something that told her he knew who he was talking to. But he was already drifting to sleep.

  With a sigh, she picked up the tray and headed back to the kitchen. She had some baking to do. The cookies disappeared fast around here.

  John should be ready for more pain pills at about twelve-thirty. She could feed him some lunch and then give him the medicine and have the rest of the afternoon free.

  But she feared she might spend more time thinking about the hunk she’d married than she should. He was becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE sun was bright, reflecting off the pure white snow along the back porch. Even though it was March, deep drifts clung to the wooden latticework, making it look as if the house sat on a puff of cotton. Debra laughed as she remembered Andy’s description. The boy was right.

  Cuddling Betsy in a blanket, she looked off the porch toward her son, running in the snow and chasing birds looking for food. Having been cooped up in the house, he chomped at the bit when the weather dawned bright and relatively warm. She couldn’t deny him some time to play outside.

  She couldn’t deny herself some time to watch him play. His giggles warmed her, as much as the swaddled baby she held in her arms.

  “Look, Mommy, I made a heart with my footprints.” Andy pointed to the random prints he’d made in the snow as he’d chased the birds, and sure enough, a heart appeared before her eyes.

  She gave him a coy smile. “And who is the heart for?” She loved playing these games with him. She’d miss them when he got older.

  “For you, Mommy!” He ran toward her and wrapped his arms around her legs in a three-year-old bear hug.

  Debra leaned down to embrace her son when the monitor she’d stashed in her jacket pocket emitted a howl. John was calling.

  She grabbed Andy and rushed into the house, ushering the boy in first. The screaming grew louder and more irritated as they entered the mudroom.

  “Wipe your boots while I go see to John,” she told Andy. Depositing Betsy in the playpen, she called, “I’m coming.”

  She rushed down the hall to John’s room. “I’m sorry,” she said as she opened the door. “Were you calling long? I was on the back porch.”

  “You left Betsy alone?” he asked, a darkness instantly shading his eyes.

  “Of course not! She went outside with us.”

  “You took her outside? Why?”

  “Because Andy wanted to play outside. Taking her with me seemed the reasonable thing to do.” When was he going to trust her with his daughter? “Why were you calling?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t want anything. When will the guys be in?”

  “Not until late, as usual. If you need something, you should tell me.” She gave him a stern look.

  “I need…I need to go to the bathroom,” he muttered.

  “Okay, if I support you, can you hop to the bath room?” She hoped that would work.

  “You’re not going into the bathroom
with me!”

  “Believe me, I don’t want to. All I’m offering is to get you there. You can…take care of business with the door closed. Then I’ll help you back to bed.”

  He stared at her as he considered her words. “Okay.”

  She pulled back the covers.

  “Hey!” John yelled, reaching for the blanket.

  Debra gave him a superior look. “How are you going to get out of the bed with the covers still on?”

  “I—I don’t have my jeans on,” he muttered, sounding lost. “Where are they?”

  “I washed them today and I’ll put them away until you start getting up. Then you can use them again, with the seams slit so your cast will fit.”

  “What are these?” he asked, touching the soft pajama bottoms.

  “Don’t you remember? I found them in your bottom drawer. I thought they’d be comfortable for you to sleep in and protect your modesty, too.”

  “Oh, yeah, I’d forgotten I had them.”

  “Can you swing your good leg to the floor?”

  Since his right leg was the good one, he was able to put it on the floor without too much pain. She took his arm and put it around her shoulders. “Okay, now try to stand on your right leg. It will let your other leg come off the bed with less pain, I think.”

  He did as she asked, but from the wince on his face she knew pain raced through him. After a moment, he said, “Okay, let’s go.” They moved across the room, John hopping and leaning on Debra. When they got to the bathroom, she stayed with him until he reached the commode and could lean on the sink. Then she slipped back to the door, closing it after her.

  Thank goodness, she thought. Feeling his big body against hers had affected her more than she’d thought it would. His scent, manly and woodsy, had filled her nostrils, too, making it impossible to think of anything but him. Even her legs had begun to be unsteady.

  Several minutes later, he called her name. She slowly opened the door and entered to take his arm across her shoulders again to lead him back to the bed.