Wild for You

by Cheyenne McCray

  “We made it,” Leslie said.

  Dara smiled at Leslie. “Don’t tell me you had any doubts.”

  Leslie grinned in a way that reminded Dara of Jack. “I didn’t. I trust you.”

  Dara peered into the rain. It was fully dark now and the Jeep’s headlights reflected on the downpour. She was grateful for Leslie’s confidence, but not so happy with the increasingly heavy rain.

  Her stomach twisted. She drove slowly and cautiously. A couple of vehicles approached from the opposite direction. They seemed to appear out of nowhere, ghostly in appearance.

  The cars were driven as slowly as she was driving herself and Leslie.

  “Try calling your Dad.” Dara didn’t look away from the road. “If the call goes through, let him know we’re about ten minutes away.”

  “Got it.” Leslie pulled out her cell phone and called Jack. A moment later, she said, “Hi, Dad. My truck wouldn’t start, so I’m with Dara.”

  Dara could hear Jack say, “Where are you?”

  “Not far,” Leslie said. “Dara and I will be there in ten minutes.”

  “Be careful on the road up to the house,” he said. “With all this rain it will be muddy.”

  “See you soon,” Leslie said before disconnecting the call. “Dad said be careful on the road to the house, ’cause it’s muddy,” she relayed, likely not realizing Dara had heard the conversation.

  “I intend to.” Dara hated worrying Jack like this.

  Every time Dara thought the rain had gotten as bad as it could get, it got worse.

  “I can’t see the road sign for your house,” Dara said. “Help me out?”

  “There it is.” Leslie pointed ahead. “Painted Pony Way.”

  “Did your dad name the road?” Dara said as she slowed.

  “When we had the new house built, he named the road after Sammy.” Leslie smiled.

  Dara started to turn right.

  A truck appeared out of nowhere.

  It hydroplaned, sliding across the road, straight for them.

  Dara’s heart slammed in her chest.

  She tried to gun the engine to get the Jeep out of the way.

  The truck came on too fast.

  It slammed into the driver’s side.

  Pain exploded in Dara’s body.

  Leslie screamed as the truck drove the Jeep into the ditch and shoved it into the barbed wire fence.

  Metal shrieked.

  Sparks flew from the vehicle’s side grinding against metal fence posts.

  A telephone pole came up fast out of the dark.

  Dara couldn’t move the wheel as the truck drove the front of the Jeep into the pole, pinning them against it.

  The airbag punched Dara in the face.

  Leslie’s cries echoed in Dara’s head.

  She tried to maintain consciousness. “Leslie.” She could barely speak as her vision swam. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not hurt.” Leslie sounded frantic. “But you’re injured, Dara.”

  “Thank God, you’re okay.” Dara felt herself slipping.

  Leslie was okay.

  Leslie’s okay.

  Shouts came through the rain.

  Banging on the vehicle. Someone tried to open her door.

  “Don’t fall asleep.” Leslie gripped Dara’s right arm. “You have to stay conscious.”

  “I don’t feel so good.” Something hot and sticky dripped down the side her face.

  She tried to push it away, but her arm wouldn’t move.

  Pinned against the door.

  She couldn’t move.

  Leslie’s frantic voice. “Dad,” she said. On the phone?

  Her voice faded.

  Tired, so tired.

  Dara wanted to sleep.

  Leslie said she was okay. Then sleep was okay.

  She eased in and out of darkness.

  Leslie brought her back. “Dad’s going to be here soon.”

  Good. Jack.

  Leslie called Dara’s name, dragging her from the abyss before she slipped toward darkness. Then Leslie pulled her back again.

  Sirens.

  Lights flashing. Red. Blue.

  The crunch and grind of metal next to her.

  The door giving way.

  “Dara.” Jack’s voice as she slipped against his warm body.

  Or was it her imagination?

  Rain poured down.

  Shouts. Being lifted.

  “Dara, honey.” Jack’s frantic voice.

  A glare and she couldn’t see. Her eyes hurt. Everything hurt.

  “Be with Leslie,” she managed to get out.

  “She’s right here with the paramedics,” he said. “She’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.”

  “I’m sorry.” Dara coughed. Tasted blood. “I shouldn’t have let Leslie leave the ranch. We shouldn’t have left…” Her voice trailed off as her vision dulled again.

  “Everything is fine, Dara.” Jack sounded like he was trying to keep his voice steady. “You concentrate on staying awake.”

  Paramedics lifted her out of the car on the count of three and then she was on her back on a stretcher.

  “Dara.” Jack’s face appeared over hers. He looked like he was having a hard time keeping a calm expression. His eyes told her he was anything but calm. “Hang in there.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Tears burned her eyes as she met his gaze. “Leslie—she could have died. I’m so sorry, Jack.”

  This time when she slipped away, she didn’t come back.

  Jack sat on the edge of a chair in the emergency room, his face buried in his hands. He couldn’t lose Dara.

  “She’s going to be all right, Dad.” Leslie’s hand on his forearm. “I know she will be.”

  He straightened and put his arms around his daughter. Thank God, she hadn’t gotten a scratch from the accident, just a little bruising.

  But Dara—

  He didn’t know how badly she was hurt. There’d been so damned much blood.

  Another accident flashed in his mind, only Lucy had been killed instantly.

  He wasn’t going to lose Dara like he’d lost Lucy.

  I can’t lose the woman I love. Not again.

  He held Leslie close to him, so damned grateful she was all right. A doctor had examined her earlier. She was shaken up, but didn’t appear to have a concussion, although they would take precautions the first night. The only bruising was from the seatbelt and the airbag.

  Max rested his hand on Jack’s shoulder. He looked up to meet his son’s caring gaze. “Les is right. Dara will come out of this okay.”

  The sound of footsteps against the floor grabbed Jack’s attention. He and his children looked to see a woman in a lab coat approaching.

  Dr. Nancy Taylor, a long-time family friend. Was she Dara’s doctor?

  Jack released his daughter and surged to his feet. “Dr. Taylor.”

  “It’s strange having you address me as doctor, and not Nancy.” She gave him a soft smile and turned to his kids. “Hi, Leslie and Max.”

  “Hi,” Leslie said solemnly and Max echoed her.

  Dr. Taylor grew more serious. “Jack, I understand you’re with Dara Winters, and she doesn’t have any local family members.”

  “Her only family is her brother in Chicago.” Was she going to tell him she couldn’t speak with him about Dara since he wasn’t family? To hell with that. “How’s Dara?”

  Dr. Taylor glanced at her clipboard. “She’s conscious and gave permission to talk with you.”

  She was conscious and talking. That was a good sign, right?

  “Dara has multiple contusions and lacerations.” Nancy lowered her clipboard. “Her internal injuries do not appear to be serious.”

  Jack’s breath left him in a rush.

  “She has a moderate to severe concussion, however,” Dr. Taylor continued. “She’ll need rest and minimized stress.”

  Jack’s throat ached. “She’s going to be all right?”

  �
�Yes.” Dr. Taylor gave a slight nod. “We’d like to keep her overnight for observation. She can go home tomorrow.”

  “When can we see her?” Jack asked.

  “She’s being transferred to a room now,” Dr. Taylor said. “A staff member will let you know when Dara can see you.”

  “Thanks, Nancy.” Jack took her hand in his and she returned his firm grip before telling Leslie goodbye and leaving.

  The relief Jack felt staggered him with its intensity.

  He had a hard time sitting and waiting to see Dara.

  Jack kept his daughter close, not wanting to let her out of his sight right now. The possibility of having lost her made him want to keep her close, at least for today.

  A nurse finally came to the waiting room to tell him they could see Dara.

  He strode to her room, having a hard time keeping an even pace as opposed to rushing there.

  When he reached the doorway, he paused for a moment. His heart clenched.

  Dara’s face was bruised and swollen. She had stitches across one cheek and a big knot on her forehead. Her arms were covered with bandages and stitches, and plenty of bruises.

  Seeing her like this was scary as hell. He could have lost Dara.

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. She didn’t smile.

  Max and Leslie came around him and went to Dara. She did smile at them.

  “Thank God you’re not injured, Leslie.” Dara’s eyes looked glossy, as if she was fighting back tears. “I’m so sorry I put you in that kind of danger.”

  Leslie frowned. “You didn’t put me in danger. That driver lost control and hit us. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “It wouldn’t have happened if we had stayed at the ranch,” Dara said.

  Leslie shook her head. “I pushed you.”

  “But I’m the adult,” Dara said firmly. “I didn’t make the right choice.”

  “That’s not true.” Leslie hesitated. Her throat worked as she spoke. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I’ve been mean to you and have been acting like a little kid.”

  Dara looked surprised, but said, “You’re a wonderful young woman, and you know I’ve always cared for you.”

  “I want you to know that I was wrong.” Leslie looked earnestly at Dara. “You’re good with my dad. I can tell you make him happy. You’ve been in my life forever, and I think it’ll be pretty cool to have you around.”

  Jack felt so much pride for his daughter, and it warmed his heart. That had to have been hard for her to get out.

  “Thank you, Leslie,” Dara said. “You know I think the world of you.”

  Leslie nodded and gave Dara a gentle hug. “I’ll see you later, when you feel better.”

  Max hugged her gingerly, too. “I’m glad you’re okay, Dara. I think it’s great having you around, too.”

  Dara smiled. “Thanks, Max.”

  The pair left the room, leaving Jack and Dara alone.

  She looked away from him.

  “Dara?” He reached her and sat in the chair beside the bed. “What’s wrong?”

  Her jaw tensed and she finally turned to face him. “I could have cost you your daughter, Jack.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I won’t risk the chance you’ll lose Leslie, like you lost Lucy.”

  “Oh, honey.” He took her hand after making sure she didn’t have any cuts or bruises on it. “You did nothing wrong.”

  Tears rolled freely down Dara’s cheeks. “I made a bad decision, Jack. A decision that could have had horrible consequences.”

  “Shhh.” Jack gently squeezed Dara’s fingers as he tried to calm her. “You have done nothing but care for my daughter from the moment you met her. I trust you.”

  “Then your trust is misplaced.” Dara pulled her hand from his and turned away from him.

  “Dara.” He spoke more firmly now. “You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. I believe in you, and I believe in us.”

  “I need to rest now.” She closed her eyes.

  He heart felt tight in his chest as he stood and leaned over her. He kissed her head where he thought she wasn’t hurt. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She didn’t answer.

  He watched her a long moment before he turned and walked out of the room.

  “I don’t understand why you don’t want to see Jack.” Charlee frowned as she walked with Dara to her front door. “You’ve said until you’re blue in the face that you don’t want to hurt him. Don’t you know that’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you break it off with him?”

  Dara unlocked her front door, the key shaking in her fingers. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to steady her hand so she could unlock the door.

  “Better now than later.” She did her best to keep her voice calm. “I don’t want that kind of responsibility, Charlee.”

  Dara had asked to be released from the hospital as early as possible. It had worked out only because Dr. Taylor had planned to leave town early and had stopped by in the morning.

  Being there when Jack returned would have been unbearable.

  Thankfully, Charlee had been available to pick up Dara’s clothes and take them to the hospital to Dara, before bringing her home. Dara had given Charlee her house key the night before.

  Unfortunately, Charlee wouldn’t stop pressing her about Jack.

  “I’m tired.” Dara tried another tactic. “I need to rest.” It was true, she did need rest. She ached from head to toe.

  Charlee followed her into the house. “I want to say one more thing.”

  Dara sighed as she set her purse on a stool by the breakfast bar. “And that is?”

  “Remember when we told Bailey she had to stop running scared?” Charlee’s voice quieted. “That’s what you’re doing. You’re running from something that could be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “This is different.” Dara reached into her purse and pulled out the bottle of ibuprofen that had been prescribed to her. “I could have killed Jack’s daughter.”

  “For one, that didn’t happen,” Charlee said, “and two, it wasn’t your fault.”

  “That’s what everyone keeps saying.” Dara grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge before downing the ibuprofen.

  “Then listen,” Charlee said.

  Dara started to rub her temples then grimaced when she touched the lump on her forehead. “All the talking doesn’t change the fact that I could have. I don’t want that responsibility.”

  “Just think it through.” Charlee seemed to realize she needed to drop the subject, at least for now. “Let me hug you in a way that won’t hurt you.”

  Dara managed a smile. “Don’t worry, you won’t hurt me.”

  “Famous last words.” Charlee hugged her and Dara tried not to wince. Charlee leaned back. “Promise me you won’t make any decisions now. You have a concussion and you’re in a lot of pain. Just get some rest, okay? Things will look better when you feel better.”

  “Thanks, Charlee.” Dara squeezed her friend’s shoulders. “I know you only want the best for me. Don’t worry, okay?”

  “That’ll be the day.” Charlee smiled. “I’ll call you this evening to see if you need anything.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Dara said as she walked Charlee to the door. “Thank you for everything. I appreciate you so much.”

  “You’d better appreciate me,” Charlee said. “I don’t come cheap.”

  Dara laughed. “I’ll see you later. Now, I need to take a nap.”

  Charlee gave a little wave before she strode to her car and climbed in.

  Dara loved Charlee to pieces, but she wasn’t being understanding in this situation like friends are required to be.

  She smiled a little to herself. Okay, so she had been on the other side of the coin with Bailey, but this was different.

  Right?

  Dara sighed and went straight to her bedroom. Every part of her seemed to cry out in pain as she moved. Despite the pain when she crawled in bed
, she slipped into a deep sleep.

  Something woke Dara, but she didn’t know what. She blinked her eyes against the sunlight coming into her room. Her mouth tasted dry, like cotton. Her entire body ached.

  “Hi, Sleeping Beauty.”

  Dara’s heart slammed against her ribs even as she turned to look in the direction of Jack’s voice.

  He sat in an armchair he’d taken from the foot of her bed, his forearms braced on his thighs.

  She put her hand to her chest, over her racing heart. “You scared the crap out of me, Jack McBride.”

  “If I scared some sense into you, it was worth it.” The corner of his mouth twitched.

  He made her want to smile at the same time she wanted to cry. “How did you get in?”

  “You forgot already that you gave me a key?” He smiled. “You must have hit your head harder than I realized. That could explain your extreme stubbornness, too.”

  Dara winced as she scooted up in bed so that she could meet his gaze without staring up at him. “I’ve already told you how I feel about this. I need to end it with you.”

  Pain flashed in Jack’s eyes, but he reached for her hand and gripped it in his. “Before you say another word, I want you to listen to me, okay?”

  She started to protest, but she owed him this, a moment to listen to what he had to say. She gave a slight nod.

  Jack blew out his breath. “I should have told you already, but I think now is as good a time as any.”

  She tilted her head, waiting, wondering what he had to say.

  “I love you, Dara.” The words came pouring from him at the same time her heart seemed to stop. “I can’t live without you. I know this all has shaken you, but you need to understand something. I love you and I need you.”

  He loved her. He’d said it.

  She started to shake her head, but he held up his hand. “I am not leaving here until you see things my way.”

  Her jaw dropped. “See things your way?”

  “Yep.” He grasped her hand tighter. “Please don’t push me away, Dara. I love you so much my heart aches with it.”

  “But—” she started.

  “Nope.” He cut her off with a shake of his head. “The way this goes is that you tell me how you feel. How you really feel. We’ve been upfront about our relationship from the start. No sense in changing things now.”