She asked the deputy if he minded running her by the ER in town so she could get her head stitched up. The day was slow, so she was only there an hour or so.
Her cell phone was in the river, and she didn't know what Jesse's phone number was without it.
The security guard let her use the waiting room phone to make a call. "Gwen, this is Lee. Is Cody in, or can you give me his cell, please?"
"Sure, hon, he's in. Just a minute."
He came on the line and she said, "Yeah, Cody? That rat bastard Burke just ran me off the road and into the river. I'm at the ER in Graham. Do you think you could come and pick me up? My phone's with my purse at the bottom of the river."
"What the hell, Lee! Are you all right?"
"Yeah, just some cuts on my head. Hurts like hell, though."
"Be there in about thirty-five minutes. I'll use the siren."
She looked at the guard again. "Say, do you mind if I make another call?"
He smiled. "Go ahead."
She dialed and her mom picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey, Mom, wonders will never cease. It's me again. Can you do me a favor? Will you check your caller I.D. and see what Jesse's number is please? I don't have my cell phone with me right now."
"Sure I can, honey. But you'd better tell me what's happened. You think I can't tell when something's wrong with my baby girl?"
Dammit. "I had a little wreck, but I'm fine. They put some stitches in my head. My cell was a casualty of the accident, though. I need to let Jesse know, or he'll kill me."
"Where are you, honey?"
"I was on my way to Graham for groceries, so I got a ride into town. I'll be home in a little while."
Her mom didn't seem too convinced, but Lee could tell by the sound she was clicking back through her caller I.D. "Okay, here it is. Do you have something to write with?"
Lee motioned scribbling to the guard and he handed her a pen and paper. "Yeah, Mom, go ahead."
Lee hung up and grinned at the guard. He nodded, and she dialed again. The dozer's motor sounded loud in the receiver. "Jesse, can you hear me?"
"Lee, is that you?" He shut off the motor.
"I'm sorry to bother you again while you're working."
"It's okay, honey. What's up?"
She hesitated. "Well, I've run into a little problem over here in Graham. Cody's on his way to bring me home. I just want to give you a heads up. My truck's at the bottom of the river, and so's my cell phone and purse. Cody can call a wrecker when he gets here so they can go pull it out."
"Honey, are you okay? What the hell happened?"
"That bastard Burke happened. He shot at me. Ran me off the road and into the river at the big bridge." She told him all of it.
"Son of a bitch! I'll be at home waiting for you, sweetheart. Please, don't overdo it. That bastard. I'll kill him!"
"Just stand in line, baby. I've got first dibs."
She felt so much better after talking to Jesse, though her head still hurt from her injuries. He made everything in her world right—even this.
When Cody walked in the waiting room a while later, she asked him to sit down and call a tow for her, reminding him to ask them to look for her purse in the truck.
Once they got on the road, she told him everything that had happened and that she'd gotten a clear look at the asshole's face. "He was actually laughing. That bastard's probably the one who took those shots at me in the pasture, too."
Cody nodded. "You're right. This should be enough for a search warrant. We have the casings, so now we can find the rifle. It's a start. Did you get a look at the truck?"
"Barely, but I remember a few details. I'll think about it and write them down when I get home. Right now, my head's about to explode."
"Just lean back and close your eyes. We'll be there in a little while."
Jesse's truck was at the house when they arrived, and she began to relax.
He rushed out the front door and opened her side of the cruiser. He took one look at her, and went pale.
She must look worse than she thought.
He helped her up and out of the car and put his arm around her.
Cody came over to their side.
His arm still around Lee, Jesse shook Cody's hand. "Thanks for bringing her home. Can I call you later?"
Cody looked at Jesse, then at her. "Sure."
Clasping Cody's shoulder, she said, "I forgot to tell you something. I'll be sending you a wedding invitation in the next few days. Jesse and I are getting married in a few weeks."
Cody looked dumbfounded.
She wanted to laugh but it would hurt too much. "Yep, you heard me right, buddy. I'm hoping for the twenty-first. Once Mom hears back from the Reverend, I can set the date for sure and send out the invites. Now, shut your mouth and head out of here so I can shower and get in bed."
Cody laughed and shook his head. "Congratulations, you two. Call me, Jesse. We'll talk."
Hmm, she wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that.
Jesse took her to the bedroom, and she caught a look at herself in the mirror. No wonder he looked scared. She'd bled a lot and the evidence was all over her shirt.
He eased her on the bed and headed in to start her a bath. When he came back, he helped her off with her t-shirt.
They'd shaved her hair around each of the wounds. She’d had nineteen stitches in all. Hopefully she'd be able to hide the bare spots since she had long hair. Lord, it was all matted with blood.
He pulled off her boots. Then he stood her up and lowered her jeans, sat her back down and took off her socks.
As he studied her head, he said, "Would you like me to wash your hair?"
The thought of tackling her hair, after seeing the mess it was in, was more than she could face. "That'll work, cowboy. I don't think I can handle it tonight." He drew her jeans the rest of the way off and took them to the mud room.
Once they were in the bathroom, he took out a towel and washcloth for her. "I'll be back after a while. Just relax."
She took off her bra and panties and stepped into the hot water. Jesse had gotten the temperature perfect. Her head was still pounding as she closed her eyes, letting the stress of the day seep into the heat surrounding her.
JESSE SEETHED. HE OUGHT to be on the hunt for that fucking Burke. If it wasn't for seeing Lee in such pain, that's just what he'd be doing. That bastard had been a low life since high school.
Burke went out of his way to get to Jesse back then. As a varsity football player, Burk thought he was so much better than some pussy calf roper, as he'd called Jesse. The truth was, Jesse had his pick of any girl he wanted in high school and Burke, who'd always been overweight, couldn't stand the fact.
What made it worse was that the two run-ins Burke started hadn't worked out so well for the fat bastard. Jesse could more than hold his own, though Burke outweighed him by seventy-five pounds.
Jesse gritted his teeth. Burke was probably the coward who shot at Lee before, too. Jesse paced back and forth across the living room while he waited for her to relax in her bath. He couldn't sit down, couldn't calm down. He wanted to hit something. Getting a cold water out of the fridge, he chugged it down and stood looking out the window, imagining what his world would be like right now if that bastard had been successful with his gun. Crushing the bottle flat, he strode to the trash can in the mud room.
He wrenched off his boots and socks and walked back in the living room. Laying on the couch, he prayed. "Dear Lord, please take this terrible anger away. I'm no good to Lee like this. Thank you, God, for taking care of her and getting her safely out of that truck. I love you, God. You've been so good to me, and never better than today. Please take Lee's pain from her tonight, and help her rest. Give her peace, and help me make her happy. Lord, above all else, keep her safe. In Your Son's Name, Amen."
Jesse's heart slowed. His breathing eased as he relaxed.
LEE RAISED HER HEAD as Jesse knocked on the door and asked, "Ready for a shampoo?"
He had a plastic cup in his hand and pulled another towel out of the cabinet, kneeling on it at the side of the tub. "I'll be as gentle as I can, but tell me if I'm hurting you, honey."
"Okay," she sighed, resigned to this being a pain in the ass.
Jesse took her washcloth and the shampoo, then filled the cup with water. Tilting her head back, he poured water over her head. He poured cup after cup, smoothing the water into her hair. The bloody water ran into the tub. When the water started to flow more clearly, he put some shampoo in his hand and slathered it over her head. Gathering her hair up and putting it in a pile, he kneaded the soap in.
It felt amazing, and she had to stop herself from moaning in pleasure.
He massaged her head, circle after circle, and up and down her neck.
She relaxed, melting into his touch. The pounding in her head began to feel better.
Holding her forehead, he massaged at the base of her skull with his soapy fingers, moving up and down the back of her head. At last, he tackled the area around her wounds. He gently dabbed shampoo on the cuts.
She sucked in a breath, but held still, trusting him.
With tiny little movements, he worked the clumps of blood off the stitches. Then he tilted her head back, and rinsed all the soap suds out, over and over.
His touch was so gentle. His strong hands held her like she really was a fragile butterfly.
"I think you'll need to shower this water off. It's pretty bloody. Why don't you let me help you with that?"
The tub had a wand from the days when Wess was so sick. Jesse took it off and found the right temperature, then lifted her to stand in front of him. Pulling the tub stopper, he grabbed the wash cloth, handing her the wand. Pouring some body soap on the cloth, he held it under the water for a second, lathering the cloth well. He took the wand back from her.
He turned her away from him and ran the water all over her back, then held the wand over her shoulder so it kept her front warm. With gentle hands, he washed her back side with the sudsy cloth. Then he rinsed her.
She was so relaxed she could hardly stand.
Jesse turned her around and warmed her with the water, handing her the wand so he could add more soap to the cloth. Starting with her face, he washed her in slow, lazy circles, down her chest, all the way to her toes, always keeping her warm with the water.
It was pure ecstasy.
Finished, he helped her out and gently squeezed the water out of her hair then dried her all over with her towel. Wrapping the towel around her and tucking the end in, he opened the door so she could precede him into the bedroom.
He left while she got dressed, and reappeared with her brush. "Would you like me to comb your hair out?"
Slipping her arms around his neck, she nestled into his chest to rest. Her head felt better but it still hurt. "I'd love for you to, Jesse. I think I'll take some aspirin first, though."
"Tell me where it is, and I'll grab it, honey."
She did and he came back in, handing her the pills and a bottle of water, and asked, "Do you have any more of Wess's shorts around here?"
She swallowed the pills. "Yep," and stepped over to the bottom drawer in the dresser and found one more pair among a hodgepodge of things.
Jesse changed in the bathroom and then sat in the middle of the bed, his back to the headboard. "Okay, scoot on up here between my legs, and I'll work on your hair."
She wondered how many girls' hair he had combed out before because the little rat knew to start at the bottom and comb up. He was so gentle that it didn't feel like she was getting her hair brushed at all.
When he got to the sore side, he took each tiny lock in his fingers and combed it so that it didn't pull on her scalp. Before long, her hair was untangled and hung neatly on her shoulders.
He kissed the back of her head and gave her a hug.
God, he was sweet. She wanted to cry and didn't know why. Then she did cry.
He turned her toward him. "What's wrong, honey? You hurting bad?"
She shook her head no.
"Well, what is it, then? Can I help? Are you afraid?"
She shook her head no, then yes, then she meant no, and she realized he had no idea what she meant, and tears poured out of her eyes again.
Jesse held her and rocked her. "Shush, shush. I'm here now. You're all right, baby. Shush, shush."
She was sick of crying. Sick of it. Sitting up, she sniffed and wiped her eyes.
He looked at her, surely trying to figure out what had just happened.
She slid off his lap. It was about time she got her shit together. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I don't know what the hell that was all about. Really, I'm going to kick my own ass every time I cry from now on until I'm back to myself again."
He pulled her right back over on his lap. "You'll do no such thing. Crying's good for the soul. Haven't you ever heard that? If I catch you holding back tears, I'll spank you. I mean it." He kissed her, rocking her back and forth.
Finally, he sat her up. "Now, I know you didn't eat any dinner, so I'll fix you one of my favorites. I don't imagine you're too hungry, right?"
"Nope."
"Okay, half a PB & J and a glass of milk coming up. You need something on your tummy because I'm going to make sure you take your pain meds. Now, you lie down, and I'll be back in a minute." He tucked her in and gently set the ice on the cut before leaving for the kitchen.
In a little while, he walked back in, and she opened her eyes. He'd found the tray she fed Wess with when he was too sick to get up and come to the table. Her heart wrenched. Jesse was caring for her as she'd cared for Wess. She'd never had that kind of thing before, and she felt treasured.
Sitting down on the side of the bed, Jesse slipped another pillow behind her head and put the tray on her lap. First giving her a drink of milk, he then handed her the sandwich. She grinned. "Oh, are you going to feed me, too?"
"Watch it, young lady. I'm your nurse, and they call me Ratchet behind my back."
She laughed, so much better than when she got home. "You're good, Ratchet. I'm fine now."
Jesse grinned and kissed her. "I'm glad, honey. You had me scared. There was a lot of blood on your shirt. I hope you don't mind. I threw it away."
"Good riddance." She took another bite of sandwich, more because it pleased him than because she wanted it. Her stomach was queasy.
When she finished, he took her tray back to the kitchen. The lights dimmed, and the hallway darkened. He came down the hall and into the room. "Do you need me to help you to the bathroom before you sleep, honey?"
She whispered, "No." She wasn't about to upset the nice way her head felt.
As he started his shower, she closed her eyes and rested.
Later, Jesse turned out the light and slid into bed beside her. The moonlight outlined his shape. His arms were behind his head, and he stared at the ceiling. What was he thinking of?
He turned to her. "Do you want to sleep on your back tonight, honey?"
"Well, not really, but I think my head will hurt if I sleep on it on my side."
"Well, can you sleep facing me tonight?" She turned over. Once she was settled, Jesse put his arm around her.
"You'll be sore from the jarring you took in this wreck. Right now, your head hurts worse, but tomorrow your body will hurt bad. I want you to keep on your pain reliever for the next forty-eight hours, at least, okay? In the morning, I want you to stay home and take it easy."
She snuggled into him. "Okay, I will." She was so sleepy now.
He kissed her temple and stroked her arm, then gently rubbed her head.
Clearing her mind, she breathed slowly. She loved this man so ...
JESSE LISTENED TO LEE's breathing as she drifted off to sleep. His poor, brave sweetheart. She never ceased to amaze him. What it must have taken for her to survive the ambush today. Escaping a submerged truck filling with water, and then evading a m
an who was most likely armed with the same rifle he'd already used on her. Diving deep under water and swimming in the correct direction to the bridge, with a head injury. Then, waiting alone, bleeding, for an hour until finding help.
Speaking of that, he was going to have a little talk with her. Why in the hell did she go to the sheriff's department first, instead of going straight to the ER? She could have had a concussion or any number of things wrong with her.
Oh, she was a stubborn woman. It scared him that she hadn't known how to get hold of him. It was smart, remembering that her parents would have his number on their caller I.D. He'd write his number down for her and ask her to memorize it and then do the same with hers.
His emotions were a train wreck. Tomorrow he'd call Cody to see what kind of strategy they could pull together. There was no way he'd sit around and do nothing.
He leaned in and smelled her hair as he closed his eyes. She fit him perfectly. He cleared his mind and breathed in slowly and exhaled, thinking of God and His blessings. Tomorrow, the bastard that tried to kill his sweetheart would be his.
Chapter Fourteen
LEE WOKE FEELING LIKE she'd slammed into a brick wall at a hundred miles an hour. Her face must have hit the window at some point and every muscle in her body screamed for mercy. Jesse had been right, as usual. She groaned and opened her eyes.
He kissed her temple. "How are you, sweetheart?"
"Not too bad."
"Liar. I heard you. I'll get you some more aspirin and a couple of crackers. You'll need your meds, believe me."
He left, and she did an inventory of her aches and pains. Pretty much everything but her lips hurt. Lord, this would be a miserable day. However, in her experience, the best thing for this was not lying around in bed, but getting up and moving. That was her plan.
She sat up, groaning loudly now that Jesse was gone. As she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her head started pounding like hell.
Closing her eyes, she gave it some time. Making it to the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror. Dammit! She had a huge bruise coming to the surface all along the side of her face. That sorry bastard Burke would pay for this shit!
True-Blue Texas Cowboy Page 17