A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(53)

As I looked into his eyes I knew I couldn’t say no. I stayed here out of worry for him. He was sending me home out of worry for me. It was only fair.

I nodded.

He sighed in relief. “Good. I can’t wait to hold you, love. Only a couple more days. Until then, it is your turn to get better. Someone is waiting for you downstairs to take you home. Let them.”

“Okay.” I got up. Our kiss was sweet and heartfelt. I let my fingers trail across his face, told him I loved him, and left.

When I got to the lobby I didn’t see anyone. No one outside, either. I went to the cafeteria and saw everyone at a table. Lump had joined, and Gladis.

Everyone looked up as I neared.

“Well,” Gladis said, “did he talk you into leaving?”

“Yeah. Only fair right? Granting a sick man his wish?”

Everyone nodded. Tom stood up. “I will be taking you home, Jessica. The rest are going to visit and make sure the move to the second floor goes well. Too many chiefs.”

I nodded. I was so drained I didn’t care for humor. I already missed William. I was already worried about him.

I felt Denise’s hand on my shoulder. “Heal for him. He needs you healthy. Sick men are a lot of work.”

I nodded again, tears springing to my eyes.

I let Tom lead me away and put me in the car.

“Jessica,” he said as we started driving, “when Adam told the story, he tried to leave out a lot of what you did. Willie saw right through it. Adam did try to keep his word. I thought you should know.”

“I knew he would eventually give me away. He always does. It was probably better this way because William didn’t have the strength to get as mad.”

Tom chuckled. “Well, the Davies family will be eternally grateful to you.”

“You shouldn’t be, really. I almost got him killed once. Only fair that I tip the scales back to zero.”

“Except that I doubt he will ride a bull after this. Not after what happened. Not after you saying you would risk yourself again. If he doesn’t do it for himself or his family, he’ll do it for you; even though I know you won’t ask. Maybe especially because you won’t ask.”

“Least I could do, Tom.”

I was met with silence.

“Sorry,” I continued, “I’m not at my most witty right now. I didn’t know what else to say.”

“It has been a long week.”

“Yes. It was. Longest week in history, I think.”

I noticed that we were going to Gladis’s house. “Oh Tom, I guess no one told you. Uh, I am living at William’s now.”

He laughed. “Yes, I know. I am just picking up someone that missed you is all.”

When he stopped Tom told me to get out and grab my buddy. It dawned on me that he meant Fred. I opened the car and called his name. He would come at my call. Discipline got a little lax where my laziness got in the way.

Sure enough, Fred came running at a dead sprint. He was so glad to see me he jumped up onto my lap to get at my face. He licked and licked despite me pushing him away. I finally got him settled down and in the back seat. Tom had leather, so said nothing needed to be put down.

“Ginger?”

“She’s at the ranch. We tried to leave Fred there, too, but he kept bothering every ranch hand and visitor—he’s no longer used to the outdoor life with a bunch of dogs.”

I laughed. “He’s a people dog, now. Good boy!”

I walked in my house with a sigh. Home. Without ceremony I put my crap down on the little round table, locked the door, and fell into the bed in a heap. I was asleep moments later.

As promised, William was released from the hospital a few days later. However, he was bed-ridden and checked by a hired nurse. Aside from moral support, I didn’t actually need to do all that much for him. Just another difference between a poor man and a rich man—and I was not complaining!

The nurse had it easy the first day, mostly because William hurt too much to cause a fuss, but as time wore on he got more ornery about his confinement. He wanted to move to the living room to watch TV—no, without the cursed sickbed. He wasn’t sick, damn it! He was perfectly fine to go outside to get the paper—undo these tubes! He didn’t care in the slightest the extra work involved in constantly doing and undoing medical monitoring equipment—it was his house, he would move around as he pleased.

Being that the nurse was no Camille, William got away with quite a lot before I got home. Too much. I had to put the hammer down nearly as soon as I walked in the door. Then, like a child, he’d get a choice: he could either move the healing bed into the living room and watch TV from there, or he could stay in the bedroom and watch that TV. But he would remain in the bed for another week, like the doctor said.

"No problem, honey, if you want to get the paper, then Nurse Hatchet—me—will wheel you out for all the neighbors to see so you can get it. How’d that be?" He never liked that offer.

When he did get out of bed, he set up shop in my library/office. He moved all my papers around, he didn’t put office supplies back where they went, and he never cleaned up after himself. I was okay with sharing everything—like with a new sibling, you get used to that in the end. But him leaving a mess in my personal world, which was always hyper organized, sent me into a fit.