Chapter 7
Smokey
My heart stopped cold in my chest as I saw her hand slip off that ladder. She’d only made it halfway down when her foot slipped and she’d lost her grip. I tried to get to her, but I wasn’t fast enough. I could only stand there helplessly and watch as she fell back and hit the hard ground. I looked down at her, seeing the color drain from her face as she gasped for air, and I panicked. As soon as I got to her, I could see that she was struggling to breathe. I wasn’t sure if the wind had just gotten knocked out of her or if she’d punctured her lung with a broken rib. I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I skipped calling an ambulance. The farm was thirty miles from town, and it would’ve taken them at least an hour to get to her. I knew I could get her to the hospital in half the time, so I carefully lifted her in my arms and carried her out to Emily’s SUV. I tried my best to move her as little as possible as I laid her in the back. Thankfully, the keys were in the ignition, so I cranked the engine and headed straight for the hospital. I’d barely made it out of the driveway when I heard MJ whimper from the back of the truck.
“MJ, I’m taking you to the hospital,” I told her. When she didn’t respond, I asked, “Marley Jo? You with me?”
“Um hmm,” she managed.
“You’re going to be alright. Just hang in there.” When I looked in the rearview mirror, I could see that she was trying to move and I worried that she might make things worse, so I said, “Try to be still, doll. We’ll be at the hospital in just a few minutes.”
Trying my best to keep her steady, I pressed the accelerator forward and raced towards the hospital. Every minute seemed to drag by as I sped down the highway. I couldn’t get there fast enough, and all the traffic was only making me more impatient. When I finally pulled up to the emergency room doors, I jumped out of the car and motioned for someone to help. A kid in light blue scrubs immediately came out pushing a gurney, but he was in no hurry as he strolled over to the truck. He was in his early twenties with a doesn’t-give-a-shit attitude that irritated me from the moment I laid eyes on him. He leaned forward as he peered into the truck and asked, “What do we have?”
I hesitated for a moment, thinking I might need to pick her up and carry her inside myself, but decided against it and said, “She’s had a bad fall. She’s conscious, but she’s in a lot of pain. Not sure how bad it is.”
He turned back and with a mischievous smirk, he asked, “Is she your wife?”
“No. She’s a… friend,” I growled.
“Damn man. She’s a hot little number…. with a looker like her, I’d be making all kinds of close friends with her.” He snickered as he started to reach inside the truck to get her.
Before he had a chance to lay a finger on her, I grabbed the back of his shirt, tossing him over to the side of the truck as I shoved my forearm under his throat and snarled, “Don’t fucking touch her.”
“Whoa, man,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean nothing by it!”
“Clarence!” I heard a nurse call. She scrambled over to us and said, “Sir… I need you to release my orderly. I can’t help your friend until you do.”
I glared at him as I said, “Don’t fucking touch her.” Without taking my eyes off of him, I pulled back my arm and released him from my hold.
“Clarence, go back inside and send out Katie. We’ll discuss this incident later.”
He nodded, and as soon as he was gone, she looked into the vehicle and said, “I’ll need your help.” As we lifted her out of the truck and onto the gurney, she said, “We’ll need her name and insurance information.”
MJ’s head rolled to face her as she mumbled, “My name is Marley Jo Thompson. My insurance… card is in my purse. I don’t… have it.”
“I’ll get it,” I told her as I reached for my phone and texted Clutch, explaining the situation in as few words as possible, then told him where Marley Jo’s purse should be and asked him to bring it to the hospital.
Another nurse came rushing out of the emergency room doors and came over to help us get MJ inside. I followed them both to one of the back rooms and just as the nurse was about to pull the curtain, she looked at me and asked, “Are you her husband?”
“No.”
“A relative?”
“No,” I answered.
“Then I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to go out to the waiting room. Only family members are allowed to stay with the patients. It’s hospital policy.”
“I don’t give a shit about the hospital policy. I’m not going anywhere,” I growled.
“Sir, this will go a lot faster if you just play by the rules. We’ll look her over, and as soon as we know something, I will come and find you. You have my word,” she promised.
I could see the pain in her eyes as they found mine and she said, “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little rattled… it’s okay.”
“Alright.” I frowned. “But I won’t be far,” I added with a quick glance toward the nurse.
The older nurse smiled and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of her.”
I leaned over the gurney and gently kissed MJ on the forehead. As I walked out the door, I turned back to her and said, “I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
She gave me a half smile, then turned her attention back to the nurse beside her. I headed out to the waiting room. When I walked in, the place was practically bursting at the seams. People were crowded around the vending machines and sprawled out across the chairs, while several paced back and forth as they waited to hear from their doctor. It was a madhouse, but I managed to find a couple of empty seats in the back corner. I’d been there almost an hour when Clutch showed up. I could always count on him when I got in a bind. He’d just patched in when I’d started prospecting almost eleven years ago. Since then, he had been one of my closest friends and never failed to be there when I needed him.
Clutch walked over to me. As he handed me MJ’s bag, he asked, “What happened?”
“MJ fell when she was coming down from the loft.”
“Who? And you should know… your sister is pretty upset. She said you took her truck without even telling her what was going on.”
“Shit. I forgot.” I grabbed my phone and sent her a message.
Clutch asked again, “So who is MJ?”
“Marley Jo. She’s a lawyer from Smith and Wells or something. She’s handling my father’s will,” I explained.
“His will?”
“Yeah. He died a few weeks ago. We were in Salt Lake when it happened. I just found out about it this morning.”
Clutch’s eyes filled with sorrow as he put his hand on my shoulder and said softly, “Smoke… I’m sorry, brother. I know you two were on the outs, but it still has to hit hard.”
“Yeah… wasn’t expecting him to die, and I sure as hell wasn’t expecting him to leave me half of everything.”
“The farm?”
“All of it. Left it all to me and Em, so now I gotta figure out what the hell I’m gonna do about it.”
“So what does any of this have to do with this MJ chick?” he asked. After explaining everything that had happened, Clutch seemed even more confused than he was before. He shook his head and asked, “She’s the one you told me about… the chick who locked her keys in the car?”
“The one and only.”
“Well, you screwed the pooch on that one, brother. She won’t give you the time of day after you let her fall like that,” he taunted. I didn’t answer. I just stood there eyeballing him, letting him know that I wasn’t in the mood for his messing around. He had a cocky grin on his face as he snickered, “Damn, brother. You got a thing for this chick, don’t ya?”
“Mr. Abrams?” the younger, stocky nurse interrupted.
I quickly turned and faced her as I answered, “Yes?”
“I wanted to give you an update on Ms. Thompson,” she started. She looked down at the chart and then said, “She has a mild concussion, so she’s going to need to be supervised for the next twenty-four hours. I’ll give you medical instructions when she is discharged. She also has a dislocated shoulder, which the doctors are working on now. She’ll be in a sling for four to six weeks, and…” She paused as she checked the chart again. Then she looked up at me and continued, “She has several bruises, so she’s going to be sore for the next couple of days. You’ll need to keep an eye on her.”
“Shit,” Clutch mumbled.
“When can I see her?” I asked.
“It’s just going to be a little bit longer,” the nurse assured me. “When she’s back from recovery, I’ll come and get you.”
As soon as she left the waiting room, Clutch said, “You’re gonna need a few days to sort your shit.”
“No doubt about that,” I sighed. “The mountain just keeps growing. I’ll give Cotton a call when I leave here.”
“Sounds good. Let me know if I can do anything to help,” he offered.
“You know anything about apples?” I chuckled.
“I know they taste good in pie,” he smiled. “That’s about it.”
I rubbed my hand down my face. “Well, shit. You aren’t any help at all.”
“Moral support, brother. Got all you need.” He laughed as he gave me a quick slap on my back. “I gotta get rolling. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” I told him as I watched him walk out the door. I wandered back over to my corner and when I sat down, something jabbed me in my side. I reached into my side pocket and realized it was the second letter. With all that had been going on, I’d forgotten that I’d brought it with me. Giving into my curiosity, I carefully pulled the letter open. The noise around me seemed to fall silent as I read:
Evan,
They say that everyone’s life is full of regrets. I know mine is. I’ve had tons. Especially when it comes to you. I know I wasn’t a good father to you, and that’s my biggest regret. I wasn’t there in the way you needed me to be, and it drove a wedge between us. I shouldn’t have waited so long to try to make things right with us. I should’ve tried from the start, but I let my pride get in the way. I know you tried, but then, you always have been better than me when it comes to things like that. I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the phone all those times you tried to call. If I could go back, I would. I’d answer it, time and time again.
You were right when you said my life was wrapped up in the farm. Every season, I’d watch the buds begin to sprout, and I’d know with just one look whether or not we’d have a good harvest. I watched the sun rise and set over those trees and marveled at the harvest they would bring a few months later. I felt like I was a part of the orchard, and it was a part of me. It’s the main reason I decided to give the farm to you and Emily. It truly is the best part of me. I hope one day you both will come to appreciate it the way I always did.
I love you, son.
Dad
My chest felt tight as I put the letter back in its envelope and shoved it into my pocket. I took several deep breaths and tried to calm the storm of emotions stirring in my chest. Nothing helped. I sat there, going over it again and again as I tried to make sense of it all, and I was still trying to sort everything when the nurse came to the waiting room to get me. Thankful for the distraction, I followed her into a small room where the doctor was in the process of discharging MJ. She was propped up on the gurney and already looking better as she listened intently to all of his instructions. She didn’t look at me when I walked in, but I could tell by the light pink blush that flushed her cheeks that she knew I was standing there. Damn. She was so fucking beautiful, and it gutted me to see her wearing that sling.
“Take it easy for the next few days. No slipping off to work.” The doctor smiled as he handed her two prescriptions. “You can get these filled downstairs.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll schedule you an appointment with the orthopedist at the Bone and Joint clinic first thing tomorrow. I’ll have my nurse call you with the time.”
She smiled and said, “Thanks, Dr. Teagan.”
When he started for the door, MJ finally looked over in my direction. I walked towards her and asked, “How ya feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck, but I’ll be fine. My ego… now that’s another matter altogether,” she confessed.
I ran my hand gently down her arm and smiled as I asked, “What’s this about your ego?”
Her eyes rolled towards the ceiling as she groaned, “I can’t believe I fell off that stupid ladder. I feel like such an idiot.”
“You gave me quite a scare, I’ll give you that, but there’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about. It’s an old ladder. I shouldn’t have let you go down without some help.”
“I was in a rush… oh no!” she gasped. “My brother! I need my phone.”
I got her purse off of the counter and as I handed it to her, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“He’s the reason I was in such a rush in the first place. He was planning to meet me at work, so we could go to dinner,” she explained. She dug around in her purse and pulled out her phone. Panic flooded her face as she looked at the screen. She began to scroll through the texts and mumbled, “Well, shit.”
“I take it he’s sent a message or two?” I teased.
“More like twenty-six.”
“You better call him.”
She sighed as she dialed his number. As soon as he answered, she said, “I’m okay. I’m…” She paused as he interrupted her. Then, after several seconds of him yelling, she finally snapped, “If you will stop shouting for two seconds, I will tell you what happened! I had an accident. I’m fine, but I’m at the hospital. I fell…” She stopped again when he started yelling for the second time, and then the line went dead.
“I take it he’s upset.”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“Brothers worry. That’s what we do.”
“Well, mine tends to go a little overboard… way overboard. He takes being protective to a whole new level. It drives me nuts. And to make matters worse, he’s on his way here. He’s just around the corner at my office, so he’ll be here soon. Apparently, he’s been going a little nuts wondering where I’ve been.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad.” I smiled. I tried to hide my disappointment that her brother was coming to take her home. Seeing her look so damn sweet and vulnerable made my inner beast want to grab her up in my arms and take her back to my place. I wanted to have her all to myself while I made sure she had whatever she needed to get back on her feet. Unfortunately, I knew with her brother coming that wasn’t going to happen.
“Somehow, I doubt it,” she grinned. “Have you thought anymore about the farm? Or reading the letter?”
“Trying to change the subject?”
“Maybe. You gonna answer?” she asked with her eyebrow raised.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I finally read the letters.”
“And?”
“I guess you could say I have a better understanding of some things.”
“Good. I was hoping you would.”
“Been thinking I might work out a deal with you.”
Her voice was filled with intrigue as she asked, “What kind of deal?”
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow when you’re feeling a little better. For now, you just concentrate on getting better. The business with the farm can wait.”
“Not fair! Now I’m curious,” she laughed.
Her attention was drawn to the door when one of the nurses came in. She needed to check Marley’s vitals one last time so they could finalize her paperwork. Just as the nurse finished up her work and left, a man in his early thirties charged into the room. “What the hell happened to you??”
She held up her hand, trying to slow him down, and shouted, “Brandon, just relax! I’m fine.”
“If you were fine, you wouldn’t be in the damn hospital, Marley Jo!” he argued.
“True, I guess, but I’m fine now,” she smiled reassuringly.
He finally took a breath and started to calm down as he asked, “What happened this time?”
“I dislocated my shoulder when I fell off a ladder. The doctor said I was lucky and should heal really fast.”
“Why were you on a ladder?”
She looked over to me and explained, “I’d gone up into the loft, so I could talk to Smokey about his farm. We were trying to sort some things out, when I realized I was late to meet you. I got in a rush and fell off the stupid ladder. It was all my fault. You know I’m a klutz.” She paused for a minute and then motioned over to me as she announced, “This is Smokey, by the way.”
Brandon walked over to me, with his perfectly combed hair and freshly ironed button-up shirt and khakis, and extended his hand as he said, “Brandon. Good to meet you.”
I’d like to say that his was a sincere greeting, but it wasn’t. I could see the judgment in his eyes as he looked at my cut and tattoos. I’d seen it before from guys like him, but I ignored it and replied, “Good to meet you too. Sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
He nodded and then immediately went back over to MJ. “Let’s get you home.”
“Okay, but I need a minute with Smokey, first.” When he didn’t budge, she pushed, “Alone.”
He looked back over to me and hesitated before he told her, “Yeah… I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
We both watched as he walked out the door, and then MJ said, “Thanks for waiting for me. I’m really sorry you had to spend most of your night in a hospital waiting room.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, doll. Just glad you’re okay.”
“I want to hear more about this deal of yours,” she smiled.
“All in good time,” I told her as I leaned over, fully intending on just kissing her forehead, but those beautiful, supple lips were just too damn tempting—she was too damn tempting. Unable to resist, I placed my hand under her chin, gently lifting her mouth towards mine, as I settled my lips against hers. Pure perfection. Just one moment, one simple kiss, and I knew I’d never want another woman like I wanted her. It was like nothing I’d ever imagined. I felt whole with her, like the missing pieces of my soul had finally been found, and I wanted more, much more. The tips of her fingers brushed across the back of my neck as I deepened the kiss. Her soft, warm lips were like a magnet pulling me in with a force so strong, I thought I’d never be able to break free.
But unfortunately, I had to. Her brother was standing right outside the door waiting to take her home from the hospital. It was time, so I reluctantly broke free from our embrace and stepped back. I didn’t want to leave her, and I could see by the look in her eyes, she felt the same way. Sadly, I didn’t have a choice. It was time for me to get back to the club and talk to Cotton. “Take care of yourself, MJ. I’ll be in touch.”
She smiled. “I look forward to it.”
* * *
After leaving the hospital, I headed over to the clubhouse to find Cotton. I found him in the bar talking with Cassidy. I sat down on the stool next to him and asked, “You got a minute, Prez?”
Cassidy leaned towards him and gave him a quick kiss before she offered, “I’ll grab you both a beer.”
Once she’d placed the beers on the counter, Cotton turned his attention towards me and asked, “How ya making it, brother?”
“It’s been a rough couple of days, but I’m hanging in.”
“Sorry to hear about your old man. Can’t be easy, especially the way things were between you two.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I started. “He left me the land. Wants me to take over the farm.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“Ah man, there’s no way to explain how I feel about it. It’s all fucked up, Prez, but it’s my old man. What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“No one can make that decision except you, but I’ll tell ya… running a farm takes a lot of work and a shitload of time.”
“It does.”
“You want to take that on?”
“I think it’s something I’ve gotta see through. I just need you to tell me the best way to make that happen. I don’t want to let the club down. The brothers come first.”
“How long are we talking about here? A couple of weeks? A couple of months?”
“I just need time to get things sorted. Going to hire a foreman to run everything, but for now, I’m gonna need a few weeks of going back and forth ‘til things get rolling.”
“I’m good with a couple of weeks. I’ll get one of the brothers to cover for you with the prospects ‘til then, but if it goes longer than that, we’ll have to have a sit down.”
“Won’t come to that.”
“Good to hear. We’re set to start moving cargo in two days. We can make it without you for the run, but we’ll need your help loading,” Cotton explained. Nitro delivered our first shipment to the warehouse a few days ago, and it was time for us to get it loaded and delivered to Salt Lake. From there, the Salt Lake chapter would move our shipment, along with what they’d been able to pull together, to the Denver chapter. The pipeline would continue until the Memphis chapter got the complete shipment to Louisiana.
“Whatever you need,” I assured him.