CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BLADE STARED AT his reflection in the pop-up mirror on his hospital tray table. He’d been in Texas less than a week and he didn’t even look like himself. Wild hair, the shadow of a beard, bruises everywhere and new wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. He was aging a year for every day he stayed around here.
The docs had done a great job of patching him up, but he still felt weak as a newborn calf trying to stand for the first time. “Hell,” he said aloud. He was starting to think like a Texan. Next thing he knew he’d be wearing pointed-toe boots and chewing tobacco.
Right now he doubted he’d even be able to fight off the Elf or her grandmother.
Not that he’d ever try fighting off Dakota. If she ever came at him, Blade had a feeling it would be full-out, be it love or hate.
She’d been sleeping in the recliner in his room for hours. Her hair was a wild mess, half covering her face. She’d said she wouldn’t sleep with him, but she’d offered to take care of him. He must matter to her. He couldn’t think of anyone, including his own mother, who’d make that offer.
He thought of telling Dakota that sleeping with him would be a hell of a lot easier than having to take care of him, but he doubted she’d follow that logic.
The nurse came in about noon and said they were putting him through a few more tests; then, if all was fine, he could go home.
She’d added, “The University of Colorado Hospital sent over your records, Agent Hamilton. A few facts stood out. You’re in great shape, have regular checkups, and always leave after an injury before the doctors tell you to. So the team has decided to get ahead of the game and release you early. Go home and rest.” She handed him a folder and a sheet of do-nots.
Blade thought of telling her he didn’t have a home. He’d never had a home. He barely remembered the houses they’d moved to during his childhood. His mother never put up pictures on a wall, or books on a shelf, or even a Christmas tree. He’d asked her once if she remembered his birthday and she’d said, How could I forget? It was the most painful day of my life.
But Blade just said thanks and tried his best to listen to the nurse’s lecture. He knew the drill.
The elf in the corner woke up about the time a nurse was helping him on with the jeans and Western shirt Lucas had sent over. Dakota just rubbed her eyes and stared as if she’d fallen asleep at the drive-in theater and had woken up during the good part of the show.
Blade thought he looked like he should be trick-or-treating in the boots and pearl-snap shirt, but Dakota told him he looked fine.
The boots were a bit too big, but they would do. The jacket was leather, longer than his biker jacket, but it felt like it had been made for him.
When the nurse ordered him to sit in the wheelchair, he did so without a word. He’d fought this battle twice before and lost both times.
Dakota disappeared as he signed out and was waiting for him at the hospital entrance in her old pickup. While she waited, she’d combed her hair, but her clothes were hopelessly wrinkled.
He let the nurses help him into the truck and even managed to wave goodbye. Another change from the last time he left the hospital. Maybe Dakota was a calming influence on him, or maybe it had something to do with all the drugs they’d given him.
“Mind if we stop at a clothing store on the way home?” He tried to sound like he was fine even though he was starting to hate that word. “I need to pick up a few things. Underwear, for one.”
Dakota glanced at him as she drove. “You’re going commando?”
“Yes. How about you?” He swore he saw her blush.
She didn’t say a word until she pulled into the parking lot of a Western-wear store. “They’ve got everything in here.”
“I don’t dress Western.”
“You look good in it. I’ll pick a few things out for you.”
“Only if I get to pick a few out for you.” A blouse that wasn’t two sizes too big and a pair of jeans that fit her like skin sounded good.
Elf didn’t look happy, but she must have been in a hurry to get him home because she didn’t argue. Fifteen minutes later he walked out with two bags. Hers held a sexy outfit with rhinestones. What she’d bought for him in the other bag was anyone’s guess. He doubted he’d ever wear the clothes she’d picked out, but he couldn’t wait to see her in what he’d selected.
He was exhausted, as if he’d run forty miles in mud, but for once she wanted to have a real conversation. Like nothing was going on in his world. Like he didn’t have things he needed to think about. The top of the list being who shot him.
He had no idea.
Dakota talked as they drove the two hours back to Crossroads in an old truck that seemed to be trying to rock him to sleep.
About halfway between Crossroads and Lubbock, Blade felt like he was listening to the history of Texas on tape.
It took him a while, but he finally decided she was discussing history because she didn’t want to talk about the two of them. And if she was afraid to even mention what might happen between them, then she was halfway there.
He fell asleep thinking about how she’d be as a lover. Hopefully she wouldn’t talk through it.
Suddenly he laughed, waking himself completely, as he realized he didn’t care. She could talk all night just as long as she was beside him.
Any hope that she’d help him undress once they got to her place vanished when Blade climbed out of the truck and noticed Dice Fuller propped on the porch railing like a buzzard dressed up in boots.
The old guy must have guessed what Blade was thinking because he was grinning the whole time he helped Blade. He even added that Dakota had to go to work so everything would look normal; after all, no one was to know that Blade was out of the hospital.
“But don’t you worry about her being gone, Granny and I’ll take care of you.”
Nothing makes a man get well faster than having unwanted help. After Dice assisted him with the boots, Blade said he could handle the rest.
The only bright side to staying at the Davis place seemed to be that Maria had made gingersnap cookies. The whole house smelled like heaven. The dark side was, Grandmother delivered his milk and cookies along with a threat to cut him up for cat food if he stepped out of line.
From the size of the fat cat Sam, she’d probably carried out that threat a few times lately. No wonder the Davis girls weren’t married.
When he was finally alone, Blade looked around the spacious room, now his recovery home. Tiled floors, low ceilings, long windows facing east. The bedroom was neat and clean but had nothing personal in it except a picture of two little girls who had to be Maria and Dakota. Maria was obviously teaching Dakota to ride a bike, and both were smiling.
He knew without asking that this had been their mother’s room. The third bedroom in a home where a mother had lived with her two children.
He sat on the bed and slowly cradled his injured arm, then stretched out atop the covers. This was what home should feel like, he thought, as he drifted off to sleep.
Someone covered him with a fuzzy blanket, but he didn’t open his eyes. Hours later he was aware that the room had grown dark. When Grandmother came in to turn on a lamp, he asked if he could have a glass of water and a rope. If she thought the request strange, she didn’t comment.
When she returned with Dice, they watched Blade drink the entire glass of water, and then he asked Dice to tie the rope to the center of the footboard while he looped the other end. Now he could pull himself up with his good arm without straining the muscles along his bandaged side.
“You’ve been knocked out of the saddle before, haven’t you, kid.”
“A few times, old man.” After Dice left, with no one else in the room Blade asked, “What’s new in the investigation?”
“Which one? We got several going on. I had to declare myself a temporary deputy just to help Pearly. Everyone in town thinks they know something, but most of them don’t know nothing. Sheriff knows the second body found at the Bar W was Coffer Coldman, but the coroner still hasn’t ID’d the first one who was burned.”
Dice sat down on the room’s only chair and continued, “Something is going on at the Bar W. Everyone hinted that Reid was selling the place when he loaded all the cattle and sold off back pastures, but I’m not so sure. I’ve seen some heavy equipment headed out that way. Town’s got a wagonload of questions and not an answer in sight.”
Blade’s head began to pound. “How about starting with who shot me and we’ll work backward? I’m interested in what the sheriff might have found out.”
“Oh, we don’t know nothing about that. Sheriff found a few shells, but it was so late when you were shot, nobody saw a thing. One neighbor heard the gunfire but he thought it was a car backfiring. A couple of guys from the firehouse said there are boys who hunt rabbits out in the field behind the office. Maybe they thought you were a jackrabbit.” Dice grinned and put one finger up on either side of his head.
“Very funny.” Blade rubbed his forehead. “No leads at all? Any hunches as to why? Surely the sheriff has learned something.”
Dice shook his head. “Other than some random fellow who just hates strangers, I can’t think of anyone. There’s a group that meets now and then to practice shooting. Call themselves a midnight militia. They think it was terrorists. Said it was just a matter of time before they hit Crossroads.”
Blade thought that the chances of ISIS even finding this town, when FedEx couldn’t, probably ranked about even with a zombie attack, but he didn’t say anything. Right now, Dice was ahead of him, even in guessing.
“What about the bodies at the burn sites? Any news there?”
“All I know is Coffer Coldman is still dead. Nothing else to report.”
“Any leads on who did that crime?”
“Nope.” Dice raised his voice. “Oh, we did find Coffer’s dog. He showed up back at the bunkhouse. I told him he inherited two hundred and ninety dollars, but he didn’t seem all that interested.”
“What about your friend LeRoy?”
“Someone said they thought they saw him in one of the bars in Amarillo. Like I figured he would, he was spending his pay. I’d like to be out looking just to be sure, but since you’ve been shot I’d better volunteer to be your bodyguard.”
Blade grinned. “You’d take a bullet for me, Dice?”
“Well, no. I’m smart enough to step out of the way, but once I knew someone was shooting at you, I’d return fire. You wouldn’t have to worry. If someone killed you, they’d be DRT.”
“DRT?”
“Dead right there.”
“That’s comforting. Downright considerate. You should put that on a greeting card, Dice.”
“You’re a strange one, Hamilton. Half the time you don’t make a lick of sense. I’ll go get your supper.”
Blade wasn’t hungry, but the food was too good to ignore. As soon as he thanked Maria, he lowered into bed using the rope and went back to sleep.
When someone touched his forehead an hour later, he awoke. “Dakota?”
“I’m just making sure you don’t have a fever.” She sounded concerned.
“I’m fine. Just sleepy. You didn’t make it home by dark.”
She sat on the edge of his bed. “I had a late showing. Also talked to the sheriff. He wants to know when you’re coming back to work.”
“Tomorrow, maybe. I could probably help out at the office for a while.”
“Do you remember talking to Dan at the hospital? He asked you a dozen questions about the shooting.”
“Did I make any sense?” He took her small hand in his. It felt good to be touching her. The woman was like an addiction. Every time he touched her, he wanted more.
“Not much. You said a shadow shot you. The sheriff told me if you remember anything that will help, call him. Otherwise, he’ll let you rest.”
“I’d rest a lot better if you’d lie down next to me.”
She laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the dark.”
“Maybe I am. Walking out in a dark parking lot behind the sheriff’s office didn’t work out too well for me last night.”
To his surprise, she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on top of the covers. He didn’t let go of her hand. He’d planned to say something to let her know he wasn’t a jerk who just wanted to get her into bed. But, he didn’t know how to talk to a woman about much else.
Just before he fell asleep again, he realized that he’d had sex with a lot of women, but he’d never truly known one. He knew funny things to say, sexy things, but most of the women he’d known were hollow in his mind. A few he couldn’t recall their names, or what they did for a living, or where they were from.
He’d never wanted to really know, really understand a woman until now. Maybe it was the drawings on the barn wall she’d done, as if chasing a dream, or maybe it was the way she took care of her sister. A complicated woman. A woman worth knowing. A woman worth the effort.
Lifting her hand, he kissed her fingers. “Thanks for staying with me last night in the hospital.”
“You didn’t need me,” she answered.
“You’re wrong. I did.” To his surprise, he meant it.