I woke the next morning to find myself alone in the hospital bed, looking to the side of me I saw that Mason was fast asleep in the chair. Sitting up slowly every inch of my body ached, the full effects of the accident showing themselves on my bruised and battered body. I was exhausted, the nursing staff, like they had said, had woken me every two hours through the night as well as taking my blood pressure and pulse. I was eager to get back to the ranch and back to my bed, I just hoped that I wouldn’t have to wait too long to be discharged.
I pulled myself out of bed and slowly made my way to the bathroom, feeling dizzy I grabbed onto the sink before looking up at my reflection, I gasped at what I saw. There was blood matted in my hair from where I had cut my head, and underneath my eye, there was a large bruise starting to form. I traced my fingers over my bruised face, wincing at the pain. I turned and looked at the shower, desperate to feel the hot water on my skin. I was pretty wobbly on my feet and wasn’t sure if I could manage to shower alone, maybe I could ask a nurse to help me. A knock on the bathroom door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Sweetheart, are you okay? Can I come in?” I heard Mason ask, his voice full of concern.
“Come in,” I called out. I was still clutching onto the sink when he opened the door, he glanced down at my hands gripping the side and rushed over to me.
“Why didn’t you wake me, Libby, you shouldn’t have gotten out of bed on your own. Are you feeling dizzy?”
I nodded my head. “A little, I’m okay. I’d love a shower though I feel yucky. Could you buzz the nurse to help me?”
“I’ll help you baby; you don’t need to ask the nurse.”
“You’ll help me in the shower?” I asked him my face flushing with heat.
“Yes, Lib. I’ll go and ask the nurse for a cover for your cast, so it doesn’t get wet.” He walked out of the bathroom, returning seconds later with a chair. “Sit down there, and I’ll help you with your clothes when I come back.” He said, guiding me by my elbow into the chair.
“Mason, I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I can just ask the nurse.” He’d never seen me completely naked before, I wasn’t sure I wanted the first time he did to be in a hospital bathroom. “I’m covered in bruises.”
“Sweetheart, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, with or without bruises. It’s my fault you’re hurting, please let me help you.”
“Okay,” I told him reluctantly. “But Mason, what happened, in no way was it your fault. You couldn’t have known that Amber would do what she did.”
He shook his head. “If I hadn’t been thinking with my dick and slept with her, she wouldn’t be in our lives now. I’m the reason she tried to hurt you. I had no idea that she would be capable of doing anything like she has, but I do now, and I don’t intend to let her get anywhere near you again.” He kneeled down in front of me and gently took my face in his hands, looking deeply into my eyes. “You are the most important thing in my life, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe Lib.”
“You don’t think she’s going to try anything else, do you?” I asked him, panic bubbling in my stomach.
He sighed. “I don’t know sweetheart, but I don’t think we can rule anything out.” He pulled me out of the chair and into his chest, wrapping his arms around me. I winced in pain as his arms squeezed my bruised body. He released me immediately and took a step back. “Libby, did I hurt you?” He asked, concern lacing his voice.
I stepped towards him taking his hand. “I’m just a bit sore, you didn’t hurt me,” I told him reassuringly.
I saw him breathe a sigh of relief. “Come on, let’s get you showered. I’ll just run and fetch that cover for your cast.”
He disappeared out of the bathroom, and I began to remove the hospital gown that must have been put on me yesterday when I was admitted. I was nervous for Mason to see me naked, but I was desperate for a hot shower, and he seemed determined to help me. I needn’t have worried; Mason was the perfect gentleman. He stripped down to his boxers and even though I felt like shit my body came alive at the sight of him. Putting his arm gently around my waist he guided me towards the shower area, reaching out to turn the water on. He held me back until the water was warm and then ushered me under the hot spray, careful to avoid the stitches on my head. I closed my eyes, savouring the feel of the water massaging my bruised body. I felt Mason step up behind me and gently snake his arms around my waist, his front pressed to my back. I dropped my head back against his chest relishing the feeling of being safely wrapped in his arms.
“Let me wash you.” He whispered in my ear. I nodded my head, and he reached for the soap, gently lathering up my back. He turned me around and did the same to my front, my face flushing with heat as he carefully washed my breasts, taking extra care around my bruised ribs. “What about your hair baby?” He asked me softly.
“I don’t think I can get my stitches wet just yet, so we’ll have to leave it.”
“Okay, let me clean the blood off your face, I won’t get your stitches wet.” I nodded at him, and he gently wiped my face with a flannel he found by the sink, his eyes never leaving mine.
After we had both dried off, he helped me to put on a clean hospital gown. I didn’t have any clothes to wear as the ones I was wearing when I had the accident were covered in blood and dirt.
“Thank you, I feel so much better after that,” I told him.
“You’re welcome sweetheart, I’m going to find the Doctor and get you out of here.” He kissed me softly on the lips before heading out of the room.
A couple of hours later I was discharged with strict instructions from the Doctor to rest for the next few days. He told Mason that I would need to be woken again through the night, because of my head injury. Savannah had arrived with clean clothes for me to change into and finally, we were on our way back to the ranch. Although I had only been in the hospital overnight, with everything that had happened, it felt like I had been away from the ranch for days.
Aunt Claire was waiting for us on the porch as we pulled up the driveway. “I’m so glad you’re home honey.” She exclaimed, pulling me into a hug as we climbed the porch steps. “Come on I’ve made you all some lunch.”
After eating lunch, I had a pounding headache and felt exhausted. “I think I’m going to lie down for a bit, I’m exhausted,” I announced, standing up and wobbling on my feet.
Mason rushed to my side, taking my arm to steady me. “I’ll help you upstairs. Don’t get too comfy in that bed, though, I want you staying at my place for the next few nights so that I can look after you.”
I looked at him in shock. “You want me to stay at yours?”
“Yes baby, I want you close, I need to know that you’re okay.”
I smiled up at him as he led me upstairs. “Alright.” I murmured.
He helped me into bed and pulled the covers over me, kissing me gently on the forehead he whispered. “Close your eyes sweetheart. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.” I smiled up at him gratefully, struggling to keep my eyes open. Within minutes I was flat out.
I spent most of the afternoon sleeping, being woken once by Savannah to check that I was okay, I quickly fell back to sleep eventually waking late afternoon. My body seemed to ache even more than it had this morning, I guess I would feel achy and sore as the bruising came out. I reached for my phone which was by the side of my bed and sent a text to Mason.
Me: Hi baby, I’m awake. What are you up to? Xxx
I used the bathroom while I was waiting to see if Mason replied, I had no idea if he was working, so I wasn’t expecting an immediate response. Looking in the mirror as I washed my hands I grimaced at my reflection, my hair was plastered to my head, and the bruise on my face was turning a dark shade of purple. I couldn’t do much about my face, but I was desperate to get my hair washed. I wondered if Savannah was free to help me wash it while avoiding my stitches. I hadn’t heard my phone chime with an incoming text, so I headed downstairs to look for Savannah.
I found the house empty when I got downstairs. Thankfully I wasn’t feeling nearly as dizzy as I was this morning and I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as I passed the kitchen. I made my way outside noticing a police car parked next to Savannah’s car, my stomach churned with nerves, and I walked quickly down the porch steps, my eyes searching for everyone, where were they all?
“Libby.” I heard Mason call. I turned towards the barn to see him walking towards me. “I’ve been trying to call you sweetheart, I got your message. Are you okay?”
“Sorry, I’ve left my phone inside. Why are the police here?” He reached me taking my hand in his.
“Lib, Claire, and Ryan have called the police. We looked at Cookie’s saddle while you were asleep, it’s definitely been tampered with. The cinch had been cut through with a knife, just like Savannah thought. They are speaking with any staff or guests that might have seen anyone hanging around.”
My heart was racing, and I couldn’t catch my breath, even though I knew at the hospital that there was a possibility that Amber had cut the cinch, now that the police were involved and they were here on the ranch it suddenly felt more real. Mason must have seen that I was panicking. Standing directly in front of me he took my hand and rested it over his heart.
“Deep breaths Libby.” He told me calmly. “Feel my heartbeat, count with me, one two three four, one two three four.” Repeating the words, he’d spoken to me last week. Looking into my eyes, he managed to pull me from the brink of a panic attack and I felt my heartbeat begin to settle and my breathing even out.
After a few minutes, I whispered. “Thank you.”
“Are you okay baby?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, just seeing the police here makes it real. I know we talked about Amber messing with the saddle, I guess I just hoped we were wrong.” He nodded and pulled me into his chest, his familiar scent enveloping me. “How could Amber have known which horse I would be riding, and saddle I would use?” I asked, desperate for it not to be true.
I heard Mason sigh, “I guess she’s been watching you sweetheart, she must have seen you out on Cookie when she was at the ranch the other day. If she had enough time in the tack room she could have found Cookie’s saddle and cut the cinch.” I shuddered in his arms, hating that she had been watching me.
“What have the police said?” I asked him.
“Not much at this stage, they are talking to as many people as they can. They have suggested that unless we can prove Amber was involved there isn’t much they can do.” He paused and pulled me back slightly so that he could see my face. “They want to speak to you too Lib. It doesn’t have to be today, if you’re not feeling up to it I can tell them to come back tomorrow?” He looked down at me his face full of concern.
“No, I’ll speak to them, I want to get it over with.” I smiled up at him, trying to reassure him that I was okay, although I’m sure after witnessing my near panic attack he knew that I wasn’t. “Where are they, I’ll speak to them now.”
Mason led me into the barn, and I spent the next half an hour going over what had happened with Amber, from her verbal attack at the rodeo to her showing up at Mason’s cabin. It turned out that no one had seen Amber or anyone else hanging around the ranch yesterday morning, while the police agreed that the cinch had almost definitely been messed with, without proof there wasn’t much that they could do. They did offer to go and speak to Amber about what had happened, and ask her to stay away from us. The best that we could hope for was that the visit from the police would be enough to keep her away from us. Maybe she would finally get the message.
The police left about an hour later, we all went back to the house with Mason insisting that I pack a bag and go back to his. I felt a bit apprehensive telling Aunt Claire and Uncle Ryan, thinking that they would want me to stay with them. I knew that they felt responsible for me while I was here. I needn’t have worried, though, Aunt Claire was happy for me to go. As I hugged her goodbye, she whispered in my ear, telling me how happy she was for me that Mason and I had found each other. I hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek. I said goodbye to everyone else, promising Savannah that I’d call her tomorrow and we’d arrange to do something.
Mason picked my bag up and held my hand with his free one, we slowly walked over to his cabin, and he insisted that I go and lie down while he made us some food. I tried to protest but when he caught me yawning five minutes later he ushered me upstairs, I had to admit that I was exhausted again after dealing with the police. I just hoped that this would be the end of our problems with Amber. Something in my gut, however, told me that it wouldn’t be.