Chapter 19

Dallas woke up in a light-green-painted room and couldn’t remember why he was there. People were moving around and machines buzzed in the background. He glanced at the IV line dripping something into his arm. Hospital. He was in the hospital. Something about his ankle.

Oh yeah. Rosie had been in trouble and he’d made sure she was okay. He’d broken his ankle crossing the river.

He smiled to himself. He and Rosie had gotten along really well. The sex had been amazing, and the time they’d spent together had been even better. Where was Rosie?

“Hello, Dallas, how are you feeling? I’m Lorraine, your recovery nurse.” The woman who spoke was short and had wiry gray hair and eyes that matched the light green walls. “Any nausea, blurred vision, or headache?”

“No.” He looked around. “Did I have surgery?” His thoughts were fuzzy. Hadn’t his brothers come in a Zodiac to get Rosie and him? “Where’s Rosie?”

His mother appeared at his side and pulled a chair up next to the bed. “She’s in the waiting room with every other member of our family and hers. They brought a lot of food and have set up a tailgate of sorts in the waiting room.” She sat beside him. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, I guess. I’m really tired and my head’s a little fuzzy.” He vaguely remembered telling Rosie that he loved her. Had that really happened or had he dreamed it? God, he hoped he’d dreamed it.

“We’ll get you into a room shortly. Your ankle was pretty bad and because we couldn’t get to it sooner, your body had already begun healing it, which made it more complicated to fix. Anyway, you’re going to be out of commission for a while.”

“How out of commission?” It was a broken ankle. How bad could it be?

“You’ll be on crutches for at least six weeks.” She stood and patted his hand. “I’ll get you moved and then you can see Rosie.” She turned to walk away.

“Mom.” He reached for her hand. “Did I tell Rosie that I was in love with her or did I dream that?”

“Do you want the truth or would you like for me to tell you what you want to hear?” His mother grinned down at him.

“Crap. It wasn’t a dream.” How in the hell was he ever going to be able to face Rosie again? A week ago he’d have said that not being able to talk to her was the worst thing in his life. Now he wished he hadn’t been able to talk to her.

His mother bent down and said next to his ear, “At least she didn’t run screaming back to Austin. She’s still here and anxious to see you. That means something.”

He didn’t want to pin his future on false hope, but at the moment he didn’t have anything else to pin it on.

Thirty minutes later, he was wheeled into a hospital room. He’d be staying overnight but could hopefully leave in the morning.

Rosie walked into his room, followed by Justus holding AG, Hugh holding a huge bouquet of flowers, and three Hispanic women he’d never laid eyes on.

Rosie went to his bedside and sat in the chair his mother had pulled up to the bed. She took his hand and nodded in the direction of the door. “These are my sisters. Louisa, Ariana, and Esther.”

He wished he could stand and meet them properly, but the best he could offer was a smile and a handshake.

He shook Ariana’s hand. He knew she was the middle sister because of what Rosie had told him.

She grasped his hand warmly. “We’ve heard a lot about you. Thank you for risking your life to make sure she was safe.”

“It was my pleasure.” He glanced at Rosie, who winked at him.

Louisa, the oldest, was next. She shook his hand and then leaned over and whispered, “Rosie has a pretty big crush on you. If you break her heart, I’ll kill you slowly.”

She stood back up and glared down at him.

Louisa was exactly like Rosie had described. “Understood.” He would give every cent he had to be alone with Rosie. She had more than a crush on him. She had a “pretty big” crush on him. His soul smiled. It was more than he could have dreamed. She’d told her sisters about him. It wasn’t just the pain meds making him outrageously happy.

The last sister, Esther, held her hand out for him to shake. She pumped his hand twice and then dropped it. She made a V with her index and middle finger and then brought them to her eyes in the universal I’m-watching-you gesture.

“Uncle Dallas, I brought you some flowers.” Hugh walked to the bed and proudly presented the huge vase of flowers.

Justus handed AG over to Louisa and pulled the small tray table over and set the flowers on top. “We don’t want to keep you. We just wanted to make sure you were okay.” She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “We have to go now. Lucy is only letting us in to see you in small groups.”

Christ, there were more people for him to see? All he wanted was some private time with Rosie and maybe a bacon cheeseburger and fries. Right now, it didn’t look like his chances were too good of getting either.

All of his brothers filed in and then out, followed by Lefty and CanDee and his father. Several of the ranch hands came to pay their respects, as well as Pastor Green and his wife. All in all, there were too many people keeping him from Rosie.

An hour and a half later, the last visitor waved goodbye and headed out the door.

“I thought we would never be alone.” He brought Rosie’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “So, you have a pretty big crush on me?”

Beating around the bush was for subtle people, and Dallas didn’t do subtle.

She gave him a peck on the lips. “No, sorry, you were misinformed.”

His whole world turned sad and dark. All of the spit dried up in his mouth. What was he supposed to say and do now? She’d told him at the Villa that she cared about him, but maybe she’d changed her mind.

“I don’t have a big crush on you. I’m in love with you.” She clamped a hand over her mouth and looked like she was replaying her last sentence over in her head trying to figure it out. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Everything turned sunny and bright again. “Yes, but you did say it, and I heard it, and there’s no take-backs. Sorry, but those are the rules. You’re officially in love with me.”

Her eyes were huge, and it looked like she was still processing what she’d just said. “I’m, um… I’m in love with you.” She sounded… well, kinda mad.

He wasn’t sure how to take that.

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’m in love with you?” Asking it didn’t do much for his ego.

She sighed. “I’m in love with you.” This time she’d stated it, which was better. “It’s too soon and I never do anything impulsive, but I’m in love with you.”

“I’m in love with you too.” He couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

“I’m in love with you.” This time it came out easier. “I want to get married and have a family.” She clamped her hand over her mouth again. “I think I need to stop talking right now.”

“If you’ll remember, I asked you to marry me at the Villa. I just want to point out, you didn’t say no.” He was enjoying her discomfort. It was petty and childish but it was also comforting that she was in this with him. Love had made him a drooling idiot. Now it was her turn.

“I thought you were kidding.” She looked like she was replaying the conversation in her mind. “I’m sure you were kidding.”

“Was I? I believe we agreed on a simple wedding with just family and a few friends. Outdoors under a blue, sunny, cloudless sky.” He’d paid attention.

“But… it’s too soon.” She sounded like even she didn’t believe that.

“Why? I’ve been in love with you since the day I walked into Rowdy’s kitchen and first laid eyes on you. I loved you then and I love you now. I’ll love you forever, always–evermore.”

“You’re just saying that so you can score some hospital sex.” She kissed him lightly.

“I’m not going to lie, it did cross my mind.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it again. “We could start making those babies now.” He made a big show of checking the clock on the wall opposite him. “I’ve got nothing but time.”