Monroe, Marla - Belonging to Them [Men of the Border Lands 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (11 page)

“Hi.”

“How are you feeling now?” He leaned forward in the chair.

“Better. My arm doesn’t throb as bad as it did. What happened to me?”

“You don’t remember?”

“No. I remember getting up and going into the bathroom to help you bathe. Then I can’t remember anything after that.”

“You were mauled by a wolf, Heather. We thought we had lost you.”

“A wolf? Oh, God. How bad am I?”

“Your arm is pretty bad, but it’s getting better.”

She looked down toward where her arm lay on a pillow. She gasped at the sight of it. There were raised red lines with stitches all over her arm. She looked like a jigsaw puzzle. She attempted to move her fingers, and when they didn’t move at first, she started crying.

“What is it, baby? Do you need something for pain?”

“I can’t move my fingers.”

“Shh, baby. They’re probably just stiff. Hold on.” He knelt next to the bed and carefully moved her fingers. Then he moved her wrist. “Okay, try and move just your fingers again.”

Heather was afraid to try. She shook her head.

“You can do it. Move your fingers, Heather.”

She drew in a shaky breath and willed her fingers to move. When they bent, she started laughing in relief. She looked up at Brandon and smiled.

“Told you. Now don’t go moving your arm around. I want your stitches to heal straight as possible. We did the best we could, but they aren’t perfect.”

“I know you did. I’m sorry I worried you both so much.” Her throat felt raspy and it was hard to talk. “Can I have something to drink?”

“Of course.” He helped her to sit up then handed her a glass so she could hold it with her good arm.

She looked down at it and winced. “I even have some on this arm.”

“Only a couple. Go ahead and drink up. You need to drink as much as you can. When Bolton gets back up here, I’ll go warm up the broth and you can eat some.”

“Where is Bolton?”

“He’s finishing up chores. We’ve been taking turns sitting with you for the last four days.”

“How did I get away from the wolf, Brandon?” she asked.

“Bolton got to you first, and grabbed it by the neck and tried pulling it off of you. It kept the wolf from getting to your throat. Then, when I got there, I had a gun. I shot him.”

“Thanks for taking care of me, Brandon.”

“You mean so much to me, Heather. I—”

Bolton burst into the room. “You’re awake!” He hurried over to the bed.

“Hey, Bolton.” She smiled up at him.

“I’m going to go fix that broth for you. I’ll be right back.” Brandon got up and left the chair for Bolton to sit on.

Heather went to reach for his hand, but cried out when she moved it.

“Hey,” he said. “Don’t move it.”

“I wanted to hold your hand.”

He reached across the bed and took her other hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched him disappear out the door then turned her attention to Bolton. He had a funny look on his face.

“What?”

“Nothing. What do you remember?”

“I really don’t remember anything but getting out of bed the other morning. Then bits and pieces of hurting, until now.”

“Well, all that matters right now is that you get well. We want you healthy again.”

Heather felt like they were still keeping something from her, but try as she might, she couldn’t remember, and it only gave her a headache to try. She had a feeling whatever it was would hurt her almost as much as the wolf had.

Chapter Eight

Several days passed, and it came time for her stitches to come out. Brandon dreaded doing it. It wouldn’t feel good, but it shouldn’t really hurt either, he hoped. Heather was a real trooper, and hadn’t complained when they moved her and checked her arm and side each day. She still hadn’t remembered anything, and he knew his time was running out. He needed to come clean with her before she remembered on her own.

“Okay, this is going to feel weird. It shouldn’t really hurt though, so if it starts to hurt, tell me.”

Bolton stood by with a garbage bag for him to drop them as he pulled them out. Halfway through, they all three needed a breather.

“It’s not that it hurts, it just feels funny,” she told them.

“That’s okay. Just relax for a few minutes and we’ll start again. So far it all looks good.”

“Yeah, well, considering the alternative. I still look like a Frankenstein.”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“Hey, I’m not blaming you at all. You saved my life. I just figure you won’t like looking at it.”

Bolton hurried to reassure her that they loved her no matter what. She stilled, and Brandon wondered if Bolton realized what he’d said. They’d never told her that before. Well, at least he hadn’t. He didn’t know what Bolton had told her.

“Okay, let’s try this again.” He bent over her arm and began clipping and tugging stitches loose.

“Bolton? Do you really mean it?”

“What, baby?”

“You said you loved me. Brandon?”

“We both love you, honey.” Bolton brushed the hair from her eyes and bent over to kiss her.

Brandon swallowed his pride and smiled down at her. “I love you, too, Heather. You’re my life.”

“Why do I feel like something is wrong then? Did I do something stupid?”

“No!” they both said at the same time.

“You didn’t do anything, baby. I did,” Brandon confessed. “I’d really like to wait until you can sit up for a while before we talk about it, though.”

Brandon held his breath. He could only hope she would wait and not make him talk about it just yet. He needed time, and she needed her strength back first.

“Okay, but as soon as I can sit up for more than fifteen minutes, I want to know what is going on.”

“I promise, baby. I’ll tell you everything. I just need you to be at your best.”

“Now you’re making me nervous.” She looked from Brandon to Bolton and back again. “Am I going to be upset?”

“Yeah, baby. You’re going to be upset, but not for long. I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that.”

Bolton insinuated himself between them and pushed Brandon back. “Everything will be fine, baby. You’ll see.”

Brandon grinned at the fact that Bolton wanted some alone time with her. He picked up the supplies and left them. He’d have his alone time later that night. Bolton was up for farm chores. He grinned and realized how much he was looking forward to spending time with her. To think that it could have been this way all those months if he’d only confronted her to begin with.

Then a thought struck him. What if she didn’t accept his apology and explanation? What would he do if she rejected him? For all of a minute, his heart thundered in his chest at the thought, and his mouth grew dry. He honestly felt like he might pass out. Then the feeling passed.

No matter what happened, he would do everything in his power to make her happy. Even if it meant backing away. It would kill him inside, but he would do it for her happiness. Hopefully, her happiness would include him and Bolton both. Hopefully she would want them both equally, both in her bed and as a family, sharing the good times and the bad.

Brandon disposed of the trash and scalded the tweezers before putting them back in the first aid kit. Then he prepared supper for them. Heather was eating regular food now, and they were pushing her to eat every two to three hours, trying to build her strength up. He carried the tray up the stairs and walked in to find Bolton and Heather in a true lip-lock. He grunted, then cleared his throat. They came apart, panting.

“Don’t you two think you should hold off on that for a few more days?”

“Nope,” they both said, then chuckled.

“Well, I demand my kiss then.” Brandon set the tray on the bedside table and leaned in for a kiss.

She didn’t disappoint him, either. She opened to him immediately, and he plunged in like a man dying of thirst. It had been so long since he had truly kissed her. He ran his tongue around hers then slid back and forth in her mouth before nipping at her lower lip. She drew in a deep breath and sighed.

“Thanks,” he said, equally winded.

“You’re welcome.” She winked at him.

“Now you need to eat.”

Bolton stuffed several pillows behind her and waited in case she needed help. Brandon settled the tray in her lap and handed her a napkin. She smiled and dug in. He was happy to see her with such a good appetite. She’d lost a lot of weight over the last few months, and especially over the last few days.

He removed the dishes once she was finished, and took them back down to the kitchen. On his way back up he paused outside the bedroom when he heard Heather ask Bolton about why Brandon thought she would be mad.

“You need to let him talk to you about it, Heather. It’s between the two of you. I’m not getting between you two.”

She huffed out a breath. Brandon sighed. He needed to talk to her soon. Maybe he would carry her downstairs tomorrow and have the talk then. He made sure they knew he was coming in and smiled at her as soon as he walked in the door.

“How would you like to sit in front of the fireplace downstairs tomorrow for a little while?”

“Oh, can I?”

“Do you think she’s ready for that?” Bolton looked dubious.

“She needs to sit up some to get her strength back. I won’t let her sit up too long.”

“Hey, you guys. I can talk for myself. I want to sit up some tomorrow.”

Bolton and Brandon chuckled at her demanding tone. Brandon decided she was sounding more like her old self.

“If I’m going to be doing the morning chores tomorrow, brother, you get to do the evening chores tonight,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“Fine. I’ll do the chores tonight. Don’t tire her out so that she won’t feel like getting out of bed tomorrow.” He gave Bolton an intense look, hoping it would tell him how important it was that he get her downstairs in the morning.

He left them and headed to the stables to tend to the horses. He wasn’t sure how he was going to broach the subject yet. He just hoped some insight would come to him between now and in the morning.

* * * *

After eating breakfast, Heather was eager to go downstairs, and couldn’t keep it out of her voice.

“Is it time yet?”

Brandon laughed nervously, but smiled and nodded. “Bolton is out doing chores. We’ll make the most of the time we have.”

He picked her up and carried her down to the lounge chair he’d prepared for her, complete with pillows and a blanket. He had the fire roaring, and a glass of water next to her. He also had a box of tissues next to the water as well. She seemed to notice all of it, and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“You really have me worried, Brandon.”