Operation Cowboy Daddy (19 page)

Mary tightened her grip on the railing. “I’d rather die than allow you to have him.”

“That can be arranged. I’ll give you to the count of three to move away from that crib so I can get my boy. One...”

Sirens sounded in the distance. “The police are coming. Just go,” she exclaimed. “If you hurry, you can get out of here before they arrest you.”

“I’m not leaving without my son. Two...”

Mary could only pray that the sound of his gunfire would bring somebody running and they would save Joey before Ash could escape with him.

There was no way she was going to step aside or hand Joey over to this monster. She sent up a silent prayer that Joey and Tony would survive this night and that Halena wouldn’t mourn her too deeply.

“Three.”

Tony flew through the door at the same time Ash fired his gun. The bullet intended for Mary slammed into his body at the same time he shot Ash.

Both Ash and Tony fell to the floor. Mary screamed and Joey wailed. She ran to Tony, horrified to see a blossom of red on the front of his shirt.

“Tony?” Tears half blinded her as she fell to the floor at his side.

“Is he dead?” Tony’s eyes were at half-mast and his breathing was labored. “Did I kill him?”

Mary glanced over to Ash. The bullet had caught him in his throat and there was no doubt that the man was dead. “Yes...yes, he’s dead.”

“Good.” His eyes drifted closed.

“Stay with me, Tony,” she cried.

His eyes fluttered open. “Mary, take good care of Joey,” he gasped just before his eyes closed and didn’t open again.

“Tony! Tony, open your eyes and talk to me,” Mary screamed as tears blurred her vision. He’d taken the bullet meant for her and now he was dying.

A grief she’d never known before ripped through her. He’d sacrificed himself for her and for the son he loved.

“Mary... Mary, get up and let them attend to him.” Halena’s voice pierced through the sheer agony that gripped her. She looked up to see two EMTs. It was only then she realized the sound of the motorcycles had stopped.

“Help him,” she said as she got up to her feet. “Hurry, he’s been shot.”

Cold. She was so cold. She wanted Tony’s arms around her to warm her. She needed him to get up and tell her everything was going to be okay.

But he didn’t awaken as they loaded him on a stretcher. His utter stillness frightened her more than Ash’s gun pointed at her chest.

Halena walked over to the crib and picked up Joey, who still cried.
Take good care of Joey.
Just before they were ready to carry Tony down the stairs she leaned down to him. “I will not take care of your son. You need to be strong. You need to be okay and take care of him yourself,” she whispered.

He didn’t move.

She followed them down the stairs, where police officers were in the kitchen with Cassie and several of the cowboys. “There’s a dead man upstairs,” she said to anyone who might listen. “I’ve got to get to the hospital.”

“I’ll take you,” Juan Ramirez said.

“And I’ll go upstairs.” Officer Mike Jeffries pulled his gun and left the room.

The ambulance had already taken off by the time Mary got outside the back door. In a daze, she took in all the activity before her. Another ambulance was parked with Sawyer sitting in the back. A man clad in dirty jeans and a black leather jacket sat on the ground, cursing a blue streak as he pressed a towel to his upper arm.

Two men were in the back of Dillon’s patrol car, and when Dillon saw her, he hurried over to where she stood. “Are you all right?”

“Tony got shot and he killed Ash. Ash is upstairs and he’s dead,” she said. Dillon gestured for two more men to go into the house.

“I told her I’d take her to the hospital,” Juan said.

Dillon nodded. “Mary, I’ll meet you there when I can. I’ve still got a mess to clean up here.”

Minutes later she sat in the passenger seat of Juan’s patrol car as they headed to the small hospital in town. The daze that had descended on her when she’d gone downstairs still had hold of her.

“At least it’s over now,” Juan said. “With Ash dead you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

“Yes, it’s over.” She stared out the passenger window. It was over, but at what cost? Tony might die. He might already be dead.

The thought caused the air to whoosh from her lungs and blew a bleak coldness through her entire body. He had to be alive. He just had to be okay. Joey needed him now more than ever.

Juan pulled into the hospital emergency room parking lot and together they got out of the car. Mary ran ahead of him and entered the empty waiting room. A receptionist sat behind a glass window.

“Can I help you?” she asked after opening the window.

“Tony Nakni, I need to know how he’s doing.” Mary was vaguely aware of Juan standing just behind her. “He was just brought in by ambulance.”

“I’ll go check. I’ll be right back.” She slammed the window closed and disappeared.

Mary continued to stare at the window, willing the woman to come back and tell her that Tony was just fine and he would walk out of the emergency room doors at any moment.

Every nerve in her body tensed as seconds ticked by.

“He’s tough, Mary,” Juan said softly.

“Nobody is tough when a bullet flies,” she replied.

Finally the woman returned to the window. “He’s in surgery now. The doctor told me to tell you to prepare for a long wait.”

A long wait? That could only mean he was badly hurt. Mary’s knees buckled and Juan took her by the elbow and guided her to one of the chairs.

She collapsed and prepared herself for an endless night.

Chapter 16

F
ull consciousness came to Tony slowly. His first awareness was the click and whir of some sort of a machine, then the unmistakable antiseptic smell of a hospital.

His mind was a bit fuzzy. The last thing he remembered was Ash’s deep voice counting down to shoot Mary and grab Joey.

What had happened? He’d shot at Ash. Had he hit him? Or had he missed and fallen unconscious, leaving the two people he loved more than anything on the face of the earth in danger?

He snapped open his eyes and tried to sit up but released a small groan as pain shot through his lower chest on the left side.

It was then he saw her.

Mary.

She was slumped back in the chair by the window, her head turned to face him as she slept. He breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn’t be sleeping in his hospital room if any danger remained.

Despite the dark shadows that clung beneath her eyes, in spite of the tousled strands of her hair, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

He’d been looking at her for about ten minutes when her eyes slowly opened. “Tony!” She jumped out of the chair and came to the side of his bed. “How do you feel?” A worry furrow appeared across her forehead.

“A little confused and sore. How long have I been here?” He could smell her now, that glorious scent of mysterious spices, that fragrance that seeped into his blood and wrapped around his heart.

“Two days. The bullet broke one of your ribs and the doctor did laparoscopy surgery to check things out.”

“And how are things?”

She smiled. “You were lucky. The bullet didn’t do any other damage. You’re going to be good as new in a couple of weeks. Now that you’re awake I’m sure the doctor will let you go home in the next day or so to recuperate.”

“Where’s Joey?”

“With Cassie and Grandmother. I—I needed to be here with you.” Tears misted her beautiful eyes. “You took a bullet for me, Tony. You could have been killed.”

“I’d gladly take a bullet for you anytime. What about Ash?”

“He’s dead and two of his men were shot and two more were arrested. He won’t bother us anymore, Tony. The danger is finally over.”

Tony couldn’t work up a single ounce of guilt over the man he had killed. “And the rest of the men at the ranch?” he asked worriedly.

“Sawyer suffered a flesh wound to the shoulder and Jerod has a concussion. Ash knocked him over the head to get into the house by the front door. Thank God everyone else is okay.”

Thank God. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for any of the men getting hurt or killed. They had all put their lives on the line by leaving their rooms and confronting his danger head-on.

“Have you been here for the last two days?” he asked.

“I couldn’t leave until I knew you were really going to be okay.”

He searched her features. A woman who didn’t love him wouldn’t stay in his hospital room for two long days. A woman who didn’t love him wouldn’t be looking at him now with tears in her eyes.

“Mary...”

He only got her name out before she stepped back, her eyes dark and guarded. “I’ve made arrangements with Clay to take us home. Cassie has said she’ll watch Joey as long as you need her to. I was just waiting for you to wake up so I could tell you goodbye.”

Goodbye.
The word hung heavy between them. He didn’t understand her choice. He would go to his grave believing that Mary Redwing loved him. But he wasn’t going to fight for her anymore.

“Mary, I’ll never be able to thank you for what you’ve done for me. I promised you a paycheck for watching Joey and as soon as I get out of this bed I’ll see to it.”

“Don’t worry about it. Having you...having Joey in my life for a little while is payment enough.” She took another step backward and the mist in her eyes grew thicker. “Be well, Tony, and live a happy life.”

She spun out of the room as if the very devil himself was on her tail. He squeezed his eyes tightly closed. The pain that ripped through him was far worse than any physical injuries he might have suffered.

She was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. By the time he got out of the hospital there would be no trace of her left at the ranch.

It was time for him to move on. He had a life to build with a little boy who needed him. He turned his head toward the window and stared out. The danger was truly over and it was a beautiful day. He’d loved...and he’d lost, but he was alive and he was a strong, proud man who would survive.

“I hear my patient is awake.”

Tony turned his head to see Dr. Wendall Johnson entering the room. “I’m awake,” Tony replied, although he’d rather be in a deep sleep of oblivion right now. “When can I get out of here?”

He had a house to rent and a life to build with the little boy who was now an orphan unless the DNA results came back and proved he was Joey’s father. And if the results came back that he was not Joey’s father, then he would find the appropriate authorities and begin the adoption process.

Hopefully, the fact that he was a single man wouldn’t hurt his chances of adopting Joey. No matter what it took, he’d do it in order to keep the little boy in his life.

With the doctor’s promise that if all went well he could be released the next day, Tony took a nap. When he awakened, he was surprised to see Halena seated in the chair where Mary had been earlier in the day. Twilight was falling outside the window and Halena had on her lucky casino blouse.

“Aren’t you supposed to be playing slot machines?” he asked.

“That’s where Mary thinks I am.”

“So what are you doing here?”

“Can’t I come to visit a friend?”

“Of course,” Tony replied. He struggled to sit up.

“You’re doing okay?”

“I’m sore, but I’m doing well enough that the doctor said I might get to go home tomorrow.”

“That’s good. I’ve grown very fond of you, Tony Nakni.” She leaned forward, her gaze intent. “And the leaves on the trees tell me you love my granddaughter very much.”

Tony released a small, slightly bitter laugh. “You don’t need the trees on the leaves to tell you. I’m more than happy to tell you I love Mary with all my heart.”

“As she does you.” Halena sat back in the chair. Tony stared at her in frustration. “How hard are you willing to fight for her? How much do you love her? A good warrior fights for what he wants.”

“I have fought for her,” he replied. “And she keeps telling me she doesn’t love me.”

“She’s afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“It’s not my place to say, but if you want to win her heart, then you have to force her to tell you her secret.” Halena rose. “And now Mabel is waiting for me and those slot machines are calling.”

“Halena,” he protested. “What secret? Tell me.”

“Fight for her, Tony,” she said as she flew out the door.

He half rose and shouted her name, but she was gone. He slumped back in the bed, more confused than ever. What kind of a secret could Mary possibly have that was keeping her from love?

* * *

Mary sat in her new, bigger and better back porch and watched the raindrops sliding down the windows. The rain had begun just after noon and still continued as day transformed into night.

Tony would be out of the hospital by now. He and little Joey would be in his bunk room at the ranch. Or perhaps Cassie had invited him to stay in the big house, in the bedroom where she and Joey had stayed until he could get settled in someplace else.

She frowned and focused on the blouse she’d been beading. She was waiting on a delivery of river cane from her distributor in Louisiana before she could begin working on baskets again.

Why was she thinking about Tony and Joey? They were so yesterday’s news. It had been well over twenty-four hours ago when she’d told him goodbye.

And the rain kept falling down.

She’d hoped that she and her grandmother might enjoy a movie night tonight, but Halena had gone to the casino again with Mabel. Who knew what time her grandmother would finally roll in?

Mary supposed she could watch a movie by herself. It might help take her mind off the pain that arrowed through her heart. Still, she couldn’t work up enough enthusiasm about the plan to leave the porch.

She’d been stunned when she’d seen the back porch for the first time. The men Tony hired had made it so much bigger, and with the windows she could now work out here even on the rainiest day. He’d had vertical blinds hung that could be pulled to block out the sun if it got too warm, and a new worktable put in place. He’d even bought a big roomy wicker chair with a bright floral cushion that she knew was meant for Halena.

He’d thought of everything...because he loved her.

She got up from her chair. Maybe she’d put a movie on after all. She didn’t want to sit and watch it rain anymore. She didn’t want to think of Tony and Joey and loss any longer.

She’d just walked into the living room when a knock sounded at the door. Who, other than Halena, would be out on such a miserable night like this?

Tony.

Her stomach clenched. She’d already told him goodbye. Surely it couldn’t be him. Maybe it was a neighbor needing something. Surely it couldn’t be Tony.

She opened the door and there he stood, raindrops pattering on his shoulders and clinging to his dark, long lashes. “Mary, can I come in? I need to speak with you.”

No. She didn’t want to see him. She didn’t want to talk to him. She was over him. “Okay,” she heard herself say. She couldn’t very well keep him standing on the front porch in the rain, she told herself.

She stepped aside and he swept past her, his familiar scent fluttering a new sense of grief through her. Once they were in the living room, he shrugged off his coat and cast it aside, then turned to face her.

“Is Joey all right?” she asked.

“He’s fine, but he misses you.”

She steeled her heart, refusing to be moved by either the thought that the little boy might miss her, or the longing that filled Tony’s eyes.

“Why are you here? We already said our goodbyes.” She crossed her arms, as if to create a barrier against him and against the aching love he evoked in her.

“I’m here for answers.” His dark eyes bore into hers. “I know you love me, Mary. Even your grandmother knows what’s in your heart for me. So, I’m here and I don’t intend to leave until you tell me the secret that is keeping you from me.”

“Secret?” Her blood chilled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He took several steps toward her. “Halena seemed to know and she thought it was important that you tell me.”

“She’s a meddling fool,” she replied.
Oh, Grandmother, why didn’t you keep your nose out of this?

“I think she’s a very wise woman. She knows how much I love you and she knows how much you love me.” He took another step forward, standing far too close to her now. “Tell me, Mary. Tell me your secret, make me understand why you aren’t in my arms right now.”

She stared at him. She suddenly remembered the dream she’d had of standing on a cliff as a frigid wind buffeted her. She was about to jump into the dark abyss.

She hadn’t wanted him to know. She hadn’t wanted to see him turn away from her. But Halena had forced her hand by saying too much to him.

“You want to know my secret? Fine,” she snapped. “Follow me.”

She led him into the privacy of her bedroom and then turned to look at him. This was the moment she’d hoped would never happen. But she had a feeling Tony might never go away unless he saw her secret. That would certainly make him hightail it out of her life.

And it would make her hate him just a little bit.

“Mary?” He looked at her curiously.

“When I got ovarian cancer, because my mother and one of my aunts had died of breast cancer, the doctor did genetic testing on me. I found out I had the BRCA gene mutation.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means.”

“It meant I had a good chance of getting breast cancer and possibly dying like my mother. So, I took them off.” A small burst of slightly hysterical laughter escaped her. “I said off with their heads.”

The laughter turned into an unexpected sob. “I don’t have real breasts, Tony. All I have is this.” With a deep breath she grabbed the bottom of her T-shirt and tore it off over her head.

She stood before him defiantly, steeling herself for his reaction.

He stared at her for several long moments. “Mary, Mary.” He shook his head and took a couple of steps toward her. “Did you really believe that I fell in love with your breasts? Did you really think that this would somehow change my feelings for you?”

A trembling began at the center of her as she searched his features, looking for the revulsion she was so certain she would see. All she saw was the sweet gaze of a man who loved her.

He took another step and then covered her breasts with his hands. He ran his fingers over the scars, his gaze holding hers intently.

“Tony.” His name slid from her lips on a sigh of wonder.

“You are so beautiful.”

“I don’t have much of any feeling there,” she said, still stunned by his reaction.

“If you can’t feel me touching you here, then feel me touching you in your heart.” He leaned down and kissed across each scar.

She didn’t feel the sweetness of his mouth on her breasts, but her heart did feel his kisses, heating with the flames of the love that she’d tried to deny.

“Are you real?” she asked breathlessly. “Is this real?”

He raised his head and gazed at her with eyes that spoke of forever. “This is very real. I’m so glad you made the choice you did so that we could be together now and build a future. I want you, Mary. I want you today and every day for the rest of my life.”

His mouth covered hers in a fiery kiss that banished all her doubts, all her fears. He loved her and he thought she was beautiful.

For the first time in years she felt beautiful, scars and all, and what she wanted more than anything at this moment was to lie naked in his arms. She wanted his passion for her...and hers for him to explode.

“Make love to me, Tony.”

“With pleasure,” he replied.