Whiskey Rose (Fallen) (11 page)

“
I am not afraid of anything
,
” she said stubbornly. She let go of the sheet and gave him a good shove. He was caught off guard and rolled backwards right off the bed. She looked over the edge and the look on his face was so shocked she had to laugh.

“
What did you do that for
?
” He laughed.

“
I told you, I ca
n’
t be charmed and you ca
n’
t share my bed
.
”

“
I was
n’
t trying to charm you
.
”

“
Fine I ca
n’
t be seduced
.
” She rolled back to her original place on the bed.

“
Ca
n’
t say I was
n’
t trying to do that
.
” he muttered getting to his feet. He sat back on the bed, he did
n’
t lay down this time he stuck a pillow behind his back and sat popped up against the headboard. He pulled his boots off so she could
n’
t complain about that and crossed one ankle over the other.

“
Alright,I underestimated you. I wo
n’
t do that again. I am very good at learning from my mistakes so I only make them once. However, I still think I will win
.
”

“
I still think yo
u’
re arrogant and conceited and
I
… achoo
!
”

“
God bless you. There is nothing I enjoy more than a good challenge. Does that make me arrogant
?
”

“
No,thinking you ca
n’
t lose makes you arrogant
.
”

“
Huh, yeah I suppose it does
,
” he said as if it had
n’
t occurred to him to look at it that way. It made hersmile
.“
S
o
…” he said brightly,as a subject change
.“
Tell me about you. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Where were you born? How long has it just been you and Izzy
?
”

“
I
t’
s none of your business
,
” she mumbled.

“
Was that in answer to all of the questions or one in particular
?
”

“
All of them and any more that you plan to ask
.
”

“
Well tha
t’
s not very friendly
.
” He laughed.

“
I never claimed to be friendly
.
”

“
Maybe I should give you some more whiskey. That seems to make you friendly
.
” She looked up at him and glared.

“
I changed my mind
.
”

“
About what
?
”

“
I do mind if you stay
.
” She grumbled and he laughed again.

“
Alright, you do
n’
t want to tell me about you,so tell me about Katrina
.
” She looked up at him, her forehead creased in confusion.

“
What about her
?
”

“
You do
n’
t think she and Jonathan are going to patch things up
?
”

“
I thought that at first. I was almost sure of it
.
” She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh then coughed.
 “
Now I do
n’
t think so
.
”

“
Why not?He loves her, she loves him, wha
t’
s the problem
?
”

“
Matt I know yo
u’
re not that naive
.
”

“
No
,
” he sighed
,“
but I would like to be
.
”

“
Yo
u’
d like to be naive
?
” she laughed.

“
Yeah, would
n’
t you? I mean by the very definition you do
n’
t know that you do
n’
t know. They say ignorance is bliss
.
”

“
I do
n’
t think that ignorance is blis
s
… but I have to admit there are some things I would rather not know
.
”

“
I think it could still work out for them
.
”

“
Do
n’
t tell me yo
u’
re a romantic at heart, you have poetry and sonnets in your saddle bags
?
”

“
No
!
” He laughed
,“
Not even a little bit
!
”

“
Love is just a device, an invention designed to make people believe that everyone should behave a certain way
.
” Her voice was hard with a hint of bitterness.

“
I know you do
n’
t believe that
,
” he said seriously.

“
How do you know
?
”

“
Because I saw it in your eyes, I heard it in your voice when you were talking about Jonathan and Katrina, even Pam. You loved her
.
”

“
And you loved your partner
.
”
 
Matt wrinkled his nose at the notion and she smiled
.“
What good did it do any of us? People die or they leave. Love is temporary and it always ends up with someone getting their heart broken. Do you know anyone that it has worked out for
?
”

“
My brother
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re saying h
e’
s never been hurt by it, i
t’
s always been easy
.
” Her voice was full of doubt.

“
Yo
u’
re such a cynic. No,I did
n’
t say it was easy, and in fact it damn near got him killed.
I’
m just saying that it seems to have been worth it. Nothing worth doing easy and I do
n’
t expect love is a comfortable thing. It is full of emotion and turmoil but also passion and joy.  I
t’
s all about risk versus reward
.
”

“
Ugh you do sound like a mushy poet
.
”

“
Hey, only because you forced me into the opposing viewpoint
.
” She sat half way up and looked at him.

“
Are you saying that whatever opinion I have you are going to take the opposite? Just for the sake of the argument
?
” Her brows dropped as she scrutinized him. One side of his mouth quirked up.

“
That is not what I said
.
”

“
But i
t’
s true
.
”

“
Maybe
.
” Hegrinned. She rolled her eyes and dropped back to the pillow
.“
I ca
n’
t help it yo
u’
re fun to argue with
.
” He laughed.

“
I am so glad I could amuse you
,
” she grumbled and he laughed.

“
Are you hungry? You want me to get you some soup or something
?
”

“
Soup for breakfast, sounds great
,
” she mumbled sarcastically.

“
I
t’
s noon sweetheart
.
”

“
What
.
” She sat halfway up again
.“
No it is
n’
t
.
”

“
It is actually
.
” She lifted up and looked over him to the clock on the night table.

“
Oh my goodness. I have never stayed in bed so long
.
”

“
Thought you said you were going to sleep till tomorrow
.
”

“
I was bluffing
.
”
 
She started to get up and he caught her arm.

“
Rose there is nothing that yo
u’
re going to do today that ca
n’
t wait till tomorrow
.
” She looked into his pale blue eyes and she knew he was right. She hated to admit it but she kind of liked just sitting here with him like this. She and Pam used to spend hours just like this talking about nothing
.“
The best thing you can do is get some rest so you get better
.
”

“
Yo
u’
re not letting me get any rest
.
”

“
Sure I am. I said rest, not sleep. Yo
u’
re resting
.
” She smiled but she laid back on the pillow.

“
My throat hurts, stop arguing with me so I can stop talking
.
”

“
I ca
n’
t help it you ca
n’
t resist a good argument either
.
” She smiled but she did
n’
t disagree.

“
Where is your brother now
?
”

“
He lives west of Austin. He has a ranch
.
”

“
Hill country, pretty there
.
”

“
I
t’
s beautiful
.
”

“
You see him much
.
”

“
Probably not as much as I should. A little more now
.
”

“
Why now
?
”

“
Ahh le
t’
s just say i
t’
s not always him I go to see
.
” She continued to stare at him waiting for an explanation and he relented.

“
Her name is Arianne she has carrot red hair and blue eyes and she is as precocious as they come
.
” He smiled but she frowned. That is not how you described a lover.

“
How old is she
?
”

“
Two and a half
.
” He grinned
.“
And she knows that the half counts
.
” Rose smiled.

“
Your niece
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
The only one
?
”

“
Yep. She is a little spitfire too
.
”

Matt finally ventured out of the room around supper time to get something for Rose to eat.

“
Finally came up for air huh, sugar
.
” Matt looked up and saw Dixie sashay into the room.