Whiskey Rose (Fallen) (30 page)

“
Found her boss. She was trying to get out of town
.
” Someone said and Matt realized that she was
n’
t a hallucination. He blinked trying to force his vision to clear.

“
Where are you going Savannah? We have unfinished business you and I
.
” The man holding her pulled her closer and Matt looked around for his gun. It was lying on the floor about six feet away.

“
Is that blood? Oh I think
I’
m going t
o
…” She did
n’
t finish the sentence because she fainted. The man holding her was surprised but he caught her gently lowering her to the floor.

“
Boss I think she fainted
.
”

“
Forget it. There is someone upstairs go kill them and w
e’
ll take the girl and go
.
” Kline approached him pointing the pistol at his forehead
.“
I guess one Ranger was
n’
t enough guess they neede
d
…” Kline did
n’
t finish his sentence he gasped instead. Matt saw Rose standing behind him. She pulled a knife back out of his back and he looked over his shoulder at her with a shocked expression.

“
Wha
t’
s the matter uncle Orin? The blood is
n’
t as attractive when i
t’
s your own
?
” She slammed the knife home once again punctuating her words. He dropped to his knees coughing and spitting blood. Rose rushed to him and dropped to her knees pressing her hands against the hole in his leg.

“
Guess they needed one woman
.
” Matt said finishing Klin
e’
s dropped sentence. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kline pull a knife from his boot. He moved with adrenaline fueled speed lifting the gun that Kline had dropped and fired a single shot through the ma
n’
s forehead. Rose gasped but did
n’
t take her hands off his leg. Matt heard someone coming down the stairs and turned the gun in that direction but relaxed when Jac
k’
s face appeared.

“
Damn, Matt yo
u’
re hit
.
”

“
Just a scratch
.
” Matt grinned but he was having trouble focusing. He was going to pass out he knew it but he could
n’
t stop it
.“I’
m sorry about the blood sweetheart
,
” he said just before he lost the ability to say anything.

The next time he opened his eyes he could feel himself being jostled around. He could hear horse hooves and wagon wheels. He saw Ros
e’
s face first then Jac
k’
s. He groaned at the burning pain in his leg and tried to move to ease it. It felt heavy.

“
Just lie still
.
” He heard Rose say and realized that she was the reason it felt heavy, she had all her weight pressed on his leg.

“
You better not die in the line Harrison. The Captain will have your hide for it
.
” Jack said. Matt laughed and closed his eyes again.

Rose paced the hall way in the hospital until she couldn’t pace anymore then she sat down against the wall and pulled her knees up. It had been hours since they had taken Matt in to surgery. Shouldn’t they be done by now? It was midday. People were coming and going all around her. As if the world hadn’t stopped. She was waiting to find out the fate of the only man she had ever loved and they were just going on with their business. She wanted to scream at them. To tell them to stop but she didn’t she just sat there frozen. 

“
Looks like h
e’
s going to be alright
.
” Ros
e’
s head snapped up she saw a man in a tan hat a short distance away talking to several other men in hats
.“
He lost a lot of blood, had to have a transfusion. The doc said the bullet was lodged in the bone so there is a serious chance of infection but h
e’
s going to make it this time
.
” Rose let out her breath in a relieved whoosh.

“
Of course he is
.
” Another man said gruffly
.“
H
e’
s a Ranger it would take more than a leg wound to take him out
.
” Rose glared at the group of men. Matt had barely survived and they were making jokes. As if him dying would have somehow tarnished the Texas Rangers. The men began to disperse and the man who had made the comment walked her way. She pushed herself to her feet and he looked surprised to see her as if he had only just noticed her presence.

“
M
a’
am, I understand you were the key to this case. Yo
u’
ve done a great service to Texas and your country. You should be proud. On behalf of myself and the Texas Rangers I would like to say thank you
.
” He put out his hand in offer to shake hers. She looked down at his hand and back up at him and glared.

“
You and the Rangers can go to hell
.
” She said then turned and walked out. Rose walked quickly away from the hospital as furious tears ran down her cheeks. She heard someone behind her and just walked faster.

"Pardon me ma'am." she heard him call and finally stopped. If she moved any faster she would be running and she refused to do that.

"Look no offense but you Rangers are not my favorite people. I don't want to give a statement I don't need you to contact anyone for me, I am not injured the blood stains are not mine and I don't want to see a doctor. Is there anything else?" The man had stood quietly until she finished her tirade.

"Yes."

"What?" she sighed.

"Do you want to see him?"

"Huh?" she deflated slightly.

"Doc says Matt should be awake in a couple hours. Since you're not hanging around here for the company, I thought maybe you were waiting to see him." Rose looked back at the building then at the man talking to her. It was the man in the tan hat from inside. She sniffed and a fat tear rolled from her eye. The man offered her a handkerchief and she almost laughed. She took it and looked at the stitching. It was exactly the same as on Matt's only the stitched initials were LPH instead. She looked into his eyes. They were pale blue. Even more pale than Matt's.

"No," she said softly, "I don't need to see him." she handed him back his handkerchief. She checked her pockets and found two of Matt's. "You should have these too. Tell Matt..." she hesitated there was too much to say and just as much to be left unsaid. "Tell him he's an excellent Ranger."

"Is that a compliment?" Luke frowned.

"It is to him." she started to walk away and hesitated just a moment longer. "Tell him thank you." she walked away then, walking quickly so she wouldn't be tempted to change her mind.

Matt propped his leg up on the porch railing and leaned back in the chair. His leg was still splinted so it was unnaturally straight but he was learning to ignore it. Luke sat down beside him and propped his boots up as well. Neither of them spoke for a while Luke was the one to finally break the silence.

"This must have been a tough one. It's taking you a while to come down."

"Took a bullet on this one." Matt grumbled.

"That's true." Luke was quiet for a minute but Matt knew that wouldn't be the end of it. "It's the woman that's got you twisted up though isn't it?" Matt didn't answer he didn't have to. Rose had been the first person he asked to see when he woke up. Luke had been the one that told him she was gone. Jack visited him just before they released him from the hospital. He told him Rose hadn't gone back to the saloon. Jonathan and Katrina were running the place now. “Never seen you twisted up over a woman before. This one must have done a number on you.” Matt still didn’t answer wondering if Luke would drop it if he just continued to not answer. “She must’ve just needed your help huh. Some women have a knack for getting just what they want. It’s an acquired skill I guess, survival instinct maybe. You can’t blame yourself a lot of men fall victim to it.”

“
She did
n’
t use me, she did
n’
t have an agenda. She did
n’
t even want my help
.
” Matt said blandly.

“
Still you have to question the character of any woman that can get that close and then just walk away
.
”

“
Luk
e
…”

“
Yeah
.
”

“
I know what yo
u’
re doing and i
t’
s not going to work so knock it off
.
”

“
Oh? What am I going
?
”

“
Yo
u’
re trying to make me defend her
.
”

“
Seems like i
t’
s working a little
.
”

“
What
?
” Matt sighed
,“
What would you like me to say that will take us to the end of this conversation? Yes I met a woman who actually meant something to me. No she did not manipulate me. Yes I do have a problem with the way I left things. But what am I supposed to do about it? I do
n’
t know where she is and even if I did what good would it do? What good am I to her now
?
”

“
Oh, I see so you would
n’
t want her if she had a limp
?
”

“
Of course I woul
d
… Luke knock it off. I do
n’
t even know where she is
.
”

“
Really, I thought you were a blood hound, always got your man. That does
n’
t apply to women? Would it be easier if she had a price on her head
?
”

“
Luke
.
” Matt growled
.“
I think I liked you better when you minded your own business. What happened
?
”

“
I got married
.
” Luke laughed and Matt had to smile.

“
Unca Matt
!
” Matt bent and caught Arianne just before she jumped on his injured leg. He lifted her into his lap instead.

“
Hi Princess
.
” He grinned

“
Unca Matt, can I have a ride
?
” She turned pleading eyes on him pushing red orange hair out of the way with her tiny hands.

“
I do
n’
t kno
w
…” he pretended to think about it for a minute.

“
Puleas
e
…”

“
Alright
,
” he sighed
,“
But just one
.
” She moved onto his good knee and he held her hands and bounced his knee. She laughed and giggled until he finally stopped then she fell against his chest catching her breath.

“
I love you Unca Matt
.
” She sighed.

“
I love you too princess
.
” At least he was going to get to spend more time with her, he thought absently then froze.
 “
Oh damn
,
” he said softly.

“
Wha
t’
s the matter
?
” Luke asked alarmed.

“
I know where she is
.
” 

Matt had never been so nervous in his life. He had stared down hardened criminals, bluffed his way out of tight situations even staring down the barrel of a gun was nothing compared to this. He looked at the small white house and drew a deep breath. He stepped down off of the horse and hesitated a moment before he put any weight on his healing leg. The splint was gone now but it couldn’t bear much weight he had to have the aid of a cane. The doc said it would get stronger but it would never be the same.  He walked slowly, partly out of necessity and partly out of reluctance.  He knocked on the front door and held his breath until it opened.