How West Was Won (Haven, Texas Book 7)

by Laylah Roberts

  West leaned back. “Damn it, we need to do this when there are no interruptions.”

  Do what? Make love? Was this really going where she thought it was?

  “You love me?” she asked breathlessly.

  He narrowed his gaze. “Yep.”

  “You don’t sound all that happy about it.”

  “Got a call yesterday telling me my woman and my brother had been shot at. Raced back to find my brother covered in blood, my woman practically catatonic. Got them both to the hospital. Got her checked over while my brother was in surgery. She wouldn’t take the stronger painkillers, even though I knew her shoulder was killing her.” He gave her a stern look. “Then she went into a deeper state, where she shut everybody out. There I was, terrified, no idea if my brother was going to make it or how to reach my woman. And, then, she damn well collapses on me and ends up in a hospital bed overnight. She’s exhausted, dehydrated, hasn’t been eating, hasn’t been taking care of herself, which wouldn’t have happened if I’d pulled my damn head out of my ass and told her I loved her, and fucking well taken care of her myself.”

  She just blinked at him. “Your woman?”

  “That’s what you’re going to focus on?”

  “But I wasn’t your woman, um, not then, I was just someone you were watching out for.”

  He leaned in again. This time she could see the flecks of green in his eyes. “Listen, sunshine. You’re my woman. You’re not just someone I’m watching over. I didn’t take care of you as I should have, and that bastard nearly shot you. It’s not happening again. So, I hope you really do love me, because I’m about to test your patience. From now until your brother is taken care of, and he will be dealt with soon, you aren’t moving more than a few inches away from me.”

  Fear flooded her. “It’s my fault Beau was shot.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, no, we’re not doing this again. Nope.”

  She narrowed her eyes at the impatient note in his voice. “Not doing what again?”

  “The blame game. You’re not taking the blame for stuff out of your control.”

  “Oh, yeah? Wasn’t that just what you were doing? Blaming yourself for me ending up here?”

  “That wasn’t out of my control. That was fully my job. I’m your man. I take care of you. And I’ll be doing a damn better job of it from now on. And since you don’t seem to object to this whole spanking thing, you can expect yourself to be walking around with a red ass if you don’t do as you’re told.”

  If she didn’t do as she was told? Was he kidding her? She glared up at him. He glared back.

  Okay, he wasn’t kidding.

  “All right, I know you’re a bit overwrought about what happened—”

  “Overwrought? I’m not fucking overwrought. I’m furious as fuck.”

  Yep. She could see that. But she could also see more. The mask was down, and the emotions rolled over his face, anger, self-condemnation, pain. It was the last one that brought her up short.

  He needs you.

  Soothe him.

  Help him.

  “West, I’m all right.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “You’re in a hospital bed.”

  “But I’m all right. My shoulder will heal. I’ll make sure I eat better and get some sleep—”

  “Damn right you will,” he muttered.

  God, he really did love her. He wouldn’t care this much if he didn’t. West wasn’t a man who loved easily or loved just a little. There weren’t many he let close. Because the last woman he’d loved had died.

  And he’d fallen in love with her. She’d been shot at, nearly killed, and then had collapsed.

  Christ, no wonder he was a mess. He needed her help. So, if it made him feel better to go all alpha-male protective on her, then who was she to stop him? Besides, did she really mind? After all she’d been through wasn’t it nice to have someone care? It had been so long since Spencer had looked after her, and West definitely did.

  “I’ll be making sure of that.” He stood and paced back and forth across the room.

  “West, I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt.” She frowned. “It was weird, really. The bullets landed close, I could hear them, saw the dust as they hit the ground, but they kept missing me.”

  “I don’t think they missed you.”

  “What?”

  “They weren’t aiming at you.”

  Her eyes widened. “He was trying to kill Beau, not me?”

  “Yeah. We think that if you hadn’t tripped and Beau hadn’t reached for you, that the bullet aimed his way would have caused more damage.”

  Killed him, he meant. She swallowed back a wave of nausea. He immediately moved back to her side, sitting on the bed, facing her. She tried to slide away, but he grabbed her around the waist. The feel of him branded her.

  “It wasn’t your fault,” he said in a low voice.

  “I need to get away from you all. You’re not safe with me here. He’s trying to kill you!”

  “He can try, but it’s not going to happen.”

  “And what about the others? Beau was shot! Mia could get hurt! I can’t stay.”

  “You will listen to me. You will do what I say. You’re not leaving my side. Promise?”

  Her heart raced; she was going to throw up. “Sick.”

  He leaped up and grabbed a basin, holding her up as she vomited. Nothing much came up; her stomach was empty. The muscles in her tummy spasmed and she groaned.

  “Sh, baby. Sh. It’s all right. I’m here. You’re safe, baby girl.”

  “It’s not me I’m worried about, West.”

  He helped her lie back and then he moved over to the cupboards at the side of the room, pulling out a washcloth, which he wet in the sink. He came back and sat next to her again, washing her face gently with a cloth. The care he showed her brought a wave of tears to her eyes. She had to fight hard not to let them fall free. “Can’t you see? He’s not going to stop. He’s going to hurt one of you again. Please, West. I need to go.”

  He was silent for a long moment, thinking. Then he nodded. “All right.”

  What did that mean? All right? That he agreed with her? He was going to let her leave? It was what she wanted, so she shouldn’t feel this disappointment. She guessed she’d wanted him to put up more of a protest. Hadn’t he just said she wasn’t moving out of his sight? Then he changed his mind so quickly.

  “Wait. So you’re not even going to argue with me? That’s it? You’ll let me go on my own?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t believe I said anything about you going on your own.”

  Relief hit her hard, making her feel dizzy.

  “Did I not just tell you that you weren’t to leave my side?” he grumbled.

  “But what if you get hurt?”

  Damn it, Flick. Be quiet. You don’t want to leave him.

  “That’s for me to worry about.”

  “West—”

  “I have a plan, I just need to talk to Alec about it,” he told her firmly. And she knew she wouldn’t get anything more out of him.

  “Okay, I guess we can discuss it later. Right now, I’d really like to see Beau. Can you get the doctor to release me?”

  He ran his gaze over her. “You’re still not looking well. You’re pale, and you just threw up.”

  “I’m getting used to the whole vomiting thing now,” she said without thinking.

  His gaze narrowed. “What the fuck does that mean? You’ve been vomiting. You’re sick?”

  “Um, I’m going to plead the fifth on that.”

  He took told of her chin. “Nope.”

  “Nope? That’s all you’ve got to say? Nope.”

  He nodded. “Nope.”

  They just stared at each other until he sighed. “You don’t get to plead the fifth. Tell me now or I’m going to make sure the doctor definitely doesn’t release you and runs a whole barrage of tests.”

  She groaned. He’d do it too. He wasn’t one to bluff.

&nb
sp; “I’m not sick. I’m fine.”

  “Then how come you’ve been throwing up?”

  She looked away. “Because of the nightmares.”

  He sucked in a breath. Silence filled the room. “Right. That’s going to stop too.”

  “Much as I’m sure it pains you, I don’t think you have any say over what my body does.”

  He kissed her forehead gently, surprisingly. “I will change that.”

  She rubbed her aching head. “I just don’t understand how Spencer did it. How did he get onto your land? He can’t ride a horse anymore. He drives everywhere.”

  “He has an alibi, baby girl,” he told her carefully.

  Her eyes widened. “An alibi?”

  He nodded. “Jake went over there to ask him some questions. He had a meeting with his lawyer in town at the time Beau was shot. Several people saw him there. His alibi is tight.”

  “Of course, it is. He would have made sure of that. He probably got Snake to do his dirty work.”

  West nodded. “We think Snake is the one who took our cattle.”

  She frowned. “What would Spencer want with your cattle?”

  “A distraction. Something that would pull some of us away from the house, leaving him an opportunity to get close enough to take shots at whoever remained behind.”

  “Why didn’t he shoot Beau again while I was trying to get him into the stables?” she asked.

  West shrugged. “Best we can figure, you were standing too close to Beau at that stage, you probably got in his way. You saved Beau’s life, baby girl.”

  She was also the one who’d put him in danger in the first place.

  “When Raid got to you, he said you were standing over Beau with a rake in your hand. Part of me wants to thank you for taking care of my brother, for protecting him. The other part of me wants to take a paddle to your ass every night for a week for not hiding.”

  “I already told you, I couldn’t save myself and leave Beau.”

  “One could wish you were more timid and had less courage,” he muttered.

  “Beau is really going to be okay?” she asked in a voice that sounded plenty timid to her.

  He nodded. “Wouldn’t lie to you about that, baby girl.”

  “Get the doctor for me please? I want to see him for myself.”

  Several hours later, West drove them back to the ranch. The doctor had released her under strict instructions that she was to rest, eat and drink, and take painkillers when her shoulder became sore. West had taken on every word.

  West reached over and grabbed hold of her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Nearly there, baby.”

  “About this plan of yours—”

  “Later. You’re exhausted. Just trust me.”

  She did. And he was right. She was exhausted.

  After the doctor had released her, West had taken her to see Beau. He hadn’t looked like Beau. He was so quiet, so still. He’d opened his eyes at one stage and saw her sitting beside his bed. He’d sent her a small smile, but it was just a ghost of his usual grin.

  In the end, West had had to pick her up. She hadn’t wanted to go, so he’d carried her through the hospital and out to his truck.

  Now they were back at the ranch. She looked up at the house as they pulled up. Maddox and Raid had come in as they were leaving Beau’s hospital room to sit with him. Neither of them had given her looks of condemnation or anger. In fact, Maddox had stopped to squeeze her good hand. Peering down at her in concern.

  Now that she was back, what would Mia say? What would Alec?

  She sat in the truck as West got out and walked around. He opened her door and undid her seatbelt, lifting her into his arms. She should probably protest. Tell him she was capable of walking on her own. But she wanted to create every memory she could. Take every opportunity to touch him before she had to leave.

  So she let him pick her up and carry her to the house. She glanced over towards the stables.

  “Don’t look over there,” he told in a low voice.

  “I’m all right,” she whispered.

  He snorted. “Glad one of us is then, baby girl. Because I’m damn sure not.”

  She hated that she’d done this to him. He’d been happily living his life, free from a dangerous psychopath, before she’d set her mind to wanting him. What a naïve little idiot she’d been.

  She expected him to carry her up the stairs, so she was surprised when he walked into the kitchen. Mia and Alec were there, sitting at the table. Mia was sitting on Alec’s lap. He had one arm around her back, the other hand was splayed across her tummy. A protective gesture that made her heart melt. What would West to be like with a child?

  She remembered the way he taken care of her, testing the temperature of her soup before feeding it to her. Lying on the floor of her bedroom to be close to help her with her nightmares. How protective he was over everyone he cared about. He’d make an amazing dad. She just hoped, one day, he’d find somebody who could give him that.

  “Flick!” Mia tried to rise, but Alec held her in place.

  He blamed her. He didn’t want Mia near her.

  “Alec,” Mia protested.

  “You just had a dizzy spell,” Alec told her. “You’re gonna stay still until Doc can get here and check you out.”

  “You shouldn’t have made him come all the way out here just because I felt a tiny bit light-headed.”

  “Mia, if I hadn’t been in here to catch you, your head would have slammed against the table. You could have been knocked out. Sit still and drink your juice. Flick isn’t going anywhere.”

  “Mia, you nearly fainted? Can I get you something?” She pushed at West’s hold on her. “West, set me down.”

  “Nope.”

  She sighed. “West, I’m fine. I can walk. Put me down.”

  “Nope.”

  “Was that his first word as a baby?” she finally asked Alec, completely exasperated. There was no budging West’s hold on her. It didn’t help that she only had one good arm.

  “What?” Alec asked.

  “Nope. Was that his first word? ’Cause he’s awfully fond of saying it.”

  To her surprise, Mia giggled. Even Alec smiled. She looked up at West who just sighed.

  “Actually, I think it might have been fuck,” Alec mused.

  Her eyes widened. “It wasn’t.”

  “It sure as fuck wasn’t dada,” West told them as he moved to the table and sat down. He arranged her on his lap.

  “Relax, sunshine, he’s messing with you,” West told her.

  “Oh. I knew that.” Sort of. Alec Malone teasing her wasn’t something she was used to. “Mia, do you feel all right?”

  “I’m fine. I just didn’t get much sleep last night and I stood up too fast before, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

  “Doc can determine that,” Alec said firmly. “And after he leaves, you’re going to bed for the rest of the day.”

  “Alec! I can’t go to bed. We’ve got to go to the hospital and visit Beau.”

  “You can go tomorrow.”

  “I want to go today.” Mia shot Alec a deadly look. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. For a moment, it looked like she would argue then she let out a deep sigh.

  “Fine. I’ll wait until tomorrow,” she muttered. “But just for the record, I think you’re overreacting.”

  “Beau is still pretty out of it,” Flick told her. “It’s probably best to wait until tomorrow.”

  “Flick got to see him and she’s in a far worse state than I am.”

  Shit. “You said I looked fine,” she accused West. One of the nurses had helped her dress, but she knew she should have asked to check herself in the mirror.

  West shrugged. “You look fine for someone who’s exhausted, dehydrated, with an injured shoulder.”

  “So, in other words, I look like shit.” She glanced over at Mia who gave her a sympathetic look but didn’t give any argument.

  Right, she really neede
d a mirror.

  “I’m going to the bathroom,” she muttered, trying to rise from West’s arms.

  He leaned in and brushed his mouth against her ear. She froze then a shiver of delight raced up her spine. “You don’t need to go check yourself out. You need to rest and relax and let me take care of you. Besides, you could never look like shit.”

  She snorted even as a wave of warmth filled her at his words.

  “When’s Doc coming?” he asked Alec.

  “Should be here any minute.”

  “Good, he can look Flick over too.”

  “I just got out of the hospital,” Flick protested. “The doctor there poked and prodded me enough already.”

  “I’ll feel better once Doc’s checked you out. Then you can take a nap too.”

  Mia sighed. “Lord save us from the overprotective Malone men.”

  Flick sent her a tentative smile. Mia eyed her for a moment. “All right, what’s wrong?”

  “Um.” Besides the obvious?

  “You’re sitting over there all tense, I thought it was because West was holding you in his lap, which, by the way, is a development I’m totally for, but you’re still acting strangely.”

  “I just . . . I . . .”

  “She thinks you’re gonna blame her for Beau getting shot,” West said abruptly.

  “West!”

  “And she thinks it would be best for her to leave,” he added, ignoring her scowl.

  “What?” Mia sat up straight. “What kind of nonsense is that? Blame you? Leaving? I thought we already discussed that you’re safest here.”

  Alec pulled her back against him. “Calm down, kitten.”

  “I will not calm down. You’re not going anywhere. West, tell her.” Mia turned her gaze to West. Her cheeks were now flushed.

  “Actually, I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”

  Mia’s mouth dropped open and she turned to Alec. “Alec! Say something!”

  “Kitten—” Before he could say anything more the doorbell sounded. “That’s Doc.”

  “Got it!” someone called out.

  “We’ll talk about this later,” Alec told them both. “Nobody is going anywhere without my permission.”

  She glanced over at West.

  You’re not to leave my side.

  But what if leaving him was the only way to keep him safe?