Her heart began to pound faster as she tip-toed to the bed. Being alone in this room with the time traveler was different than it had been when Scott and Amber had still been here. The monitors no longer beeped, which was a relief. The constant noise earlier had nearly driven her crazy. The noises and instruments gave her the creeps ever since she’d spent countless hours in hospital rooms months ago when her grandma had been sick before she passed away.
Vin’s heart rate showed a steady rhythm of peaks and valleys on a graph across the small screen on the monitor, and his pulse and oxygen levels were displayed in large numbers at the bottom of the screen. The numbers looked normal. Not that she was an expert, but weeks of staring at monitors exactly like the one in this room had given her some familiarity to read what was normal and what wasn’t.
Ashley pulled up the single chair in the room and plopped into the seat. She blew air through her mouth. If circumstances had been different, she might have gone to nursing school. Like so many things in her life, school hadn’t gone according to plan, either. She’d been enrolled in night classes at a local college, working days to pay for it all, when Grandma had started exhibiting signs of dementia.
At first, everyone had chalked it up to old age and forgetfulness, but even Grandma seemed to have realized something was wrong. She’d gifted her tiny house in a small desert town in California to her, and Ashley had left school and moved in to take care of her. Soon after, Grandma’s dementia had gotten bad enough that she’d required a full-care facility. Now, Ashley was stuck in a run-down little house in the middle of nowhere, with bills a mile high. The future certainly didn’t look too rosy. It never had, but she’d persevered and made the best of things.
Her eyes went to the guy sleeping in the narrow hospital bed. His chest rose and fell in an even cadence. He looked peaceful now, unlike when he’d been awake and had seemed angry. Hopefully he’d stay asleep for the rest of the night, but no doubt a nurse would make rounds at some point and disturb him.
The idea of babysitting this guy didn’t seem so brilliant anymore, now that she was alone with him. Gabe McFarlain had been difficult to handle at first, too, when Morgan had brought him to Ashley’s house after finding him beaten to a pulp along the side of the road. Neither she nor Morgan had believed him when he’d said that he’d time traveled from the past, and up until a few hours ago, Ashley still hadn’t believed it.
There had been something special between Gabe and Morgan from the beginning, however, and Morgan had been able to manage his odd behaviors and actions. Ashley swept some loose hair that tickled her cheek out of her face. Was she really equipped to deal with someone from another time, and an outlaw from the Old West, no less? The ferocity she’d seen in his eyes earlier had been a bit unnerving.
She settled into the uncomfortable chair, propping her legs up on the corner of the bed. Vin Kincaid couldn’t be any worse than some of the guys she’d dated over the years. Ashley glanced at his face. A smile came over her. What had she expected to find when she’d offered to look out for him?
No image of what he might be like came to mind, but she certainly hadn’t expected to come face to face with a guy about Scott’s age, looking feral, dangerous, and drop-dead gorgeous, even as he was lying in a hospital bed and dazed from major surgery. Most guys didn’t look like that, and certainly not those who’d just come out of anesthesia.
His eyes had been a bit glazed over, and he’d looked confused, which was normal for anyone after nearly bleeding to death and undergoing major surgery, but he had another good reason for being disoriented. Surprisingly, he’d acted cool as a cucumber about it all after Scott had whispered something to him, even though there were moments as she’d watched him when his face had revealed more than confusion. When his hand had shot up like a snake to grab the doctor’s arm, Ashley’s body had startled in surprise at his unexpected, lightning-fast move.
As she sat there trying to get comfortable, she studied his face. His complexion was probably paler than it would be under normal circumstances. He was clearly tanned from hours spent out in the sun, which prevented the sallow look most hospital patients had.
What would Vin Kincaid look like when he was fully recovered? Even the doctor had seemed intimidated by his patient. When Vin had looked at her from across the room earlier, it had felt as if he’d reached out to her with his intense eyes, and her entire body had tingled from the strange sensation.
His five-o’clock shadow, which was probably several days old, only enhanced his good looks, and his long hair, which hung in matted strands down the sides of his face, added to his wild, untamed appearance. He was exactly the kind of guy Ashley found attractive, except Vin Kincaid took that look to a whole new level. For that reason alone, she needed to look the other way and steer clear.
After the embarrassing episode with Zeke at the wedding, it was time to make a change if she ever wanted to find Mr. Right. Time to make a list of attributes she wanted in a man and stick to it, and not settle for every loser who showed mild interest in her, and then left when he tired of her. If she was destined to be alone, then so be it, but she was done with feeling as if she didn’t matter.
An involuntary shiver passed down Ashley’s spine. The look in Vin’s eyes when he’d stared at her, like a predator staring down his prey, still haunted her. Even now, her heart began to flutter, thinking about it. She shook her head. No more instant infatuations for her. She hadn’t even officially broken up with Zeke, yet, and it was ridiculous to read anything into the look from Vin. The guy had been under the influence of heavy narcotics.
She leaned her head back and stared up at the white ceiling. “You’re pathetic, Ashley.”
It was time to think about other things besides having a boyfriend. Her insecurities about not being accepted and having no friends, had caused her to go out with every guy who so much as smiled at her. If they came around for a second date, she’d considered herself in love. Ashley let out a pitiful laugh.
“You need to get some sense of self-worth.”
What had her low standards ever brought her except a string of loser boyfriends, if they could even be called that? The next guy she went out with – and it might be a long time before that happened – was going to have to treat her decent and make an effort before she would ever agree to a date.
Ashley laughed again. Both Morgan and Amber had rescued their men literally on the side of the road. If that’s what it would take to snag a decent guy, maybe she needed to drive down lonely highways more often.
She’d definitely been too easy over the years, but that was changing, as of right now. After Zeke’s little stunt, she was so over guys who didn’t measure up. Time to straighten out her own life and see where it would take her. Selling her little desert house was the first step, and then she could move closer to the people who really mattered in her life.
She was here to do Amber and Scott a favor, nothing else. No doubt once Vin was on the mend, he’d want to go back to his own time. He looked very much out of place here. Hopefully he’d be released within a few days, and then Moira Lockhart could look after him, and Ashley could go home.
Ashley lowered her head and cast a glance at the bed. A rush of adrenaline made her heart leap in her chest. Vin was staring right at her, lazily scrutinizing her from head to toe. His eyes roamed over her legs, which were still propped up on the edge of the mattress, then moved up to linger for a moment on her bare shoulders before settling on her face.
When their eyes connected, it was as if an electric current passed between them, like it had the first time several hours ago. Ashley scrambled to sit up straight and dropped her legs to the ground. She crossed her arms over her chest. A sudden feeling of self-consciousness came over her for having her arms exposed. This must have been how Rachel had felt at the wedding. Vin’s forehead scrunched in a frown.
“Is something not to your liking?” Ashley blurted. Annoyance was her only defense in response to the way he looked at her.<
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He shook his head and a lazy grin formed on his face. “No, ma’am. Everything looks just fine.” His drawl was a little raspy. No doubt his throat was dry. She should offer him some water.
“Then why are you staring at me like that? I’m sure they have women where you come from.”
Slowly, he brought his hand up to his face and rubbed his fingers along his chin.
“I thought Miss Amber looked a bit peculiar in tight britches when I first saw her, but you . . .” His grin widened.
Ashley raised her brows and glared at him.
“I look peculiar?” Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?
He nodded, shifting his body on the bed as he tried to raise himself up. A grimace contorted his face, but it vanished quickly to be replaced by his heart-stopping grin. He sank back against the mattress. His voice was slightly strained as he said, “Yes, ma’am.”
Ashley stood to push the chair away from the hospital bed. Why had she moved it so close earlier? She could have watched him just as easily from the corner of the room.
“Do you need me to raise your bed up a little? Then you won’t have to strain yourself to sit up.”
Ashley stepped closer before he answered. She pushed the button on the side that would adjust the bed so he’d be in a more upright position. Vin nearly jumped off the mattress the instant the motor hummed and the bed moved. He released a string of curses, and his hand clutched at his abdomen.
“I’m so sorry.” Mortified, Ashley pressed the button again to stop the bed from adjusting. “I didn’t know you’d be in this much pain.”
Vin glared at her, his eyes glazed over with pain. He took in several shallow gasps of air.
“Next time, give me fair warning before you do anything like that.”
His eyes fell suspiciously to the mattress as if he was anticipating it would move again.
“I’m sorry,” Ashley stammered again. “I have to remember that all of this is new to you and you don’t understand.”
Vin sank back against his pillow and closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell in quick succession, a clear indication that he was hurting.
“Seems like I got a lot to learn in this time.”
His words were still strained. Ashley glanced at the vicinity of his abdomen, which was covered by a light sheet. Hopefully she hadn’t caused any damage to the site of his surgery.
She took a step back from the bed when her cell phone rang. Ashley reached into her back pocket. Moira Lockhart’s name appeared on the screen. Relief swept over her. Maybe she would come and take over Vin’s care. Clearly, Ashley was in over her head.
She glanced at Vin, who stared from her face to the phone in her hand. He wouldn’t know what a phone was, either. Ashley swiped the screen with her index finger, then held the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
There was a slight pause on the other end of the line. “Ashley, this is Moira. I’m afraid I’ve got a problem.”
Chapter 6
“I know I said I’d be back to work by the end of the week, Jim, but something’s come up. I need another week . . . no, I don’t want to lose my job. Yes, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me . . . I will let you know. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Miss Ashley paced along the large glass window in the hospital room. She held a little black box up to the side of her face, talking into it as if she was talking to someone standing in front of her.
She raked her hands through her chestnut hair, which had fallen forward to cover her face. Her effort was futile. The moment she brought her hand down to wrap her arm around her waist, her hair fell forward again. She hadn’t bothered to tie it back the way she had the first time Vin had laid eyes on her. Something was clearly not right. The strained tone of her voice was unmistakable.
Vin followed her with his eyes, but she didn’t take notice of him. For the first time in what seemed like eternity, his mind was clear. The constant feeling of swimming through a fog was gone. He hesitated before pulling his legs over the side of the mattress, facing away from Miss Ashley.
While he’d had to endure females constantly gawking at him, and touching him in places few women had, he didn’t need his legs bared to Ashley, too. The nurses, as they were called, were supposedly only doing their job. Even a couple of doctors who had come to check on him had been female. He’d endured it all, because there was no other recourse, but it was a different matter to act and feel like an invalid in front of Miss Ashley Gilbert.
She’d been a vision to his soul from the first time he’d glimpsed her when he’d barely been conscious, standing out among all the other people hovering around him. At the time, all she’d done was look at him and his mind had found peace.
Now it seemed like a dream, like the rest of his existence over the last few days. He needed to get out of this bed, and out of this hospital, or he’d lose what little sanity he had left. His clothes were in some sack in the corner of the room, along with the ones Miss Lockhart had brought the day she’d come for a visit. She’d told him that Ashley would be looking out for him until she returned from some unexpected obligation. It was time to get dressed and reclaim some sense of decency so he could feel like a normal man again.
Something tugged at the skin on his chest. Vin cursed under his breath. Those infernal tubes and lines that held him prisoner in this bed were all tangled again. Damn things were stuck to his chest and attached to his arm, and were worse than being tied up.
He’d lost complete track of time. At least there was an indication that it was truly daytime. Real sunlight shone in through the window to brighten up the room, not the unnatural lights that constantly kept everything lit. It had to be the third day since he’d come to the future.
Every time he moved, it seemed, that blasted box hanging from a pole next to his bed made a noise, alerting one of the nurses he’d come to dislike with a vengeance. They’d come charging into the room and scold him for bad behavior, as if he was a child. He was done being poked and prodded, or treated like an infant. When was the last time he’d been able to do his business in private? Someone always hovered nearby. Being held in this future time might be less tolerable than being stuck in purgatory.
For days he’d endured lying in bed, the walls closing in on him as if he was back in prison. Only this time it was worse. The strange gadgets with the lights and unnatural noises around him were as incomprehensible as a whore in Sunday school, and gave him no peace. He couldn’t move without some string – or tube, as the nurses called them – tugging on his skin or in his arm.
He’d put up with it in silence, because he’d given Scott his word. And, he understood enough that if he gave any indication that he was from another time, he might get locked up in an asylum for folks whose minds were addled to the point that they were crazy. Even in this future time, with the countless new inventions and unimaginable contraptions, time travel was considered impossible.
Vin untangled the mess of lines, taking care not to set off the alarm again. Ashley faced the window, her voice pleading into the thing she’d called a cell phone. He’d heard about something called a telephone a couple of years ago, where folks could talk to one another in different locations through an attached wire. Some newspaper bigwig in Galveston had installed one to connect his newspaper office and his home.
At the time, Vin hadn’t paid much attention. It hadn’t seemed like the kind of invention that would be of much use to him. Clearly, the thing had caught on, and advancements on its use had been made. Advancements he could never possibly wrap his head around. He glanced at the various apparatuses in the room, then at his bed. Hell, even a bed was no longer just a straw-filled mattress. He could make the thing adjust and fold into various positions simply by touching a button.
“I can’t believe that jerk. I’ve bent over backwards for him for years, worked double shifts when he needed me to, and now he can’t cut me some slack.”
Vin glanced over
his shoulder. Ashley definitely sounded upset, but she wasn’t talking into the little box anymore. She still faced away from him, but from her stance, she appeared to be staring at it, maybe contemplating whether to stomp on it or toss it into the corner. After a pause, she stuffed it into the back pocket of her britches, then raised her head to stare out the window.
Vin’s lips twitched in a smile. The woman had a temper, but it made her much more appealing than some of the quiet and soft-spoken females he’d met in his time.
For the last two days, she’d been practically holed-up in this room with him. She’d taken charge and talked to the nurses and doctors who’d come to see him at all hours. She’d answered their questions when he couldn’t because he didn’t understand what they were asking, and almost acted like a mother hen on his behalf.
Ashley’s constant presence was a source of comfort in this foreign world. He didn’t have to keep his guard up around her because she knew about his circumstances. From what he’d gathered, she was a cousin to Amber, who was now Scott’s wife, and she was here as a favor to them while they were off on their honeymoon.
Vin moved to stand. He leaned forward, bringing his hand up against his abdomen over his wound. He’d lost all his strength, and it was time to do something about that. Slowly, he straightened, standing on unsteady legs. The smooth floor was cold on his bare feet. All he needed to do was take a few steps, and he could reach the sack with his clothes.
“What are you doing?”
Vin gnashed his teeth at the question coming from behind him. He hesitated, then turned slowly, taking care not to get entangled in the lines that were more like shackles hanging from his body. When he raised his eyes to look at Ashley, her hand covered her mouth, but it didn’t conceal the smile on her face, or the wide appreciative look in her eyes.
Timeless Hero (Timeless Hearts Book 12) Page 5
