The Second Time Around

by Rowan McAllister

  “He didn’t say anything about it to me,” Russ grumbled, some of the tightness in his chest easing. “He does know today’s Friday, right?”

  “I didn’t ask him, but I imagine he knows what day of the week it is,” Phyl replied blithely.

  Russ narrowed his eyes as irritation took the place of his earlier anxiety, and Phyl rolled hers. Placing one hand on her hip, she wagged a finger at him. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. We have plenty of people to help get ready for the weekend. If the boy wants a day off, he can have a day off. I think he’s earned it and then some. It’s not like we’re paying him, in case you forgot.”

  “Still, he could’ve asked. I got Tish coming in a couple of hours. I have Red and Archer here that need a bath, in addition to everything else that needs doing,” he defended crossly.

  “Well, we managed all right before he got here. We’ll manage today too, I expect. Might do you some good, actually. Remind you of what you might have taken for granted.”

  A quick side glance at Michelle reminded him they weren’t alone, so he bit back asking her what the hell that was supposed to mean, spun on his heel, and led Archer back to a pen where he could get someone to give him a good grooming and possibly a wash if they had time.

  After making sure Archer had water and giving him a little treat for being such a good boy under the saddle, he stomped off to the barn to check his to-do list for the day and make adjustments for Jordan’s absence. He was still glaring at the seemingly endless list of chores when he heard a shout from the yard. Poking his head out the door, he saw Jon and Ernie running for the house. Russ started running too before he even got a good look at what they were racing toward, or who.

  “Phyl!” Russ shouted as soon as he saw her on the ground.

  She had a gash on her forehead that was bleeding heavily and dripping down over one eye. Her face was scrunched up with pain as she held her right wrist gingerly to her chest.

  “What happened?” Russ demanded of the others as he dropped down next to her.

  “I don’t know,” Ernie answered anxiously. “She was just climbing the stairs to go inside and she fell, I think.”

  “Shit. Jon, go inside and get a towel,” Russ ordered harshly.

  There was a lot of blood.

  “Say something, Phyl. Is anything else hurt?”

  “Nope,” she gritted out through her teeth. “Don’t think so.”

  Her voice was threadier than Russ liked, and her deeply tanned skin looked a little gray.

  “You’re gonna be okay, Phyl. We’re gonna take care of you.”

  “Everybody stop fussing. I just got a little bump on the head and hurt my wrist. I’m not dyin’,” she grumbled.

  When she moved to get up, Russ put a hand on her shoulder and smiled in relief. “Don’t you dare. Just sit still for a second, stubborn woman.”

  Jon returned and handed over two towels. Russ used the first to mop up some of the blood so he could get a look at the wound on her head. It wasn’t big, despite all the blood—a small, rapidly swelling gash through her eyebrow—but it meant she’d hit her head pretty hard on something, and Russ’s stomach twisted.

  “Can you move your wrist?” he asked.

  Phyl winced and shook her head.

  “Okay,” he said, placing the second towel Jon had dampened with cold water to her forehead. “Jon, will you go back and grab us a bag of ice and meet us at the truck. It’ll be faster if I just drive her to Lake Granbury myself instead of waiting on an ambulance.”

  Ernie stepped forward, and the two of them gently helped Phyl to her feet. She didn’t seem all that steady, so Russ picked her up and carried her to the truck.

  “If I’d known I could get carried around by a handsome man like a princess, I’d have fallen down the stairs years ago,” Phyl teased weakly.

  “Stop jawin’ and save your strength for the ride,” he said as he strapped her in.

  Jon returned with a bag of ice wrapped in another towel, and Russ gently placed it over Phyl’s wrist in her lap. Turning to the others, he said, “You guys got everything covered here? Tish is supposed to be here soon.”

  “Go,” Ernie ordered, shooing him toward the driver’s side. “We know what we’re doing, and so does the doc. We’ll check the board. Don’t worry.”

  Russ’s hands shook, and he gripped the steering wheel harder as he pulled out onto the main road. He’d tried to drive as carefully as possible, but the bumping and jostling had left Phyl looking grayer than ever, though she didn’t make a peep.

  “Let me know if you need to puke, and I’ll pull over,” he said.

  She threw him a scathing look. “Don’t get cheeky. I can still whoop your ass left-handed.”

  Russ’s answering grin died when she hissed in pain at another bump in the road.

  At the ER, they took her back right away, probably because of her age and the blow to her head, and Russ was left to worry in the waiting room. The smells, the sounds, the people bustling here and there were all too familiar. Memories of the hours he’d spent holding Phyl’s hand in waiting rooms when Sean had gotten sick—hours sitting next to the once strong man’s bedside, watching him waste away—came flooding back, and Russ felt ill. For the life of him, no amount of talking to himself would let his heartbeat slow or the sick knot in his belly loosen.

  He tried Jordan’s cell phone three times before he gave up. He texted Jon and Ernie to let them know he and Phyl had made it, and he’d call them later when he knew something. Then he was left to twiddle his thumbs and pace until a woman in a dark ponytail and white lab coat approached him.

  “Are you Russ?”

  “Yeah. That’s me,” he replied, hurrying over to her.

  “I’m Dr. Woolsey. Phyllis asked me to come out. So far, we know she has a broken wrist, and we think only a mild concussion. She’s resting a little more comfortably, now that we gave her something for the pain, but we’re going to take her back for an MRI in just a little bit. She’s awake and engaged, which is a good sign, but because she felt dizzy and faint right before her fall, I’m a bit concerned, so we’re running some other tests as well.”

  “She what?”

  Dr. Woolsey’s thin sculpted eyebrows lifted. “She didn’t tell you that,” she guessed with a small smile.

  Russ growled. “No, she did not.”

  “Has she complained of any tiredness, weakness, or dizziness at all recently?”

  “She’s been tired a bit, but running a ranch will do that to you.”

  The doctor nodded. “I have a call in to her regular GP. Once I talk to him and get some of her tests back, I’m sure we’ll know more. We’re just waiting on the machine to free up right now, and after her scan is done, I’ll send someone to take you back to her, okay?”

  After blowing out a breath, Russ thanked her, and she gave him a sympathetic smile. “She’s in good hands. It may just be that she got a little dehydrated or overheated and tried to do too much, but with a head injury at her age, we just want to make sure.”

  If the doctor’s intent was to reassure him, she’d failed miserably. What else had Phyl neglected to tell him concerning her health? He’d been so caught up in his own bullshit, he hadn’t been paying attention. He’d promised Sean to take care of her, and he’d been doing a piss-poor job of it lately.

  Agitated, frustrated, and worried, Russ pulled his cell out again and texted Jordan.

  Where are you?

  When he still received no reply, he growled and scrolled through to the last text Izzy had sent and tapped to call him.

  “Hey, Russ!”

  “You busy?”

  “Not really. I just got off shift. What’s up?”

  Russ started to relate what had happened, but Izzy cut him off only a few words in. “What hospital?”

  “Lake Granbury.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Russ slumped into one of the waiting room chairs and sighed. “Thanks, Izzy.”

/>   “Be there soon, babe,” Izzy replied before hanging up.

  Just knowing someone was coming and he didn’t have to do this alone eased some of the ache in his chest. Sean’s passing had been too soon for the echoes to fade, and all that remembered fear and dread was making him queasy.

  He called Ernie to let everyone back at the ranch know what the doctor had said. Apparently Phyl hadn’t confided any health concerns to anyone there either, which made him feel a little less guilty. By the time Izzy walked into the waiting room, a nurse was ready to take him back to see Phyl, and Izzy took his hand and they followed the nurse back. Russ gave him a smile and squeezed his hand in gratitude.

  Phyl looked pale and ten years older lying in the hospital bed. They’d given her an IV. Her wrist had been put in a temporary brace, and they’d bandaged her forehead.

  “Look that bad, do I?” she slurred with a goofy smile.

  “Guess they gave you the good drugs, huh?” Russ teased, trying to school his expression into something a little less pained.

  “It’s sweet of you to stop by, Izzy. Thank you, hon,” she said, turning her head and smiling at him.

  “Anything for you, Phyl. How are they treating you?” Izzy asked, taking her good hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “I’ve been poked and prodded every which way, but I guess I can’t complain.”

  “Has your doctor been back in yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Okay, good. I’d like to hear what she has to say.”

  When Dr. Woolsey returned, Izzy introduced himself, and she smiled.

  “It’s a pleasure. Well, I won’t keep you in suspense. We can go over the specifics in a bit, if you like, but what we think is going on here is that you’re on too high a dosage with your blood pressure medication, Phyllis. I’ve spoken to your doctor, and he’ll get a copy of the bloodwork we’ve done. The MRI showed you do indeed have a mild concussion, but with a few days’ rest, you should be fine. We’ll give you a prescription for painkillers, and obviously, you’re going to have to take it easy. Dr. Trent, our orthopedist, will be here in a little while to do your cast, and you’ll be able to go home after that. So, until then, try to get some rest.”

  The flood of relief made Russ’s knees weak as he smiled at Phyl and took her good hand. Dr. Woolsey and Izzy stepped to the side to talk in medical-ese, but Russ ignored them. He knew what he needed to, and he trusted Izzy to tell him anything important later. It wasn’t long before Phyl closed her eyes and dropped off to sleep—as if she had just been waiting for permission to do it—and Russ, Izzy, and Dr. Woolsey crept out of the room.

  After saying goodbye to the doctor, Izzy grabbed Russ’s wrist and led him down a series of hallways until he pulled him into an empty room.

  “You okay?” he asked as soon as the door closed behind them. His gorgeous amber eyes were filled with concern, and Russ blew out a breath and slumped against the wall.

  “Yeah. Just flashbacks getting the better of me, I guess. I really don’t like hospitals. No offense.”

  Izzy’s full lips curved, and he nodded. “None taken. You’re thinking about Sean, right? I know that had to have been hard. I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

  “It’s okay. You called when you found out. It helped. Thanks for coming today.”

  “Of course. Anytime. You know that.”

  Izzy dragged his fingers through Russ’s hair before resting his palm on the side of Russ’s neck and squeezing. “I really missed you, Russ.”

  He held Russ’s gaze as he leaned in close, and Russ was just needy and confused enough not to stop him. Izzy’s lips were as warm, lush, and soft as Russ remembered. The familiarity was comforting. He’d kissed those lips thousands of times before, felt the strength in that body wrapped around him. Still shaky from an emotional day, he longed to lose himself in that comforting familiarity, but guilt needled him, and he put a hand to Izzy’s chest and pushed.

  “I can’t,” he sighed.

  “The blond? Jerry? Jory?”

  “Jordan,” Russ corrected.

  “Is it serious?” Izzy asked, absently caressing Russ’s jaw and throat.

  Russ’s entire body was starting to tingle, so he wrapped his hand around Izzy’s to stop him and cleared his throat. “Yes… and no. It’s complicated.”

  Izzy smiled and took a step back. “It doesn’t have to be complicated, you know.”

  With a grimace, Izzy straightened and adjusted himself. After studying Russ for a second, he cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly. “I know I can’t just come blazing back into town and expect you to upend your life for me. You know I’m not that guy. But if things aren’t serious with this kid—”

  “He’s only a couple of years younger than you are,” Russ pointed out with a wry smile.

  Izzy shrugged. “Still, if they aren’t serious, or they’re complicated, all I’m saying is I’d like to toss my hat in the ring. But if you tell me it’s serious, I’ll back off.”

  Russ would have been lying if he said he wasn’t tempted. When things had been good with Izzy, they’d been really good. But he wasn’t as tempted as he might have been only a few weeks before, even knowing what he had with Jordan wouldn’t last, and that surprised him. Knowing something and feeling it were two different things, he supposed, even if he was pissed at the bastard for not responding to his calls. This was too much for him to deal with at the moment, though. Especially on top of worrying about Phyl.

  With another sigh, he pushed himself off the wall and headed for the door. “Come on. We need to go someplace a little more public before I get myself in real trouble here. I want to be there when Phyl wakes up, and I’ve already got something I’m going to need to confess and grovel over.”

  Izzy’s chuckle followed him out the door.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  IZZY STAYED with him until Phyl was released. They parted with a hug in the parking lot, and Izzy gave him a pointed look before sauntering off to find his truck.

  Back at the ranch, Jon and Ernie had stayed late to see Phyl for themselves. They helped Russ put Phyl to bed before heading out, leaving him to sit by himself in the living room and wait for Jordan to return, if he planned to return. The tension and distancing Russ had felt from him over the last week could have been Jordan’s way of trying to tell him something. But Jordan had promised not to play stupid games. He’d promised to speak up if he had something to say.

  Of course, so had Russ.

  Except Russ didn’t know what he wanted to say. He was already in deeper with Jordan than he should have been. Despite all his bluster to the contrary, he wasn’t going to be just fine when Jordan left. Jordan had a place at the ranch now, and that space would be empty when he was gone, like the hole in the air where Sean used to be.

  But Jordan hadn’t been there when Russ needed him, and Izzy had. Jordan wouldn’t be there in the future, he reminded himself, but Izzy would.

  Growling in frustration, Russ threw open the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. His head had been going around in circles all week with no real clarity on the horizon. After collapsing on the couch, Russ took a swig from his bottle and glared out the windows at the fading sunset.

  Why did life have to get so complicated all the time? And where the hell was Jordan?

  Full dark had fallen before Russ heard tires on gravel and saw the flash of headlights outside. By that point, he’d had a few beers and plenty of time to build up a full head of steam over Jordan’s disappearance. Right or not, the stresses of the day, the tension of the last week, worry over everything that wasn’t ready for the influx tomorrow, burgeoning worry over Jordan, and a little guilt thrown in for good measure, had him spoiling for a fight.

  “Where the hell have you been?” he growled as soon as Jordan walked into the room, after studying every inch of him and finding no sign of injury or distress.

  Jordan blinked at his tone and frowned. “I told Phyllis I had a few errands to run in Dalla
s… and hello to you too.”

  “So why didn’t you answer your phone when I called?”

  He wouldn’t meet Russ’s gaze, but he folded his arms across his chest and said defensively, “I forgot to plug it in last night, so it died partway through the day, and I didn’t notice. I didn’t see the notifications until late, after I found a charger, and the only message you left was to tell me to call you. I was almost back here, so I figured I’d see you when I got home. What’s the big deal?”

  “It never occurred to you that it might be important?”

  Jordan rolled his eyes. “I needed to get away for a few hours. Sue me.”

  He turned to climb the stairs, but Russ chased after him and blocked his way. “I’m not done talkin’ to you,” he said, wagging a finger in Jordan’s face.

  “You’re drunk and pissed off, so I think maybe I’m done talking to you.”

  Russ narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, but he didn’t move out of the way, and Jordan glared right back at him. “You’re acting like I committed some crime when I just decided to take a day off for once. Jesus. You know, you’ve been disappearing in the middle of the day all week too, and nobody’s snarling at you for it,” he huffed.

  “I ride out for an hour, tops, not all damned day. I’m still on the ranch, and I’m giving the horses exercise while I’m at it. That’s still working.”

  Jordan threw his arms out to the sides. “Well, I’m sorry, okay? Maybe I am just as spoiled and useless as you used to think, huh? You know, not everyone can be a saint like your ex. Some of us are just human,” he shouted.

  “Keep your voice down,” Russ hissed. “Phyl needs her rest. She got hurt today while you were out running your errands.”

  That drew Jordan up short, and he gaped. “What?”

  “She fell down the stairs, and I had to take her to the hospital.”

  “Oh God. Is she okay?”

  A little mollified at Jordan’s reaction, Russ took a step back and said, “Broken wrist. Bump on the head. Doc says she’ll be fine, though she’ll be in a world of hurt for the next few days.”