He flew around her and returned to her side. “You have many other ways of helping us, like you did at the hospital, and those are the skills we’ll need most. I’m looking forward to you being the head of our three tribes. I’m going home. You’re needed at the hospital.”
She watched him fly out of sight, and then turned in the opposite direction. She landed on the hospital roof, shifted, and took the stairs down to the top floor. The nurse looked surprised to see her come in from the roof entry.
“May I help you?”
“Which floor do I go to for surgery and ICU?”
The nurse told her. She punched in the number on the elevator, and in seconds she was there. Luck was with her. Hakan had his back to the elevator. He stood at the desk writing in a chart.
She inched her way toward him and put her arm around his waist. He jumped, and then smiled when he saw it was her.
“You startled me.” He held her away from him. “You’re all in one piece.”
“What’s happening with Lonato?”
“The nurses are getting him ready for surgery. One of his colleagues, Dr. Chandler Larsson, who specializes in repairing damaged nerves and tendons, is flying here to try and repair his arm. He’s the best in his field. If he can’t do it, then Rex may have to change his specialty, and he won’t be happy.” Hakan handed the chart to the nurse. “Do you want to see him?”
“Does he want to see me?”
“Ignore his testiness. He needs to see you whether he’ll admit it or not.” While they walked to Lonato’s room Kira asked about Cindy.
“She’s doing well. Rex did a good job on her and finished just in time to rush to his parents’ house. I knew he’d do that once he heard the news of where Pearce and his mother had been found.”
Hakan opened the door and escorted her in. Lonato didn’t open his eyes. His face was pale, and he lay still on the bed. “Rex, we’re here, Kira and me.”
“Tell her to go away.” He turned his face toward the wall.
“Do you blame me for what happened at your house?”
He jerked his head around to face her. “Where were all your great skills when my family and I needed them? Why did you hesitate? You could have blasted them from the start. You held back.” His angry words and his glare scorched her, inside and out.
He looked from her to Hakan. “Are my parents all right?”
“They will be. They’re being admitted to the hospital. Your father has a slight concussion. We’ll keep him for a few days to be sure he’s completely recovered before going home. Your mother is in shock from all she heard and saw. I’ve asked our best psychiatrist to see her. It will take her longer to fully recover, mentally.”
“As soon as I’m able to get up, I want to see them. Is Chandler on his way?”
“Yes, he flew out of Houston on his private jet. He’ll be here soon.”
“He’ll fix me. I refuse to believe I’ll never operate again.” He closed his eyes and turned his face away from them again.
Hakan put his arm around Kira and escorted her out into the hall. “He’ll get over this. You did all you could.”
Kira shook her head no. “He’s right. I did hesitate. I’ve never killed anyone before, much less burned them alive. Take care of everyone here. I need to be alone for a while.”
“Go to our house. I won’t be home until late, if at all today. You can be all to yourself there.”
She nodded, but that wasn’t where she wanted to go. She called her dad, and he brought her truck to her.
“You can drop me off at the barn,” her dad said.
“No problem. I’m going in that direction. I want to talk with Mitch.”
“Are you going back to California?”
“No. Right now I just have to find a place to be alone and think. There should be a place on the ranch where I can go.”
She parked the truck by the barn. Her dad got out. “Be careful. We’ll miss you until you get back. Averil called and said they’d be home later today. She was upset you hadn’t called for her help, but I explained she and her husbands deserved their time together. She needed the rest, and we all knew she wouldn’t get it if you had asked her to return. Things will look different to you in a few days.”
“I hope so, Dad.”
He waved and walked into the barn. Kira drove to the main ranch house. Daren and Mitch were standing in the foyer. “Just the two people I need to talk with. Do you have time?”
“We always have time for you. You saved us all today.”
“Just barely. Lonato may be permanently injured.”
“He’s strong and has better recovery powers than most of us,” Mitch said. “Give a pint of your blood to him, and he’ll really heal fast.”
“Good idea. I’ll go downstairs and have one of the lab techs collect my blood to send to the hospital. But afterwards, I have to get away.”
“Sahale won’t mind if you use his place again,” Mitch reminded her. “By the way, I called the helo back that we’d sent for Nanna. I phoned her and told her it was over, finally.”
“I want to go where no one can find me. I love the area around the canyon. Do you have some acres I can buy? I’ll camp out there and later have a cabin built.”
“Thank goodness you aren’t leaving for good. I was afraid all of this mess might have made you want to go back to California.” Daren hugged her. “You had me worried. We want you to bring the three tribes together.”
“No, I considered California for about a minute or two.” She smiled at Daren.
“Come to my office. I have a map of the whole ranch. We’ll look at the land around the canyon. Most people have chosen acreage in other areas because of the distance from here. There are several good choices,” Mitch said and led the way.
Kira and Daren followed him. He spread a large map over his desk. “Here’s the canyon. The red marks are where a few people have built, including me. Except I’m not right on the edge of the canyon like Sahale is.”
She followed the line of a small road around to the opposite side from Sahale. “What’s this, a stream?” she pointed to a blue line.
“Yes, let me see.” Mitch put his finger on the line and followed it to the end. “Here, it ends in a waterfall and a small lake. I rode by there one day. It’s a beautiful area, lots of wildlife, trees and the water.” He looked across at Kira. “Perfect for you and whoever you might invite to visit.” He smiled.
“Lonato hates me. He thinks I hesitated. I did. It was hard to kill someone.”
“It should be. If we ever think it’s getting easy, we need to retire and put our weapons away. This was your first time. Rex will come to his senses when he’s better physically. How about Hakan?” Daren asked.
“He’s always supportive, but I don’t want either of them to know where I am. I need to clear my thoughts without their influence.”
“Do you have camping gear?” Mitch asked.
“Not here.”
“We have all you will need. Daren, put our stuff in her truck. I’ll write out the directions.”
“I could just fly there, but I’ve gotten soft, and I want to have the gear with me.”
“Call us if you need us. Our reception is good even there.”
“I know, thanks for everything. I’ll go give the pint of blood and head out. If I leave now, I might make it by late this evening.”
The blood donation didn’t make her weak. She finally had her full strength back. Daren had filled her truck with gas and more supplies than she’d ever need, including a small generator.
She waved at him, Mitch, and Sara, as she drove off. The farther she got from the main ranch, the more she relaxed. This was going to be good for her.
It was late afternoon when she arrived at Nanna’s. Nanna came out on the porch. “Come in. I have dinner ready.”
Kira grinned. “Mitch called to say I was coming.”
“No, I knew it, in here.” She put her hand on her heart.
“
The food smells delicious,” Kira said.
Nanna led her to the kitchen. “Have a glass of wine. It will be good for you. I’ve added a few of my special herbs. You won’t taste them, but they’ll help you calm and find your center.”
“How did you get so wise, old woman?” Kira teased.
“I am old and gifted. You will find as you age your gifts become more powerful. You learn more about yourself, and about how to use them.”
“What will we do when you are gone, Nanna?”
“Ah, I have many years yet. Long enough to train Sahale’s daughter. She has the gift. My other grandchildren are special, but she has my gifts.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, Nanna, but it is good to know about your granddaughter.”
“She is Sahale, Jack, and Ellen’s daughter. Three very special people in their own right.”
“I have gotten to know Ellen fairly well. She is smart and has good ethics.”
“She is the very best wife for my two rascals. That’s what I called them when they were younger.” Nanna scooped a hearty stew into a large bowl and put it in front of Kira. “Eat.” She also put thick slices of homemade bread and butter on the table.
“Are you afraid I’ll starve out in the wilderness, Nanna? I assure you, Daren has made certain I have every supply I might ever need.”
“He’s a good boy.”
Kira laughed hearing her call Daren a boy. “I feel much better, Nanna. Being around you is healing for me.”
“Good. Stay the night. You can sleep on my couch.”
“I will. It’s dark out, and I’m too comfortable to move.”
“As soon as you finish that, we have chocolate pie for dessert.”
She groaned, and Nanna smiled. She sat across from Kira with her smaller bowl of soup and started eating.
Early the next morning, with her tummy full of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, Kira headed to her truck. Nanna stood in the doorway.
“Stop by on your way back.”
“I’ll try, if I’m not in a rush. I like your cooking.”
Nanna grinned. “I’d never know it from the way you ate.”
“I’ve gained five pounds since last night.” Kira put her coffee mug in the slot in the truck and the bag of food Nanna was sending with her in the other seat. She felt so much better this morning. Excitement urged her forward to find the land Mitch had pointed out on the map. After she’d backed the truck up and was on the narrow road, she waved once more to Nanna and then headed out.
Chapter Fourteen
Rex woke up groggy and nauseous. Where was he? He glanced around the room and recognized he was in one of the ICU rooms.
A familiar nurse came in the door.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
“Like hell, what did you expect?”
“I thought maybe the anesthesia would have a miracle effect on your ornery disposition, but I see it didn’t. It was too much to hope for, but at least I know you must be on the road to recovery.”
Rex’s mouth fell open. Janice, one of his best assistants in surgery, had never spoken to him so frivolously. “You must have gotten hit on the head. Where’s the Janice I know?”
“You mean the one who meekly obeys you instantly? She’s gone. You’re my patient and under my control now.” She gave him an evil grin. “This is my territory, when I’m not in surgery with you.”
“I’m still Dr. Rexford to you.” He tried frowning at her, but his head hurt.
“Not in that hospital gown. You have a cute butt.” She walked out, leaving him speechless.
“I want something for pain,” he growled after her.
“Well, I see you are back with us,” Dr. Chandler Larsson said as he walked into Rex’s ICU room.
“Chandler, what did you find? How damaged are the nerves and tendons?” Rex grabbed Chandler’s arm with his good hand.
“Be calm, Rex, which I know is difficult for you. It wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. The surgery lasted ten hours. I carefully mended the damaged areas. You’ll probably need some rehabilitation, but with your ability to heal so well, you may not. I do believe you’ll be able to operate, but whether you can do the delicate work you did before”—he shook his head—“only time will tell.”
Rex closed his eyes. Chandler put his hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Think positive. I’ll send the nurse in with your pain medicine.”
“Will you be staying for a few days?” Rex asked.
“Of course. I want to see you on your way to recovery, and I want to visit my friend, Lann.”
“I didn’t know you knew him.”
“We met on one of his trips to Texas. See you later.”
* * * *
“Chandler, come in. This is our new combination home and office. It’ll be the center of the third tribes’ ranch.” Lann welcomed him inside.
“I heard from Bernardo that you’ll be moving down to your new ranch soon.”
“Very soon now. I’m getting together with the men coming with me, and we’re planning what to take to Texas. A few others have asked to join us, so instead of ten or twelve, it’ll be more like fifteen.”
“Wonderful news.” Chandler sat in one the large, brown cushioned chairs by the fireplace. “It’s getting cold here already. How is everyone taking you leaving?”
“Pretty well since Kira arrived. She’s going to take my place, and the people are accepting her. We’ve had some problems since she came to the ranch. She’s helped solve them in a way that gave our people faith in her.”
“Then you can finally leave with a clear conscience.”
“I can. How did the surgery go on Rex?”
“Better than I hoped. Whatever clawed him missed most of the vital areas in his arm. Oh, it nicked a few places, but Rex has that extraordinary ability to get well quickly and completely. He never has explained how, and I have a feeling I’d rather not know. Still, I wasn’t too upbeat with him. Just in case I’m wrong.” Chandler grinned. “And it’ll make him determined to work harder to get the use of that arm and hand back.”
“Stay here tonight. The men who are moving with me are coming to dinner. You can meet them and one other that I’m considering. His name is Nate. He was involved with some trouble we had a few months ago, but I think he was an innocent pawn.” Lann couldn’t explain the whole situation. Chandler didn’t know who the residents of the ranch really were and where they came from. “I’d like your impression of him.”
“Sure, I’ll watch him and let you know. And I’d love to stay here for the night. The cabin is nice, but very quiet.”
“You can meet Garth, too. I’ve talked a lot about him, but you haven’t met. He’s not happy about me leaving.”
“I didn’t expect he would be. You said you two were like brothers.”
“We are. He and his family plan on visiting me.” Lann talked about the changes he wanted to make on his new ranch. Chandler talked about the town.
“You haven’t seen much of it. You’ve stayed on Bernardo’s ranch most of the time. I grew up there so I’m used to the idiosyncrasies of the natives.”
“What do you mean?”
“For one, many of the women are married to two men, not all, but most.”
Lann started laughing. “Surely you didn’t think you’d shock me. The same happens here at the ranch, and Bernardo had told me long ago.”
“I should have known he wouldn’t have let you buy the land without knowing our secrets. Not that it’s a big secret, but we don’t publicize it to the rest of the state.”
“Neither do we. But you aren’t married, are you?” Lann asked.
“Not anymore. I married right out of med school. It didn’t take, and I’ve enjoyed playing the field ever since.” He looked out the window. “More time has passed than I thought. I’d better check on Rex once more tonight. What time’s supper?”
“Seven.”
“See you and your friends then.”
* * * *
&
nbsp; Kira traveled for two more hours before she found the area. She drove into the woods as far as she could toward the canyon, and then got out and walked. It wasn’t far. This land was closer to the north end of the canyon. In the distance, she saw the herd of wild horses being led by the beautiful, black stallion. The sky above was a soft blue with a few wispy clouds scattered across the panoramic view. A breeze whistled through the thick trees.
She unloaded her supplies and put up her tent before the sun went down. The generator would be noisy, so she left it in the truck.
After everything was arranged like she wanted it, she cleared a circle, put rocks around the edge, and started a small fire. She’d warm Nanna’s soup for dinner.
It was totally quiet as the darkness covered the sky. A million stars shone across the black canopy. She took out the soup, put it in a pan, and set it over the fire. Then, snapping open one of the sodas, she enjoyed the cool drink.
While she sat and waited for her meal to warm, she heard the sounds of the forest. Animals were scurrying for a place to sleep. She took deep breaths of the fresh air.
For the first time since she’d left to come here, she let herself think about Lonato. How was he? She ached to be by his side, but his lashing out at her had hurt and added to the guilt she’d already been feeling. She didn’t think she’d ever be comfortable killing anyone. The warriors could handle those type of assignments. She’d never use her fire darts again to destroy a person unless, like this time, there was no other way. Aleron was right. It wasn’t in her nature. She had different ways of helping her people.
It got cooler, and she put on her jacket. Her phone was in the pocket. Unable to resist, she called Hakan.
“Kira, thank goodness. When I got home last night and you weren’t here, I didn’t know where you’d gone. If anyone here knows, they wouldn’t tell me. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. How is Lonato?”
“Dr. Larsson, his surgeon, is very optimistic about Rex’s arm. Rex is his usual sweet self.”
Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Desire Their Queen [Wyoming Warriors 8] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 14
