by Vicki Green
“Ya know, I’m a bit nervous too.” He is? He looks back down as he nurses my burnt hand. “Yeah, I’m really not much of a partier or a people person.” He looks up and smiles. “I mean bein’ around a lot of people,” he clarifies. He looks back down. His brows lower in concentration. “Hell, I’m so busy most of the time, I never really take much time out for myself.” He looks up at me with that killer smile. “There.” He releases my hand and I cup it with my other one. “You should really put some ointment on there and wrap it.” I nod. I think. With my good hand, I pick up his coffee cup and take another cloth and wipe it off then set it on the counter.
“That’ll – uh, be four dollars and fifty six cents, please.” Oh, my God! I wanna smack myself.
He digs in his front pocket. Lucky pocket. And counts out the exact amount, putting it in my outstretched hand. Before I can pull away, he pushes my fingers over my palm, closing my hand and holding onto it. My eyes snap to his. “Tina. I’d really love to get to know you better. Please say you’ll go out with me.” I nod dumbly. He smiles. I stand there and watch him pick up his coffee and plate, walk over to a table, and sit down on a chair.
What in the hell just happened?
Chapter Three
Nash
YES! Yes! She said yes! Now I just have to wait until she can get a free night and figure out where she wants to go. Shit! That’s gonna take a long time. She and Sadie are just now interviewin’ for help. Then they have to train them and make sure they’ll work out. We’ll never go out or at least it’ll be a long time from now. I can’t wait that long. Prie. I wonder if she’d work one night so I can take out Tina. She’d do it for me. I think. But I shouldn’t ask. She has so much on her plate right now. I don’t even know if she’s told Trevor about the baby yet. Shiloh? No way. She just had her baby. Sigh. I wonder....
After bein’ alone in my big house last night, my mind raced with ways to try and help Tina and me find some alone time so we can go out. Then I thought back to when I first moved here, satisfied that I had my men, most who’d worked for Pa for quite some time and a couple news ones I’d picked up after Pa died. They’re a pretty good bunch. There’s even some weekends that Dallis and Mac come over from Memphis’ place. They all get along so well. But last night I could feel the loneliness creep in, the silence in my house almost unbearable. When I decided to buy this land, it was to keep on with Pa’s business. It’s in my head, in my blood. It’s all I’ve ever known and Pa made sure I knew what I was doin’. Shortly after I got here, I started wonderin’ if it was such a good idea. The house so big, the land so much. I was grateful the guys said they’d come with me or I would have had to hire new ones and start over. Just movin’ all the horses and cows here took some doin’ but all the guys came and helped along the way. Then after meetin’ Memphis, Sadie, Colby, Shiloh, Trevor, and Prie, I thought – what in the hell did I move into? There was so much turmoil and danger that they’d gone through. The stories I’d heard would have made some of the strongest men want to leave, not have anythin’ to do with them, ‘cept I found it intriguin’ and what it told me was that they are the best and strongest folks I’ve ever known. They fought for each other, killed and would have died for each other. I know it’s behind them now and that madman who caused it all is dead, but sometimes it still gives me the willies thinkin’ about it.
This mornin’ I rose with a happiness I can’t explain. It was like the new day was filled with hope. I’m not a shy man, and I’ve dated some, but after my ex-girlfriend of three years in college – let’s just say I’m a little gun shy to get out there again. On one hand, I want the kind of love and devotion my friends have. On the other hand, I don’t have the time to go out there lookin’ for a woman, not that I wouldn’t if I had to. I didn’t really think I needed a woman, bein’ I’m so busy, but now I have an ache in me that I can’t quench. Do I believe in fate? Kinda? Or maybe I just believe there’s some kind of force out there at work that brings folks together. If that’s fate, then I guess I’m beholdin’ to it. I think about how Memphis and Sadie got together as well as Colby and Shiloh. But I don’t want to place an ad. I don’t need the help on my farm unless it’s to cook and clean. That would be a great idea though, and I could definitely use that kind of help but really, I’ve had my eye on Tina since we first met.
“Who the hell is that hot honey?”
I remember that day so clearly. I’d gone over to a table in the coffee shop, waitin’ for Prie to join me when I heard Tina say it to Prie. I’d heard that Tina can be a little – let’s just say excitable about guys, yet I find her very shy and awkward. I like that. She’s about the most beautiful woman I’ve laid eyes on, her eyes nearly changin’ color with what she’s wearin’, long hair that hits her waist, and those pouty lips. It’s beyond me how she has such a slender body when she’s always cookin’ and works around all those amazin’ pastries and sandwiches. I find that I love it when she stammers and stutters when she talks to me. Damn, there I go thinkin’ about her again. Seems like she’s got me doin’ that a lot lately.
“Nash! Come quick!”
At the frantic sound of Bart’s voice, I look up from pitchin’ hay in the barn. I lean the fork against the wall and start removin’ my gloves as I walk toward the open doors. “What’s wrong, Bart?” He’s already started walkin’ back to his horse, climbin’ up onto the saddle.
“It’s Manuel. He’s hurt bad.”
Manuel? What? He takes off in a gallop as I run to my horse Lightning. I named him that for a reason. He’s one of the fastest horses I know. I’m quick to hop up onto the saddle, grabbin’ the reins and clickin’ my tongue as I kick into his sides. “C’mon, boy.” I catch up to Bart quickly, ridin’ through the pasture, and it looks like we’re headin’ out by the creek.
“He’d been out mendin’ some fencin’. I went out to check up on him ‘cos he’d been gone so long and to get him for lunch. I found him layin’ in the creek, holdin’ onto his leg.” Shit! I nod as he continues. “A bone was jettin’ out. Said he was ‘bout ready to head back when a rattler came outta nowhere and scared his horse. Gamble threw him clean off his back and he landed in the creek. Guess he landed pretty hard. Said he heard the crack of his bone as it hit a big rock.”
Now, these guys are like family to me, ‘specially Manuel. We’ve been through a lot together. Hell, a few of us kinda grew up together, while a couple had been there for as long as I can remember. Manuel is most likely around fifty somethin’. He’d been with Pa for a long time and helped me when Pa died. I couldn’t have gotten through it all without Manuel. He knows what he’s doin’ with horses, grew up on a farm and then when old enough, started workin’ for Pa. Manuel’s actually been kinda like a second pa to me.
My hearts beatin’ so fast, I can actually feel it against my chest as I kick Lightning again, askin’ him to hurry. I follow Bart through the pasture and over a hill, my land goin’ on for miles. I pull out my phone, call 9-1-1, tell them what happened and give them my address and all the information about Manuel. Then I call one of my other men, Samuel, or Sam as he likes to be called. He’s one of the most level-headed men I have, doesn’t freak out durin’ a crisis. I told him to wait at the house for the ambulance then help guide them here. I ain’t no doctor but by the sounds of it, I’m sure not about to move him if he has a broken leg. No tellin’ what other injuries he might have too.
The creek is just ahead, the ground becomin’ uneven as we race around trees to get there. I hear him yell out in pain before I see him. Bart and I slide to a stop at the edge of the creek. As I jump off Lightning, I can see the bone in his leg jettin’ through the rip in his jeans. I try not to cringe as I walk over and squat down beside him, my brows lowered in concern.
“If you wanted to take some time off, ya just needed to ask.” I grin, hopin’ to ease some of his discomfort. He lets out a laugh then winces. “Now. Now, don�
��t move. Got some help comin’.” He nods but I can see the sweat beaded up on his face as he winces again. “Bart, get the blanket outta my saddle, will ya?” I hear the sound of his boots on the grass as he walks behind me. “You just lay still for me, okay?” I’m not afraid of pain or blood, things happen all the time while runnin’ a ranch, but when it’s someone else, ‘specially someone I care for, I ‘bout go crazy with worry. Shiftin’ my eyes to my left, Bart hands me the folded blanket. I lean up and lift Manuel’s head, placin’ it beneath then gently rest his head down. I try not to worry him when I see my hand wet with his blood.
“Much obliged, Nash.” Manuel gives me a small smile.
I give him a light pat on his shoulder. “Nothin’ to thank me for, Manuel. You’d do the same for me and anyone else here.” I turn my head and look at Bart. “Call Sam. See what’s takin’ the ambulance so long.” He gives me a nod and walks a few steps away, pullin’ out his phone. I look back down at Manuel. “Anythin’ else hurtin’, beside your leg?” He struggles to shift and I push my hand against his shoulder, tryin’ to keep him still. He winces again.
“Landed on that side, in the water. Hip hurts pretty bad, of course my leg. Not sure ‘bout anythin’ else. Crawled over here to try to get outta the water. Was as far as I could get.” I nod, my ears pickin’ up the sounds of sirens in the distance.
“It’s gettin’ close, Nash.” I nod, still lookin’ at Manuel.
Finally, I turn and look at Bart. “Take care of the place. I’m gonna drive to the hospital as soon as he’s in the ambulance.” He nods. “I’ll keep ya’ll updated.”
It’s not long before the ambulance pulls up. We watch it turn around and back up until its a few feet away. Two paramedics climb out with a black duffle bag and rush to Manuel. I stand up and move back, givin’ them room to get him ready to transport. They take longer than my stress can take, puttin’ his leg into a splint, a brace around his neck, checkin’ his vitals, and talkin’ to him about other injuries. I know it’s necessary but the more time it takes, the more anxious I become. ‘Bout thirty minutes later, I’m holdin’ onto Lightning’s reins as I watch them lift him onto a gurney, strapped to a wooden back board, and then get him settled inside.
Coverin’ the side of my mouth with my hand, I yell, “I’ll be there shortly, Manuel.” One of the paramedics gives me a nod as he closes the back doors. “Ya’ll take care of him. Ya hear?” I watch him nod again as he jogs around the side and gets into the driver’s seat. I turn quickly, puttin’ my boot into the stirrup and hoistin’ my leg over the saddle. Clickin’ my heels, I pull on the reins and take off in a blurry. Bart’s right behind me as the ambulance passes us. We make it back to the barn in record time. Jumpin’ off quickly, Bart is there takin’ the reins.
“I got him. Go. We’ll look after things.”
I don’t wait to thank him. I take off for the house, get into my truck and pull out onto the drive then onto the gravel road. The ambulance is far enough ahead that I can’t see it but with my window down, I can faintly hear the sirens. I’m a worried mess by the time I pull into the hospital’s parkin’ lot and into an empty space. As I climb out of my truck, my phone goes off. I look down at the screen as I walk toward the emergency doors, an unfamiliar long distance number showin’. I swipe it to cancel the call and tuck my phone back into my front pocket. Ain’t got no time for a sales call. After speakin’ to a nurse at the front station, I take a seat in the waitin’ room, my nerves ‘bout shot. Since I’m all the family Manuel has, I’m listed as his emergency contact with rights to hear about anythin’ medical. When Pa passed and we decided to move, Manuel and I went to my family lawyer and signed documents regardin’ each other. We figured other than the guys who came with us, we’re all we had. With life on a ranch, you never know when you might need a next of kin, one way or another.
I used to be a very patient person. It took a lot of stress to make me buckle, but after goin’ through everythin’ with Pa’s illness then his passin’, I don’t handle things nearly as well. Manuel was the one who kept a cool head when he helped me get through Pa’s funeral, meetin’ with the lawyer, sellin’ our ranch, and gettin’ us out here without any headaches. Now he’s the one who needs help. I’m wringin’ my hands in front of me as I wait to hear any news.
I turn my head and look out the window of the hospital. Darkness has settled in. The parkin’ lot lights shine brightly along with the ones outside the buildin’. I have no idea what time we got here but I know it was before lunch. What’s takin’ so long? Should I go up again and ask? I’ve asked so many times already and all I get is the same answer. “He’s still in surgery. There is extensive damage to repair. We’ll let you know as soon as he’s in recovery.” At least the nurses have changed shifts since the last time I asked so I didn’t get frowned at. Instead I got a sympathy smile.
Standin’ up from the chair, my legs crampin’ from sittin’ for so long, I reach up and tug on my hair as I begin to pace the room for the countless time since I’ve been here. The waitin’ is about to make me mad, the fear that filled me as soon as I saw Manuel layin’ in the creek, broken and in pain, has swelled to an infinite high the more time that goes by. All the guys at home have texted or called several times, and I haven’t been able to tell them anythin’. Hell, I don’t even know what’s goin’ on!
“Nash?”
I turn quickly at the sound of my name, only it’s not from a nurse tellin’ me the fate of my friend. Prie and Tina walk over to me. Smoothin’ down my wrinkled shirt, I give them a small smile. “What’re ya’ll doin’ here?” The girls stop before me, and I wish I was more relaxed to see them.
“Sadie’s training a new girl at the shop so we thought we’d come up to see Shiloh and Colt again before they go home in the morning.” Prie smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Tina looks down, unable to meet mine. “What are you doing here? Did you come up to see Colt again too?” I look around, runnin’ my hand through my hair and then back at Prie. “Wait. You look like a mess. What’s happened, Nash? Are you okay?” Tina’s head snaps up, her eyes trained on mine. I look down when I feel Prie’s hand on my arm then look up into her worried eyes.
“It’s....” I feel all choked up, not sure of what the outcome will be. For the first time since Pa told me he had cancer, I’m scared. I swallow hard, tryin’ to keep a hold of my emotions. “Manuel’s horse got spooked by a rattler out by our creek. He got bucked off and hit the rocks hard. Not sure of all his injuries yet but I know his left leg is broken, pretty badly. He’s been in surgery for several hours. I’m ‘bout fit to be tied.” I raise my hand, startin’ to run my fingers through my hair out of frustration when I feel a hand touch my wrist. I look over at Tina, my heart beatin’ hard at the look of concern and worry fillin’ her beautiful eyes. As shy as Tina seems around me, I never thought she’d reach out so boldly. Her skin is softer than I could have imagined.
“Oh, Nash,” Tina whispers.
I lower my arm and her hand stays on mine. We’re not able to look away from each other, all voices and sounds seem to fade away.
“Mr. Harris?”
Slowly I tear my eyes from hers and turn my head. A nurse is standin’ there lookin’ around the room. I don’t hesitate to move, walkin’ toward her quickly. “I’m Nash Harris.” I stand before her nervous and anxious, hopin’ to hear some good news. She smiles.
“Mr. Gonzales is in recovery.” My heart is poundin’ so hard I can feel it. “If you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you to him. Once we move him to a room, the doctor will come and explain everythin’.” I nod as she turns and begins to walk away. I start to follow her but stop quickly. I look over my shoulder and see Prie and Tina standin’ right behind me, not realizin’ they had followed me over.
“Go on,” Prie says through her smile, worry remainin’ in her eyes. “I’ll call you later.” I nod then look at Tina. Her head
is bowed, and she’s lookin’ down at the floor. She was so concerned earlier it had overridden her shyness. As I start to turn back around, I notice Tina’s head snap up, her eyes connectin’ with mine. For a brief second, her lips turn into a smile, then I lose sight of it as I face forward and follow the nurse to see Manuel.
It feels like the elevator ride and the walk to the room takes longer than the waitin’ time I just went through. Once the nurse opens the door and I see him layin’ there, his leg raised, casted and hangin’ from some kind of apparatus, I finally breathe out a sigh of relief.
“I’ll just leave you two alone,” the nurse says as I step inside. As she closes the door while backin’ out, she smiles. “It will be a little while before he awakens enough for us to properly check him and get him to a room.” I stand there frozen. I’m not sure what I expected to see when I finally got to see him but he doesn’t look as bad as I had envisioned. The mind is a strange thing, always thinkin’ the worst.
I see a chair a little distance from his bed and walk over to it, pullin’ it up closer and sit down. He looks peaceful as he sleeps, a contrast to the last time I’d seen him in so much pain. Seein’ him layin’ in the creek, his leg all tore up, and not knowin’ what else he’d hurt, made me feel like I was losin’ Pa all over again. I had to grow up real fast once Pa died but Manuel was there to help guide me, give me the reassurance I needed. I didn’t have a mother growin’ up, died when I was too young to remember. Let’s just say after she’d passed, my pa was well versed with many women in his younger days. He told me he figured most of them weren’t really wantin’ him, they were just wantin’ his money. So, he never really got involved with them, only for his own needs to be satisfied. But, he raised me to respect women but to always be leery of ones that might only want to be with me to get their hands on my money. I guess that’s why I like Tina so much. She’s awkward, shy, and clearly not out for my money. Hell, I can’t even get her to have a decent conversation yet. I smile thinkin’ of her. She stumbles over her words and can’t hardly look me in the eyes. If Pa were here, he’d tell me to be careful, that this could be a ploy. I can see how he might’ve thought that but I don’t feel that way when it comes to her. I don’t think anyone can be that socially awkward and be fake. She’d have to be the best actress on the planet.
