The Wyoming Inheritance

by Caitlin Edwards

  Sitting at the table while sipping a soda, she used a pair of tweezers to try to remove the thorn. She threw them down in exasperation when she finally realized that she wasn’t going to be able to pull the thorn out, and now it was too painful to keep trying.

  “Damn it!” she muttered, and then pulled a sock over it and put her slippers on. She sure hoped it would work its way out.

  Unfortunately, by the next day her foot was so sore she could barely put weight on it. She slipped her sock off and looked at it. It was all red and angry looking. Maybe she needed to put some first aid cream on it, she thought, grabbing the tube of ointment and slathered it over the sore toe. She put a small bandage on it, and then put her sock back on. She spent the rest of the day in the house wearing slippers.

  The sun was just getting ready to set when there was a knock on the door; she hobbled to it and groaned when she saw Cord standing there.

  “I just wanted to tell you that Nevin has moved into the cabin, and he even hired two ranch hands yesterday. So, my brothers and I won’t need to come over to do your chores anymore,” he told her.

  Jenna realized that she was going to miss not seeing him every day. There were times when she’d find herself looking out the window, waiting to get a glimpse of him going in or out of the barn.

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Cord, for all that you’ve done for me. I really appreciate it,” she told him earnestly.

  “You’re very welcome, honey. I’ll still come around to see how you’re doing, just not as often as I have been. And you can always call me, if you run into any problems, you know,” he told her with a gentle smile.

  At her nod, he added, “It’s a beautiful sunset.” He paused, and then his deep voice drawled, “Why don’t you come out here and sit with me on the swing?”

  She couldn’t remember when she’d received a better offer, she thought, as she opened the screen door, and then stepped out onto the porch.

  “What’s wrong with your foot?” he demanded, when he noticed she was limping.

  She felt panicked; he’d already warned her once about the need to wear better shoes outdoors. She knew he was going to be upset!

  “I… I stubbed my toe,” she blurted. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie; she did stub her toe a few days ago, only it was on the bed!

  He winced as he helped her to the porch swing, “Oh, honey! I know how that hurts!”

  Jenna forgot all about her toe, when he sat next to her and pulled her into the warm circle of his arms. She leaned her head against him and watched the sun go down.

  The next morning, Jenna could barely walk. She lifted her foot up and inspected it. She bit her lip when she touched her toe, and a thick, yellowish substance started oozing out of it.

  She limped downstairs, and after pouring herself a cup of coffee, gingerly walked to the table and sat down. She groaned when she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” she yelled. There was no way she was getting up again.

  Meri entered the kitchen. “Hi, Jenna! I brought over some sweet rolls that I just took out of the oven!”

  Jenna’s mouth watered at the delicious smell. “Oh, Meri, they smell wonderful,” she said. “Do you want a cup of coffee?”

  “I’d love one! If you want to pour the coffee, I’ll dish up the rolls,” Meri told her, hunting for two small plates.

  Jenna got up and hobbled to the opposite cupboard where she kept the cups, and then pulled a mug down. Meri‘s eyes narrowed as she watched Jenna trying to keep from putting weight on her right foot.

  Meri crossed over to her, took the mug of coffee from her, and placed it on the table. “What’s wrong with your foot, Jenna?”

  Jenna slowly made her way back to the table and sat down. “If I tell you, I need you to promise me that you won’t tell Cord.”

  Meri looked at Jenna’s stubborn expression; she knew the only way she’d find anything out was if she made the promise.

  “Okay, I promise,” Meri answered softly.

  “Cord told me not to go outside in my sandals, anymore, and I didn’t listen! Now, I’ve got a thorn in my foot, and I think it’s infected.”

  “Let me see it,” Meri ordered grimly.

  Jenna took her slipper off, and then carefully pulled off her sock. Mari gasped at the sight of Jenna’s toe.

  “Jenna! You need to see a doctor,” Meri told her.

  “No! No doctor,” Jenna replied. She knew that if she went to the doctor, Cord would be sure to find out about it. She didn’t know why, but she just knew she had to keep it from him.

  Meri sighed. “I have something at home that might help. I’ll be right back.”

  Jenna had just finished her cup of coffee when Meri returned. She watched, as her new friend filled a round pan with hot water, and dumped something into it. Meri carried it over and set it on the floor in front of Jenna’s foot.

  “Here, Jenna. You need to put your foot in here and soak it for at least a half hour. Nevin needs me at home, so I have to get back. I’ll check on you later to see how it looks.”

  A few hours later, Meri returned and inspected Jenna’s foot. “You need to see a doctor, Jenna.”

  Jenna shook her head. “It’ll be fine! I’ll even soak it again. It felt a lot better when I did that earlier!”

  Meri bit her lip, “Jenna, you need to see a doctor.”

  Jenna’s firm reply was, “No way!”

  Meri stood to leave. “I need to go. Cory’ll be home from preschool shortly. But, I wish you’d let a doctor take a look at that foot.”

  * * * *

  Nevin entered the house and looked at his wife, as she sat at the kitchen table. “Why so glum, sweetheart?”

  She explained to her husband about Jenna’s foot, and her promise that she wouldn’t tell Cord. “I think Cord is the only one who can get her to see a doctor, but how can I tell him, when I promised Jenna that I wouldn’t? That girl’s going to get blood poisoning if she doesn’t get it taken care of!” Meri cried.

  Nevin pulled his cell phone off his belt. “You might have promised not to tell Cord, but I didn’t!”

  Chapter Three

  Jenna was sitting on the sofa with her leg propped up on two pillows when she heard the sound of someone walking on the front porch. She listened carefully, and then gave a small sigh of relief when she heard the screen door opening.

  “I’m in here,” she yelled. Jenna was glad that Meri was back. She couldn’t believe how boring it was just sitting here. She’d forgotten to grab the television remote, which was on the other side of the room. She’d thought about getting back up and hobbling across the room to get it, but quickly decided it wasn’t worth the pain or effort.

  She blinked in shock when Cord entered the room. Taking one look at the expression on his face, she started squirming. He was furious.

  Without saying a word, he crossed the room to where she was sitting. She gasped in surprise when, in one quick movement, he scooped her up in his arms.

  “Cord! Put me down,” she exclaimed. He ignored her protest and headed for the door.

  She looked at his stony expression and begged, “Cord, please! Where are you taking me?”

  His eyes speared her. “To the doctor! Which is where you should’ve gone days ago,” he replied grimly.

  She struggled in his arms. “Put me down! I don’t want to go to a doctor!”

  “Tough,” he bit out. He placed her in his truck, and then, ignoring her glare, he slammed the door shut.

  Jenna pulled the handle and opened it back up. “I’m not going to the damn doctor!”

  Cord’s hand shot out to grab her arm in a vice-like grip. “You take one step out of this truck, and I swear, I’ll warm your bottom until you can’t sit for a week,” he told her savagely.

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me!”

  Jenna gave a loud sigh and shook her wrist, trying to break his steely grip. She pulled the door closed, and then reached for her seat belt while muttering
oaths under her breath. Angry as he was, she wouldn’t put it past him to actually do what he’d threatened. She glared at him again while he walked around to the driver’s side to climb in.

  When Cord pulled up in front of the doctor’s office, Jenna quickly unbuckled her seat belt. She opened the door, and then cursed under her breath at his growled, “Young lady, don’t even think about getting out without my help!”

  Wordlessly, she let him pick her up in his arms and carry her into the building. She waited until he placed her in a chair in the waiting room before speaking.

  Her tone sarcastic, she queried, “Did you know, Cord, that they have a wonderful invention here; it’s called a wheelchair!”

  His expression was grim. “I know of another great invention; it’s called the paddle,” he replied bitingly.

  Jenna gasped, and then leaned back in the chair. “What’d I do?” she asked innocently.

  His eyes were like flint, as he replied, “It’s what you didn’t do, sweetheart!”

  She watched as he strode over to the desk to register her. His worn jeans outlined his muscular thighs and tight butt. She quickly raised her eyes when she saw him start to turn. There was no way she wanted him to see her staring at his backside!

  Cord sat down next to her, and without saying a word, he picked up a magazine and started thumbing through it. About twenty minutes later, a nurse pushing an empty wheelchair came out from behind a closed door and stopped in front of Jenna.

  “Your turn, Jenna,” the nurse told her with a smile.

  Cord looked up from his magazine. “Jenna, do you want me to go back there with you?” he asked in a gentle voice.

  Sure, now that he’s got his way, he’s finally being nice, she told herself snidely. She shook her head; she needed the time away from his omniscient presence.

  “Okay, then, I’ll be right here waiting for you,” he informed her.

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” she murmured, and hopped into the wheelchair.

  Cord smothered a grin. If that’s all she thought she had to be afraid of, then she was about to have a rude awakening!

  He’d finished the magazine, and was almost through with another one, when Dr. Smith came out and sat down next to him. “She’ll be out here shortly, Cord. Her toe’s badly infected. I managed to get the thorn out, and drained most of the fluid. It should start healing, but she’s going to be sore for a few days. I’m sending some Penicillin home with her, and she’ll need to take them three times a day. I’m also giving her a couple of pain pill samples; give her one in a couple of hours. By then, the anesthetic that I used will wear off. By tomorrow, she should be able to just take Tylenol for the pain.”

  “Thanks, Doc. I appreciate you seeing her on such short notice,” Cord told the older man.

  The doctor smiled and shook Cord’s hand. “Just make sure that she doesn’t wear sandals outside anymore; she’s just asking for trouble in them!”

  “I can guarantee that when I’m done with her, she won’t even be thinking about wearing sandals outside,” Cord replied grimly.

  He picked the magazine up and continued reading; it wasn’t long before the nurse wheeled Jenna back into the waiting room. Jenna watched as he got to his feet, all six foot two inches of him.

  “Ready?” he asked as he looked at her pale face.

  “We’re ready, Cord,” the nurse replied, wheeling Jenna toward the door.

  Cord knew she was in pain because she didn’t argue about riding to the truck in the wheelchair. He put his arms underneath her and lifted her up into his strong arms. When he gently placed her on the seat, Jenna moaned in pain, and then she leaned her head back against the headrest.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  When she nodded, he hopped into the driver’s side of the truck. Cord reached across to buckle her seat belt and then started the truck up. He slowly drove out of the parking lot and headed for the ranch.

  Cord couldn’t help but notice that Jenna didn’t even try to get out when he stopped in front of her house. When he gently called her name, and she opened her eyes, he could see how exhausted she was. He walked around the front of the truck to lift her out, and then carried her inside.

  “Where’s your room, honey?” he asked.

  “End of the hall, right side,” she whispered. Her head seemed like it weighed a ton, so she leaned it against his hard chest.

  Cord set her on the edge of the bed. “Where’s your pajamas?”

  Jenna wanted to tell him that she could get them herself, but she knew it was impossible. She didn’t even have the energy to argue with him!

  “In the top drawer,” she said, pointing to the chest of drawers against the wall.

  “Is this okay?” Cord asked, holding up a long pink nightgown.

  “That’s fine, thanks, Cord.” He handed it to her.

  “I’m going to make you something to eat; call me when you’re in bed,” he told her before leaving the room.

  Jenna carefully took her clothes off, and then slipped the nightgown over her head. After pulling the covers back up, she climbed into bed.

  She took her time before yelling, “Okay, Cord!” She didn’t want to hear the lecture she knew was coming.

  When he entered the room, he was carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of milk on it. He placed it in front of her, and then ordered her to eat. She was hungry, so she lifted the spoon and put it into her mouth.

  “Drink your milk, too,” he chided, when her soup was nearly gone.

  Jenna picked the glass up and put it to her mouth; she sniffed it, and then placed it back onto the tray. “This isn’t my milk! It’s the milk from the bucket,” she argued.

  “Your carton of milk was outdated, and I had to throw it out,” he explained.

  “Cord, I can’t drink this,” she replied, setting the glass back down.

  He looked at her sternly. “I’ll get you some water, then.” He got up and left, returning shortly with a fresh glass of the cold, clear liquid.

  She finished the soup, thanked him, and handed him the tray. Jenna watched him go to the door with it before asking, “Cord? Are you mad at me? I didn’t realize that my foot was that bad.” She knew she should have done something about the thorn before it became infected, but she hated doctors. And, she knew she shouldn’t have gone out in the sandals in the first place.

  His tone was hard when he answered, “Jenna, I’m furious with you! But, tomorrow will be soon enough for our discussion. For now, you need to rest.”

  She nodded sadly and closed her eyes. Cord watched her for a few minutes before leaving the room.

  When Jenna woke up a few hours later, she was in severe pain. She moaned when she tried to move; she knew the doctor had sent something home with her for pain, but she didn’t know if she could make it into the kitchen to find it! Tears started falling as she propped the pillows up and leaned back on them.

  Cord had been waiting for her to wake up, though. Hearing a noise in her room, he grabbed a pain pill and a glass of water, then headed for her.

  “Hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling her into his arms.

  “It hurts so badly, Cord,” she told him in a shaky voice as she buried her head against his chest. Jenna was so glad to see him. She’d thought that he’d left.

  He handed her the water that he’d set on the nightstand. “Here, take this pill. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Jenna took it from him and quickly swallowed the pill. She was blinking back tears as she lay back down on the pillows.

  “Roll over on your stomach, and rest your foot over the side of the bed,” he told her.

  Jenna didn’t even hesitate; she just did as he said. Her body relaxed as his strong hands started massaging her shoulders, and then he rubbed along the spine of her back. It wasn’t long before Cord could tell she was sleeping by the even sound of her breathing. He quietly got up and left the room.

 
Early the next morning, Jenna switched the lamp on, flung the covers back and looked at her foot. The swelling had gone down a lot. Now, if she could just get the pain to go away! She heard a movement, and looked up into Cord’s glittering eyes.

  “Cord! Didn’t you go home last night?” she asked in amazement.

  He shook his head. “I slept on the couch, in case you needed anything.”

  He just oozed sex appeal, she thought as her gaze roamed over him. His jeans rode low on his hips, and he was shirtless. Jenna stared in awe at his wide shoulders, muscular arms, and washboard abs. Just the sight of him nearly took her breath away!

  Cord’s gaze fastened on Jenna. The light from the lamp outlined her slim frame, giving him a view of what was underneath her nightgown. Or in this case, what wasn’t underneath it. He longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

  “It’s looking better,” she told him, motioning toward her foot.

  “Good.” Jenna didn’t notice that his gaze didn’t drop that far. “How do you feel? Do you need a pain pill, or maybe a Tylenol?”

  Jenna smiled. “I think just a Tylenol. It’s starting to throb, but I don’t like taking prescription drugs.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right back with it.” When he returned, she was once again in bed and covered up to her chin. He handed the Tylenol and Penicillin along with a glass of water, then watched as she swallowed the pills. Jenna handed the glass back to him and he turned off the lamp, and then quietly left the room. She closed her eyes, feeling content; he really could be a nice man, she thought, just seconds before drifting off to sleep.

  The next time she woke up, Cord’s sister was sitting in a chair by the bed, reading a book.