The nurse helped her down off the table and back into the wheelchair. “Twenty Seven stitches.” She told her. “Let’s take you and get that head scanned so we can get you out of here. I know you would rather be home in your own bed, right now.” The nurse said. “Well a bed anyhow,” Hilary told her.
After the CT, Hilary and J.W. followed the nurse back to the little room they had been in while they waited for the results of the scan. The doctor came into the room so fast it made the room spin and Hilary swayed a little in her seat. “Well now Miss Shaw, it looks like you do have a concussion. We are going to send you home but someone will need to check on you every thirty minutes or so. I’m going to prescribe you some pain medicine and I want you to make an appointment to see your regular physician.” He tore out a paper from his prescription pad and handed it to her. “You’re free to go!” He said.
The drive back was quiet and Hilary was glad for it. Her head was killing her and she just wanted to close her eyes and drown out the world. She lay over in the seat and fell asleep. J.W. watched as she closed her eyes. He couldn’t help but think about all she had been through in the past 48 hrs. He knew she had to be exhausted. Hell he was exhausted but he didn’t have a concussion and a big gash that required 27 stitches either. A strand of hair fell in her face and he reached down to tuck it behind her ear. She looked so peaceful. She was getting to him and he knew he was gone have to put up a wall. He had to be careful or she would become more than just his trainer.
Chapter Five
It had been two weeks since she hit her head on that tree. She now had Josey riding the little mare. “Josey, you’re not even trying. Why don’t you get in there and ride that horse like you mean it? Turn n burn girl, turn n burn.” Hilary knew that the girl could do better. She felt like there was something wrong. She just wasn’t trying. She needed to get Josey to the side and have a talk with her, but her mother always seemed to be around. Hilary had a feeling that Lisa was probably the main cause of it. “Josey tuck your inside foot, and kick with your outside foot. Come on girl, where’s your head at?” “I’m trying!” Josey shouted. The irritation was all over her face. Hilary knew when enough was enough. She called it quits. “That’s enough for today cool her down and put her up. Then I want to have a word with you. In Private!” she said looking pointedly at Lisa. She wanted her to know that she was not included in this conversation.
Hilary walked into the barn and waited for Josey in the tack room. When Josey finally made it to the door carrying her saddle, she rolled her eyes and shook her head at Hilary who was inside waiting for her. “What’s wrong with you? I thought you loved barrel racing. That’s why your daddy’s paying me to train your horses. He wants the best for you. Is there something that you need to get off your shoulders? Is something bothering you?” Hilary asked her. “Everything, ok, everything is bothering me! My mother thinks she can come in here and expect me to forget everything! She acts as if she never left! She expects me to believe that she and daddy are still together! She thinks she can tell me how to act and what to say! She told me that you were my daddy’s whore. It’s not true, is it? Please tell me it’s not.” She dropped the saddle she was carrying onto the floor and started crying. As angry, as Hilary was, she knew Josey needed comforting. She was ready to run out of there and punch Lisa in the face. That woman was no good. “It’s all lies Josey. It’s ok you’ve got every right to be upset.” She kissed the girl on her forehead and hugged her to her.
Hilary waited until the girl was calm and helped her dry her eyes before they left the barn. She knew she wouldn’t want anyone to know she had been crying. They walked together to the house. They walked to the kitchen and Hilary fixed them both a glass of sweet tea. Cook came in with his arms full of groceries. “What you two ladies think about a big pot of stew for supper tonight?” He said. “Sounds good to me,” Josey said. “Mama won't like it, though.” “Well all the more reason to fix it then.” Cook said. He took one look at the girl and knew she was upset. Josey laughed at his joke and got up to help him put the groceries up. Hilary set to work peeling potatoes, and Josey made another gallon of tea while Cook prepared the meat. He talked about different ways to fix this and that while they sat and listened. He had Josey cheered up in no time. Hilary decided she would go out for a walk, and left the two in the kitchen to their fun.
While she walked, she tried to figure out how to handle, the bitch of a mother who moved in and made Josey’s life a living hell. She knew she would have to talk to J.W. about it but didn’t really know where to start. He couldn’t stand her anymore than Hilary could, but she was Josey’s mother. She still couldn’t believe the woman had the nerve to say she was J.W.s whore. The woman had to be mental.
She had been walking around for an hour thinking about what needed to be done. She didn’t even notice when J.W. walked up in front of her until she walked right into him. “I’m sorry; I wasn’t looking where I was going.” She stammered. “You must’ve been thinking about something pretty hard to miss me standing right in front of you.” He helped her steady herself. “What’s got you so deep in thought?” he asked. “Josey,” She answered. “She’s upset. Lisa’s causing problems. I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I just can’t stand her. She even told Josey that I’m your whore. What kind of mother talks like that to a girl,” she asked. J.W. all but growled his word, “I’ll talk to her, but it’s up to Josey to ask her to leave.” He said. “You have got to be kidding me. Why don’t you make her leave? I mean the bitch is telling your daughter I’m your whore. She’s teaching Josey all kinds of shit. I can’t believe half of what the dumb shit is saying. She’s a damn mental case!” She had lost her temper, and now she had J.W. riled up. “You know your mouth could use a filter with all the crap you got coming out of it.” He said. “Do you use those words around my daughter too or just when you’re throwing a fit.” Josey had gone too far as usual. She had a short fuse and she knew she needed to put a lid on it. “Ugh!” she groaned.
She threw up her hands and walked away. Walking would help her to calm her nerves. She had to learn to curb her temper. She had always had a problem with it. Her brothers used to tease her constantly just to get her to lose it. When she lost it, the words that came flying out of her mouth would make a sailor blush. She didn’t mean to snap at him. She wasn’t even mad at him. She was just frustrated and for some reason it was easy to take it out on him.
J.W. followed her down the driveway. He stayed far enough back and tread lightly enough that she didn’t know he was there. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He always had to be near her. He watched her work every day with the horses. He noticed all the things she did when she wasn’t working with them. The woman couldn’t be still she always had to be doing something. She helped Heath weld a jack on a trailer. She patched a stall that no one else had bothered to repair yet. She worked with his daughter on her riding. She even occasionally helped Cook in the kitchen. Yet, for some reason they always seemed to be snapping at one another about something. She drove him crazy.
She had a temper that was bound to get her into trouble, but from what he’d seen it seemed to be her only flaw. Even that made him want to irritate her just to see the look she got when she was mad. She never tried to be anything she’s not. He liked that about her. In fact, he liked everything about her. “You can stop following me.” She said. She had known he was back there. He was cautious and she still knew he was there. “I’m calm now, ok! You’re right I just have a really bad temper and I can’t contain it sometimes.” She said. “How did you know I was behind you?” He asked. “The light from the yard cast a shadow over your shoulder.” She stopped and turned around to face him. He was right behind her now. He looked deep in her eyes. They were wet with tears. She had been crying. How did he not know she was crying. He pulled her into his arms shushing her. For some reason he couldn’t fathom, he kissed one eye and then the other. She opened her mouth to say somet
hing and he caught her mouth with his. He was a head taller than her and had to lean down to kiss her. She hadn’t expected it, and she really didn’t expect the feelings he stirred in her. She opened her mouth wider and kissed him back. He drove his tongue in deeper. She sucked on his tongue and then his bottom lip. No one had ever kissed her so deeply, nor had she ever wanted it from anyone else. He completely blew her mind. She felt the fire in the pit of her stomach. She wanted this man like no other. She broke off the kiss and lowered her head “We have to stop.” She said. “We barely know each other. This is crazy. I’m not a whore.” “What would make you think for one minute that I thought you were?” he asked.
She had never felt anything so intense, like his kiss. It got her excited like breaking in her first colt. It was a rush of adrenaline. She couldn’t think. She had to stop. She stopped looking down and looked him in the eye. His eyes filled with desire, and his heart was beating rapidly. She felt something she had never felt before. It was something she couldn’t explain. She wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. He closed his eyes and blew out a deep breath. “We’ll take it slow, if that’s what you want?” he said and he placed a kiss on her forehead. “That’s what I want.” She said. Although she felt like she was lying. He took her hand and walked her back up the drive. When they came to the porch, he let go of her hand and opened the door for her. He followed her into the kitchen with his hand on her shoulder, but took it off when everyone looked up at them. He hoped that no one would notice their swollen lips or the redness from where his beard stubble had scraped her face.
Lisa walked in and sat down at the table beside Josey. “What are we having tonight?” she looked at Cook. “Beef Stew,” He said. “Beef! I can’t eat beef. Just the thought of eating a poor harmless animal, ugh, how could you be so cruel?” Lisa didn’t notice the looks passed between Josey and Hilary. They were trying hard not to laugh. Hilary felt bad for Cook for a moment but then she realized he was enjoying every minute of it. “Well” he said, “I guess you will just have to go into town and find something to eat because, beef is what’s for dinner.” J.W. belted out a laugh so big the whole table turned in shock, and then they all started laughing with him. Lisa stomped out of the room in a huff. The front door opened and slammed and the sound of tires crunching in the gravel told them all she was gone. But they all knew she would be back. For now, they could eat their dinner in good company.
Chapter Six
(Lisa)
Lisa pulled up to the little diner in town. In a town this small, it was either this or fast food. She figured this would be the only place she could get a salad. She walked in the door and every head turned to stare. She felt out of place in her high heels and cocktail dress. Everyone else had on t-shirts and jeans, tennis shoes or boots, cowboy hat or ball cap. The women wore their hair up in a ponytail or down around their shoulders. She walked up to the counter and asked the waitress; “Where’s the restroom? I need to freshen up.” The waitress pointed her around the corner.
She locked the door behind her and pulled a little bottle and a mirror out of her purse. She poured the white powder onto the mirror, took out her credit card and made a neat little line with it. Then she took a straw and snorted it up her nose. She was about to be out of her precious supply and she needed money fast. She had to check in with Frankie. She didn’t need him sending out his people to collect on her debts. She would have his money soon. She took out her cell phone and called him. “Frankie, darling, this is Lisa. Listen, I almost have your money. Yes dear, I know I promise you, I will have the money. Ten days, but I need more time. I promise I can get it. I am working on a plan right now. Ok, bye darling.” She shut the flip phone and threw it in her purse. She gathered up all of her things and threw them in her purse too. She looked at herself in the mirror then pinched her nose and sniffed.
That should do just fine, she thought. She left the rest room and found a table in the far corner. There was a scruffy looking trucker type in a cowboy hat and boots at the table beside her. He was sitting alone. She decided to ask him to share her table because she hated sitting alone. She didn’t like it when people stared at her out of pity. “Would you care to join me?” she asked. The man turned to her and smiled a half-cocked grin. He looked as if he were up to no good, but Lisa was too high to care. They sat and drank a few beers and talked about a lot of things. Lisa’s tongue begin to get loose the more she had and before long they found out a lot about each other. She learned that he was into stealing cattle and he learned she had a drug addiction and a lot of money owed to her dealer.
They left the diner together and she found herself in the back of his truck. There was a bed and television and even a little bar in the back of it. “Wow, I didn’t know these things had so much room.” She said. “Yeah well when you live on the road for most of the year you have to find your pleasures somewhere.” He said. His movie collection consisted mostly of porn and Lisa took one out of its case and popped it in. “Well now, I think it’s always a good idea to mix business with pleasure, don’t you.” She said taking off her dress. She slowly unstrapped her bra and then eased it off one shoulder at a time then she spun it around in the air a couple of times before throwing it at him. “Your turn,” she said. The man unbuttoned his shirt and took off his jeans. The limb in his boxers was bulging upward. “Lady, I do think we can do business.” He said. She lay down on the bed and he pulled off her panties. They didn’t even bother with the shoes. He pulled off his boxers and climbed on the bed. He flipped her over and rode her from behind. “Harder!” she screamed. She turned around and pushed him back on the bed. She climbed atop him and rode him hard and fast. His big hands kneaded at her breast and tugged on her nipples. She leaned down further and he popped it in his mouth and sucked one then the other.
When they were through, she offered him a cigarette, while lighting one up for her and they discussed rustling. “I love a bad boy.” She said. “What I need you to do is to let me know as soon as those cattle are moved. I’ll pay you a lot of money for helping me with that little matter.” He said pulling out a wad of one hundred dollar bills. He threw five of them at her and thanked her for the ride. Then he gave her his number and walked her to her car. They sealed their deal with a kiss and she drove away smiling.
Chapter Seven
As a few days went by everyone was settling down in their normal routines. Hilary worked with the two, barrel horses and she worked with Josey every chance she got. Lisa still followed her around trying to fill her head full of lies but Josey had finally learned to tune her out. She worked hard at her barrel racing and listened to any advice Hilary gave. Her time had improved and the little mare was doing great. Hilary was still having a problem getting the gelding to stop rearing up, but he was doing it a lot less often. She didn’t know what caused it but she would find out soon enough.
When they were done with their run Hilary took the saddle and bridle into the tack room and left Josey to brush her down and feed up. J.W. had assigned that chore to her, since she was old enough to handle it and he wanted her to know what hard work was all about. Hilary walked into the tack room and the door shut behind her she turned around to find J.W. leaning against the door smiling at her, arms crossed and one leg kicked back on the door. She set the saddle on its rack and hung the bridal on its hook. “Can I help you with something?” she smiled as she walked toward him. He pushed off the door and pulled her to him. “Just something I’ve wanted to do all day,” he said. He pushed her hat off her head, and wrapped her up in his arms then bent down to steal a kiss.
He had been doing little things like that ever since he followed her out into the dark after her temper had gotten the best of her. Sometimes he would be waiting in a stall, sometimes he pulled her behind a door. He snuck kisses every chance he got. Hilary knew that she was in danger of falling in love with him. She had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him. She hoped that when her time was up training the barrel horses he’d still wanted her
to stick around. He asked her in the hospital to stay, but that was before.
“I have work to do,” she said smiling. She pulled back a little and stared up at him. “Somehow, I don’t think the boss will mind if you slack off a little bit.” He told her. “Hmm, but I will,” she said. He kissed her on the forehead and let her go, and opened the door for her. He winked at her with his wicked grin and followed her out. She walked down the aisle of the barn to see if she could find something to help with. She liked to keep busy and she knew the stalls needed cleaning so she went looking for Clinton who was usually in the barn at this time every day cleaning. She pulled out her knife and cut the bag of shavings open that he already had in the stall he was working in. They dumped it out and started spreading them, working together.
He sometimes gave her the creeps but he was a hand on the ranch and she wasn’t able to understand just what it was about him that bothered her. She worked along beside him until they had all the empty stalls finished and she left him to go help Heath with whatever she could. Heath was young and a lot of fun to be around. She knew he had a crush on her but she knew it was nothing serious. He was just a teenager, the son of the ranch foreman, Samuel. He was a good kid and a hard worker. She liked helping him with things. She also knew that Josey had a huge crush on him. She found him working with Samuel on a tractor that wasn’t running. She offered to help them and they gladly accepted.
“So,” she said, “what’s wrong with it?” Samuel answered her with a low growl. “It’s just an old piece of shit that’s seen better days.” “Oh so your one of those guys,” She laughed. “The kind of guy that gets in a bad mood when something doesn’t run right and you’re the one under the tractor,” she laughed again. “My dad’s that way too, he gets mad if you don’t hold the light right even though it’s not really me moving the light, it’s just that he moved in front of it.” Samuel went to sit up and hit his head on the tractor, and Hilary and Heath started laughing. “Damn it all to hell” he said. He looked up at her and as much as he tried, could not contain his laughter. “Girl, you’re in a world of trouble you better get.” He said laughing. “As soon as I get out from under here, I’m gonna get you.” He rolled out from under the tractor and hopped up on his knees. Hilary stopped laughing pushed away from the tractor, “time for me to go.” She said looking at Heath, who was watching the exchange between his daddy and this young woman.
The Rancher Meets His Match Page 4
