Spurs and Heels(Divine Creek Ranch 5)(14)
“Here and there? You worked hard all day today, until you got
hurt, so today cannot be counted as a day off.”
“I know. I’ll take the day off tomorrow…or at least the morning.”
“You have a second in command, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Leah Woodworth.”
“Good. Evelyn said she and Leah would cover for you tomorrow.
You should take off the whole day. How are you sleeping at night?”
“I sleep fine, but I tend to be a night owl.”
“Meaning what? What’s your bedtime?”
“After I’ve read for a while, usually around midnight, sometimes
later. It takes me a while to wind down.”
He stroked her cheekbone with his fingertips. “You’re worn out,
aren’t you, darlin’?”
She nodded in agreement.
“No wonder you’re out of sorts. You’re dead on your feet. It’s
eleven o’clock right now. I’ll let Angel know I’m staying here tonight
to watch over you and help you in the morning. I’ll fix you breakfast,
too.”
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“You don’t have to do that,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek
against his palm. He could tell she was already drifting into slumber.
“It’ll ease my mind. Besides, the doctor said you were not to be
left alone because you’d hit your head so hard.”
“Marshmallow,” she whispered.
“What?”
She smiled sleepily. “You look like a big, tough cowboy on the
outside, but you’re soft as a marshmallow on the inside, aren’t you?”
He felt a small hitch in his throat at the vulnerable tone she used.
“Yeah, you nailed me.”
She pressed her lips to his palm and drifted away, saying nothing
further. He forced himself to rise from her cozy, comfortable bed and
move to the overstuffed chair in the corner nearby. At least it had an
ottoman so he could prop his feet up. He slipped his boots off and got
comfortable.
* * * *
Juliana woke during the night, disoriented and groggy. Her eyes
wouldn’t cooperate at first and felt like they were lined with
sandpaper. She reached up to rub them and bopped herself in the
forehead with her cast. Then she remembered what had happened.
She attempted the same maneuver with the other hand and groaned
when her stitched and wrapped finger started throbbing. Bad move.
She used her left elbow to prop herself up, thinking to get some
Tylenol from her bathroom but rethought that action when it pulled on
her stitches. She lay back down with a groan, and then she noticed
Ash as he sat up and came to her, concern in his eyes. He looked wide
awake.
“What’s the matter, darlin’? What do you need?”
“Ash? You stayed?”
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Heather Rainier
He grinned. “Yeah, you were pretty out of it when you fell asleep.
The doctor doesn’t want you to be alone tonight.” He checked his
watch. “It’s about three o’clock. Are you in pain?”
“Yes. I can’t seem to get up without making something hurt.”
“Stay right there and I’ll get it for you. How is your stomach?”
“My stomach feels fine now. The pain reliever is in the medicine
cabinet in my bathroom.”
Ash went to the bathroom, got what she needed, and refilled her
water glass then brought them back to her. He helped her to sit up in
the bed, and she took the pills and then handed the glass back to him
after draining it.
“You didn’t eat any supper last night. Do you want some crackers
or a piece of toast?” he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“No, I think I’d better wait until the morning, but I could use an
ice pack. My finger is throbbing like crazy. I must have put pressure
on it in my sleep.”
“I’ll be right back.”
He fixed her an ice pack and wrapped it around her hand with a
dish towel, helping her to lie down and position herself on her other
side, with both hands propped up.
“It was nice of you to stay with me, Ash. You must be exhausted.”
“Actually, your chair is fairly comfortable. Why don’t you go
back to sleep now. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
Juliana closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep but gradually
came fully awake. She’d knocked her sleep schedule off-kilter by
dozing throughout the evening and then falling asleep so early, or at
least, early for her. She lay quietly listening to Ash and heard him
sigh and shift in the chair. A few minutes later, he shifted again.
“Ash?”
“Yeah, darlin’?” His faintly accented voice was a balm to her
senses in the quiet of the room.