Stone Cold Cowboy(22)
“You were having another nightmare.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again without thinking of what happened,” she admitted.
“Me either.”
She eyed him, wondering what he meant by that.
“When I found you, I thought you were dead. I’ve never seen anything so gruesome and cruel. I never got a chance to ask before . . . Are you okay?”
He’d seen her hanging from that tree, the damage inflicted to her body. He asked about something deeper. He wanted to know about her mind and heart. Her mind wanted to deny what happened. Her heart broke the minute she’d seen her brother stealing the cattle and shattered into a million pieces when he turned his back on her.
Tears welled in her eyes. She wondered if she’d ever think about what happened and not cry for all the reasons, all the wrongs.
“I will be fine,” she vowed. “I always am.” She’d held it together through all the tough times in her life. Losing her mother. Trying to raise her brother the best she could and feeling so inadequate for the task every time he chose to do the wrong thing. Begging her father to see a doctor when what seemed like nothing more than a bug and fatigue turned into a way of life that got progressively worse these last months. She barely recognized her father now. His mind and body deteriorated with each passing day.
“I know you will. To survive what you’ve been through . . . takes guts and determination.”
“Thanks. What are you still doing here? You look wrecked. Go home and get some sleep.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“Look, if it’s about the money I owe you, I’m good for it. I won’t run off. I pay my debts.”
“You don’t owe me anything. It’s not your debt to pay. I’m not worried about you running off, but I am concerned about how you’ll get home.”
“I’ll give Luna a call and see if she can take me home.”
“I’m here. I found you. I’ll take you home.”
“You found me, so you’re keeping me?” She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure him out.
“Sounds good.”
“But you don’t even like me. Every time you see me, you glare a hole right through me.”
“What? No I don’t.”
“Yes you do. You’re doing it right now.”
“I am not,” he snapped.
“Are you always this grumpy?”
“No. I barely slept last night. I saved your ass, and now you’re giving me grief.” His deep frown and narrowed eyes showed his annoyance, but the way he held her hand, his fingers lightly tracing her palm, said something else entirely. Over the last few years, she’d caught him watching her on occasion. She always thought it had something to do with her brother. That Connor had pissed Rory off about something and he’d been looking for a way to get back at Connor, or for her to make things right. She’d left it alone, hoping to never have to confront this huge, kinda scary guy. But now, looking closer, he wasn’t really scary at all. Just gruff, to the point, and, dare she say, shy. While he had no problem looking at her, he had a hard time holding eye contact. He groused at her instead of really talking. He seemed perpetually perturbed. But maybe she’d read him all wrong. After all, she didn’t even know him.
Sadie grabbed his hand and gave it a firm shake, ignored the pain in her wrist, then held it. “We’ve never actually met. You graduated before I got to high school. I’m Sadie Higgins. I owe you my life. Thank you for finding me and getting me to the hospital. I owe you a debt of gratitude I can never repay, but I’ll sure try.”
“Uh, Rory Kendrick. I’m glad I found you when I did. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Yeah, I do.” He opened his mouth to argue, but she squeezed his hand. “I’m just as stubborn as you, so don’t try to convince me otherwise. It’s useless and will only make you frown more.”
His sour face deepened until a touch of temper showed through.
“We need to get Kaley back in here. Seems you only smile for her.”
His mouth softened. He did not smile. “She’s a sweet girl.”
“Yeah, and I’m a pain in your ass because I can’t tell you where my brother is, or what happened to your cattle.”
The frown came back. “That’s not why I’m here.”
“No. You don’t care where he is?”
His eyes narrowed with determination. “Oh, I will find him, but I’m here for you.”
Surprised, she blurted out, “Why?”
He stared down at their joined hands. She had yet to pull hers free. She didn’t really want to, because as long as he touched her and the buzz crept up her arm, she didn’t have to think about anything but the warmth of his skin against hers.