“I want to help you,” he whispered. “Your brother, I want to kill.” He cocked up one side of his mouth, like, Obviously.
“Well, if you think he’s coming here to check on me, you’re wrong.”
“Exactly the reason he should be shot. You don’t turn your back on family.”
“Another thing I’ve tried and failed to teach him.”
“I’m happy to do so for you.”
Sadie stared around the room. She hated hospitals. “I really need to get home to my father. He needs me.”
“You’re in no condition to go anywhere right now.”
“Did Dr. Bowden say I had to stay?”
He frowned. “Bell stopped by while you slept. She’d like you to stay another day.”
“I can’t leave my dad for that long. He’s sick. I’m fine. Nothing that won’t heal on its own.”
The deep frown came back. “Hang tight, let me go see what she says.” Rory walked out of her room and returned a few minutes later, looking grim. “Bell said that since the cops aren’t arresting you, I can take you home to finish recuperating, though I don’t agree.”
Sadie sat up, wincing when she hit a particularly bad cut, proving that Rory might be right about her staying at the clinic longer, but she needed to get home to her dad.
“You okay?” He squeezed her hand.
“I think it’s going to be a few days until at least a few inches of me feel better. The rest will take time. Mind handing me my bag?”
Rory let go of her hand, but didn’t move away. He stared down at her. She stared back, waiting to see if he’d speak his mind.
“You’re beautiful.” He reached out and traced a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear.
She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t know what to say. His softly spoken words went in through her ears and dropped straight down into her heart. She held on to the warmth that settled there.
He turned to get her bag from the set of drawers across the room, but she snaked her hand out and grabbed his forearm. His very thick arm.
“Thank you.”
He turned back and stared down at her, this time looking her right in the eye and holding it. She read so much in that look. A deep longing. A truth that went beyond words. Sincerity to match the depth of emotion he put in those simple words. She saw deeper to the part of him that wanted to say more, share more, but held back for whatever reason, so all he said was “I mean it.”
His gaze went to her hand on him. She thought he might have growled under his breath, but let it go as just her imagination. He saved her. They shared a traumatic experience in different ways, but still the same. He felt something for her because he’d seen her vulnerable. He’d seen her injuries up close and personal. If what happened to her affected her this deeply, seeing her bloody had to touch something inside him to make him stay by her side this whole time. He had a ranch to run, a family of his own, he didn’t need to be here with her, but he’d stayed anyway. It touched her deeply that this strong, stoic, keep-to-himself man cared enough not to leave her alone during the worst time of her life.
“Where’d you go?” His rich voice resonated through her and connected to something deep inside she couldn’t name.
“You stayed.” It hit her all at once. The fog from the pain meds cleared enough for her brain to start putting things together beyond the events that landed her in this hospital bed. Her brother left her to die, but this stranger, this man she didn’t know at all, not only saved her but stayed. He held her hand through the night and today. He might not be the best communicator, but he’d comforted her to the point that up until this moment she didn’t realize her own family hadn’t come to be by her side.
She didn’t blame her father. His health prevented him from doing what he wanted. The stress of what happened probably made him feel worse. Still, it would have been nice if for once he’d come to take care of her instead of it always being the other way around.
“I couldn’t leave you,” Rory whispered.
Sadie fell back onto the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. “Why not? Everyone else has.”
Rory planted his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned over her, staring down into her tear-filled eyes. “I’d never do that to you.” He quickly pulled away and stood up. “Sorry.”
For what? Pointing out that a near stranger would do something her own family wouldn’t or couldn’t? Or that he’d gotten too close? She actually wished he hadn’t backed off, but wrapped her in his thick arms and held her. She’d like to be wrapped up in all that strength. Stupid. Silly. She didn’t need a hug; she needed to figure out how to repay this man for all he’d lost and all he’d done for her.