Stone Cold Cowboy(24)
“It’s okay.”
Rory handed her the bag his brother had packed for her.
She unzipped it and shook her head. “Does Colt think I’ve got a hot date, or something?”
“What? Why?”
Without thinking, she pulled out the black lace bra and panty set Luna had bought her for her last birthday, teasing her that maybe if she wore them she’d feel sexy and say yes to one of the many guys who came into the diner and hit on them. She’d never worn them and didn’t have time for dating. The guys she met never really captured her interest. Well, one man had her full attention. He stood in front of her, his eyes wide and locked on the lingerie in her hands.
“Uh, I guess he grabbed whatever was there.”
“Yeah, right. He had to dig deep to come up with these.” She slid off the bed. “My feet are still swollen.” She wiggled her sore toes. “I’ll make whatever he brought work. Really, I’m grateful you guys thought to do this for me, otherwise I’d be wearing this ridiculous gown home.”
“It’s better than what you arrived in.”
She laughed under her breath, not really feeling it at all. “I guess you know black lace isn’t exactly my everyday thing.” That’s right, he’d seen her practically naked in her less than appealing cotton bra and panties. Great. Add humiliation and embarrassment to everything else that happened to her.
“There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about.” Rory’s gaze dipped down, scanning her body all the way down to her toes. She felt the heat wash over her skin even as the flush bloomed on her cheeks. The man barely said anything to her, but what he did say seemed to hit her hard and deep.
She ducked her head, slid off the bed onto her sore feet, and hobbled to the bathroom, carrying the duffel at her side, happy to be free of the IV line. It brushed the gash on her leg, and she hissed in a breath. Rory was beside her in the blink of an eye. Who knew the big guy could move that fast?
He held her arm to keep her steady and stared down at her. “Are you okay?”
“I just hit the cut on my leg.”
“Do you need some help getting dressed?”
She put her hand over his on her arm. “I’ve got this. Really, I’m okay.”
He pressed his lips together. Lips that looked soft, despite how they always seemed to be turned down into a frown. “You don’t look fine at all.”
“You don’t look so hot yourself, cowboy. You need to get some sleep and eat a decent meal.”
“You barely ate your breakfast. You refused lunch.”
“Sorry, I guess I should have given it to you.”
“I don’t want to take you home,” he said out of the blue.
“What? Why?”
“I can’t be sure you’ll be safe there.”
“It’s my home. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“I bet you thought that when you went after your brother. His friends are dangerous. Do you have somewhere else I can take you? How about to Luna’s place?”
“No. My father needs me. I’m going home.” She stepped away, pulling her arm free of his light grasp. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She needed the distance. Rory sitting beside her bed watching over her gave her comfort when it shouldn’t. She could take care of herself. Okay, except when some nutcase strung her up in a tree to get his rocks off watching her bleed. Still, she didn’t need Rory to worry about her. She didn’t need him to act like he cared.
She didn’t need him.
But God, wouldn’t it be nice to have someone like him. Strong. Dependable. Someone who cared about family, the land, a way of life she used to have but lost these last years as her ranch turned to dust and the horses got sold off. Instead of working her ass off to keep her head above water and her brother out of jail, what would it be like to have a home, a husband, a life that included love and happiness and laughter? God, when was the last time she laughed? When was the last time she went on a date? Or felt the way Rory made her feel with one look? Although sometimes those looks could mean he’d like to kill her as much as they could mean he wanted her. There wouldn’t be a whole lot of laughing with him. The man never smiled.
Except for one little girl he called angel. Kaley changed everything about him. He responded to the little girl and let down his guard. His very fortified guard. Why did he need it?
She didn’t know, but it made him less than approachable. So how the hell was she going to make things right with him when she didn’t have the money to pay him back for the cattle?
With her mind still cloudy from the pain meds, she pushed her worries aside and undid the gown strings at her back. It hurt like hell to move. Everything ached, but she got the job done and let the gown fall and pool at her feet.