A Daring Proposal (22 page)

“On the count of three,” Jed said. “You release, Chaney and I give you the deed. Chaney, you count off.”

There was no way to stop him without warning Burton as well. Jed had turned his gaze back to her and Chaney pulled every ounce
of strength she could from it.

“One, two,” Burton’s grip eased a bit. “Three,” she yelled and slammed the heel of her boot into her captor’s foot. She yanked herself free and fell to the floor as Jed slammed his shoul
der into Burton’s solar plexus.

An explosion rent the air. The momentum of Jed’s tackle sent both men across the room crashing onto the cot. The weight of them was too much for it and the cot collapsed. They continued to fight. Chaney prayed their continued battle meant the shot she heard had been wild and hit no one.

On the tail of her two-second prayer, the door to the cabin flew open, banging against the wall. Her brother-in-law and the sheriff rushed in at the same moment another shot split the air. Chaney’s gaze flew back to the two men on the floor in time to see Burton push Jed aside.

“Jed,” she screamed as one more shot rang out before an eerie silence blanketed the room. She didn’t know who’d fired, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Burton crumple to the floor. A gun fell from Jed’s hand. Burton must have dropped it when Jed tackled him. While they were rolling on the floor, he must have found it. Pride and joy welled in her heart knowing how hard he fought for those he loved. In the seconds those thoughts burst in her head, she realized Jed now lay motionless across the room from her. She rushed to his side. She had to tell him. He couldn’t die this way, not knowing. She crawled across the
floor as quickly as she could.

“Jed, talk to me,” she begged. One hand cupped the side of his face, her thumb stroking his day’s growth of beard. The other hand followed her gaze to the bullet hole in his left shoulder. He still clutched the
deed to the ranch in his hand.

Blood poured from the wound. Chaney wanted to scream and collapse against him, sobbing into his chest. Sensibility from having grown up on a ranch overrode the hysteria. She pressed both hands against the wound, but bl
ood pulsed between her fingers.

“Talk to me, Jed,” she said.

Steve appeared on the other side of Jed. Chaney gave his white face a moments glance. “Put pressure on this,” she told Steve replacing her hands with his over the wound.

“Get a chopper out here now,” she yelled at the sheriff.

“Already on its way,” he said from beside her. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s unconscious and losing a lot of blood,” she reported absently her attention focused on Jed’s face. “Jed, damn it, wake up,” she said forcefully. Sweetness and light had never been her strong points and Jed always responded to challenges better than requests.

Her hand stroked over his hair and came away bloody. This time she stroked his head to see how bad the wound was and found a growing lump with a gash in the middle. Remembering his run in with the stove, she knew he probably had a concussion as well. Noting how pale his normally tanned face appeared in the harshness of the light, she ripped a sleeve from her shirt, cradled his head in her lap, and applied pressure to that wound as well. Fear gripped her heart; it seemed his very life force was leaving him. She wanted desperately to hold him close and whisper her love to him, but she knew something that might work better.

“Don’t you dare leave me again. If you do, I swear I will follow y
ou into hell and make you pay.”

His lips moved and Chaney leaned close in hopes he was saying something. “Been there, done that.”

“That’s right, you have been there,” she replied as tears coursed down her cheeks. She stroked his cheek with her free hand. “We’ve paid our dues, sweetheart. It’ll be sunshine and wildflowers from now on. All you have to do is hang on. I’m not going anywhere. ”

Jed’s right hand reached up and Chaney laced her trembling fingers with his. His eyes opened a bit and she wanted to climb into the beautiful blue pools and stay there forever. She pressed her forehead to his. In the background she heard the whup whup of helicopter blades echoing her heartbeat. She pressed their joined hands to Jed’s chest, needing to feel his heartbeat as well. To reassure herself that it was strong, that he wouldn’t die
because of her stubborn pride.

“Take care of Ash for me,” he wheezed through lips growing parched.

“I will. We’ll be waiting for you.” Her tears now trailed down his cheeks as they fell from her eyes to his face. His eyes were losing focus. His fingers lost their grip on her hand. She pulled his hand close to her heart. “Jed, Jed?” She cried, begging him to stay with her.

“Love you, Chaney gi...”

“I love you, too, Jed,” she cried as his eyes closed and his head fell sideways in her lap. No, she couldn’t lose him. Not now. She cupped his face, leaning hers close. “Come back. Don’t leave me, Jed, I love you. Please don’t leave me.”

Hysteria took over as the paramedics tried to ease her away. She fought them, fearing if she let go of him he wouldn’t have any reason to fight. Then strong hands pulled her up and away, holding her tightly. Steve. He held her as the paramedics work
ed on Jed.

The noise from the helicopter outside was deafening, but she could tell the paramedics weren’t positive from the way they kept glancing at each oth
er after calling out a reading.

“Don’t you dare give up on him,” she screamed, straining against
Steve’s hold.

“Stop doubting and start saving him, damn it,” she continued, ignoring Steve’s efforts to stop her. She looked at Jed’s ashen face. “Don’t you give up, Jed Sampson.
Don’t you dare give up on us.”

Steve turned her around forcing her to look at him.

“Stop it,” he said, grasping her upper arms hard. “Stop scaring yourself. Jed’s a fighter. You know it. He survived your father’s men, and war. He’s not going to go out without a fight.”

Chaney slumped against her brother-in-law, her strength draining out of her with the fear that Jed didn’t think he had any reason to fight. If he hadn’t still been holding her by the arms she would have slid to the floor.

“Jed will be all right. He’s got you and Ashley to live for now.”

“What if he’s not? He doesn’t know, Steve. I never told him.”

“Didn’t tell him what?” Steve asked as Chaney lifted her head and met his gaze.

“I love him,” she said then collapsed sobbing against his chest.

She felt Steve’s hand, gentle and smooth rub across her back trying to comfort her. What she wanted were Jed’s hands, rough, nicked, and callused from his woodworking. Chaney heard Steve’s supportive, “He knows, Chaney,” but she didn’t believe him. She did take solace in one thing he’d said. Jed would fight to come back for Ashley.

When the paramedics had Jed on the gurney, Chaney gathered what little strength she had left and pulled free of Steve’s hold. They weren’t taking Jed anywhere without her. She grasped his hand and ran with them toward the chopper. She only released his hand long enough for them to load him inside. As soon as they helped her
in, she reached for him again.

“I’m here, Jed. You can’t get rid of me, do you understand? I’m not leaving you.”

The sheriff had assured her she could give her statement later. Not that she cared. Right now, nothing mattered except Jed.

Chaney spent the short flight wrapped in a blanket, holding his hand, staring at Jed’s pale face. Realizing quickly the noise inside the helicopter obliterated her words before they could reach him, she started praying silently that she would see his blue eyes again.

Their arrival at the hospital was a blur to her. Doctors and nurses were everywhere, all talking at once. Chaney couldn’t make out much of what they said. She did hear one of the paramedics give his opinion of Jed’s condition as she stepped out of the chopper. The negative information pierced her heart.

He had lost a lot of blood, but as long as he was breathing, she wouldn’t give up hope. Throwing aside the blanket, she wiped away her tears, and marched inside fighting off hands that grabbed at her while someone told her they needed to examine her, too. She wouldn
’t listen. She was determined to make sure the doctors did everything possible, and told her what each of those possibilities might be. This was the man she loved, damn it. She was going to make damned sure he woke up so she could tell him.

***

Chapter Fifteen

Jed opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Whatever he drank to get this hangover, he was never touching again. Okay, so he’d said that before. This time he meant it, he thought as he tried to lift his hand to massage his aching temples only to have a new pain slice threw his body.

“What the hell?”

“Hey, cuz. Take it easy. You gave us quite a scare, but the doctors say you’ll be okay.”

“Steve?” Jed asked. He forced one eye open a slit as he turned his head toward the voice. “What the . . . Where?” He opened both eyes, then chanced trying a bit wider and took in the room. Pale greens and blues covered the walls, but there was no mistaking the metal railing on his bed. “Hospital?”

Steve reached beside Jed and pushed a button on a cord as he spoke. “Yeah, you’ve been out of it for a couple of days.”

“Days?” He’d been lying in bed for days? Then the cobwebs blurring his memory disintegrated as if touched by a flame. “Chaney,” he demanded grabbing at Steve’s shirt with his good arm. “Where’s Chaney?”

Jed let Steve pry his fingers from his shirtfront, but held his hand in a determined, but strength sapping grip.

“Chaney’s fine. She’s at the ranch, doctor’s orders.”

Jed started to pull himself up using Steve’s hand as a lever but his cousin had other ideas. Jed found himself flush against the bed in a split second.

“Don’t even try,” Steve told him. “You move from that bed and Chaney will have my head. Believe me that is one woman I don’t want mad at me. My guess is the doctors are a little afraid of her too. You should have heard her ordering them to save you.”

“She’s okay?” Jed asked. He doubted he would believe it until he saw her, but he had to ask.

Steve nodded. “Just worn out.”

Another terrifying thought gripped Jed. “And the baby?” If she’d lost another child because he had been too stubborn to tell her he loved her, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

“Baby’s fine, too,” Steve said with a grin. “Finding out I’m going to have another little cousin running around was a nice surprise. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Chaney didn’t want . . .” Jed’s voice drifted off and he looked away. What was he supposed to say? Chaney didn’t want him?

“Hey, it’s all right,” Steve said. “I understand how people worry about telling people too soon. You don’t owe anyone explanations. It’s your and Chaney’s business.”

Business was right, Jed thought. That’s all it was to Chaney a business arrangement. His head pounded resisting the tease of a memory that had him doubting that thought. He realized Steve was speaking again and gave up trying to catch the elusive memory.

“Here’s the doctor. I’ll let you two talk. I need to call the house and tell everyone you’re awake. Chaney’s chomping at the bit to see you,” Steve said as he stepped toward the door.

“No,” Jed barked propping himself up on his good elbow although pain sliced through every muscle in him. “No, I . . . don’t want Chaney here.”

Steve turned back and Jed coul
dn’t hold his questioning gaze.

“Why not? She’s worried sick about you. If the doctor hadn’t ordered her home to rest this morning she would have been here instead of me.”

“Then tell her I’m fine,” Jed said forcing himself to look at Steve’s face. He couldn’t face her yet knowing he had failed her again. “But do not bring her here,” he demanded pounding his good fist on the bed.

“That’s enough, Mr. Sampson,” the doctor interrupted looking at Steve. “If your cousin isn’t ready to see anyone, then please respect his wishes.”

Jed watched Steve consider the doctor’s words. The pounding in his head was such Jed feared he would pass out before his cousin left.

“What about Dad and Ash?”

“No, not yet,” Jed croaked out before losing the battle to hold himself up and falling back against his pillows.

“Do you want me to come back later?” Steve asked his hand on the doorknob.

Thankful he didn’t hear any condemnation in his cousin’s voice, Jed tried for a smile. “Yeah, that would be good.” Steve nodded then walked out the door.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Sampson?”

“Great. When can I get out of here?” Jed appreciated the doctor siding with him about visitors, but he wasn’t staying in the hospital long. He had spent more than enough time in them already the past month.

“At least a couple more days.”

“Like hell,” Jed replied. The fact that the doctor didn’t seem the least bit ruffled by Jed’s protest irritated him further. That’s when he really looked at the man and realized it was the same doctor who had set his uncle’s arm and seen Chaney after her fall.

“I’ve grown accustomed to that response from members of your family, Mr. Sampson. It doesn’t bother me.” The doctor made a show of looking over Jed’s chart. “I have back-up, your uncle and cousin have assured me they will follow any instructions I give them for your care.”

“I don’t need care. I need to get out of here. Where’s my real doctor? I thought your specialty was broken bones.”

His throat was dry, his shoulder ached and his head felt like one of Chaney’s cows had kicked him, but he needed to get out of here. The man smiled rather than look put off by Jed
’s insult. Jed had a feeling that was a bad sign.

“My
specialty
as you call it is emergencies. I spend most of my time in the ER, which is why I’ve gotten to know your family so well. As to your care, you have lost a lot of blood and had a bad concussion. You’ve been unconscious for two days. We need to make sure there’s no hidden damage.”

Jed glared at him but remained silent.

“Besides, if I release you my suspicion is you’ll do something you shouldn’t and undo all the work we’ve done. To be honest, I don’t want to face Mrs. Sampson when that happens.”

Jed broke eye contact with the doctor’s last words. “Chaney has enough to take care of without worrying about me.”

“I agree, so you’ll be staying here for a couple of days. Then--”

“No, I told you I’m leaving when Steve gets back.”

“Mr. Sampson,” the doctor said deliberate patience laced his tone. “Your discussion with your cousin obviously wiped you out. You do not have the strength to leave the hospital.”

“Give me something to eat and a couple more hours of sleep and I’ll be fine.” Jed turned his head away from the doctor. He found what he was looking for on the table beside his bed. Grabbing his cell phone, he flipped it open. The keypad looked smaller than before and the numbers wouldn’t stop floating.

“Mr. Sampson,” the doctor said all patience evaporated from his voice. “I am the doctor, not you and when I tell you that you are not ready to walk out that door yet, it is the truth. Your body needs more fluids and nutrition than a little food will supply. Complete rest and . . . your . . .”

Jed returned his gaze to the doctor and raised an eyebrow at his hesitation inviting him to continue.

“Your emotional state has me concerned.”

“What emotional state?” Jed kept his voice free of any sign of the irritation building in him.

“Your refusal to see your family for starters. I can understand not wanting your daughter to see you with all the monitors and tubes. Parents often believe that will be too scary for children, but Ashley has already been in once. Mrs. Samp--”

“What?” Jed bellowed forgetting control and rising to a sitting position, or the best imitation of one with one arm plastered to his chest and the other with an IV in it. Nausea cramped his stomach and the hammer in his head did double time. He fought both unable to believe Chaney would have done such a thing.

“Your daughter wouldn’t believe anyone that you were okay. She kept crying that you were dead and she was all alone. Mrs. Sampson brought her in and asked for a few minutes to assure her you were going to be all right. I believed it was the best thing to do under the circumstances.”

Jed didn’t relax with the explanation. If anything, he tensed even more. “What circumstances?”

“Your daughter’s near hysteria, your lack of response to any stimuli, your wife’s condition.”

“What’s wrong with Chaney?” Jed demanded straining against the IV’s restriction.

“Nothing,” the doctor assured him while encouraging him to lean back, though Jed didn’t budge. “She has a few bruises from the ordeal, nothing serious. After all she has been through the stress was building up and that isn’t good for any pregnancy. That’s why we needed to calm Ashley down, though, and it worked.”

Jed remained upright for a few more seconds then eased back down to the pillows and closed his eyes. “I’ll give you until tomorrow morning, Doc. But no visitors, except Steve.”

“Mr. Sampson, your wife needs to--”

“None of this would have happened if it weren
’t for me,” Jed interrupted the man opening his eyes and spearing the doctor with the hardest most determined glare he could manage. “My wife needs to get on with her life. No visitors or I pull out this IV and leave now.”

***

Chaney hugged Steve as tears of relief streamed down her face.

“That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed then released him. She began thinking of everything she needed to get together before going to see Jed. “I can’t wait to see him, and oh, Ash is going to be so excited. I have to find her and we can leave--”

“Chaney?”

The softness of Steve’s voice caught Chaney’s attention faster than a demand would. Foreboding crawled over her skin like a scorpion waiting to pounce. She froze unable to meet Steve’s gaze.

“He, uh, Jed--”

Steve’s inability to speak broke through Chaney’s fear. Not knowing something was much worse than knowing and dealing with it. If nothing else the past few weeks, hell the past tw
elve years had taught her that.

“Spit it out, Steve. What’s wrong with Jed? Did he jump out of bed and tear his stitches? Have amnesia? Brain damage?” Each possibility that leapt into her mind was worse than the one before. “What?”

“No, he’s okay, physically,” Steve assured her. His hand reached for hers before he continued and Chaney’s feeling of doom increased. “He doesn’t want to see anyone.”

Relief made her knees weak. “Is that all? Did he think I was going to parade the town through the hospital? I’ll make sure everyone knows that only family can visit--”

“Anyone,” Steve cut her off.

Chaney felt as if a vise squeezed her heart. She leaned back against the desk for support. “Anyone being. . . me.” Oh God, she knew she’d ruined it but prayed she would be able to fix it if Jed would just pull through.

“No, Chaney, it isn’t just you. Jed doesn’t want Dale or Ash or anyone to see him right now. I’ll go check on him later and see if I can change his mind.”

“He’ll see you?” Steve wouldn’t meet Chaney’s eyes and that told her more than any words could.

“Chaney, it doesn’t mean anything. Jed probably just wants me to be his errand boy while he’s laid up. You know I’ve never been able to cross him.”

“It’s all right, Steve, you don’t have to make excuses.
I know exactly what Jed means.”

She pushed off from the desk and walked around it. After shutting down the computer, she straightened a few papers before looking back up at her brother-in-law. With every ounce of control she had, she sent him a smile. “We need to tell Ash, Jed’s awake. I’ll tell her the doctor said he needs more rest for a while though, so she might not be able to see him for a day or two. Think she’ll buy it?”

“If you tell her she will. She minds you better than anyone else.”

The compliment was bittersweet. She and Ash had built a great relationship in the past couple of days. They had spent hours planning for Jed’s return home. They made menus of all his favorite foods, bought books for Ash to read to him, and extra pillows for her to fluff for him. Now Chaney had to accept that none of that was going to happen, at least not here. Ash wouldn’t have to do anything Chaney said because there wasn’t a doubt in Chaney’s mind that Jed was planning to leave her.

She shook off the morose thoughts. There would be plenty of time for crying later. Before Jed’s release from the hospital, she would simply pack everything up and send it over to Dale’s ranch. Then, Ash could take care of her father there.

“Let’s go give Ash the good news,” she said casting a grin at Steve’s concerned expression. “Then maybe a piece of Martha’s apple pie to celebrate.”

Late that night Chaney stared at Jed’s sleeping form. Her hand stroked the cold glass in the door that separated them while imagining she touched his warm skin. She would respect his wishes and not visit him, but she had desperately needed to see him.

Throughout the day, she had forced herself to accept what Jed wanted. A break. A clean break from the ridiculous demands she had placed on him. She had half expected to find a lawyer on her door with divorce papers or worse annulment papers to prove he wished their time together had never happened. Then she remembered the child she carried and knew Jed would never do anything to keep him from his child. If he decided to divorce her,
she deserved it.

Jed had done everything he could to prove he loved her and put the past behind them. But no, she wouldn’t listen to explanations. She always had to have the last word. Her stubborn, pig-headed, McBride pride had forced him to--