Cut Throat (29 page)

He frowned. “You shouldn’t miss a dose, Cat. It will just slow you down in getting relief when you do start hurting again. I’m going to go get them.”

Cat watched him stride out of the room in the same manner that his mother had a few minutes before. She was thinking to herself how much alike they were in their need to nurture when Dorothy came back into the room carrying a tray with cups of steaming hot chocolate. At the same time, Wilson came in from the other doorway carrying Cat’s pills and a glass of water.

Wilson got to Cat before Dorothy did, and watched until she downed the pills. Then Dorothy slid in between them with a cup of hot chocolate, complete with miniature marshmallows.

“Here’s a spoon, honey. I don’t know about you, but I always like to stir mine until they melt.”

“That looks good,” Wilson said.

“There’s some for you, too,” Dorothy said, pointing to the tray.

“I take mine straight,” Wilson said, picking up a cup that was minus marshmallows.

Cat’s eyes narrowed as she watched Wilson sink into the sofa, cradling his cup as he sat. It was good, she thought, to be seeing him here in this place. He was somehow softer—more approachable. She took a sip of cocoa, smiling with satisfaction when a marshmallow came with it. She

leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation as the marshmallow finished melting on her tongue.

Or maybe she herself was changing? Maybe she was the one who was softening? And if she was, what would it cost her? She knew, with every bit of her soul, that she would not survive losing another loved one. She could not withstand that much grief and go on living.

She shuddered slightly, then opened her eyes, studying the hominess of the room and watching Dorothy’s fingers flying as she continued working the yarn in her lap.

A few minutes later they heard Carter come in the back door and call out, “Hey…where is everybody?”

Cat saw Dorothy’s face light up and her features soften as Carter entered the room. He walked over to where his wife was sitting, and leaned down and kissed her cheek before he did or said anything else.

“Is there some of that hot chocolate for me?” he asked. Dorothy pointed to the tray. “Now, sugar, you know there is.”

Carter brushed a finger down the curve of Dorothy’s cheek, then picked up his cup. As he did, he turned to Cat and winked.

“You doin’ all right, missy?”

“Yes, sir.” She hesitated for a moment, then added, “It’s remarkably generous of both of you to open your house to a stranger.”

Carter glanced at his son, then back at Cat, fixing her with a studied stare.

“Well now…here’s the deal. Wilson thinks you’re something special, so that changes your status from stranger to family.”

Cat blushed. She didn’t know what to say.

Wilson rolled his eyes. “Oh great, Dad. Here I am trying not to put any pressure on her, and you go and open your mouth and set me back a good month.”

Carter looked at her and winked.

Cat grinned. Their banter wasn’t at all what she’d expected, and it took the seriousness out of the moment.

Dorothy glared at both of them. “For Pete’s sake, you two. Drink your cocoa and leave her alone.”

Wilson glanced at Cat, then lifted his cup and silently toasted her. Without thinking, she lifted hers, too. Together, they took a sip, silently sealing something that, as yet, remained unsaid.

That night they all sat at the dinner table, talking about the day and Cat’s treatment, when she needed to go back for a checkup and when she would get her stitches out. As they were finishing dessert, Wilson’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, then got up.

“Excuse me a minute. I need to take this.”

Cat had seen the look on his face and recognized it as one of concern. She tried to listen to what he was saying as he walked out of the room but couldn’t hear enough to know who he was talking to.

Then Dorothy began cleaning up the table and shooed Cat to the living room. Carter helped her up, then offered her his arm and escorted her to the chair she’d claimed earlier.

As soon as she was seated, he took the same yellow afghan and covered her legs again.

“I don’t quite know how to take all this,” she said.

Carter stopped, then turned around and sat down on the arm of the sofa. “How so, honey?”

“I’m used to taking care of myself.”

He watched her for a moment, then folded his arms across his chest.

“That’s an admirable quality to have, but there comes a time in everyone’s life when they need a little help.”

Cat was unconsciously picking at the afghan as she answered. “I didn’t want to come here,” she admitted.

Carter nodded. “I can understand that. Hard enough meeting strangers

when you’re at your best…and I’m going out on a limb here by guessing this isn’t your best.”

Cat laughed, then grabbed her ribs and groaned. “Oh…crap…that hurt. Don’t make me laugh,” she gasped.

Carter grinned, and that was the way Wilson found them when he walked into the living room.

He’d heard her laugh and had an actual moment of jealousy that it wasn’t because of something he’d said. But when he saw the true light in her eyes and the joy on her face, he couldn’t begrudge a moment of it. Leave it up to his dad to make everything okay. He wished he could say the same about what was happening back in Dallas.

The phone call had been from John Tiger. Something was going on back at the office that had them concerned. LaQueen was getting hang-up phone calls, the tires on John’s truck had been slashed and Red Brickman’s car had been keyed while in the back parking lot. Someone was sending a message. Problem was, they only dealt with losers, so without actual contact from someone, it was going to be hard to pinpoint who it was.

Wilson was torn between wanting to get back and tend to business and an unwillingness to abandon Catherine when she was in need. Even though his parents could easily take care of her, it was the emotional abandonment he wanted to avoid. He’d told John to have video surveillance equipment installed all around the perimeter of their building and hope for the best. But if things persisted, he would be forced to return.

Cat saw movement from the corner of her eye and realized Wilson had

come into the room.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Not exactly, but we’re working on it,” he said. “What’s wrong?” Carter asked.

Wilson shrugged. “Just a little harassment at the office. Nothing that hasn’t happened before. It will work itself out. Don’t worry about it.”

Cat didn’t say anything more, but she knew better. Harassment at a bail bond office was unusual. Perps didn’t want to alienate the very people who were responsible for bailing them out of jail time and time again. The knowledge that someone had a personal interest in causing trouble for Wilson made her nervous.

A short while later Dorothy joined them, dragging over a card table and a deck of cards.

“Who’s up for a game of cards?” she asked.

“Hey, great idea, sweetheart,” Carter said, and began setting up the card table for her, pushing it right up in front of Cat so that she wouldn’t have to move her seat.

“What are we playing?” Wilson asked. “Poker okay with you guys?” Dorothy asked.

Cat stifled a grin. She beat Art on a regular basis when work was slow at the office. It remained to be seen if her skill carried over to other players, but she wasn’t going to give herself away. She allowed Wilson to plump up some pillows behind her, then watched without comment as the cards were shuffled and dealt. Dorothy pulled out a large stack of plastic chips, sorted them and doled them out.

Cat picked up her cards. Her heart skipped a beat as she laid them down on the table in front of her and waited for the others to bet. Carter tossed in a chip, as did Dorothy and Wilson. Cat added her chip to the pot.

Wilson pulled three cards out of his hand and laid them aside. “I’ll take three,” he asked. Dorothy gave him three new cards. She dealt two for herself, and two for Carter, as well. “Cat? Any for you?”

“I’m good.”

The others paused, gave her a calculating look, then eyed each other and grinned.

“Dang, Wilson…looks like you brought a ringer to the table,” Carter said.

Dorothy looked a little nervous. “Are you sure, dear? Do you know how to play the game?”

“Yes, ma’am, I know the rules.”

“It’s Dorothy, not ma’am,” Dorothy reminded her, then giggled nervously.

Wilson didn’t take his eyes off Cat, but he didn’t challenge her. Instead, he added another chip to the pot.

Carter laid his cards down on the table. “I’m out,” he said.

Dorothy fiddled with her cards and chips, then tossed two chips into the pot.

“Oh…I’m in and I’ll raise you,” she said, then smiled apologetically. Cat met the ante, then upped it without saying a word. Wilson’s eyes narrowed. He met the ante and upped a chip. Dorothy fussed and then giggled, and laid down her cards. “I’m out, too,” she said.

Cat looked up. Wilson was staring at her. She stared back without flinching. He looked down at his cards, then up at her. He couldn’t tell if it was the bruising on her face that was rattling him, or if it was because she had yet to blink.

“Call,” Wilson said, and laid down his cards. He had a pair of twos.

Cat laid down her cards. She was holding three aces.

“Damn,” he muttered, as Cat pulled the pot toward her, then began stacking the chips. He looked at his mother. “Did you shuffle that deck at all?”

“Now, Wilson, don’t be a sore loser,” Dorothy said. “You saw me. It’s just luck of the draw.”

“Some luck,” Carter said, and winked at Cat.

Cat waited for them to deal the next hand. She folded for two hands in a row, then, on the third hand, anted up once before calling and losing to Carter.

Then they dealt another hand, and just like the first, Cat stayed. No extra cards, no nothing. Just that flat expression on her face.

Wilson grinned. She must have a hell of a hand. Unfortunately, he did not, and quickly folded, as did Dorothy. Carter stayed in for another round, upping the ante by four chips.

“Here’s your four and two more,” Cat said.

Carter stared at his cards, then shook his head and laid them down. “I’m out,” he said.

Cat laid her cards face down on the table and reached for the pot.

“Just out of curiosity,” Wilson said, and turned over her cards before she could stop him.

“Hey,” Cat said, but it was too late.

Wilson stared at the cards for a few seconds, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing, and then looked up at her and grinned.

Carter’s mouth dropped.

Dorothy stared at the cards, then looked up at Cat and giggled. “You bluffed,” she said.

Carter frowned. “That wasn’t a bluff. That was a damn massacre.” “You quit fair and square, Dad,” Wilson said.

Cat stacked up her chips, then leaned back, exhaling carefully.

Carter looked at her for a few more moments, then started to grin. “You are something, missy, and that’s a fact.”

Cat arched an eyebrow, then picked up her five cards, none of which matched, and tossed them toward Dorothy.

“Where did you learn to bluff like that?” Carter asked.

An odd expression came and went on Cat’s face. “Life,” she said, and then looked to Wilson to be rescued from having to say any more.

Wilson read the plea in her eyes and got up from the table. “I’m going after a Pepsi. Anyone else want something cold to drink?”

“I would,” Cat said, and then smiled at Carter and Dorothy. “Deal me out, okay? I’m going to go get my pain pills.”

“I’ll get them,” Dorothy said, and jumped up.

“They’re on the table beside the bed,” Cat said, as Dorothy hurried from the room.

Carter picked up the cards and began shuffling them absently, eyeing Cat every now and then as he did.

Cat knew he was thinking about her. She just wasn’t sure if it was good or not.

Carter laid the cards down on the table and then leaned forward. “Cat… Catherine.”

Cat met his gaze. “Yes?”

“You’re the first female Wilson ever brought here.”

Cat’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“I think that life you spoke of a while ago has dealt you some really bad hands, hasn’t it?”

Breath caught in the back of Cat’s throat as her eyes began to blur. She took a breath, then looked away.

“It’s okay, kiddo,” Carter said softly, then laid a hand over hers. “If you’re looking for a soft place to fall, we’ve got arms to catch you.”

The offer was staggering. The only other people who’d been this kind to her were both dead. Cat closed her eyes, then covered her face with her hands.

Carter scooted his chair back from the card table, then paused beside Cat and patted her head before leaving the room.

By the time everyone came back, Cat had her emotions back under control. She sipped her Pepsi while they played a few more hands of poker, listening to the friendly banter and adding a few comments to the conversation.