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  The paramedic diagnosed Indy as suffering from exhaustion. She had some bruising, but it was minor and would heal in a week or two. She recommended having Indy checked out at the local hospital to just be sure.

  “I would prefer to have Aleaha check her out,” Allie suggested as the paramedic turned away.

  “I just want to get Indy out of here,” Jonathan murmured with a nod as he looked at all the tall buildings, flashing lights, and the large crowd of men and women carrying guns. “Somewhere I know I can protect her.”

  If Allie thought Jonathan was protective of her friend before, it was nothing compared to what he was now. Once the paramedic released Indy with the instructions for Jonathan to make sure she got rest and to see her local doctor as soon as possible, they had left. Allie was thankful for Trey’s help. Trey had impatiently thrown the keys to his SUV to her and told her he’d pick it up at the airport. Indy had barely woken throughout the entire trip back home.

  *.*.*

  Allie sighed as she walked up the steps leading to the bedroom where Indy and Jonathan were staying. She balanced the tray of fresh water, ice tea and clean glasses. Jonathan refused to leave Indy for more than a few minutes and she knew he was probably thirsty. Her mom was making lunch downstairs. Allie knew he had to be starving. He had barely eaten anything since they got home.

  A smile curved her lips when she heard her brother, Taylor, talking to Jacob downstairs. Her little brother had arrived early this morning. As usual, the house was much livelier when he was home.

  She paused outside the door, balancing the tray, as she raised her hand to knock. It was partially open, but she didn’t want to startle Jonathan by just walking in. She pushed it open with her hip when he called out for her to enter.

  “Hi, I brought some fresh water and ice tea for you. Mom is making lunch. I can watch Indy if you want to go down and grab a bite to eat,” she said, stepping into the bedroom.

  She glanced at the bed where Indy was peacefully sleeping. A tender smile curved her lips. Aleaha had given Indy another thorough examination after they made it home. Her diagnosis agreed with the paramedics in Los Angeles. Rest, food, and more rest was what Indy needed to heal.

  Jonathan glanced up at her and smiled his thanks. He was reclining on the bed next to Indy, reading the reports that Trey had sent over. Trey had been very clear that the information in it was to remain confidential as the investigation was still in progress. His brow was creased as he tried to understand some of the legal terms.

  Allie set the tray on the small table near the window. Turning, she walked over to the bed. She sat down on the right side, next to Indy.

  “I’m not that hungry. She still hasn’t really woken up,” he murmured, setting the papers down on his lap. “I’m worried about her.”

  “Aleaha said all Indy needs is a few days of rest,” She knows what she is talking about, Jonathan. I promise. She would never do anything to hurt Indy.” Allie murmured, brushing Indy’s hair back from her forehead. She just needs the time to recoup.”

  “It’s been almost two days!” he stated in a husky voice.

  “Yes, and she has been through a lot,” Claire said as she entered the room. “Come downstairs and I’ll fix you something to eat. You haven’t eaten hardly anything since you got back.”

  “Thanks, Claire, but I’m not hungry,” Jonathan replied in a tired voice.

  “I am,” Indy suddenly said as her eyes slowly opened. “In fact, I’m starving. What are you fixing?”

  *.*.*

  Later that evening, Allie set the table for dinner. Her thoughts were torn as she thought of what it would mean now that Indy had been safely returned. Jacob’s teasing comment earlier had hit home that he would be returning to his ‘widows’.

  “It’s just as well,” she muttered as she arranged the silverware next to the last plate.

  Her eyes moved to the clock on the wall out of habit. She needed to go see Chris tonight. She hadn’t had time since they returned and guilt was burning a hole in her stomach. She would leave right after dinner.

  “Allie,” Aleaha called out in a soft voice. Allie turned and saw her sister’s sad look. “He doesn’t know how long it’s been, you know?”

  Allie’s mouth tightened into a straight line. How could Aleaha be sure? That was what tore Allie up. The not knowing for sure how much Chris was aware. She had called the nursing home as soon as she got home. The nurse on call had told her he was doing the same.

  “I know,” Allie replied, knowing that it was easier to agree than to argue.

  “You need to move on,” Aleaha continued, resting her hand on Allie’s arm when she started to turn. “Jacob…”

  “… Will be leaving,” Allie interrupted in a tone that warned her sister not to push her. “I know I need to move on, but that doesn’t mean I need a man to do it.”

  “Anger is part of the healing process, Allie,” Aleaha said. “But, so is acceptance.”

  Allie stiffened and pulled away. “I know all the stages too well, Aleaha. I can assure you I’ve been through every damn one of them,” she said in a calm, controlled voice. “I’ll be alright, Aleaha.”

  Allie could feel her sister’s concerned gaze on her back as she walked into the kitchen to start bringing the food out. In the background, she could hear Taylor’s animated voice as he talked to Jacob as they walked down the hallway from her dad’s office.

  A reluctant smile curved her lips. Taylor had taken a liking to the two brothers. He had dragged a harried looking Jacob down to the office a couple of hours ago. She was going to have to remember to get Taylor a really nice Christmas present this year for giving her a reprieve from Jacob’s determination to get her to accept his attraction to her.

  There is nothing to forgive him for, she thought as she picked up the first bowl of food. He’ll go back to his life wherever he came from and I’ll continue with mine.

  *.*.*

  Dinner was almost over when Allie felt her cell phone vibrate. Pulling it out of her pocket, she looked at the number and paled. Glancing up, she caught Jacob’s eyes watching her intently from across the table.

  “Excuse me,” she said, rising out of her seat.

  She didn’t look back as she hurried through the living room and into the foyer next to the front door. Her finger shook as she slid it across the glass as she turned away to stare at the decorative window in the front door. Raising the phone to her ear, she murmured a quiet greeting.

  “This is Allie,” she said.

  “Hi Allie, this is Glenda at Riverdale. I… I think you might want to come see Chris, if you can,” Glenda suggested in a soft, sympathetic voice.

  “I… I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” Allie replied tightly before she hung up.

  “Is everything alright?” Jacob asked from behind her.

  Allie just nodded as she reached for her jacket. She stiffened when she felt Jacob’s fingers wrap around her forearm. Glancing down at them, the swift thought that they were strong enough to hold her up should she fall flashed through her mind. The image of Chris, holding her arm much the same way suddenly super-imposed over it. He had gripped her in much the same way just hours before the event that changed their lives. Regret swept through her that she had gotten angry with him for not accepting that she loved him for who he was, not how much money he had.

  “I have to go out for a little while,” she said, pulling her arm away from him and opening the door.

  She strode across the front porch and down the stairs. Pulling the keys out of her back pocket, she pressed the unlock button. Several minutes later, she pulled away from the house, ignoring the man standing on the front porch watching her.

  Allie looked both ways before she pulled out onto the highway. The back tires spun and she fishtailed slightly as she pressed her foot down on the gas. She told Glenda it would take her thirty minutes to get there. It was normally a forty-five minute drive. She made it in twenty.

  Chapter 13

&nbs
p; Allie strode through the entrance of the nursing home. Her mind felt like it was shattering into a million pieces as fear and despair gripped her. Glenda pressed the button, ignoring the fact that Allie was supposed to sign in. There were times when protocol could take a hike, and this was one of them.

  Allie rounded the corner of the nurse’s station down from Chris’s room. Her footsteps faltered when she saw the nurse coming out of it. It was Aleaha’s friend, Cathy.

  “Allie,” Cathy said, glancing back into the room before turning her sympathetic gaze back to her.

  “Is he?” Allie forced out over the lump in her throat.

  Cathy shook her head. “Not yet, love. But it won’t be much longer.”

  Allie gave Cathy a jerky nod as she slowly walked down to Chris’s room. She stopped in the doorway. Chris’s mom and dad were there. His mom was sitting in the chair that Allie normally sat in when she read to him. His father stood looking out the window, his back to her. She could see the grief on his face in the reflection of the glass.

  “Allie,” Jane Andrews looked up from where she was sitting, holding Chris’s hand.

  “I… I…,” Allie shook her head and stepped into the room.

  “Come here,” Jane said, setting Chris’s hand back on the bed and standing up.

  Allie rushed to Jane as she opened her arms. Her arms wrapped around Jane’s slender figure and she hugged her as if she would never let her go. Her body shook and she bit back the sobs threatening to escape her. It took several minutes before she felt composed enough to pull away.

  Stepping back, Allie turned to Chris. He appeared thinner and paler than he had just a few days before. She stepped closer to the bed and lowered the railing. Picking up his hand, she held it as she leaned over and brushed a kiss across his forehead.

  “Hey,” she whispered. “I bet you thought I forgot. You’re probably wanting to know what happened to Colin, don’t you? Little Mary gives him hell. Would you like to hear the rest of the story?”

  Allie smiled her thanks as Jane scooted the chair closer to her. Allie gave Chris’s dad, Craig, a watery smile when he picked up the other chair and set it next to her. Turning, she picked up the book she had left the other night.

  Opening it, Allie had to blink several times to clear her vision before she began reading. Several times throughout the next two hours, Cathy came in to check on them. Craig and Jane briefly stepped out to get a cup of coffee before returning. Allie continued reading, listening as each breath that Chris drew grew further and further apart.

  “… And by his side with his head up in the air and his eyes full of laughter walked as strongly and steadily as any boy in Yorkshire… Master Colin,” Allie’s voice faded as she finished the story and glanced up when she realized that Chris hadn’t drawn another breath as she read the last sentence.

  Her hands began to shake uncontrollably as she realized that he was truly gone. Jane’s soft cry and Craig’s shuddering gasps echoed in the room as Allie slowly closed the book in her hands.

  Rising up out of her seat, she brushed one last kiss across his forehead before whispering her condolences to his parents. Unable to deal with breaking down in front of them, Allie turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

  “I’m so sorry, Allie,” Cathy murmured as she stepped aside.

  Allie just nodded. She needed to get out of the building. She couldn’t breathe. She had to get out. Her eyes flashed to the clock at the end of the hallway. It was a little after one in the morning.

  Her body began to shake uncontrollably the closer she got to the entrance. She vaguely heard Glenda’s soft words of sympathy, but she didn’t stop. Pushing open the door, she drew in huge gulps of chilly air.

  Allie frantically reached for the keys to her truck and pressed the button. Stumbling across the parking lot, she pulled open the door and slid in. Only when she was safely alone did she break down and cry.

  Harsh jagged, ugly sobs ripped from her until she was gasping for breath. She laid her forehead against the steering wheel as she struggled to breathe. It was almost twenty minutes later before the wrenching sobs finally began to slow.

  Allie opened the glove box. Reaching into it, she pulled out a handful of napkins from different restaurants. She wiped her face before blowing her nose. Throwing the used napkins in the small, cloth, trash bin, she pulled more out and dabbed at her eyes as she turned on the key.

  The moment the light went out, she started it. Backing out, she ignored the ambulance that had arrived to take Chris’s body away. She turned out of the driveway, thankful it was late and there was no traffic as she had forgotten to even look to see if it was clear.

  It took her the full forty-five minutes to get home. Her body and mind was on auto-pilot as she didn’t remember any of the drive back. Her foot automatically applied the brake to stop her truck once she arrived. Turning the key off, she opened the door.

  Her body automatically turned toward the house, but her brain rebelled as another wave of grief struck her. Turning in the opposite direction, she headed for the tractor shed instead. She needed a place where she could scream and not wake anyone.

  *.*.*

  Jacob rose from one of the rocking chairs that sat on the front porch. He had been waiting for Allie to return. He became concerned as one hour turned to another. He stood in the shadows as Allie’s truck came down the long driveway.

  It glided past him as if in slow motion. He couldn’t see inside because of the tinting on the windows. A moment later, he heard the engine turn off and the door open.

  He watched as Allie turned toward the house before stopping as if she had run into a wall. He frowned when she suddenly turned on her heel and headed across the yard to one of the large metal buildings. Concern gripped him when he saw her break into a run.

  Making a decision, he walked down the porch to the steps and followed her. She had pulled open the door to the red building and disappeared inside before he made it half way across the yard. Breaking into a run, he followed her. He knew he made the right decision the moment he opened the door and her harsh, tortured cries, followed by a crash.

  “Allie,” Jacob called out in concern.

  Jacob crossed the wide-opened center section and turned left when he heard another muffled scream, followed by another crash. A dim light under a closed door showed him where he needed to go. He gripped the doorknob and pushed it open in time to see another glass smash against the wall. His eyes swiveled to Allie, who was sliding down the back wall to the floor.

  “Oh, Allie,” Jacob murmured as he heard her jagged, tortured sobs.

  He pushed the door open far enough to slip inside. Crossing the small room, he knelt down beside her. His hand paused for a brief second before he released a silent curse. Sliding his hands under her arms, he twisted and pulled her onto his lap.

  He held her head against his thundering heart when she briefly struggled. He rubbed his hand down along her back in a calm, soothing motion. After a minute, she turned her face into his chest. He could feel her body shivering from the cold and shock. Whatever happened, it had been bad.

  “Tell me,” he murmured softly against her hair. “Let me help you.”

  “It’s not fair,” Allie sobbed. “He didn’t deserve to die that way. He was so young. He had so much to live for, damn it. Why? Oh, God, why?”

  “No, it’s not fair,” Jacob agreed in a low voice as he realized what had happened. “Was that what the telegra… telephone was about?

  Jacob felt Allie nod her head before additional sobs choked her again. She curled her arms and legs up as far as she could, trying to get closer to him. He could feel the shivers wracking her body.

  Drawing her as close as he could, he leaned his head down until his cheek was pressed against her hair. A deep sigh of regret coursed through her.

  No, life wasn’t fair, he thought. Too often, life was cut short. Sometimes by illness, sometimes by injuries, and sometimes by war.

  “It is nev
er easy to lose people you care about,” Jacob said as he continued to caress her back. “During the war, Jonathan and I saw a lot of that. Young boys, a lot younger than Jonathan and me, lying dead among the men.”

  Allie lay against his chest. He could still feel the dampness as her tears fell, but she had quietened down. He could tell that she was listening to him. A tired sigh escaped him.

  “Jonathan and I were twenty-one when the war broke out. I made the mistake of traveling back East looking for horses that would be good for breeding. Our father was a trapper. He met our mother on one of his trips East to sell his furs. Just before the war started, he talked ma into going back with him. He’d filed a claim for some land and wanted to breed horses and cattle for the settlers that continued moving west,” Jacob said, leaning his head back against the wall as memories of the next four years flashed through his mind.

  “What happened,” Allie’s soft voice asked.

  “I was young, but older than most of the soldiers. I had experience with tracking. I was enlisted as a scout and spy for the North. It was either that, or be condemned as a traitor. I sent word to my ma and pa. Two months into my commission, Jonathan appeared. I don’t think I would have survived if he hadn’t come. More than once, he saved my life.”

  “Which war was this?” Allie asked in confusion.

  “One that happened a long, long time ago,” Jacob whispered as he felt her body grow heavy. “Yet, not so long ago.”

  “What… what happened to your parents?” Allie asked, rubbing her cheek sleepily against his damp shirt.

  Jacob smiled when she yawned. “They died of influenza a year ago.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jacob,” Allie whispered before her eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep, partly due to exhaustion and partly due to the need to escape from the real world.

  “Me too, Allie,” Jacob replied, tenderly as he continued to stroke her hair. “Me too. I would love for them to have met you, my beautiful, fiery cowgirl.”