After the Storm: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 2) (11 page)

              Hope sat by Renee’s bed, watching her sleep.  She’d barely left her the past three days.  Marcus was keeping Renee partially sedated to allow her to sleep through the worst of the pain.

             
I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but Renee was sexually assaulted, and I’d say by more than one attacker.  She’s badly bruised in many places, but the only broken bone she has is just a small fracture to left forearm.  There’s no internal thoracic bleeding, but she’s had other damage done internally.  I know this may be embarrassing and disturbing, but you need to know everything so that you can help her. 

              When I performed Renee’s internal examination, it showed that she’s never been with a man before.  The reason I mention this is because this will impact her mental state even more than it does a victim who wasn’t a virgin.  When the time is right, and that’ll be up to her, Mike will help her and I’m sure that she’s going to lean on you and her girlfriends.  Mike and Hannah are the only other staff who know the full extent of Renee’s condition and they’ll keep it completely confidential …

             
Those words, as kindly as Marcus had said them to her and Switch, would be forever etched into Hope’s memory.  Not only had Renee been brutally assaulted, but something very precious had been taken from her.  Marcus was confident that all of Renee’s physical injuries would heal, but the mental wounds would never completely go away.  Religious beliefs aside, Hope knew that it was a woman’s prerogative to whom she gave her virginity, and to have that choice taken away was doubly traumatic.

              Fortunately, Hope had been able to choose Switch and he’d been gentle, kind, and funny on their wedding night.  She’d wanted that same kind of experience for Renee; now she’d never know what it was like to give herself to someone for the first time.  Was her internal damage so severe that she wouldn’t be able to have children?

              Hope agonized over her daughter and she wished that she could hold Renee and soothe away her pain.

              Renee stirred and opened her one good eye, focusing on Hope.  “Ma?” she whispered.

              “I’m right here, sweetie,” Hope said.  “I’m right here.”  She kissed Renee’s hand.  “Are you thirsty?”

              “Yes.”

              Hope helped Renee drink some water.

              “Thank you.  Is Pa here?”  Renee’s voice was slightly stronger.  “Am I in the hospital?”

              “Yes, honey.  You’re going to be all right.  Pa will be back in just a little bit.”

              Renee nodded as her head rested on the pillow.  “You’re damn right I will be.  Where’s Skippy?  I want to see Skippy.”

              Hope didn’t think it was a good idea to let Skip see her at the moment as he had flown into a rage the first time he had seen her.

              “Skip has football practice,” Hope said, trying to put Renee off.

              “Ok.  I want to see him, Ma.  I need to see him.  And I want to talk to Sheriff Taylor, too.”

              “Renee, honey, you’re not well enough yet,” Hope said.

              Renee gripped Hope’s hand with surprising strength.  “You have him come see me.  I need to tell him what I remember.  I want those bastards caught and I’m going to help put them behind bars.  Get him, Ma.  Please?”

              Hope was amazed that Renee was thinking so clearly.  She was also amazed that she was out for revenge instead of feeling afraid.

              “Please, Ma.”

              It was Renee’s prerogative to talk to Mitch and Hope didn’t want to waste Renee’s energy by arguing with her.  “I don’t want to leave you,” she said.

              Renee gave her a slight smile.  “I’ll be all right for just that little bit.  Please call him.”  Switch appeared in the doorway.  “Pa’s here.  He’ll take good care of me.”

              “I sure will,” Switch said.

              Hope kissed her hand again.  “All right.”

              She left as Switch sat down by her.  “What can I get you, honey?” he asked.

              “Skippy.  I need to make sure he’s all right,” Renee said.

              Switch’s eyebrows drew together.  “Renee, that’s not a good idea right now.  He’s not doing well with this.  Besides, you need to worry about yourself and rest right now.”

              She squeezed his hand.  “Pa, you don’t understand.  What I need is to make sure he’s all right so I don’t have to worry about him.  He’ll be ok if I talk to him.  And I need to help catch these animals.”

              Switch was further perplexed.  “Aren’t you scared?”

              “To death, Pa, but I refuse to give in to that right now.  Please get Skip for me,” she pleaded with him.  “And Tim, if he wants to see me.  How horrible I must look, judging by how I feel.  I don’t even want to think about looking in a mirror.”

              Switch smiled.  “Tim’s been here to see you every day, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

              “He has?  I don’t remember very much.  Not until now,” she said.

              “I’ll make a deal with you.  I’ll bring Justin if you rest until I do,” Switch said.

              “Deal.”

              “All right.  When Hope gets back I’ll go to the school and get him,” he said, still apprehensive.

              “Thank you,” Renee said as her eyelids drifted shut.

*****

              Mason Taylor, lawyer and Dawson’s football coach, watched Skip jump into the air to catch the ball that Tristan Cooper, their quarterback, had thrown.  Skip’s hands closed firmly around the ball and he brought it down with him.  Instead of avoiding the defensive back standing in his way and streaking away like he normally did, the receiver rammed his shoulder into the other player.

              Dirk Bradbury was caught off guard and went over backwards onto his rear end as Skip plowed him over and raced for the end zone.  He outran a cornerback and made it across the line untouched. 

              “Whooo!” Skip said, spiking the ball.

              Dirk was slow getting up.

              “Keller!  Come here!” Mason hollered from the sideline.  “Get over here!”

              Skip ran over to him, breathing hard.  “Yeah, Coach?”

              “Look, I know you’re goin’ through a rough time, but can you take it a little easy on our guys?  We don’t need anyone injured before the game on Friday.”

              “It’s not my fault that Dirk wasn’t ready.  That’s his job and mine is to get to the end zone.  That’s what I did,” Skip said.

              Mason’s blue eyes narrowed.  “Don’t smart off to me, Skip.  You get your head on straight or I’ll bench you.  Do you understand?”

              Skip nodded.  “Yeah.  Sorry, Coach.”

              “It’s ok.” Mason shouted, “Ok, fellas!  That’s enough for today!  Good work.  See you tomorrow!”

              As the boys headed for the school to change out of their uniforms, Skip heard, “Justin!”  Recognizing his father’s voice, he turned around and ran over to him.

              “Hi, Pa.”

              “Hi.  After you get changed, we’re gonna go see Renee.  She’s asking for you, but you have to listen to me a minute.  You can’t fly off the handle like last time.  I know you’re angry and so are the rest of us, but you have to be calmer for her sake.”  Switch put a hand on his shoulder.  “Can you do that?”

              Skip smiled at the thought of seeing his sister.  “Yeah.  I’ll behave.  How is she?”

              “It’s the dangdest thing.  She’s mad and made Hope call Mitch to come see her.  She wants to tell him what she remembers.  She says she’s scared, but she’s angry more than anything right now,” Switch replied as they walked towards the school.

              “Good for her,” Skip said emphatically.  “I’ll be right out.”

              Switch nodded.  “I’ll go get Dash for you.”

              “Thanks, Pa.”

*****

              Tim quietly entered Renee’s room, carrying a vase full of red roses, which he put on a stand by the windows.  It tore at him every time he looked at her swollen, bruised face and he wanted to beat the scum who’d done this to her into a pulp.  Swallowing down his rage, he approached her bed and sat down in the chair next to the right side of it. 

              He didn’t want to wake her, but he wanted to hold her good hand.  It bore traces of how hard she’d fought and tears formed in his eyes as he thought of how scared she must have been.  He couldn’t imagine what she’d endured and it made him sick to think about it.  The need to touch her was too great to resist and he gently picked up her hand, holding it in both of his.

              Renee felt his touch and smiled, opening her eyes.  “Hi, Timmy,” she said.

              “Hi, honey,” he said, wiping away a tear.  “How are you feeling?  Can I get you anything?”

              She reached up to caress his cheek even though her muscles protested the motion.  “Don’t cry, Tim.  Please don’t.”

              More tears fell from his eyes even though he tried to check them.  “I can’t help it.  I feel so bad about what happened.  If only I’d stayed longer, maybe—”

              “Shh.  Don’t you dare blame yourself.  It’s not your fault.”

              Tim dried his tears on his shirtsleeve.  “Ok.  I’ve been taking good care of Romeo for you.”

              She smiled.  “Thank you.”

              “Listen, I was going to tell you over a nice dinner that I was gonna cook for you, but I want you to know that I love you, so much, Renee.  I’m going to help you get through this.  I’ll be with you every step of the way and I’ll do whatever you need me to.  You’re not alone and I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Tim said.  “I love you and thought it was time you knew it.”

              More than anything in the world, his declaration of love comforted her and lifted her spirits.  She tightened her hand around his.  Ignoring the discomfort it caused, she gave him a big smile.  “I love you, too, Timmy, and I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you still want me.  I’ve been worried about that today, but Pa said you’ve been here every day.  I love you and I’m not letting you get away.”

              Leaning down, Tim gave her the gentlest of kisses as joy swept through him to know that she returned his feelings.  “I love you so much.  You make me so happy,” Tim said.

              “You make me happy,” Renee said.  “How could I not love you?  You’re handsome and kind and you make me laugh.  And you cook.  That’s a big plus.”

              “And when you get out of here, I’ll make you a nice dinner.  How does that sound?” he asked.

              “Wonderful.  I’m actually hungry for the first time today,” she said.

              Tim kissed her hand and rose.  “I know exactly what to get you.  I’ll be back in just a bit.”

              He left before she could object.  She caught sight of the roses and smiled, knowing he’d brought them for her. 

              “Hey, sis,” Skip said from the doorway.

              “Skippy.”  She reached her hand out to him and he came over to take the chair Tim had vacated.

              He took her hand.  “It’s good to see you awake.”

              “It’s good to be awake,” she said.

              Shyly, Skip asked, “Are you in a lot of pain?”

              “Yes, but they’re giving me medicine.  I’m going to be all right, but I need the help of my little brother,” she said.

              “How about your big brother?”

              Renee gasped.  “Jethro!  What are you doing here?”

              Jethro walked into the room, smiling at his siblings even as rage surged through him over Renee’s appearance.  While Renee and Skip resembled their father, Jethro looked like Hope with his blue eyes and golden hair.  He was tall like Switch, however. 

              “I couldn’t stay away when Pa told me what happened.  He sent a telegram saying that you’d been hurt and I just had to come.  So I got on a train immediately and got here as soon as I could,” he said, sitting on the other side of her. 

              He went to hold her left hand but saw the cast on her forearm and just pat her upper arm instead.

              “You shouldn’t have interrupted your play to come here,” Renee said.

              Jethro shrugged.  “That’s what understudies are for.  You’re more important than any play, sis.  How are you?”

              “I’m better now that I have my brothers with me.  Skip, you have to let go of your anger, ok?  Please don’t cause any trouble.  For me?” she asked.

              “Ok.  I won’t cause trouble,” Skip agreed.

              “Thank you.”

              Tim returned.  “Oh, good Lord.  Look what the cat dragged in,” he said, smiling at Jethro.