Dorothy Garlock (38 page)

“Thanks, ”he murmured.

Tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw the singed hair and the red blistered flesh on his neck. She moved to the other side of the bed and sank down on her knees. His smoke-darkened face lay against the white sheet.

“Thad? Is there anything I can do? ”Her fingers stroked his unruly dark hair back over his ear.

On hearing her voice, he stopped breathing. Then green eyes were looking at her from between his thick dark lashes. Although her eyes were swimming in tears, she saw the concern in his. He said nothing for a long while. When he finally spoke, it was in a husky whisper.

“I hate it when you cry.”

“I can't help it.” Her fingers continued to stroke his hair.

“I'm filthy dirty. I don't want you to see me …like this.”

“You look wonderful to me.”

“I'm getting your bed dirty.” His lips barely moved as he spoke.

“Would you feel better if I washed your face? ”Her small hand reached to cover his where it lay on the white sheet.

“If I had a washcloth I could do it.”

Jill left the room and returned with a basin and a cloth. She placed it on the floor beside the bed and dipped the cloth in the warm water. She gently washed the greasy smoke from his face. The cloth caught in the whiskers as she smoothed it over his chin and his cheeks. His eyes remained closed until she finished.

“Feel better? ”

“Uh-huh.”

She washed his hands with the wet cloth and placed them back on the bed. Thad watched her. When she stood up with the basin, he was sure that she would leave the room. But she set it on the bureau and came back to sink down on the floor beside the bed.

“Joe's gone to the drugstore to get something to ease the pain. Is it very bad? ”Her hand sought his where it lay on the bed.

“Not… so bad …now.” He turned his hand over and gripped hers tightly.

“I wish I could take the pain away.”

She laid her head on the bed beside his. Then, as if she had no control over her actions, her lips brushed his in a kiss so gentle that it was over in an instant.

“What does that mean? ”he asked in a choked whisper.

“It means that I don't care … if you get my bed dirty, or if you have a dozen women chasing after you. I'm so glad you're here and safe, where I can take care of you. You're mine for …now.”

Oh, God, I ache for you. I love you so damn much.

“You're just saying that because … because you're feeling sorry for me.”

“Yes, I'm sorry you're hurt, you …you dumbbell! ”she said almost angrily. “But I've got more sense than to tell a man that I love him…just because he's hurt. There, I've said it! ”A thin thread of panic ran through her. She lifted her head so that she could look at him. Her blue eyes, full of defiance, met his. “Now you can add my name to the list of all your other women and…laugh because the stupid little farm girl that's been crazy about you all her life has admitted that she loves you.”

Damn the pain in her heart that was causing tears to fill her eyes!

“Jill, Jill, ”he whispered and lifted his head off the bed. “Sweet girl, the first day I came to Rainwater you took over my heart. Damn! I wish I could get up and hold you. Come closer, honey, so I can kiss you.”

A stubble of beard scraped her chin as she fit her mouth to his. He didn't just kiss her; he stroked, nibbled, coaxed her lips apart with light sweet kisses. After a long and delicious moment, she backed away slightly to take a breath, then her mouth returned to his again as if it were cool, sweet water and she were dying of thirst.

His free hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers forked through her hair. When she ended the kiss and moved, he didn't try to hold her. He feasted his eyes on her face. Hungrily, they inspected every detail.

“Why didn't you tell me this days ago? I've been through hell — ”

“My pride wouldn't let me.” Her fingers stroked his lips. “It's gone now. I've not a shred of pride left. I just had to tell you, even if you … if you just want to add me to your string.” The tears that filled her eyes made them look like twin stars.

“I'm going to beat Joe senseless for telling you that. I think I've always known that you and I would be together someday, raise a family, grow old together. When will you marry me? ”

She took a gasping breath. “I don't know. I've got to think — ”

“You said you loved me. Didn't you mean it? ”he asked with something like panic in his voice.

“I meant it…with all my heart.”

“I love you, too, ”he said simply.

She could see the anguish in his eyes and swallowed dryly, feeling the frantic clamor of her throbbing pulse. Was he saying that because she cried? Go slowly, she warned her leaping heart. Did he really mean it?

“We can talk about it…later.”

“Is this a dream? ”She heard his voice quaver.

“I'm awake. Are you? ”Too moved to form more words, she could only kiss his lips, again and again. “I'll always love you, ”she whispered.

His laugh was low, intimate, joyous. He pressed on the back of her head to bring her lips to his again.

“And I love you….” The words were muttered against her lips.

So much tenderness was in the timbre of his voice that Jill almost cried again. She choked back the sobs and smiled at him. Her fingers stroked his cheeks, feeling the rough drag of his whiskers. She traced his eyebrows and trailed her fingers over his lips. He remained still, his eyes devouring her face.

“I never imagined it would be like this. Me, flat on my stomach, not daring to move lest I break open the skin on my back. I want to pick you up, run away with you and love you until we're both so old we can't get up out of a chair.”

“When that time comes, I'll be sitting on your lap and you won't have to get up out of a chair, ”she teased and kissed his eyes shut. Then her lips sought his and opened over his mouth with drugged sweetness. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the feel of his lips moving under hers and the strong fingers stroking the nape of her neck.

“My patient seems to be in good hands.”

Jill lifted her head to see Dr. Russell coming into the room. A grinning Joe was behind him. Red-faced, she scrambled to her feet. Thad refused to let go of her hand even though she pulled on it.

The doctor came to the bed. “Let's see what we've got here. Young lady, if you can get your hand back, I'd like you to bring me some things from the kitchen. I stuck my head in there a while ago and told Laura what I was going to need. The water should be cool by now.”

After the doctor had dressed the burns on Thad's back and shoulders with the salve from the drugstore, he gave instructions to Jill.

“He's lucky the burns aren't any deeper than they are. He should heal fast if he doesn't stretch and break open the skin. Keep it covered tonight. Tomorrow take off the cover so the air can get to it. If he runs the slightest temperature, call me. It could mean an infection.”

“I need to get up, ”Thad protested.

“Too bad, ”the doctor said without a trace of sympathy. “Stay right there. I'll not have my reputation ruined because I let a puny little old burn kill my patient. I'll be back in the morning.”

Jill followed the doctor out of the room. Thad twisted his head so that he could see Joe.

“Shut the door, Joe. I've got to pee so bad I'm about to bust.”

“That so? I didn't think men in love had to do things as ordinary as pee.”

“Don't be smart. I'm hungry, too. I haven't had a bite to eat all day.”

“Worked up an appetite, did you? Kissin 'does that to a fellow.”

“When I get up from here, I'm going to stomp your sorry hide into the ground.”

“It takes a brave man to threaten me when he knows that I'll not hit him when he's down.” Joe brought the chamber pot and set it beside the bed.

“She loves me, ”Thad said after he had used the pot and scooted back up onto the bed.

“She's dumber than I thought.”

“I'm going to marry her as soon as I get out of this bed.”

“I don't know about that. You'll have to get permission from her nearest male relative. You'd better start buttering him up.”

“You put a kink in this, Joe Jones, and I'll go through your guts like a hot chili pepper.”

“I'm ready to bargain.”

“What've I got you want? ”

“Your half of the car.”

“I'd rather kiss a dead moose's ass than give you my half of the car, ”Thad sputtered.

“Jill will be delighted to hear that, ”Joe said in a superior tone and left the room. He was grinning.

“Come back here, you pig-ugly — ”

Thad thought that he was shouting, but he was only whispering, and his voice faded. The medicine the doctor had given him was kicking in. His eyes drifted shut and he fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 27

J
ELLY BRYCE WALKED INTO THE SHERIFFS OFFICE
and hung his hat on the peg beside the door.

“You missed a good meal, Sheriff. The ladies at the hotel invited me to dinner. We had fried potatoes, green beans, turnip greens cooked with side pork and cornbread.”

“That's what happens when you're young and pretty. No one offers to feed me turnip greens and cornbread.”

“Some of us have all the luck, Sheriff.”

“How is Taylor doing? ”

“All right. The doctor gave him something to make him sleep. Is the kid all right? ”

“Judge Broers said so. The kid's his grandson.”

“I hope he realizes what a chance Taylor took to save the boy. I didn't think that he and the kid had a snowball's chance in hell to outrun that fire. When Blue and I got to them, he was just coming around, still holding on to the kid. Must have blacked out for a minute.”

“A well fire will happen once in a while. The valve on the water tank is another matter. Westfall's man swears someone stripped the threads on the valve.”

“Blue and I went back out to the well after we brought Taylor in. Hovelson and his men are there. They'll have the fire put out by night. The burning tank is another matter. They were getting ready to knock a hole in the bottom to drain out the oil.”

“Is Westfall still out there? ”

“Yeah. The man don't mind getting dirty. He picked up a shovel and worked even though he was hurting like hell.”

The sheriff leaned back in his chair. “Westfall's got the idea in his head that it was Madison who run him down with his car.”

“Did he see him? ”

“No, and my deputy didn't find any damage to the car.”

“Madison is acting strange.” Jelly related the story Laura told him and Blue about Madison grabbing her little girl. He had to grin when he told the part about Jill cracking Madison on the head with the mop handle. “That little gal has spunk she hasn't used yet.”

“Folks are still stirred up about the murder of that woman and any little thing sets them off. Laura and Miss Jones may have got carried away. Madison doesn't strike me as a man who would act the way they say he did.”

“I believe them. Madison said some pretty nasty things to the mother of the little girl. She didn't tell us that part. Joe's sister told him and he told us. My old friend Bluefeather was ready to go scalp him.”

“I'll call Madison in for a talk and get his side of the story.”

“I saw him driving out of town just now.”

“Going out to the fire? ”

“Guess so.”

“I'll catch him later. How long will you be staying? ”

“They'll pull me off the Carsie Bakken case in a week unless we come up with a reason for me to stay.”

“Hell, I've run into a dead end. The case has me stumped.”

“Whoever killed that woman and cut her up was no dummy. We've found none of her belongings, nor the place where he butchered her. He has her head hidden away for a reason. My bet is that he's holding it for his trump card.”

“Maybe the sick bastard likes to look at it.” A grimace came over the sheriff's tired face and he shook his shaggy head. “I hate like hell to think a lunatic may get away with killing a woman in my town.”

It was evening.

Radna had not left Justine's bedside. Her dearest friend was dying and there was nothing she could do. The doctor had said that Justine could go at any time, and Radna was going to make sure that when that time came, Justine would not be alone.

“He was …mean even as a little boy. The devil is in him, ”Justine said in a voice so low and slurred that Radna had to bend close to hear her. For the past few hours Justine's eyes had been fixed on the ceiling above her bed. She had been silent until now.

“Yes.” Radna knew to whom she was referring. “But it's not your fault.”

“I wish I could be sure. I dreamed about his coming and telling me that he didn't blame me. Now I wish to God he hadn't found me. My dream turned into a nightmare.”

“The old judge drilled it into him that it was your fault. He made him the way he is.”

“It's too late for him to hurt me. I'm dying anyway.” Justine's limp hand lay in Radna's. “I don't want him to hurt you or Jill. He will if he gets the chance.”

“He'll not get the chance. Don't worry.”

“When I'm gone, he'll turn his hate to someone else. I want you and Jill to leave here just as soon as you can.”

“We will. Jill will go back to Missouri with Joe and Thad. She'll marry Thad. He'll take care of her.”

“And …you? ”

“I'll not be alone. Don't worry.”

“Ralph understood about Lloyd. He went with me to see him. He was on the lawn in front of the big house. We saw him kick a little puppy. Later that night, Ralph went back and found the puppy under a bush. We kept the little thing for a few days …then it died.”

“Ralph was crazy about you.”

“I wish you had a good man.”

Blue had come silently into the room and stood behind Radna with his hand on her shoulder. She hoped that he hadn't understood Justine's slurred words. He bent his head to her ear.

“I'm taking Mrs. Cole and Laura home to do chicken chores and get a few things. Joe asked them to spend the night here. Can they use your room? You can sleep with me.”

“Holy cow, Randolph. You've got a one-track mind. Where's Joe? ”

“He'll be around.”

“Hurry back. I feel better when you're here.”