Promise Her (12 page)

His blood ran cold.

Even here, she was vulnerable.

In the darkness, he got out of bed, went once more to her room, and opened the door. Moonlight filtered through enough for him to see that she hadn’t moved.

He left the door open. He wanted to hear her if she awoke in pain or if anything else happened. Things he didn’t want to think about.

But he did think about them. And they kept him awake.

First thing in the morning, he had to talk to Max. He knew Max was digging, using all the resources of his company. He wanted to know what Max knew.

Douglas needed all the help he could get.

No one was going to hurt Lisa again. No one.

Chapter Ten

Lisa awoke, moved to get out of bed, and groaned with the effort. Every bone in her body ached. Every muscle complained. It was worse than before. She tried to sit up. Failed.

Voices came from the far side of the house.

Douglas’ house.

She lay back, put her right hand over her eyes. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was real.

Someone had cut her cinch. Someone wanted to hurt her. She was in a place she didn’t want to be, at least not in this condition. “God give me strength,” she begged aloud as she tried again to sit up. She had to move, had to go home today.

“Are you awake?”

“TJ!”

Her very pregnant friend walked into the room until she stood next to the bed. Lisa held up her good arm. TJ bent down, wrapped her in a gentle hug. “I’m so sorry, Lisa. I can’t believe you’re hurt. I don’t understand why. What could you possibly have to do with Tempest’s death? Everyone in the family thinks whoever killed her is after you. I’m so scared.”

Tears welled in her friend’s eyes as she gripped her tummy. She wasn’t afraid for herself or her unborn baby, but for Lisa.

Lisa struggled to a sitting position. “Don’t be. I’ll be fine. We’ll get to the bottom of this. I’m starting my own investigation today.”

TJ snorted. “Like that’s possible. Look at you. Stay in bed. Let us wait on you.”

Lisa ignored her. “Where’s Max? Has everyone else gone home?”

“Douglas took Max and the guys into his office for a battle plan, as they called it. Mom is in the kitchen making a pot of soup and banana pudding.” She swiped tears from her eyes.

“Stop it, TJ. I’m fine. Much better even than yesterday.” A lie but maybe TJ wouldn’t see it. “Why haven’t they gone home?”

“And not see you? Douglas told us you were out of it yesterday, so we left you alone. Mom said sleep was better than company.”

“Phyl? Is she taking care of the babies?”

“Of course. My house will shine when I get back. The woman’s a workaholic.” Tears fell. “I feel so helpless.”

Lisa patted TJ’s arm. “I’m okay. Well, not okay exactly. But I’m alive and in a few days I’ll be fine.” She scooted over, gritted her teeth to keep from moaning at the effort. “Here, sit beside me and tell me why you’re not at home taking care of my godchild.”

“Because you need me.”

“What I need is for you to take care of yourself. Do you know how guilty I’d feel if anything happened to my goddaughter?” She patted TJ’s tummy.

“Max won’t let me do more than he thinks I can handle. Actually, I wish he wouldn’t pamper me so.”

Lisa chuckled. “You’re lying.”

“Only a little,” TJ agreed. She looked over at her friend. “I’m getting you a cup of coffee and something to eat. Do you need a pain pill?”

Lisa shook her head. Even that little effort hurt. “Get me a couple of Tylenol. I’ll be fine.”

It didn’t take long until TJ was back. “Here.” She handed Lisa a cup of coffee, sat a container of yogurt and a glass of water on the bedside table before handing Lisa a couple of pills. “Here you go. Maybe they’ll make you feel better.”

“Hope you’re right,” Lisa mumbled as she popped them in her mouth and swallowed them down.

“Is it terrible?”

Only TJ knew the truth, that Lisa had loved Douglas since the first day they met—that he treated her no different than he did the rest of the family—that he was breaking Lisa’s heart.

“Worse,” Lisa admitted.

“I tried, Lisa. I did everything I could to make them understand Max and I would be able to keep you safe. No one listened. Douglas took over. Nothing would do except you had to come home with him.” Her forehead puckered in confusion. “I’ve never seen him like that before.”

“I’m his client now. He’d probably act the same with any one of us who needs protection.”

“Maybe,” TJ mused. “But you’re here now so tell me what I can do?”

Lisa fought tears. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t be ungrateful. “Douglas has been wonderful. But I can’t dress myself.” The tears fell then. She couldn’t help it.

“Oh, no! No one thought of that. So how did you change? Or maybe I don’t want to know.”

Lisa wiped her eyes. “It was terribly embarrassing for both of us, but we managed. If you could help me take a shower I’d be eternally grateful.”

“What about your bandages?”

“Take them off. I don’t care. I need a shower.”

“They’re going to hurt like the devil.”

Lisa gritted her teeth. “You can put salve on them and re-wrap what needs wrapped after I’m clean. Right now, that’s all I care about.”

“You’re the boss.”

TJ took Lisa’s arm and led her to the bathroom. She knew she looked like an old lady all stooped over as she was. She tried to straighten up, managed some, but not much. The hurt was staggering.

By the time she came out of the shower, she was weak from the effort. TJ was right about her abrasions. They burned like hellfire when water hit them. But she did feel better.

Making soothing noises, TJ, with Mom’s help, dressed her wounds, then helped her put her clothes on.

Finished, she fell back on the plumped pillows and shut her eyes.

“How could taking a shower be so tiring?”

“Maybe because you were thrown from a horse and dragged halfway across the arena,” TJ said.

Lisa opened her eyes. “You’re exaggerating.” She looked at Mom, saw the anxious look, the concern. “Don’t you have to get back to the ranch? It’s a long drive.”

“We’re fine. You just worry about getting well.”

Worry had put dark circles under Mom’s very green eyes. Lisa’s heart did a dance. She may have lost her family years ago, but this woman had stepped in and was just as precious to her as her own mom had been. In jeans and shirt she didn’t look that much older than TJ.

“A couple more days and I won’t know this happened.”

“Sure,” TJ mocked. “We just bandaged the worst looking scrapes I’ve ever seen. You’re leg is almost raw and your arm isn’t a whole lot better. That shower must have been pure hell.”

“Getting clean was worth every second.”

Men’s voices were heard from the kitchen. “They’re scrounging for something to eat. I’d better head them off or they’ll eat everything in the kitchen.”

Mom scooted out of the room.

“Heaven help them.” TJ smiled as they watched her leave. “I brought what I thought you might need yesterday. If I missed anything, let me know.”

“I will. But I won’t be here that long.”

“Your injuries will take a while to heal.”

“I want to go home today. I need to, TJ.”

TJ looked at her friend. “I know how hard this is, honey. But you have to let your body heal so you can take care of yourself. Besides, you’re not safe.”

Lisa stood. “I want to know who did this to me. And I want to talk to Max about Harold.”

“You should stay in bed.”

“I’m fine.” Ignoring the aches and pains, she slipped her feet into a pair of slippers, forced herself to keep her back straight and followed TJ out of the room. She had work to do. A few aches and pains weren’t going to stop her.

Sure enough, the guys were in the kitchen crowded around the table and bar, munching on cookies and drinking coffee.

They stood when Lisa came in, rushed to help her.

She raised a hand. “I’m okay. Just point me to a chair.”

She stifled a chuckle when five big strong men grabbed for a different chair.

“Never mind,” she said as she went to sit in the breakfast nook. “Now tell me what you’ve found. And don’t even think about leaving anything out or I’ll get you. Big time.”

Douglas came over, put a hand on her shoulder. “How do you feel this morning?”

“How do you think she feels, Douglas?” TJ snapped.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t ask dumb questions,” she mumbled, taking a seat next to Lisa.

“We don’t know much,” Max said. “The authorities are still investigating. No one saw a thing. The rodeo honchos are in an uproar with two major incidents in such a short time.”

“Whoever did this is the same person who killed Tempest,” Lisa insisted.

“Probably,” Darin said. “Believe me, I’m looking into it as much as I can.”

“What doesn’t make sense is that you were considered the prime suspect in Tempest’s murder, now you’re a victim, which could take you off the suspect list. Are you as confused as the rest of us?” Max said.

“More so. Because I don’t know the why of any of this unless my accident was a ruse.” Seeing their questioning looks, she explained. “What if I asked too many questions and the killer wanted to divert the cops’ attention.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Darin said. “They already have you in their line of fire. As of today, you are their only suspect.”

“Then what if they went too far—cut the cinch a little too deep? What if they wanted to make it look as if I killed Tempest? Wouldn’t this be a good way to take myself out of that suspect column?”

She watched their reaction. Douglas’ face turned red. Max shook his head. Darin’s eyebrows shot up. Dugan and Donovan looked at each other in disbelief. Mom had tears in her eyes, and TJ looked mad enough to fight. She loved them all.

“They wouldn’t think that,” TJ said.

“They might,” Darin argued. “It would be just like them.”

Lisa turned to Max. “Has Bernie found anything on the blonde?”

Max shook his head. “Not enough of her facial features to go on.”

“Tell him to dig into Harold’s life. All of it. And when he’s finished, check out Tempest. If there’s anything to be found, he’ll find it.”

Max chuckled. “You’re not working now, Lisa. Let the rest of us do the work.”

She gave him a look. She would work. Not one of them—not Max, TJ, or any of the rest of the family were going to stop her.

“We’re on it, okay?” Max said. “By the time I get back, Bernie will probably have a pile of papers to read. By tonight, I’ll know as much about the Wheatleys as there is to know.”

“Can you get a copy sent here? I’d like to stay in the loop.”

“Lisa, you’re supposed to be in bed. Recuperating. Not working a case,” Max complained.

“Listen to Max, he’ll get the job done,” Douglas chimed in. “But sending the papers over here is a good idea. I’d like a look at them myself.”

“No problem.”

Lisa turned to Max. “Did I hear that right? It’s no problem to send the papers here for Douglas to get his hands on, but I’m to be ignored?” She turned back to the rest of the men. They were a handsome lot. None as handsome as Douglas of course, but they’d grab any woman’s eye. They had her best interest at heart so it wasn’t easy to come down on them. “I’m hurt. Not dead. I’m also a damned good investigator. Don’t think I’m going to stay in bed and let the rest of you dig into this and keep me in the dark. It won’t happen.”

They looked at one another, then started talking, which of course ended in bickering.

Mom shook her head.

As head of the family, she rarely pulled rank. Today she did. “That’s enough.”

They turned silent, as if they were little boys instead of grown men.

Lisa and TJ exchanged smiles.

“Lisa has every right to be involved. She could have been hurt much more seriously. Even lost her life. That’s enough reason to stay involved, so change your attitude. She’ll stay here until she recovers and the person is found who did this. Everyone will cooperate. Understood?”

Lisa gasped.

“You heard me, Lisa. Until then, the family will protect you. Douglas, with the help of one of Max’s private investigators, will keep you safe until then. Darin, you’ll keep Max and Lisa informed on anything you find. Together, they’ll get to the bottom of this.” She turned to TJ. “Taralyn, you’ll see that Douglas gives her the right foods and makes sure she’s comfortable.” She looked at her watch. “The rest of us are going back to the ranch. Dugan has a job to get back to, and Donovan can’t be away from the ranch too long.”

She smiled at her family. “We’ll all do our jobs, find out who did this, and get back to normal.”

“Nothing to it, Mom,” Douglas said with only a trace of irony.

After a dozen hugs and even more promises to take care of herself, Lisa saw the last Callahan leave.

All except Douglas.

They looked at each other across the silent kitchen. “Mom’s something else, isn’t she?”

Despite a pounding headache, Lisa smiled. “She’d make a good drill sergeant.”

“What do you mean? She
is
one. Didn’t you just hear her?”

Lisa chuckled. “So you’d better do your job, buster. Or else.”

It wasn’t easy being the mocking, sassy, other sister to the man who took her breath away.

He came toward her, that half-smile on his face, a twinkle in those very green eyes.

She felt her bones melt and braced herself. The next days or weeks wouldn’t be easy.

But she wasn’t sitting around doing nothing, waiting for someone else to find who did this. She’d get to work and see what she could find.

Maybe then, she could escape Douglas’ constant nearness.

If she didn’t, she was going to go nuts.

She let out a sigh of disappointment when Douglas gathered cups from the table and took them to the sink.

For a minute there, she almost thought he was going to kiss her.

Chapter Eleven

After eating a bowl of Mom’s cure-all, chicken noodle soup, followed by a small bowl of banana pudding, Lisa, with Douglas’ help, limped back to bed.

“Can I get you another pain pill?”

“How about another Tylenol?”

He found the bottle on the table next to her bed, held it up and shook it.