Ride With Me (A Quaking Heart Novel - Book One)

  Chapter 24

  Clint watched with interest as a sunbeam crept across his bedspread. Eventually the light landed on Jessie's face, and he was shocked to see how tired she looked, even in sleep, with pale skin and purplish half-circles hemming her lower lashes. She stirred under the sun's warmth, tucked in a ball as she was, dwarfed by Roy's brown leather chair. Her thin blanket had fallen to the floor, and he wondered if she'd gotten cold in the night.

  Jessie raised her lids to slits. Her eyes squinted in discomfort and soon skittered about the room as she oriented herself. When sleep had finally given way to wakefulness, she struggled upright and gaped at Clint.

  "Good morning, sunshine," he said in a hoarse voice. He tried a smile.

  Her eyes widened in delight. He could see her pulse hammering a fast tattoo in her neck. "How long have you been awake?" she asked, stretching now. She probably had little sleep in that overstuffed chair.

  "Long enough," he said, smiling a little bigger now.

  Her relaxed pose vanished as she stiffened. "Long enough for what, exactly?" Her voice showed her concern as she threw herself to the edge of the chair and bent to check him. Dizziness seemed to overtake her but she caught herself with a hand to his chest, then dropped her head and shook it.

  He put his hand over hers. "Easy does it, little one." He paused for a moment to study her. "Long enough to watch you sleep all curled up in that chair." Though her shorts outfit was twisted and wrinkled and the hair that had pulled out of her ponytail fell in strings along her soft cheeks, it touched him that she had wrapped herself up in that chair, all the way to the light of day.

  "I'll bet that was an appealing sight, huh, drool falling out of my face and all?" She groaned, and swiped a hand across her mouth.

  He chuckled.

  She paused as she gave him a once over. "You really had me worried last night with what I'm sure was the highest fever you've had yet." Her whole body quivered. "It finally broke around midnight, thank God."

  "Sorry for the trouble." He hated that he'd given her nothing but grief practically every day since he'd met her. "Jessie, I need to talk to you—"

  A knock interrupted him. "Well, good morning, sunshine," Mary said, peeking around the door.

  He tried another smile. "Good morning to you, too."

  "How are we feeling this morning?" Mary asked, coming into the room, looking delighted.

  "Well, I'm pretty good, but our nurse here is a little worse for the wear. Didn't have the most comfortable of beds." He smiled tenderly at Jessie. She was busily straightening her clothing and pushing her hair out of her face.

  "She should look worse for the wear. She's been sleeping in that thing for nearly three weeks now, taking care of you!"

  Shocked, he tried to rise up but lost the battle and sank back into his pillows, weak as a kitten. "I've been in this bed for three weeks?"

  "More like two and a half. The doctor said as sick as you were most men would have died. So you see you're tougher than you give yourself credit for. We're all grateful that God allowed you to stay with us. Here." Mary came toward him with a tall glass of water. "We've been pushing liquids into you each time you woke up."

  "Yeah." He snorted. "I remember. With glasses, eye droppers, even a bowl, if I remember correctly. I seem to remember a canteen, too."

  "That was Pete. Said you'd be more used to that form of hydrating," Mary said, then laughed.

  "The doctor was in at dawn this morning," Jessie reported, bringing Clint's attention back to her. "He thought he'd check on you before he headed in to West Yellowstone. He thinks last night's fever going so high, then breaking like it did, means you should improve daily now. But you must rest." She wagged a finger at him, smiling, then turned to Mary.

  "Mary, will you keep an eye on our patient here, please? I need to clean up and change my clothes."

  "Sure thing, sweetie. You go right ahead. I'll get this cowboy washed and help him with seeing men about horses and the likes of that."

  Jessie came to her feet. Clint caught her by the wrist. She took a sharp intake of breath. He needed to talk to her alone. At least try to explain about Rose Marie. For now he said, "Thank you, Jessie, for taking care of me."

  She stared at him. Love radiated from her. She tried to mask it, but he could see it, sense it. Normally, those looks of want would send off warning bells and cause him to cut off a relationship. Not this time. In fact, he found himself wanting to be near her and bask in the sensation.

  "Let me go clean up. I'm sure I look a sight."

  He gave her a lopsided grin and a wink, letting her hand slide slowly out of his.