Page 7 of Unforgettable Cowboy
She answered with a careless shrug then got back to business.“I assume then that you don’t come home that often to see what’s going on?”
He might not have come home that often, but he did keep in regular contact.
“I spend holidays here.And I flew Wade to the National Finals Rodeo every year.”Even when he wasn’t competing in the event.“You know, I get the feeling that you’re trying to make me responsible for the state of the ranch.”
She shook her head.“Not at all.I know Wade.He’s both stubborn and prickly.My mom used to call him ‘that gruff old son of a bitch,’ but she really liked him, even before he helped her out.”She studied the table, her fingers lightly gripping the coffee mug.“He pretty much saved us that summer we worked here.He’s good at giving help, but he’s not good at asking.”
“I’m kind of aware of that.”
She raised her gaze and Hayes was struck by the seriousness in her expression.“Great.Also be aware of this: he’s getting older, Hayes.Even if Parker comes back at one hundred percent, he’s going to need more help around the ranch.”She paused, possibly for effect, then said, “We both know that he’snevergoing to ask for help.”
*
“I don’t needmore help.”Wade gathered the sheet in his weather-beaten fingers.“I need to get out of here.”
“And you will.Just as soon as I can jailbreak you.”As he’d suspected, his question about the state of the ranch had not gone over well.Wade had bristled and his monitor had shown his blood pressure creeping up, so Hayes backed off, saying simply, “In the meantime, I’ll see to business for you.”
He’d already explained about leaving his job, which Wade agreed was the only thing he could do.No good ever came of working for a corporate ranch.He hadn’t minded Hayes seeing to the daily chores while he was in the hospital, but balked at the idea of Hayes staying until Parker was back on the property.
“I’m not tying up your life with my problems.How’s Bailey?”Wade said the last words on a less gruff note.
“Kind of startled her when I pulled in last night.”An understatement.“She says she’s been there since July?”
Wade nodded and reached for a cup of ice water, sipping it through a straw.“I hate hospitals.”
As did he.
After setting the cup back on the table, his movements painfully slow, Wade settled his head on the pillow and Hayes noted his uncle’s eyelids were starting to droop.He had no idea whether Wade was tired or if there were pain medications in his drip.
“How’d she come to work for you?The last I heard she was somewhere in Wyoming.”
Wade’s mouth curved into an ironic smile.“I needed help.”The smile faded.“There’s something going on with her.”
“Yeah?What?”
“Dunno.”Wade’s eyelids drooped until the short lashes touched his cheeks, then they slowly came open again.He frowned as if wondering where he was.Definitely drugs in the drip.
“Bailey,” Hayes reminded his uncle gently.
“Right.”Wade gave a little snort that might have been a reminiscent laugh.“She stopped to say hello and to tell me that she was living on the old homestead.Her mom always liked me, you know.”Wade’s eyelids began to succumb to gravity again.
“Who doesn’t?”Hayes asked, earning a weak smile.
“She asked about boarding her horse.My day hand had just quit and I asked if she wanted to do a trade.Part-time work in exchange for board.She said yes.”
“Okay.”Kind of a sketchy explanation, but Hayes could fill in the blanks.The important ones anyway—with the exception of “something going on with her.”
“That palomino is a real beauty…”
The last words slurred as his eyes drifted shut again.A few seconds later his breathing became steady.
Hayes stood studying his uncle’s face, now relaxed with the exception of the permanent frown drawing his still-dark eyebrows together.Despite the wind and weather, he didn’t look much different to the way he had back when he’d taken in Hayes and his brothers.
Clean living, no doubt.
Hayes shook his head at the thought.Wade Matthews had been a hell-raiser before becoming guardian to Hayes and Trev, then foster father to Jordan, who’d fit neatly between Hayes and Trev age-wise.Wade’s hell-raising had stopped, but try as he might, he hadn’t been able to keep his charges from following in his footsteps.Now as Hayes studied his uncle, he knew that Bailey had been totally correct when she’d schooled him that morning.Wade had been the same for so long that it was kind of a shock to realize that even his seemingly invincible uncle had changed with time.
When Wade gave his second uneven snore, Hayes quietly got out of his chair and headed toward the door.His uncle stirred in his sleep and muttered something that sounded like, “Get me out of here.”
