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“Baby, they need to check you out,” he told her fiercely against her hair. “You could be hurt Marly. You have to go to the hospital.”
“Stay with me.” She held on tighter, scared. If he took her to the hospital he would have to leave. She would be alone. Defenseless. The monster was still out there. “Don’t leave me, Cade.”
“I won’t leave you, baby.” He lowered her onto a stretcher, staring down at her with such a worried expression that she felt fear tear through her again.
“Swear, Cade.” She gripped his hand hard. “Swear you won’t leave me.”
“I swear, Marly.” He leaned close, his mouth brushing her trembling lips for the barest second. “I swear, if you’ll just calm down, I won’t leave you.”
“Not ever? Promise me.” She felt sick. Her head was whirling again, and Cade’s face looked so fuzzy.
“Not ever, Marly.” His voice was distant, dark, as was his face. Then the darkness washed over her, her eyes closing as the pain rolled in like a dark, suffocating wave.
* * * * *
Cade was in a violent frame of mind. Dillon was being treated for minor injuries, the least of which was the broken nose Cade had bestowed on him. Marly was asleep, pale but unhurt in the hospital bed, under close observation for the concussion she had sustained the night before. She had some bruising along her back, her left leg, but nothing serious. The full helmet Dillon used had protected her head from the impact with the road. Without it, she would have been dead. It didn’t change the fact that there wouldn’t have been an accident if she had been home where she belonged.
There wouldn’t have been an accident if he had gone with his gut instinct and forbidden her to get on that damned motorcycle. He knew letting her leave that house was a bad idea.
But since when had he ever denied Marly anything? He grimaced at the thought. It terrified him, this all-consuming need he had to make certain she had anything, everything she wanted. But she never asked for anything. A new outfit, maybe. That damned Jeep she had wrecked last year. But at least it had been a relatively inexpensive used Jeep. They had learned over the years to never buy Marly a new vehicle. It never failed that she ended up wrecking the damned thing, new or used. At least no one else had ever been involved in her accidents. At least, no one outside the vehicle she was in.
Cade shook his head. For eight years, every year, one way or another she ended up in the damned hospital. The first year, it had been double pneumonia. Every year after that it had been a concussion. A fall from a horse. A fall from the roof, and only God knew what she had been doing up there. The manner of the accidents were never the same, the outcome usually was. Her head. Damned good thing it was a hard one.
“Cade.” Dr. Barnett entered the room, his portly body moving with surprising grace, his homely face creased in a smile, his gray hair standing on end.
He had been Marly’s doctor since her first visit to him; just days after her mother left her on the ranch. Cade still refused to allow anyone else to treat her.
“Hey, Doc.” Cade wiped his hands over his gritty face. His jaw was bristled with a day’s worth of beard, and he hadn’t had a shower yet.
“You look tired, Cade. You should have gotten a room at the motel last night at least.” Dr. Barnett frowned at him in disapproval. “I’ll have you in here next, at this rate.”
Cade grimaced. He had promised Marly he wouldn’t leave her, no matter what. She had awakened a few times through the night, scared, calling out for him. He had been there, moving close to her side, leaning close to her so she would know she wasn’t alone.
“I’ll be fine.” He shook his head wearily. “When can Marly go home?”
“Soon as she wakes up this morning. They just wanted to keep her for observation. The concussion was pretty bad. You know the routine, though. Keep an eye on her; wake her up once every so often after she goes to sleep for another forty-eight hours. Plenty of fluids and rest.”
It wasn’t Marly’s first concussion. It wasn’t even the second. Cade doubted seriously it would be her last.
“I can wake her up then?” He just wanted to get her the hell out of there and get her home.
“Go ahead and wake her up.” Dr. Bennett nodded. “I’ll have a prescription brought to you and the sign out papers by the time she’s dressed. Take her home and let her rest, it’s the best thing for her.”
Dr. Bennett made several notes on the board he carried, then nodded a farewell to Cade as he left the room. As he left, Sam and Brock walked in carefully. Cade glanced at Sam’s bruised face. He almost regretted hitting his brother the night before, but not enough to apologize. It was his fault she was on that damned motorcycle to begin with. He should thank his lucky stars his nose wasn’t broken too.
“Did you bring her clothes?” he snapped out. Marly’s clothes had been trashed the night before, even her beloved leather jacket. They had been nearly ripped from her body, bloody and streaked with dirt and grime.
“Here.” Brock handed him the bag. “We bought her a new jacket, too. The bomber kind she keeps hinting at for Christmas.”
Cade took the bag, peeking in. There was a loose cotton dress, white canvas sneakers, and her jacket. Her usual garb for leaving the hospital. This habit of hers was going to have to stop. Her head was only going to take so much abuse.
“Get out of here then, I’ll get her up and dressed. Did you bring the limo?” He snapped out the question.
“Outside waiting.” Sam nodded cautiously. Cade bet that black eye hurt. Served him right.
“Anyone find out who hit them?” The question of the day.
All Dillon could remember was the black four by four pickup and some guy trying to help Marly into it. He had dropped her and went running when Dillon had picked himself up from the dirt in the field they had run into and went running towards them. It was too dark for a description, and he hadn’t recognized the truck. After the accident with the horse, Cade wasn’t in a coincidence frame of mind.
