AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You a mighty strong headed man…” Joe fussed as he helped him into the saddle. “It could cost you your life and you know it.”
“This is the best thing that could happen. They won’t expect you to be carrying any money. I want you to do this for me, no matter what, Joe. If I don’t make it, then the property must go to Hattie and Sam and you.”
Joe stared up into his face. “You gonna be okay? You gotta make it.”
“Sure…I’ll be fine, now, go on…” Lee urged. “Help me on my horse. I’ll make it back to the house.”
Joe mounted him on his horse, tied the reins in his hands, and looked at Lee with a frown. “Be careful and get home. Miss Hattie is beside herself with worry…”
Lee smiled, and leaned towards the saddle horn. “See ya…”
Joe took off at a gallop never once looking back.
Lee rode slowly back to the farm. His shoulder was killing him. Joe had wrapped a bandana around his leg, but he’d lost a lot of blood. He could barely see out of his good eye to head his horse in the right direction.
“Easy Shortenin’, those bumps sure do make a man hurt,” Lee muttered as he nearly passed out again. He knew his horse would get him home, he’d trained him well. And if Hattie was waiting for him, he’d be alright.
But as he rode into the yard, Hattie was on the porch. She ran down the steps toward him and reached up to help him off the horse…
“Dear God…what did they do to ya?” she screeched, throwing an arm over his shoulder and trying to help him up the steps to the house.
He leaned against her hard, almost passing out on her. He smelled the sweet scent of roses, and smiled.
“You sure smell nice…” he whispered.
“Well, I can’t say the same for you…” she chuckled, pulling him solidly against her as they made it up to the porch.
***
The house was dark, and he was leaning on her now, so it was hard to maneuver him.
As best she could she helped him towards her bedroom and laid him on her bed. Running to get a pan of water and bandages, she hurried back to see him passed out on the bed.
“Oh, Lee…” she cried, looking into his face long and hard.
She cut his shirt away from him as she looked at his wound and began cleaning it. From the coloring of his face she could see he’d lost a lot of blood. It was the same shoulder where he lost the arm. She mopped the wound up with a clean rag and water and placed a bandage lightly on top of it. After reapplying more pressure to his leg, she sat back and waited. She wished she knew more about doctoring but she didn’t. Feeling helpless, she sat beside him close at the bed. The need to touch him played in her mind. If she had her way, she’d take off all her clothes and climb in bed with him. But he wouldn’t get any rest that way, she was sure.
She watched his face, her worry growing.
He came to a couple of times and smiled up at her.
“Where’s Joe?” she asked him.
“He’s gone to pay the taxes.” Lee smiled up into her worried face. “Don’t frown so…I made him go. They won’t expect him to have the money to pay them. It’ll be safer this way. He’s bringing the doc.”
“They didn’t get the money?” she whispered as she moved closer.
He managed another smile. “No.”
“I told you not to go…” she warned as she stared down into his sapphire eyes.
Lee smiled as she handed him some whiskey and he took a sip. His hand drifted up to caress her cheek, then slid inside her shirt and touched the tip of her nipples. Instantly they responded and he smiled.“Unbutton your shirt and let me kiss you…” he demanded.
“But Lee, baby…you’re hurt.”
“Yes, in more places than one. Unbutton it,” he demanded.
She fumbled with the button, but opened it for him, threw it on the floor, then threw the camisole down too. He looked at her. “Lock the door. I want to kiss you and we don’t need an audience.”
