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“Well, for a start, I’ve come to tell you what a crappy friend you are. Your girlfriend just had three babies, her mother-in-law has moved into her home, and I don’t know if you are aware, but those Carson men are as grumpy as they are handsome.” I give it to her straight, watching the one side of her face that she has peeking through the crack in the door fall in sadness.
“She’s worried about you. Why haven’t you returned her calls?”
Leia doesn’t attempt to give me an answer, she just closes her eyes and lets a tear spill over her cheek.
“Leia… is something wrong?” I suddenly sense that there's way more to this, especially when she shakes her head back at me so defensively.
“Open the door,” I demand, and when her head shakes even faster, I take the situation into my own hands, forcing the door open and seeing exactly what she’s been trying to hide from me.
“Holy crap.” I gasp in shock when I see the huge, swollen bruise around her eye.
“It looks worse than what it is. I had an accident, opened a kitchen cupboard on myself.” Her hand trembles as she instinctively tries to cover it.
“Don’t mistake me for someone who’s gonna buy that bullshit. That husband of yours did that, didn’t he?” I don’t even know the girl but the thought makes me rage.
“Savannah… It was…” She stops herself from making the excuse she’s about to give me. “You can’t tell Maisie about this, she’s got too much going on, and I promise I got this handled.”
“You don’t look much like you got it handled to me.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Well, I do, and if you were any kind of friend to Maisie you’d go back to the ranch and do all you can to help her out. I’ll find a way to visit her when this is healed.” It’s obvious how embarrassed she is, and she’s right about the Maisie situation, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stay silent.
“Find a way? I’ll show you a way. You have a car right there, get in it and drive your ass away from here.”
“Listen, Savannah, my business is my own. I’m asking you for the sake ofourfriend to keep what ya saw here today to yourself. I’d appreciate it if ya did that. I’d also appreciate you leaving now.” Leia slams the door on me, and I stand staring at it for a few minutes while I wonder what to do. I figure whatever it is, can’t be done here, and with a huff of frustration I get back in Garrett’s truck.
I don’t say anything to Maisie when I get back to the ranch. Instead, I make up some lame excuse about Leia not being home when I called; and as I sit through another awkward dinner with the Carson family, I feel helpless and really sad for the girl I left behind earlier today.
“Maybe Cole will join us on Sunday.” Maisie smiles across the table at her mother-in-law. There’s a space laid out at the table for Cole every night, but he’s still yet to show.
“Don’t count on it,” Garrett growls under his breath, side-glancing at his mother, and I notice the way Maisie places her hand over his and gives a subtle shake of her head. The sound of crying breaks through the awkward silence and when Maisie goes to stand on her feet, Garrett grips her hand and holds it firm.
“I got this, you finish up.” He gets up from the table and heads off to tend to whoever's crying, and when the thought of Leia sitting in that house with the bastard who hurt her becomes unbearable to stand, I quickly get up from the table and excuse myself.
I march straight out the front door, across the yard, and toward the bunkhouse, before I have a chance to change my mind. I open the door without knocking and the men who are scattered around the huge, living space all stop what they’re doing and stare at me.
“What can we help ya with?” One of the wranglers stands up and starts walking toward me, he’s got his thumb hanging from the loop in his jeans and a swagger to his walk that would probably get females’ attention. But there’s only one person in here that I’ve come to see, and as I search the room looking for him I start to become a little overwhelmed.
“I… um…” It’s unlike me to have nothing to say, but when I spot Cole casually laid out on a bunk in the corner I can’t seem to form any words. “Cole… I… I was looking for Cole.”
“Lucky guy,” one of the guys standing behind me pipes up, causing the others to all whoop and cheer. Cole seems oblivious to it all as he calmly gets up from where he was resting and picks up his hat. Putting it on his head he slowly steps forward, pausing when he gets beside me.
“We better take this outside, Red,” he growls, moving on past and heading out the door.
My body temperature must have soared while I was in the bunkhouse because suddenly the air outside feels much cooler than it was before I entered. I watch Cole light himself a cigarette and rest his shoulders back against the bunkhouse wall, and I’m completely unaware of how obviously I’m staring until he looks up at me impatiently.
“So, what’d ya want?” He shakes his head and shrugs.
The wordyoualmost comes off my tongue, and I blush when I think about how embarrassing that might have been.
I need to pull myself together.
“I went to see Leia today.” I get to my point. “Maisie’s been worried about her and she’s under a lot of stress, you know with the babies and your mom…” The impatience that's still on his face really starts getting to me. I never react like this to anyone, I hate it.
“He hit her,” I blurt the words right out, and suddenly his posture changes. The foot he had propped against the wall slides back to the floor and his whole body tenses.
“He didwhat?” His narrowed eyes pierce into mine as his forehead creases.
“That asshole hit her. She tried to tell me it was an accident, but she knew I didn’t believe her. She also made me swear not to tell Maisie, and I figure this,” I wave my finger between the two of us, “is a loophole in that promise I made her.”
