Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Cheyenne
Rhett reached for my hand while we walked across the long parking lot toward the hospital’s neurology clinic.
“Are you dizzy?” I asked, thinking he was having a hard time with the walk.
“No. Why?” He glanced at my face, then down at our hands. “Oh, that? I told you. I like touching you. But if you tell me to stop, I’ll stop.”
My traitorous mouth refused to form the words.
Falling for Rhett was a huge mistake. No matter what he said, I knew he wouldn’t hang around Wyoming. He had the heart of a wanderer, always wanting to see new places. Always had. Ten years wouldn’t be enough to get it out of his system.
He’d get bored and move on. Just like before.
But I was falling for him again, and I couldn’t even fully explain why. He was exasperating. Cocky. Stubborn. Impulsive.
But there had never been another soul on this earth that made me feel more at home.
So I let him keep my hand in his, and I didn’t say a word when that hand slipped around my waist as he guided me through the hospital doors.
Didn’t say a word when we got into the elevator and I pushed the button for the third floor, with his fingers trailing up and down my spine.
I knew I should tell him to stop. That all he was doing was confusing me, making me long for things I could never have. That he was setting me up for heartbreak again, and I should be angry about that.
But I couldn’t be angry, because part of me felt like everything was exactly as it should be. For the first time in over a decade, the pieces of the puzzle that made up my life had finally shifted back into place. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to start my days with him, to go with him to his medical appointments, to have him holding my hand as we walked.
I had to remind myself that this wasn’t normal at all.
As we waited to see the neurologist, I could tell that Rhett was nervous, even though he was trying to hide it. His foot tapped impatiently and he squeezed my hand a little tighter than he had earlier.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” I whispered, trying to reassure him. “It’s just a checkup.”
“I know.”
But his tone was clipped. I felt a pang of empathy for him, knowing that it must be hard for someone so independent and physical to be at the mercy of an injury. What if they told him he needed even more than the two weeks to rest? He’d go out of his mind.
Thankfully, that wasn’t how the appointment went at all. The neurologist explained that, while the admitting doctor had followed old-school protocols, concussion treatment had changed. He actually wanted Rhett to start getting back to normal activities, slowly at first, adding on a little each day until he was back to his normal pace. Now that he was out of the danger zone, there was no need to restrict his activity for two entire weeks.
I’d never seen Rhett so relieved.
When we stepped back outside the hospital, he looked like a man who’d been released from jail. He grinned and grabbed me, pulling me into a tight embrace. It was friendly, quick, and no different than if Claire had hugged me.
Except for the way it made my heart soar.
He grabbed my hand like it hadn’t just happened and whistled as we walked back toward my truck. “Can I drive home?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re supposed to ease into mental activities, not dive right back into something where a mistake would endanger both our lives. Besides, I happen to like my truck.” I gave him a teasing grin as he opened my door for me, a habit that seemed as natural to him as it had been a decade ago.
“You’re right,” he said, his tone easy. “Man, I’m glad I don’t have to go back to lying in a dark room all day.”
“Me too.” I started the engine, wondering if I should broach the subject of his returning home. Based on this appointment, it didn’t seem necessary for Rhett to stay with me. It was the news I’d been waiting for, yet it didn’t make me happy. But that was the exact reason I needed to bring it up. Better to rip off the Band-Aid sooner rather than later. The longer I got used to having him around, the more it would hurt when he left again.
“So,” I said when he hopped into the passenger’s seat. “I guess you’re probably pretty anxious to move back to the ranch.”
He looked back at me, a question in his eyes. “If you want me to go, I’ll go. But I’m not in a hurry to leave.”
“Because?” I left it hanging there, my heart picking up speed as I wondered what he might say.
I could feel him looking at me while he decided how to answer.
“I could make up a bunch of excuses. Tell you I didn’t want Mom and Beth worrying over me—true, by the way. Say I wasn’t ready to manage all the stairs. That one’s a lie. Say I sure as hell don’t want to share a room with my eighteen-year-old brother. That’s totally true. But none of those things are the real reason.”
“What is the real reason?” I kept my eyes on the road, my heart pounding out of my chest.
“Because the last few days are the most I’ve been around you in over ten years, and I had to spend almost all of it in bed. Which wouldn’t have been so bad had you been with me.”
“Rhett—”
“Because I want a chance for us to get to know each other again. Because I’m not ready for you to disappear back out on the trail, only seeing you as we pass like ships in the night.”
My heart caught in my throat. He was saying all the things I wanted to hear. And even though I knew it was a terrible idea, I wanted those things, too.
“You can stay a little longer,” I said, still avoiding his eyes. “It would probably be good for your recovery to avoid the chaos of living at the ranch. After all, the neurologist wanted you to ease into things slowly. Considering you’ve been on total bedrest, it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a week to get used to being up a couple of hours at a time before you head back.”
“Right,” he said, disappointment clear in his voice.
I knew that it wasn’t the answer he was looking for. He’d put his heart out there and hoped I would give him something in return. But he couldn’t realize what a giant step it was for me to agree to let him stay. I was risking my heart, too. I just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
Saying it out loud would make it entirely too real.
When we got back to my place, Sheriff McGrath was standing on my front porch, knocking on the door. He turned and waved when he saw my truck pull into the driveway.
“That can’t be good,” Rhett muttered.
“The sheriff’s on your side this time,” I said, laughing.
Rhett had been on the wrong side of things too many times as a teenager, even though I knew what nobody else seemed to realize: that every time he got into trouble, it was because he was trying to right a wrong for someone else. Rhett’s heart had always been in the right place, but his way of handling things got him into trouble.
I swung out of the truck before Rhett could make it to my door and headed straight up to the porch.
“Cheyenne,” Sheriff McGrath said, rocking back on his heels as he stuck his thumbs into his belt loops. “I’m here to speak to Rhett.”
Rhett put his hand on my shoulder. “Anything you need to say to me, you can say in front of her.”
McGrath’s eyebrows shot up. “I see. Can we go inside to talk?”
“Sure,” I said, sticking my key into the lock and opening the door. Ash slipped past me, sniffing McGrath before running out front to do her business.
I gestured to my couch. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” McGrath stepped inside and sat down, looking relaxed and casual even though this was clearly an official visit.
Rhett was still tense. I gave him a reassuring look and sat down on the loveseat, hoping he’d follow suit. Instead, he stood with his arms crossed, looking like a tiger ready to pounce.
“What’s going on, Sheriff?” I asked, hoping to break the tension.
“Well, I have some good news.”
“What kind of news?” Rhett’s voice was flat.
“Found a witness who saw Thomas come back and let the air out of your tires while you were still in the bar that night. That was enough to get a search warrant for his vehicle. Tire iron in the back had blood and black hair on it. Sent it to the state crime lab. Could be a while before we get results, but it’s obvious it’s going to be a match for yours and that’s enough for me. We took him into custody this morning.”
I let out a breath, feeling unexpected relief. But it was quickly followed with worry. “Any chance he’ll get out on bail?”
McGrath sighed. “I’m hopeful the judge is going to deny it or set it pretty damn high, considering his history and the violent nature of the crime. But yeah, there’s a chance, and the judge often goes lighter than what I’d prefer. Arraignment is set for Monday morning. We’ll know after that.”
“Thanks for letting us know,” I said. It gave me some reassurance, but it didn’t feel like enough. Knowing Thomas, it might make him more angry. If he thought he’d gotten away with it, he might let it go. But getting caught would infuriate him. If he made bail… I didn’t even want to think of it.
McGrath eyed Rhett, then stood. “How are you feeling, Rhett?”
“Improving.” His arms remained crossed and his face flat.
“Glad to hear it. You sure look a hell of a lot better than you did in that hospital bed. Cheyenne, we’ll be seeing you. Take care now.”
“Thanks, Sheriff.” I saw him out, letting Ash back inside in the process, then locked the door and turned to Rhett, who’d sunk down into the recliner, looking exhausted.
“What was that about?” I asked, bewildered. “The man arrested your attacker, but you acted like he was here to arrest you.”
“I don’t know,” Rhett said, shaking his head. “Seeing him again made me feel weird … anxious. Can’t explain it.”
My eyebrow furrowed as I studied him. “You might have a touch of PTSD. That’s pretty normal, considering what you went through. He was there that night after the fight and also in the hospital. Maybe you associate him with what happened.”
“Maybe. Look, I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped.
“Okay,” I said, holding my hands up.
His face softened. “I’m not mad at you.”
“I know.”
He ran his hands over his face. “Chey, I just want to get back to normal. But when I saw the sheriff, my heart started racing like it was going to blow up. All that good news from the neurologist disappeared and it felt like nothing was ever going to be the same again.”
My heart broke for him. Rhett had always been such a strong, hard one. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him as vulnerable as this. Without even thinking, I walked over and dropped to my knees in front of his chair, taking his hands into mine.
“It’s all going to be okay,” I said, soothing him. “One step at a time, okay? I’m here.”
He looked at me with tired eyes. “This isn’t the way I want things to be.”
“I know.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t. I don’t want you to take me back because you feel sorry for me.”
I blinked twice, taken aback. “I don’t—”
“Yes, you do,” he interrupted. “I can see it on your face right now. In your eyes. And I get it. But that’s not how I want things to be between us. Look, I’m going to get some rest, okay? The trip tired me out more than I expected.”
“That makes sense,” I said, swallowing hard. “You haven’t had this much activity since … before.”
He gave me a long look, then got up and walked down the hallway without a word, leaving me wondering if our short second chance was already over.