Beau (Remington Ranch Book 4) (23 page)

“Not more than I do!” The words surprised her, they came out so fast.

Mason looked taken aback.

“Sorry. I think that was me telling myself, not telling you. I’ve been holding back too much for too long.”

Mason smiled. “No worries. It sounds like you’ve figured it out now.”

She smiled back. “I have! Why is it that it takes a shock like this to give us the wake-up call we need?”

Mason shrugged. “I can’t speak for you, but I know for me the answer would be a combination of fear, stubbornness, and pride.”

She let out a little laugh. “I think you
are
speaking for me.”

He nodded. “I think it’s the same for all of us if we’re honest with ourselves. I wasn’t sure how honest you liked to be with yourself, so I used myself as the example instead.”

She smiled. He was a wise one.

When they got to the hospital, there was quite a crowd waiting. It seemed the entire family, minus Chance and Summer had beaten them to it.

“Beau’s still in surgery,” said Carter. “He has a broken leg and took a nasty knock to the head, but he’s fine other than that.”

Corinne heaved a sigh of relief. It was bad enough, but she’d been fearing much worse.

“I called Luke,” said Shane. “He’s on his way over.”

Mason nodded.

Corinne watched him closely. There was something he wasn’t saying, but she didn’t know what.

She took him aside and held his gaze for a moment. “I’m not a damsel in distress; if there’s something that needs saying, please say it.”

He pursed his lips and nodded. “Sorry. Gina gets pissed at me all the time. I can’t help it. It’s instinct with me to try to protect the ladies. I have to remember how strong you are.”

Corinne nodded, wishing he’d just hurry up and spit it out.

“So, Luke, the deputy told me that the kids who witnessed it said that the truck didn’t just hit him and drive away…”

Corinne’s heart was hammering in her chest. “What then?” she interrupted.

“They said it backed up and rammed him a second time.”

“What the hell?”

Mason nodded. “Exactly! Either he got real unlucky and ran into the path of some crazy bastard, or…”

“Or it was Guy Preston!” Corinne knew it. It had to be him!

Mason shook his head. “No. He wouldn’t do something like that.”

“He wouldn’t? From what I’ve heard about him he’s the only one around here who would.”

Mason wasn’t buying it, she could tell.

Gina came over to join them. “What’s up?”

Mason explained what he’d just told Corinne. “And she thinks it must have been Guy,” he finished.

Gina shook her head. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”

“But who else would?”

“I have no idea. I know Guy must seem a likely candidate, but it’s just not his style. He likes to get inside people’s heads, but at heart he’s a coward. And he’s too smart, the chances of getting caught are too high.”

Corinne knew they were making sense, but she had a feeling she just couldn’t shake. It had to be Guy.

A doctor came out, and went straight to Dave and Monique. Monique turned and beckoned for Corinne to join them. The others followed her and crowded around.

“He’s out of surgery now. His leg was broken in two places, but we’ve set it, put a few pins in and he’s in plaster. He’ll be in recovery for a while. The nurses will let you know when you can see him.”

“Thank you,” said Dave.

Corinne eyed a guy in uniform as he approached. He must be Luke. He nodded at her and looked around the group.

“What’s going on, Luke?” asked Mason.

“I do have a bit more information.” He looked hesitant to speak in front of all of them.

“You may as well just tell us all,” said Dave. “We all want to know.”

“Okay. Well, according to the witnesses, Beau was pulling out of his driveway when a pickup apparently veered off the road and ran into him.” He hesitated. “And then, the truck backed up and came at him a second time. That second impact did the most damage before the truck drove away.”

“Oh, my God!” said Monique. “Someone hit him on purpose?”

Luke nodded grimly. “That’s how it sounds.”

“It was Guy Preston!” Corinne blurted out.

Luke turned to look at her. “What makes you say that?”

“He’s had it in for Beau for a while now.”

“But you don’t have any evidence that he intended to injure him in some way?”

Mason shook his head and put an arm around Corinne. “No. She’s just upset. You know there’s been bad blood between us for years. There’s no reason to believe he’d step things up to this level.”

Luke raised his eyebrows.

“What?” asked Corinne. “You think I’m right don’t you?”

Luke looked over his shoulder before he replied. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but the description the kids gave of the truck, sounds a lot like the one belonging to a ranch hand out at the Preston place. We had him in a couple of times for drunk and disorderly. Found him sleeping in that truck on Main a couple of Sunday mornings, too. I’m going to take a ride out there.”

Corinne nodded. She was convinced that he would find the truck had damage consistent with having run into Beau’s car.

Mason followed Luke as he walked away and they spoke for a few moments before he left. As he went out through the doors Chance came in with Summer by his side.

“How is he?” he asked.

“He’s going to be fine,” said Dave. “His leg’s broken in a couple of places, but nothing worse than that.”

Corinne saw the relief on Chance’s face. He cared. He really cared. She smiled at him and he came to hug her.

“Damn, I was scared for a while there.”

“Me, too,” she said. “He’s going to be okay though.”

“Thank God.”

Beau opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. It wasn’t the right ceiling. It wasn’t his bedroom. It wasn’t Corinne’s bedroom. Where the hell was he? He tried to sit up but his head swam and his left leg hurt like crazy. He lay still, trying to figure it out. Then it came back to him. The crazy bastard in the truck!

“Are you awake?” Corinne leaned over him.

He smiled. Even his face hurt.

“I’m okay.”

She leaned in and kissed his lips gently. “The doctors say you will be, though you’ll be on crutches for a while.”

“It’s broken?”

She nodded. “Do you remember what happened?”

He tried to nod, but thought better of it. “I do. The crazy…drove straight at me! Twice! He backed up and did it again.”

“Did you get a look at him?”

Beau closed his eyes. “No.” All he’d seen was the grill of that truck headed straight at him. “No wait. I did see him. He was there when I pulled in.” Could he have been waiting for him? He screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to consider that possibility.

“The police are looking for him.”

“Good. I can tell them what the truck looked like, and what I remember of the guy when I arrived home.”

“They got a description from some kids who were nearby.”

Chance stuck his head around the door. “Is he awake?”

Beau smiled. “Come on in.”

Chance stood just inside the door. “How you feeling, buddy?”

“Like I got hit by a truck!”

Chance laughed. “Funny how that works, huh? Listen. I’m going to run back down the valley to get Ruby and bring her up here.”

Beau smiled. How about that? “Thanks.”

“I just wanted to ask you something before I go. Have you seen any more of Preston, since we ran into him at the Mint?”

“Yeah.” Beau thought it odd that Chance wanted to know about him right now. “I showed him a house and then told him he’d have to find another realtor. Why?”

Chance and Corinne exchanged a look he didn’t understand.

“What did he have to say about that?”

Beau frowned. “He told Wanda to tell me I’d be sorry. Shit! You don’t think…”

Chance’s eyes were narrow. He had that wild look about him.

“Don’t, Chance. Whatever you’re thinking. Don’t, okay?”

Chance gave him a long measured look. “Don’t worry.”

How could he not? He didn’t want Chance jumping to conclusions and riding off to exact vengeance. Beau couldn’t believe that Guy had anything to do with it.

Chance turned around and beckoned outside. His mom and dad appeared in the doorway with Mason and Gina just behind them. “I’m going to go get Ruby. I’ll be back.”

The others crowded in and Beau didn’t get to ask Corinne what that look had been about.

~ ~ ~

The next morning, Corinne woke up in Beau’s bed. It was the first time she’d stayed the night at his house and she’d slept here alone. Well, at least she was alone in his bed. Chance was in one spare room and Carter and Summer were in the other.  Dave and Monique had taken Ruby home with them last night and would make sure she got to school this morning. The others all had work to get back to.

Chance had insisted that she shouldn’t stay by herself, and Carter had wanted to stay up in town to be near Beau. It was sweet to see how much he cared. He looked like a big tough guy, but Corinne had soon figured out he was a big softy at heart.

She lay in bed for a few minutes thinking about everything that had happened yesterday. She was convinced that Guy Preston had something to do with it. She was going to call that deputy, Luke, this morning to see what he’d found out. First of all, though, she wanted to go see Beau. The doctor had said they might release him today. She hoped so. She wanted him home where she could take care of him.

By the time they got to the hospital he was sitting up. His leg was elevated, encased in a cast from hip to toe.

He smiled when he saw her. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

“Like I want to go home. Hopefully they’ll let me out soon. I can’t sit around here. I’ve got work to do.”

“Not for a while you don’t. I talked to Wanda, she’s taking care of your schedule. You’re coming home with me where I can keep an eye on you.”

Chance laughed. “So consider yourself told.”

Beau smiled. “Oh, I will. She’s a tough one.”

Corinne made a face at him. “I just love you, that’s all.”

He nodded and held his arm out to her. “Come here and give me a hug then.”

She went to him and perched on the bed beside him.

They all looked up as Luke appeared in the doorway.

“Beau. Good to see you up.”

“Well, I’m not exactly up, but give me a pair of crutches and I will be.”

Luke nodded.

“What did you find out?” asked Corinne.

“I went out to the Preston place to see if I could take a look at the truck.”

“The truck that hit me?” asked Beau.

“We can’t confirm that. It matched the description of one of the ranch hand’s truck. We got to know him quite well over the last few months. However, when I got out there and asked to speak with him, he’d left. Packed up and gone. Yesterday morning apparently.”

“Shit! I knew it!” exclaimed Chance.

“Slow down,” said Beau. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

“It makes it look a lot more suspicious though.” Corinne was even more convinced than she had been.

Beau shook his head.

“I’m not saying anything, yet,” said Luke. “Other than to tell you that I don’t consider this investigation to be over.”

Corinne was glad to hear it.

~ ~ ~

“My Beau’s home!” cried Ruby and came running to him. He was sitting on the sofa in the cabin with his leg propped up on a pile of pillows.

“There’s my pumpkin!” He wrapped her in a hug.

“Please don’t go away again. I missed you.” She planted a kiss on his cheek.

“I won’t.”

“I mean it. I don’t like it when you’re not here anymore.”

He caught Corinne’s eye and she smiled. “Neither do I. You gave me a scare. I don’t ever want to think about our life without you in it.”

He smiled. Then it was time. Except now of course he was house bound, dependent on her for anywhere he wanted to go. How could he work a surprise like that?

As if to answer his question, there was a knock at the cabin door. Corinne went to get it and came back with Chance.

He twisted his hat in his hands. “How are you feeling? I’m just coming by to see if there’s anything you need? Anything I can do?”

Beau grinned. Not only was he glad to see him, but there was something he wanted his help with. “How would you feel about springing me from here tomorrow?”

Corinne turned a stern look on him. Now he knew how Ruby felt! But he wasn’t backing down, this was too important.

Chance looked from him to Corinne and back again. “I’m up for it, if the missus gives us the okay.”

Corinne laughed. “How can I put my foot down now without looking like an old battle-axe?”

Beau laughed with her. “You could never look like one of those, sweetheart. But humor me on this one, okay?”

She nodded reluctantly. “But you,” she shook a finger at Chance. “I’m going to be holding you responsible.”

Chance made an exaggerated gulping sound and looked at Ruby who laughed. “Okay, boss lady.”