Fallen Angel (23 page)

“You do
n’t appear to be too overzealous anymore cowboy,” She whispered. Trying to lighten the mood.

“Appearances can be deceiving.” He whispered back, she smiled.

“You forgot my sling.” She was starting to get her brain function back.

“I didn’t forget, I wasn’t finished.” He carefully tucked her arm back into the sling and tied it.

Luke insisted that she ride on the front of Blaze with him despite the fact that James had brought Layla down.  He told her he didn’t want to take the chance that she couldn’t control the horse one handed if she got spooked but when he slid up against her back and wrapped his arms around her she looked up at him and smiled.

“I think you are just trying to take advantage of the situation.”

“You know you could be right.” He laughed.  She smiled and leaned back against him.
The ride was a slow one as he was careful not to jostle her but she didn’t mind it was nice just to lean on him and the position was perfect for him to talk into her ear, and he did about nothing in particular but when the house came into view she felt him stiffen.  He sat up a bit straighter and he seemed to be fishing for words.

“Um there is something that I haven’t told you, somewhat because it is a bit unbelievable and somewhat because it was something that you needed to just see for yourself.” Angelica tipped her head up and looked at him, she wasn’t following what he was talking about her mind was racing as she tried to figure out what he was saying. Had something happened to Ice?

“What are you talking about Luke?”

“You mentioned to Matt that there was someone in a gray cloak following you. Well he said that it wasn’t one of his.”

“What do you mean, who was it then?”

“Well that’s what I am trying to tell you, I think you need to see for yourself.” Her heart began to pound, whoever had been following her he had brought them
here, to the ranch? He lifted her off the horse and she winced from the pain. He placed her on her feet and she weaved unsteadily against him. The door to the house opened and Ella rushed out.

“Oh we weren’t expecting you for a few more days.” She gushed. Then she saw someone else appear in the doorway it was a woman it was…

“Mama!” She gasped.

“Oh I am so glad you’re alright I was so worried.” She rushed forward and
hugged her and Angelica winced as pain shot through her arm. She was stunned, she didn’t even know what to say. She looked up at Luke when her mother finally released her and he seemed to understand.

“Alright it’s been a long bumpy trip, let’s get you inside and settled.” He bent and swept her off her feet and she gasped again.

“Luke I can walk.”

“I know, my way is much faster.” He settled her onto the bed she had been in before, the one she now realized was his bed. She smiled up at him.

“Thank you.” He smiled back and then her mother was there and he quietly excused himself.

“Mother, I am stunned to see you I thought you were… I thought you were dead.”

“I know dear I am so sorry for that, I had to let your father think I was dead, but then he took you away and I didn’t know where you had gone until I read about all those murders and how they thought you were a victim and then you turned up alive and I had to see if it was really you. So I got on the train for Texas. Then I had to work up the nerve to approach you, I had to be sure you wouldn’t tell your father and I well I wasn’t sure so I just followed you around. I am sorry if I frightened you dear.” Angelica smiled she hadn’t been frightened because she had thought it was one of Matt’s men.

“So where have you been this whole time? Still in Virginia?”

“No I’ve been in Oklahoma, I spent some time in North Carolina but then I met someone and I moved to Oklahoma with him.  Angelica, I want you to come back with me,” She reached out and grasped her good hand. “You’ll be safe there, you can get back on your feet.”

“Mother
, I don’t intend to go anywhere I am going to stay right here.”

“Oh,” she watched her mother glance around the sparsely decorated room, “Here really?” Angelica suddenly felt the intense desire to defend the ranch, just because the house wasn’t a huge highly decorated mansion didn’t mean it wasn’t every bit as impressive the land and the animals more than made the difference, but she didn’t get the chance to tell her because Ella opened the door and entered with a tray of food.

“I thought you might be hungry.”

“Oh Ella, real food, bless you!”
She sighed and smiled at the older woman. “Supper is on the table Mrs. Mason.”

“Thank you.” Angelica watched as her mother rose gracefully off the bed and walked from the room. She looked at Ella,

“Has she been just awful?”

“Of course not.” Ella said quickly but Angelica could see that she was holding back. She stepped forward and patted her leg gently. “It’s good to have you back, I missed you.” Angelica beamed.

“I missed you too.” Ella left and Angelica looked at the tray of food she had left on the foot of the bed, she didn’t want to eat alone, she really wanted to be at the table with everyone else.

“Hey, you want some company?” She looked up and saw Luke in the doorway.

“Yes.” She said on an exhale and smiling at him.

“You’re not going to make me feed you are you?” He asked taking the chair beside the bed.

“I might.” She grinned mischievously and he laughed.

“How are you feeling?” His tone sobered slightly.

“I am tired and sore but I am alright.” He looked at her for a long moment then smiled.

“Good.”

“How is the Ranch?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know that’s the first thing you did when you got home you made the rounds checked on everything talked to everyone not working. You probably even rode out and checked on the herd yourself.” He grinned sheepishly.

“Everything is good.” She laughed and he laughed too. “I know you’re only asking because what you really want to know is how Ice is.” She laughed.

“That’s not the only reason I was asking, but I was curious.” He laughed again.

“She is good too, you can go out and see her just as soon as you feel up to it.”

“I already feel up to it.”

“Let me rephrase that, just as soon as you are healed enough.”

Luke told her about the various happenings at the ranch while they ate. It was really nice to just listen to him talk
. She loved the ranch, coming back here was like finally coming home. He could have told her the grass had grown three inches and she would have found it interesting.  Finally long after Ella had taken away her tray her eyes were heavy. He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

“Get some sleep.” He said softly.

“Wait you… you didn’t tell me if the creek was still flowing.”  Luke frowned looking into her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, I am curious it’s pretty late in the summer how much water is still getting through?” She said forcing a smile. He leaned in putting his forehead against hers and slid his hand up to cup her cheek.

“What’s wrong?” He asked again softly. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I don’t want you to go, I want you to stay here with me.” She whispered.

“We’re not married yet you know.”

“I don’t care, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Well you know I’m sure your mom would…”

“I don’t want her I want you.” He smiled, then sat up straight. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, she couldn’t very well beg him not go. He bent forward towards the floor and she couldn’t see what he what he was doing then he stood up and took off his belt and she realized he had been taking off his boots. He blew out the lamp then pulled back the blanket and slid in beside her. She grinned and cuddled up next to him.

“Thank you.” She whispered into the darkness.

“You know all you had to do was ask.”

Something didn’t feel right she was washing her hands but they weren’t coming clean, the water felt thick. She lifted her hands out of the basin and it was then that she realized it was blood. It was all over her hands and all over the front of her, she gasped and jumped backward bumping into something. She turned around and saw that it was a woman with her back to her.

“I am sorry
I didn’t see you.” She said quickly the woman turned around and Angelica gasped, she had no eyes there were blood trails down her face. Angelica’s heart began to pound and she backed away from the woman only to bump into another eyeless woman and then another. They were all moving toward her reaching out to her. She felt arms around her and she began to fight trying to push them off, but then she heard a soothing voice close to her ear,

“Angie, it’s me it’s Luke, Angie wake up.”  Her eyes flew open she was in the bedroom at the ranch and Luke had his arms around her.

“Luke.” She sighed and buried her face in his chest and began to sob.

“Angie, I am never going to let anything happen to you again I swear.” He whispered stroking her hair. She pulled back and looked at him and sniffed wiping her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.”  He brushed away her tears. “Angie do you want to tell me what happened in that cellar?” She shook her head.  “Are you sure, it might help?” She shook her head again
. He was quiet for a minute and began stroking her hair again. “Angie I want you to know I am here if you need me, you can tell me anything.”  She nodded and felt him tighten his grip on her. She knew he was just trying to help but she had to live with the images in her head she just couldn’t imagine making him have to live with them too. She hadn’t told him anything about what had happened in the cellar or about what she had seen or learned. She knew that some information had turned up in the investigation and he knew the state that the victim’s bodies had been found in, but she hadn’t asked him specifically what he knew and as far as she was concerned anything he didn’t know he was better off not knowing. She felt him kiss the top of her head and was once again immensely grateful to have him there, to no be alone in the dark after a nightmare like that.

“Luke,” she whispered in the dark.

“Hmmmm?”

“I love you.” 
She could almost feel him smile. It was a subtle change in the way he was holding her.

“I love you too babe.” He said softly. She smiled, he had never called her babe before she liked the way it sounded, the way it made her feel.

Luke
woke with the dawn light. Angie was still sleeping curled against his chest it was nice to wake up next to her it would be much nicer when he could do it legitimately without worrying about her reputation.  He carefully eased away from her and off the bed sitting on the chair to put his boots on so he wouldn’t wake her.

“Are you sneaking out cowboy?” He looked up and smiled.

“No I’m not sneaking out, I just have some work to do.” He leaned over and kissed her softly, “Go back to sleep it’s early still. I’ll be back in to check on you in a little while.” She smiled as she watched him put on his hat and slip out the door.  He was an early riser but this seemed early even for him, she wondered if he was just making sure he was out of the bedroom before anyone was up to see him.

Angelica put her feet on the floor and pushed herself into a standing position. She couldn’t take being cooped up in this room anymore. It had been three days, three days of boredom interrupted briefly by visitors. Her mother came to see her every couple of hours, Ella came only to bring her the things she needed and Luke came in the evenings and would stay through the night only to leave at first light. Now she felt she was going to lose her mind if she didn’t find something to look at other than these white walls. As she stood there she found that the pain wasn’t so bad, in fact she had to wonder if she wasn’t as sore from lack of movement as she was from her wounds. Very slowly and carefully she put on clean clothes then ran a brush through her hair, unfortunately she couldn’t braid it one handed so she left it down.  She took a deep breath and stepped from the room. She found Ella in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Good morning.” She said cheerily. Ella looked surprised to see her but she smiled brightly.

“Well look at you, you almost look right as rain.”

“I feel pretty good too, except I was losing my mind in there. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“As a matter of fact there is.”

“Really?
” Angelica brightened at the thought of being useful.

“You can sit down right there in that chair.”

“Oh.” Angelica deflated slightly but laughed. She rebelled slightly by pouring herself a cup of coffee first then taking a seat at the table.  “Where is my mother?”

“Oh she is rarely up in time for breakfast so I generally just save her a plate.”

“Oh I see. You know it didn’t occur to me until now but where has she been sleeping?”

“The boys built some makeshift walls in the
living room and put a bed in there, it’s like a room addition.” Ella laughed but Angelica cringed inwardly.