honey.”
Callie felt around and found no fire iron, so she decided to leave payback for later. “Where are we?”
“We’re at my brother Ethan’s house.”
The last couple of days came rushing back to her.
The shootout. Bleeding—she’d done a lot of bleeding. A whole lot. Raising a hand, she thought to check the stitches in her scalp. The tiny movement made her left arm hurt so bad she had to bite back a howl of pain. She quit any unnecessary moving.
Her runaway husband was still there, and still just as annoying. And blast the man, he was as good-looking as ever. Better in fact. Clean-shaven now, unlike after the war. And he’d been skin and bones then. He was still too thin, yet it wasn’t as scary. His hair was cut short instead of being long and shaggy as a buffalo. She’d never really seen how sharp his cheekbones were, or how full his lips, or how square his jaw. That had all been masked by his beard and his raving.
“And there was a surprise brother?” Callie was finding it hard to concentrate over the pain.
“I’d never seen him before yesterday.”
“So they weren’t just a surprise to me, then?”
“A mighty big surprise to us both.”
Which reminded Callie that her husband had forgotten her. So the man had a mighty surprising day all around.
“Are you sure? You forgot me. Maybe you forgot your little brother, too.”
“Nope.” Then Seth hesitated and looked over her shoulder. “We’d never seen hide nor hair of him before yesterday, had we?”
“No, that boy was a surprise to all of us.” Another, less annoying face appeared over her husband-the-abandoner’s shoulder. A pretty blond woman who looked like a stiff wind would blow her away.
Turning back to Callie, Seth said, “I was sure of that before I asked. It’s just that these days I’ve sort of started doubting all the things I’m sure about.”
“Howdy, Callie.” Audra peeked around Seth’s shoulder. “I’m Audra. Ethan’s wife. Which means we’re sisters. You’ve been asleep since Seth brought you here late last night.”
Audra, who looked younger than Callie, said, “Step aside and let me see her, Seth.”
“Audra, give me a minute to—ow!” Seth jumped and turned to the woman. “Why’d you pinch me?”
Audra the Dandelion Fluff Woman gave Seth a look that made him stand up from where he sat on the bed and step back. Then, sounding as sweet as sugar, she said, “Go on. Let the poor woman have a minute to wake up.”
Seth stepped around so he hovered behind Audra.
Then Callie sat bolt upright. “Connor!” The movement clawed pain through every joint and muscle. Her head gave a sickening throb. Her stomach swirled, and for a second Callie fought against emptying her stomach. Her stomach was empty, which helped her control her collywobbles. “Where’s my son?”
“He’s fine,” Audra said. “He’s sitting at the breakfast table with Ethan and my two little ones.”
Agony didn’t stop Callie from swinging her legs toward the edge of the bed. “I have to see for myself that he’s all right.”
“You have to stay in bed. You’ve got a fever.” The dandelion rested surprisingly strong hands on her shoulders.
Or maybe Audra wasn’t surprisingly strong. Maybe, instead, Callie was surprisingly weak. “I need to go to Connor.”
The heat of her skin hit her as soon as Audra said the word fever. Callie struggled against Audra.
“Help me, Seth. We need to keep her here.”
Seth rushed around to the other side of the bed, and there was no resisting his strength. His hands replaced Audra’s, and Callie found herself flat on her back. Seth sat on the bed beside her, frowning, watching every breath she took. A pillow that must be goose down felt good on her throbbing head.
“No, please. My son.” With every word Callie’s voice lost power. Wrenching against Seth’s hold sent pain through her shoulder until it could have been on fire. The only clear thought in Callie’s head was to
Callie felt around and found no fire iron, so she decided to leave payback for later. “Where are we?”
“We’re at my brother Ethan’s house.”
The last couple of days came rushing back to her.
The shootout. Bleeding—she’d done a lot of bleeding. A whole lot. Raising a hand, she thought to check the stitches in her scalp. The tiny movement made her left arm hurt so bad she had to bite back a howl of pain. She quit any unnecessary moving.
Her runaway husband was still there, and still just as annoying. And blast the man, he was as good-looking as ever. Better in fact. Clean-shaven now, unlike after the war. And he’d been skin and bones then. He was still too thin, yet it wasn’t as scary. His hair was cut short instead of being long and shaggy as a buffalo. She’d never really seen how sharp his cheekbones were, or how full his lips, or how square his jaw. That had all been masked by his beard and his raving.
“And there was a surprise brother?” Callie was finding it hard to concentrate over the pain.
“I’d never seen him before yesterday.”
“So they weren’t just a surprise to me, then?”
“A mighty big surprise to us both.”
Which reminded Callie that her husband had forgotten her. So the man had a mighty surprising day all around.
“Are you sure? You forgot me. Maybe you forgot your little brother, too.”
“Nope.” Then Seth hesitated and looked over her shoulder. “We’d never seen hide nor hair of him before yesterday, had we?”
“No, that boy was a surprise to all of us.” Another, less annoying face appeared over her husband-the-abandoner’s shoulder. A pretty blond woman who looked like a stiff wind would blow her away.
Turning back to Callie, Seth said, “I was sure of that before I asked. It’s just that these days I’ve sort of started doubting all the things I’m sure about.”
“Howdy, Callie.” Audra peeked around Seth’s shoulder. “I’m Audra. Ethan’s wife. Which means we’re sisters. You’ve been asleep since Seth brought you here late last night.”
Audra, who looked younger than Callie, said, “Step aside and let me see her, Seth.”
“Audra, give me a minute to—ow!” Seth jumped and turned to the woman. “Why’d you pinch me?”
Audra the Dandelion Fluff Woman gave Seth a look that made him stand up from where he sat on the bed and step back. Then, sounding as sweet as sugar, she said, “Go on. Let the poor woman have a minute to wake up.”
Seth stepped around so he hovered behind Audra.
Then Callie sat bolt upright. “Connor!” The movement clawed pain through every joint and muscle. Her head gave a sickening throb. Her stomach swirled, and for a second Callie fought against emptying her stomach. Her stomach was empty, which helped her control her collywobbles. “Where’s my son?”
“He’s fine,” Audra said. “He’s sitting at the breakfast table with Ethan and my two little ones.”
Agony didn’t stop Callie from swinging her legs toward the edge of the bed. “I have to see for myself that he’s all right.”
“You have to stay in bed. You’ve got a fever.” The dandelion rested surprisingly strong hands on her shoulders.
Or maybe Audra wasn’t surprisingly strong. Maybe, instead, Callie was surprisingly weak. “I need to go to Connor.”
The heat of her skin hit her as soon as Audra said the word fever. Callie struggled against Audra.
“Help me, Seth. We need to keep her here.”
Seth rushed around to the other side of the bed, and there was no resisting his strength. His hands replaced Audra’s, and Callie found herself flat on her back. Seth sat on the bed beside her, frowning, watching every breath she took. A pillow that must be goose down felt good on her throbbing head.
“No, please. My son.” With every word Callie’s voice lost power. Wrenching against Seth’s hold sent pain through her shoulder until it could have been on fire. The only clear thought in Callie’s head was to
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