A Baby On His Doorstep
Continuing to pet the friendly dog, she eyed a windmill that told her the ranch was on a well. Two barns in the distance boasted new paint, as did split-rail fences that enclosed grassy pens where several beautiful golden horses grazed in late summer sunlight.
As she rose from where she had crouched to pet the dog, thinking to stroll over for a closer look at the horses, a man seated atop a long-legged horse appeared out of nowhere, bearing down on her.
He pulled the snorting horse to a standstill even as Binney scrambled out of its path. The dog barked louder, and ran circles around the dancing horse.
“Are you lost?” the rider asked. He removed his hat and she met the dark, curious gaze of a handsome man, probably a few years older than Rio.
“No. I came in search of the Lonesome Road Ranch. I’m Binney Taylor, the area’s visiting nurse. It’s not definite the ranch owner will request my nursing services when he’s released from the hospital. But since his surgeon recommended me and Mr. McNabb and I spoke about the possibility, I came out to get the lay of the land. I apologize if I interrupted your work.”
The man swung out of the saddle. “I’m JJ Montoya. I train horses for Rio, and look after the ranch whenever he’s away. I only spoke briefly to him yesterday. He was more concerned about the horse that injured him than he was about much else except making sure I collected his pickup, camper and Tagalong, here,” he added, indicating the dog that had gone to lie across Binney’s feet. “Tag doesn’t generally trust strangers. He seems to like you.”
Bending, Binney scratched the animal behind his floppy ears. “I’d love to have a dog or cat, but since my work out in the community often takes me away from my apartment for weeks at a time, I can’t have one.”
“How is Rio, really?” the man still holding the reins of the golden horse asked suddenly. “He didn’t sound his old self. But from the list of all he said was wrong with him, I frankly doubted he’d be home very soon.”
Dusting off her hands, Binney hiked a shoulder. “Sorry, I can’t discuss a patient’s condition. I do know he had more evaluations scheduled for this morning. You could phone him later and get an update. Uh, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Montoya, but I won’t keep you. You may or may not see me again, depending on whether or not I become part of Mr. McNabb’s recovery team. However, let me say this is a beautiful ranch.”
Pausing, Binney let her gaze roam over the scenic valley. She pictured what it might have been like growing up here, and felt a twinge of regret she always felt when forced to remember how she’d never had a real home or family.
Waving goodbye, she called, “It definitely wouldn’t be a hardship to take an assignment here.” She left the property with a greater appreciation for Rio’s ranch than when she’d first turned off the main highway onto the lonely road.
* * *
RIO FINISHED HIS lunch of cream of tomato soup and custard, wishing again for something more substantial. But he was being promised more for supper. The orthopedic doctor had come to see him after the MRI. He said he thought the cracked vertebrae would heal by themselves if Rio minded his p’s and q’s and didn’t do anything to reinjure his neck. In fact, Darnell wrote an order to move him out of ICU into a two-bed ward later that afternoon. He planned to recheck Rio at the end of the following week, and said if nothing changed he’d discharge him, providing he use something called a TENS Unit, designed to promote faster bone repair. Darnell also said he’d have a tech order up a better-fitting neck collar.
All in all Rio was feeling pretty good. Especially since he’d also asked about cutting back the pain medication, and Dr. Darnell said they’d try less potent pills instead of shots.
His cell phone rang. Picking it up off his tray where the nurse had set it, Rio saw the call was from JJ.
“Hi, buddy. How goes everything at the ranch?”
“Funny, I’m calling to ask how it goes at the hospital.”
“Some better.” Rio launched into telling his ranch hand all he’d learned.
“So, you think you’ll get to come home next weekend? Then you’ve settled on hiring yourself a home nurse?”
“I haven’t decided. Why?”
“Well, now,” JJ drawled, “Binney Taylor came out to take a gander at the ranch. She’s some looker, boss. Tag liked her so much if she’d been a burglar he’d have invited her in and showed her the silverware.”
“Binney drove out to the ranch?”
“Drove isn’t the right term. Not only is the lady damned pretty, but she rides a Harley like a pro.”
“She what?”
“You got hearing problems? The gal showed up here astraddle of a big old hog. She won over your dog, who usually bares his teeth at strangers. Oh, and before she left she said you have a nice ranch and it wouldn’t be a hardship to work here.”
Someone came into his room and removed his lunch tray, but Rio didn’t acknowledge her. His brain had stalled out picturing the tall slender nurse with soft, soft hands and gorgeous eyes, riding a motorcycle. He then imagined her legs clamped around one of his horses. That image quickly morphed into one where, whole again, he reclined in his king bed, and those same long, luscious legs straddled his hips with just the right amount of pressure.
“Rio, you still there?” JJ whistled into the phone.
Barely managing to say “Yeah” in gruff tones, Rio reined in derelict visions he chalked up to pain and forced inactivity. “Listen, I’m gonna have to call you back later, JJ.” He hit disconnect and willed away the all-too-enjoyable snapshot lodged in his head.
Chapter Three
Dr. Layton stopped by Rio’s hospital room and told him he’d turned over his care to the orthopedist. “My job as your surgeon is finished. Your lung remains inflated. All else are bone injuries that are Dr. Darnell’s field of expertise. I hear he’s moving you from ICU. He’ll be the one you’ll be fighting with about going into rehab.”
Rio screwed his lips to one side then said, “Since I’d rather recover at home I’m going to hire Nurse Taylor. Do you have any idea how long I may need her help? Or is that something I should ask Dr. Darnell?”
“Just judging from your initial injuries, I’d say you’ll need a month to six weeks to get you moving under your own power. Darnell can pinpoint that better after he sees follow-up X-rays of your broken wrist and clavicle.”
Layton turned to the computer and pulled up Rio’s chart. “I see he ordered a TENS Unit to help heal the vertebrae. That requires removing the cervical collar to sit with the electronic device on your neck for a specified time each day. Getting the collar off and on properly will take assistance. Frankly, I still don’t get what you have against going to rehab. They’re staffed for maximum therapies.”
Rio puffed out a disgusted sigh. “I like being in control of my life. Isn’t that true of everyone?”
“Yes, unless you’re sick or injured. I notice you listed your parents as next of kin. Can they help you at home?”
“If they weren’t on their dream trip to Australia they would be my go-to people. Worrier that my mom is, I hope they don’t hear of my accident. They’d cut their trip short. You may think I’m unreasonable. As a rule I’m not.”
“I see a lot of you cowboy types. Don’t blame me for thinking you all have more guts than sense. I do wish you luck.” The doctor closed out the computer, shook hands with Rio and then left the room.
Rio barely had time to gather his thoughts when the team scheduled to move him to a ward arrived. Two burly guys dressed in green scrubs transferred him, mattress and all, onto a gurney, while an aide gathered his personal belongings. She’d headed out when Rio called to her. “Did you pick up a business card for a private duty nurse?”
“I left it in the drawer. I heard Gertrude Murphy and Janet Valenzuela talking. I thought they said you weren’t going to hire...uh, never mind. I’ll grab the card.” She turned back and slipped past the gurney.
Rio would have liked to know what he’d said to give the ICU nurses the impression he wasn’t going to hire Binney. If word got back to her, she might take another job. He thought he’d been clear to everyone about wanting to recuperate at home, but weigh his options. As soon as he got settled in a ward he’d phone her and ask about her fees.
He did just that as soon as the transfer team left.
Binney sounded surprised to hear from him. “I charge the going daily rate for in-home nursing care unless I do household chores. There’s a greater daily charge if I do cooking, laundry or other housework.” She named both amounts.
“Which one includes taking care of a pet? I know you went out to my ranch and met my dog. JJ said you and Tag hit it off. I’m sure he was mistreated before I found him. He’s not usually trusting of strangers, so you’re an exception.”
“I hate hearing he may have been mistreated. Goodness, he seemed such a loving dog. Care for him would be included in either rate.” She paused then added, “Mr. Montoya was nice. What I viewed of your ranch was lovely. I hope you aren’t annoyed that I went to check it over. It’s something I do if the opportunity presents itself before I decide to take a job.”
“Has a preview caused you to turn any job down?”
“Once. The old guy raised goats and lived in a one-room shack back in the hills. He had pneumonia and needed care, but a requirement of mine is to have my own bedroom. I never asked the size of your home. Wait...didn’t you indicate it’s where you grew up, so it’d be a family home layout, right?”
“It is. You’d have a bedroom. I bought the ranch from my folks. They wanted to retire to San Antonio. At the moment they’re on a trip out of the country. What about you? Does your family still live in Abilene?”
“I live there. I rent an efficiency apartment downtown. Tell you what, Rio. My contract spells everything out. I work a late-late shift in ER tonight. It’ll be past visiting hours when I get to the hospital. But I’ll leave a copy at the unit desk and tomorrow you can ask a nurse to bring it in for you to read over. I want you to be satisfied.”
“We both need to be satisfied.” Rio couldn’t help flashing back to his earlier thoughts of the two of them in his big bed. Shoot, not only wasn’t he in any shape for monkey business, keeping hands off was probably listed in her contract. “So you know, I’d require some cooking and other stuff. I hope if Dr. Darnell sees I have home care, he’ll release me quicker.”
“Murph told me two things you balked at were renting a hospital bed and going home by ambulance. Both are most apt to impress Dr. Darnell.”
Rio grunted, then said, “I’ll see. So, we’ll touch base soon?”
“Roger that.”
Noting that she’d disconnected, Rio set his phone on the tray table. He tried to find a comfortable position as he closed his eyes and pictured all five foot eight inches of Nurse Taylor.
He woke up, not knowing how much time had passed, to a high-pitched feminine voice exclaiming, “Eew, Sugar Bear! You look awful. How do you feel?”
He smelled Traci Walker’s signature perfume before she came close enough to identify. He failed to escape before she bent and brushed a damp kiss on his lips. “Just what I want to hear, how bad I look, Traci. As to how I feel, I’ve been better.”
She straightened away. “Daddy and Mama told me about your accident. I just got home last night from visiting Samantha in the Big Apple. We saw Ryder ride in Madison Square Garden.” She pouted, a sulky face Rio knew she’d long perfected as they’d grown up together and had even dated a few times.
She continued discussing her trip. “We tried talking Ryder into hitting a few nightclubs with us. He’s so focused on amassing points, he told Sammi he had to ride the next morning. You know she used to always wrap him around her finger. Ryder’s changed. But we snagged Ben Jarvis and still danced the night away.” Traci spun away from the bed and peered around, wrinkling her nose. “So when can you leave this horrid, smelly place?”
Rio managed a brief inspection of her expression of distaste. She hadn’t changed since she’d unexpectedly popped in to see him at the Fort Worth rodeo in the spring and tried to steamroll him into renewing their long-dead relationship. Her daddy, Weldon Walker, owned the biggest ranch around Abilene. He was a leading patron of the PRCA. Traci, a six-time rodeo queen, dabbled in charity work with her mom. It surprised Rio to hear that his brother had skipped going out with her sister, a New York model. In high school Ryder had dated Samantha longer than he’d stuck with any girl.
“Before I check out I need to hire nursing care and the services of a chief cook and bottle washer at the ranch,” Rio said. “Any chance you’re in the mood to volunteer?” he asked in jest, knowing her family had always employed a cook themselves.
True to his expectations, she rolled her eyes. “I might lend a hand if you didn’t live in the sticks. You need to sell and buy a ranch closer to town. You and I could be good together if you didn’t bury yourself miles from civilization. I need to be near town, because Daddy’s buying me a boutique.”
“What do you mean, we could be good together?”
She wiggled her ring finger. “Daddy says it’s time you pop the question and we get married, Sugar Bear.”
“What?” Rio knew he was guilty of gaping.
“You’re so stubborn, but I can wear you down.”
“Don’t count on it. You’re a partier and I like solitude. And I’ll never sell the Lonesome Road. Raising horses out there is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
“How can you say that when you’ve been on the rodeo circuit for years? Daddy said Abilene might be your last rodeo, though. I predict you’ll get bored soon enough. Oh, but starting tomorrow I’m helping Mama arrange the country club’s harvest ball. Heavens, Sugar Bear, can you even get out of bed? From my observation you’ll need more help than anyone I know can give. Maybe Lola Vickers. Shall I have Mama call her?”
“Lola’s retired.” Suddenly recalling how tight the area ranch teens used to be, he blurted, “Do you remember Binney Taylor from high school?”
Traci assumed an annoyed expression. “Why ever would you ask about her? Surely you know she got her name because she was left on the doorstep at the orphanage in one of those green vegetable trash bins. Iona Taylor found her. She assigned the little nobody her last name. Mama said Binney lived in different foster homes, but she never fit in and never got along. By high school they sent her to a group home run by Catholic nuns.”
Traci’s diatribe left a sour taste in Rio’s mouth. “Well, she’s a registered nurse now. Sometimes she works here, but also does private nursing jobs. I plan to hire her.”
Traci swiveled her head around as if searching for the woman they were discussing. “Land sakes. You can’t get mixed up with the likes of her. Mama would bar you from the country club. And what would your folks say? Binney Taylor’s not like us. Why, nobody knows her roots.”
Disliking the turn of this conversation, Rio couldn’t have been happier when a ward nurse came in, interrupting Traci’s rant about Binney.
“Visiting hours are over,” the nurse announced. “It’s time for Mr. McNabb’s meds. You’ll have to come back later this evening, or tomorrow.”
At first Rio thought Traci would throw her wealthy weight around and refuse to go. As it was she merely tightened her grip on her designer purse and said, “I only had a few minutes to spare on my way to a mani-pedi appointment anyway. I’ll call you, Sugar Bear. If you’re up and around in time for the Harvest Ball the first of October, I’ll arrange a ticket. I’ll even drive out to the boonies and pick you up.”
Rio laughed. “Have you really looked closely at me, Traci? I won’t be doin’ any boot scootin’ boogying by October. Oh, tell your dad I’m glad his horse is okay even if Diablo Colorado did his best to kill us both in the arena.”
She paused at the door. “Don’t you forget how important Daddy is in the rodeo/ranching community. He could help you build your horse trade if you don’t do something foolish like let a person in your home that Lord only knows her background.” She blew Rio a kiss and swept from the room on her red spiked heels.
The nurse stared for a moment at the empty doorway then set a small cup of pills on Rio’s tray table. She poured him a glass of water from an icy pitcher. “Our ward has strict rules for visitation. We sometimes make allowances for relatives,” she said pointedly, again eyeing the door.
“She’s not a relative.” It was all Rio could do to hide a smile when the nurse appeared relieved. “What are these for?” he asked when the woman, whose name tag read Suzette Ferris RN, dumped three pills into his hand.
“One is an antibiotic. I’m about to unhook your IV. The other two are painkillers. Dr. Darnell replaced the shots you were receiving. If these keep your pain at bay, he’ll likely order them for a couple of weeks. Be sure to tell us if they aren’t strong enough. I heard you’d rather be off everything, but truthfully, hurting isn’t good.”
“Are they addictive?”
“They could be if you were on them for an extended period of time. Our physicians are careful about that.”
Popping all three pills in his mouth, Rio swallowed them down with one gulp from the glass. He took the spoon and container of custard she’d opened. “How long before I can have real food?”
“If by real food you mean steak, probably not until it’s easier for you to get up and around.”
“Not necessarily steak, but even a sandwich. If all I get is baby food, won’t that delay how soon I have the strength to get up and around?”
There was a rustling at the door and Rio raised his head, fearing Traci had returned. But Binney Taylor walked in. She wore jeans, boots and a plaid blouse. Her small waist was circled by a two-inch-wide leather belt. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. For the first time Rio noticed a smattering of appealing freckles on her creamy cheeks. He found it difficult to swallow.
“Is he giving you a hard time, Suzette? Knock it off, McNabb. She’s one of the best darned nurses on this ward.”
Nurse Ferris rushed to hug Binney. “Look who’s talking. If you’re a friend of this guy, you’re far superior to his last visitor,” she said, lowering her voice.
Appearing a tad confused, Binney waved an envelope. “I’m bringing Rio one of my private duty contracts to go over. I intended to drop it at the ward desk since I’m working the late shift in ER. But I got a call from Mabel in administration. She said if I’m slated to accompany Rio home, Dr. Darnell may release him soon. He needs time to decide between my services or going to Baxter Rehab.”
Suzette wrinkled her nose. “No contest to my way of thinking. Especially as he’s bugging me for real food.” She made quote marks in the air when she said real. Facing Rio, she added, “When Binney worked here full-time she often brought casseroles to our lunch room. All of the nurses fought to see who’d get there first.”
Her pager went off. Excusing herself, she air-kissed Binney and dashed from the room.
Binney covered the distance to the bed, set the envelope on Rio’s tray table and relieved him of the empty custard container he still held. She stepped on the lever to open the waste container, then stopped. “Are they monitoring what you eat and excrete?”
“What? I’m not getting enough food to excrete anything,” he said, turning red.
“They’ll give you something more substantial tomorrow. You have to prove your intestines work well before you can go home, you know.”
His eyebrows dived together. “I actually don’t know. I was only in a hospital ER last time I was thrown from a horse.” He tried casting his eyes elsewhere, but he was hampered by the cervical collar.
“I told you modesty flies out the window when you’re dealing with extensive injuries. If you turn red as a tomato whenever it’s time to shower, get a lotion rubdown or at other pertinent times, it’s pointless for us to try to work together.”
He studied her for a long moment. “It’ll be hard for me to put aside long-held proprieties, but I want to hire you.” He hurriedly added, “I’ll sign the contract now.”
“But you haven’t read it,” Binney said.
“With all the recommendations you’ve had from staff here, I shouldn’t have waited this long. Do you have a pen?” He didn’t say there was someone who hadn’t recommended her. But Traci Walker’s comments were one reason he wanted to sign on the dotted line and show folks like Traci and her family that not every area rancher gave a damn about their view of someone’s roots.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
Вы ознакомились с фрагментом книги.
Для бесплатного чтения открыта только часть текста.
Приобретайте полный текст книги у нашего партнера:
Полная версия книги