Page 76 of Dark Side of the River

COOPERLOOKEDUPas someone tapped his shoulder. He didn’t know how much time had passed since he’d been told to sit down and wait. He blinked up at the nurse.

“I’m waiting to see Tilly Stafford,” he said.

The nurse nodded. “All I can tell you is that she’s out of surgery.”

“She’s going to be all right?”

The nurse gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m sure the doctor can tell you more.”

He felt as if he could finally breathe a little. “Can you tell me what room she’s in?”

“She’s still in recovery. You won’t be able to see her until tomorrow.”

He nodded, reminding himself that he wasn’t family, that he would have to sneak in to see her when her mother wasn’t around.

As the nurse walked away, he stood, rubbing the back of his neck. It was stiff from hours in the chair. Tilly was going to be fine—she had to be. His relief was followed quickly by his anger at CJ. The bastard had better not die, because Cooper wanted a piece of him.

When he saw the sheriff coming down the hallway, he waited. Cooper met Stu’s gaze. “She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?”

Stuart nodded. “Mild concussion, abrasions, broken forearm that had to be set.”

He took a ragged breath, let it out. “CJ?”

The sheriff seemed to hesitate. “He suffered a lot of abrasions, some broken ribs and a severely fractured left leg. He also has a neck injury and right now has no feeling in his lower extremities.”

“Will he ever walk again?”

“They don’t know at this point. They’re trying to assess the damage right now,” Stu said. “Let me guess. You’re hoping he can walk again so you can beat him up.”

Cooper chuckled. “You think I wouldn’t go for his throat even if he was in a wheelchair?”

“No, I don’t think you would—even if he can walk again. You want to be with Tilly? You can’t beat up her older brother.”

“Even the one who tried to kill both of his sisters?”

Stu pulled a face. “Both were accidents, though...” He held up his hand to keep Cooper from interrupting him. “He was responsible for both. Maybe he’s learned something from this.”

He snorted and Stu laughed. “Yeah, he’s still CJ Stafford.”

“Yeah,” Cooper said as he saw CJ’s mother crying down the hall. Crying with relief that her daughter was going to live? Or crying because her son was badly injured and going to prison? Or was he? “She’ll get him off if there is any way in hell.”

Stu followed his gaze down the hall before looking at Cooper again. “You going to be all right?”

“Sure, I’ll be fine.” But he didn’t feel fine. He remembered being on the ground next to Tilly when she was trapped in the wrecked pickup, promising that if she lived, he wouldn’t let anything come between them.

He hadn’t realized what an impossible promise it had been, but he did now. Not that it would stop him. But as Stu had pointed out, it would force him to rein in his ambivalence. He’d have to be a lot more diplomatic than he was by nature. He’d have to tread lightly if there was any hope of bridging that gap between the families. How else could he and Tilly survive even a relationship—let alone a marriage and children?

It was going to take a better man than he was right now, he thought. Because he still wanted to go for CJ’s throat. Hopefully, he’d get over that impulse before the cowboy got out of jail.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

COOPERKNEWHEwouldn’t be able to see Tilly until morning. As he climbed into his pickup, his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten all day. He didn’t feel hungry, but he did feel lost and he had no desire to go home right now.

He drove down to the Wild Horse Bar, took a stool and ordered a burger and a beer. It was quiet and cool, not even many of the regulars here at this time of the evening. Things would pick up later, but right now he pretty much had the place to himself. He did notice that Deputy Ty Dodson was sitting at a table in the corner with a friend. Cooper hoped he stayed there.

“Rumors are running wild,” Eric, the bartender, said as he poured him a draft and set it on a napkin in front of him. The man was young, early twenties. He’d worked for the Stafford Ranch until he was fired for allegedly hitting on Oakley, speaking of rumors.

Eric leaned on the bar. “Is it true what I heard about CJ Stafford?”

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