Page 59 of Wellspring
Javier pulled the horses to a stop and jumped down.“I’m sorry, Erick, but there’s not a lot I can do about the state of the road.”
“I know.”Erick breathed easier now that he wasn’t being jostled almost constantly.“Let me rest for a short time and we can go on.”
“We should have stayed in town,” Cade fretted.
“It is worth it to be going home.”Cade’s arms tightened around him, and Erick marveled how in a few months, Wellspring felt more of a home than his estate in Prussia ever had.
Michele climbed down from Nahnia and reached into the wagon to hand Erick one of the pillows that made up the nest.“Try holding this against your chest,” she suggested.“The pressure helps some women cope with cramping.”
To his surprise, Erick found that clutching the pillow to his chest did help ease the worst of his pain from the jostling and coughing.Cade had Javier stop once more to let him rest before they finally reached the boundary of Wellspring land.
MacRae was riding the border line, and when he saw the wagon approaching, he let out a whoop and set his horse racing toward the big house.By the time Javier pulled up in front of the porch, every hand on the ranch seemed to have gathered together.
“Hoss!”Burke pushed through the crowd to the back of the wagon.“What’s this bullshit I hear about you letting Sanders shoot you in the back?You’re supposed to be smarter than that.”
“Burke,” Cade growled, but Erick just smiled.After almost a month in Eldorado and nearly dying, he welcomed even Burke’s bravado.
“I made the mistake of crediting him with basic human decency,” Erick replied.“It’s a mistake I will not have to worry about making again since Cade killed him.”
“About damn time someone did,” Burke said.“Let’s get you out of that wagon.Can you walk?Do you need a chair with wheels?A pulley to get you in and out of bed?Although with Webster’s arms, he can probably lift you.”
“I can manage on my own, thank you.”Erick pushed up to stand, taking a breath before climbing carefully to the ground.Cade hopped down beside him, standing close enough to catch him if he wobbled, but Erick locked his knees and stood straight as one by one the hands ambled up to shake his hand or clap him on the shoulder to welcome him back.
“Why don’t you come sit on the porch?”Grace asked after an especially enthusiastic buffet from Svensen nearly sent him to the ground.Grateful for the chance to get off his feet, Erick sank into one of the wicker chairs and accepted the glass of sweet tea she handed him.
“Yeah, that way Kit can help me unload the supplies instead of lollygagging with his boyfriend,” Javier said.MacRae flipped him off, but Logan flushed and helped lift the cartons of groceries out of the wagon.
“I’ll come back once I get the horses settled.”Cade untied Zephyr and followed Michele and Nahnia toward the stables.
“How are you?”Grace asked when everyone had scattered and returned to their jobs.“Tell me the truth.”
“As if I would dare to tell you anything else,” Erick replied with a tired smile.
She looked at him steadily until he sighed.“I am weak as a newborn kitten, in a great deal of pain, and under strict orders to rest and recover for at least another month, but I am no longer at death’s door.”
“Well, you won’t be able to rest and recover in the bunkhouse.You’ll stay here in the guest room,” Grace said with a decided nod.
“I cannot put you out in such a way,” Erick protested.“I will sleep with the other men as I always have.”
Grace flushed a charming pink.“I know that you were shot because you knocked Frank Sanders to the ground over what he said about me.Giving you a peaceful place to recuperate is the least I can do when you were hurt coming to my defense.”
“I did no more than any man would have done upon hearing such slanders.”
“It speaks to the man you are that you believe that,” Grace said with a shake of her head.“But I will not take no for an answer.You will stay here until you are fully recovered.”
“Yeah,” said Cade, coming to join them on the porch.“You’ll rest much better if you don’t have to listen to Svensen snoring and Beaufort farting all night.”
Payne strode up from the direction of the barn and gave Erick a long, steady once-over.“Nice of you to join us, Heller.Had enough of lazing about in town?”
“The scenery there left something to be desired,” Erick replied in the same tone of voice, “though I did appreciate the break from work.Then again, according to Dr.Lillard, I have another month at least before I can return to my regular labors.I shall have to find other ways to be useful until then.”
“You’ll sit your ass in that chair and do exactly what the doctor says until then, that’s what you’ll do,” Payne snapped.“And not a damn thing more, if I have to sit on you myself to make sure of it.”
Erick raised his eyebrows.He’d known he had Payne’s grudging respect, but he hadn’t realized the man’s regard had grown to such a degree.“If you say so, though I am sure there are things I can do to help Grace with the accounts and such without taxing myself unduly.”
“In time, perhaps,” Grace said.She met Payne’s challenging stare evenly.“Not until he is up to it, but I could use his help in calculating our available funds, should any of the JR’s land or assets become available.”
Payne dropped a kiss on Grace’s hair.“You’ll do things your own damn way and have us all dancing to your tune and liking it, as always.Just remember the man almost died,” he grumbled.
