Heartbreaker (12 page)

“He paid for that MRI machine they used on me yesterday.”

The nurse pursed her lips. “Well! Aren’t you nicely connected?” she mused. “Is he your fiancé?”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Tellie chuckled. “I’m only seventeen,” she said.

The nurse looked puzzled. She checked Tellie’s chart, made a face and then forced a smile. “Of course.

Sorry.”

Tellie wondered why she looked so confused. “Can I go home today?” she wondered.

“That depends on what Dr. Coltrain thinks,” she replied. “He’ll be in to see you when he makes rounds.

Breakfast will be up shortly.”

“Thanks,” Tellie told her.

The nurse smiled, cast another curious and appreciative glance at J.B. and left.

Tellie stared at him with mixed emotions. He was a handsome man, she thought, but at least she was safe from all that masculine charm that he used to such good effect on women he liked. She was far too young to be threatened by J.B.’s sex appeal.

It was easy to see why he had women flocking around him. He had a dynamite physique, hard and lean and sexy, with long powerful legs and big hands. His face was rugged, but he had fine green eyes under a jutting brow and a mouth that was as hard and sensuous as any movie star’s. But it wasn’t just his looks that made him attractive. It was his voice, deep and faintly raspy, and the way he had of making a woman feel special. He had beautiful manners when he cared to display them, and a temper that made grown men look for cover. Tellie had rarely seen him fighting mad. Most of the time he had excellent self-control.

She frowned. Why did it sting to think of him losing his temper? He’d rarely lost it at Tellie, and even then it was for her own good. But something about her thoughts made her uneasy.

Just as she was focusing on that, J.B. opened his eyes and looked at her, and she stopped thinking. Her heart jumped. She couldn’t imagine why. She was possessive of J.B., she idolized him, but she’d never really considered anything physical between them. Now, her body seemed to know things her mind didn’t.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“How do you feel?” he asked quietly.

She blinked. “My head doesn’t hurt as much,” she said. She searched his eyes. “Why are you here? I’m all right.”

He shrugged. “I was worried.” He didn’t add that he was also guilt-ridden about the reason for the wreck and her injury. His conscience had him on the rack. He couldn’t sleep for worrying about her.

That was new. It was disconcerting. He’d never let a woman get under his skin since his ill-fated romance of years past. Even an unexpected interlude with Tellie on the sofa in his office hadn’t made a lot of difference in their turbulent relationship, especially when he realized that Tellie was sexually unawakened. He’d deliberately pushed her out of his life and kept her at arm’s length—well, mostly, except for unavoidable lapses when he gave in to the passion riding him. That passion had drawn him to Bella in a moment of weakness.

Then Tellie had walked in on him with Bella, and his whole life had changed. He’d never felt such pain as when Grange had walked into the emergency room with an unconscious Tellie on a gurney. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. The only thing worse than seeing her in such a condition was dreading the day when her memory returned, because she was going to hate J.B.

“I’m going to be fine,” she promised, smiling. “Do you think Dr. Coltrain will let me go home today?”

“I’ll ask him,” he said, sitting up straighter. “Nell’s getting a room ready for you. While Marge and the girls are away, you’ll stay with Nell and me.”

“I wish Marge was here,” she said involuntarily.

He sighed. Marge was improving, too, but she was worried about Tellie. Dawn had let it slip that she’d been in a wreck, but J.B. had assured her that Tellie was going to be fine. There was this little problem with her memory, of course, and she’d have to stay at the house with him until it came back.

Marge was reassured, but still concerned. He knew that she’d sensed something was wrong between her brother and Tellie, but she couldn’t put it into words. He wasn’t about to enlighten her. He had
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

enough on his plate.

“I’ll be in the way there,” she protested.

“You won’t,” he replied. “Nell will be glad of the company.”

She studied her hands on the sheet. “There’s something that bothers me, J.B.,” she said without looking at him.

“What?”

She hesitated. “What was I doing at your house, at night, in the rain?”

He sat very still. He hadn’t considered that the question would arise so soon. He wasn’t sure how to answer it, to protect her from painful memories.

She looked up and met his turbulent green eyes. “You were mad at me, weren’t you?”

His heart seemed to stop, then start again. “We had an argument,” he began slowly.

She nodded. “I thought so. But I can’t remember what it was about.”

“Time enough for that when you’re back on your feet,” he said, rising up from the chair. “Don’t borrow trouble. Just get well.”

So there was something! She wished she could grasp what it was. J.B. was acting very oddly.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She looked up at him. “You leaving?” she asked.

He nodded. “I’ve got to get the boys started moving the bulls to summer pasture.”

“Not on roundup?”

“Roundup’s in March,” he said easily.

“Oh.” She frowned. It wasn’t March. She knew it wasn’t. “Is it March?”

He ignored that. “I’ll talk to Coltrain on my way out,” he said.

“But it’s not time for rounds…”

“I met him coming in. He had an emergency surgery. I expect he’s through by now,” he replied.

“J.B., who is that man Grange?” she asked abruptly. “And why did you let me go out with him? He said he’s twenty-seven, and I’m just seventeen. You had a hissy fit when I tried to go hiking with Billy Johns.”

He looked indignant. “I don’t have hissy fits,” he said shortly.

“Well, you raged at me, anyway,” she corrected. “Why are you letting me see Grange?”

His teeth set. “You’re full of questions this morning.”

“Answer a few of them,” she invited.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Later,” he said, deliberately checking his watch. “I have to get to work. Want me to bring you anything?”

“A nail file and a ladder,” she said with resignation. “Just get me out of here.”

“The minute you’re fit to leave,” he promised. He smiled faintly. “Stay put until I get back.”

“If I must,” she sighed.

He was gone and she was left to eat breakfast and while away the next few hours until Dr. Coltrain showed up.

He examined Tellie and pronounced her fit to leave the hospital.

“But you still need to take it easy for a week or two,” he told her. “Stay out of crowds, stick to J.B.’s house. No parties, no job, nothing.”

She frowned. “I thought it was just a mild concussion,” she argued.

“It is.” He didn’t quite meet her eyes. “We’re just not taking chances. You need lots of rest.”

She sighed. “Okay, if you say so. Can I go horseback riding, can I swim…?”

“Sure. Just don’t leave J.B.’s ranch to do them.”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She smiled. “What’s going on, Dr. Coltrain?”

He leaned forward. “It’s a secret,” he told her. “Bear with me. Okay?”

She laughed. “Okay. When do I get to know the secret?”

“All in good time,” he added, as inspiration struck him. “Keep an eye on J.B. for me.”

Her eyebrows arched. “Is something wrong with him…?” she asked worriedly.

“Nothing specific. Just watch him.”

She shook her head. “Okay. If you say so.”

“Good girl.” He patted her shoulder and left, congratulating himself on the inspiration. While she was focused on J.B., she wouldn’t be preoccupied with her own health. Far better if she licked the amnesia all by herself. He didn’t want her shocked with the truth of her condition.

J.B.’s house was bigger than Tellie remembered. Nell met them at the door, all smiles and welcome.

“It’s so good to have you back,” Nell said, hugging the younger woman. “I’ve got a nice room all ready for you.”

“Don’t think you’re going to get to wait on me,” Tellie informed her with a grin. “I’m not an invalid.”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“You have a concussion,” Nell corrected, and the smile faded. “It can be very dangerous. I remember a cowboy who worked here…”

“Remember us something to eat, instead,” J.B. interrupted her, with a meaningful look.

“Oh. Of course.” She glared at J.B. “You had a call while you were out. I wrote the information on the pad on your desk.”

He read through the lines and assumed it was from Bella. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Who’s bringing Tellie’s suitcase?” Nell asked.

J.B. stood still. “What suitcase?”

“I’ll have to go over to Marge’s and get my things,” Tellie began.

“I’ll go—!”

“I can do that,” J.B. interrupted Nell. “You look after Tellie.”

“When haven’t I?” Nell wanted to know belligerently.

“You two need to stop arguing, or I’m going to go sit on the front porch,” Tellie told both of them.

They glared at each other. J.B. shrugged and went into his den. Tellie’s eyes followed him past the big sofa. The sofa…She frowned. Something about that sofa made her uneasy.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“What’s wrong?” Nell prompted.

Tellie put a hand to her forehead and laughed faintly. “I don’t know. I looked at the sofa and felt funny.”

“Let’s go right up and get you settled,” Nell said abruptly, taking Tellie by the arm. “Then I’ll see about some lunch.”

It was almost as if Nell knew something about the sofa, too, but that would be ridiculous, Tellie told herself. She was getting mental.

She’d wanted to watch television, but there wasn’t one in the bedroom. Nell told her that there was a problem with the satellite dish and it wasn’t working. Odd, Tellie thought, it was almost as if they were trying to keep her from watching the news.

She had to stay in bed, because Nell insisted. Just after she had supper on a tray, J.B. walked in, worn and dusty, still in his working clothes.

Tellie was propped up in bed in pink-striped pajamas that made her look oddly vulnerable.

“How’s it going?” he asked.

“I’m okay. Why is the satellite not working?” she added. “I can’t watch the Weather Channel.”

His eyebrows arched. “Why do you want to?”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“You said it was March, but Nell says it’s May,” she said. “That’s tornado season.”

“So it is.”

She glowered at him. “Grange said it was March and Marge and the girls were away on Spring Break.”

He pursed his lips.

“I know better, so don’t bother trying to lie,” she told him firmly. “If it’s May, where are they?”

He leaned against the doorjamb. “They’re around, but you can’t see them just yet. Nothing’s wrong.”

“That’s not true, J.B.,” she said flatly.

He laughed mirthlessly and twirled his hat through his fingers. “No use trying to fool you, is it? Okay, the concussion did something to your head. You’re a little fuzzy about things. We’re supposed to let your mind clear without any help.”

She frowned. “What’s fuzzy about it?”

He jerked away from the door. “Not tonight. I’m going to clean up, then I’ve got…someplace to go,”

he amended.

“A date,” she translated, grinning.

There was faint jealousy in her expression, but she was hiding it very well. He felt uncomfortable. He was taking Bella out, and here was Tellie, badly injured on his account and hurting.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“I could postpone it,” he began guiltily.

“Whatever for?” she exclaimed.

His eyebrows arched. “Excuse me?”

“I’m seventeen,” she pointed out. “Even if I were crazy about you, it’s obvious that you’re far too old for me.”

He felt odd inside. He studied her curiously. “Am I?”

“I still don’t understand why you’re letting Grange date me,” she mused. “He’s twenty-seven.”

“Is he?” He considered that. Grange was seven years his junior, closer to Tellie’s own age than he was.

That stung.

“You’re hedging, J.B.,” she accused.

He checked his watch. “Maybe so. I’ve got to go. Nell will be here if you need anything.”

“I won’t.”

He turned to go, hesitated, and looked back at her, brooding. If she tried the television sets, she’d discover that they all worked. “Don’t wander around the house.”

She gaped at him. “Why would I want to?”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Just don’t. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She watched him go, curious about his odd behavior.

Later, she tried to pump Nell for information, but it was like talking to a wall. “You and J.B. are stonewalling me,” she accused.

Nell smiled. “For a good cause. Just relax and enjoy being here, for the time that’s left.” She picked up the empty iced-tea glass on the bedside table, looking around the room. “Odd that J.B. would put you in here,” she said, thinking aloud.

“Is it? Why?”

“It was his grandmother’s room,” she said with a smile. “She was a wonderful old lady. J.B. adored her.

She’d been an actress in Hollywood in her youth. She could tell some stories!”

“Does he talk about her?” Tellie wondered.