Their Border Lands Refuge [Men of the Border Lands 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (16 page)

“Hey! Skyler. Easy, baby. You’ll hurt yourself.”

She jerked her eyes up and found herself staring at a stranger. No, that wasn’t true, he seemed familiar. She just couldn’t quite place him. Skyler scrambled to pull the cover back over her seminude body.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?” The stranger leaned over her and ran the back of his hand against her cheek.

She jerked back from his touch. His eyes widened, and he looked sad. He didn’t try to approach her again. Instead, he sat back down and looked at her.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t remember me?”

She carefully shook her head. It still ached.

“I’m Simon. Do you remember Owen?”

“Of course I remember him.” She scooted closer to her lover, seeking out his warmth.

“Careful, he’s hurt, too.”

“What’s wrong with him? What happened?” She immediately tried to turn toward Owen, but her side burned.

“You were attacked by black market agents and shot. You really don’t remember?”

She shook her head. Black market agents? What were they? She couldn’t stop the tremor that wracked her body at the realization that she was basically alone with a stranger and Owen was hurt.

“Easy, Sky. Everything will be fine. Owen is recovering and so are you. Just relax. I’m going to go get you something to eat. You need to heal. Promise you’ll stay in bed so you don’t pull your stitches?”

At her nod, the stranger stood up and stepped away from the bed. In the dim light of the lantern he carried with him, she hadn’t been able to really see him, but something was familiar about him. She wished she could remember what had happened. Nothing about the room seemed familiar. She was afraid to close her eyes in case she fell back asleep. She didn’t want to sleep right then. She wanted answers instead.

Owen had been shot. It slowly sank in that nothing was what she remembered if they had both been shot. She tried to make out her lover’s features, but without the lamp, she could barely make out that there was someone in the bed next to her.

Finally, the sound of footsteps outside the door and a faint flickering light announced the return of the stranger. He walked into the room and set the lamp and a bowl on the bedside table.

“Let me help you sit up so you can try some broth.” He helped her ease up in the bed and placed a pillow behind her

“Thanks. What’s your name?” She could tell it hurt him that she didn’t remember him.

“My name is Simon. You and Owen live with me.”

She frowned. She didn’t remember moving in with anyone. When had they done that? Why had they done that? Another thing finally dawned on her. There was no electricity for some reason.

“Why don’t you have electricity?”

There was a long few seconds of silence as he stared at her. Then he was holding the bowl for her and handing her a spoon.

“Eat your broth and then get some more rest, Sky. We’ll talk in the morning. You need to heal.”

Skyler sipped at the broth, realizing she was hungry. She cleaned the bowl and then drank the water he gave her before helping her to settle back in the bed once again. She looked over at Owen and wished he would wake up so she wouldn’t feel so scared and alone. She wouldn’t wake him, though. He needed to sleep.

“Rest, Sky. I’m going to take this back downstairs. I’ll be right back.”

She jerked her head back toward him and wished she hadn’t moved so fast. Her head still hurt. She just nodded at him. He sighed and gathered up the bowl and the lamp once again and left her there in the dark.

It seemed like much longer before he returned with the lamp. She thought she had dozed off and on while waiting on him. He was her only source of information, and she wanted to know what was going on. Something niggled in the back of her mind, but the more she pushed, the harder her head hurt.

As Simon sat back down in the chair next to the bed, Skyler felt Owen move next to her. She turned and smiled when his eyes opened.

“Sky! You’re awake. I’ve been so worried about you. Simon’s been a basket case.”

She looked at him then back at Simon. “Why would he be so worried?”

Owen frowned, but before he said anything, Simon spoke up.

“She doesn’t remember anything, Owen. She doesn’t remember living here. She doesn’t even remember me.”

Skyler winced. He sounded so sad about that. She realized she had hurt his feelings more than she had thought. That seemed strange to her. Owen reached over and cupped her cheek with his hand.

“Baby, we moved here when things got to be too dangerous at home. Remember?”

“Why would things be dangerous at home?” She blinked at him. Nothing was making sense.

She caught Owen looking at Simon across her. They seemed to be silently communicating. She didn’t like being left out.

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it right now, baby. All you need to do is concentrate on getting well. Everything will be fine in a few days. You’ll see.” Owen pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

“I’m going to go check on Luke. I’ll be right back.” Simon stood up and ran a hand over his face before walking out the door.

Skyler looked over at Owen and knew that something was really wrong. “Who’s Luke?”

Skyler woke to the sound of another voice she didn’t recognize. She assumed it was Luke. Then the voices moved into the room where she and Owen were. She glanced over at Owen. He smiled at her and winked.

“That’s Brice. He’s the one who helped take care of us.”

“I keep remembering something about wolves and a cellar. What happened, Owen? Why won’t you all talk to me about it?”

“They don’t want to chance overwhelming you, Skyler.” The new man, Brice, eased closer to the side of the bed. “You’ve had a major trauma. Give it some time and you’ll remember on your own. Now let me check your wound.”

She winced when he pulled back the covers and lifted the shirt to look at her bandages. He gently lifted them then replaced them and covered her back up.

“Everything looks good. You’re healing nicely.” He smiled down at her then looked over at Owen. “You’re next.”

She watched him walk around the bed to look at all of Owen’s injuries. He nodded and finally settled the covers back around Owen. He didn’t look worried so she felt like Owen was doing fine, too.

“You’ve got some redness around the wound in your thigh, but it’s not bad. You need to watch it. If it gets worse or starts draining, it will need cleaning out to get rid of the infection. I think it will be fine, though.”

Simon followed the other man out, and she could hear them talking as they went downstairs. A little while later, she heard the front door open and shut. Simon didn’t immediately reappear. He was probably fixing something to eat. She knew by the way the sun was coming through the window that it had to be close to noon. She had no idea what day it was or how long she had been in bed. Everything was so blurry in her head.

“How are you feeling, babe?” Owen was squeezing her hand.

“My head doesn’t hurt as badly as before. I keep thinking of things that don’t make sense. You know? Like why do I remember canning tomatoes? I’ve never canned anything in my life.”

“Baby, a lot has happened in the last few years. You’ve forgotten it all for some reason. Probably that wound to your head. We live with Simon now, and he’s just as much your…”

“Don’t, Owen.” Simon’s voice stopped him from whatever he was going to tell her.

Skyler looked over at the other man as he walked further into the room. He had dark shadows under his eyes and his expression seemed strained. She was sure he was worn out from having to take care of everyone.

“Brice thinks that forcing her to remember anything could cause problems. She needs to remember on her own.”

“I don’t understand. What aren’t you telling me? What am I not remembering?” She felt panic rising in her stomach.

“It’s okay, Skyler. Just rest and everything will come back to you soon enough.” Simon patted her hand. “I’m going to bring up your lunch. I’ll be right back.”

Skyler watched him leave and once again felt like she had hurt him. She turned to Owen as much as she could and searched his face for some hint of what she was missing. His grim expression only tightened her chest.

“Don’t push it, baby. Brice is probably right. You need to remember on your own. I love you.”

“I love you, too but this is scaring me.”

“There’s nothing to be scared about.”

“Yes there is. I can see it in your eyes. I’m not going to like what I’m not remembering, am I?”

Owen pressed his lips on the back of her hand once again. His eyes pleaded with her to let it go. She would for now. She didn’t want him getting upset. He was badly hurt. How they had both gotten shot and weren’t in a hospital, she had no idea. She would have to wait and play it by ear until her memory returned.

Simon walked in with their meal, and the next few minutes were spent eating. It didn’t take long for her to grow tired once again. She fought sleep as long as she could, afraid that when she woke up next time something else would be different.

* * * *

“I don’t like holding the truth back from her, Simon.”

“I know, but Brice is afraid that with her head injury, forcing it could cause more problems. If she hasn’t remembered by the time she can get up and down, then the stimulation of how everything around her is so different will slowly set things right again.”

Owen drew in a deep breath and nodded. His body ached. He wanted to get up, but Simon and Brice didn’t want him moving around too much. He could sit up in bed more, though, and he let Simon help him up. When Skyler woke up again, they were going to sit her up as well. He wanted her up and around as soon as possible. Not only so she would remember again, but also because seeing her pale and confined to the bed scared him. He wanted her healthy and happy again.

“At some point we’re going to have to talk with everyone about the situation and make some decisions about sharing houses.” Simon’s voice jerked him back to the conversation.

“Yeah, I agree. How is Luke doing?”

“He’s better. His family has been here off and on to care for him. They are talking about moving him back home tomorrow. Brice thinks he’ll be fine to travel the short distance as long as they go slow.”

“Do you have a preference of who moves in with us?” Owen didn’t really. They had all been good people, banding together to take care of each other.

“Not really. I think it’s going to depend on who agrees and who doesn’t.

“We’ll have to do some rearranging and cleaning out. That last room is a total junk room.”

“I don’t like giving it up as a hideaway for Skyler. We’ll have to figure something else out and make it big enough for two women.” Simon looked over at where Skyler was gently snoring.

Owen watched a faint sad smile cross the other man’s face before he straightened up and walked back around to the chair. He figured the other man had to be worn out from sleeping in the chair.

“Why don’t you lie down next to Skyler for a little while, Simon? You need to rest or you’re going to end up sick from exhaustion.”

“I’m scared I’ll hurt her without meaning to. Plus, she’d probably have hysterics if she woke up to me sleeping next to her.”

Owen sighed and nodded. He was probably right in the situation they were in right now. When she woke up, maybe she would have remembered everything once again.

They talked softly for several minutes before Owen drifted off to sleep. When he woke up the next morning, it was to find that Simon was gone and Skyler was sitting up in bed with a pillow to her back.

“Hey.” He smiled at her.

“Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?”

“Better. What about you?”

“Good. I’m ready to get out of this bed. My butt is sore.”

Owen chuckled then groaned. It hurt to laugh. “Where’s Simon?”

“He’s helping some others get Luke down to the truck. They’re taking him home this morning. Brice said that I could sit up in the chair today for a while.”

“That’s great news, baby.” He hesitated then continued on. “Have you remembered anything?”

“No.” Her eyes clouded over with sadness. “I’m almost scared to remember now. Everything seems so different.”

“I know, Sky. Take things slow. It will come back when you’re ready to remember it.”

Owen heard the front door downstairs close. Then footsteps on the stairs let him know that Simon was on his way back up. When the other man appeared in the doorway, he had a slight smile on his face.

“Luke must be doing better.”

“He is. He actually woke up this morning before they showed up to move him. He’s going to be fine. You were sleeping well this morning. You missed all the cursing and everything when they started carrying him downstairs.”

“I don’t know. Something woke me up.” He grinned.

“Can I move to the chair now, Simon?” Skyler interrupted them.

“Are you sure you want to this early?” Simon didn’t look convinced that she should.

“I’m sure. I want to sit up to eat breakfast. Besides, I’m tired of lying in bed.”

“She said her ass hurt.”

“Owen!” He grinned when her cheeks grew red from embarrassment.

“Well, we can’t have your ass in pain. I’ll help you move.” He winked at her and moved the chair. “Let me get the chair ready for you.”

When he had it like he wanted it, Simon bent over Skyler and started to pull the covers back from her waist.

“Wait! I don’t have anything on but a T-shirt.”

“That’s okay. I’m going to cover you up with blankets so you will be warm.”

“But…”

“Skyler. Simon has seen you naked before. It’s no big deal. Let him move you over to the chair.” Owen patted her hand and tried to reassure her.

Her face seemed to grow even redder than before and her mouth opened in a little O before she closed it and nodded her head. He and Simon exchanged glances. Then his friend leaned over and slipped his arms beneath her to lift her off the bed. Once he had her settled in the chair with several blankets wrapped around her, he hurried out of the room.