To Desire a Wilde (17 page)

E
llie groaned and lifted her hand to her head, feeling as though a thousand little men were in her head beating a thousand little drums. She inhaled a whooshing breath, when her small movement escalated their evil beat until it felt as though her personal band had doubled their size.

When she tried to rise, the throbbing ache in her head rushed through her body, down to her knee, and she hissed in pain.

She opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light, and glanced around her. God, where was she?

She glanced down at herself and saw that a thin white cotton sheet covered her body as she lay on a narrow bed. Frowning, her eyes traveled around the room, her frown deepening as she took in the sterile white walls. Her glance landed on the stand next to her, where she
saw an IV slowly dripping, the long thin tubes attached to her right arm.

She closed her eyes and again tried to rise, before dizziness swamped her, fleeting memories floating in and out of her mind.

“Ellie, baby, don't move, please, baby!”

She pried her eyes open at the sound of Shilah's voice and watched him stride toward her.

“Shilah?” she croaked out, as soon as he knelt down beside her. “Where am I?”

“I'm here, baby. I just stepped out for a minute to call your folks and tell them you're okay,” he whispered, running a trembling hand over her hair.

“But where am I?” she asked, panic setting in when she couldn't remember where she was or why.

“Just lay back, baby, please. I'll explain.”

She licked dry lips and nodded her head. She watched as he dragged a chair from a nearby wall, and stationing it close to her, sat down.

“You're at the medical center. You were shot,” he said, taking her hand in his. “But, you're okay, baby…. Everything is going to be okay.”

Ellie smiled weakly. “Seems we've done this before, huh?” she asked.

She felt his hand that was in her hair pause before he continued to stroke her head.

“Yeah, and just like before, it's my fault.”

“Your fault?” she asked, as memories of what had happened filled her mind. “You didn't do any—”

He brought her hand to his lips. As she turned her head slightly, she saw a tortured look cross his handsome face.

“If I hadn't called your name when I did, you wouldn't have gotten shot,” he stated, his face ravaged.

“Shilah,” she whispered, the look on his face breaking her heart. “No, it wasn't your fault,” she said, frowning as memories flashed in and out of her mind.

Taking her hand in his, his words halting, he filled her in on what had happened. After hearing the gunshots, he'd run and tackled Clarence, dragging him away from Ellie.

Shilah told her his brothers had been right behind him. Seeing what was going down, they had called the police the minute their feet hit the cement, running toward Shilah and Ellie.

Although only vaguely, she remembered Shilah holding her, tears streaming down his face as he cradled her in his arms, waiting for the ambulance and police to arrive. Nate and Holt had held an unconscious Clarence between the two of them.

As he spoke memories flooded her mind; Clarence's duplicity, their confrontation, Shilah running toward her, crying out her name.

“I'm so sorry, baby. Sorry you got shot, sorry I distracted you and you got shot…God, I'm so sorry,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

“I should be the one begging your forgiveness,” she said, shaking her head, thinking of the cruel accusations she had hurled at him, accusations that had led to her going to Cheyenne.

“No, baby. I understand. You had every right to think what you did. And you were right, it was someone at the ranch,” he said, and told her of Anna's involvement.

“So…what happens now?” Ellie asked, her voice hoarse.

“With what we know from Anna, the police will be brought in, along with the USDA.”

Hearing that, Ellie bit the bottom of her lip, wondering what that meant for her, once the pictures were released.

He leaned down and kissed the frown away.

“No fears about your reputation, baby. With the information we have, they'll do a full investigation of Clarence, along with Rolling Hills. He'll be charged with blackmail and attempted fraud,” he paused, a disgusted look crossing his handsome face. “Unfortunately, more than likely Rolling Hills will lay it all on the exec who was MacArthur's contact, make him the scapegoat and MacArthur will and get off. But at least the message will be sent to the bastards not to mess with the Wildes,” he finished, a hard edge firming his jaw.

Shilah glanced down at her, his look softening. “Don't worry about any of that, right now, baby. None of that matters as much as you,” he said, his voice breaking.

It dawned on Ellie just then how much he loved her.

“Remember when I told you I left home, because I got tired of people feeling sorry for me?”

“Yes, baby, I do…but please, don't talk. You've been through a lot, we can talk later,” he said.

She shook her head and took a shallow breath. “No, let me get this out while I can,” she said. “That wasn't it. I was running. Not from the looks of pity, or my parents' overbearing—loving, but overbearing—ways. It was because—” She stopped and closed her eyes.

“Are you in pain?” She felt him touch her hand. “Let me get the nurse, baby—”

“No,” she opened her eyes, seeking his. “I—I'm fine.” She took another breath and said in a rush, “I was run
ning from you. From what I knew was there between us. I was scared, scared that how I felt about you…that you didn't feel the same way. I—I knew I couldn't hold it in anymore, the way I felt about you. And, I—I was afraid you would reject me,” she said in one long rush.

“Baby—” His voice broke and Ellie saw his dark eyes shimmer with tears, and one lone tear escape down his lean cheek.

“I didn't want to see the same look in your eyes that I saw from other people. It would have killed me to see that. You meant too much to me for me to have been able to handle that.”

“Ellie, don't you know how I feel? How long I've felt like this? How damn long I've loved you? God, woman, I could choke you right now if I didn't love you so damn much!”

“Wh…what?” Ellie said, torn between laughter and tears as he gently enfolded her in his arms.

He pulled away from her, thumbing a hand over her cheek, wiping away the tear that had escaped without her knowing.

“Thank you for loving me,” he said simply, drawing her back into his arms. “Remember at the restaurant you told me you thought I was a good man?” he asked, and she nodded her head against his chest. She felt him draw in a deep, shuddering breath before he pulled away from her, settling her back on the bed.

“I know this probably isn't the best timing…the best time to ask you, but…” He allowed his sentence to trail away and she saw the deep breath he took, frowning as he rose, walking over to the corner of the room where his jacket lay over a small table. He lifted something from the pocket and walked back toward her.

He pushed the chair aside, and as he knelt down, Ellie felt her heart slam against her chest, her mouth opening, forming a perfect O. He brought her hand to his mouth, turned the palm over and kissed the center before holding it lightly in his, palm down.

“If you give me the chance, I'll do my best to prove I'm that man you think I am, Ellie, for the rest of our lives,” he said, sliding a ring over her left finger. “Ellie, will you marry me?”

Unable to speak past the clog in her throat, Ellie bobbed her head up and down. She reached her arms out as he slowly, carefully enfolded her in his embrace. “Of course I'll marry you,” she said, and held on tight as his arms closed around her.

Unashamedly, Ellie allowed the tears to run freely down her face, marveling at the way life and coincidence had brought them back together again, and love had forged an unbreakable bond between them that had broken down all other barriers.