Wild Ride: Lance and Tammy (32 page)

“I told her last night.”

“Well, you must be one hell of a lay big brother because women seem to have a problem letting you go,” Colt teased.

“I’m sure Tammy won’t find this funny at all.”  He got out of the truck and retrieved his suitcase before walking up to the house.

Colt greeted Marianne politely before kissing his wife scandalously in front of her.

Marianne actually blushed.

Colt took Elaina in the house after giving his brother a sympathetic look.

“Can we talk?”

“Seeing as you flew here, and somehow beat me to my own house, I’m assuming this is important?”

“It is.”

He motioned to the porch swing.  She walked over and sat down leaving room for him. 

He left his suitcase by the door and joined her, but didn’t sit down.  Instead he leaned back against the porch rail.  “I’m all ears.”

“I love you Lance.  I can’t stand idly by and let you go.”

He tilted his head. “We were over five years ago.”

“I know.  I was just hoping you still have feelings for me.”

“I’ll always care about you, but in all honesty Marianne, I never loved you.”

She nodded already knowing that. “You can grow to love me.”

A smile pulled at his mouth. “Marianne, if it’s not there, it’s not there.  I love Tammy.” Tammy had a way about her that fired his passion.  Just standing there looking at the other woman’s beauty did nothing for him.  Soon, he’d be married to the most desirable, sexiest woman in existence.  Just thinking about her made his groin tighten.

“What makes her so different?”

“She’s unspoiled, genuine, and honest.”

“That’s it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Lance that doesn’t make sense.  Look at the connections I have.  We would make a stunning couple.”

“We have different ideas on a relationship Marianne that’s why we never worked.  I want kids, lots of them.  So does Tammy.  I want to live here.” He splayed his hand out. “With my family.  You are a city girl—high society.”

Marianne reached into her purse and pulled out a tissue to wipe her eyes.  “I understand.”  She took a deep breath and looked at him. “I see the way you look at her.  I just wanted it.”

“Maybe one day you will.”

They spent a few more minutes talking, and then Lance walked her to her car.

Colt was waiting for him in the house.  He didn’t say anything but his eyebrows rose.

“She’s gone.  Apparently she chartered a plane.”

“Like I said, you must be a great lay.”

Lance chuckled and shook his head.

***

It was a crazy shift.  It was a good thing her apartment was only about five blocks from the hospital because her feet were killing her.  She called Lance to let him know she was walking home.  She was learning to consider another in her life and it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be despite the argument.

“I’ll pick you up.”

“Lance, I can walk, you are being too protective. Besides, I had a killer shift and I need a hot bath. I don’t want to wait.”  She could hear him sigh.

“Fine.  I’ll meet you in about a half an hour, but do me a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Leave the door unlocked, slather up that body of yours and stay in the tub.”

She laughed. “I will tame that alpha male yet.”

He chuckled. “Yeah? You might just do that love.”

A thrill went through her.
Love.
“You’d better hurry Lance, I don’t like cold baths.”

“I’ll break a speed record, but I’m on my way.” He hung up.

She laughed and tucked her cellphone in her purse.  She may have even had a bounce in her walk.

Lance took the steps to her apartment two at a time.  He had an image of what she looked like all wet and in the tub and couldn’t wait to join her.  He tried the door and it was locked.  He knocked—hard. “Tam!” 

No answer.

He called and pounded on the door.  Then he pulled out his phone and called her apartment phone.  He could hear it ringing.  He even heard the answering machine.  Maybe she got caught at work.  He called her cell.  It went to voicemail.

He hung up and went back down to the ranch truck.  His phone rang.

Relieved he looked at the caller ID. It wasn’t Tammy, it was his brother Jake.

He answered, “Jacob?”

“I need you in Emerg now.”

“What—”

“It’s Tammy, she was hit by a vehicle tonight.”

“Are you fucking kidding?  This isn’t funny Jake!”

“Do I sound like I’m laughing?”

“Jesus Christ!” He rushed back down the stairs and yarded open the door of the truck and got in behind the wheel. “How is she?”

“Not good.  She’s awake though and is asking for you.  We can’t wait for you. She’s got some bad injuries and is heading to surgery.”

“I’ll be there in less than five minutes.” He hung up.

Lance felt a wave of panic as he pulled up to the front entrance and ran through the double doors.  Jacob was waiting for him.  “What happened?”

“She was hit outside her apartment.  Her neighbor found her on the sidewalk.  She called us.”  He walked his brother down the hall to the waiting room.

“How bad is she?”

“The surgeon will know. She’s got some internal bleeding and quite the bump on her head.  We have to have the worst luck when it comes to our wives.”

“Yes, I remember.” Tessa was hit by a delivery truck when she was in New York.

“Tessa was in worse shape than Tammy is Lance.  I know that’s not much of a relief.”

He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s enough to get me through the night.”

At that moment Jacob was paged overhead.  “I’ve got to go.  My shift ends at two.  I’m covering for a friend.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I called Colt after I hung up from you.  He’s on his way.”

“Thanks Jake.” Lance sat in one of the chairs and worried his hand through his hair.  Then he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and ducked his head.

Colt found him like that forty-five minutes later. “Hey bro.  I got you coffee. Strong as shit and thick as tar.”

Lance sat up. “Thanks.”

“How are you holding up.” He handed his brother the Styrofoam cup.

“I’m going to say good because I haven’t had someone come tell me she’s dead.”  He sighed emotionally and looked at the ceiling. “Fuck Colt, I can’t go through this again.”

“She’s going to make it.”  Colton knew he was talking about his friend Riley and  his family that were murdered five years ago.

Lance nodded.

A half an hour after that Jacob showed up smiling.

Lance stood. “She’s good?”

“Yes.  The surgeon said a few cracked ribs, and a ruptured spleen.  He removed the spleen and said she’d recover a hundred percent.  She’s really tough.” He laughed.  “She’s out, but in recovery.  They’ll let you see her in about an hour, but she’s going to be fine. Duncan needs to speak to her first.  I told her you were here.  She’s fuzzy, but coming around.”

“Thank God.” He grinned at Colt, who patted him hard on the shoulder.

Tammy was doing her best to tell Duncan, the chief of police, what she could remember.  All she knew is she was hit by a car, and was able to jump out of the way enough not to get killed.  The surgeon told her he’d removed her spleen and the pain in her chest was from a couple of cracked ribs on her left side. She was very relieved. People can live without a spleen, but not other vital organs.

The front fender clipped her middle when she jumped out of the way.  She flew into the sidewalk banging her head, which now hurt like a damn.  According to Duncan there were tire marks on the sidewalk, so this was deliberate.  She would have never thought that someone was capable of that in this town.

“Car color?”

“Sorry Duncan.  It was dark and the headlights were on.  I didn’t see anything.” Her voice was groggy.  She was doing her best to remember, but her body started to hurt.

“You’re lucky Tammy.  It could have been worse.”

“Is Lance here?”

“Yes.  I’ll send him in.” He squeezed her hand. “Take care honey.” Duncan left.

She smiled and shut her eyes and might have even drifted off when she was woken by a familiar voice.

“If this is your poor attempt at trying to delay the wedding, it won’t work.”

Lance.

She opened her eyes, turned her head, and saw him standing in the door.  He was teasing, but there was no trace of it in his expression.  He looked horrid. His hair was in disarray and there was definite worry in his expression. She lifted her hand and he rushed over in a few long strides taking it in his and kissing it.

“You scared the shit out of me.”  He turned his face into her palm and closed his eyes.

“Me too.”

“How are you doing?”

“I should ask you that.”

He finally smiled. “That figures.”

“My chest hurts and my abdomen where they cut into me, but it’s not bad yet.  They’ll keep me happy on pain meds.”

“Tsk tsk, joking?”

“I know, but it’s better than feeling sorry for myself.”

“Honey, can you think of anyone that would want to hurt you?”

She shook her head. “Honestly, no and Duncan already asked me.”

“I know.  He told me.”

“I know it was a car.  That’s it.  The doctor was saying if it was a truck I probably wouldn’t be here.”  She felt a shudder go through him.  Gosh he really did love her.

He swallowed hard and stared down at her. “I need to tell you something?”

“Please don’t call off the wedding. I’ll be fine.”

He caressed her cheek with his fingers and smiled. “Never even crossed my mind.  Marianne came to see me.”

“Here?”

He nodded. “Her last effort to try and get me back.  I told her to leave.  She was driving a car, but I can’t see her doing this.  She’s a lot of things but not a murderer.”

“I don’t know her as well as you but I’m going to agree with you Lance.  I trust your judgment.  I mean you’ve made a career out of reading people.”

“Get some sleep.” He bent down and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be close by.”

She didn’t protest.  It wasn’t long after that she fell asleep.

***

Tammy remained in the hospital for another week.  Lance tried to get her to move home with his family so they could look after her, but she refused.  They were currently at the entrance of the hospital.  She was sitting in a wheelchair, which she didn’t want, but it was policy to escort patients out that way.  She stood up and let the nurse take the chair.  Lance helped her into the truck still arguing with her. “It’s only for a few days, so I know you’ll be fine.”  He shut the door and walked around to get in behind the wheel.

“I either take a cab home or you drive me.”  This argument started in her room and he was like a dog with a bone.  He was not letting it go.

He clenched his jaw in anger. “You need family around you.  Besides, Jake’s a stone’s throw away from the ranch.  The hospital is forty five minutes.”

“It’s not proper that I live with you before the wedding.”

“Are you kidding?  We were sleeping together in my penthouse and you were staying with me.”

She blushed but stood her ground. “Need I remind you that this is a small town.  I will not do that Lance.”

“God dammit Tammy—“

“Don’t you curse at me,” she scolded back.

He started the engine. “You are coming home with me, or you can bloody well live by yourself for the rest of your life.”

Her jaw slacked.

He pulled out of the parking lot.

“Lance?”

“I mean it Tammy.  I won’t have your life put in danger anymore.  I can’t go through that again.  Don’t you realize that someone tried to kill you?” 

“Yes,” she answered quietly.

“How the hell do you think that makes me feel?”

Gosh she didn’t even think of that.  He felt so powerless when Riley was murdered, she couldn’t imagine how he felt when it came to her especially if he loved her as much as he said he did. “You’d leave me?”

He flicked her a glance before concentrating on the road.  “I know I hurt you by saying that, but I can’t think of any other way to get you to listen. You’re too damn stubborn, and I’m really serious about having you with me. I couldn’t live with myself if I lost you.  I swear on my mother’s grave, I couldn’t handle that.”

She reached over and touched his arm. “I’ll go to the ranch.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything else.

She knew he was tortured with guilt over his friend and never put any thought into what he’d gone through near losing her.  It brought up emotions that he tried to leave in New York. “I’m sorry.”