Rory Read online

  Rory shook his head. He knew Cass probably didn’t earn much. He’d love to know just how much she was paying for this studio apartment. Well, words were beyond him. He loved her for her ‘down to earth take me as you find me’ personality. It was probably the reason she’d offered for him to stay here without fear of what he’d think.

  While she kept it clean and neat, everything was so old it just looked downright tatty. The kitchen sink rusty, and the taps looked like they were well overdue for replacing. There was a twin bed in one corner of the room. He’d stay here tonight because he was so damn tired, but tomorrow he was finding a hotel. He’d break the news to Cass in the most diplomatic way he could.

  Rory sat on the bed and leaned against the wall. There was no way he’d let her recuperate in this hell hole. She was coming back to Montana, and there she’d stay until she was done healing. If she wanted to come back to Tacoma after that, well, it would only be to some apartment that met with his approval.

  He laughed. Listen to me. I sound like her father.

  Shit, I guess technically I could be her father. A young one, but one, nevertheless.

  He shut his eyes, not realizing he’d dozed off to sleep until men’s raised voices outside woke him up. He got off the bed and walked to the window, stubbing his toe as he did so. He hobbled around, dropping f-bombs by the second.

  Pulling back the curtain slightly, he noticed some altercation going on out front.

  Was this a regular thing? Did Cass have to listen to this sort of crap every night?

  His big toe still stinging, he sat back down on the bed and saw a piece of paper sticking out from underneath it. He pulled it out, telling himself that he shouldn’t be so nosy, but he couldn’t help it.

  Looked like Cass had borrowed some money and hadn’t paid it back. He put it back wishing he hadn’t seen it. She clearly needed help and that’s what the Malones were going to offer her.

  ****

  Cass debated about ringing for the nurse. Her leg throbbed like it had a heartbeat inside it. She tried to sit up. At least she didn’t have to struggle to walk to the bathroom because they’d used a catheter on her. She rested her head back on the pillow. The last nurse to visit her room had left the room slightly ajar. The lights were now dim out in the hallway. It was almost eerie- quiet except for the beeping of machines.

  It had been so wonderful seeing Rory again. Of the three remaining Malone brothers, he was the one who reminded her most of Ryan. Handsome, tall, muscular, and like her former fiancé, had a heart of gold. Well, not that Shane and Flynn didn’t either. They were all special guys. Their parents had done a fine job raising them.

  Rory…she’d given him the key to her apartment without really thinking. Not that he was a snob. Hell, he was a cowboy and worked in horse and cattle shit every day, but she knew her tiny studio apartment wasn’t exactly the best in town.

  She’d chosen Tacoma because she thought it had more prospects for work, but the only work she could find was at a retail store, and it didn’t pay for a whole lot. Hence, she’d enrolled in a course at the local beauty school and borrowed money to do it. The bank had turned her down so she’d resorted to the next best thing.

  Shit, I hope those guys don’t come calling while he’s there.

  Cass bit her lip. What if they did and Rory got hurt? What if Rory lost his temper and got himself into trouble on her behalf?

  Worst of all, what would he think about her getting involved with people like that?

  She didn’t know if she was blushing or running a temp, but the whole thing suddenly made her feel uneasy. A tear ran down her face again. How had her life gotten into one mess after another? And why did she always have to involve the Malones? Ryan had paid the ultimate price.

  She needed something to help her sleep. Her physical pain she could tolerate. The mental pain, no. She reached over to the side of the bed and pressed the call button.

  A few minutes later, a nurse she hadn’t seen before came into the room.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “I’m having trouble sleeping and wondered if there was something you could give me.”

  “Sure honey. I’ll be right back.”

  Cass flicked on the TV while she waited, wondering if Rory had settled down for the night okay. She guessed his feet were hanging off the end of the bed. She smiled, so wanting to see that image.

  The nurse returned, and Cass flicked off the remote.

  “I’ll put this into your IV, and it should work in no time. It’s part pain med, part sleeping aid, so you’ll have a good night’s sleep.”

  Cass watched it go into the IV line, hoping the nurse was right about the working in no time bit. She also hoped it would give her sweet, peaceful dreams.

  ****

  Rory woke with a crick in his neck. The bed definitely hadn’t been designed with someone his height in mind. His feet had been cold all night where they poked out from under the blankets and dangled over the edge of the bed. He looked down at them hardly remembering that he’d been woken up in the middle of the night by what he knew was the sound of a gunshot somewhere in the neighborhood.

  It was at that point he’d put on his socks. He glanced over at the bookshelf and slipped on his reading glasses. The clock said it was close to seven. Next to it sat a photo of Ryan and Cass. He’d been the person who’d taken it, right after they’d announced their engagement. He swallowed. Ryan had been such a good looking young man. They’d been so happy together. He could understand why she’d felt the need to leave Timber Creek so suddenly, and the reluctance never to return, even for something joyous like a wedding.

  Wincing as he sat up, he guessed it was time to get ready to head to the hospital. He stood and walked over to the kitchen area. Didn’t look like she had a coffee maker, and right now he was craving an early morning cup of joe.

  He opened a cupboard and looked around for any sign of even the instant stuff, but what he found were more unpaid bills. He’d take care of them without Cass knowing because she had more important things to worry about right now. His cellphone rang. He walked over to the bed and picked it up noting it was Shane calling.

  “Howdy Sheriff Malone,” he said.

  “Howdy yourself. Just wanted to check that you arrived okay, and to see how Cass’s doing.”

  “I made it here and she’s doing as well as you can with a busted leg. I’m going to insist she comes back to Montana with me though. The place where she’s been living is definitely not the Ritz.”

  “I know everyone’s going to love seeing her again.”

  “Hey, you found out anything from the Tacoma police about the hit and run?”

  “The officer in charge said to call him back later today, why?”

  “I want to make sure that son of bitch is punished.”

  “I’ll see to that don’t you worry. Oh, and Flynn said not to worry about the ranch, he and Natalie have everything under control.”

  “That’s good to hear. “

  “Okay buddy, I have to get to the office, but call us with updates on Cass.”

  Rory pressed the end call button. Maybe he’d forget about searching for the coffee and find a coffee shop on the way to the hospital.

  ****

  Cass pushed the oatmeal around in the bowl. She’d tasted a lot worse, but when the nurse had told her a police officer had called and would be by to speak with her about the accident, she’d suddenly lost what little appetite she had. Not that it would hurt her to lose some weight. Now she was out of the fog of being run down, and her head had cleared of the anesthetic, she was pretty sure she remembered the car speeding up toward her as she got to the middle of the crosswalk. It hadn’t been an accident, and that’s why they hadn’t bothered to stop. Was it just a warning or had they intended to kill her? What if they came back to finish the job?

  She jumped when she heard someone tapping on the door. She looked up thinking the worst, but it was Rory carrying a container with wha
t looked like two coffee containers and a bag with a coffee shop logo splashed across its side.

  “That does not look like the sort of thing anyone should be eating,” he said glancing at the bowl of oatmeal.

  “Nope, I agree with you.” She pushed it to one side, and he placed the drink and food on the table in front of her.

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got you a latte with all the trimmings and a blueberry muffin,” he said reaching into the bag. He pulled out two oversized muffins, took one and sat on the chair by the bed.

  He bit into it. “Not as good as Mom’s but it’s pretty close.”

  She really didn’t have any appetite, but after he’d gone to all this trouble the least she could do was nibble on it.

  “How’s your mom these days?”

  “She’s doing good. You probably didn’t know, but she had a heart attack last February and had bypass surgery in July.”

  “Geez, I’m so sorry to hear that.”

  “She’s fine now. You know how tough she’s always been.”

  Marie Malone. If only she had half that lady’s iron might, she’d do just fine with the rest of her life.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to either of Shane or Flynn’s weddings, but I had to work.”

  It was a lie. She didn’t. But, one, she didn’t have the money, and two, it would have broken her heart to see a Malone wedding. Like the one fate had denied her and Ryan.

  “I hope their wives are both nice.”

  “Two wonderful women. And Shane’s now a dad to a son, named Liam. And Flynn and his wife…who I should say is Emily’s real mom.”

  “Her real mom, wow.”

  “Yeah, it’s a long story, but you can guess how excited Emily is to have two parents now, and Flynn and Natalie are expecting a baby which is due the first week of December.”

  Cass set her head back. So much had happened with the Malones.

  “Well, you’ll be able to meet all the new members of the family when you get to Timber Creek.”

  Had she heard right?

  Rory Malone had a way of sneaking things into a conversation that you weren’t aware of, and then you’d either agreed or hadn’t put up any protest until the deal was a done one.

  “I have to get back to my job,” she said.

  “Not until you’re back on your feet, literally,” he said. “As soon as the doctor gives you the okay, you’re coming back with me to Montana to recuperate.”

  “But I…”

  “Won’t say any more about it,” he said.

  Right now she wasn’t going to argue with him. It might be safer for her to hide out in Montana for a while. Sure she’d be surrounded by memories of her dad, Ryan, and… no, she wasn’t going to cry again.

  “Would you do me a favor and brush my hair for me?” she asked Rory. She could imagine how she looked today. Yesterday had been bad, and now after she’d had a rough night, she could imagine that it was a tangled mess.

  He picked up the brush she’d had the nurse place on the nightstand, and within seconds he was pushing it through her hair and letting the curls fall across her shoulder. He was so gentle even with those big hands of his. Weathered and calloused like the real cowboy that he was. His index finger brushed her face, and she closed her eyes. It had been so long since she’d been touched. One on one contact with another human being…a man like Rory.

  She jumped again when someone else knocked on the door. It was a man she’d never seen before, and she went cold.

  “Hi, Miss Perkins, I’m Detective Harry Knight with the Tacoma Police Department. I wonder if you’re up to answering some questions about your accident?”

  Chapter Four

  Maybe he’d hung around Shane too much, but he had the niggling suspicion that there was something Cass wasn’t telling the detective about what happened the night she was run down.

  She picked at the bandage on her arm and then began twisting her hair around her index finger. He’d felt her actually jump when the policeman had knocked on the door.

  He crossed his legs and observed her some more as Detective Knight took more notes and asked more questions.

  “You’re pretty sure it was a green car?” he asked her for the second time.

  “Yes, I’m almost sure that was the color.”

  “Did you see it approaching you?”

  “I think I did.” More twirling of her hair.

  “Did it seem to speed up or what?”

  “I can’t remember. I just knew I didn’t have time to get out of the way.”

  “And did you happen to see if it was a man or woman driving?”

  Cass shook her head and then returned to picking at her bandage.

  “You have anyone that might want to hurt you? Maybe had an argument with a co-worker, boyfriend, anything like that?”

  “I don’t have a boyfriend, and I get on really well with everyone at work.”

  More hair twirling.

  Rory took a deep breath. Something wasn’t right. He looked at her face some more. If he was any judge, her black eye looked like it was an older injury compared to the rest of the abrasions on her face.

  “Well, if there’s anything else you can remember here’s my card and be sure to call me.”

  He set it down on the tray table by her bed.

  “I will.”

  Rory stood. “My brother is sheriff in Timber Creek County in Montana.”

  “That’s right,” said Detective Knight. “I spoke with him yesterday.”

  “You’ll keep him updated on any progress you make on this case?” asked Rory.

  He nodded. “Absolutely. And I’m taking a guess this will be like other hit and runs; whoever did it starts to feel guilty and turns themselves in.”

  Rory glanced at Cass. Now she was biting her lip.

  Rory walked Detective Knight out into the hallway, said goodbye, and then headed back into Cass’s room. He wasn’t going to raise his suspicions to the policeman, but Cass was certainly going to be questioned.

  “Is there something you’d like to tell me?” he asked.

  Her cheeks suddenly had a rosy hue.

  “If you didn’t want to tell him the truth about the accident, you can tell me.”

  “I have told the truth.”

  He sat down on the bed and took her hand. “Call me nosy if you like but I saw some letters demanding money for unpaid bills.”

  “I’m almost caught up.”

  “You don’t have to worry because I paid them.”

  “I don’t want you to take care of me. I don’t need you to take care of me, okay?”

  She tried to pull her hand away, but he had a strong grip on her.

  “Hey, hey, Cass, look at me. This is Rory; we were going to be family. Hell, I still consider you family. We help one another out when we need to. However, if you’re that uppity about it you can pay me back.”

  She nodded. “I’ll do just that.”

  “But I want to know if you owing money is somehow connected to your accident.”

  She shook her head. He hoped she was telling him the truth.

  “That’s all I wanted to know because I’m taking you back home and I don’t want trouble following you there. You understand what I’m saying?”

  Another nod. “Now if you don’t mind I’d like to go to sleep for a bit,” she said.

  “No problem. You get some rest and I’ll do some sightseeing, and maybe when I get back we can find something fun to watch on TV.”

  ****

  She was more like her father than she ever wanted to be.

  “Have you been drinking today, daddy?”

  He’d shake his head just like she’d done to Rory. Her father had always given himself away with the smell of booze escaping from his lips. There was no such thing to give away her secret, but she’d learned one thing from her dad. If you didn’t verbalize a response, it couldn’t truly be construed as a lie.

  Cass bit her lip, wishing that her dam
n leg wasn’t harnessed up so she could bury her face in the pillow and have a good cry, over not only getting herself into debt, but not coming clean with Rory. It was for his own good because she didn’t want him doing anything silly and getting himself in any trouble like his brother had done.

  ****

  Rory returned to the hospital a few hours later and tiptoed into Cass’s room. She was still asleep, so he sat down in the chair and pulled out the magazine he’d just purchased. He’d met with Cass’s doctor out in the hallway and assured him that he’d be taking good care of her once she left the hospital.

  He turned the page of the magazine, swearing under his breath when it made a crackling noise. Cass stirred and wrinkled her nose a little. Cutest nose he’d seen. But then every part of Cass was attractive. She opened her eyes, looked at him and blinked rapidly, almost as if she’d forgotten where she was.

  “You have a nice nap?” he asked.

  “I guess there’s not much else to do in here but sleep,” she said.

  “I spoke with you doctor, and he said as I’m taking responsibility for you, he can probably release you from here in three days.”

  “Rory, are you sure you want to stay that long or even be burdened with me?”

  “Hey, if I didn’t want to do it, I’d say. You know me well enough by now. And another three days in Tacoma is fine.”

  “What about my apartment?”

  “Don’t you worry, I’ll take care of it and pack up whatever you need and have it sent onto Timber Creek.”

  “But my job.”

  “There’ll be another one”

  “But you…”

  “Worry too much. You’re coming back to Montana, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

  He winked at her. He’d finally made her smile. While he hated the thought of her being hit by a car and injured, he loved the fact that he’d be spending time a lot of time with Cass. He took a deep breath, hoping that his brother would forgive him for never owning up to the simple fact there’d always been a place in his heart for her.

  Chapter Five

  Rory was the sweetest guy she’d ever met. Well apart from his baby brother. She’d struggled to walk down the aisle of the plane so he’d scooped her up, carried her, and then placed her gently into the seat. She’d seen other women looking at her, envy written all over their faces as the handsome cowboy had whisked her past them. The stewardess had taken her crutches and put them in a closet close by, and now Rory was sitting beside her reading one of his ranching magazines as they waited to take off from Tacoma Airport.