Rode Hard, Put Up Wet: Cowboy Romance (Rebels & Outlaws 2)

That's all too bad. It's not her job to worry about his personal feelings, especially when he lets those personal feelings cross lines like that.

It's her job to make sure that she gets factories built, and that's his job, too. He'd do better to make sure that he doesn't forget it again in the future.

It's not until a few minutes after he's gone that she realizes her hands are shaking. She closes her eyes. Part of her wants to call someone. To get all this shit figured out.

But who would she call?

A name pops into her head. A name whose number she isn't going to call again. Phil Callahan's had enough trouble without her sticking her nose into his life again.

She's going to let him keep his land, and she's going to stop nosing into his life. He doesn't want her there, and she doesn't want to force herself someplace she's not wanted.

The man's had a hard enough life as it is, without her just making it worse for him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Phil Callahan was snoozing in the surprisingly-comfortable hospital chairs when he was awoken from a quite-sound sleep by someone touching him on his shoulder. The last time this had happened, the chairs had dug into his hips uncomfortably and they'd been doing it to give him bad news.

And now, he knows without needing to be told, they're going to do it again. He doesn't turn to face the nurse that must have tapped him awake. He turns to the machines.

There shouldn't be a problem. A few broken ribs, nothing in the lungs—Randy should be completely fine. The machine beeps happily, a complete reversal of the mood anyone would feel looking at it. Stable heartbeat. Not fast, nor slow.

Then Callahan turns and stands to greet whoever came in. It's a young woman, maybe twenty-five. She looks tired. All the nurses do. The hospital works them like dogs. Like horses, he thinks, though it's not as funny as he would like for it to be. Not even close, really.

"What's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing, sir, but just. As a precaution." She confirms his insurance company. The one he had to get, or face the full force of the I.R.S. against him. What were they going to do, though? Audit him?

"Why, is there some kind of problem?"

"Not exactly, sir. It's not going to affect anything, of course, but. We just wanted to make sure."

"I gave you that information a week ago. What's there to make sure of?"

"Nothing. Sir."

"Will you stop trying to worry about not spooking me? You're going to get me freaking out soon, and all because you just won't tell me what the heck is going on. Can you do that for me?"

"They're just dragging their feet a little."

"Then I'll have to get on the phone. Is there going to be a problem?"

"No problem, sir. We just wanted to make sure that we were talking to your employer's insurance provider."

"Well, that's them. If they don't want to cover it, I'll get on the phone with them. Y'all will get paid, don't worry about that."

She smiles at him in a way that says that she regrets bringing it up. Too late for regret now, though. She's in far too deep for that.

The little woman turns to leave, walking away with that strange walk that all nurses seem to develop. Fast, without looking rushed. Practiced. She's got somewhere else to be, and she's going to get there as soon as she can, but until then she's not exactly panicked about it, per se.

Phil settles back into his chair and rubs the sting of tiredness out of his eyes. What time is it? There's a little light, just beginning to show through the edge of the windows. Perhaps around 6:30 to 7, then. Give or take.

In a few minutes, James will get here, and Callahan will let him take over watching the boy. There's work to be done on the farm. There's a horse that needs preparation for sale.

The price discussion is only a few days, now. If they can make it through that, and if Callahan can get a little money by, then they'll be set and they'll be in good and easy.

The thought that the insurance is dragging their heels… well, it's no big deal. They do that from time to time. Like any insurance company. They'll probably pay out in the end.

If they don't, it won't cost so much to retain an attorney. But the problem is that in the mean-time, the hospital goes hungry.