Texas Free (The Tylers of Texas 5)

“You got one of them,” Rose said. “I got one, and Bull finished off Refugio. Good teamwork, I’d say.”

“Sorry, I really wanted to save you by myself—you know, ride in like a knight in shining

armor and slay all your dragons.”

“You did save me.” She took his hand and pressed it to her cheek. “Without you, I wouldn’t be here.”

“You should get some rest.” He touched her tangled hair.

“There’ll be time for that. Right now I need to go call the Rimrock and tell Bull and Jasper you’re awake. I’ll call Joe, too. He’ll want to know.”

After she left the room, Tanner lay in a fog of uncertainty. He could feel the pain under the dressings that bound his ribs, covering the entrance and exit wounds where the shot had gone through his chest and back. Crazy. He didn’t even know which way the bullet been traveling when it hit him.

He groaned as the worries flooded over him. How long before he’d be ready to work again? What about his job? He didn’t even have a place to live, except the ranger post. Worse, his injuries weren’t related to his work, so there’d be no compensation.

And what about Rose? He knew that he wanted to marry her, and it couldn’t happen soon enough. But what did he have to offer her? Nothing but a modest savings account and half ownership of a struggling Wyoming ranch. How could he provide the best future for Rose and peace of mind for himself? Could he make it here in Texas, with Rose wanting to stay on her beloved land, or would he be better off joining Clint’s family in Wyoming? Only one thing was certain—he couldn’t have it both ways, and neither could Rose.

He had some hard decisions to make, and they needed to be made soon. He could only hope those decisions wouldn’t cost him the woman he loved.

* * *

By the time Rose returned to Tanner’s hospital room, he was nodding off again. She bent over the bed and kissed him awake, working her way around monitor cords and an IV. He opened his eyes. “Joe sends his best,” she said. “He talked to Clive. Your job will be waiting when you’re mended. Bull’s with his boys, but Jasper’s coming here. He wants to talk to us. Since he’ll have to drive from the ranch to Lubbock, he won’t be here for an hour. You might as well get more rest.”

“You too,” he murmured and closed his eyes.

Rose curled up in the armchair next to the bed. It wasn’t comfortable, but she hadn’t slept in nearly two days, and she was exhausted. It seemed as if she’d barely drifted off when Jasper walked into the hospital room, startling her awake.

“Thank God you’re both all right. Don’t get up, Rose. I can see you’re tuckered out.” Jasper pulled a straight-backed chair up to the bed. “And you—” He laid his hand on Tanner’s. “We’ve got a lot to thank you for.”

“All I did was get shot,” Tanner said.

“We’ve got some talking to do.” Jasper took a deep breath. “Some of this is going to hit hard, Rose. That’s why Bull and I decided to save it until we knew Tanner was out of the woods.”

Something told Rose that bad news was coming. She was strong and she could take it, she encouraged herself.

“I guess you already know that when we drove up to the line shack, we found those two Mexican boys shot dead. After they gave you up for a reward, the cartel had no more use for ’em.”

Rose struggled to ignore the hurt that was still there. “I know, and I wasn’t surprised,” she said. “I’d already figured out that they’d betrayed me to the cartel.”

“There’s more,” Jasper said. “Your property. I went over and had a look after the fire. Everything’s gone, Rose. They torched it—the trailer, your truck, even the damned chicken coop with the chickens in it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh—” Rose knew she shouldn’t be shocked after hearing the sirens and guessing the truth. But the news still hurt. Her hands balled into fists as she fought to hold her emotions in check. The trailer and truck were a loss. But the chickens were living creatures, and she had loved them.

Jasper paused, waiting for her to take in the news before he continued. “This is the worst part. When the sheriff’s crew came to investigate, they found a body on the other side of the creek. A young man in a camouflage shirt. He’d been shot.”

“No!” This time the news broke her. She pressed her face into Tanner’s blanket to muffle the sobs that shook her body. Reuben had been a lonely, misfit boy, just needing a little kindness. And she had made him her friend for her own selfish reasons. “This is on me,” she said. “I was nice to him. I asked him to watch the place.”

“Don’t, Rose.” She felt the gentle weight of Tanner’s hand on her hair. “Reuben’s death isn’t on you. It’s on Ferg, and on the monsters who killed the boy just because he was there.”

“But he didn’t have a chance to grow up. He could have found his way. He could have become somebody.”

“He had a friend who was good to him,” Tanner said. “At least you gave him that.”

“It wasn’t enough.” Rose took time to get her tears under control. “I just realized I have next to nothing,” she said. “No home, no money, nothing but a piece of ground and the clothes on my back.” She forced a smile, remembering how she’d come to the Rimrock as a fourteen-year-old girl after her grandfather was killed. “But I guess this isn’t the first time, is it?”

“You’ve got your friends,” Jasper said. “And the Rimrock will be your home for as long as you want to stay.”

“And you have me.” Something in Tanner’s voice told Rose he had more to say.