The Taylor Ranch: Cade by Vanessa Devereaux Page A

IV stand beside his bed. He must have made it through the
surgery because this didn’t look like the afterlife. He licked his lips longing
for a drink. A nice cold beer would be a treat right now.
    “Cade.”
    It
was April’s voice. His fiancée . How long have I
waited to call her that?
    She
leaned over him. She truly was the most beautiful woman in the world.
    “How
you feeling, or is that a stupid question?”
    “Feel
like shit,” he said, realizing his voice was hoarse.
    “The
guys said you tried to take down the barn all by yourself.”
    He
took a deep breath. What the hell had he been thinking?
    “One
side of it collapsed before I realized what was happening. The wood was rotted all
the way through. It’s my own fault for not checking the main beams.” He coughed
but it hurt his chest.
    “Lucky
the guys acted so fast and called 911.”
    “So
is every part of me intact? My leg feels like it’s burning.”
    “That’s
because it’s broken in three places and you’ve got fifteen stitches in your
head, but the doctor said you were very lucky.”
    The
only lucky thing was having April back and by his side.
    “I
told the doctor I can take care of you and that you’ll come to stay with me and
dad until you’re all healed. That means I can make a fuss over you and it also
means you have to do exactly what I tell you.”
    She
grinned at him. His ranch…
    “Who’s
going to take care of the ranch?”
    “Dad
and I are going to take turns making sure everything’s running smoothly.”
    He
suddenly realized she had dark circles under her eyes and that her clothes were
crumped like she’d been in them for days.
    “Is
it still Tuesday?” he asked.
    “Nope,
it’s Wednesday afternoon.”
    “Have
you been here all the time?”
    “Almost. Dad sat with me
for most of the night while you were in recovery.”
    “Then
you go home and get some rest.”
    “I’m
fine here with you.”
    “April,
go home. I’ll still be here when you get back.”
    “Okay,
but I’ll be back this evening.”
    ****
    April
stopped by the bookstore and bought Cade a bunch of magazines and some
paperback books by an author she knew he’d always loved. She wasn’t sure if
he’d be allowed beer or if it would be a bad mix with the pain meds he was on,
so instead she took him a six-pack of root beer. He was watching TV and eating
a bowl of what looked like rice pudding when she went back to his room later
that evening.
    “Hi,”
she said, leaning over and kissing his forehead, being careful not to disturb
the dressing and stitches on his head.
    “I
have root beer, magazines and books for you.”
    “Anyone
ever tell you that you’re one fantastic fiancée?”
    He’d
heard what she’d told the paramedics. My little white lie.
    At
first she’d told them so she could be with Cade to make sure he was taken care
of because he didn’t have any other family, but when she’d ridden in the
ambulance with him, waited while he was in surgery, she’d realized she didn’t
have to wait a year to know that marrying him was the right thing to do. It would
never be a decision she’d later regret. If April had to choose between being an
attorney and being Mrs. Cade Mallory, the ‘Mrs.’ title was one she wanted more.
    “Cade,
I don’t know what I would have done if you’d died and yes, you could have
easily been killed.”
    “So
what about law school, and your independence?”
    “I
can be a wife and go to school. Independence, well I think you’re going to be
the sort of guy who’ll give me lots of that.”
    “Fall
wedding. Is that what you want?”
    He’d
even heard that too. “I do, but I don’t think you’re going to be ready.”
    “Sure
I will. I have you as my bride and I have to be in shape for the honeymoon. In
fact, you want to give me a little preview now. Little hand massage would take
my mind off the pain in my leg.”
    “You’re
in the hospital, what if someone walks in on us?”
    Cade
lifted the blanket.