The Cowboy's Last Goodbye (Grass Valley Cowboys Book 6) Page 18

  “I’m happy to come get you, but if you want to drive out to the ranch that’d be fine.” Ben gave her directions then pressed a kiss to her cheek, mindful that Cletus had his nose pressed to the living room window, watching them. “Sweet dreams, Harper. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  With a fierce possessiveness, she hugged him tightly then stepped back. “I’ll see you at the ranch, Ben. Good night.”

  Like the previous evening, he watched her go inside and grinned as she chastised her uncle for peering at them like a peeping Tom.

  Humming to himself, Ben made his way back to his pickup and drove to the ranch, happier than he could ever remember being in his life.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A goodbye isn’t painful unless

  you’re never going to say hello again.

  Author Unknown

  Harper parked her pickup next to Ben’s at the Running M Ranch and admired the well-kept appearance of the place. From the welcoming porch with flowers blooming in pots to the big barn, the care the family gave their ranch was evident.

  Although General had wanted to come along that morning, Harper left the dog with Uncle Cletus. She hated to leave him sitting in the pickup while they shopped and ate lunch after the drive to Madras. The dog would be happier at home where he could run and stretch his legs. She’d given him two pieces of bacon at breakfast to make up for leaving him behind.

  On her way to the Morgan’s front porch, she stopped to pet the heads of the ranch dogs and give them a few friendly scratches. They followed her onto the porch. She’d just raised her hand to knock when the door swung open and Ben greeted her with a smile.

  “Morning, beautiful,” he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

  Warmed by his greeting, she smiled at him. “Good morning to you, handsome. Are you ready to go?”

  “I am, but my parents think you should step inside and say hello. Do you mind?”

  Harper smiled. “Not at all.”

  Ben took her hand and led her through the house to the kitchen where his parents sat at the table drinking cups of coffee.

  “Harper! It’s so nice to see you again.” Michele stood and gave her a warm hug. “Thank you for keeping Ben company today.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” Harper said, painfully aware of how much she would enjoy the time spent with Ben.

  “Just make sure he behaves himself,” Mike cautioned, winking at Harper as he got to his feet. “And don’t let him stiff you on lunch. Make him take you someplace nice.”

  Ben rolled his eyes and took Harper’s elbow in his hand, ready to make an escape. Mike thumped Ben on the back. “I’m taking your mother’s car in to get new tires this morning, so don’t feel like the two of you have to rush home. I won’t be ready to do anything with the parts you’re picking up until this afternoon.”

  “Thanks, Dad. We’ll see you later,” Ben said, escorting Harper out the back door and over to his truck. He glanced around. “I expected General to be with you,” he said, opening the pickup door and giving Harper a hand as she climbed inside.

  “I thought about bringing him, but it’s a long ride. He’d have to sit in the truck while we eat lunch, so he’s keeping Uncle Cletus company today.”

  “The two of them seem to get along well.” Ben commented as he slid behind the wheel and started the pickup.

  “They do, for the most part,” Harper said, waving at Mike as he stepped outside. “Uncle Cletus didn’t like the idea of the dog being around all the time at first, but it didn’t take long for him to grow fond of General. Once you get to know him, he’s easy to love.”

  “The dog or your uncle?”

  Harper laughed. “Both.”

  ><><

  “I don’t want to know how many calories were in that thing, but that might be the best salad I’ve ever eaten.” Harper leaned back in their booth at a busy restaurant, full and content.

  “That’s because you can’t ever go wrong with anything that includes bacon. If you don’t believe me, ask your dog.” Ben finished his double bacon cheeseburger and held out a fry to Harper.

  She shook her head, too full to eat another bite. “Seriously, whoever thought of making a bacon cheeseburger salad is a genius. I might have to try recreating it at home.”

  “I don’t see why you couldn’t,” Ben said. He glanced up as the server left the bill on their table.

  “Can I interest either of you in dessert?” she asked.

  “No, thank you. Everything was delicious and I’m stuffed,” Harper said, looking to Ben. “What about you?”

  “Nope. I’m full, but thank you.”

  When the server smiled and left, Ben grinned at Harper and patted his flat stomach. “I can’t eat too many sweets and maintain my youthful, girlish figure.”

  Harper almost snorted iced tea out her nose, causing Ben to laugh.

  He was still chuckling when his phone rang and he took it out of his pocket.

  “What could my sister possibly want from me today? Since she knows we’re here, I will bet money that she’s got some weird food craving and wants us to bring something to her.”

  “All the more reason you should answer the call,” Harper said, giving him an amused glance.

  “Hey, Tessie Bessie, what’s up?” Ben asked as he accepted his sister’s call.

  Harper watched as his countenance went from happy and lighthearted to fearful.

  “We’re on our way,” Ben said. Upset, he disconnected the call and stood. Quickly tugging his wallet out of his pocket, he tossed cash on the table then grabbed Harper’s hand, ignoring her questions.

  His long strides ate up the ground of the parking lot on the way to his pickup. Harper had to jog to keep up with him.

  She studied his clenched jaw and the worry lines creasing his forehead as he unlocked the pickup and gave her a hand in. “Talk to me. What’s wrong, Ben? Something happened, didn’t it? Is Tess okay? The baby?”

  “She’s fine,” Ben rasped out in a choked voice as moisture gathered in his eyes. “It’s Dad. He was in a bad accident. He’s in the hospital in The Dalles and they aren’t sure…” He swallowed hard, but couldn’t finish speaking.

  Harper squeezed his hand. “Let’s get to The Dalles. Your family needs you there, with them.”

  Ben nodded and rushed around the pickup, climbing behind the wheel.

  The drive between Madras and The Dalles normally took an hour and a half, but Ben made it in just over an hour.

  Harper had closed her eyes several times and sent up prayers as he sped toward the hospital.

  Ben wheeled into the parking lot and jumped out. Harper expected him to rush inside and forget she was even with him.

  Much to her surprise, he took her hand in his and they ran inside together. Since Tess worked in the physical therapy department, Ben was familiar with the hospital and hastened to the waiting room where he knew he’d find his family.

  As they entered the room, his mother threw her arms around him, sobbing. Ben took in the concerned glances of all the Thompson family.

  Tess rose from her seat and hurried over to him. Ben wrapped an arm around her and held her and their mother as both women cried.

  Harper stood just inside the door, feeling like an intruder until Cady Thompson placed an arm around her shoulders and guided her to an empty seat next to where she’d been sitting with Trey.

  Ben looked at Travis with a questioning glance as Michele and Tess reeled in their tears. “What happened?”

  “Mike was driving into town in your mom’s car.” Travis cleared his throat, as though it was hard for him to speak. “He was getting new tires put on it today.”

  Ben knew that much from when he left the ranch with Harper that morning. “Yeah. He mentioned his plans to do that this morning.”

  “He was between Moro and Biggs Junction when a kid driving a tractor ran a stop sign and hit your dad. The impact knocked the car into the other lane and a semi broadsided him.” Travis wrapped his ar
ms around Tess as she stepped away from Ben and leaned against his side. “The truck driver tried to stop before he hit him, but there wasn’t time.”

  Ben nodded his head. “So what do we know? What’s happening with Dad right now?”

  Facts. Ben needed facts. Those he could handle. Tears and emotion and pain he could not.

  “He’s in surgery,” Travis said, handing Tess another tissue as tears continued rolling down her cheeks. “His arm was broken in three places. The collision mangled it pretty bad. The doctor said he also had several broken ribs and a collapsed lung. There is some question about the extent of his head injuries.”

  As bad as that all sounded, Ben was grateful his father was still alive.

  “We’ll get through this and Dad will heal.” Ben rubbed his mother’s back with a comforting hand. “What about the kid on the tractor? Is he okay?”

  “Apparently, the girl driving it was moving the tractor for her dad. Being a typical teen, she was texting while she was driving and didn’t even notice the stop sign until it was too late. To say she’s hysterical would put it lightly.”

  “But she didn’t get hurt?”

  “No.” Travis shook his head. “The truck driver wasn’t injured either, although it did crumple his bumper and mess up the grill.”

  Ben guided his mother to a chair and sat down beside her. Tess and Travis took seats beside them. “How long has Dad been in surgery? When can we see him?”

  “They said it would be a few hours for the surgery and they’d let us know after that.”

  “So we wait.” Ben hated waiting, especially when someone he loved was hurt and there wasn’t a thing he could do to help.

  Well, there was one thing — Ben sent up prayers for his father, for his family, and for the doctors performing the surgery.

  “Mom, you and Tess need to stay hydrated. I’ll go get you something to drink.” Ben started to get up but Michele clung to his hand.

  “I’ll go,” Harper said, jumping up. She needed something to do besides sit and wait, aching for Ben’s family.

  “We’ll go with you,” Trent said as he and Lindsay rose to their feet. The three of them headed off to the cafeteria while the rest of the family waited.

  Ben learned that Denni and Hart were babysitting all of the kids. Brice and Bailey left Maizy there before rushing to the hospital.

  Once Brice arrived, Tess and Michele both hugged him, soaking his shirt with more tears.

  Hours later, a grim-faced doctor entered the room. They all stood as he approached Michele. “We patched his arm back together. I expect it to heal quite nicely. As I mentioned before, he has six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a bruised kidney and thirty-seven stitches on his leg where a piece of metal pierced it.” The doctor sighed and ran a hand over his head. “I’m most concerned about his head injury. There is moderate brain swelling and he isn’t as responsive as we’d like.”

  He looked around the room and sighed again. “Honestly, if he makes it through the night, there’s a good chance he’ll pull through with flying colors. You may go in to see him one at a time, but please keep the emotions in check, stay upbeat and positive. Just because his eyes are closed doesn’t mean he can’t hear you or sense your feelings. Give him a reason to make it through the night. Don’t make this all about goodbyes.”

  The doctor started to leave the room but turned back. “I’ll have a nurse come get you shortly.”

  Stunned, Michele broke into another round of sobs as Ben held her. Tess sniffled as Travis offered her comfort and Brice clung to Bailey’s hand with a stricken look on his face.

  “Mom, you’ve got to pull yourself together. You can’t go see Dad like this,” Ben said, unsure what to do or say to help his mother. “Everything will be fine. You have to believe that.”

  “I do, honey. I do,” Michele whispered, accepting the tissues Cady handed her and wiping away her tears. She placed a hand on Ben’s arm and gazed up at him with pain-filled eyes. “What would I do without you, Ben? You’re always here when we need you most.”

  “And I always will be.” He hugged her again, leaving an arm around her shoulders as a nurse arrived. “Go on, Mom. Tell Dad we’re all pulling for him.”

  Michele nodded and followed the nurse down the hall.

  The rest of them sat in silence until Michele returned then all eyes stared at Ben. “You go next, Ben,” Michele said, urging him to go with the nurse.

  With a heavy heart, he followed the nurse to the critical care unit where he stepped into a small room.

  In all his life, Ben had never seen his father look weak or truly ill. He’d always seemed like a giant in his eyes, even if he constantly teased him about being an old man and other nonsense.

  As he took in the ashen color of his father’s skin, the bruises and cuts on his face, and the cast around his arm, he wished he hadn’t always given his dad such a hard time. The variety of machines keeping his dad alive only added to his discomfort and dismay.

  “Hey, Dad, it’s Ben.” He took a seat next to the bed. Tentatively, he lifted his father’s right hand in his and held it. “This is what you get for trying to do Mom a favor. Next time, I’d just let her drive on bald tires.”

  The one-sided conversation felt so awkward, so forced. Ben didn’t know what to say to the man who had always loved him, taught him important life lessons, and championed him more times than he could count. In the process, he’d become a close friend as well as a much-loved parent. The idea that he might never joke with his dad again made pain pierce his heart with such ferocity, he nearly doubled over from it.

  Hastily tamping down his doubts and fears, Ben forced himself to smile. “Let’s look on the upside, Dad. At least it was your left arm and not your right. Once you get out of here, you’ll be able to feed yourself, write our marching orders, all that stuff. Just imagine how awful it would be if you had to depend on me and Brice to feed you.”

  About to lose his tight hold on his emotions, Ben swallowed twice and cleared his throat. “Dad, you’ve got a wife who can’t live without you and three kids who love you more than just about anything, not to mention Maizy and Tess’ baby. We need you here, so you rest a little while then be ready to go home to the ranch. I love you, Dad.”

  Ben could have sworn he felt a slight squeeze on his hand but decided it was wishful thinking on his part.

  He stood as the nurse entered the room and gently placed his father’s hand back on the bed. “We’re all here for you, Dad. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  When Ben returned to the waiting room, Cady, Trey, Trent, and Lindsay were getting ready to leave. He hugged each of them and thanked them for coming.

  Trey settled a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about anything at the ranch. We’ll handle everything and let the guys know how Mike’s doing.”

  “Thanks, Trey. I appreciate it. Would you do me a favor?” Ben glanced at Harper as she gave Tess a hug.

  “What do you need?” Trey was ready to do anything Ben asked.

  “Could you please make sure Harper gets home. Her truck is at the ranch.”

  “We’ll take good care of her, Ben. I promise.” Trey gave him a pat on the back then slipped an arm around Cady. “Why don’t we give you a minute and then we’ll go.”

  Ben nodded and made his way across the room to Harper. He touched her arm and she turned to look at him with tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m sorry you’ve been stuck here with us, but Trey and Cady will take you home.”

  Harper took his hand in hers. “I’m happy to stay with you, Ben, if you want me to.”

  The concern and care he saw in her big blue eyes almost made him agree. He needed to have her there. She didn’t know it, but the lightness in her spirit and the sound of her voice gave him strength and assurance. Her presence helped him be strong for his family. With her gone, he wasn’t sure what he’d do, but it wasn’t fair to Harper to ask her to stay.

  “We’ll be sitting here all night, so you might
as well go home and get some rest. I’m sorry about today, Harper.”

  “Don’t be sorry, Ben. I’m glad I was with you. No one should hear news like that alone.”

  Ben wrapped her in a tight hug, holding her to him for several heartbeats before he let her go. “I promise I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” she said with a loving smile. She hugged Michele then followed Trey and Cady out to their vehicle.

  None of them felt like talking on the way back to Grass Valley. Trey dropped her off at home with a promise to have someone bring her pickup from the Running M Ranch.

  Aware that it would be pointless to argue with him, she nodded her head and thanked Trey before rushing inside.

  Cletus sat upright in his recliner and stared at her in concern as she entered the house. “What’s the matter, honey? You look like the world is about to end.”

  Barely holding her tears in check, Harper told him about Mike’s accident and that the doctor wasn’t even sure he’d make it through the night.

  “Well, what are you doing here?” Cletus asked as Harper sat on the floor by his chair with General lapping the tears off her cheeks. “You need to be with Ben right now.”

  “I know,” Harper sniffled. “But he said I should leave.”

  “I’ve never known you to be a ninny, Harper Lynette Hayes, but today you’ve given it a fair shot.” Scornfully, Cletus shook his head. “As sure as you’re sitting here, Ben Morgan is in love with you. If there was ever a time he needs you, it’s now.”

  Filled with uncertainty, she stared at him. “But I don’t even have my truck. It’s at the ranch. Trey said he’d send somebody over with it.”

  “Well, that’s fine. Eat a little dinner and maybe take a nice bath. You’ll be ready to go when your pickup arrives.” Cletus smiled at her. “You can always take my pickup if you want to.”

  Harper stood and wrapped her arms around her uncle then kissed his forehead. She looked into his watery blue eyes and memorized every detail of his aged, beloved face from the bushy eyebrows to the funny mustache and beard that gave him a rather Santa-like appearance except for the sarcastic sneer he usually sported.