To Jamie’s surprise, Leland sat down next to him on the wooden bench. He curved his arm around Jamie’s shoulders and urged him to drink something from a glass.
Leland could have made him do just about anything at that moment, just for bringing him out of the sun and into the shade, though he didn’t have the words to say it. So he drank the salty liquid and enjoyed the feel of the cool cloth Leland pressed against his forehead. And enjoyed tucking his face in the curve of Leland’s shoulder, sighing as the heat seemed to ease out of his body, slowly, as though it was reluctant to go.
Someone was taking off his boots and sweaty socks and wiping his feet with another cold cloth. Leland started pulling up Jamie’s t-shirt as if he meant to take it off. Only when he did this, Jamie hissed, and Leland paused.
“And where did these bruises come from?”
“Bruises?” Jamie asked, feeling dumb.
“On your ribs,” Leland said, pointing to Jamie’s side. He touched a spot with his finger and though he was so, so gentle, Jamie winced. Then Leland pulled the t-shirt back down. “Here, drink some more of this. You’ve experienced heat exhaustion. You should be okay; you’re responding well to the water and the cooler air.”
Jamie took the glass and drank the rest of the water. And shivered as Leland placed a gentle hand on his side.
“Tell me about your ribs, Jamie,” he said, and while his voice was stern, his eyes were quiet as he looked at him.
His skin sizzled where Leland touched him, and he took a deep breath. He pressed his palm against the back of Leland’s hand, to keep him there, just for another minute.
“It was when I fell against the gate,” he said. “When the horse ran away.”
“Jamie.” Leland’s voice rang with dismay.
“I thought it would get better, but it hasn’t. It just keeps hurting worse.”
Before Leland could say anything, Maddy came walking up the road and marched up the steps as though to announce she was in charge now.
“I got a phone call about this,” she said, her mouth a tart line. “Are you cooled off?” she asked Jamie as she looked him up and down. When he nodded, she shook her head, but to his surprise, her scolding wasn’t aimed at him. “You worked him too hard, Leland,” she said, a grumpy frown on her face. “He’s not used to the altitude, and you should have known better.”
“No harder than I work myself,” said Leland, drawing back from her at the accusation.
“Which is too damn hard,” said Maddy. Then she shook her finger at Jamie. “Now, he’s going to take the rest of the day off. Bed rest all day and that’s final.”
“That’s what I was going to suggest, Maddy,” said Leland, and his tone was quite mild with her. “Thank you. I’m going to get him to his room to rest and bring him something to eat. He’ll be in bed all afternoon, I promise.”
“I’ll call Clay to take care of your horse,” said Maddy. She shook her head as if in despair over Leland’s daring rescue of the idiot who didn’t know enough to take care in the heat.
“That’s fine and I appreciate it,” said Leland. “C’mon Jamie, get up. I’ll help you.”
Blurry around the edges, Jamie could feel the warmth of Leland’s arm around his waist as someone helped him with his socks and boots. Then Leland helped him back to his room, walking with him slowly through the shade and up the three flights of stairs. Once in his room, Leland made him sit down and bent to take off his boots and socks.
“You should take a quick shower,” said Leland. “I’ll bring you something to eat right away and check on you later. Okay?”
Leland’s hands had been gentle, and he still had that concerned look on his face. As much as Jamie hated to be a bother, it made him feel better just to have him there, caring and kind. Which wasn’t how he expected any of this to go when he’d first stepped off that Greyhound bus in a strange town with no idea which way to turn.
10
Leland
As Leland hurried to the dining hall, he berated himself for letting Jamie get to such a state where he’d collapse while working. The work didn’t matter; it was Jamie that mattered, and not just because he was an employee of the ranch.
When Leland reached the steps of the dining hall, he knew it was early and that the kitchen staff would have lunch just underway, and nothing would be quite ready. That’s when Jasper caught up with him, carrying the scythe in his hand, brandishing it at Leland as though he was the town’s monster and Jasper, the angry villager.
“What’s he playing at, leaving a tool out in a field like that?” Jasper’s scowl said everything about what he thought about that, and how he was one step away from making sure Jamie was good and fired before the sun went down.
“He collapsed from heat exhaustion,” Leland said, keeping his voice quiet so Jasper would have to lean close, and in leaning close, it took some of the bluster out of him. “I’d thought he was taking breaks, drinking enough water, like we tell everybody to do up here. But he wasn’t. It’s my fault entirely, so if you want to blame someone for the tool getting left out in the weather, blame me.”
There was a long pause as Jasper considered the words, then he shook his head and lowered the scythe.
“I did not know,” he said, the growl gone from his voice. “I told him about the water in the cooler on the porch here. I should have made sure, but I went to my cabin to get that paperwork for the ex-con program, which I’m still pissed about, by the way.”
