Tara’s eyes lit up. “Riley can cook, bake, can, and make preserves. I always do our laundry while she’s ranching. I can cook, too, but not as good as her.”
“There you have it. We’ll share the chores until she gets back on her feet,” Garrett grinned. “I’ll feel better knowing you’ll be there to help her. What about school?”
“I do online high school. It’s easy to enroll, and nobody asks questions,” Tara explained.
“Do you like it?” he asked, seeing her dim as she admitted they did it out of necessity.
Tara shrugged. “It’s better than staying at home with Dad. Riley does the best she can. I’m not telling her how much I miss the Robotics Club or having someone my own age to talk to about stuff.”
Garrett sighed. How much did they sacrifice for each other? He pushed back his plate and sipped his root beer as Tara finished her meal.
“Let’s head back up to the surgery floor. They said if your sister does fine, they’ll send her home tomorrow,” he said as she wiped her mouth and placed her napkin on her plate.
“Thanks, Garrett,” she said, rising from her seat.
“You’re welcome,” he said as they left the cafeteria.
He walked back toward the group, who suddenly got quiet as they approached. Rachel rose and smiled at Tara.
“Matthew and I plan to return to the ranch. The doctor said Riley will sleep the rest of the evening. Why don’t you come home and get a good night’s rest?” she asked.
“I can’t leave Riley,” Tara said, shaking her head. “I’ll stay here and watch…”
Garrett put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m staying and guarding her door. Matthew and Rachel will protect you,and I’ll assure Riley you’re safe. Both of you need your rest. Besides, she won’t know you’re gone. They give people with her injuries plenty of pain meds. She’ll be out like a light most of the night. Matthew will drive you over in the morning.”
“Will you call me if she gets scared?” Tara asked, still undecided.
“You bet. I’ll need you to relieve me in the morning. I forgot to pick up a few things, and I need you to make me a grocery list. I like to eat a lot, and there’s nothing at the cabin. We’ll need flour and sugar, but we need snacks. Make sure to add things you and your sister like, too. Don’t worry about the cost. We’ll work it out,” he assured her.
He watched as Rachel led her down the hall while Matthew glared at him. Jameson let out a growl. “I think you need to rephrase that, brother. We don’t make deals with underage girls.”
Garrett jerked back at the venom in his voice. “She said Riley won’t stay at the cabin if it’s free. I convinced her we’d trade chores to keep them safe. Get your head out of the gutter,brother.”
They sat in silence until the doctor finally came out. Garret let out a breath as the doctor told them Riley would be fine with rest and time. His chest felt lighter as they wheeled her into the room, and Rebecca informed the administrator that Jameson and Garrett would be guarding her witness. After learning Riley’s story from Tara, Garrett vowed to help them both.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Riley groaned and blinked as she woke up to the sounds of a machine beeping in the darkened room. A large man sat beside her bed, and in her drugged mind, she whimpered in fear. The man rose and touched her hand.
“It’s me, Riley. You’re safe at the hospital. It seems you have a broken arm and a badly bruised leg. Your hip and ribs will be sore for a while, but you’ll recover,” Garrett assured her.
“Tara?” she asked weakly.
“She’s at the ranch. Matthew and his fiancée, Rachel, took her home to rest,” he told her. “Do you have any pain?”
Riley closed her eyes and swallowed. “No. I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine,” he said as he regarded her.
“If you don’t believe me, then don’t ask me,” she gritted out.
“If you’re hurting, I can call a nurse to give you more medication,” he offered as he positioned the pillow under her leg.
“I don’t like taking meds. They make me groggy,” she said, wincing and trying to sit up.
“Let me help,” he said gently, raising her and fluffing her pillow behind her head. “How about some ice chips?”
Riley shook her head. “How did you find me?”
