Page 11

CHAPTER 11

Billie

H e’d kissed me and then insisted on driving me to the hospital since he was ‘going that way anyway’ and could just pick me up again in the morning. And the kiss had been… I sighed and stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. My cheeks were washed in pink and my heart was pounding just thinking about it. I wasn’t honestly sure how I’d managed to push him away.

It was the next morning and the nurses were out speaking with Gramps while I used the bathroom. They were working on discharging him. They’d already given me all the instructions and the medications he would need to continue recovering at home. I’d texted Toxic and he’d just replied to let him know when we needed to be picked up.

I shook my head. I didn’t understand him. He looked like one of those types. You know, the kind who flirted with every woman in a five foot radius. But those kinds usually weren’t sweet and helpful and amazing. Only, Toxic was. He had me doubting myself.

It didn’t matter. I needed to pull myself together. Even though I was highly attracted to the man, I couldn’t keep him. He had a club he’d want to get back to eventually and my life was the ranch. And Will had taught me a very valuable lesson about trust and betrayal. One I wasn’t about to forget.

So, I would do my best to get along with the gorgeous biker, and once Gramps was healed, I would pay him and send him on his way.

“And you won’t fall in love with him in the meantime,” I muttered at my reflection, giving myself a warning look.

A knock on the door made me jump, but I yanked it open and smiled at the nurse.

“He’s all set,” she said in a cheery voice. “We’re going to be so sad to see him go.”

This wasn’t the same nurse that had sent me home a few days ago. Despite not letting me stay with Gramps while I was sick, I really liked that nurse. This one was nice enough, but she giggled and fluttered her eyes a lot. I wasn’t sure why, but Grandpa seemed to enjoy the attention.

My phone chirped and I looked down at the message from Toxic. “Good timing,” I told her. “Our ride is here, too.”

“Okay. Well, he has to go out in a wheelchair, so we’ll take you down,” she told me as two other nurses helped Gramps get into the chair.

“Great.” I smiled at the other women. “Thanks for taking such good care of him.”

Gramps gave me an unamused look. “I can walk. This is ridiculous.”

“I know,” I told him, “but it’s hospital rules. As soon as we’re out of here you can walk.”

He grumbled but let the nurse push him in the chair. He was tired of being laid up in bed, so I knew he was going to be a bear over the next couple weeks as he healed. I wasn’t about to let him go out and do his usual thing. He wasn’t going to like that.

“Who’s that?” he asked, sounding suspicious as Toxic walked toward us.

“Oh.”

I glanced over and frowned as I saw all three of the nurses ogling him. The giggler was fluttering those long fake lashes so fast I was afraid she was going to lift off and fly away. “That’s my friend, Gramps,” I told him. “Remember I told you he was going to pick us up?”

He looked me dead in my eyeballs. “I’m not senile, Girl. I remember. I just don’t recognize him.”

Right.

I bit back a laugh. “His name is Toxic.”

“Why is that his name?” Giggler breathed. “Not that I mind Toxic men,” she snickered.

Of course you don’t.

I tried to fight the urge to shove them all away from my grandpa and get the hell out of here. But it was too late. Toxic stopped in front of us.

“Hey,” he said, smiling at me.

My legs may have weakened a bit. I always thought that was such a stupid thing they wrote into romance novels, but damn it if he didn’t elicit that reaction when he aimed that charming smile my way.

Before I could say anything, Giggler stepped forward. “Hi,” she breathed at him.

I glanced over at Gramps and he raised his brows at me. “Thought she loved me,” he muttered with a grin. He was so bad.

“Uh, hi,” Toxic said, smiling at her.

The giggle that spilled from her lips nearly made me snarl out loud. What the hell? Why did I care that she was flirting with him? I mean sure, he’d been taking care of me. And kissed me. But I’d just reminded myself upstairs that I couldn’t have him.

One of the other nurses stepped forward and put her hand on Toxic’s bicep. “Do you need us to go through the paperwork with you?” she asked.

My jaw dropped. They weren’t even trying to be discreet. And there was Toxic, so used to women fawning over him, that he just smiled at them and let them do it. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring.

He looked my way and cleared his throat. “No thanks, ladies. I think Billie and I have it under control.”

If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under. The women, who’d been perfectly pleasant as I’d sat with my grandpa, were now looking at me like I was an enemy.

“Think that’s our cue,” Gramps said, pushing himself out of the chair. He smacked at my hand as I reached forward to help him. “I’m not an invalid, Billie Girl.”

“I know, Gramps,” I told him. Frowning, I looked around as we walked outside. “Where’s the truck?” Toxic had been driving a truck to the ranch each day. Though he had mentioned at dinner last night that he usually only rode his motorcycle. I kind of wanted to see it. They were sexy machines, but the dirt road to get out to our place was full of potholes and loose sand.

He pointed to the SUV sitting there. “Brought this today so that everyone would fit comfortably.”

We helped Grandpa get into the front passenger seat, then I got in the back. As soon as Toxic pulled away from the hospital my grandpa started up.

“How do you know Billie?”

“Gramps,” I said, the warning clear in my tone.

“I’m a friend of a friend,” Toxic told him with a grin, not at all uncomfortable with my grandpa’s meddling.

“What the hell kind of name is Toxic?” Grandpa asked, not paying any attention to me.

“My name is Boone.”

I looked over at Toxic in surprise. It hadn’t occurred to me, with everything going on, to ask his real name.

“That’s better. Though only a little,” Gramps said and I rolled my eyes. “I’m Robert.”

“Nice to meet you.” They shook hands.

My eyes dropped to Toxic’s forearm and I swallowed hard as muscles flexed when he shook Gramps’s hand. Ugh. I had a serious problem when it came to this guy.

You saw how those women fawned over him.

It didn’t seem to matter. Apparently I was one of the masses of adoring women who crowded around him. I huffed at myself for being ridiculous enough to fall for his charms. That was going to change. I was going to be polite, but aloof. I nodded in determination. My ovaries cried.

“What designs do you have on my granddaughter?”

I gasped. “Gramps!”

Toxic’s chuckle filled the SUV. “I’m not sure a man can take liberties with your granddaughter that she doesn’t grant, Sir,” he replied. It was a very politically correct statement.

“Smart,” Gramps said, but his eyes said he knew Toxic’s reply was bullshit.

I groaned to myself, wishing I could disappear into the seat when Toxic’s eyes met mine in the rearview. He winked. My eyes narrowed. He didn’t get to wink at me after kissing me senseless then flirting with nurses.

Technically, they had flirted. He’d only been polite. But that didn’t matter. It was just a confirmation of what every day would be like with a man like this. I’d had one like that before and I’d walked in on him having sex with some random woman in our bunkhouse. On my damn property. I’d kicked them off, naked, then burned their clothes.

Looking out the window, I listened as Toxic and Gramps spoke. Toxic was asking him what other kinds of chores and things he could do while he was here. Gramps was more than happy to give him the huge list that only seemed to get bigger every year.

“Gramps, I can-”

“You shouldn’t have to be doing anything on that list,” Gramps said, interrupting me. “We should have men we’ve hired to do it, but fuck if we can get them to stick around. Cowardly bastards.”

“Agreed,” Toxic said, and our eyes met in the mirror again.

It was like he was trying to get under my skin. Only this time he was irritating me instead of me finding it endearing. “I can do the chores,” I muttered.

“You’re far too cute to be mucking out pig pens,” Gramps declared.

“Also agreed,” Toxic said.

I could hear the laughter in his tone and it made me grit my teeth. I’d seen the caring, sweet side of this man. And I would never be able to repay him for the kindness he’d shown me over the last few days. He’d helped me while I was sick, so I forced myself to calm down. He and Gramps were getting along like long time friends, so I smothered the words I wanted to snap.

“Someone’s feeling better,” Toxic said.

I glared at him in the mirror. “What does that mean?” I knew he wasn’t talking about Gramps.

“Oh nothing.”

“She can be as ornery as a bobcat with a thorn in its paw,” Grandpa said with a nod.

“Believe it or not, I’ve seen one,” Toxic replied with a chuckle.

“No shit?” Grandpa asked. “Where?”

“My best friend’s old lady has a pet bobcat.”

I seethed in the backseat as they spoke about a bobcat named Miss Murder Mittens. I didn’t speak even though I was dying to ask if I could meet her. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

Managing to stick to my guns, I remained quiet the rest of the drive home. Toxic asked Gramps about what he’d seen the day of the attack, but unfortunately, nothing new had come to him while he’d lain in the hospital. He still didn’t know the men who’d nearly killed him.

As soon as Toxic pulled to a stop in front of the house, I was out and hovering as Gramps got out. He didn’t complain this time. He secretly loved the attention. I could see the exhaustion on his face, which was still mottled with bruises.

Guilt spread through me every time I saw the bruises and cuts on his face and arms. I should have been there to help him. It didn’t take me long to get him settled into his bed. “I’ll come back and wake you when it’s time for your pain meds,” I told him, bending to kiss him on his forehead.

“I like your fella.”

“Gramps,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “He’s not my fella.”

“Like him anyway,” he said, closing his eyes.

I backed out of the room and shut the door. I found Toxic in the kitchen. We always used the kitchen door to go in and out of the house and he’d picked up the habit as well. “Thought you’d be out feeding the animals,” I said when I saw him. The words came out a bit waspish and I winced. “Sorry. Thank you,” I said, giving him a grateful look, “for picking us up.”

“No problem.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, eyeing me.

“What?” I asked. It may or may not have been more snapped at him than asked, but I was giving myself grace here.

“You’re in a mood today.”

I sucked in a breath of disbelief. “A… mood ?” I asked through gritted teeth. “What does that mean?”

He tried to bite back the smile, but it wasn’t working. His lips were still twitching upward, making me want to hit him. “You get any sleep last night? Maybe you should go lay down for a nap.”

“I don’t need a nap , Toxic. I’m a grown woman, not a toddler.”

His eyes tracked down my body, making me prickle even more at the audacity. “I can see that, Lightning.”

“Lightning?” I asked, completely confused. “What-”

He walked over and tugged on a thick strand of my hair. “Better go feed the animals, or they’re going to be just as grumpy as you.” He walked out the door.

I stood there, mouth open in complete shock. He may have helped take care of me while I was sick, but that didn’t mean he was going to keep getting to boss me around. And he didn’t get to call me grumpy. I glared at the door. I was going to set the man straight right now. There were rules on Cholla Summit Ranch and he was going to learn them.