She decided not to challenge Odell on calling Garrett her fella. Even if she did, he wouldn’t stop, and honestly, thinking of Garrett in that way no longer made her grumble and gripe. “He slept well last night. Ate a little bit of breakfast earlier and is asleep again.”
“Moving him was a good idea.”
“I think so, too. Let’s hope Colt agrees when he returns. Any word from Garrett’s folks?”
“Got a wire late yesterday from a Melody. Says she’s his sister?”
“Yes. He’s mentioned her.”
“She said to tell him he’s in her prayers. She wanted to know how far Paradise was from Cheyenne.”
“Maybe she’s coming to visit?” Spring speculated. “If Colt were injured someplace far away, I’d certainly want to see him, no matter the distance.”
“You might be right. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll let you know if she sends anything else.”
Spring wasn’t sure how she felt about meeting a member of Garrett’s family but knew that didn’t matter. If the sister did come, he’d be pleased, and Spring would do her best to be welcoming.
After promising to stop by again the next day, Odell left. Spring spent the rest of the morning taking care of her animals then peeked in at Garrett. He was still sleeping, so she left him to begin turning the soil for her garden. The growing season was short and now that the weather had warmed, she wanted to begin planting as soon as possible.
A short while later Lacy stopped by to drop off the kittens she’d asked Spring to take in. There were three. The fur of one reminded her of Odell’s beard, so Spring named it Odell. A brown-and-white one that blinked up at herlike an owl got named Hoot, and the third one, a gray with black stripes down its sides, hissed so angrily, Spring christened her Snake. She carried them to the barn where her mousers Queen Victoria and Cleopatra held court. When she entered, both black cats came slinking out of the shadows. Spring sat down on the hay-covered dirt floor to see if they’d venture over to investigate. The mewling kittens drew their immediate attention. When the queens began licking the little ones, Spring smiled. “You like your new babies?”
She ran a hand down the back of each of the big cats. “I’m going to get them something to sleep in. Be right back.”
Leaving the kittens with their new mamas, she went to the house, grabbed two old pillows, a couple of ratty towels, and a big basket that she’d once used for laundry until Paint got a hold of it last year. His chomps reduced it from eight inches high to three. When she returned to the barn, she set the new bed near a wall and placed the kittens inside. As they immediately tumbled out, she added more feed to the queens’ bowls and set some cream out for the babies. After stroking them all affectionately, she left them to get better acquainted while she went back to her garden.
Garrett opened his eyes and peered around the room. He didn’t know how long he’d slept but he remembered eating breakfast. He just didn’t know if that was the present day, the next day, or how much time had passed. The clock on the nightstand showed eleven. The windows were bright with the light of day, so it was morning. He needed to get to the washroom, but having no idea where Spring was, or the ability to maneuver down the short hallway to find her, he decided to attempt it without assistance. It was a slow go. He managed to get there and back without keeling over, but he was so winded from the journey, he instantly fell back into sleep.
When next he opened his eyes, the hands of the clock were on twelve and one. Sunlight continued to stream through the windows, so he assumed it to be the same day. His stomach growled with hunger, and again he wondered where Spring might be. And then, as if she’d heard his mental call, she was in the doorway. The sight of her filled him with something rivaling the day’s sunshine. He didn’t care that the front of her shirt and trousers were covered with dirt and that there was a matching streak across her forehead. To him, she was still lovely.
She said, “Glad to see you awake.”
“Glad to be awake.”
“Hungry?”
He nodded. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Just since breakfast.”
“Today?”
“Yes.”
Somewhat frustrated by his condition and being bedbound, he said wistfully, “Wish I could jump ahead a few weeks and be healed up.”
“The future will come soon enough,” she said softly. “There’s potato soup. Do you want some?”
“Yes, please.”
“Let me clean up and I’ll be back.”
When she returned he struggled to sit up.
“Hold on. Let me help.” She set the tray down and gently added a slew of bracing pillows and a folded quilt against the headboard. Her nearness wafted over him, making him again wish to be fully healed so they could pick up where they’d been before he was shot. She must’ve seen something in his eyes because she paused and asked, “What?”
“Just missing you.”
“I’m missing you, too,” she said softly. “So let’s get you healed up.”