Give My Love to Rose(1st in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Though Marston hadn't wanted to stay around Rose any longer it seemed fate wasn't on his side. Leaving simply wasn't an option. The doctor had said he needed to take it easy and Marston could tell by the pain his shredded thigh was in that riding horseback for hours wasn't something he could manage.

Rose had put fifteen stitches in his thigh, ten in his ankle and another ten in his shoulder. By the time Langley had returned with the doctor, Marston had already cleaned up, changed clothes and had been sitting on the porch. The doctor had left him some laudanum for pain, told him to rest for at least a week to let the wounds begin to close and then he had left.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked that evening as Marston stood from the porch chair and limped toward the steps.

"I'm going into town. I'll get a room at the hotel."

Rose shook her head as she finished clipping a faded purple dress on the line. "It's a long ride to town and the doctor said you need to rest."

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I've had worse than a ripped up leg."

He'd rather have the pain in his body from riding than the torment he felt in his soul as he sat and watched her. Rose tempted him as nothing else ever had and the fact that something inside of him wouldn't' let him give into that temptation and simply take what he wanted from her irritated the hell out of him.

"It's not your leg I'm worried about," she insisted. "It's your head. You shouldn't be alone after a head injury like that."

"Why the hell are you worried about me?" Marston demanded and then he kicked himself for asking it. Did he really want to know the damned answer?

'Yes you do. That's why you're still here,' Great his favorite voice was back again.

'I'm here because a chunk of my leg is missing,' Marston countered silently.

'Would you be honest for once in your life?' the voice grumbled. 'You're still here because you don't want to leave.'

Marston growled under his breath. "Are you okay?" Rose's voice broke through the argument he was currently having with himself. He looked up from the dirty ground and let his eyes find her face.

She had one arched red brow raised and her teeth were nibbling her full bottom lip. She was truly beautiful. Like the sight of a hoof trampled waterhole when you'd been riding days in a drought.

Growling, Marston turned away from her. "I'm fine, dammit. I wish you people would stop asking me if I'm okay and worrying about me. And quit thanking me for stuff. And quit treating me like I'm something I'm not!" Marston stalked off to the barn without giving Rose time to respond.

Rose watched him go and wondered if that outburst meant he was staying or leaving. On one hand, Rose knew she should fear Marston and, in a way, she did. But on the other hand she had seen glimpses of his kindness, generosity and caring. And her desperation for friendly companionship outweighed her fear tenfold.

Rose was about to go into the barn to plead with the man not to leave until leg healed, when he came limping out with a burlap sack of nails and a hammer. Langley was hot on his heels. "Can I help you fix the corral? I'm real good at pounding nails. Can I use the hammer?"

Rose hid her smile behind her hand as she watched them. It was clear that Marston was a man who didn't talk much and Langley was a boy who rarely ceased. Rose hoped Langley wouldn't irritate Marston too badly. The boy had been his whole life without a strong male influence and needed someone who would be patient with him.