Diana Palmer Christmas Collection: The Rancher / Christmas Cowboy / A Man of Means / True Blue / Carrera's Bride / Will of Steel / Winter Roses

Maddie laughed in spite of the pain. “Oh, my.”

“As my dad explained it, you can do a lot of good for other people and help defray your own taxes, all at once. But, just between us, my dad would give away money even if it didn’t help his tax bill. So would Cort’s. It’s just the sort of people they are.”

“It’s very nice of them.” She shifted and grimaced. “How are things at my ranch, do you know?” she asked worriedly.

“Great. Not that the boys don’t miss you. But Cort’s been over there every day getting roundup organized and deciding on your breeding program. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Are you kidding? I make fairies… I don’t know anything about creating bloodlines.” She sighed. “My dad knew all that stuff. He was great at it. But he should have had a boy who’d have loved running a ranch. I just got stuck with it because there was nobody else he could leave it to.”

“Your father must have known that you’d do the best you could to keep it going,” Odalie said gently.

“I am. It’s just I have no aptitude for it, that’s all.”

“I think…”

“Finally!” John Everett said as he walked in, frowning at his sister. “There was such a conspiracy of silence. I couldn’t get Cort to tell me where you were. I called every hospital in Dallas…”

“I left you seven emails and ten text messages!” Odalie gasped. “Don’t tell me you never read them?”

He glowered at her. “I don’t read my personal email because it’s always advertisements, and I hate text messages. I disabled them from coming to my phone. You couldn’t have called me in Denver and told me what happened?”

Odalie would have told him that Cort talked her out of it, but he was mad, and John in a temper would discourage most people from confessing that.

“Sorry,” she said instead.

He turned his attention to Maddie and grimaced. The bruises were visible around the short-sleeved gown she was wearing. “Poor little thing,” he said gently. “I brought you flowers.”

He opened the door and nodded to a lady standing outside with a huge square vase full of every flower known to man—or so it seemed. “Right over there looks like a good place,” he said, indicating a side table.

The lady, probably from the gift shop, smiled at Maddie and placed the flowers on the table. “I hope you feel better soon,” she told her.

“The flowers are just lovely,” Maddie exclaimed.

“Thanks,” the lady replied, smiled at John and left them to it.

“Oh, how beautiful. Thanks, John!” she exclaimed.

Odalie looked very uncomfortable. John didn’t even look at her. He went to the bedside, removed his Stetson and sat down in the chair by the bed, grasping one of Maddie’s hands in his. “I’ve been beside myself since I knew what happened. I wanted to fly right home, but I was in the middle of negotiations for Dad and I couldn’t. I did try to call your house, but nobody answered, and I didn’t have your cell phone number.” He glared at his sister again. “Nobody would even tell me which hospital you were in!”

“I sent you emails,” Odalie said again.

“The telephone has a voice mode,” he drawled sarcastically.

Odalie swallowed hard and got to her feet. “Maybe I should help Cort carry the coffee,” she said. “Do you want some?”

“Don’t be mean to her,” Maddie said firmly. “She’s been wonderful to me.”

John blinked. He glanced at Odalie with wide-eyed surprise. “Her?”

“Yes, her,” Maddie replied. “She hasn’t left me since I’ve been in here. She brought me books…”

“Her?” John exclaimed again.

Odalie glared at him. “I am not totally beyond redemption,” she said haughtily.

“Maybe I have a fever,” John mused, touching his forehead as he looked back down into Maddie’s eyes. “I thought you said she stayed with you in the hospital. She hates hospitals.”

“She’s been here all night every night,” Maddie said softly. She smiled at Odalie. “She’s been amazing.”

Odalie went beet-red. She didn’t know how to handle the compliment. She’d had so many, all her life, about her beauty and her talent. But nobody had ever said she was amazing for exhibiting compassion. It felt really good.

“It was my fault, what happened,” Odalie said quietly. “I was driving.”

“Who the hell let you drive a car?” John exclaimed.

“I did,” Cort said heavily as he joined them. He looked at John’s hand holding Maddie’s and his dark eyes began to burn with irritation. “Don’t hold her hand, it’s bruised,” he blurted out before he thought.

John’s blue eyes twinkled suddenly. “It is?” He turned it over and looked at it. “Doesn’t look bruised. That hurt?” he asked Maddie.

“Well, no,” she answered. The way Cort was looking at John was very odd.

“Yes, he let me drive because I badgered him into it,” Odalie broke in. “Poor Maddie tried to save her rooster and ran out into the road. I didn’t see her until it was too late.”

“Oh, no,” John said, concerned. “Will you be all right?” he asked Maddie.

“I’m going to be fine,” she assured him with more confidence than she really felt.

“Yes, she is,” Odalie said, smiling. “We’re all going to make sure of it.”

“What about Pumpkin?” John asked.

Odalie tried to stop him from asking, but she was too late.

“It’s all right,” Maddie said gently. “I’m getting used to it. Pumpkin…didn’t make it.”

Sadie had told her that Ben had buried the awful rooster under a mesquite tree and even made a little headstone to go on the grave. Considering how many scars Ben had, it was quite a feat of compassion.

“I’ll get you a new rooster,” John said firmly.

“Already taken care of,” Cort replied. “You’re in my seat, bro.”

John gave him a strange look. “Excuse me?”

“That’s my seat. I’ve got it just the way I like it, from sleeping in it for two nights.”

John was getting the picture. He laughed inside. Amazing how determined Cort was to get him away from Maddie. He glanced at his sister, who should be fuming. But she wasn’t. Her eyes were smiling. She didn’t even seem to be jealous.

Maddie was so out of it that she barely noticed the byplay. The sedative was working on her. She could barely keep her eyes open.