A Baby On His Doorstep

Barely managing to say “Yeah” in gruff tones, Rio reined in derelict visions he chalked up to pain and forced inactivity. “Listen, I’m gonna have to call you back later, JJ.” He hit disconnect and willed away the all-too-enjoyable snapshot lodged in his head.

Chapter Three (#u9cf95bf5-670c-511e-8cb2-343c49af3220)

Dr. Layton stopped by Rio’s hospital room and told him he’d turned over his care to the orthopedist. “My job as your surgeon is finished. Your lung remains inflated. All else are bone injuries that are Dr. Darnell’s field of expertise. I hear he’s moving you from ICU. He’ll be the one you’ll be fighting with about going into rehab.”

Rio screwed his lips to one side then said, “Since I’d rather recover at home I’m going to hire Nurse Taylor. Do you have any idea how long I may need her help? Or is that something I should ask Dr. Darnell?”

“Just judging from your initial injuries, I’d say you’ll need a month to six weeks to get you moving under your own power. Darnell can pinpoint that better after he sees follow-up X-rays of your broken wrist and clavicle.”

Layton turned to the computer and pulled up Rio’s chart. “I see he ordered a TENS Unit to help heal the vertebrae. That requires removing the cervical collar to sit with the electronic device on your neck for a specified time each day. Getting the collar off and on properly will take assistance. Frankly, I still don’t get what you have against going to rehab. They’re staffed for maximum therapies.”

Rio puffed out a disgusted sigh. “I like being in control of my life. Isn’t that true of everyone?”

“Yes, unless you’re sick or injured. I notice you listed your parents as next of kin. Can they help you at home?”

“If they weren’t on their dream trip to Australia they would be my go-to people. Worrier that my mom is, I hope they don’t hear of my accident. They’d cut their trip short. You may think I’m unreasonable. As a rule I’m not.”

“I see a lot of you cowboy types. Don’t blame me for thinking you all have more guts than sense. I do wish you luck.” The doctor closed out the computer, shook hands with Rio and then left the room.

Rio barely had time to gather his thoughts when the team scheduled to move him to a ward arrived. Two burly guys dressed in green scrubs transferred him, mattress and all, onto a gurney, while an aide gathered his personal belongings. She’d headed out when Rio called to her. “Did you pick up a business card for a private duty nurse?”

“I left it in the drawer. I heard Gertrude Murphy and Janet Valenzuela talking. I thought they said you weren’t going to hire...uh, never mind. I’ll grab the card.” She turned back and slipped past the gurney.

Rio would have liked to know what he’d said to give the ICU nurses the impression he wasn’t going to hire Binney. If word got back to her, she might take another job. He thought he’d been clear to everyone about wanting to recuperate at home, but weigh his options. As soon as he got settled in a ward he’d phone her and ask about her fees.

He did just that as soon as the transfer team left.

Binney sounded surprised to hear from him. “I charge the going daily rate for in-home nursing care unless I do household chores. There’s a greater daily charge if I do cooking, laundry or other housework.” She named both amounts.

“Which one includes taking care of a pet? I know you went out to my ranch and met my dog. JJ said you and Tag hit it off. I’m sure he was mistreated before I found him. He’s not usually trusting of strangers, so you’re an exception.”

“I hate hearing he may have been mistreated. Goodness, he seemed such a loving dog. Care for him would be included in either rate.” She paused then added, “Mr. Montoya was nice. What I viewed of your ranch was lovely. I hope you aren’t annoyed that I went to check it over. It’s something I do if the opportunity presents itself before I decide to take a job.”

“Has a preview caused you to turn any job down?”

“Once. The old guy raised goats and lived in a one-room shack back in the hills. He had pneumonia and needed care, but a requirement of mine is to have my own bedroom. I never asked the size of your home. Wait...didn’t you indicate it’s where you grew up, so it’d be a family home layout, right?”

“It is. You’d have a bedroom. I bought the ranch from my folks. They wanted to retire to San Antonio. At the moment they’re on a trip out of the country. What about you? Does your family still live in Abilene?”

“I live there. I rent an efficiency apartment downtown. Tell you what, Rio. My contract spells everything out. I work a late-late shift in ER tonight. It’ll be past visiting hours when I get to the hospital. But I’ll leave a copy at the unit desk and tomorrow you can ask a nurse to bring it in for you to read over. I want you to be satisfied.”

“We both need to be satisfied.” Rio couldn’t help flashing back to his earlier thoughts of the two of them in his big bed. Shoot, not only wasn’t he in any shape for monkey business, keeping hands off was probably listed in her contract. “So you know, I’d require some cooking and other stuff. I hope if Dr. Darnell sees I have home care, he’ll release me quicker.”

“Murph told me two things you balked at were renting a hospital bed and going home by ambulance. Both are most apt to impress Dr. Darnell.”

Rio grunted, then said, “I’ll see. So, we’ll touch base soon?”

“Roger that.”

Noting that she’d disconnected, Rio set his phone on the tray table. He tried to find a comfortable position as he closed his eyes and pictured all five foot eight inches of Nurse Taylor.

He woke up, not knowing how much time had passed, to a high-pitched feminine voice exclaiming, “Eew, Sugar Bear! You look awful. How do you feel?”

He smelled Traci Walker’s signature perfume before she came close enough to identify. He failed to escape before she bent and brushed a damp kiss on his lips. “Just what I want to hear, how bad I look, Traci. As to how I feel, I’ve been better.”

She straightened away. “Daddy and Mama told me about your accident. I just got home last night from visiting Samantha in the Big Apple. We saw Ryder ride in Madison Square Garden.” She pouted, a sulky face Rio knew she’d long perfected as they’d grown up together and had even dated a few times.

She continued discussing her trip. “We tried talking Ryder into hitting a few nightclubs with us. He’s so focused on amassing points, he told Sammi he had to ride the next morning. You know she used to always wrap him around her finger. Ryder’s changed. But we snagged Ben Jarvis and still danced the night away.” Traci spun away from the bed and peered around, wrinkling her nose. “So when can you leave this horrid, smelly place?”

Rio managed a brief inspection of her expression of distaste. She hadn’t changed since she’d unexpectedly popped in to see him at the Fort Worth rodeo in the spring and tried to steamroll him into renewing their long-dead relationship. Her daddy, Weldon Walker, owned the biggest ranch around Abilene. He was a leading patron of the PRCA. Traci, a six-time rodeo queen, dabbled in charity work with her mom. It surprised Rio to hear that his brother had skipped going out with her sister, a New York model. In high school Ryder had dated Samantha longer than he’d stuck with any girl.

“Before I check out I need to hire nursing care and the services of a chief cook and bottle washer at the ranch,” Rio said. “Any chance you’re in the mood to volunteer?” he asked in jest, knowing her family had always employed a cook themselves.

True to his expectations, she rolled her eyes. “I might lend a hand if you didn’t live in the sticks. You need to sell and buy a ranch closer to town. You and I could be good together if you didn’t bury yourself miles from civilization. I need to be near town, because Daddy’s buying me a boutique.”

“What do you mean, we could be good together?”

She wiggled her ring finger. “Daddy says it’s time you pop the question and we get married, Sugar Bear.”

“What?” Rio knew he was guilty of gaping.

“You’re so stubborn, but I can wear you down.”

“Don’t count on it. You’re a partier and I like solitude. And I’ll never sell the Lonesome Road. Raising horses out there is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

“How can you say that when you’ve been on the rodeo circuit for years? Daddy said Abilene might be your last rodeo, though. I predict you’ll get bored soon enough. Oh, but starting tomorrow I’m helping Mama arrange the country club’s harvest ball. Heavens, Sugar Bear, can you even get out of bed? From my observation you’ll need more help than anyone I know can give. Maybe Lola Vickers. Shall I have Mama call her?”

“Lola’s retired.” Suddenly recalling how tight the area ranch teens used to be, he blurted, “Do you remember Binney Taylor from high school?”

Traci assumed an annoyed expression. “Why ever would you ask about her? Surely you know she got her name because she was left on the doorstep at the orphanage in one of those green vegetable trash bins. Iona Taylor found her. She assigned the little nobody her last name. Mama said Binney lived in different foster homes, but she never fit in and never got along. By high school they sent her to a group home run by Catholic nuns.”

Traci’s diatribe left a sour taste in Rio’s mouth. “Well, she’s a registered nurse now. Sometimes she works here, but also does private nursing jobs. I plan to hire her.”

Traci swiveled her head around as if searching for the woman they were discussing. “Land sakes. You can’t get mixed up with the likes of her. Mama would bar you from the country club. And what would your folks say? Binney Taylor’s not like us. Why, nobody knows her roots.”

Disliking the turn of this conversation, Rio couldn’t have been happier when a ward nurse came in, interrupting Traci’s rant about Binney.

“Visiting hours are over,” the nurse announced. “It’s time for Mr. McNabb’s meds. You’ll have to come back later this evening, or tomorrow.”

At first Rio thought Traci would throw her wealthy weight around and refuse to go. As it was she merely tightened her grip on her designer purse and said, “I only had a few minutes to spare on my way to a mani-pedi appointment anyway. I’ll call you, Sugar Bear. If you’re up and around in time for the Harvest Ball the first of October, I’ll arrange a ticket. I’ll even drive out to the boonies and pick you up.”

Rio laughed. “Have you really looked closely at me, Traci? I won’t be doin’ any boot scootin’ boogying by October. Oh, tell your dad I’m glad his horse is okay even if Diablo Colorado did his best to kill us both in the arena.”

She paused at the door. “Don’t you forget how important Daddy is in the rodeo/ranching community. He could help you build your horse trade if you don’t do something foolish like let a person in your home that Lord only knows her background.” She blew Rio a kiss and swept from the room on her red spiked heels.

The nurse stared for a moment at the empty doorway then set a small cup of pills on Rio’s tray table. She poured him a glass of water from an icy pitcher. “Our ward has strict rules for visitation. We sometimes make allowances for relatives,” she said pointedly, again eyeing the door.

“She’s not a relative.” It was all Rio could do to hide a smile when the nurse appeared relieved. “What are these for?” he asked when the woman, whose name tag read Suzette Ferris RN, dumped three pills into his hand.