I repeated the process on the back side of his shoulder and thought for a second that he had passed out from the pain. His shoulders slumped forward and his head lolled listlessly on his neck as I covered the wound in a greasy layer of antibiotic cream. When I said his name, he muttered, “It’s fine. I’m fine.” Which both sounded like a big fat lie but there wasn’t anything that could be done about it.
I put bandages on either side of the wound and then wrapped his entire shoulder in an Ace bandage so tightly that he could hardly move it. I was just putting the metal clips at the end of the bandage when the door opened and a soggy Cy and Grady dripped their way inside. Before Cy could say anything, I ushered him to one of the folding chairs situated around the card table and treated him to the same amateur nursing Webb had received.
Cy didn’t make a sound. I knew the peroxide and the pressure on the gash in his arm had to hurt like hell but still, the man sat like a stone and simply watched me fuss over him like it wasn’t necessary. It was totally necessary because even if it didn’t make him feel any better, taking care of him and making sure he was as comfortable as possible made me feel better. I was pretty sure he knew that taking care of him soothed something inside of me because he let me hover over him for far longer than was needed. Moments later, when he had enough and pulled me down into his lap with a sigh, he thanked me with a light kiss on the lips. He was wet and chilly but his mouth was warm. I marveled that he was able to burn even when life was throwing everything it could at him to extinguish his fire.
“Let’s whip up something to eat and then we can dry out and rest up for a little bit. We can’t stay in one place for too long in case those tire tracks don’t belong to the rangers. We don’t want to be sitting ducks up here and the ranch is only another day’s ride, over the top of the mountain and down the other side of it. Hopefully, Sutton has already made his way back home and alerted the authorities.” He sounded tired and frustrated.
“If the rangers use this cabin for fire lookouts, wouldn’t they have a radio or something to call back to base?” Now that he was outed as a federal agent and fully acting like his real self, Grady’s training and intuition was on full display.
Cy nodded at the same time I shook my head no. “I tore this entire place apart looking for the first aid kit. I didn’t see anything that looked like a phone or a radio.”
“It’s mobile so they bring it in with them, and if there was one onsite, it would be up in the tower. If it stops raining for a few minutes, I can climb up there and see if they left one behind. Doesn’t matter, though; we still can’t stay here even if the rangers are nearby. Webb needs a doctor.”
The man on the bed lifted his good hand and let if fall weakly back to his side. “I’ll be okay. Leo did a good job wrapping me up and I think the meds are already working on the fever.”
“Still not gonna risk it. I want everyone back at the ranch and accounted for. Besides, the sooner I get you back, the sooner you can get to Sheridan and find out if that body is someone you know or not.” Cy spoke like a man who was used to having his orders followed.
Cy slid me off his lap and rose to his feet. I helped him pick through the canned goods I put on the center of the table when I’d searched for supplies. I told him to let me fuss with the propane-operated camp stove and getting something warmed up. I had two working hands, even if my wrist was still stiff and sore from my fall and from struggling to control the horse all afternoon. Keeping Webb propped up hadn’t done anything to make it feel better. I was playing through the pain in a very literal way and I was proud of myself. It didn’t even occur to me to run from something that actually hurt. Cy gave in without an argument and I was rewarded with another kiss.
I made beans and canned corn for dinner. It wasn’t five-star quality but it tasted better than any fine dining dinner I could remember. By the time I cleaned everything up, Webb was passed out on the bed and Grady had gone outside to keep watch. The downpour had lightened to a drizzle, so Cy went out and climbed the tower only to report back that there was no radio. He also mentioned that he couldn’t see the cleared out portion of the forest where the grow field was located from that vantage point. That meant there was a really good chance that the rangers and wildlife officers who patrolled the area had no clue what was going on in the territory. He looked grim when he mentioned that he didn’t know if the wildlife officers would be equipped to deal with the growers if they did run across them—especially if they were backed by a cartel that had a lot of financial reason to want their operations uninterrupted.
I silently agreed with him since none of us, including the former federal agent and the hardened ex-con, seemed to know how to deal with the bad guys in this situation either. I went to touch the backs of my fingers to Webb’s forehead and was relieved that while he was still warm, he no longer felt like the inside of a furnace. I felt Cy move behind me and reached up to cover the hand that he dropped on my shoulder with my own.
“He’s pretty tough for a city kid. Not too many people could have made that ride through those conditions banged up the way he was.” There was begrudging admiration in his tome that he usually reserved for his brothers or for when I did something that surprised and pleased him. He squeezed my shoulder as I let out a jaw popping yawn. “As much as I hate the idea, you should climb up next to him and get some rest. You’ll sleep easier on the bed than on the floor.”