The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson

Author:Catherine Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-09-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Left in the waiting area alone, Sam sat forward on the chair, using his knees as an armrest as he stared at the floor. Poor Maddie, he thought. He couldn’t blame her for being so worried. Cam had taken some solid hits.

It had been a long time since Sam prayed, but he did so now, sending up a silent plea that Cam McLendon would completely recover. He remembered how Cam had walked to his porch last night and faced him. He also recalled how the younger man wouldn’t get up and fight back after Sam busted him in the chops. When Sam died—and he hoped that didn’t happen soon—Kirstin would need a man who’d protect her with his life, and Cam had proven today that he would do that without thinking twice. Sam wasn’t a person who changed his mind easily, but he’d done a turnaround in his estimation of Cam McLendon. Sam hoped he would fully recover to stand at Kirstin’s side.

Maddie emerged from the ICU. Sam took careful measure of her expression and thought she looked less drawn and sad. She resumed her seat beside him, sighed, and smiled slightly. “I saw his right foot move.”

“That’s a good sign.”

She nodded. “It could have been a nerve twitch, I suppose. But it gave me hope that his back is okay.”

Kirstin and Caleb returned from the cafeteria. The boy’s arms were filled with food cartons and a drink tray. “Lunch,” he said. “Kirstin paid for everything.”

Maddie murmured a thank-you, and Sam, remembering his manners, followed suit. Caleb handed out sandwiches, small bags of chips, and soft drinks.

As Kirstin unwrapped her BLT, she said, “You know, Maddie, you could go home. I plan to stay the night.”

“Oh, no. Even if I left, I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

“Me, either,” Caleb said. “I don’t want to go home.”

“Well, I have the only vehicle,” Sam inserted, “so I reckon I’ll hang out here, too.”

Sam was secretly glad to have a reason to stay. He no longer wanted to be a badass, but a sudden about-face wasn’t easy, either. As soon as he’d finished eating, he walked up the hall to call Miguel and ask him to rustle up some help for the following day. Neither Kirstin nor Sam would be around to work, and the McLendons also had livestock and pets that needed care.

“But, senor,” Miguel said, “how will I find anyone to help? No one wishes to work here anymore.”

Sam’s heart sank, because he knew it was true. He had burned too many bridges over the last six years. His once-loyal friends avoided him now. He had hired and fired so many ranch hands that people no longer applied for work at the Conacher Ranch.

With a sigh, Sam said, “Then just take care of the animals, Miguel, and let the rest slide.”

He went on to speak with his manager about other concerns before returning to the ICU waiting area. Caleb had wolfed down his meal, and now, like a satisfied pup, he was nodding off to sleep.

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