Memories on the Ozarks (Close)

[pa1ndru1d]

The evening moved on and Dan had just started to recoup some of his losses when the urge to empty his bladder hit him with a brutal quickness. “All right ladies, this beer is runnin right through me.” He said as his newly emptied beer bottle smacked into the table as he set it down. Dan ran his fingers through his hair and then down to the legs of his jeans. He chanced another look to his cell and then shook his head and headed to the bathroom.

“Damned stubborn woman.” He couldn’t believe that she would rather hide within herself and face all the bad feelings her family pushed onto her alone. “Fine.” He murmured to himself as he shook the last drop of piss from himself, but he knew that he didn’t really mean it. This was the way he operated. He’d get upset and say shit he didn’t mean and then he’d be right back to ensure that she was all right. There was no question as to whether he loved Becca or not.

“Dan?!?” Matt’s worried voice was accompanied by a sharp knocking on the bathroom door that caused Danny to jump a little. He finished zipping himself off and opened the door to face a frantic Matt.

“What’s wrong? Something happen?” Dan asked him.

“I… I’m not sure. Your phone chirped and Becky came across. She sounded… worried, I guess. Scared. But she was cut off and I haven’t been able to reach her since.” Dan took his phone and then pushed past him with Matt trailing after, still talking. “Should we go…”

“Yeah, I’m leavin bro. C’mon.” It wasn’t a request. Dan knew the other fellas could find their own way out well enough. Dan was suddenly aware of the weight of his pistol against his ankle as he climbed into his truck. Matt hopped into the passenger side and began slid back the action of his .45.

Just as the truck rumbled off toward the ranch, Dan’s phone rang in his lap. It was at his ear immediately, “Becca?!?” He sputtered. Instead he heard Jon’s voice on the other end. Jon was a little shaky as he told Dan of the strange vehicle tearing off toward the creek. Dan’s head went off on tangents, his brain always seeking the worst possible scenario to every situation. “Hold on Matt, this’ll be a bit rough.” The truck’s wheel spun in his hands as he went off road across the rutted fields.

Matt’s hands flew to the ceiling of truck cab as memories flooded into him of a time, years before, when the two of them had been in a very similar situation. That time, it was the two of them loaded for bear and collecting a very distraught Sheila from a very overbearing step father when she was seventeen. A sudden bout of loneliness struck Matt, a loneliness he hadn’t felt in a long while. He choked back feelings he had thought long gone as he realized that his heart still belonged to that scared little girl. He wasn’t even surprised to find himself making the decision to try and find her again when this was all said and done.

No one had thought he had had it in him, not even himself. Only Danny had stood by him, believed in him. He was not surprised to find those same words coming from his mouth after hearing Dan’s theories. “I’ll be right here for you, brother. You know I got your back and you’ll do what needs doin’.”

By Dan’s estimation, they were still five minutes out, even taking the short cut across the field to the road that led to the waterfall. “Fuck.” Dan said through gritted teeth and another rut threw them around a bit in the cab.

 

[TabascoKV]

Jon had immediately called law enforcement after he got off the phone with Daniel. Or rather, after Daniel abruptly ended the phone call. Walking over to his gun rack, he grabbed his shot gun out of his gun case. He knew it was loaded. It always was. Grabbing his keys, he jumped in his truck and took off in the same direction the car had gone.

*

When Becca tried to sit up, pain wracked her body, and she whimpered against the window. It hadn't taken long for her left eye to swell up and bruise. Her wrists felt raw against the rope, and she tried to bite down the panic that threatened to suffocate her. The feel of his hands could still be felt around her neck.

Nick brought the car to a stop and turned off the ignition. Looking over at Becca, he shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. Reaching over, he ran his fingers down the side of her face. She tried to pull away from him, but there was nowhere for her to go. Stepping out of the car, he walked around and opened her door. Becca had been leaning against the door, but managed to sit up in time to keep from falling out.

“Come on, love.” Nick’s voice came out soft, tantalizing, as if he were trying to seduce her. Wrapping his arm around her middle, Nick pulled her out of the car. Becca cried out as pain shot down every muscle in her body, and she buried her face in Nick’s chest. She couldn’t suppress the sob that erupted as she bit her tongue harshly. A steady cadence beat out in her temples as her heart thudded wildly. She was vaguely aware of Nick pulling her along gently, and when he stopped, the sound of running water caught her attention.

Opening her eyes, it took a moment before she could see in the darkness, but the river loomed ahead of them in the darkness. With the storms that had plagued the countryside, the river was flowing a bit faster than it usually did.

“Nick…” Her voice came out in a worried syllable, the tremble that was beginning to ebb her body vocal in her tone. Nick laid a finger over Becca’s lips, silencing her as his piercing eyes stared at her.

“Shhh, love.” His hands came to rest on either side of her face before he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was soft and gentle, and it hurt her as if he had stabbed her with a thousand knives. “You have put me through quite an ordeal, Rebecca. We cannot continue on like this.” Keeping his face low, he planted soft kisses along her cheek, reminding her of the seemingly flawless man Nick had been when she first met him.

“Nick, please…” She pled with him, even though she wasn’t sure what exactly she was begging for. He didn’t allow her to continue to speak, but instead, enveloped her mouth with his in an assertive claim, reminding her who she belonged to.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

The old truck plowed across the fields toward another gap in the fencing. They had cleared the property line a ways back and tore through various grazing fields, trying in vain to stick to the truck and tractor tracks. Yet another rough rut drove Matt's head into glass beside his head.

"Dammit Danny!" He started cussing out his friend of many years before something caught his eye up ahead. "Hey!" He pointed, "ain't that Jonny's truck up there?" Jonny hadn't repaired the tail light since he last went out muddin' and a rock threw up on him. It hung a sharp right at the fenceline to follow the creek down to the waterfall.

"Sure is, he's headin' out to help too. We're gonna take advantage of this. With Jonny moving straight in, you and I can flank the sonofabitch." Dan's eyes were focused on the way up ahead. He knew that if Becca was being held out by the waterfall, the noise would block the sound of any vehicle's approaching. This was going to work out to their advantage... just so long as they could arrive on time.

Dan turned right as well, but almost immediately following, he turned left again and crossed the shallow creek with a bone-jarring crash as the truck climbed up over the opposite bank. Danny shook it off and kept on through. The narrow lane was actually created for quads and was just barely wide enough for his big truck. He knew he was making an awful racket and he came close enough to one tree to take off his side mirror.

When they came close enough, Dan stopped the truck and the two rattled men stepped from the cab, guns in hand. They ran for the tiny clearing that was beside the majestic waterfall and had just reached the forest as they saw Jonny come through from the other side; his hands shaking a bit were they grasped the 12 gauge double barrel.

"Now... now... You just hold it right there, mister." Jon's wavering voice was just barely audible to the other two men. Nickolas, however, had been watching his lights as he approached in the truck.

*

Matt looked to Dan, "What the hell is he doing? He's gonna get hisself killed." he whispered.

Dan's face lost its color and he nodded. They began to move forward through the brush, they needed to get close enough to make a difference before Becca's ex-husband could shoot Jonny. There is no possible way that Jonny could get a clean shot with that 12 gauge. Danny thought as he moved closer.

Nickolas held Becca around her neck with one arm while his other hand held a large bore pistol that altered its focus between her head and Jonny's general direction.

Danny nodded in one direction and Matt nodded back, moving that way. The object was to give Nickolas too many targets to take them all down at once, to force him to keep the gun pointed away from Becca, and, hopefully, Jonny.

As he watched Matt make his way around to the back side of Nickolas, Danny stepped out into the clearing and away from the brush. He was in full view and Nickolas seized the moment. His handgun swung toward Danny and Matt charged forward, taking him down like he was back on his high school football field, aiming directly for the joint where Nickolas ended and Becca began.

*

Two loud crashes over powered the roar of the waterfall, one following the other. Dan wasn't quite sure what had happened; he remembered that he had every intention of trying to talk to the bastard that had his woman in a choke hold when a blinding flash lit his eyes and a sledgehammer blow knocked the wind from him.

Danny groaned softly with a wheeze. Goddammit. He thought. Don't THAT fuckin hurt... He rolled over and pushed himself up onto his forearms and was able to make out Jonny running over a clusterfuck of people. His vision swam, a cold sweat broke out all over his body and Danny coughed up blood.

Still, he forced himself to stay coherent. "Becca?" he moaned and reached forward as he heard Jonny exclaim.

"Oh.. Lord.. No! NO! Matt... I'm sorry. So sorry." Jonny's shoulders began to shake as he cried.

Danny pulled himself up and stumbled to where they lay. Jonny had pulled both triggers nearly simultaneously, the first blast fell true - taking Nickolas dead in the chest. They second had landed across Matt's back. Jonny looked up as he heard Dan cough behind him.

"There ain't no time for that, Jonny." He said softly. Dan's phone came out and he tossed it to the boy. Sirens were playing off in the distance like a strange concerto. "Call 'em, tell 'em where we are."

Dan was holding one arm close to his body, and a wetness was steadily seeping through. He licked his lips and blinked slowly. Dan had just enough energy left to ensure that Becca hadn't been shot; he leaned in close to her.

"I love you Becca, darlin'" was the last thing he got out before he passed out.

 

[TabascoKV]

The flash of headlights had cut off Nick’s intentions, and he quickly turned her around, bringing his arm up around her neck. He was the perfect height to accomplish this without obstructing his ability to hold a gun. Jon’s voice brought tears to Becca’s face along with a panic.

“Nick, please leave him alone.” Begging through her tears, she tried to turn her head to look at him, but he prevented it. “He’s just a kid, please let him be.” If anything were to happen to Jon because of her, Becca would never forgive herself. He shouldn’t have even been out here. Nick smirked as he watched the gun waver, his own hand steady and confident.

The next few seconds happened too quickly for Becca to know what occurred. She felt Nick’s arm jerk as he fired the gun, and was sent crashing to the ground as Matt plowed into them from behind. Her shriek echoed through the woods as they all tumbled downward, the pressure from both shots knocking the wind out of her. Gasping, her body screamed out in pain, Nick’s body slack on top of her. She briefly heard Dan’s voice, giving her a moment’s hope. Pushing with what little strength she had, she managed to get Nick’s lifeless body off of her.

“Bec…you ok?” Matt’s voice came out strained next to her ear, and she tried to turn towards him. Dan collapsed beside her, catching her attention. The world was spinning, her head pounding and her stomach turning.

“Danny?” Crying out, she tried to turn, her eyes struggling to see in the darkness. When he lost conscious, she felt panic rising up inside of her like bile. Her hands were still bound, and she felt on the verge of losing out to unconsciousness herself, but she tried to wriggle.

“Becca…Bec..you gotta stop movin’, hun.” Matt reached out, his voice coming out in gasps, but he managed to place his hand on her arm. The bullet he’d received had cut in on his right shoulder, making it difficult to breathe. Whimpering, Becca curled up beside Dan, closing her eyes.

*

Her eyes opened slowly, the sun making her flinch. Moaning, she blinked a few times, trying her hardest to ignore the pain that was nearly made her sick. She felt as if she had been run over by a semi-truck. The events of the previous night came back to her, and she jerked awake, trying to push herself into a sitting position.

“Rebecca…calm down, sweetie. You’re safe.” Her mother’s voice came out sounding tired, but insistent. It took her words for Becca to realize that she wasn’t alone in the room. Turning over, her eyes met the tear stained, swollen eyes of her mother.

“Daniel…” Becca’s voice came out in a croak, and she had to swallow with extra effort. Her entire body felt swollen. Samantha stood up and sat down on the hospital bed next to her, taking Becca’s hands in her own.

“He’s in intensive care right now. They still don’t know if he’s going to make it. He lost a lot of blood. He was shot in the chest.” Samantha reached up and gingerly laid her hand on the side of Becca’s face. “Matt’s a few rooms down. He’s in stable condition. The bullet got him close to the shoulder.”

Becca shook her head, tears beginning to burn in her eyes, refusing to believe any of it. She couldn’t lose Daniel. He couldn’t leave her. Samantha’s own eyes welled back up with tears and she pulled Becca close to her in a hug.

“I’m so sorry baby. I had no idea it was this bad. I really didn’t. I never would have…I wouldn’t have…” Shaking her head, she held her daughter close, ashamed of her own actions and misgiving about Nick.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

Danny woke up and rose out of the bed. He scratched his head and blinked a couple of times. He tried to wrap his mind around what had happened. He could remember being in the clearing and people standing around. Some guy with a Brit accent and… His eyes squinted shut as he tried to focus. Jonny was there and Matt. And Becca. Holy hell! Becca! He looked around and the room swam before him.

Woah…

Too much, too fast.

Take it easy, take it easy. He thought and lost his way again. Instead he turned and checked out his surroundings.

The room was white and clinical, but soft about the edges. There was a plain narrow bed in the center of the room and some sort of equipment to either side. He didn’t know why he was having issues focusing. He started thinking about his problem with focusing when a door opened across the room. A few people entered, but Danny couldn’t make out the faces. All he could really tell was one of them was a sad angel. While they all appeared to be somewhat ethereal, she stood out.

Danny moved over toward her, floating across the room, even though his legs moved. A tentative hand reached out, as if he were afraid to actually make contact. His hand brushed her cheek from the side and rested on her shoulder. The angel shuddered a bit as if she were struck by a sudden chill. Her own hand reached up and brushed her face as if she were in contemplation…

He tried to speak, to ask them what had happened when a sudden flash of memory hit.

~

He was back at the clearing, the sounds of the waterfall crashing over him. Matt had just tackled the Brit and Becca, and they went sprawling.
Boom!
BABOOM!

And he spun to the ground. Someone had punched him in the chest, although no one was anywhere near. His breathing was ragged and he struggled to his love… his love.

~

The voices from the people in the room came to him as if through a great tunnel. Danny cocked his head and leaned forward. They ignored his presence; instead, they were focused on the bed before them. Danny felt the urge to see what they saw and he tried to push his way through them to see. The strangers were talking and working feverishly, his beautiful and sad angel backed up to stand against the wall, horror written upon her face.

Danny moved around the bed until he could catch a glimpse of what they worked on. When he finally gained a view, what he saw jarred him. He lay there, splayed out, pale as death itself…

*

Danny tried to open eyes that felt slightly crusty. He smacked his lips and croaked for water. There were sounds around him, hurried motions and excited voices. His dry lips opened and he croaked again. Someone brushed his forehead lightly – a loving touch. A voice was speaking softly to him, telling him to open his mouth for some ice chips and urging him to suck them slowly, slowly.

“Shhh, don’t try to talk, Mr. Collins.”

One eye finally came open and the brightness was astounding, forcing him to squint against it. Someone ordered the blinds to be drawn and the lights dimmed and cooled. Danny wanted to thank them, but couldn’t. The ice chip melted way too quickly for his liking and he faded to blackness again.

*

Over the next few days, Danny came too more and more often. It was a while until he was actually awake at the same time that Becca was there, and a bit longer still before he was coherent. “I had the weirdest dream,” he told her when he got the chance, and explained the details he could remember. Danny had questions, lots of questions, and he asked them all. He was asking for details about Nick and especially Matt. He asked about Jonny and when he learned that Jonny wasn’t handling things well, he demanded that he come to visit. Through it all, Danny clasped Becca’s hand. He stared into her eyes.

“You know what Becca?” He asked her, his voice still incredibly raspy. “There are a few things that have happened to me that I wouldn’t be me if they hadn’t happened, and then there are things that have happened that have made them all worthwhile. You, and your Uncle J- your father, have made, no they make the rest of my life worthwhile.”

 

[TabascoKV]

Becca had spent too much time crying, but she found herself good for nothing else. They discharged her the day after she’d woken up, but she could tell they weren’t happy about it. The first time she’d looked in the mirror, her reflection was unrecognizable. Her nose was misshapen and bruised, presumably from when Nick had tackled her to the ground and her face had caught most of the brunt. The left eye was so bruised and swollen it was almost impossible to tell what color the iris was supposed to be. Two perfectly imprinted handprints were painted in dark purple tones around her neck.

A Halloween mask didn’t have anything on her.

While Dan was in intensive care, the hospital was very strict on visitation. They did compromise considerably with allowing Becca to sit in with him a little bit longer than they normally would have. The staff was sympathetic to the situation. When she wasn’t by Dan’s side, she was with Matt, who was recovering much faster. Then again, his shot wasn’t as life threatening as Dan’s was. Matt did his best to comfort her with encouraging words, but there wasn’t anything anybody could say that would improve her worries and fears.

Nightmares plagued her sleep, when she did sleep, and her mother had taken to sleeping with her at Dan’s cabin. The only reason Becca left the hospital was because the staff made her in an effort for Becca to get the rest she needed. Samantha treated Becca like glass, but catered to her every need, forcing her to eat when Becca didn’t want to, and making her lay down for sleep when Becca just wanted to go back to the hospital.

She found it easier to breathe the day Dan opened his eyes. When he fell back to sleep, she had gone into Matt’s room and had bawled her eyes out, curled up his bed.

*

Several weeks had passed, and Rebecca Landers was finding it difficult to comprehend the reality that Nick was gone. When she’d wake up screaming in the middle of the night, it took a verbal conversation with herself as a reminder that Nick was dead and he’d been long buried. There were no legal repercussions from the incident, but that hadn’t made Jon feel any better. He’d been at Matt’s house daily making sure Matt had everything he’d needed. Becca had taken a bag of clothes and hygiene products over to Matt’s house when he was released and had been staying in one of the guest bedrooms. It was too difficult to stay in the bed that she and Dan had shared, and she certainly couldn’t sleep in the bed he’d shared with many other women.

She’d woken up drenched in sweat, screaming and crying, her body reeling from the vivacity of her nightmare.

“Becca?” Matt came in through the door, a concerned look on his face, his arm in a sling. She erupted into tears for the millionth time that week, pulling her knees up to her chest. Matt sat down on the edge of the bed, wrapping a comforting arm around her. She leaned against him, allowing the tears to flow until her body ached. Matt just sat there, holding her and letting her cry.

“He’s gone, Bec. It’s over. Dan’s comin’ home tomorrow. Things’ll get better.” Speaking softly, he stayed by her until she’d fallen back asleep.
*
Becca parked the SUV in the front of the entrance, Matt sitting beside her. They both got out, Matt still moving sluggishly through his pain. Becca was eager to get Danny home. She had been scared to touch him, and she hadn’t even come close to hugging him. The fear of hurting him was too great. He still had a lot of recovering to do.

Her left eye was no longer swollen, and most of her bruises had faded. Her nose was still misshapen, and Becca wasn’t convinced that it wouldn’t be a permanent fixture on her face.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

Danny was still incredibly sore, even after enduring several weeks of rehabilitative therapy. He hadn’t had any pain medications for over a week and was quite proud of himself. Never did like that fuzzy headed bullshit… he remembered thinking at one point while sweat dripped down his face.

He also remembered thinking that in the movies the nurse was always some hottie, Jessica Alba lookalike, Yeah. Right. Mine had to be Rosie O’Donnell’s twin… None of that mattered anymore, though. He was sitting in the mandated wheelchair outside in the brisk air. The skies were overcast and gloomy, but Danny didn’t care. He saw the SUV pull up and couldn’t resist the smile that crept up, that was, until he actually saw his best friend and the woman he loved come out to greet him. Becca looked as if she hadn’t slept during his entire stay and Matt moved as if he were one of the slow moving zombies in an old black and white movie.

“Babe!” Danny said and started to rise from the chair before pain put him right back down in it. Slow down, dumbass… slow down. You’ll terrify her. Slowly, he put his hands on the arms of the chair and eased himself up, reaching a fully standing position by the time she reached him. His hands reached up and caressed her slightly swollen face. “Oh, babe. I’m sorry. So sorry.” Dan winced as his fingers brushed her discolored features. “I promised to keep you safe. I swore it.” Dan kissed her lightly, his lips barely even touching her before pulling away.

Dan had to stop before his emotions betrayed him, so he looked over at a very ashen Matt. “Dude.” Dan’s pain was pushing the limits for him. “I’m glad you pulled through, buddy. I was worried about ya.” He had sweet-talked some of the nurses into giving him information as he went and had known it was touch and go there for a little bit on his brother. The way Matt looked now, though… so pale, ashy. There were dark circles under his eyes and his cheeks were sunken in. “What the fuck? Ain’t you eatin?”

Matt waved him off and helped Becca get him into the truck. The ride home was excruciating, even though Becca took the ride slow and easy. All in all, it was uneventful. This was good. He didn’t know if their relationship could handle any more excitement.

*

They swung by and dropped Matt off at his place to find that Sheila had stopped by to check on him and brought the baby. He cheered up a bit and waved them off with the first real smile Dan had seen on him in weeks.
“Has she been by often?” He asked Becca during the trek back to the cabin. He noticed that they were making some real headway on the new main house. Dan was impressed and more than shocked to see that the crews were working long into the evening, not stopping until long after dark. Huge spotlights were set up and attached to generators. He supposed this made it easier to get the job done. “Becca?” Dan asked. “How’s Jonny holdin up?”

 

[TabascoKV]

Becca was relieved to see Daniel, alive and mostly well. She knew he still had a lot of recovery ahead of him, but anything they had to endure was a blessing compared to the alternative of not having him around. She winced as he attempted to get up, empathizing with the need to move faster than your body would allow. Biting her lip, she winced as she saw the pain run through his face before he stood up more slowly.

His apology caught her off guard, and it broke her heart. Dan had no reason to apologize for what had happened. On the contrary, she felt that he and Matt had both nearly lost their lives on her account. Shaking her head, her vision blurred slightly as she fought back her tears. Closing her eyes as his fingers danced over skin, small shivers ran down her arms. He was still with her. He was here.

“No, Daniel…no.” Shaking her head, her eyes opened, and she was thankful that they had cleared. Becca had done enough crying to last a lifetime, and Matt had endured enough of it. She didn’t want to put Dan through it too. “This wasn’t your fault. I never should have brought him here. He showed up here because of me.”

He would argue, as had Matt, but her mind was set. She should have maintained her distance from them all, and then taken off when she started getting hang up calls. That thought she would never voice, though. Mainly because she wasn’t sure she fully agreed with it.

*

It seemed to take an eternity before they were home in Dan’s cabin. Becca, moving slowly, had gotten a fire started in the fireplace and Dan settled on the couch.

“She’s come by a few times, but Matt was serious when he said he was done with her. I think they’re slowly getting back to being friends, which can only benefit Kaylin. Actually, you know who’s been coming by a lot to check on him?” Smirking, she sat down gently next to him, grateful for the warmth of the flames. “Suzanne Myers. Apparently Matt uses her father for his tractor repairs and such, and they’ve struck up a friendship over the years. He won’t admit it, but he likes her.”

Jon. She had seen him daily since she’d been home. He had been a huge help to her and the farm, taking both her and Dan’s places in making sure everything was taken care of. Becca had a feeling he was throwing himself into it to occupy his mind.

“He’s coming around. Those first few days were rough. Matt made it a point to order Jon over for dinner every night. I think it helps knowing that Matt doesn’t blame him. Jon’s strong, though. He’ll bounce back.” Sighing, she pulled her legs up underneath him as she rested her head against the back of the couch. Tilting her head, her eyes roamed over his face, and she absentmindedly began to gnaw on her bottom lip.

“Danny…I’m sorry.” Sitting up a little, she couldn’t bring herself to pull her eyes away from him. There was still something surreal about him actually being here.

 

[lorlangtom]

i think she was too diffrent and strange and gurly,there were emanating circumstances behind her lack of communication, but it didn’t matter now. rupert langford, uncle joe’s lawyer and old friend, had called her to let her know of joe’s heart attack.

 

[TabascoKV]

((Dude, this is a closed thread.))

 

[pa1ndru1d]

Danny rode home in silence even after Becca spouted the nonsense she had about bringing him here. Stupid doctor’s orders… he thought, Doctor said if I didn’t stay calm I could rip stitches and end up right back in that damnedable bed for another three weeks. There’s NO way… He fought to keep himself quiet and calm and was largely successful.

*

He took in all the news of his friends and stored it away, chit-chatting with Becca just to keep her talking. Danny had missed the sound of her voice. He did pipe up and recommend that they get Jon over for supper sometime too.

Dan turned to her as she spoke, apologizing. He simply shook his head. “What have you got to be sorry for? You didn’t bring him here. You brought love here, to me.” His hand reached up and cupped her face and he suppressed a wince as he leaned over to kiss her. Damn I missed that.

 

[TabascoKV]

Becca briefly returned his kiss before pulling back and gently nudging him back. Her fingers slid between his, squeezing his hand lightly as she stared at their joined hands. Swallowing thickly, she rested her head against the back of the couch.

“I started getting hang up calls right after the rodeo.” She spoke slowly, knowing that news would make him angry. “I didn’t tell you because I tried to just write it off as coincidence.” Biting her bottom lip, she looked over at him, hoping he was too tired, sore, or drugged up that he would only mildly chastise her.

“You and Matt never would have gotten hurt if I had just stayed away.” Her voice came out tiny, but she refused to cry.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

The realization of what Becca was saying took its time sinking into Dan’s brain. When it finally got there, he went slack-jawed. “You mean… You knew?” Dan’s anger was building within him. He was beginning to feel as if he couldn’t trust the woman he had fallen in love with, or worse yet, that she did not fully trust him.

Danny’s hand clenched around hers, but not too hard. He was working to control the anger that welled up within; trying to keep his doctor’s words fresh in his mind. Maybe we could have been more active. Maybe we could have been spared the gunshot wounds. Danny snapped out of it, a full realization coming to bear of what she was saying. Danny stared down at their clasped hands as he spoke. “Becca, the only difference – had you not come here – woulda been trading a couple of bullet holes for your life.” He slowly lifted his head to meet her gaze, “Nick would have killed you.”

 

[TabascoKV]

Becca could read every emotion that crossed his worn face, and for a moment, the anger that flashed in his eyes frightened her. Swallowing thickly as she sat in almost agonizing silence, she began to gnaw on her bottom lip out of anxious habit. Opening her mouth and closing it multiple times, Becca finally sighed, shaking her head.

“I didn’t know completely that it was him. I don’t know. I was probably lying to myself hoping for the best.” Shaking her head again, Becca looked at him hopelessly. Hearing him speak, Becca’s eyes dropped once more to their joined hands.

“Danny, there’s no way of knowing what could have happened.” Shaking her head, she felt too mentally exhausted to dwell on much of anything.

“My mom’s been coming by a lot.” Broaching another sensitive subject, Becca sat back, her muscles visibly relaxing. “She left her husband.”

It was strange to refer to Paul Landers as her father, but strange to think of him as anything else as well.

 

[pa1ndru1d]

Danny closed his eyes and took a couple of quick, deep breaths as he attempted to regain his composure. He opened them again as she told him of her parents splitting. He knew that this had to be a horrible time for her on all fronts, hell it wasn't easy for anyone in this predicament...

He let out his air in one long, controlled breath. "She... left him? Would you like to invite her here to stay with us for a bit? I could always go... bunk with Matt or Jonny for a few days if you need some time with her." His offer was sincere, even though he really did not want to be apart from Becca's side.

Another thought crept into his head... although what he really wanted to hear was that Landers had faded gracefully into the background never to surface again. "And Paul? What has he been up to?"

 

[TabascoKV]

Becca shook her head tenderly at his offer, reaching up and laying a timid hand on her throat. Despite the fingerprint bruises having dissolved, the memory of that night wore down on her throughout her day.

“She’s on her way to Florida to stay at their condo.” Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Becca looked around. “I don’t know. Probably trying to secure the best lawyer he can find before she does.”

*

A couple more weeks passed uneventfully at the farm. Jon’s spirits had started to lift once everybody was on the mend and safe. Becca had driven by to check on Matt a couple of times and had seen Suzanne helping out at the farm. Matt was still in denial that they were anything but friends. Brisa had begun to grow antsy at not having been ridden in so long, but Becca was nowhere near being ready to saddle up on a horse. She wanted to, but every time she made the attempt, her body groaned.

Overall, life had improved.

The weather was beginning to grow colder, and Becca had taken up her long-sleeved again. Rarely was she seen without her arms covered, even on the warmest of days. It was hard to drop that habit of covering up old scars.

*

“Danny?” Wiping her feet on the welcome mat, Becca walked inside the house, having just left the stables. Setting her cell phone on the table, she slid her shoes off, searching for Daniel.