“I’m fine, son.” Lila reached for a teakettle sitting atop an old stove. “I’ll fix some tea. Uh, thanks, Mr—uh, Seth. It’s more I feel like an idiot for landing in a ditch. I know every turn in that road. I’ve never done anything like that before.” She filled the kettle, set it on a burner and turned it on. Her movements were jerky, even as she nervously raked a hand through her short dark hair.
Seth saw her wince and he frowned. “Here, let me take a look at your head. Maybe I should run you to the emergency room.”
“Good heavens, no.” Lila braced her hands on the counter, but tipped her head forward so Seth could get a clear look.
“No blood. That’s good,” he said.
“Ouch.” Lila pushed away Seth’s exploring fingers.
“You have some swelling a couple of inches above your left ear.” Seth gently separated strands of her hair. And since he was so much taller he was able to get a good look without hurting her again. “Do you have any ice?”
“I’ll get it, okay, Mom? Will that make your head well?” Rory asked, darting across the room to a big refrigerator.
“Ice will be good.” Lila sat in a kitchen chair and actually smiled at Seth. “Ice will be very good if it’ll make you guys stop acting like I’m knocking on death’s door. Rory, you need to go to bed. Tomorrow’s a school day. And, Seth, probably you, too, since you’re driving your friends to the airport in the morning. Before it gets much later, I should phone one of my neighbors with a tractor to see if someone can run over here early and pull the Cherokee out of the ditch. Preferably a neighbor who won’t blab all over town and worry my mother,” she said more to herself than to the others.
Rory brought her a plastic bag filled with ice, and the dog trotted beside him. “Memaw said she likes that everybody comes into the café to gossip. She finds out all the good stuff that way.”
Chuckling, Seth took the ice bag before the kid plopped it too hard against his mother’s head. He picked up a dish towel and wrapped the bag, telling the boy, “This towel will cushion your mom’s head against freezing and sharp ice cube edges.”
“Gosh, you know a lot about doctoring bumps.” Rory ran his fingers through the dog’s fur and gazed at the man in awe.
“I hunt gemstones in a lot of remote spots where I can get scratches or bumps and bruises. Often it’s only me to take care of myself.”
The kettle whistled and Lila started to get up, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t get up. I’ll fix your tea.” He moved the kettle and shut off the burner.
“You don’t have to do that. I should be asking if you want coffee or anything since that’s what you pay me for.”
“I pay you for a room, with breakfast thrown in.” He opened a cupboard and luck was with him. Cups were stacked in neat rows. He took one down and spotted a line of canisters. One read Tea. Pulling out a bag, he set it in the cup and poured the water.
“Rory, to bed,” Lila said. “I’m feeling much improved. Once I drink a cup of tea, I’ll be right as rain.”
“You and Memaw always say that. How right is rain if it made our car go in a ditch?”
“It’s an expression,” Lila told him. “I don’t know where it comes from. Ghost can sleep in your room tonight. Brush your teeth and crawl into bed. I’ll pop by and turn out your light shortly, honey.”
“Okay. Mr. Seth, will you stay and make sure she’s okay? She cut her hand on the meat slicer at the café and wouldn’t see a doctor. She got poisoned blood and Memaw yelled at her.”
“Blood poisoning,” Lila corrected, indicating a spot on the table where Seth could set her steaming cup. “It was during rodeo week. We were swamped at the café. I didn’t see the red streaks up my arm at first. But I healed, Rory.”
“Yeah. Okay. Come on, Ghost.”
Lila beckoned him with her free arm and although he cast an uncomfortable glance at Seth, the boy stepped into his mom’s arm for a hug. “G’nite.” He grabbed the dog’s collar, aimed a wave at Seth and the two loped out of the kitchen.
“You really don’t need to babysit me,” Lila told Seth, holding the ice bag to her head with one hand. With her free hand she removed a cell phone from the small purse still draped across her body.
“Let me call Zeke for you,” Seth said. “He has a winch on the front of his pickup. I’m sure he’ll be discreet.” He dug out his phone.
“Zeke’s on his honeymoon,” Lila reminded him. “Sort of...” she added as she took a sip of tea.
Grinning, Seth hit a speed-dial number and put the phone on speaker. “Hey, bro... Lila put her Jeep in the ditch right as you turn into her place.”
“Is she okay?”
“I think so. I said you’d bring your truck over bright and early tomorrow morning. The guys and I can help you winch it out before we head to the airport. She didn’t want me to ask you since you’re supposed to be on your honeymoon.”
The man at the other end of the call snorted. “If you come over and learn ranching, dude, we’d leave you in charge so Myra and I could get away for a week.”
“I’d need a crash course in cows, buddy. Hey, what’s Myra saying? I hear her talking in the background.”
“She wants to know if Lila or Rory got hurt.”
“Rory’s fine. Lila—” Seth started to mention her lump, but she grabbed his arm and shook her head. “I, uh, went running with their dog,” Seth said instead. “He got away from me. Lila had to brake hard to keep from colliding with us and her car slid into the ditch. That’s all.”
Lila juggled the melting ice bag and took another drink of tea.
Seth finished making arrangements with his twin then clicked off. “You heard? Zeke said he’ll pop by at first light, before morning chores.”
“Thanks. I appreciate you handling that for me.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something to me. I’ve been the one to deal with everything...well, it’ll soon be five years.”
Seth waited for her to elaborate. He knew that she ran this place alone, but he hadn’t heard why. He assumed she was divorced, but the moment passed before he could ask.
“Like I told Rory, I’m okay. You can go on to bed. I’ll finish my tea then check on him and call it a night, too. Tomorrow’s breakfast is my mom’s special coffee cake, plus scrambled eggs with crumbled bacon. It’ll be ready by seven.”
Taking the hint that she wanted him to get lost, Seth moved the ice bag first to check her head one more time. The swelling had receded. “Yep, you’re almost back to normal.” He feathered his fingers through her hair and let them trail down her cheek.
Pulling back warily, she exclaimed, “I told you so!”
He watched her sitting there stoically a moment longer and was intrigued enough to want to learn more about his lovely landlady. By staying on, he’d have time to dig a little deeper. Since college he’d never stuck in one place for long. Much about this small Montana town left him longing to sink roots.
Stepping back, Seth offered a last smile then headed for the door. He called over his shoulder, “I’ll set my alarm and roust Ben and Gavin to go along to help Zeke. You set up one of your great breakfasts and leave rescuing the Cherokee to us.”
She started to object and he retreated fast.
But maybe it was time she had someone around to give her a hand. Maybe he’d be that someone.
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