Debra woke up to a bright sunny day. Edward was still in bed, so she slowly got out of bed and went into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later with a huge smile on her face. Edward was sitting up in bed on his phone. "What's with the smile?"
"I think I stopped spotting."
"That's great. See, I told you it wouldn't be long."
Debra got back in bed. "I know, but it seemed like it. You weren't the one sitting here all day."
"I know, but you should still remain here until the doctor tells you otherwise."
"I will. I promise. I'm just happy."
"So am I." Edward said as he got out of bed. He grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and saw Debra on her laptop. "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to make sense of your records."
"No working until after you eat." Edward said as he walked over to her side of the bed. He picked up the laptop and put it on the end table. "I'll go down and get your breakfast. You rest."
"I want to pull my weight around here. Before I didn't feel like I had a purpose here. You gave me one, so I want to work on it."
"You don't need a purpose. And 5 minutes isn't going to do anything." Edward said then walked to the door. "I'll be right back."
"Fine" Debra said.
Edward came back a few minutes later with the tray of breakfast. He sat down on the bed and they started eating. "I'm working with Big Ben today. I want you to know just in case I don't answer if you call."
"All right. Doctor Brooks will be here around 11. He called yesterday to see how I was doing."
"That was nice of him." Edward said. "I should be back by then."
"It's fine if you aren't."
"I want to be here for you and the twins."
"I know, but it's just him checking me."
"I'll let you know." Edward said then finished his breakfast. He leaned over and kissed Debra. "I better get to work." Edward said then got out of bed.
Dr. Brooks checked Debra and gave her the all clear to get out of bed. She also got instructions to take it easy for a few days and to avoid stress. They sat and talked about ways to relax until he got a call at the hospital. Debra walked him out. She went inside and into the kitchen where Mrs. Gardner had lunch waiting. She sat down and started eating. "Have you seen or heard from Edward?"
"I saw him and the guys riding off an hour or so ago. I don't know what is going on."
"I don't know. He's not answering his phone. I tried to call when Dr. Brooks was here so he could tell him I'm off bed rest."
"I'm sure he will be back soon. He usually is around lunch time. Or someone is to get lunch."
"He was working with the one horse. He probably doesn't want to stop the progress."
"That is possible."
Debra finished her lunch and drank a glass of water. She walked outside and over towards the barn. She walked over to Misty's corral and leaned on the fence. Misty came trotting over to her. Debra pet her and talked to her for quite a while. She watched her for a while then walked into the barn to see if anyone else was around. She checked in all the stalls and then went into the office. Nobody was around. She pulled her phone from her pocket and tried to call Edward again, but after it rang four times, it went to voicemail. "Edward, what's going on? Where is everybody? I'm starting to worry. Please call me." Debra said then hung up. She put her phone in her pocket then walked out the side door. She leaned against the door frame looking out across the land and the mountains in the distance. After quite some time, she heard hoof beats galloping towards the barn. Thinking it was one of the men, she walked out and was making her way around the side of the barn, when Big Ben skidded to a halt in front of her. Ben reared up and neighed loudly. Debra put her hands up in front of her. "Easy boy. I'm not going to hurt you." Debra said calmly. Ben went back down on all fours and snorted through its nose. Debra put her hand out towards him. She slowly approached him talking quietly. Ben sniffed her then allowed her to pet his nose. She slowly reached up and grabbed the reins. "Good. Boy. Let's get you into the corral." She said as she walked backwards as she led him to the corral behind her. She led him through the gate then turned him around. She gently petted him on the neck then let go of the reins. She backed out of the gate and closed it. Ben walked to the fence, neighed at Debra then pawed the ground. "You're all right." Debra said quietly then reached out and pet his nose. She turned and pulled her phone out. She tried calling Edward, but no answer. She tried another contact, but no answer. She scrolled down to another name. She waited.
"Hello?"
"Joe, is Edward around?"
"He's in the valley. Is everything all right? Is there trouble?"
"He's not answering my calls. Can you let him know that I'm fine, but Big Ben is limping a little? He is in the corral by the barn."
"How did he get in there?"
"I put him there." Debra said, then hung up. She walked slowly back to the house.
Edward ran into the house a while later. Mrs. Gardner pointed towards his office. He ran down the hall and into the office. He stopped abruptly just inside of the door. "Debra?"
Debra looked up from her laptop. "Edward, what happened to you?" She asked as she noticed his ripped pants and a scratch on his cheek.
"I slid down the embankment after Big Ben threw me." He said as he walked over to the desk. "I was angry and hurt. I didn't want to take it out on you when you called. I'm sorry to worry you."
"I couldn't find anyone."
"I called Joe and Josh out to help catch Ben. I should have let you know. I won't let it happen again."
"Well, I'm glad you are all right. Do you need help tending to your wounds?"
"They are superficial. They barely hurt."
"I'm glad. But you should at least clean them out, so they don't get infected."
"I'll go shower and change." Edward said then bent down and kissed Debra on the lips. He turned and walked over to the door. He stopped and turned back to her. "I saw how you handled Ben. You can't deny you have a gift." Edward smiled then walked out the door.
Edward came back a while later. He walked into the office then sat down on the couch. "So, what else did Dr. Brooks have to say?"
"He said to take it easy for a few days. Try to reduce stress and find ways to relax. We talked about different ways to obtain that."
"Good. I'm glad you got the all clear."
"I'm not worried about doing anything strenuous because your books are all over the place. It will take me forever to get them straightened out."
"I was never any good at the books. I did my best."
"Well, it's a good thing I know what I am doing then."
"I knew there was a reason I wanted to keep you around." Edward said then smiled.
Debra picked up a pen and threw it at him. "Here I thought you loved me."
"Oh, I do." Edward said then got up and walked around the desk. He leaned down and kissed her. "I want to show you how much I love you like you showed me the other night, but I don't want you to start spotting again. I think we should wait."
"Dr. Brooks said it's all right to have sex as long as I'm not uncomfortable or in any pain."
"I just don't want anything to happen. You've already had a lot of trauma. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I can." Debra said as she looked up at Edward. "Maybe just a few days." She said.
"Ok." Edward bent down and kissed her again. "I better got out to check on Ben. See how bad his injury is."
"I hope it isn't that bad. I'll come get you when dinner is done."
"Ok." Edward kissed her again then walked out of the office. Debra got back to work.
Mrs. Gardner walked into the office about an hour later. "Debra, dinner is almost done. Would you like to tell Edward, or would you like me to go out?"
"I'll go. I could use a break from this mess."
"Ok. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling great since I was able to get out of bed."
"You look a lot better." Mrs. Gardner said. "You belong here, Debra. And I'm not just saying behind the desk. You belong here with Edward. You make him happy."
"Thanks, Mrs. Gardner."
Mrs. Gardner nodded then left the office. Debra finished up what she was doing then shut everything off. She got up and walked out of the office. She walked through the house and out the front door. She took a deep breath, then walked out to the barn. She walked through the barn and out the side door where she heard the men at the corral. She stopped by the fence next to Josh. "What's he trying to do?"
"He's trying to check his foot before we call the vet."
"Oh. Well, when he gets done, tell him dinner is done at the house."
"You got it." Josh said. Debra turned and started walking away.
"Debra?" Edward called. Debra stopped and turned around. "Can you come over here for a minute?"
Debra walked over to the fence. "I just came to tell you that dinner was almost done."
"Thank you. I know I shouldn't ask this, but can you come in here? I am trying to check his hoof, but he won't pick it up."
"And you want me to get him to lift up?"
"Debra, we all saw you get him in the corral and how Misty responds to you." Josh said.
"I thought you were against me working with the horses."
"Just come and talk to him." Edward said. "Please?"
Debra walked over to the gate and slowly opened it. She went inside and walked slowly over to Big Ben. She slowly put out her hand. Big Ben sniffed it then lowered his head. Debra pet him. "Good boy. You're all right. Just let Edward check you hoof. He's not going to hurt you. " Debra said calmly. Edward tried to get his foot up. Debra continued to talk to him. Edward got his foot up and checked his hoof. He pulled out a knife and dug a rock out of his hoof. "That was the culprit." He said then put foot down. He picked up the rock. He stood up up and stroked him. "Good boy."
"Yes, you're a good boy." Debra said. Big Ben walked away. Debra walked over to the gate and went out. She started walking. "Don't even say it." She said then walked away.
Edward joined Debra in the dining room a little while later. He sat down and started eating. "Debra, you can't deny what you have."
"I don't have anything. Maybe it's just that I am a woman. I talk quieter to them."
"All right. Whatever you want to think." Edward said then took a bite.
"How's your scratches doing?"
"They're fine. "
"Good." Debra said then took a bite. "So, is Big Ben's injury going to hinder his training "
"No. I don ' t think so. His foot might be a little sore, but he'll be fine. He's saddles trained now, so the owner might want to take him to another facility to further his training."
"Oh."
"I'll keep working all of them until I hear from him. I think we worked good together out there. "
"I suppose." Debra said as she finished dinner. She sat back. "Edward. I don't see myself as having a gift. I think it's just how I talk to them. You can call what you want."
"I've been around houses for a long time. I can sense their fear, their pain, and can understand their movements. They change when you are around."
"Whatever." Debra said she got up. She took her plate to the kitchen, poured herself a cup of the coffee then went into the office. She picked up her laptop and went out to the couch.
Edward came into the office a while later. He went to the desk and checked his email. He read some and replied to some. He glanced over at Debra a couple of times. He got done after several minutes and got up. He walked out and sat down next to Debra on the couch. "I'm sorry."
"For what? I'm the one with the short temper."
"For saying that you are special. I guess because you're special to me."
"You don't have to apologize every time I get a little mad at you. I am glad to help you when I can, but I don't like you to keep saying that."
"All right. I will try not to mention it anymore, but the men might. We all saw what we saw on the video. "
"He scared me, and I reacted. It's no big deal." Debra said. "I thought it was somebody coming back."
"We went on a ride just to see how he was. He was great for a long time, so I relaxed more on him. Then, all of a sudden, he reared up and I fell and went sliding down the side of the ridge. The men tried to grab him, but he got away from them. When I called you, I was at the bottom of the embankment waiting for Joe to get the rope to me."
"I wish you would have told me what was going on. At least then I wouldn't have started to worry when nobody was out there."
"I'm sorry. I will try to remember to let you know when everybody takes off. At least to leave a note or something."
"That would be good." Debra said. "So, since Dr. Brooks said I should take it easy for a few days, I don't think I should go to town for shopping tomorrow.
I want to, but I do it would be too much for me."
"All right If you think that is best."
"Yes, I do. Are you still going?"
"I should check the mail, why?"
"Could you stop by the fabric store for me? I have an order to pick up. "
" Sure, that's not a problem. "
" Do not open or look at it. I already paid for it. All you how to do is give them my name and yours and they will give it to you. "
"So, you went cyber shopping?"
"I didn't how long I was going to be laid up. Dr. Brooks said it could take a while."
"And you want to get started?"
"Yes." Debra said. She reached over and picked up her coffee. She drank it. "It's for a wedding. I want the dress to be perfect"
" All right. I will pick it up for you. "
" We will need an exact date. Did you get the schedule from Josh? "
" Yes, he emailed it to me." Edward said then got up and went on to the computer. He opened the email then printed it out. He brought it over to the couch. He sat down and looked at a calendar. They picked a date that nothing was going on. "I guess I should let everybody know."
"I'll send everyone an email tomorrow for you." Debra said. She put her laptop on the coffee table and turned to Edward. She leaned close and kissed him. " I love you, Edward."
"I love you. " He said and kissed her again. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"
"I feel great, Edward, but can you close the door? Mrs. Gardner is still here."
Edward got up and went to the door. He closed and locked it. He slowly walked over to her on the couch. He sat down next to her and pulled off his boots. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. We kissed her gently.
Debra laid on the couch in the den sleeping with a blanket pulled over her later that evening. Edward sat at his desk with just his jeans on. Debra opened her eyes. " How long did I sleep?"
"Not that long." Edward said as he got up. He walked over to her. "I guess I wore you out." He sat down on the edge of the couch.
"You were wonderful. I'm sorry for falling asleep."
"You need your sleep." He said. "You haven't been sleeping good at night."
"I've had too much on my mind."
"I know. I emailed Ace and Jared about the date and put it on the calendar." He said then leaned down and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you. Can you get me some water?"
"Of course darling." He said then got up. He left the office.
Debra sat up and quickly put her clothes on. She sat on the couch. Edward came back with a glass of water and handed it to her. " Thank you. "
"Your welcome. Do you want to watch some television?
"Sure. I guess."
"Or we could just sit here and talk. "
"I think television would be a better distraction. Talking usually leads to something else."
"I guess you're right." Edward said. "I can make some popcorn."
"That sounds good." Debra said.
"I meet you in the other room." He said then walked out of the office.
Debra got up. Sheturned off the light before she went out the door. She walked over to the couch and sat down. She picked up the remote and turned on the television. She flipped though the channels.
Edward come back few minutes later with a bowl a popcorn. He sat down next to her. "Did you find anything to watch?"
"No, but you can find something you want. I was never one to sit and watch television."
"Really? What, did you work most of the day?"
"Yes, actually. I worked at least twelve hours a day, sometimes more. I would come home, shower and go to bed. I didn't go out much."
"I normally don't watch much television either. I usually work during the day then do office work after dinner then go to bed. "
Debra found a movie that just started. They sat, watched it and ate popcorn, then went to bed when it was over.
Debra woke up early and went into the bathroom. She came out a few minutes later and went into the closet. She got some clothes and came out. Edward was sitting on the side of the bed. Debra walked over and stood in front of him. "Morning, sweetheart." She said as she bent down and kissed him. " Did I wake you?"
"No. I've been awake for a little while."
"Oh." Debra started to change. " So, when are you going to go into town?"
"That store doesn't open until nine, so I have some time before I go. Do you want me to pick you up some other clothes?"
"No, sweetheart. I can wear what I have for a few more days. I also have shorts and sweats I can wear."
"All right."
"I would need to try on the clothes since they are a different style."
"I understand. Maybe this weekend if you're feeling up for it, we can go shopping and maybe a movie and ice cream."
"Maybe like date night?"
"Yes. Just like a real date."
"I would like that. Not that I didn't like our first date, but to get out with you on my arm. Hopefully it won't end up at the ER."
"You're going to have you reduce your stress. Maybe you can meditate on whatever."
"Maybe." Debra said as she sat down on the bed. "So, I was thinking about our wedding."
"Really?"
"Yes. I would like it outside, but then what if it rains on that day?"
"Then we can have it here in the house."
"Then we wouldn't be able to invite that many people. I figured you would like to invite everyone that was at the picnic plus other from town."
"I'm not one for big crowds. Maybe just family and a few men and friends from town." Edward said. "We have time to figure out the details."
"We really don't have that much time."
"We have more time than you think, darling."
"I need to figure it out, so I don't stress over it too much."
"I will come up with a list of people to invite and get a number. OK?"
"Thank you." Debra said. "I'm going to get something to eat then get to work." Debra said as she got up.
"I'll be down a few minutes." Edward said.
Debra walked to the door and out. She went downstairs.
Edward walked into the office later that morning. Debra was sitting at the desk. He walked around and stood behind her. "How it is going?"
"It's not. The numbers aren't adding up."
"I'm sure I gave you all the receipts."
"I probably forgot to add something somewhere. I have to go back and figure it out."
"Ok, I going to head into town. Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Debra said. " I have to find out where the mistake is."
"Don't stress over it, darling. " Edward and as he leaned down and kissed her. "I'm sure you'll find it." Edward walked out of the office.