Debra took a couple of deep breaths then saw Ace driving up to the house. She wiped her eyes. She stood up and walked down the steps to meet Ace. "He's fine."
"Thank god. Where is he?"
"He's in your room, but he wants to go home. He told me then he told Julie."
"I'll talk to him."
"I'm sorry, Ace. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"It was an accident. How's Eddie?"
"Doc is stitching him up now."
"Hey, don't beat yourself about it. Things happen out here that you can't predict. It's the risk you take." Ace said then put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on in, sis." He walked her up the steps and into the house. "I'm going to go see Justin." He said as he let her go. He walked down to his room.
Debra walked into the room and over to Edward.
Edward pulled he close. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. I just got emotional."
"Are you sure, darling?"
"Yes. It's just hit me that I could have lost you today."
"Well you didn't." Edward said. "Don't you worry about me."
"Well, Edward, you are all fixed up." Doc said.
"You should stay off that leg at least for today."
"I'll make sure he does." Debra said.
Doc handed Edward some bottles of pills. "Here's the antibiotics and pain pills. You know the instructions."
"Yes, Doc. Same as always."
"I'll come back in a day or two to check on you."
"Thank you."
"Are you sure you're feeling all right, Debra?"
"Yes, Doc. The babies are moving, and I feel fine. I stayed calm and got the job done."
"Good. Well, I guess I'll go then."
"I'll walk you out." Debra said. She followed Doc out the front door and out to his truck. "Thanks Doc."
"You're welcome."
"I'll keep an eye on him don't worry."
"If anyone can, it will be you."
"I guess. I'll see you in a couple of days, then." Doc got in his truck. He waved as he pulled away. Debra walked back up to the house. Mitch and Joe came out. Debra walked up to them. "Thanks, guys, for all your help."
"Any time, boss." Mitch said.
"If you need anything, just call." Joe said.
"All right." Debra said then walked into the house. She went into the room and sat down next to Edward. "Do you need anything?"
Edward put his arm around her. "I have everything that I need right here."
"I'm glad you're all right."
"I will be, anyway. Just a few extra scars."
"I like your scars. It adds to your character." Debra said as she cuddled against Edward.
Ace came into the room. "How are you doing, bro?"
"Twenty - six stitches and more antibiotics."
"You're a very lucky man. And I owe you for getting Justin out of harm's way. He told me what you did."
"You don't owe me anything." Edward said.
"Debra, will you call Julie back? He wants his mom."
"I'm sorry, Ace. I know how much you enjoy him here." Edward said.
"His mom can comfort him better than I can. As soon as I get my schedule set, I'll see him." Ace said. "Besides, I don't want him to stay if he doesn't want to."
"I'll give her a call." Debra said as she sat up. She pulled out her phone.
"Ask her if I can talk to her, but just about Justin. I promise I won't talk about us."
"Ok." Debra dialed Julie's number. "Hey Julie, it's Debra. Yes. Ace wants to know if he can talk to you about Justin. He promises that is all he wants to talk about. Yes, I'll be right here." Debra said then held out the phone. "Here but stay here." Debra said.
Ace took the phone. "Hi, Julie. He's blaming himself for what happened even though it wasn't his fault. It was a freak accident. I don't have a problem with him going home, but when I get my schedule, I would like to see him. All right, you can work it out with Debra. I understand. I will stay here." He said then handed the phone back to Debra. "I'll get his bag packed." Ace said then left.
"Hey, yes, I can meet you at the diner again. That's fine. All right. I'll see you then. Bye." Debra said then hung up.
"So, you have to go?"
"Yes, in about an hour." Debra said. "I guess I should get dinner going."
"Why don't you just pick up dinner?" Edward said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want you to stay right here with me for a while."
"All right." Debra said as she snuggled up next to him. "I love you, Edward."
"I love you, darling." Edward said. He put his hand on her belly. " I love feeling them move around."
"What if I can't comfort our children? I didn't know how to comfort Justin. I didn't know what to say to him. I felt useless."
"You will know our children and will know what will make them feel better. It comes with raising them. I'm sure that's how Ace is feeling right now, too."
"I guess he is." Debra said. "What if I'm not a good mother? What if my kids hate me?"
"Your kids won't hate you, darling. I think you'll be a wonderful mother. Our kids will know how to do so much."
"I wish I could be as positive as you."
"We grew up different ways. I was always around positive thinking."
"Jason and Edith never thought anything was good enough. I guess it how I grew up."
"We will do our best at being the best parents we can be. That's all we can do."
"I know and I know we will both love them."
"And they will know that too." Edward said. "Don't think about that. We have a long way still to go and we need to think about now. I love you and you have found your place here and you proved yourself that you can lead even in your condition."
"I remembered to stay calm and think things through."
"Good."
"All those years of training, that I forgot, have been coming back to me."
"That's good."
"Yes, but I've learned that I need to learn about the wildlife around here. I want to learn how to track animals."
"That's something I can teach you now even in your condition."
"Ok." Debra said. "I didn't know what attacked you."
"Well, they usually don't come down here, but the other common animals, I can show you."
"Can we get to them in the truck though?"
"Yes, some of them, but we will still have to do some walking."
"Babe, I don't mind walking."
"Well, we have Josh's show the end of the week and I need to finish up with these horses, so maybe we can get started next week, but before then, there's some books in the office on tracking."
"All right. I will look at them later. Right now, I want to hold you."
"That's fine with me." Edward said as he held her.
They sat there quiet for a few minutes. "Hey, boss, the vet is here." Joe said over the radio.
Edward moved to pick up the radio, but Debra snatched it away from him. "I'll be right there, Joe." She said into the radio. "You need to rest your leg. I can take care of this."
"My leg is fine."
"Do I need Ace to come in and watch you?"
"No. Fine, but if he has any questions, have him come in to see me."
"I will." Debra said then got up. She walked out of the house and out to the truck where the vet and Joe were waiting. "Hey, Dr. Patton. Thanks for coming out."
"It's not a problem. So, it doesn't appear to be rabid, but I'll take it to be tested. It is rather skinny, and it looks like it has injuries. How's Edward doing?"
"He has 26 stitches, but he'll be fine."
"That's good. Joe said you shot it?"
"I delivered the kill shot with the arrow. Joe originally shot it."
"That was a good shot."
"I guess."
"I shot it, but it charged me. Debra saved my life."
"I did what had to be done." Debra said.
"How's Misty doing?"
"She's doing good. She's getting big. Both of us are."
"I can see that. Well, I'll take this into the lab, and I'll let you know the results. Majesty doesn't have a mark on him."
"Thank you."
"I'll be back next week to give Misty a check-up."
"I'll see you then." Debra said. "Joe, will you help Dr. Patton put that in his truck?"
"Of course." Joe said then picked up the cougar.
Debra shook Dr. Patton's hand then walked down to the barn. She walked down to the office and got the list of supplies they needed. She walked out and back to the house. She went in and to the office. She sat down at the desk and ordered the supplies. She printed out the receipt then went back to the living room. Justin was sitting on the couch with Edward. "I just ordered some supplies Joe told me about earlier. I'll pick them up in the morning."
"Ok. What did Dr. Patton say?"
"He said the cougar didn't appear sick, but he took it to be tested." Debra said. "He'll call us with the results."
"Good." Edward said. "I really don't want to go through those shots again."
"Can I bring some cookies home so Mommy can taste them?" Justin asked.
"Of course. I'll put some in a bag for you." Debra said then walked out to the kitchen. She put some cookies into a bag for Justin and took one for herself. She sat down at the counter and started to eat it.
Ace came into the kitchen. He picked up a cookie. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine. I'm just going to pick up dinner on the way home."
"All right. I'll keep an eye on Eddie for you."
"Thanks. A little payback?"
"Maybe a little." Ace chuckled. "I'm sorry to put you in this position between me and Julie."
"I volunteered for it, remember? It's not a big deal."
"Well, thank you. I hope someday she will forgive me enough to be able to talk to me so I can apologize to her."
"I'm sure she will in time." Debra said.
"I heard you saved Joe."
"I did what needed to be done. It's not like I wanted to do it."
"I know. It's a tough call to make."
"I had to make a split-second decision between Joe and the cougar."
"You did what you had to do." Ace said. "I understand how you feel."
"I'm sure you do." Debra said. "I guess I should get ready to go."
"I'll put his bag in the truck."
"Thanks." Debra said then got up. She walked into the living room. "We should get going, Justin."
"All right." Justin turned around and gave Edward a hug. "I love you, Uncle Eddie."
"I love you, too. Take care of yourself and give your mom a hug for me."
"I will." Justin said then got up.
"I'll meet you outside, Justin." Debra said. Justin walked outside. Debra went over to the couch. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise me won't go anywhere."
"I promise, darling."
"Ace will be keeping an eye on you."
"You don't trust me?"
"He volunteered actually. A little payback from the other day."
"I'm just going to take one of these pills and lay down here."
"All right." Debra bent down and kissed Edward. "I love you."
"I love you."
Debra walked out.
Debra walked into the house with dinner a while later. She took it right to the kitchen and set it down on the counter. She went over and got plates out of the cabinet. She dished out the food and carried the plates into the living room. She handed Ace a plate then set the other two on the coffee table.
"Thanks, sis. How did Justin seem?"
"He didn't say much the whole time." Debra said. "I see he didn't give you any problems."
"He fell asleep shortly after you left."
Debra shook Edward's arm. "Wake up. Dinner is here."
Edward jumped up causing Debra to step back. "Sorry, darling. You scared me."
"No harm done." She said. Edward sat up and Debra sat down next to him. She handed him his plate. They started eating.
"So, the sheriff called. I'm working the fairgrounds this weekend, so I won't be in until late. I go in in the morning and I won't be home until it's secure."
"All right."
"By the way. I got a 98% on my quals today."
"That's great." Edward said.
"Julie said she would let us know how Justin was doing." Debra said.
"Ok." Ace said. "It feels good to be back at work. I know it's a slower pace here, but at least I will be doing a service to the people."
"I appreciate everything you have done here." Edward said.
"Thanks." Ace said. "I have to go back to the city to go in front of the board when my suspension is up. I talked to my captain this morning. That's not for another two weeks."
"I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Debra said.
"My life is getting back together and hopefully I can find myself again."
"Have you decided when you will be breaking ground on the house?"
"No, not yet. I need to get estimates from a contractor."
"Ok. Just wondering."
"Since I am working. I won't have much time to do it myself like I thought."
"After the harvest, we will have some time to help out. That is up to you and Jared though."
"I ordered some plans for the house. I will figure it out after they come in." Ace said.
"All right."
"I really want to break ground before it freezes, but we'll just have to see. We have quite a while for that."
"Only a couple of months. It goes by quick." Edward said.
"The plans should be here soon."
"All right."
"If it doesn't get done, you can stay here for as long as you need." Debra said. "We won't need to expand for quite a while."
"Well, I know how babies are and if yours are anything like Justin, the nights won't be quiet. Luckily, I was working night shift and he went to day care during the day." Ace said, "And you will have twice the noise."
"I guess it wouldn't be good for you not to be able to sleep. We'll figure it out."
"We have time." Ace said. "I think I'm going to head to my room. I have some files to go over." Ace got up. "Do you want me to clean up?"
"No thanks. I got it." Debra said.
"All right. Good night." Ace said. He took his plate to the kitchen then went to his room.
"Do you want any more?"
"No thanks."
"All right. I'll save it for lunch tomorrow. Would you like some coffee? I can make a couple of cups."
"No thanks. Why don't you clean up the kitchen and we can go up to bed early?"
"What about the night check on the horses?"
"Joe said he would take care of that."
"All right." Debra said then got up. "Don't go anywhere. It will just take a couple of minutes."
"I'll be right here."
Debra picked up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. She put the dishes in the dishwasher and started it. She put the food in the refrigerator. She wiped down the counter and got a drink of water. She finished up and went into the room. Edward had his head back and his eyes closed. Debra quietly went over to him and sat down on his lap facing him.
Edward looked up and smiled at her. He put his hands on her hips. "I love you, darling."
"I love you." Debra said as she moved against him. She leaned down and kissed him.
"You play dirty."
"I know." Debra said as she continued to move against him. "I wanted to be alone with you all night."
"Ace is just in his room."
"I don't really care." Debra said as she ran her hands across his chest. "Do you really want to wait until we go upstairs?" Debra asked as she took her shirt off.
"Our office is closer." Edward said as he moved his hands up her chest.
"If it makes you more comfortable."
"Yes, it does." Edward said. " I'd rather my brother not see my wife naked."
Debra got off of Edward then helped him up. She pulled him close and kissed him. Edward slowly walked Debra backwards towards the office while kissing her. As soon as they made it inside, he closed and locked the door.
Debra woke up just as it was starting to get light outside. She looked over at Edward beside her on the couch in the office. He smiled at her. Debra smiled. "I can't believe we spent the whole night here."
"It's not a first for me. How are you feeling?"
"Like I am going to explode." She said as she quickly got off the couch. She hurried off to the bathroom.
Edward was sitting up on the couch when Debra came back. "Feel better?"
Debra sat down next to her. "Yes. How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Barely any pain."
"Would you tell me if there was?"
"Of course. I'm not going to lie about something like that."
"All right. I guess we should get upstairs before Ace gets up."
"Yes. I guess we should." Edward said.
Debra and Edward walked into the dining room a while later. They sat down at the table with Ace.
"How are you feeling, Eddie?"
"I'm feeling pretty good."
"That's good to hear." Ace said. "For future reference, could you keep down your happiness when you're in the office? You do realize it's right next door to my room."
"Sorry, Ace." Debra said. "I got carried away."
"I guess we should have stayed on the couch." Edward said.
"I don't need to hear all that. Just keep it down next time."
"We will." Edward laughed.
Mrs. Gardner brought in their breakfast. "I need to talk to you before you head out, Edward."
"All right." Edward said.
"I'll bring in the coffee." She said then walked out.
Debra and Edward waited for Mrs. Gardner in the office after breakfast. She came in a while later. Edward stood up from behind the desk. "Sit down, Mrs. Gardner."
"I'm not going to be long, Edward." Mrs. Gardner said as she stood behind the chair. "You have grown into a fine man, Edward and you have found love and will soon have a family of your own. I love the ranch and I love working for you, but I don't think my health will allow me to do it anymore."
"I understand and I am sorry to hear that. Will you still stay here on the ranch?"
"My husband still can work, and if it is all right with you, I would like to stay."
"You have been a mother to me since I came here. You are part of this family. Of course, you can stay here as long as you want."
"If my health allows, I wish to help out around here as much as I can, but I know Debra can handle anything that needs to be done."
"You are more than welcome to do what you can."
"And I am going to need to need help to know what schedule you can to have for the housework."
"I'll get that to you. I wish I could be here to help more, but my health is declining."
"We understand. Is there anything we can do to help?"
"No. It's just nature taking its course. Just take care of each other and live a very happy life."
"We will." Edward said then walked around the desk. He walked up to Mrs. Gardner and hugged her. "I love you."
"I love you, Edward." Mrs. Gardner said. "Come here, Debra." She said. Debra walked over and the three of them embraced. "I'm glad you've come into this family because now I know Edward will be taken care of. He's a good man and you are a special woman. Take care of each other."
"We will, Mrs. Gardner." Debra said as she started to get choked up.
They held each other for a few moments then Mrs. Gardner stepped back. "I'll see you two later." She said then walked out of the office.
Debra wiped her eyes. "I feel so bad for her."
"So do I. It feels like my foster father all over again." Edward said. "But she doesn't want to be sad. She wants us to be happy."
"I know. So. what's on your schedule today?"
"I'm going to ride down to help Josh load the horses and make sure he has everything for the show. He will be gone from a couple of weeks after this weekend."
"All right." Debra said. "Take it easy with your stitches. If they start bleeding or hurt too much, come in here."
"I will, don't worry."
"I always worry when you're not around."
"What do you have going on?"
"I have to pick up a feed order I ordered yesterday. We need to keep up on it, so we don't have to make so many trips into town."
" I will. I think the owner is coming by today to see the progress of his horses, but he's supposed to call first."
"All right." Debra said. "I'll see you for lunch then?"
"I'll let you know." Edward said the gave Debra a kiss. "Don't overdue yourself."
"I won't." Debra said then stepped back. Edward walked out.