Give My Heart to Kaitlyn (2nd in Outlaw Series)

Chapter Six

Kaitlyn sniffed. "Of course it does!" Pete didn't the like the way those tears looked streaking down her face. "I've never hurt anyone! I'm sure you must hate me now."

Pete reached out with his wounded arm and slid his thumb across her cheek to smooth away the tears. "I don't think I could ever hate you, Kaitlyn." She tensed at the intimate contact and Pete saw the green in her eyes darken. He swallowed hard. "That must have been some nightmare."

Kaitlyn pulled away and held out her hand to help Pete to his feet. He grunted with the effort it took to stand, wincing with pain. "No, not really," Kaitlyn lied as she used her body to help support him and lead him back to his bed.

Pete laid down on the bed and pressed his fingers into his temples in an attempt to ease the pain. He watched Kaitlyn gather up supplies and avoid his gaze. The woman was lying. The dream had sounded damn bad to him—it had sounded like someone had been forcing her. Why would a woman dream such a thing unless it had happened to her?

No, Pete refused to believe that. Kaitlyn was far too innocent and pure. Surely a woman who had been forced would have lost that.

"It sounded bad to me," he insisted.

"It really wasn't," Kaitlyn insisted. "I'm sorry I worried you," she added as she deposited her armful of disinfectant, bandages and needle and thread on the table beside the bed.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Pete," she added, raising his shirt and looking at his wound.

"It's okay." He hissed when she poured a bit of disinfectant on him. "Next time I wake you up, I'll find a good long stick to do it with."

Pete swelled with pride when her soft, beautiful laughter filled the room.... That pride was quickly forgotten when she began to add new stitches his torn side.

"Do you want some laudanum?" she offered. "Or some whiskey? I think the doc may have some in the kitchen."

"No," Pete grunted, though he was damn tempted to say yes to the whiskey. "Just do what you gotta do, Kaitlyn, but try to do it fast."

Kaitlyn nodded and Pete focused his attention on her to help block out the pain. She was chewing her bottom lip and her brow was creased with concentration. Pete noticed that a few strands of her golden hair had fallen in front of her eyes so he reached up and gently smoothed them behind her ear.

Kaitlyn's eyes lifted to his a moment and he saw the longing in them before she quickly turned her attention back to her work. As far as Pete was concerned the job was done far too quickly and soon Kaitlyn was up picking up the mess and preparing to leave the room.

He was fairly sure that she was hesitating as if searching for a reason to stay but that could have simply been wishful thinking on his part. "I really am sorry I hurt you, Pete," she said again as she stood beside the door.

Pete waved off her concern as he pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall. "I told you not to worry about it. I'm tougher than I look."

Kaitlyn tilted her head as she looked at him and Pete wished he knew what was going on in her pretty head. "Is there anything I can get for you before I go to bed?" she asked. "Maybe some laudanum so you can sleep?"

"Naw," Pete shrugged. "I'll be alright."

"Okay then," Kaitlyn sighed. "Goodnight."

She turned to leave the room and Pete felt desperation fill him. He knew that it was time either man up or shut up and Pete had never been real good at shutting up. Of course the last few years he hadn't been real good at manning up either, but that was about to change.

"Do you know how to play poker?" he blurted.

Kaitlyn turned to face him with a frown on her face. "Poker?"

"Yeah. You know, it's a card game where you...."

"I know what poker is," she promised.

Pete shrugged. "Well I'm not tired and you don't seem all that tired. Why don't we play some poker?"

Kaitlyn's eyes were conflicted and Pete wished he could hear whatever internal battle she was fighting with herself. He was about to ask what she was thinking, when she suddenly smiled softly. "Sure," she replied. "Sure, I'll play cards with you. I know where the doc keeps some. I'll be right back."

Pete watched her leave and she returned moments later with a deck of red-backed cards. "You do know how to play, don't you?" he asked.

Kaitlyn simply smiled as she pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. Pete watched in awe as the angelic woman shuffled those cards with more flair than just about any dealer he'd ever seen.

"I was in an orphanage until I was ten," she said, noticing his shocked expression. "I learned all kind of things in that place."

Pete smiled. Was the woman finally opening up to him? "You were adopted?" he asked. "Your family isn't your blood family?"

Kaitlyn's eyes narrowed and her voice held an edge of anger. "They're the only family I've ever known."

"Right..." Pete rubbed at his neck as she began to deal. "I didn't mean it the way it came out."

Kaitlyn simply shrugged. "Let's play poker. You must be awfully good at the game if someone shot you over it."

Pete laughed. "Either that or I'm a real bad cheat."

She studied him closely. "Are you a cheat?"

"No," he assured her.

A smiled graced her face. "I didn't think so. Now let's play."

They played cards late into the night. They talked, laughed and learned all the little things about one another. When Kaitlyn had started yawning, Pete had known it was time to call it a night. He had bid her goodnight before taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

She had whispered a soft goodnight before leaving the room. If any part of Pete had been unsure about whether or not he was in love with Kaitlyn, it was no longer on the fence. She seemed just about perfect—and now he knew more about her. Her favorite season was spring, her favorite color was blue and she wanted to be a doctor so she could make a difference. And she loved her family. Hearing her talk about them had Pete missing his own.

As he lay down in the dark and stared at the ceiling, he heard her footsteps above him. He imagined her laying her bed alone and felt his desire stir. Pete threw his arms over his face and growled in frustration. He had been a long time without a woman and now there was a beautiful, soft woman he loved sleeping right above him and out of his reach.

Sometimes life was just cruel.