Chapter 5
Just as Doc had said, by nightfall Myley was running a fever. deliriously lost in her nightmares, she cried and fought an unknown assailant. Harley's heart tore to pieces when she started crying his name. Unable to stand it any longer he leaned over her and softly called her name.
"Myley honey, I am here, you are safe." Her crying stopped but her pitiful little body still trembled, "Harley?" She croaked through a dry unused throat. "Yea baby." He whispered to her, "Oh Harley, I am so sorry. I tried to fight Colt off, even then I was waiting......thank God he gave up....." Her words trailed off as she fell back into slumber. Thankfully no one was in the room but Harley and Kevin but Kevin seemed just as upset by Myley's words as Harley himself was.
For hours they watched her fight her demons calling out to her mother, one of the brothers or simply crying for Harley asking him not to leave her again. It tore his heart out and finally after the first rays of morning rose her fever broke. They ladled some soup into her mouth and then crawling up into the bed beside her Harley finally slept and waited for her to awaken.
Harley felt her small hand on his cheek and smiled before he opened his eyes. "Hey there baby." He rasped before he leaned over and kissed her nose. "How you feeling? Gave us quite a scare there." He told her and Myley saw the fear in his eyes he tried to hide.
"I am sorry Harley, I never meant to worry anyone." Myley replied with tears in her eyes, feeling bad that she had worried her family. Harley tried to soothe her, "Hey now, I reckon you owe me a world of worry after the many times I left here riding the circuit and left y'all here to worry after me huh?" He said softly as he stroked her face. Myley smiled at Harley before he kissed her deeply yet softly and then he rolled out of bed to go around to holler down the stairs. "Mrs. B., Myley is awake." He called down to her before closing the door and turning back to Myley. "How about a warm bath baby? We have to be careful not to get your bandage wet but I think we can manage to let you have a little soak and wash your hair." Myley smiled and nodded and Harley went to draw her a warm bubble bath.
Harley started the water and then sat himself on the lid of the toilet in the bathroom. Bowing his head he took a minute to thank God that he hadn't took the one last thing important to him away and then he composed himself from the urge to cry for the first time since he lost his mother. Walking back into the bedroom he looked at Mrs. B with a challenge in his eyes. "I am going to give Myley a bath Mrs. B. can you rustle her up some soup while I do?" He asked her daring her to argue him giving Myley a bath. Mrs. B. smirked, "I can manage that Harley," and then to Myley she said, "I am so glad you are awake and doing better baby, I will go fix you some lunch." She said as she left out the door.
Harley walked over to the bed and gently picked Myley up. "Harley I can try to walk." She protested weakly. "I am sure you can baby but I am not inclined to allow you to." He said stubbornly as he carried her inside and stood her on her own two feet. Slowly he pulled her nightgown over her head and stood looking down at her naked and mouthwatering body. "you are so beautiful." He whispered before he again picked her up and set her down in the hot tub. Myley gasped at first and then moaned as the water began to help her sore muscles. Harley soaped a wash cloth and slowly soaped up her body. careful not to let ger nakedness effect him because this wasn't the time.
They sat in silence as Harley washed her, allowing her to soak her sore muscles and relax. He knew she would be asking questions soon enough. Questions he had no answers to.
Slowly Myley sighed as she relaxed, "Do they know who?" Was all she said and Harley sighed in return, "No baby. We have no ideas yet." She nodded silently and said not another word as he pulled her back out of the tub dried her off and slipped a new nightgown over her head. Carrying her back into the room he laid her back in bed seeing that Mrs. B. had changed her sheets.
Harley laid beside her and held her hand as they waited for her lunch. "I was so worried about you baby, I want you to stay close to the house until we figure this out. I can't take you getting hurt again." He spoke softly and Myley could hear the fear in his voice. "I am sorry I worried you Harley, I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the world." She murmured and smiled up at him as he pulled her hand up to kiss her fingers.
Mrs. B. came in with a sandwich, soup and a glass of tea, Harley helped Myley sit up higher and then scooted over to give her room to eat. Soon Luke walked in with a grim look on his face, "Hey honey. I am so happy to see you awake and eating, we were so worried about you." Myley smiled up at him through her next bite, she felt as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"Anything?" Harley asked his father.
Luke sadly shook his head, "The sheriff found bullets from a 30-30 and a few cigar butts. They were camped out waiting, whoever it was and the cigar's suggest a man. That's all we know at this point." Luke said sadly and Myley sighed after she finished her last bite. Her eyebrows hit her hairline when Harley lit up a cigarette sitting in the chair beside the window. Seeing her look Harley scowled, "I am not going to quit smoking and I sure as hell ain't leaving you long enough to go downstairs, so don't even look at me like that little girl." He growled out and Myley held up her hands and laughed until she pulled her wound and hissed before scooting back down in the bed with a pout. Harley sat up, waited, then slowly sunk back in the chair when he seen her settled without further incident.
Luke kissed her cheek and exited the room leaving her to rest as Mrs. B. came in and gave myley pain meds to sleep. Harley finished his smoke and then slid down on the bed beside her wrapping an arm around her pillow as he laid on his side. he watched with rapidly growing pride as she snuggled into his chest and with a sweet, contented smile, slept yet again.
Harley's head jerked up at the loud bang as Dusty burst through the door laughing, his clothes covered with dried mud, or so it appeared.
Harley sent him a severe before pointedly looking down at a still sleeping Myley.
When he was satisfied she was still resting, without stirring, he looked back at Dusty and took in his dirty appearance. with a roll of his eyes and a sigh, "Dammit boy, what have you gotten into now?" He said in a mock exasperated voice, knowing that Dusty was always into something. Dusty laughed again and shot a quick glance at Myley. "Yea, it wasn't my fault. I was walking along minding my own, about ready to feed the orphans, when Kevin asked if I had been in to see about Myley yet.
You see, they elected me to be the brave brother to come face you and risk getting skinned for disturbing." He said with a quiet chuckle and a shake of his head, "Anyhow, I was shucking the task so Kev decides to push me, face first, into the manure trough and I tumbled further than that into the drain." Dusty laughed it off.
Harley found it quite amusing himself, as he laughed at the painted picture in his mind. "Trust Kevin to be the one to do it. Well she's better, she woke up and I gave her a bath. Mrs. B. fed her and we tucked her back in with some pain meds that knocked her little butt right back out." He said with an affectionate chuckle.
Dusty smiled too, "Okies, Hoss. You need any of us, Kevin said to tell you he has got his cell on him, so give us a holler." Harley nodded and snuggled back into Myley.
Harley awoke as he heard Myley moan and it wasn't in a good way. He immediately perked up and looked down to see a frown lined her brows as she moved as if uncomfortable. "Honey, you need to wake up and take a pain pill." Myley's frown got deeper as she turned her head further towards his chest. "Come on, I know you hear me." Harley coaxed her.
Myley finally opened her eyes and looked up into his eyes allowing him to see her pain and fear. The sights there cut him to the quick and he only knew one way to comfort her.
Dropping his head he kissed her pinched lips softly.
when her little pink tongue flicked out, after the kiss had ended, to lick him off her lips, Harley couldn't resist and swooped in for another taste.
Slowly he licked over the same path her own tongue had just followed and a deep moan from his chest escaped as she flicked her tongue out to stroke over his. "Damn girl, you tempt a saint." He murmured against her lips as he took the kiss deeper, sliding his tongue over hers and sucking at her lips. Another moan threatened to escape him, at her needy little sounds, she begged, without words, for more.
Harley was happy to oblige, the kiss getting deeper more passionate. Harley himself growled as she sucked his tongue into her mouth and those lips he so adored stroked over it much like she was trying to suck all the flavor from him. Harley reached up and tightfisted her hair. "Damn baby, you got to stop." He whispered as he rested his forehead against hers but Myley wasn't done.
She chased his mouth until she again coaxed his tongue into play and again licked and sucked over it as if trying to steal ever drop of flavor from him. Her little moans, as she did so, was driving him crazy.
Pulling back again, "Baby, you are hurt here, I am trying to be good and lay with you in my arms and not hurt you more. You keep that up and I won't be able to control it." His voice sounding anything but sure of his words. Harley kissed over her forehead and down her cheek, going to her ear as he licked over the shell of it and then down to her lobe where he sucked and nipped it with his teeth until she was panting and rubbing her hands all over his chest. "Damn, you are the sweetest tasting piece of sugar, I have ever seen and I could simply lick you all over." He growled in her ear, running his tongue, the inside of her ear and then blowing a cool stream of air over it. Smiling as she shivered and moaned his name, "Oh, Harley."
Kissing her one last time passionately, Harley rolled off the bed and went to get her a glass of water and a new pain pill. "Here trouble, take this."
Myley rolled over and with a wicked gleam in her eyes ate the pill off his fingers, sucking them into her mouth as she did so. Waiting for him to tip the glass to her lips and licking the drop of water off that clung to her bottom lip.
Harley closed his eyes, before opening them and setting down the glass. "You need to go to the ladies room before I step out? If not settle yourself back down while I go have a talk with Kevin and then I will come back." He could see Myley's mind at work trying to think of how to keep him from leaving, oh yes, he knew how her mind worked but he wasn't budging. He needed a few minutes away from that sinful little mouth that was the source of all his trouble right now.
"Yes please." She pouted realizing this would be the only extra time she would get before the meds knocked her back out. Harley nodded and picked her up to carry her to the bathroom.
Myley smiled and then stood looking up at him as she waited for him to exit the room. Harley's mouth kicked up at the side as he left her.
When the door opened as she tried to come back to bed, it wasn't Harley there to help her it was Mrs. B. "Honey, come on. Let's get you back in bed now, you need your rest. gunshot to the shoulder it may be, but I don't want you up running around yet after that powerful fever." Myley said nothing, too disappointed that Harley was gone already.
When Myley awoke later it was to find Harley curled around her his breathing deep and even and a glance at the clock told her it was late. She had a little buzz as her pain pills hadn't worn off yet and she needed to eat but when her eyes landed on the skin laid bare before her as he had stripped his shirt at some point, her curiosity took precedents.
Leaning forward Myley kissed and then licked over a small area on his bare chest, when he didn't stir she leaned down to where his chest hair started and repeated the action, loving the taste of him and the freedom to explore his chest. When her eyes dropped to his exposed bare nipple, Myley licked her lips as she contemplated trying for one more quick taste and if it would wake him....
"Don't even think about it, honey. That sweet little tongue touches me again and I won't be responsible for my actions. I was able to stay still for your little tempting taste test and allow you two, you don't get a third." Harley surprised her by saying unexpectedly, his voice as lazy as if he was warning his brothers. Myley giggled at his admission that she had teased him and he opened his eyes and smiled down into her laughing one. "Still feeling good honey?" Myley smirked and nodded, "I am sorry, I woke up hungry."
Harley smiled, "It's ok honey, let me go see what we can find."
Harley slowly lifted her in his arms and carried her downstairs to the kitchen. Softly they laughed and chatted under a dim kitchen light as Myley sat at the kitchen table watching Harley make grilled cheese sandwiches and tall glasses of good ole' southern sweet tea.