Free This Cowboy's Heart by Cia Leah Page B

split lip.   There’s a tube
of lip balm on that little stand if you want to use it.   Has a numbing effect.   Might help some.”
           She
watched as he rose to his feet and walked to the dresser.   He opened a drawer, pulled out a shirt, and
slipped it on.   She sipped the coffee
and sighed.
           “I’ve
got barn work and farm work to do.   If
you’re sure you don’t need to go to the police or anything, then make yourself
at home.   There’s a bath back there
behind you.”
           “Thank
you,” she said softly.
           He
turned as he went out the door.   “My name
is Jace Brandon.   I’ll be back around
noon.”
           Mia
didn’t say anything.   He shrugged and
left.
           She
sat there for a long time, sipped at her coffee until it was gone, then scooted
off the bed, being careful to hold onto it until the dizziness passed.   She walked to the door and looked out.   She saw Jace across the road working on a
tractor.   He was shirtless again.   As if he sensed her watching him, he rose up
and glanced towards the house, then resumed what he was doing.
           Mia
turned and walked to the kitchen and poured herself more coffee and sat down at
the table.   Se put sugar and cream in
it, and then reached for the pan of cornbread.   She was so hungry.   Her uncle
hadn’t let her eat in days.
           Fear
of him returning for her or to see if she was dead, made her shiver in
fear.   Hopefully he would just think
he’d killed her when he dumped her body out of the truck. She sliced a big
piece of the cornbread and spread butter on it off the plate sitting on the
table.   She bit into it, and groaned,
despite her sore lip.   She finished it
off and felt her stomach settle.   Besides the knot on her head, she was probably nauseated from not eating
in so long.   She felt some better.
           She
pushed up from the table and went to the bathroom.   She looked in the small mirror.   Her right eye was black and blue. Bruises marred her cheek and chin. Her
lower lip was swollen sporting a wide, nasty split was on the right side.   Her neck had bruises where her uncle had
almost chocked the life out of her.   A
sudden need filled her to wipe all traces of his hands off her; she closed the
door, locked it, and stripped.  
           Adjusting
the shower to the hottest water she could stand, she stepped inside and let it
sluice over her body.   Pure heaven, she
thought, as the steam rose and soothed her.   She grabbed the soap, the scent spicy, and rubbed it between her hands
until the suds were dripping to the bottom of the shower.   She washed three times before she felt clean,
and then used the shampoo and washed her hair twice, wincing when her hands ran
over the bump on her head.
           For
awhile she just stood under the spray, letting the tears come, letting them
fall, and be rinsed away by the water, until there was no hot water left.   She turned off the spigot, stepped out,
grabbed the towel hanging on the rack, and dried off.   When she picked up her clothes, she wrinkled her nose.   His scent, his sweat, was still on it.   She couldn’t abide putting them back
on.   She wrapped the towel around her;
pulled open the door, peeked out, and finding she was alone, walked to the
dresser and pulled out a shirt and a pair of jeans.   They would be way too big, but would do until she got her clothes
washed out and dried.
           After
she completed the task of dressing and hanging her clothes on top the shower
door to dry, she walked back to look out the door.   The tractor was gone and she glanced to the field on the right
and saw Jace driving it with a wagon or something hooked behind it.   There must be a lot to do here, she thought,
glancing around at the open fields that surrounded the cabin.   She wondered if he owned all this, and her
instincts told her did.   It was well
cared for land.