Four days later Brett showed his new hire Travis, a man who'd been around for six years working at the sales, around the ranch. With Ned a week from leaving, Brett was gleaning everything he could including getting him to help with the hiring and trying to get ready for the cattle sale. The two men were up late every night going over things Ned thought he needed to know.
Andy and Anna had stayed in Medicine Hat overnight after thre accident but it was Monday and they were both back at work. The grocery store was boarded up and undergoing clean up. The building inspector said it could be repaired, but first the rest of the debris needed clean up. Meanwhile groceries could be ordered for pick up and the staff would pack it all and even deliver. Out of the fourteen people that went to the hospital only the driver of the burned out car died. many had been released after verifying no damage but six were still in hospital.
Travis had worked ranches most of his life so didn't need much instruction, after Brett showed him around he got fencing materials, climbed on a quad and set out to ride the fence himself. Brett liked the other man and was glad he'd hired on. With Travis and the other men helping they would be ready for the sale.
A familiar black pick up pulled in beside his own truck just as he came out of the calf barn. While Brett was glad to see her, he was angry too. The emotions warred inside. She waved an arm in his direction and went toward the front door like she'd seen him at breakfast. Anger won out and he stormed after her. The backdoor slammed closed behind him and he heard gasping sobs from her room. The anger inside him stilled, he closed his eyes and counted to ten before going in to see her.
He'd expected to find her on the bed so was surprised she was standing by the window, her arms wrapped around herself. "Maisey?" she wouldn't look at him and didn't answer, "Maisey where were you?"
She turned, thick tears clung to her lashes and left marked on her cheeks. He groaned when he saw the bruises and healing scratches on her face and hands. "I'm going to kill him." Brett growled.
Maisey hiccuped, "It wasn't him." Her body shuddered, "This was his mother and sister. They're facing charges now too."
"What the hell happened?"
"There was a message on my phone when I got back from Slim's. It was my lawyer: the judge wanted to review my testimony, I needed to be in chambers. So I got a flight, rented a car and went. The judge showed me a video in front of the lawyers," she choked back her embarrassment, "that made it look like I was begging..." her voice broke, "begging Luke to whore me out and it showed me doing things I'll never do again so long as I live." The tears were coming hard. "His family wanted to get him out of prison with it. I threw up in the judges garbage can. After the judge told the family it wouldn't work they waited for me outside the courthouse and attacked me. I was in the hospital for two days."
"Oh my God," Brett could barely breath, "You should still be in the hospital shouldn't you?"
"They came to the hospital," she was taking calming breaths, "my lawyer had to file a restraining order. I had to leave before the doctor wanted to release me. They contacted Andy who promised if they could medevac me back he would take over my care. He met me at the airport but I wouldn't let him take me to the hospital or the clinic. I don't think he's very happy with me right now."
"You'd better believe I'm not," Andy barked as he came in. "Get the shirt off, you're bleeding through, Brett you'll hold her down if it comes to that because the idiot wouldn't even let them stitch her and will probably bleed out on your floor."
Maisey grinned, "He won't have to," she started unbuttoning, "but he'll have to help me get the shirt off while you sterilize things." she winced, "She tried to stab me," Maisey explained to a confused Brett, "I think the blood has probably made the shirt stick. Go get a really wet cloth to hold over it or it will tear more."
Brett looked askance at Andy who nodded, "Maisey, will anything with you ever be simple?" Maisey laughed, "At least tell me you're not going to black out."
"No blacking out, but you are going to get an eyeful and see some things I never wanted you to see so prepare yourself." She gritted her teeth and let him help her take her arm out of the sleeve of the button up shirt. He sucked in a breath at the scars on her back, " His belt was his favourite weapon," she told him, "Though sometimes it was other things: that one one my hip there was an iron, and the two round ones were metal cans I'd forgot to take to recycling." She shuddered as he touched another one, "That one was not him. He'd passed out, one of his friends decided he wanted to skin me to see what happened. Luke nearly killed the man for marring his property."
"If they ever come here I'll take a branding iron to them, " he used the sleeve to wipe her tears, "I'm not sure if I'm madder that you left without saying anything or that you didn't let Andy take care of this at the hospital."
Maisey sighed and leaned her head on his chest, "I'm tired of strange people touching me and seeing me, I needed to be with people I trust."
"Alright let me take the rest of the shirt," Andy took the cloth away from Brett so he could peel it. "Maisey hang on to Brett as much as we can. After the stitches are in we can wrap the ribs."
"Ribs?" Brett held still not wanting to do more damage as Maisey pressed her face and her now bare chest into him. She nodded, and he could feel her tension as she tried to stay still while Andy worked. Anna rushed in apologizing for being late. She raised an eyebrow at Brett and took over Dionne of the work for Andy.
Brett stroked her hair and muttered encouragement while trying to ignore the fact that the woman he'd rescued had said she wanted to be with someone she trusted than with professionals while she pressed herself against him. She had mentioned trust before but had always been very careful about what she let Brett see. He worried about what had changed for her that she wasn't sharing. She had obviously traveled a long way without medical help based on her comment.
"And done." Anna held a towel up for Maisey to cover her front with, "Let's go sponge bath you before Andy wraps your ribs."
Brett puttered at cleaning dishes in the kitchen: Andy told him about the charges against the street racers and the release from the hospital of some of the others. It was good news. "I thought I past being surprised by the damage that jerk did to the woman he promised to love and cherish but seeing that..." Brett gripped the counter, "I'll never understand how she can trust a man again."
Maisey came into the room in clean clothes, her long hair braided and pinned up out of the way. She was wearing a sports bra under and carrying a button up plaid shirt she'd borrowed from him when they'd gone quadding one time. He smiled for her while his heart ached. "Okay Doc, do your worst."
Bruising was all over her stomach where she'd been kicked, more scars from Luke's belt and thre bandage covering the stitches: more heat for the fire of hatred for the man who had done that to her. Andy wrapped bandaging around her to stabilize the ribs and showed Brett how to tell if it was right enough.
"No lifting, no jumping, quadding or riding for at least 2 weeks." he glared at his patient. "Not even a pan of lasagna Maisey."
"or a pool cue." Anna added.
"or that either." Andy scowled when she tried to argue, "I'm sure you functioned with worse when that asshat that you call an ex-husband wouldn't let you see a Doctor but you're my patient and if I find out you've disobeyed my orders I won't help you out again."
Anna and Brett had pity on their faces but Maisey touched Andy's arm, "I am sorry about what I said in Calgary, I really think going to another hospital and having other people I didn't know touch me would have triggered a full panic attack. I should have let you drive me back. I shouldn't have put myself at risk like that. I wasn't really thinking straight though."
Andy glared a minute longer, the silence stretching out, "Brett you'd better get yourself a housekeeper and cook that will mother this woman or she's going to ignore me."
Everyone burst out laughing, Maisey couldn't even fake a sulky face. "Actually, Ned and I hired someone yesterday to cook for the bunkhouse, I'll just let them know to cook for 3 more." He looked sideways at Maisey, "I'm pretty sure this one would chase off a housekeeper though."
"Would not," Maisey promised, "I hate scrubbing toilets and washing walls, it was the only way I had of earning my keep." She continued to smile, "But that's one piece of good news I got from my lawyer. My money has been untangled from Luke's accounts now, and they've unfrozen my account, which means I can afford to pay rent now."
"I'll hear nothing of that my girl," Ned stood in the backdoor, "This is your home for as long as you want it. This nephew of mine has no say in that. The ranch I deeded to him, the house to you. I just didn't get to tell you that with big, tall and brawny storming out to get drunk."