Chapter 12 ~ Rhett

Rhett awoke to movement around him. He opened one eye to see Taylor spread out against his side. He closed it again and let himself relax.

He layed still and basked in Tae's presence. She was like sunshine. You could feel her warmth just from being near her. He pulled her to him and she snuggled against him willingly.

As he took in her features relaxed with sleep, he recalled the events that had taken place yesterday. She had brought him home to clean his battle wounds from the fight. She'd listened patiently while he told her his story, and then, she'd held him while he broke down.

She had been so strong for him yesterday while he was weak. That was what he loved about her.

Love. This can't be love already, he thought to himself.

After he had cried himself to sleep, Taylor had gotten him up and moved them to the bed. He hadn't slept that soundly in weeks.

Taylor stirred beside him and moaned in her sleep. He looked over at the bedside clock. It was already five-fifty. He was going to be late.

"Crap," he said as he sat up.

Pain shot through his back, and he let out a hiss.

"You're not going in today, cowboy," Taylor said as she pulled him back to her.

She pulled him so that he rolled onto his stomach and he was staring down at her.

"That's not how it works on the ranch, Tae," he said as he looked down into her sleep-filled eyes.

"Oh yes it is when your mama and your woman both say so," she said right back.

"Always so sassy," he said, smiling at her.

She curled up against him and murmured something incoherent. Rhett wrapped an arm around her and laid his head on her chest. He soon fell back asleep.

Rhett woke again later to the smell of bacon. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Tae wasn't beside him anymore. He could sense her presence like a farmer did rain before a storm.

Rolling over, he groaned. It felt like a hundred tiny knives had been stabbed in his back. He groaned all the way to the kitchen, where Taylor was standing at the stove.

He chuckled at her outfit. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and his boxers as shorts again. He walked to the cabinet and grabbed the ibuprofen bottle.

He went to take three when Taylor handed him a piece of toast.

"Here, you have to have something in your stomach before you take those," she said to him.

He snickered at her tone.

"Yes, mother," he said rolling his eyes.

He was hungry though, and so he scarfed down the toast. She gave him a cup of orange juice to take the medicine.

When his medicine had been taken, he went to sit at the bar. He watched as Tae cooked breakfast. His stomach rumbled and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"You didn't eat lunch yesterday did you?" she asked.

He thought back and shook his head.

"Max and I were too busy to make it to the bunkhouse for lunch. That's where I was headed when I ran into Creek," he explained.

His blood boiled as he thought about their encounter yesterday. He wondered how bad Creek had been hurt.

His focus was changed as Taylor slid fried eggs and hash browns onto his plate.

"I talked to your mama this morning," she started slowly. Rhett studied her, and seeming to feel his gaze, she looked up to meet his eyes. Surprising him, her green eyes were sparkling with amusement. "She said that Creek will not be at the ranch for a couple of weeks because he has a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs, a broken nose, and a slightly fractured jaw," she said, trying to hide her smile.

He shook his head. Man, he didn't even remember the fight lasting long enough for him to do that much damage. He looked at her again, her eyes now tinted with worry.

"She also told me that she sent Jack on a business trip and he'd be gone for ten days." She chewed on her cheek as she looked out the window. "Rhett, we saw everything from the start yesterday. I saw your brawl with Creek through the window and got her attention. She told me to let ya'll hash it out because that's what boys do," she said shaking her head. "We were also both standing there watching when Jack took a two-by-four to the back of your head," she said softly.

He sucked in a breath. It was one thing that Jack had made sure of over the years, that Mom never see any of his abuse. She knew it was happening and would rip him a new one, but she never saw it.

Taylor looked up at him with big eyes.

"Rhett, I've never seen your mom so mad before," she said. "She looked like, at that moment, that she'd kill Jack with her own hands and have no regrets. She was so mad," she repeated again.

Rhett shook his head.

"She's never seen it before," he said quietly.

Her eyes widened and she nodded in understanding.

They finished their breakfast in comfortable silence. When they had finished, Taylor picked up the dishes and put them in the sink. He watched as she walked back to him. She slid up behind him and gently wrapped her arms around him, being careful to avoid his back.

"Let's take a look at you, shall we?" she said as she ran her hand over his back.

He winced when she hit a tender spot.

"Sorry," she said, making an adorable expression of apology.

He chuckled as she continued her exploration.

"You know, you should have been a doctor. You cleaned me up real nice last night," he smirked.

Her smile fell.

"I could never afford a doctor, so I learned early on how to do everything myself. Google is a woman's best friend you know," she said, giving a small smile.

He shook his head at her in wonder. How he deserved a woman as strong and smart as her, he'd never know.

She took his face in her hands and laid a kiss on his nose.

"Quit thinking like that, cowboy," she told him.

He scooped her up in her arms.

"Get out of my head, Tae. There's only room for one of us right now," he chuckled.

She giggled and looked up at him. Her face turned serious and she took a deep breath.

"I think we need to go see your mama, now. She is worried sick about you, Rhett," she said up to him.

He nodded his head in agreement.

"I was thinking about that too. She needs to see that I'm fine. Thanks to you that is," he said.

She smiled. "Okay, let's throw some clothes on. We have nothing better planned for the day, anyway," she said shrugging.

Rhett could think of better things to do, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Getting dressed, they quickly got ready to head out. As they walked down the steps of the porch, Rhett held his hand for the keys. She looked up at him and smiled devilishly.

"I don't know, I enjoyed driving your truck last night," she said coyly.

"Oh no, Pretty Girl, that was a one-time-only thing. I don't ride passenger seat," he said smiling at her.

She still held on to the keys, so he bent down and kissed her. She melted into him, and he took the chance to take the keys out of her hands.

"Hey, that's fighting dirty!" she called after him.

He chuckled.

"All is fair in love and war," he called over his shoulder.

They climbed into the truck, Taylor mumbling under her breath, and headed to the farmhouse. When they pulled up in front of the house, Rhett could see Ringo jumping up and down in the front yard.

He stepped out of the truck and called to Ringo.

"What is it, boy?" he hollered.

The dog began to bark madly, and Rhett knew that something was very wrong. He ran to the house and opened the door. There, lying in the middle of the living room, was his mother.

"Call an ambulance, Taylor!" he yelled out.

She rushed up beside him with her phone already out. He fell to the floor beside his mother and pulled her into his arms. He felt for a pulse, but he was shaking too much to be able to tell. He tried to get a response from her, but there was no reaction.

As the ambulance arrived, he watched numbly as they loaded her into the vehicle. He climbed into the back with Taylor in a daze. Taylor answered all of the EMTs ' questions, then gave them Mama's information.

The ride became a blur, and soon they were at the hospital. They were ushered to a private waiting room and told that they would be back soon with news.

Rhett stared at the wall unable to string together a full thought. He heard Tae talking and tried to pay attention. He realized she was only murmuring things that were meant to reassure him.

"She's a strong woman, Rhett. She'll pull through this," she said as she climbed onto his lap.

She wrapped her arms around him, and he held her to him.

She was his rock, but instead of pulling him down, she was the only thing that was keeping him afloat.

The doctor came back with news.

"Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery?" he asked coming into the room.

Tae climbed off of him and sat in the chair next to him. She didn't bat an eye at the use of his last name.

"Yes, that's us, doctor," she said respectfully.

The man looked to be in his mid-forties, but he looked fit. He sat down across from them and put his elbows on his knees.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Newton," he said.

He looked between them seriously and then clasped his hands together.

"Let's get to the point. Your mother had a small heart attack. She is okay, but it will take her a few weeks to recover. She will most likely be in the hospital for at least three days," he told them.

Rhett couldn't believe this.

A heart attack? Were they for sure?

"What could have caused this? She didn't have any heart problems," he asked the doctor.

Dr. Newton nodded and looked down at his clipboard.

"No, she had no prior conditions that would have spurred this on," he agreed. "These can be caused by stress, anxiety, extreme sadness, or guilt though," he added. At the last mention of the last one, he stiffened. He hoped that wasn't what had happened. "Now, I need to know, has there been anything that has happened in the last few days that could have evoked these emotions?" he asked seriously.

Taylor looked over at him, and he met her eyes nodding. It was best if the doctor knew.

"Yes, Doc, yesterday something happened that very much could have tripped her guilt wire," he answered.

Dr. Newton only nodded his head.

"Yes, guilt can cause heart attacks very easily. Has the guilt been building up, or just in the last few days?" he questioned.

Rhett snorted.

"Well, let's see, I'm twenty-six. I'd say it's been building up for twenty-six years, sir. Yesterday, she just saw up close for the first time what she has felt guilty about since the day I was born," he informed him.

The doctor nodded and scribbled down something on his clipboard.

"Okay, noted. Well, she is in great hands here, and I doubt she will be here any longer than a week, if that," he said to them smiling.

Tae nodded and sent him her 'dazzle you' smile.

"So doc, when do you think we can see her? We're really worried about her," she said looking sad.

"Well, I think give the nurses fifteen more minutes, then I will send one of them to come get you," he said as he sent her a wink.

She blushed as he walked out the door.

Rhett's composure for the doc cracked and he let out a sob. Tae instantly slid back into her place against him.

"It's my fault, Tae. She was too damn busy thinking about me, that she had a heart attack. What kind of son am I?" he sobbed into her shoulder.

"You're the son who has a mother that loves him more than he will ever know. You're a son who has a mother who feels terrible for never putting a stop to her husband abusing you. That's what kind of son you are," she said stroking his head.

His tears dried and he held Taylor a little closer.

"It scared the hell out of me, to walk in there, and see her lying on the ground like that. She was pale as a sheet, Tae," he said hoarsely.

"I know, babe, I know," she said, gently stroking his back. She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. "Rhett she's going to be fine. There is no danger of her dying, and when you see her in a few minutes, she'll tell you that herself," she reassured him.

As if she was in control of the hospital, a nurse walked through the door.

"The Montgomery's?" she asked.

They nodded and got up. Rhett followed behind Tae down the hall.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Mrs. Montgomery?" he questioned.

Her neck flushed, and she turned to look back at him.

"Sorry. They wouldn't let me see her, or go with you, if I wasn't family," she explained.

He leaned down and kissed her neck.

"I like it on you," he said.

She tripped, and he caught her around the waist.

"See, I've already got you falling for me," he laughed.

She gave him a flustered look, but he didn't give her time to reply. They were at his mother's room. They poked their heads in, and there she was sitting up in the bed. She looked pale and weak, and Rhett didn't like seeing her like this.

She looked up and smiled when she saw them walk into the room. Rhett instantly dropped to his knees beside her bed and grabbed her hand.

He broke into tears as he held her. Taylor brought a chair over and sat down beside him. She rubbed his back gently, and he flinched when pain shot up his back.

"Oh shoot, I'm so sorry, hon. I didn't even think about the gashes," she exclaimed.

His mother's eyes got round, but she didn't say anything. She simply looked at Rhett, deflated.

"We need to talk, Rhett," she said.