Chapter 11
"So what did you find out?" Nate asked Jake a bit later. He was sitting in the chair near Jake's bed as his little brother's feet continued to thaw out under the space blanket.
"The shoe matched what we found at the scene," Jake told him.
"What can we do about it?" Nate wondered.
"Tell Heck," Jake shrugged. "See if he can get a search warrant to check for himself."
Nate nodded. "It doesn't mean Slocum was involved or knew."
"No," Jake agreed. "It might give Heck reason to look closer at Linc though. You know he can't be clean in all his dealings."
"That's true," Nate nodded again. He looked down at Jake's feet. "How are they?"
"They hurt like heck," Jake admitted.
"That's good though," Nate told him. "I'd worry more if you didn't feel anything." He got up and checked Jake's feet. They weren't white anymore. His color was coming back.
"For a little while there, I thought you had turned into a white person," Nate joked, rewrapping Jake's feet in the space blanket.
Jake chuckled.
"What are you going to tell Mom?" Nate wondered and Jake became serious.
"Nothin' if I can help it," Jake responded. "I'd like to get out of here early enough to get back to GBC before dark."
"What about Sam?" Nate asked.
Jake shrugged. "I'll call her and let her know I'm leaving. Anything else is up to her."
"It was a good thing she wasn't there," Nate said.
Jake nodded. Then he yawned.
"Go back to bed if you want," Jake told his brother.
"Nah," Nate shook his head. "I'm all right."
The two brothers' eyes met.
"Thanks Nate," Jake said.
"Not a problem, little man," Nate responded. "We should be able to take off the space blanket in a little while."
Jake nodded again and the two men talked about the ranch and then their fiancées.
"Where are you and Vanis going for your honeymoon?" Jake asked.
"Hawaii," Nate told him. "We're going to visit Kit and then spend some time at a nearby resort."
"Great," Jake responded.
"What about you and Sam?" Nate asked.
Jake shrugged. "We still have four years to decide. If she's still interested in marrying me."
"Why wouldn't she be?" Nate wondered. "You two have fought in the past and worked it out. This is nothin'."
"It's never nothin' with Sam," Jake told him. "Even when I'm right, she gets stubborn on me."
"If anyone can deal with her, you can," Nate said. Then he laughed. "You might be the only one who can deal with her."
Jake chuckled, knowing he was probably right.
"You'll work it out," Nate predicted. "Show her your arm and she'll start fussing over you."
"Oh like I want that," Jake shuddered.
"Let's take a look at your feet," Nate said, getting out of the chair and coming over. He gently unwrapped Jake's feet. "They look pretty good, how do they feel?"
"Pretty normal," Jake answered.
"Wiggle your toes," Nate told him.
Jake wiggled his toes.
Nate touched Jake's feet and Jake jerked, very ticklish on his feet. Nate chuckled.
"They feel warm," Nate said, standing back up. "I think you're okay to go to bed. Wear socks tonight though."
Jake nodded. "Thanks Nate."
"Nada, Jakey," Nate clapped his brother on the shoulder. "If anything changes, come get me."
"I will," Jake promised.
Nate left Jake's room and Jake stood up to strip out of the rest of his clothes. He crossed to his dresser to get a pair of dry socks and put them on. Then in exhaustion, he stumbled to his bed, falling face down and then crawling under the covers.
He groaned as he rolled over onto his hurt arm. Rolling back over on his other side, he was asleep within minutes.
