Chapter 6
For the next couple of days Ridge managed to stay clear of Mallory. He left the barn early and came back late. Most of the time he spent working on the fencing near the back field. The work was hard and hot, but it kept his mind occupied. Every time her face came into his mind he'd work harder. By the time he came back in the evening he showered and went straight to bed.
Then one evening he returned late and found Mallory and Maggie in the stall with one of their mares. It was evident that something was wrong. He stopped and watched as Mallory listened to the horse's stomach.
She looked up and straight into Ridge's eyes. A blush spread across her face as she looked back down at the horse. Maggie jumped up when she noticed her brother. "She's got a case of the colic. Mallory is hoping the treatment she'd tried will help."
Ridge leaned on the side of the stall door and watched the vet. She had sure hands as she examined the horse. Even he couldn't deny her ability to do her job. "What caused it?"
Without looking up, Mallory responded quietly. "Probably a change in feed, but Maggie said that they were grazing in a different field right now. Sometimes it's just a change in diet." She put her stethoscope to the horse's stomach.
He straightened and turned to go out of the barn. Maggie stopped him before he got a few feet. "Where are you headed? I thought maybe we could go grab a burger."
"I need a shower first." He grinned at his little sister and reached out to tousle her hair like a little girl.
Groaning, she reached up to straighten her hair back out. "Don't do that, you know it annoys me."
"Yes, I know." He laughed as he walked out of the barn and up toward the house.
Maggie turned back to watch Mallory. "Well, what do you think?"
"It's not too bad. I think we can treat it with meds. At least you caught it early." She stood up and reached into her bag for a syringe. Soothing the horse as she administered the medicine her mind went to the man that filled her dreams. He was a hard man to get to know and it was evident that he didn't want to get to know her.
When Mallory left, Maggie walked home. She was excited about having dinner with her big brother. The time he spent in Iraq was hard on her. He was her hero and she wanted to regain the relationship they'd shared before the war took him away. As soon as she stepped into the house her heart told her it would never be the same again. Ridge had changed and the effect of war scarred him, probably for life.
Ridge knocked on Maggie's bedroom door when he finished his shower. She called for him to come in. "I'm almost ready, just sit down for a minute." Maggie sat at her dressing table brushing her hair and pulling it up into a ponytail.
"Can I ask you something?" Her gaze met his in the reflection as he stood behind her, evidently deciding not to sit down.
The tense jerking of his jaw told her that questions made him wary. "Can I stop you?" Then a grin spread across his face as he finally sat down on the edge of her bed.
"No, but I wanted to be polite." She stuck her tongue out at him then continued. "I hear your cries at night and ?" For a moment she chewed her lip as sudden unsure emotions assaulted her, but quickly she pushed them to the side, "Ok, I know you don't like to talk about your time in the warzone, but I was wondering if you might want to talk, if you thought it might help with the nightmares?"
When her eyes ventured up to meet his, they were dark with deep emotion and uncertainty. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and turned his back to her. She knew the move well, he'd used it plenty since he'd been home. The move was evidently his security blanket to keep the world from seeing any emotion.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, but I worry about you."
His shoulders slumped as he continued to stare at the door. "I know you do and I love you for it, but I'm handling this in my way. Don't worry about me." He turned back to face her as she stood up. The sadness in his eyes tore at her heart, causing her to walk up and wrap her arms around him, laying her head on his chest.
Ridge wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I want the old Ridge back, the one that laughed and enjoyed life." She closed her eyes as his familiar scent permeated her senses. While he was gone she'd sometimes slip into his room and lie on his bed inhaling his scent.
"The old Ridge is gone Maggie. I'm sorry, but the things I've been through have touched something inside of me and destroyed my heart, possibly forever." Tears formed in his eyes as memories flooded his mind.
Maggie shook her head vigorously and looked up at him. "He's still here," she put her hand over his heart, "and I know you'll find him." Then to lighten the mood she grinned. "I know a lady who'd jump at the chance to find your heart."
That brought out a laugh. "And who is that?" He thought she was talking about herself.
"Mallory." She winked at him and headed for the door quickly, leaving him standing in stunned silence. When she turned back to see what his reaction was, it was evident that he'd noticed the new vet. "Don't you see it?"
"Maggie, don't play matchmaker. I'm no good for anyone right now." He walked up and put his hand under her chin. "Let's go grab a greasy hamburger."
Shrugging her shoulders, Maggie grabbed his hand and they walked down the stairs. "I thought we'd try the new burger place. It opened a couple of weeks ago and everyone says it's great." She talked all the way to the truck.
Ridge couldn't help the slight grin as his sister continued to talk nonstop all the way to the restaurant. When he pulled into a parking space he turned to look at her. "Aren't your jaws sore?"
At first she looked at him with a blank, confused look, but then it came to her what he meant. She popped him on the arm and giggled. "Welcome home big brother. Now that's the old Ridge."
They walked into the little fifties style restaurant and sat down at a window booth. Each booth had a mini jukebox which made Maggie giggle with excitement. "Oh Ridge, this is so cute. Let's play some cool music." Quickly she dug out some change and started selecting music.
He groaned as she picked a song and started the jukebox. The waitress took their order and walked back around the corner, glancing back at Ridge. She winked as she rounded the end of the counter.
Maggie didn't miss a thing in the exchange. "I think that waitress has a crush on you." She turned back to grin at him as he turned to stare out the window. "Didn't you notice the way she was looking at you and then winked?"
"Yes Maggie, I noticed." His bad mood had returned. It was hard to stay in an up mood these days. When he looked around at his sister she was frowning. "Sorry Maggie, I just don't pay attention to stares anymore." His meaning was lost on her, but not on him. Since he'd been home he was constantly noticing the stares from people. Usually it followed with a barrage of questions about his war time and injuries. He just couldn't take much more of it.
"Look Ridge, you're a good looking man and women notice. It's hard not to." She went quiet as the waitress brought their sodas. When she walked back to the counter, Maggie continued. "My friends love coming to the ranch so they can catch a glimpse of one of my brothers. It gets annoying, but it's the truth. You can't hide from it, so embrace it."
For a moment Ridge was quiet, then he looked up at her. "Maggie, most people stare because they're curious about my time in Iraq. I'm uncomfortable talking about it and I get really tired of people staring at me everywhere I go."
She almost snorted as she laughed out. "Ridge you sad man, women stared at you before you went into combat. Don't you know you're gorgeous? Women fall all over themselves when you or any one of my brothers is around. How I became the ugly duckling I'll never know." She grinned when her little joke hit him just right. Although Maggie wasn't conceited, she knew she was breathtaking, but it never went to her head.
"Cute, real cute," His heart warmed slightly at his sister's attempt at humor. The waitress brought their cheeseburgers and fries. "Just eat your greasy, cheese covered burger and pound of fries."
Th
ey ate their meal and carried on small talk. She was happy to have her brother to herself for a change. The old Ridge slipped through every once in a while, but then he'd quickly return to the hard edged soldier.
He surprised her on the way home with an ice cream cone from her favorite place. They both ordered chocolate dipped with sprinkles. The girl behind the counter almost drooled as she stared at Ridge. Maggie just rolled her eyes and enjoyed her cool treat.
When they walked back in the house Maggie gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Ridge. I enjoyed our night together. I've missed my big brother." She ran up the stairs singing happily.
He stood for a few minutes at the bottom of the stairs. It was good to be home, but he still didn't feel right. Finally he forced himself to go upstairs and get ready for bed. Why did he even try to sleep? The nightmares came when he laid down and some days he couldn't even stand the thoughts of trying. Maybe he needed to rethink therapy. His friend Joshua was seeing a local therapist and seemed to be feeling better about things.