Page 39 of Loving Justice
The wound was still raw and ghastly, but it had healed significantly since the incident, and the new, thinner bandage felt much better. “In a week. I got it.”
“No more playing with bulls again, you hear?” Doc patted Jinx’s leg and dragged off his gloves, dropping them into the trash can. “Watch for swelling or redness. You can still walk on it some, but be aware that if you do too much, it’s going to slow the healing process.”
“I hear you,” Jinx muttered. At least he could wear his jeans now.
A knock came on the door. Doc opened the door. “Hello, Justice.”
Jinx tilted his head so he could see past the doc. Justice looked like a ray of sunshine. Her hair was pulled up off her neck, and she wore a simple top and jeans. She had probably just come back from her chores with the horses. “I can come back.”
“I was just leaving. Jinx, you want some company?” Doc asked.
“I’d love some.” He always looked forward to seeing Justice and today was no different.
“I’m heading out.” Doc waved at Jinx. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Thanks for everything, Doc.”
Once the door shut behind him, Jinx settled his gaze at Justice. “Mornin’.”
“Morning.” She slid her hands into her back pockets. “Apparently you’ve been given the approval to go to Catskills.”
He nodded. “It seems so.” He pulled down the leg of his sweats.
“There’s something I’d like to speak to you about.” She looked a bit uneasy.
“Have a seat.” He patted the bed next to his hip.
Taking her hands out of her pockets, she sat on the bed and shifted so that she could see him. “I’ve been thinking.” The tip of her tongue darted out to lick her lips. He’d never seen her this troubled. “It’s difficult to put into words.”
“Sometimes you should just spit it out.”
“A few months ago, Daddy sat my sisters and me down and had a very strange demand.” She ran her palms down her jeans denim-clad thighs. “He gave us an ultimatum. Either we marry someone within the year, or we lose all rights to Sagebrush Rose Ranch.”
And the plot thickens.
“That’s some ultimatum.” Jinx could fit the puzzle pieces together. Sam found out he had cancer and needed to ensure that his daughters were taken care of, not that they needed anyone to take care of them. Although Jinx didn’t agree with the ultimatum, he knew if his days were numbered he would want those he loved to be prepared for the future.
She cleared her throat. “I’d like to offer you a business proposition.”
“I’m all ears.” He could almost guess what she had in mind.
“Marry me. We could both benefit. I meet Daddy’s ridiculous requirement, and you have a role model for Ilene.”
He had to admit, the offer wasn’t one that could easily be turned down…if that’s where he was headed. And he wasn’t too shocked that she was asking. The marriage discussion with Sam had paved the way. Nothing that happened with the Rose family would surprise him.
“You serious?”
“Yes.” Her bottom lip trembled.
“I just had to check. Ilene could use someone.” He scraped his fingers down his jaw, expecting to find whiskers there and not a smooth jaw. “But marriage? A marriage of convenience?”
“I know it seems all so…awkward, but I assure you, Daddy is sticking to his guns. He’s as stubborn as an old goat. It’s interesting that he wants his daughters to marry and he isn’t himself because he doesn’t believe in matrimony.”
Jinx smiled, but he remembered that Justice had no clue that her father had cancer and had refused treatment. She would be devastated. Oddly, Jinx had a strong desire to protect her. He understood how losing a parent could be painful. How it turned everything upside down. “I’m not sure—”
“Not sure? I know it’s a lot.” She tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of the messy bun.
“It’s a big decision.”