Lonely Secrets: Yellowstone Ranch Series

25

I spent the whole day a nervous wreck, waiting for everyone to come back. I made chili and cornbread. Sweet cornbread. I didn't like it but it's what the boys liked so that's how I made it. I wanted to make a pie but there wasn't any fruit or canned pie filling so I had to pass on that.

Everybody was back before dark, and that's how I knew how bad it was outside. It was rare for us to be done before eight or nine on any normal day. So when they all trudged in at four thirty, I got worried.

"Smells good in here." Lloyd smiled as he walked in the door behind Colby.

I grinned,"I figured y'all would be hungry."

"As long as it's warm." Colby slipped off his boots and went straight for the stove.

The others came in slowly behind them. Ryan's nose was bright red and then blue at the end when he pulled down his bandana.

I grabbed a cloth and ran it under warm water than rang it out.

He flopped onto the couch and took his hat off.

"Put this on your nose," I asked,"You feeling okay?" I handed him the rag.

He took it and did as he was told. His hands were bruised almost but I didn't look too close. He shook his head a little. "Just check on Rip." He was short of breath and shivering.

He hadn't came inside yet. But I looked around. "Where is he?" I looked at Lloyd now.

"He-"

The door opened and slammed shut as Rip stumbled in. I hurried to him. "What's wrong?" I asked, trying to guide him to the fireplace. I was taken aback by how he looked. His cheek was red and swollen and his bottom lip looked blue and black.

What's wrong? Seriously, Ada? It's negative degrees and a blizzard and you asked this man what's wrong.

He didn't give me a smart ass answer like I expected from him. He looked down at me and pulled his gloves off. I bit my tongue and dreadfully looked down at them. I already knew what I was about to see.

Both were blood red. But on his right hand, from his knuckles to his finger tips, a pale blue. And then the tip of his ring finger and almost all of his pinky was dark blue. The tip of his middle finger was black. That was what I expected.

I didn't expect the bloodied knuckles that were busted open. That didn't look like frostbite.

I looked at Ryan was also had bruised hands.

"What did you two do?" I whispered, before hurrying to grab whatever I could find. There wasn't much I could do or that I knew how to do. I planned to treat him as I treated an animals wounds. I didn't know what else to do.

I ran to the washroom and turned on the sink. The water was ice cold for several minutes. It slowly started to get warm. I called for him to come in.

Rip stepped into the washroom.

"Put your hands under that." I instructed while I reached in to turn the shower on.

"It's cold." He took his hands away and tried to turn the hot water up.

I quickly turned it back to where it was. "No it's not. You just can't tell." I sifted through the cabinets, looking for cotton balls and ace bandages. His skin was definitely going to start peeling or blistering soon if he didn't get warm. "Take off your coat, you're going to start sweating and that's gonna make it worse." When I didn't hear him take it off, I just assumed he was being stubborn. I rolled my eyes.

I felt the shower. It was finally just warm enough for him.

"Alright. At least half an hour in there." He kicked off his boots and then I heard him mess with his belt. I turned around to leave. But then I didn't hear anything more. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together. "Can you get it?" I asked, hesitant at first.