✽+†+✽ Cowboy Mine ✽+†+✽
+†+ Beau Blanton is well known and respected in the rodeo community and co-owner of the 3B Ranch in Montana. After the notification that his older brother was Missing in Action Beau returns home to take on the responsibiliti...
**** Three days had passed, and still the storm had not lifted. Drina passed back and forth rubbing her hands together. It was Christmas Eve, Beau was showing a little improvement, but she would have felt more assured had she been able to speak with any of the men again.
Beau hadn't opened his eyes in almost fourty-eight hours, his fever had gone down but was staying around 102°F. She gave him cool sponge baths daily which helped take the fever down a bit, but it didn't stay down.
Rowdy had taken her through what to do to care for Beau. The sound of his breathing was either a loud wheezing, or almost none existent. She could have sworn he'd stopped breathing all together a few times.
"Drina..." a low rasp came from behind her and she spun to find cobalt blue eyes staring into hers.
Drina hurried to his side and took his hand in hers. "Beau, you have no idea how worried I've been."
He coughed and grimaced. "....radio...." He tried to wet his dry cracked lips.
"I've gotten through a few times. They know where we are and will be here with the chopper as soon at the storm lets up enough." Drina lifted a cup of water to his lips and he sipped.
"Drina..."
"Shhhh, save your strength."
He gave her a weak smile, caressed her cheek and went back to sleep. Drina could no longer hold back the tears.
'Are you giving up? NO! You can't give up! I won't let you!! You were an Army Ranger and they never give up!' She kissed his burning lips.
"I love you, Beau. You can't give up, not now, not ever! Ava needs you, I need you! What about Bobbi, Lillie, Rowdy and the others? They all need you! Do you hear me! You've never backed down from a fight in your entire life! Don't you dare start now!"
Drina climbed onto the bunk next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and prayed for strength; not just for herself, but for him. It was close to midnight when exhaustion finally claimed her.
* * *
A few hours later Drina made her way across the cabin to the wash basin. 'Creak, creak.' She'd forgotten about the loose floor board while caring for her patient. Drina had washed her face and hands and caught her sock covered foot on the edge of the floorboard, causing her to trip.
"Ouch!"
Looking down, she realized that the wood board was slightly raised, so she bent to pull it up. Under the floorboard was a secret compartment and inside sat a large, metal ammunitions box filled with thick, dusty files in clear plastic. On top of the box were the initials 'B.A.B,' and written on the side was...'Major Brett A. Blanton U.S. Army Rangers.'
"Hmmm. What's this?" She looked around the hidden compartment, "This must be the compartment and files he was talking about, but what is so important about all this stuff?"
Drina looked over at the sleeping man. "He must not know about all this." Being a little nosy, she lifted a file, then seeing the words, 'FBI,' and above that writen in large red lettering, 'CLASSIFIED.' She returned it. Hearing Beau's groan she covered the compartment and didn't bring it to his attention.
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