Chapter 8

Ring ... Ring ... Ring

Shelly really didn't want to answer her phone after looking at the caller id, but she knew that it was time for her to start getting involved in her business affairs, something that she could do whether or not her body was in pieces.

"This is Shelly." She reluctantly said to her attorney.

"Ms. Wither's, we hadn't heard from you in awhile and got concerned when we received the bill from a Dr. Carter" replied Mr. Hensley.

"Yes, I have had a bit of a relapse. About 2 weeks ago something spooked Shadow and I got tossed onto my right side. Then yesterday morning I was out for one of my runs and my knee seized up on me apparently there is a tear in there after all. Now that the other injuries from the accident are healed this one came to light."

"Do you need me to get your orthopedic up there?"

"No, Dr. Carter is in communication with him and I am in very good hands here."

"Is there anything you need? We have seen to it that all your affairs are being handled, I have a young lady I hired strictly to work on your accounts."

"Thank you Mr. Hensley, I would like you and the young lady to come up here and get me up to date on my affairs, have her download all my files to a disc so that I can get them updated on my laptop here and can monitor them. It will be awhile before I will be able to do the work 100% and if she has done a good job I will probably keep her on full-time to be my assistant. I will explain why once you both are here and I have had a chance to review her work I also want scanned copies of all royalty check sheets and production logs for the last year ... yes I do have my laptop here, and no I haven't pulled it out since I got here, but things in my life have significantly changed in the last few weeks ... when you arrive at the ranch go to the front desk and ask for either Jennifer or Cassie, they are the ones who have been assigned to help care for me while Justin is away ... I will explain it all when you are here ... we have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to get it done in."

"Yes Ms. Wither's I will see to the travel arrangements and give you an approximate time frame on when we will be there."

"Great, thank you Mr. Hensley, if for some reason I don't answer my phone just leave a detailed message and I will see you when you get here. Unfortunately I am unable to get up and move much and cannot always get to my phone in time."

Knock ... Knock ... Knock.

"Hi Cassie, come on in!" "I came to check and see how you were doing" replied Cassie.

"I am doing okay, I haven't had to get up except to go to the bathroom this chair is much better than the bed that is for sure. I forgot how much I really hate sleeping alone let alone having to be stuck in bed not being able to do anything."

Cassie giggled "I have a feeling Justin is really going to have his hands full once he gets back keeping you from being on the go all the time. You hate to sit still!"

"Your right I have never really been the type to not do anything but sit on my ass getting fatter" Shelly laughed right along with Cassie. "Although in a few months I won't have much choice but to put some weight on, nothing worse than feeling like a beached whale."

Cassie's jaw dropped and a strange look crossed her face. "Are you saying you are... ?"

"Yes Cassie, it appears I may very well have a bun in the oven. I hadn't been keeping track of my cycle since the accident and yesterday morning Justin and I well ... Let's just say he and I became even closer, and while we were eating lunch I ovulated so more than likely I am pregnant."

"So that is why you were so stubborn and were refusing to take the pain meds even though you really did need them."

"Yes it is, but Dr. Carter said he would send over a new prescription that won't have the side effects this one does."

"You mean these" Cassie asked holding up a bottle of pills?

"Yes, thank you for bring them to me. I could really use a diet coke, if you would go grab me one and maybe some fruit for my afternoon snack that would probably be the healthiest."

"Sure I can do that, I am glad you are more comfortable in that chair. Is there anything else you need before I go run do that?"

"Actually yes there is. In my closet there is a laptop bag, if you could pull it out and get it plugged in, it is time for me to catch up on what is going on with my business and finances. Does the Wi-Fi signal reach out by the pool? I would really love to sit out in the sun and get some fresh air while I get caught up; I hate to see the tons of e-mail that has accumulated in my inbox over the last few months."

"I will check with Marie and see where the signal is, and if you can get it outside and your battery is fully charged, I will get Chris to come move you to the pool. Chris is just as strong as Justin and will easily be able to carry you down. I won't risk you trying to walk down there yourself."

"Also, my attorney and the assistant he hired to help care for my accounts are going to be coming to see me, it is high time I got a hold of my business affairs. If you could ask Marie if she could get Mr. Wilson's permission to use his office so that I can conduct my business affairs and interview the young lady as my full-time assistant without the whole ranch knowing exactly who I am?"

Cassie had a perplexed look on her face, than as she thought about even she didn't know exactly who Ms. Shelly really was. "Sure I can easily do that for you" replied Cassie curious by this turn of events.

"Cassie, I guess it is time you know exactly who I am, not that I really like people knowing, but since you have been helping me and will find out soon enough, I just ask that you not spread it around, I really try to keep a low profile. I am sure you have heard of the huge West Texas oil & gas deal that happened nearly 2 years ago?"

"Yes I did read about that in the paper ... one of the largest sales in Texas history wasn't it?"

"That it was, and do you remember hearing the last name Withers?"

"Sure I did, they had all the partners names and businesses listed ... why?"

"My name is Shelly Withers and my family was one of the partners, both my dad's business and my mom's, my dad passed away about 6 months after the sale and everything was split 50/50 between me and my brother. Then with mom's death in the car accident well while I only own 50% of the business, I am in charge of the other 50% it is in trust for any children my brother ever has."

"I can understand why you don't want people to know, you have been through way too much and there are those who would try to sucker you out of your money. Um Shelly have you told Justin exactly who you are?"

"No not yet, I wanted to make sure he loved me for me and not for my money, but when he gets back I will have to tell him exactly who I am, I just hope I don't lose him. I am afraid he will shy off when he realizes the kind of lifestyle I live, although I will never rejoin society to many painful memories."

"Shelly, don't worry, Justin truly loves you, and you are carrying his child, he will do anything it takes to be with you. I have yet to see him be greedy or money hungry. You should see how women really rich women try to throw themselves at him. Yet you, he just looks into your eyes and wants no other but you."

"Thank you Cassie, that does make me feel better. Well my battery is only down to 85%, it won't take long for it to be fully charged."

"I will go check on those things with Marie, and get you that diet coke; I better read the instructions on your pills. Just as I thought take with food. I will be back shortly" said Cassie as she headed out to run her errands.

Shelly looked at the clock and saw it was only 3pm. "God this day is going so slow, I really wish Justin was here, I would love to do nothing more than lay in that bed and have him snuggle me close. I really love being in his arms, not to mention having him be buried deep in me. Just a few more days and he will be by my side again and I just hope Cassie is right and finding out who I am doesn't scare him away."

Ring ... ring ... ring

Justin must have been reading my mind Shelly thought to herself as she saw the name on her caller id. "Hi sweetheart, how is your afternoon going?"

"Not bad Shelly, I just felt the need to call you and see how you are doing?"

"Despite everything I am doing well, last night was the first night I slept all night ... no nightmares waking me up. Also I finally answered my attorney's call and he is coming to see me, it is high time I got a grip on my affairs."

"Shelly, I am so glad you feel that way, it is such a relief knowing that you are starting to see life as worth living again."

"Justin, you are the one who started me on the path to healing, your love and patience. I still have a long way to go, but in time I will heal."

"And I will be there every step of the way my little wife, I have no intentions of you ever having to go through anything alone again, I will always be there for you. Well honey, I should get back before Mr. Wilson realizes I have been gone too long. I will call you tonight after we get done for the day."

"Okay honey, I will be here, I plan on being in bed by 9pm so that little Cassie can meet Chris at the pond tonight ... Yes I have been playing matchmaker ... she needed to see that he looks at her like you look at me. It seems like she has had a crush on you since she started working here."

"I never noticed, she is so young that I would have never even guessed that she had a crush on me, besides I too have seen the way Chris has looked at her, he is only about 2 years older than her so age wise they are well matched. Too bad I am not there I could carry you down by the pond and we could sneak up on them and see what happens."

"I wish you were here too. There is nothing I want more than to be in your arms, well maybe underneath you, but I will just have to wait till you return at the end of the week. I love you and will talk to you when you call tonight."

"Bye Shelly, I really do love you too."

Shelly felt much more relaxed after talking with Justin, how is it he knows just when I need him. First out in the ocean, than when I went for that stupid run and now just thinking about him holding me and being in me. We just truly are meant to be together, while it doesn't take away the pain of the past his love definitely helps me get through the day. Justin couldn't help but smile has he hung up the phone and head back into the show to sit with Mr. Wilson. He almost told her that he was flying back Thursday afternoon, but decided to wait and surprise her. Tomorrow night will be the last night she and I sleep in separate beds, he thought to himself, even if that means sleeping on the left side of the bed so as to not accidently hit her knee. Although I may end up spending more time on top of her then beside her, he thought smugly to himself. How many men would kill to have a woman like Shelly in their arms and their beds?