9. Lawson

NINE

I'd laugh, except she'd grab me by the balls and probably twist them into even bigger knots than they already are. It was something else seeing her stomp her pretty little ass to my bed, wearing my shirt and climbing up on top of the mattress. Juniper has no idea she gave me a peep show, too, of her pretty, creamy thighs and the fabric between her legs.

There was no way our conversation was going to continue, not when she pulled the comforter and sheets over her head, wrapping herself up like a burrito. All I could do was shake my head and walk out of the bathroom. Juni burying her head in the sand is only prolonging the inevitable. When Doctor Jimenez told me she needed as much rest as possible, I took his word for it. I got on the phone, told my parents Juniper and I would be out until she's back to one hundred percent. Mom huffed and puffed, said she'd take care of her, but I wasn't having that. We got into an argument. Dad waded in and told her to calm her tits. His words, not mine. I wasn't looking to get whacked in the back of the head with a loaf of bread, a shoe, or an oven mitt. Basically, whatever Mom could get her hands on when us boys weren't seeing reason was free rein.

Once Dad and I appeased Mom, she let it fucking go. I made plans for Juni and me to head to the cabin driving my truck. This place is deep in the ranch where there's nothing but trees and untouched land. It's unspoiled beauty. A place I come to get away from work, life, and the noise when I need to drown it out. This place runs on a generator and well. Sure, I could add Internet and a land line, but that would defeat the option of going off grid. As it is, the only things out here to worry about are the wild animals, like horses, elk, moose, and a whole lot more. Enough that I've got a shotgun in case something decides to get surly.

I gave Dad a list for provisions, as well as clothes for me and for Juniper. Mom grabbed those, though. No way anyone except Mom would be going through her panty drawer. The last was food, which was the easy part. I drove us out here, and when Dad brought everything up, he also had JW ride with him to take my truck back home.

This time, though, I packed up my laptop and spreadsheets with me to work off-line. Shit still needs to get done back at the ranch, and I may as well do something while Juniper is pretending I don't exist. The only problem is that I'm going to have little to no concentration when I am consumed with worry over her. I'm going to give her some space and not add to her stress level. Even though I still don't know fuck all on what's going on. And doesn't that just piss me right the hell off. I'm used to fixing problems, attacking them head on, and moving on. Juniper not allowing me to so much as know what the hell is going on is making it damn difficult.

"Damn it." I rush to the kitchen table where all of my shit is. The noise coming from the phone ringing is the last thing I want Juniper to hear. I didn"t want to bring the satellite phone up here, but with Juni being as sick as she has been, I wasn"t risking anything. Doctor Jimenez didn't seem to think we'd have a problem. Still, I'd rather be safe than sorry. My hand wraps around the clunky device, and I cover the speaker with my palm while I make quick work of heading out the back door. My cabin has a wraparound porch, and the back door is the farthest away from the master bedroom, so Juniper won"t hear me on the phone.

"Hello," I answer once I'm outside and walking toward the steps that will lead me to green grass, mountain views, and trees older than the family ranch.

"Hey, you settled in alright?" Dad asks. He dropped everything off on the front porch while Juni was napping. I left the keys in my truck, and they did a quick switcharoo, trying to stay as quiet as a mouse while the woman in my bed slept peacefully.

"Yeah, she woke up for a little bit, threw a fit, and promptly barricaded herself back in bed. Whatever's going on, Dad, it's gotta be bad." Admitting that out loud hits heavier than ever.

"You take care of her, do what you gotta do, and take your time. The ranch can wait. Your mother and I talked it out. She's fine with what's going on now. More than before. Had to give her the talk about how us Johnson men work." While we calmed her down earlier, I'm sure she gave Dad hell after I left.

"It's going to take a while, that's for sure. You telling me you've taken Mom away without her consent before?" My eyebrows lift to my hairline. This isn't a story I've heard before.

"Oh yeah. The seven-year itch is real. I was so tied up in the ranch. Your mother was a wife and a mother. I forgot she was a woman, too, so used to her being there that I took advantage of it until I saw the light leave her eyes. Lucky me, a lot of men aren't as fortunate. A few phone calls later to secure you boys and the ranch, and all I had to do was pack our bags and dump your mom in my truck." Dad chuckles. He's lost in going down memory lane, and I'm here for the story. "She threw a fuss, don't get me wrong, but once we got to the hotel in the city, things settled down. We talked. We made it a point to have date nights, even if that meant having dinner after you boys were down for the night. All that to say, you're doing the right thing. Even if your mom is giving us all hell."

"Damn, I had no idea." I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree, but in a different form.

"Not something I'm proud of. Glad you're figuring it out before it's too late," Dad says, blowing out a breath.

"I bet. I've got a lot to make up for, and depending on what happens with Juni's health, it could get dicey." Getting this off my chest is making me realize exactly what I need to do, and that's to not back down. No matter what Juniper throws my way.

"The good news is you know what you need to do, and I'm damn proud of you, boy."

"Thanks, Pops. Gonna let you go. I'm outside. Kind of need to be near her in case she gets sick again." Watching Doctor Jimenez prick her skin and start an IV while relaying everything he was giving her while she practically lay lifeless on the table isn't something I ever want to see again.

"You do that. I won't call again, but check in when you can. I told your mother to keep things quiet. As far as everyone knows, Juniper is taking sick leave and you're at the cabin for the time being." Fucking hell, I didn't even realize we'd need something to smooth over why both of us were out for the week.

"Appreciate that. Give my love to Mom and I'll be sure to call." As soon as Juni is asleep, I'm going to crawl in bed next to her. It's where I spent all last night, too. Little did she know.

"Sounds good. Love you, son."

"Love you, too, Pops." We hang up with one another. I take a deep breath, trying to center myself and figure out what's going to be my next move once Juni wakes up from her nap. All I do know is I'm going to be ready for whatever she throws my way.