Battle

by KJ Bell

  “Now, Faye, honey, I understand you’re upset with Wyatt. But I think you should think about what’s best for your future.”

  “Stop! Did Mom tell you what Wyatt did?”

  “Yes, but Wyatt loves you, and I’m sure he regrets it.”

  I interrupt. “Daddy, I love you, but I can’t talk to you right now.”

  My emotions are all over the place as I end the call without a goodbye, afraid I’ll say something I can’t take back. I power off my phone and wallow in anger and frustration. I’ve always been Daddy’s little girl, but I’m a woman now that wants to be strong. I don’t understand why he wants me to be weak. He’s the one that’s always says weak-minded people don’t succeed. Why can’t he see putting up with Wyatt makes me weak-minded? A part of me knows why, his friendship with Wyatt’s father. I hate to think I’m a pawn in a game my father’s playing, but it appears to be the only logical conclusion.

  “What’s wrong?” Battle asks. I didn’t see him approach.

  “My father called. It didn’t go well, and I don’t want to talk about it. Did you get a lucky draw?” I ask, changing the subject.

  “Uh, I did all right, but I wouldn’t say I got lucky.”

  I take my seat three rows back and next to the chute minutes before start time. The seats on both sides of me are empty, which is strange since the arena is sold out. Battle gets several complimentary tickets. Maybe they’re his, and I’m the only one using them. His mother’s too sick to come, Erinn’s too young, and I get the impression he doesn’t speak to anyone else in his family.

  I glance around the arena filled with families. It takes a moment to register the two faces walking toward me. When I do, a smile spreads across my face as I stand up. Marty and Ginger throw their arms around me.

  “What are you doin’ here?” I ask.

  “Battle called me,” Ginger answers. “Said he didn’t want you to be alone while he was ridin’.”

  More like, he didn’t want me to be alone with Tucker. I don’t know when he called Ginger, but it was incredibly sweet, and I could kiss him for it.

  “I’m a tad upset I’m the last to know you two are together,” Marty says with her arms folded.

  “We aren’t together, Mar.”

  “That’s not what Battle said when he called,” Ginger says.

  I raise my eyebrows, shaking my head in surprise. “It’s not?”

  “I don’t remember his exact words, but he definitely said the two of you are together.”

  The announcer’s voice blares from the speakers, interrupting my opportunity to grill Ginger about what else Battle said when he called her.

  A bull rams the chute as we take our seats. I’m elated my friends are here. Being alone wouldn’t be as difficult if I didn’t think Tucker was lurking and waiting for his chance to pounce. My friends being here eases my concerns.

  The first rider, JT, waits outside the chute. Ginger waves, and he winks at her, an amorous wink that doesn’t go unnoticed by Marty either.

  “You’ve been seeing JT?” Marty accuses.

  Ginger’s cheeks flame and she ducks her head. “I was gonna tell you guys.”

  “First Faye and Battle. Now you and JT. I wouldn’t have come if I’d know I was gonna be the third wheel.”

  “You won’t be,” Ginger promises. “I didn’t wanna say anything until I knew if it was serious.”

  “Is it?” I ask.

  “I think so.” She gushes. “Oh, he’s up,” she says, clapping her hands.

  I glace at Marty, who looks as surprised as I am. Ginger’s never admitted to being serious with anyone.

  JT stays on the bull and earns a score of eighty-four, advancing him to the next round.

  A few riders we don’t recognize follow before Austin takes his turn. He barely makes it eight seconds and squeaks into the next round. Tucker enters the chute next.

  “Tucker Ripley’s ridin’ again?” Marty asks. “I thought he was done?”

  “I thought so, too.” But no, he has unresolved issues with Battle and had to return today to take the fun out of this trip.

  Tucker scores a whopping ninety and breezes into round two. Scooter rides next and is tossed in less than four seconds. Cooper follows with an eighty-two.

  The surge in crowd noise hurts my ears, and I know exactly who the cheers are for. Battle climbs the gate, finds me, and smiles, before mounting the bull.

  “Bat—tle … Bat—tle … Bat—tle,” the crowd chants.

  Battle runs effortlessly through his routine, securing his gloved hand tightly in the rope before signaling he’s ready. The gate flies open. The bull charges the arena, taking a sharp turn hand side, which Battle responds to immediately. I count the seconds. One … Two … Three … Four ... Five ... Six ... Seven ... Eight ... The horn sounds, and unlike Battle, he leaps off the bull, scurrying away without a challenge for more.

  Once the animal is corralled, he rips his helmet off and raises it in the air. He spins slowly, absorbing praise from the crowd. On his way out, he climbs the gate and smiles at me, as the announcer reveals his score of ninety-one. He beat Tucker by one point. I have a sinking feeling that’s going to create a problem.

  I walk with Marty and Ginger to the family waiting area. JT comes out first. He lifts Ginger in the air and plants a kiss on her lips while spinning her around. He says hello to me and Marty. Austin and Scooter follow with greetings. Scooter tries to kiss Ginger, too, and she giggles.

  “Poor, Scoot. Always rejected,” JT teases. “Might help if you could stay up, and I ain’t just talkin’ bulls.”

  “I don’t hear your mama complainin’.”

  “Ah, man, you gonna bring my mama into this?”

  They continue razzing each other, but my eyes are locked on Battle, who strolls out with Austin. He wraps his arms around my waist. “Whatdya think?”

  “You were great.” I smile.

  “Enjoy first place while it lasts,” Austin teases. “Cause tomorrow, I’m gonna be fillin’ that spot.”

  “You have a better chance of havin’ breakfast with Jesus than beatin’ Battle,” JT digs, and Austin flips him off.

  “Whatever, dickweed. I got a better chance than you.”

  The moment the doors open, a fog filled with tension surrounds us. Cooper and Tucker approach the group. Cooper says hello to Ginger and Marty, and introduces them to Tucker. I don’t like the way Tucker looks at Marty or the length of time he holds her hand. What’s worse is the goofy smile on her face while she stares at him dreamy-eyed.

  JT clamps Tucker on the shoulder. “Good to have you back, Tuck. That was one hell of a ride.”

  “Hell yeah it was,” Tucker gloats. “And I didn’t draw the sissy bull to do it.” He turns his eyes on Battle.

  I try to catch Battle’s arm, but I’m not quick enough. He squares up to Tucker with a swollen chest. “You got somethin’ you want to say to me, Tuck?”

  “Oh, I gotta lot I wanna say,” Tucker answers, glancing around to the families gathered nearby. “But here ain’t the place.”

  “I’m not walkin’ away. Let’s settle this shit. I know I rode you hard that night, but I didn’t knock you off Shep, and I’m done takin’ the blame.”

  Austin grabs my arm when I take a step toward them. “Let em’ work it out. Been a long time comin’.”

  “I ain’t mad about Sheppards Row. That bull was a mean mutha fucker, and I was never gonna ride him. I did risk it all, but it wasn’t due to your lame trash talkin’.”

  “Then what the fuck is your problem?” Battle asks.

  “You’re still too big of a pussy to tell me to my face. After what you did, you came to my bedside like we were friends.” Tucker’s eyes leave Battle and lock on mine.

  Battle follows his gaze. His chest collapses as he eases away from Tucker. His features soften, anger transforming to regret. “Stacy,” he says in a low voice.

  “You had it all, man, and I didn’t care. I had her, but you had to take that t
oo. And when you were done with her, you tossed her out like trash.”

  Battle shakes his head frantically. “She told you we slept together?”

  Tucker’s fists lands squarely on the side of Battle’s cheek. Battle charges Tucker, tackling him to the ground. No one makes a move. I’m the only one shouting for them to stop. A large crowd forms to watch them go at each other as though it’s for sport. They roll back and forth several times before Tucker gets the upper hand and chokes Battle with enough force, the veins in his temples bulge. When his face turns purple, I smack Austin’s chest. “Do somethin’. Stop them! Please.”

  He pulls me close. “Tucker ain’t gonna kill 'em.” A second later, Battle rolls on top and lands punch after punch to Tucker’s face. Blood squirts from Tucker’s nose, coloring his face crimson, but Battle doesn’t relent. “Shit, but B might kill Tuck.” Austin lets go of me. It takes him, JT, and Scooter to pull Battle off of Tucker. I’m not convinced they can contain him. Blind rage shoots from the depths of his eyes, his breath ragged. “Get up!” Battle roars.

  Cooper helps Tucker to his feet. “How could you?” Tucker yells. “You were my best fuckin’ friend.”

  Battle’s shoulders fall. His features relax and the guys let go of him. They stare each other down, both winded and gasping for air.

  “Tuck, I never fucked Stacy.”

  “Liar!” Tuck shakes his head and stumbles away from the group, cussing and gesturing in the air with his hands.

  The second we enter the motorhome, Battle heads straight to the shower. Thank God Marty’s with me. I’m a frazzled mess. I need her to lean on. We get dressed for a mixer that the riders are expected to attend. I fill her in on what’s been going on with Wyatt since I broke up with him, and on my growing relationship with Battle.

  She’s furious with Wyatt. If I didn’t beg her not to, she would drive back to Burlingame and kick his ass. It’s nice to finally have someone understand Wyatt is a jerk I should stay away from. My own family can’t understand. Goes to show you, sometimes, your true family is the people you choose to have in your life, and not the people you share blood with.

  Marty leaves me in the bedroom, making up a story about wanting to get some air, but I know her reason is to give me a moment to talk to Battle. Only I have no idea what to say to him. He opens the bathroom door wrapped at the waist in a towel, steam billowing around him. I stare at his lean torso, my gaze rising to his wet hair. I watch a bead of water roll off the front of his nose, and then meet his eyes.

  His gaze falls to the floor as he moves to the closet for his clothes. He avoids my scrutiny as he tosses a maroon and black button up shirt and black jeans on the bed. Next, he pulls a black suede hat from the top of the closet and drops it on top of his clothes. I can’t take the silence any longer. He hasn’t said a single word to me since his fight with Tucker.

  “Please, talk to me.”

  He shoves the pile of clothes aside and plops down on the bed. Our eyes meet, and I see how much he’s suffering.

  I love his eyes. I see brilliance in them, along with strength, kindness, and the truth. They tell me things he struggles with admitting, and now they’re telling me he didn’t sleep with Stacy, but he’s worried I think he did.

  “I believe you,” I say and sit next to him.

  “I wasn’t sure,” he says. “You gotta know, I ain’t that guy, Faye. I don’t mess around with my friends’ girls.”

  “I know you don’t, but somethin’ happened. You’ve been tryin’ to hide it since we picked up Tucker.”

  “They were havin’ problems. She thought he was sleepin’ around on her.”

  “Was he?” He doesn’t have to answer. I guess the rest, “And you told her.”

  “Tuck had a bad childhood, raised a bunch of hell up until he met Stacy. She was the best thing that ever happened to him. She and I became friends, and I told Tuck a hundred times not to put me in that position. That if she asked me if he was fuckin’ around, I wouldn’t lie. I shoulda kept my damn mouth shut.”

  I drape my hand over his, trying to tame his anger. He gives me a hard smile. “I know it’s difficult, but you did the right thing.”

  “I ain’t so sure about that. I let her stay in my room that night, because she didn’t want to face Tuck. She crawled into bed with me and told me she’d been in love with me for a while. She tried to seduce me, and I tossed her out. It was a damn ugly mess, and she was real fuckin’ angry with me. She must have confronted Tuck right before the ride, because he was fine when I saw him an hour before.”

  I’m pissed for Battle. He did right by her, and she turned on him. “I can’t believe she would lie.”

  He lets out an annoyed breath. “She wanted to hurt him.”

  And hell hath no fury…

  “She succeeded, and maybe he deserved it, but you didn’t. I’m sorry she hurt you, too.” He shrugs, but I know his pride is injured. “What ever happened to her?”

  He laughs, hard enough it takes a minute for him to look at me. “She married the cheatin’ son of a bitch.”

  “No way.”

  “Six months later. Her and Tuck have a newborn at home.”

  Battle and I squeeze into the back of a cab with Marty and Austin to ride to a local hotel for the mixer. Press awaits us outside of the hotel. Battle holds my hand as we walk to the door. Several members of the press shout at him, asking who I am. He ignores them, signing autographs for a group of kids.

  Who am I to him? Are we together like he told Ginger? I’m not his girlfriend, like Austin said earlier. I’m not a friend with benefits because we aren’t having sex. In fact, we aren’t doing anything sexual or romantic. He hasn’t even kissed me. What do you call a man and woman getting to know each other who aren’t kissing or screwing? Oh, my God. We’re … just friends.

  We walk to a large table in front of the dance floor where the rest of the group is already seated, including Tucker. Battle has a small bruise on the side of his jaw, but Tucker’s face is covered in bruises and there’s a large gash above his right eye.

  To avoid the uncomfortable task of sitting with the group, I ask Battle to buy me a drink. On the way to the bar, he stops and talks to a man he introduces as Jim. He works for the tour and Battle asks me for a minute to speak with him. On my way back to the table, I’m pulled onto the dance floor by Marty and Ginger.

  The song ends, transitioning into a slow dance. JT takes Ginger’s hand, and Marty pulls Austin from the table. That leaves me to stand on the dance floor, looking like a desperate groupie, or sit at the table with Cooper and Tucker. Only Cooper isn’t at the table anymore, which means I’ll have to be alone with Tucker. I sit down across from Tucker, avoiding him staring right at me and scan the crowd for Battle. Despite my obvious aversion, Tucker gets up, rounds the table, and sits next to me.

  “I’m sorry you had to hear that earlier,” he says.

  I stare at him for a moment, wondering if his wife is worth the bruises on his face, the loss of a friend who was like a brother to him, and the near end of his riding career. It’s quite sad actually. Tucker portrays a confidence he clearly doesn’t have if he let a woman come between him and Battle. I’m sure he thinks she’s a damn good woman, worth all of his losses, but a good woman would never come between friends. And if he were ever Battle’s friend, he wouldn’t have believed her lies.

  “You aren’t sorry. I heard everything Battle said, and I’m only sorry you didn’t.”

  “Me?” he asks, faking shock. “What did I need to hear?”

  I pat his hand because I do feel sorry for him. “The part where Battle told you he didn’t fuck your wife.”

  “Just ‘cause he don’t admit to it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. You don’t know him like I do.”

  Tucker touches the one button that causes doubt to surface. Insecurity snakes its way into my thoughts. I truly don’t know Battle. He guards who he really is from me. However, he doesn’t hide behind a mask, pretending to be someone he
’s not. He merely chooses what he wants to show people and does so when he’s ready. The one thing he’s always shown me, is honesty.

  I stare directly at Tucker who wears a grin of superiority. He thinks he’s convinced me, but I’m not finished with him just yet. “Apparently I know him a hell of a lot better than you do.”

  His grin disappears before he chugs back a huge swallow of beer. He leans forward, holding the bottle between his legs. “What do you see in him, darlin’? Don’t you know he’s been around a bit?”

  “So have you from what I understand,” I counter immediately, realizing his game is to make me fold up and go home—to hurt Battle.

  “I’m nothin’ like Battle!” he shouts, slamming his bottle of beer onto the table.

  “You’re right. You aren’t. Battle’s loyal to those he cares about, especially his friends, even his…female friends.”

  I can practically see the gears turning in his stubborn thoughts. He meets my gaze as the truth settles between us. “Fuck … Stacy asked him if I was cheatin’, didn’t she?”

  I nod. “You shouldn’t have put Battle in the middle.”

  He shakes his head. “Fuckin’ woman lied to me.”

  “She wanted to hurt you, but he was your friend. He warned you.”

  “All right, now. I know I fucked up,” he admits, hanging his head.

  “It’s not too late to do the right thing.”

  He leans back in the chair with a small smile. “I’m sorry for what I said to you.” His eyes crease as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “What actually happened with them?”

  I glance up to Battle, striding to the table with purpose. “Why don’t you find out,” I say and stand up.

  Battle pulls me close, his gaze moving slowly over my face. “Are you okay?”

  “Tucker knows the truth.” I send him a soft smile. “You two should talk.”

  Tucker stands and asks Battle to go outside. Cooper returns to the table as they’re leaving. “Ah, shit… Help me find the guys,” he says to me. “They’re gonna kill each other.”