by Allie Bock
“Do you like what you see?” He raised the weights above his head, flexing the muscles of his upper back, shoulders, and arms.
“As a physical specimen, you’re shaping up quite well.” My grip on the basket loosened and it dropped to the floor.
He raised his eyebrows at me before moving to bicep curls. My mouth went dry and my tongue wooden. All the thoughts left me except how much my hormones like his body. I swallowed a couple of times and cleared my throat.
Kade was still watching me in the mirror and flashed me his debonair smile. It was THEE smile. The one that melted all my arguments with him and made my heart sing. I felt myself falling even more for him.
“When you’re done working out, do you want to come to see my horses?” I gathered the bedsheets into the basket.
Kade’s body stilled and he slowly turned around. His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled. “I’d love to.” The words were soft and breathy. “It would mean a lot to me.” He moved to come closer to me.
My hand extended halting his forward progress. “Finish lifting and take a shower.” I wrinkled my nose. “You smell.” Picking up my basket, I turned to the door and his laughter followed me out.
Forty-five minutes later, I sat at the kitchen table reading the comics from the paper when Kade’s signature step, clomp, step, clomp echoed down the hall. Turning toward the noise, my breath caught. He wore pressed blue jeans and a button-down shirt. His black cowboy hat rested in his palm.
“I’m ready.” The Texas twang thickened his voice.
“You look...great,” I said numbly. He chuckled and step, clomp over to me. Leaning down, his lips brushed my temple.
The screen door slammed shut with a bang and a gust of wind rushed through the kitchen. It caught the newspaper and scattered it around the room. Kaleb strode in followed by a couple of his ranch hands. He passed the coffee pot around and each person filled their thermos.
“It’s a blustery day today.” Kaleb sipped at the coffee. The ranch hands nodded to me and Kade before leaving.
Slipping my jacket on, I stood up from the table and placed my coffee cup in the sink. “Kade and I are heading over to Lindsay’s place.”
Kaleb nodded, his dark blue eyes watching us closely.
“I’m going to introduce Kade to my horses.” I shoved my hat on my head and pulled my ponytail through the space in the back.
Kade and Kaleb locked eyes. I looked from one brother to another, trying to decipher their unspoken conversation. Eventually, Kaleb broke the staring contest with a shake of his head.
“I’m not doing it,” he growled. “I told you that before.”
Kade’s eyes flashed to me before settling back on his brother. Panic stirred in their depth for a moment. “Please.” He stepped toward Kaleb.
“No.” Kaleb slammed his coffee cup on the table. Coffee sloshed over the edges, staining the newspaper. “I’m not helping you kill yourself. Ask your other brother.” He glowered at Kade and left the room.
“What was that about?” I cocked my head to the side and my forehead pulled into a frown.
“Nothing.” His eyes skittered past mine. “Let’s go see your horses.” He held the door open for me to proceed him.
The ride to the Wilson ranch was quiet. Kade stared out the window and hummed along with the old country song playing on the radio. A nagging feeling bothered me the whole drive. There was something he was keeping from me. Something big. My mind searched for a way to bring it up, but I kept drawing a blank. I sighed in relief when the sign for the ranch appeared ahead. Steering the car up the drive, I itched to break the silence.
“Lindsay and her uncle have been wonderful to me,” I said softly.
“That’s nice.” He said distractedly. “Are you paying board?”
“No, just chipping in for hay. Lindsay said they have plenty of pasture since they no longer have cows.” I steered my car around a tree that had grown up in the middle of the driveway.
“Really? Since when?” He glanced around. The pastures were overgrown with old grass and weeds. Mesquite trees dotted the once open fields, and fences sagged or were pulled down with vines.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. The last couple of years.” I rubbed the ache forming between my eyes. “After his wife died, he couldn’t do the ranching anymore, even with Lindsay’s help.” The barn came into view. The siding was stripped of all its paint and had weathered to a depressing gray. It leaned haphazardly to the side, only to be held up by a tree.
“It’s a little rundown around here.” Kade grabbed his hat and exited the door, shutting the door behind him.
Shaking my head, I followed him. At the fence, I whistled two short beats, and a pounding of hooves answered. Billy led the herd with Penny at his heels while Jasper brought up the rear. I climbed the fence, rubbed their foreheads, and feed them chunks of carrots. “This big black one is Billy. And Penny is the copper pony.” I petted and whispered to each horse as I introduced them to Kade.
“That’s a fine group you have.” He leaned on the fence and ignored Penny’s nose nudging him.
“I’m excited about the therapeutic riding stables.” I proceeded to outline mine and Melanie’s plans for him. He nodded along and absently petted Penny’s nose. “What do you think?”
“It sounds like a plan.” He rested his booted foot on the bottom rail. I settled against the fence and watched the horses mill around.
“So...” I cleared my throat and watched him from the corner of my eye. He stiffened. “What did you want Kaleb to do for you? Maybe I can do it for you?” I held my breath, waiting on him.
He picked a long piece of grass and chewed on it. “Um...don’t worry about it.”
“No, seriously.”
He sighed. “Fine, I wanted Kaleb to set up my drop barrel.” He muttered.
“Your drop barrel?”
“You know, the barrel suspended from the pulleys and springs in the barn.” He picked his teeth with the piece of grass.
“Why do you need it?” I didn’t understand it at all. I rubbed at my forehead, again.
“To practice my bull riding techniques.” He gazed off out into the distance, ignoring my frown.
“Now, why would you need to do that?” I crossed my arms and glared at him. Anger building within.
“In case, I can ride at the Bull Riding Finals.” He muttered.
I stared at him. I couldn’t believe my ears. Was he planning on riding if he got released? I snorted. There was no way Dr. Glanders would approve of him riding. Dr. Glanders was a stickler for enough recovery time.
Kade cut his gaze to me, his expression was unreadable.
“You won’t be ready.” I laughed, bitterly.
He studied me for a bit and threw his piece of grass to the side. “Forget I mentioned it.” He turned and step/clomp back to the car.
Chapter 18 October 23rd
Kade
The ride back to the Kisment ranch was quiet. Delilah tried to start conversations, but I ignored her. I knew that everyone, except for my brother Kurt, didn’t understand. They didn’t understand the drive to win, how I worked my whole bull riding career to be in this spot. I was first in the nation before my accident and had now fallen to fifth, but the gold buckle was still within my reach. I needed to go, to prove myself, to fulfill my dreams.
Sighing, I glanced at the woman next to me. My heart filled with love for her, but it had hurt when she laughed at my chances of riding. I thought she knew how much this meant for me, how I had dreamed about this chance. Did she think I couldn’t do it? Did she not want me to ride anymore? Or was she just worried about my safety? I placed my forehead on the cool pane of the window and closed my eyes. How was I going to persuade her?
“I’m going for a ride,” I said when we parked by the house. “Do you want to come with me?” I rested my hand on the door handle.
Delilah hit the lock button and turned to look at me. “We need to talk.” She tucked a strand of hair behind he
r ear.
Those dreaded words that no man wants to hear. I closed my eyes and sighed. “Fine.”
The seat creaked as she sild sideways and crossed her legs. She placed her hand over mine and squeezed. “Are you seriously considering riding at the finals?” She blew out a large breath and her eyes searched mine.
I turned my hand over and held hers between both of mine. My thumb ran over the creases in her palm. Lavender filled the car and filtered into my lungs. My eyes found hers. They sucked me into the depths. My love for her surged within me. I needed her in my life, but I also needed to ride in the finals. How do I explain how much she meant to me and how much bull riding means to me? I cleared my throat and reached out to tuck her loose strand behind her ear.
“Dee, you mean the world to me.” I slid my hand under her hair and rested it on the nape of her neck. “I need to ride at the finals.” She tried to pull away, and I leaned toward her until her back rested against the door. “I love you so much and hopefully you’ll support me in this.” She wrinkled her forehead. “If Dr. Glanders approves, of course.”
She swallowed. “Why do you need to ride so badly? What if you have an accident and die?”
“I need to do this to prove to myself I can do it. This might be the only time that I can win the Bull Riding Finals.”
She tilted her head to the side and squinted at me.
I cleared my throat and released her hands. I ran my fingers through my hair to stared out the side window. “I’ve failed so much in my life...I failed you when you needed me. I couldn’t be the man you needed...I’ve worked so hard to get to the finals and...I need to ride to finish the season.”
A tight smile pulled at the edges of her lips. She grabbed my hand, again. “Let’s just see what Dr. Glanders says at your recheck.” She climbed over the armrest and placed her forehead against mine. “I need you in my life and I can’t go through losing you again.” Her voice broke. “I love you too much. Please, stay in my life.” She pressed her lips against mine. “Now, let’s go riding.”
Chapter 19 November 9th
Delilah
The drive into San Antonio was quiet. I drove and Kade stared out the passenger window. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and popped my gum. Every time, it popped Kade would flinch.
“Can you stop that?” He growled at me. He turned his blue eyes toward me. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Stop what?” I snapped my gum again and he winced.
“The tapping and the thing you are doing with your gum.”
“Oh, this.” I blew a big bubble until it popped.
“Yes,” he ground out.
“What is going on with you today? You’re unusually cranky.” I maneuvered the car through the parking garage. I wanted to find a closer spot to the hospital for him. Kade turned back to the window.
“Any spot will do,” he said.
“Really? You want to walk all the way down from the eighth level?” I angled my car into a compact space by the elevator. Luckily, I drove a small car.
“I’m fine.” He was opening the door before the car stopped. I sighed with frustration at him. The engine shut off and I grabbed his crutches before exiting the car. I hurried up to him and forced them into his hands.
“I’m fine.” He step/clomp across the concrete
“Just use them. It hurts to see you limping and it’s a long walk in your boot.” He jerked himself away from me and entered the elevator. He pushed the button for the floor that we needed. Finally, I had him in a corner. I faced him and stared him down. I placed a hand on my hip and tossed my hair back.
“What is going on with you? You have been a bear to deal with all morning.”
“Just nervous I guess,” he said. He quirked an eyebrow at me.
My heart melted at his words. I slipped a hand into his and kissed his cheek. “I am here with you.”
He squeezed my fingers back and his lips pulled up on one side.
“Besides, I am not scared of any doctors. I took great care of my patient.” I raised my chin. Kade smiled and slid an arm behind me.
“Your patient couldn’t have asked for a better nurse.”
His lips hovered over mine for a brief second before closing the gap. The elevator pinged and the door slid open. He pressed a firm kiss to my lips, causing my knees to go weak. Then, he limped out the door, leaving behind the crutches. I sighed and grabbed them before the door closed again.
Kade held my hand in his as we slowly made our way to the orthopedic wing. He limped with every step as I carried the crutches under my arm, the carpet masked the thudding. After a few minutes, we made it to the waiting room. The glass windows let a large amount of sunlight into the room, warming plush chairs that were gathered in small groups around tables. A couple of TVs sat in the corners playing a daytime talk show. Kade checked in at the front desk as I made my way to a couple of chairs in a corner. He hobbled over and sat on a chair and I drew up another to prop his injured leg up.
“They are running ahead of schedule. So, we shouldn’t have to wait too long.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“O.K.” I flipped through a magazine as we waited. A few minutes passed before a nurse in bright pink scrubs appeared.
“Kade Kisment?” She called.
He nodded to her and I helped him up to his feet. He reached for my hand and squeezed it again. Butterflies danced in my stomach when I turned to him. He smiled back at me. We followed the nurse down a long hall until the last door. She motioned for us to go through.
“The radiology tech will be in for your x-rays. Then, the doctor will be in.” She ushered us in and closed the door behind us. Kade hopped up on the examining table while I sat on the hard plastic chair. He rolled his sweatpants up to his knee. A knock sounded on the door and the tech motioned Kade to follow her to the radiology room. He winked at me as he followed her out.
Kade came back shortly and sat next to me. He gripped my hand and kissed the back of mine. Tingles ran up my arm and I leaned into his shoulder. Contentment flowed through me. My future life with him flashed before me. I smiled to myself.
“What are you smiling at?” He whispered in my ear. His breath sent shivers down my spine.
“Nothing...just thinking about us.” I smiled at him, squeezing his hand.
A knock sounded on the door and Dr. Greg Glanders walked in, carrying a laptop under his arm.
“Good afternoon.” He set the computer on the counter and made eye contact with each of us before pulling on some gloves. “How have you been doing?”
“Pretty good,” Kade said. He took a couple of steps toward the exam table. A hitch was perceptible, but I could tell he was trying to hide it. The doctor glanced over at me when Kade sat on the table. I raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. Dr. Glanders turned his attention back to the patient. He felt up and down Kade’s leg and moved his ankle throughout its range of motion.
“Can you draw circles with your toes?” He watched while Kade rotated his foot in both directions. Dr. Glanders pulled up the x-rays. “Your fracture has healed. Everything is looking good on the radiographs.” He drew out a pad of paper and started writing some instructions down. “Now you don’t need to come back here, but you’ll need two to three months of physical therapy to get full strength and mobility back. Here are the instructions for your therapist.” He ripped off a sheet and handed it to Kade. “Any questions?”
“So, I am healed?” Kade unrolled his sweatpants.
“Yes, the bone is healed. But the ligaments still need some time to heal. Now, you must build up strength in the bone, muscle, and ligaments.” Dr. Glanders said. He closed his laptop with a click.
“So, I am O.K. to ride again?” Kade said as he hopped down.
What was he getting at? I narrowed my eyes at him. I am not sure I like where this is going. Didn’t he hear Dr. Glanders that he needs two to three months of rehab?
“Horses are fine, but no riding bulls.” Dr.
Glanders gave him a serious look. “It will take several weeks of physical therapy to even be strong enough to walk on it, much less run away from a bull.” He walked out the door, closing it with a click.
“What?” Kade looked at me with a mischievous grin.
What was he thinking? I was so mad, steamrolled out of the top of my head and from my ears. I had to leave before I made a scene in the doctor’s office. I turned on my heel and headed toward the parking garage. I arrived at my car before Kade did as he had to check out at the receptionist desk, and he could only hobble so fast. I paced back and forth by the car. My sneakers squished and squeaked on the pavement with every step I took. The temperature dropped while we were inside, and I shivered in my sweater. I crossed my arms over my chest and rubbed them as I continued to walk. The elevator doors dinged with arrival and slid open. Kade limped out.
“What was that all about?” He threw up his arms and gimped towards me.
“Are you seriously considering riding at the Bull Riding Finals?”
“Yes, this might be my last chance.” He glared at me and I glared right back, wishing I could break all his bones, just to keep him home.
“That is ridiculous! Isn’t it next week?” I threw my hands up in the air and shrieked. A couple of people hurried on by, diverting their gazes.
“Actually, in two days.” He stood there watching me pace. That stopped me in my tracks. I walked up to him and stared him in the eye.
“Are you kidding? What kind of lunatic would put himself in that situation? You aren’t in shape. You can barely walk, and you expect to be able to get on a bull and ride to win! In. Two. Days!” Worry gnawed at my belly and I felt sick.
“I only have to ride six bulls,” he said softly.
My heart dropped and tears welled in my eyes. “Six?” I choked out. “But you’re not in shape. What if you get bucked off and can’t get out of the way? What if you dismount and land on your bad leg wrong? What if...” Kade placed his hands on my forearms and gently squeezed me. Tears fell and a sob broke loose.