Bet on a Cowboy

by Julie Benson

  “We acted out this routine the first time we met. I’m as persistent now as I was then.” Maggie took off her coat, walked to the chair beside his bed and tossed the garment there. She continued on to the window. “This room’s like a cave.” She threw back the drapes and opened the blinds. Light splashed in, making his eyes water, and reminding him how bright life was for those outside.

  “Close them. I like it dark in here.”

  “Too bad. I don’t.” She flashed him a perky smile. “I hear you wiggled your toes today. That’s a good sign.”

  “Tomorrow I’m going to sign up for a marathon.”

  “Don’t be a smart-ass. You should be thankful. That’s more than you could do yesterday, and who knows how much more you’ll recover if you get your butt out of bed and go to physical therapy tomorrow.”

  “There’s no guarantee I’ll regain use of my legs.”

  “For the sake of argument, let’s say you don’t. Are you going to wallow in self-pity, or are you going to do something with your life?”

  Easy for her to say, with a college education and functional legs. “What do you suggest, considering my résumé? My past work experience consists of bull riding and working on the family ranch. I don’t have a college degree. How far will that take me?”

  “You can change that. What was your favorite subject in high school?”

  “Academics weren’t my thing. I was more into athletics. Hitting the books was Rory’s style.”

  “Then change that. You’re a smart man. I bet the only reason you didn’t do well scholastically was because you never really tried.”

  Her bullet shot through him, tearing through his regrets. How did she see what no one else did? “Get out.”

  “You try so hard to convince everyone you don’t care, but I know that’s not true. You act that way because it’s safer not to try. Then if things don’t work out, you say you never cared.” She sank into the chair beside his bed. “This is the only life you get, and you can either live it or curl up in a corner. Which is it going to be?”

  How dare she waltz in here and say those things to him? “You don’t know what it’s like to wonder if you’ll ever walk again. Rodeo was the only thing I was good at, the only thing I wanted to do. You don’t know what losing that feels like.”

  “Then teach and mentor the next crop of bull riders. You could start a camp on the ranch.”

  “How can I teach anyone if I can’t ride?”

  “Find someone who can. How about a retired bull rider? You explain what he’s doing and how he could improve.”

  “‘Come to my rodeo school and learn from a cowboy in a wheelchair who never won Nationals.’ Students will be lining up to register.”

  “Then do something on TV. You’re a natural. You could interview rodeo cowboys.”

  “How many hosts have you seen in wheelchairs?”

  She pointed to the one folded up and leaning against the far wall. “I have two things to say to you. First, you don’t know that you’ll be in a wheelchair when you’re released from the hospital, much less forever. I did some research on paralysis. You may not know the extent of your injuries until six to eight weeks from now. Quit thinking about what you can’t do, and focus on what’s possible. Two, it’s time to give up the pity party. It’s not attractive or productive.”

  “I don’t give a damn if it isn’t.”

  Maggie stood, arms crossed, anger flaring in her eyes. “If you don’t care about yourself, then you should care about your mother. She’s battling cancer, which is life threatening. She shouldn’t have to worry about you refusing to go to physical therapy. Every ounce of energy she focuses on you is one that isn’t available to fight her disease. How dare you be so selfish.”

  Maggie’s words about knocked him over, instantly putting things into perspective. He’d started this insanity to give his mother the best chance to beat cancer. He’d been willing to go on a TV show to find a wife, just to get the money his mom needed, so how could he give up now? “Your underwear sure is in a bunch today.”

  Pink-cheeked, her eyes sparkling, with vehemence and passion, Maggie stood with her hands on her hips, looking as if she could take on the world as she fought to keep him from giving up on himself. He loved when she looked like this, all fire and fervor.

  The thought swirled in his mind.

  He loved when Maggie looked like this.

  No, he was wrong. He pretty much loved Maggie no matter how she looked.

  If she thought he could make something of himself, how could he give up? For once, he saw possibilities in front of him. “I’ll agree to go to physical therapy under one condition. You have to be there as my cheerleader. Complete with the outfit and pom-poms.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Maggie girl, would I kid about something like this?”

  “Where would I find a cheerleader’s uniform?”

  “As luck would have it, Avery still has hers from high school.”

  * * *

  “YOUR BROTHER IS A PAIN in the ass,” Maggie said to Avery when she stepped into the younger woman’s room.

  “What’s he done now?”

  Avery plopped down on her bed, while Maggie headed for the armchair in the corner. The room suited Avery, decorated in greens and tans with sleek, contemporary furniture. The space was calm and graceful like its occupant, though the surroundings failed to dampen Maggie’s annoyance.

  Yesterday she’d considered telling Griffin about the baby in hopes that knowing he’d be a father would encourage him to do whatever necessary to walk again. But she’d held off. What if he panicked over the responsibility of parenthood? What if finding out about the baby only added to his worries? She couldn’t take the risk.

  “I made a bargain with him so he’d go to physical therapy. He was so stubborn and whiny that I really let him have it. I said he needed to go for your mom, that she had enough to worry about without him making it worse. The next thing I knew, he was all smiles and said he’d go on one condition, so I need to borrow your high school cheerleading uniform.” The words rushed out in one breath.

  Avery flopped back on her bed, giggling. “Don’t tell me. His condition was that you wear a cheerleader uniform.”

  She nodded.

  Avery laughed harder, and Maggie, giving in to the ridiculous situation, laughed with her.

  “That’s so like Griffin.” His sister stood, walked to her closet and flung open the door. “But what I don’t get is why you agreed.”

  She’d have done anything this side of legal to get Griffin to start therapy. Heck, she’d have considered things that weren’t legal.

  “Your mom is so worried about him. She counted on me talking him into going to physical therapy, so in a moment of insanity I agreed to wear the getup. I’m an idiot.”

  Avery pulled boxes off the shelves, searching until she found her uniform.

  The minuscule purple-and-white skirt she handed over would barely cover Maggie’s butt cheeks. Pair that with the tiny tank top, and she’d reveal a lot more than she cared to. She swallowed nervously. “I can’t wear that. I’ll get arrested for public indecency, and if by some chance I make it to the hospital, the men in white coats will haul me off to a padded cell.”

  Avery reached back into her closet, this time retrieving a trench coat. “Wear this.”

  “I still can’t believe I agreed to this.”

  “You don’t have to go through with it.”

  Maggie shook her head. “If I back out now, he’s pigheaded enough to refuse the therapy. I can’t risk it.” With the cheerleader outfit clutched in her hands, she dropped her chin to her chest. “Griffin will never let me live this down. Teasing me is his favorite sport, and I’m giving him ammunition for a lifetime.”

  “You really don’t get it, do you?” Avery stared at her, a big grin on her face.

  “Obviously not.”

  “He looks at you like…I can’t even describe it, except to say I hop
e one day a man looks at me like that.”

  “I’m starting to think being delusional is another McAlister family trait.”

  “Think what you want, but denying it won’t change the reality. He’s in love. He’ll think you look beautiful. Now let’s see how that uniform fits.”

  * * *

  GRIFFIN SAT IN HIS hospital bed waiting for Maggie to arrive. He’d thrown out the cheerleading uniform condition as a joke, but for the first time since he’d met her, she hadn’t seen through him. He’d kept expecting her to put him in his place, or tell him to go to hell, but she hadn’t.

  He couldn’t bring himself to admit he’d been kidding once she’d agreed, because the idea of Maggie in the skimpy outfit set his heart racing as fast as it used to waiting for the shoot to open before a bull ride.

  The door burst open, banging against the wall. Maggie stalked into the room wearing a trench coat, her hair in a ponytail again, though this time she’d left a few strands loose, floating around her face. He’d never get tired of looking into her wide green eyes.

  With pom-poms clutched in her fists, she marched to his bed. After dropping them, she yanked off her trench coat and threw it on the closest chair. She stood before him in a short purple-and-white cheerleader skirt and skimpy tank top. Griffin glanced at the door, surprised a nurse hadn’t flown into his room, because his blood pressure and pulse must have spiked on the meter.

  Rampant images bombarded him, all of them R rated, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her legs. Who would’ve thought Maggie hid legs that could make a priest break out in a cold sweat?

  “Did you work up any cheers?”

  “Apparently you’ve confused me with Jasmine. Our deal was for me to wear the outfit, which I’ve done. Performing was not part of the deal. You’ll have to use your imagination and visualize me cheering.”

  Oh, he was using his imagination, all right. He saw her long legs wrapped around his waist.

  “Will you quit staring at me, and say something?” Maggie tugged on her deliciously short skirt. The rosy color in her cheeks gave away her embarrassment. “Do I look that ridiculous?”

  Leave it to Maggie to come to that conclusion. If she stood closer, she’d see the evidence of how her womanly curves affected him. “Honey, you’ve left me breathless.”

  She tilted her head. “You did mean that in a good way, right?”

  “You look incredible.”

  The thought that she’d done this for him, despite her obvious discomfort and her ridiculous insecurity over her looks, made him love her even more. Usually the women he dated possessed a tendency toward self-absorption, and even if he’d been interested, they never seemed to be in it for the long haul. Certainly none of them put his needs before their own, except for Maggie. She was the kind of woman a man could count on to be there through thick and thin.

  And he was going to propose to someone else.

  Griffin had found what he thought was an easy way to earn some fast cash. His brother had told him to be careful what he wished for because it might bite him on the ass. Well, Griffin had the teeth marks on his butt to prove Rory had been right.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I can’t believe you held up your end of the bargain.” The smoldering look in Griffin’s eyes created enough heat to warm every house in Estes Park through the winter. Maggie had never thought she’d see a man stare at her like that, especially a man like Griffin, who could have any woman he wanted.

  “I never renege on a deal. The question is, are you ready to hold up your end?”

  “Absolutely. You’re coming with me to physical therapy, aren’t you?”

  “I never do anything halfway. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of gal.” Feeling adventurous and curious, Maggie licked her lips.

  Her courage rose with each rapid rise and fall of Griffin’s chest. She licked her lips again, and his eyes dilated. Who’d have thought she possessed anything resembling feminine wiles?

  “I’m stuck here in this hospital bed, bored out of my mind. Take pity on me and do a cheer.”

  What the heck. She’d said she was an all-or-nothing girl. She slapped her pom-poms together. “Ready? Okay? Griffin, Griffin, it’s time to work. With me here, you cannot shirk.”

  He shook his head and laughed. “I had something a little more motivational in mind. And what’s with the no arm motions, kicks or splits?”

  “I’m not Jasmine.”

  “Thank the good Lord for that. She was downright scary. But I do feel cheated. You gave only me half a cheer.”

  Before she could tell him he should be happy he got anything, someone knocked on the door, and a man who looked as if he belonged on a defensive line rather than in a hospital stepped in. He froze when he saw Maggie. “I’ve got to say, this is something new.”

  “I was—” Maggie sputtered and felt herself turning red. “He wouldn’t…”

  “She lost a bet,” Griffin said, silencing her feeble attempts at a plausible excuse.

  “I might try that with my wife. She used to be a cheerleader. Could make for a fun Friday night.”

  “I highly recommend it.” Griffin’s eyes widened as he gazed at Maggie. Then the roguish grin she loved spread across his face, revealing his dimples, and he winked.

  She’d stepped into an alternate universe, and she hoped she never left.

  What was she thinking? All the reasons she couldn’t tell him how she felt—and more importantly, about the baby—still existed. Her job, his contract, Nannette’s cancer. Maggie had to put a stop to whatever was going on between them.

  You have plenty of time to do that. Let yourself enjoy the next few days. It may be the last time you two are together.

  Tony, the physical therapist, introduced himself and then retrieved the wheelchair. The clang of metal and crinkling vinyl as he opened it snapped Maggie back to the present. Once he’d helped Griffin into the chair, they left the room and wove their way through the hospital. Some people they passed smiled. Some gaped at her with open confusion. Others giggled, but so what? She would never see any of them again.

  After five minutes of exercises, with sweat streaming down his face, Griffin glared at Tony. “Where did you get your degree, the Freddy Krueger School of Torture?”

  The burly man laughed. “That’s a good one.”

  As Griffin struggled through more exercises, he kept his gaze locked on Maggie. “How about another cheer to bolster my spirits and take my mind off what Freddy here is doing? But this time I want a real cheer. You can’t just stand there.”

  While she tried to compose another cheer, Tony ordered, “Push as hard as you can. Come on—you can do better than that.”

  Sweat dripping down his face, grimacing as he followed the therapist’s instructions, Griffin did look miserable. She chewed her lower lip as she thought.

  “Push your foot against my hand,” Tony barked.

  She smiled. “Ready?” This would be fun. “Okay. Come on, Griffin. Don’t be a wuss. I’ll punch you in the nose if you don’t push.”

  All the while she rattled off her cheer, she bounced up and down, shaking the pom-poms and flailing her arms in the air.

  I probably look like a wounded bird trying to take flight.

  “That’s your idea of an encouraging cheer?” Griffin said between bouts of laughter.

  “You two are quite a pair,” the therapist said. “How long have you been together?”

  Whoa. Someone who’d know them for all of fifteen minutes thought they were a couple? Time had run out to put a stop to whatever was between her and Griffin.

  * * *

  AS GRIFFIN SAT IN HIS hospital room that night, he realized the hole he’d dug for himself kept getting deeper.

  He’d always prided himself on his ability to hide his feelings, but he’d let his guard down and a stranger had picked up on the undercurrents between him and Maggie. If anyone at the TV show found out about their relationship before the finale, they’d demand their money back. Mo
ney he no longer had. And they could sue him. Griffin needed to focus, remember why he’d agreed to this TV farce—for his mom.

  He’d never planned on falling in love. Now that he had, he couldn’t imagine life without Maggie, but he had to bury his feelings. Yet how could he? He’d never met anyone like her. After her lecture, thoughts of what she’d suggested he could do with his life kept running through his head. Other than his mom, Maggie was the first woman to think he could do anything he set his mind to. Sure, some women he’d dated tossed out glib comments in that vein, but they hadn’t meant them. Maggie did.

  She’d been right about school. He’d never tried very hard. Maybe he’d feared not living up to Rory’s stellar scholastic achievements. Then after the accident, Griffin had given up. Instead of figuring out what to do with his life, he’d tucked his tail between his legs and gone home. To hide.

  Maggie got him thinking. Maybe he should go back to school. If nothing else, he could check into the University of Colorado. He’d always done well in math and enjoyed the subject. Why not check out the business and engineering schools?

  A knock sounded on his door. After he called “Come in,” Stacy, the assistant director and a cameraman strolled into the room, without Maggie.

  “Griffin, I’ve been so worried.” The actress rushed over, tears in her eyes, and knelt in front of him. Talk about an entrance.

  Stacy was nice enough, and fit well into his plan, but she didn’t make him laugh. She didn’t make him think he could take on the world.

  “It’s good to see you,” he told her.

  After she settled into the chair beside him, she reached into her purse, pulled out a tissue and blotted her eyes. Then she clasped his hand between hers.

  Paper scratched against his palm. She’d slipped him a note? His gaze met hers. At first, when she shook her head, he thought he’d imagined it. Then her eyes pleaded with him. What the hell was going on?

  After fifteen minutes of chatting, holding hands and playing the besotted boyfriend, he couldn’t stand the charade anymore. Claiming he needed to rest, he sent her off with a kiss that left him feeling surprisingly disloyal.