“Aw, sweetheart, that probly wouldn’t be too bad, but I don’t think you could handle my weight.”
“I handle it okay for your baths,” she joked.
“Ha ha, but you know what I meant.” It was kinda funny, if she was talkin’ about the same ‘it’, but I knew my face was bright red.
“Yeah, I do. I’ll go find Russ.”
“Thanks, baby.”
Russ came in a few minutes later, and said, “Let’s go ahead and get this done. Then I’ve got some of the boys ready to fix you up a contraption so you won’t need any more help.”
That sounded good to me. I tried not to think about him seein’ my dick again, and it was gettin’ easier since he’d quit jokin’ about it. But it would be better when there was no need. When I was back in bed, he opened the door and said, “Okay, let’s fix him up.”
Two or three of the hands come in, nodded at me or said hi, and went to work. When they was done, there was a thing like a little trapeze hangin’ within arm’s reach over my head, and a rail stood up on cross-braces leadin’ all the way from the middle of the bed on the left side into the bathroom, where another trapeze thing hung above the toilet. Russ had me try it, and sure enough, I could swing myself out of bed, hop along the rail, and swing onto the toilet just fine. I could also stand, holdin’ myself up by leanin’ on the rail, to piss like a man. It was perfect.
“Boss, I cain’t thank you enough for all you’re doin’ for me,” I said. I was holdin’ it together, though, wasn’t gonna cry like no baby.
“Cody, no thanks are needed. You’re part of my family, and family takes care of each other.” That was about the nicest thing anyone could have said to me. For five years, the only family I had left was Hank as far as I knew. Now, it felt like the boss, his wife, all of Annalee’s sisters and their kids, and all the hands was my family. It was almost worth gettin’ busted up.
I asked him then if he thought I could borrow some tack for the rodeo. Of course, I had what I used for work, but it wasn’t the lighter, fancier saddle that I wanted for the rodeo, and I thought I might’ve seen somethin’ like that in the tack room.
“Oh, Cody, I’d be glad to let you borrow it, but it might not be the right size. It belonged to Denise.” I musta showed my surprise, because he explained more. “You wouldn’t remember, because it was way before your time on the ranch. In fact, it was before she married me. Denise was a barrel racer when she was a kid.”
“I’ll be damned,” I said, kinda automatic. I was really thinkin’ that it wouldn’t do at all, even if it was the right size, and it wouldn’t be. Wrong kinda saddle, all right. I wondered out loud why she didn’t take it with her when she left.
“Just forgot about it, I guess,” he said. “Or figured she’d have no need for it. All she got was the clothes on her back, because everything else either I bought her or she didn’t want. Except that saddle, that was hers from before. But, Cody, you’re welcome to borrow any equipment you need. I just hope you’re recovered enough to use it.”
“You and me both, Boss,” I said. “You and me both.”
~~~
With nothin’ more to figure out or worry about, my days went just about the same from then on out. Just after Thanksgivin’ I got to go back to get a checkup on how my leg and neck was doin’. Russ drove me and Uncle Hank came with, but neither one come in to see the doctor with me.
The doctor seemed like he was pleased with my progress. Then he told me that I’d need to start physical therapy.
“Doc, you do realize that I live on a ranch fifteen miles from here, and I don’t have no ride except my horse, right?”
“Hmm, that is a problem. Could you move into town for a few months?”
“I maybe could, except I got no money and don’t know how I’d get none since I can’t work.”
“Well, let me think about it.” He sent me to x-ray then, to see how my bones was knittin’. When I got back to the examinin’ room, I had to wait so long I darn near fell asleep on that little table. Might have, if it hadn’t been so short, but I couldn’t bend my leg to get it up on there, and it was too uncomfortable to just dangle it off the end.
Before the doctor come back, an ol’ boy dressed in them pajamas they all seemed to wear come in and removed my cast, then replaced it with one that had contraptions at the knee that worked like hinges and it had that velcro stuff on it so I could get it off for a bath. Now I could bend my leg at the knee, and it sure felt good, though it was a bit stiff.
Then the doctor come back, and this time he brung Uncle Hank with him. “Mr. Miller, I understand that Cody here is your nephew, but that he is of age and responsible for his own bills, is that right?”
“Yessir, that’s right, but if he needs somethin’ he cain’t afford, I can pitch in some.”
“Naw, Uncle Hank, you done enough for me…” I started to say he didn’t have to do more, but he rode over me.
“What is it he needs, doctor?”
The doctor said, “Well, he needs physical therapy. His insurance will pay for it, but he tells me there’s a difficulty getting him to the appointments.”
“It is quite a ways from the ranch to here, especially right now when we’re workin’ sixteen, eighteen hours a day gettin’ ready for winter.”
Just then, come a knock on the door and the boss stuck his head in. “Are y’all almost finished in here? Forecast says it’s about to blow real bad, and I’d like to get home before dark.”
Uncle Hank took it on himself to say, “Come on in boss. We was just tryin’ to figure out how Cody could get his physical therapy.”
I’ll give this to the boss, he always saw just what the problem was, and it didn’t never take him too long to figure out a way around it.
“Does it require special equipment, or just the knowledge to manipulate the joints?” he asked the doctor.
“Maybe some special equipment, like a bar on the wall for stability, and a trapeze to help him stay upright. But yes, the therapist has to be trained.”
“You got any good ones that would like a working vacation on a ranch, with room and board provided?” Russ said.
“Why, I don’t know. Let me see what I can find out. Young man,” he said to me, “you can take that neck brace off now, but no riding until the leg is further along, okay?”
Well, not havin’ that big ol’ brace was a damn sight better than havin’ it, but I wasn’t happy about the no ridin’ orders. Too bad he had to say it in front of Uncle Hank and the boss, though. I mighta had a chance at gettin’ around it if they didn’t know about it.
Ridin’ back to the ranch in the SUV, I said to the boss that I just didn’t know what I’d do if it wasn’t for his takin’ care of everything. The doc had told us he thought he knew of a physical therapist that would be willin’ to come out to the ranch and stay for a few weeks. I couldn’t believe the boss would just open up the house again. With all the girls there, and now me, there was just one guest bedroom left in the house for the therapist. If Russ had any notion of guests comin’, there wouldn’t be no place to put ‘em. He said the only one that would be comin’ after this would be Miss Charity’s mother, but that was a while off, so it would be okay. Nobody ever had a better boss than Russ, and I’d fight anyone said anything different.
That night when Annalee come in with my dinner, I asked her could she stay a bit. She was so happy to see that I didn’t have that brace on, and I guess she knowed what I wanted. After dinner she hopped up on the bed with me and we kissed for quite a while, until she pulled away outta my arms and said she had to check on the kids. I told her that the boss had figured a way for a physical therapist to come and help me get my leg back workin’ good again.
“Oh, good. Maybe Celeste will like him and stop going from one hand to another trying to find the right man.”
I’d been hearin’ about that. She’d broke up with the first hand she was steppin’ out with, and now everyone was fightin’ to be the next. “Yeah, that’d
be good, Annalee. It’s causin’ hard feelin’s in the bunkhouse.”
“I know. Well, good night, Cody.” With one more kiss, she was gone, and I was layin’ there thinkin’ about the shovin’ and hard looks I’d heard tell of, between Celeste’s beaus. That wasn’t a good situation no way you looked at it. At least she’d be turnin’ eighteen before too long. I wondered if she’d leave the ranch then, or stay on for awhile like Annalee.
You coulda knocked me over with a chicken feather the next day when the boss brought the physical therapist in to meet me. I expected a big dude that could help me stand up and take my weight while I put only a little on the leg and started walkin’ on it. Instead, there stood a little bit of a thing, no bigger than a minute, and it was a she! She was pretty, too, with red hair like Miss Charity’s and blue eyes, and cute freckles all across her nose and cheeks. My jaw dropped all the way to my chest when Russ told me she was my therapist. I could see he was wonderin’ how it was all gonna go down, too. His eyes were dark, and had this kinda glint in ‘em, that meant he was havin’ a hard time not sayin’ nothin’. All I could think of was, how was Annalee gonna take this?
Turned out I was right to worry about it, too. Annalee took one look at Miss Jenny, the therapist, and turned white. She was real polite when the boss introduced them, but sparks was flyin’, at least from Annalee’s eyes to Miss Jenny. Her head was turned away from me though, so I couldn’t see if she was sendin’ ‘em back at Annalee or not, though there wasn’t any reason she should; we’d just met. This was gonna get interestin’ and not in a good way.
~~~
Right from the first, that there Jenny was flirty. She told me not to say Miss Jenny, but just call her Jenny. When she pulled me up offa the bed to stand and kept her arms around my waist for stability, it got mighty embarrassin’ sometimes. I had to admire her strength, though. It isn’t every hundred-pound girl that can hold up a man my size, six-foot three and pushin’ two hundred pounds. She’d walk backwards, holdin’ me up, until we got to the rail that Russ had Bill install on the same wall as the door, and then I’d hold myself up while she pulled my leg out straight and then flexed it back to get my range of motion back, Jenny said. Other times, she’d have me just set on the bed, hold out my leg with my foot pointed down and rotate it in circles or up and down.
Every day, she was there right after breakfast and for an hour in the afternoon after lunch, to put me through my trainin’, just like I used to do with Abo. Jenny had somethin’ she called a resistance band that I had to wrap around my foot and then try to pull my leg from one side to the other, and she said it wouldn’t be long before I could ride a stationary bicycle. I told her I didn’t see no use at all in ridin’ a bike that didn’t go anywhere, but she said if I wanted that leg to work like it used to, I’d better mind her.
The worst times was when Jenny come in before Annalee had left. Them gals didn’t like each other, it was plain to see. I tried askin’ Annalee what was happenin’ where I couldn’t see it or hear it to get their backs up like a couple of cats fixin’ to fight, but she wouldn’t say. Funny thing was, the madder Annalee seemed to be about things, the more Jenny seemed to smile and flirt with me. I couldn’t figure it out. Jenny was pretty and all, but Annalee was my gal.
I guess havin’ Jenny at the table with the rest of ‘em was like settin’ a fox in the henhouse. Sometimes, if my door was open, I’d hear Celeste or one of the others tellin’ tales, their voices all tight and mad, about what Jenny had said at the last meal, and which of the hands was makin’ eyes at her. I felt plumb awful to be the cause of such an upset in the house, and even worse that Annalee was backin’ off. I didn’t blame her, since the first time Jenny come waltzin’ in the room even though the door was closed and caught Annalee up in the bed, she put her hands on her hips and said, “I don’t think that’s appropriate for my patient.”
Annalee looked like she was about to spit nails, but she didn’t say a word. She just climbed down and stomped out, but I couldn’t get her to come up in the bed and kiss me no more after that. Come to think about it, I was pretty steamed about that, too. So there was no reason Annalee had to be jealous about Jenny, but it looked like she was, anyway.
It was lookin’ to be a troublesome Christmas with Jenny there, and besides, I couldn’t figure out what I could do about a special gift for Annalee or her kids. I guess you could say I was depressed, so I was extra-glad any time one of the hands or Uncle Hank found time to come and set with me of an evenin’. Even though that was usually my time with Annalee, it hadn’t been much fun with her sulkin’ and worryin’ that Jenny would come in and interrupt us.
One evenin’ Uncle Hank come in to talk a spell.
“How’s the physical therapy goin’, son?”
“I guess it’s goin’ okay, Uncle Hank. Jenny keeps sayin’ I’m doin’ good, keep up the good work and all that.”
“What’s the trouble, Cody?”
“I didn’t say there was no trouble.” I said.
“You didn’t say it, but there’s trouble. I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice. What’s wrong?”
“Aw, Uncle Hank, it’s Annalee. She’s not actin’ right, and I think it’s ‘cause she’s jealous of Jenny. But she’s got no call to be.”
“Boy, how many times am I gonna hafta tell you that girl is trouble?”
“You might as well stop tellin’ me, Uncle Hank, ‘cause she’s my gal. If that means trouble, I’ll just hafta figure out a way to deal with it.”
“What’s she doin’?”
“Nothin’, that’s just it. She used to come in and keep me company, bring the kids sometimes. It was nice, felt like we was a little family. But since Jenny’s come, Annalee’s all tight in the mouth and she won’t bring the kids around. I’m afraid I’m losin’ her, Uncle Hank.”
“Good riddance, far as I’m concerned.”
I set my jaw. I didn’t like gettin’ riled up with Uncle Hank, but I had to set him straight. “Hank, just so’s you know, I’m gonna marry Annalee when I get up on my feet and get some money. You might as well get used to it.”
“Shit, have you talked to her about it?”
“Nossir, but I’m gonna. Soon as she gives me a chance.”
“Dammit, boy, you aren’t old enough to take care of a wife and two kids.”
“I don’t agree with you, Hank. I’ll show you, soon’s I’m up outta this bed.”
Hank shook his head, then, kinda mournful, and said, “Cody, I think you’re makin’ a big mistake. But I ain’t gonna argue with you no more.”
“What have you got against Annalee, Uncle Hank? What’d she ever do to make you take a dislike to her like that?”
“It’s nothin’ like that, boy. She’s just had such a different upbringin’, and she’s been married in that goddamn evil cult, you don’t know nothin’ about her. I just worry somethin’ ain’t right about her.”
“Uncle Hank, if you found a beautiful wild mustang out in the hills and it was willin’ to let you catch it, would you turn it away because you didn’t know anything about where it come from?”
“Well, no, I guess I wouldn’t. But I’d have the vet look at it before I put it in the barn with the others.”
“Fair enough. Before I declare for Annalee, we’ll talk about all of that. Does that satisfy you?”
“I guess it’ll have to.”
“Then please, Uncle Hank, treat her right. She’s got enough on her mind with them two kids and now Jenny. She don’t need you for an enemy.”
“All right, boy, I’ll try, for your sake. You just be careful.”
Chapter 4
At first, I didn’t know what I was seeing. Abo seemed to stop like he’d hit an invisible wall, and then Cody was flying straight toward the side of the corral. When he hit the fencepost headfirst, I thought he was dead. Miguel and a couple of the other hands vaulted the fence, and I ran around the outside to where Cody was laying all still. When I saw the ugly gash and swelling
on top of his head, I screamed, high and long, and then Miguel was there, hissing “Annalee, shut up. We’ve gotta get Abo under control. You’re not helping.”
I looked up to see Abo running around the edge of the corral. Unless someone caught him, he was going to run straight over Cody, and I almost screamed again, but a wrangler stepped in front of him and turned him, though he still couldn’t catch him.
“What happened?” I said.
“Abogado shied at somethin’ and then balked. Cody lost his grip. Where the hell is the boss?”
It had only been a couple of minutes since Cody hit the fencepost, but Miguel had sent one hand running to the ranch house while he was jumping the fence. In only another minute, Russ came running up, a cordless phone in his hand. He was talking to someone.
“Yes, just now. I just got here, haven’t checked, but he looks unconscious.” Miguel nodded. “Yes, he’s, it looks like he’s been thrown from his horse into the fence head first. His leg’s in a funny position, too. Yes, I’d feel better if you send an ambulance. Please hurry.” To me, he said, “Annalee, you need to get in the house.”
“I want to stay with him.”
“Please don’t argue with me. You’re in no condition. You’re white as a sheet, and you’re shaking. You’re in shock. Go in the house and find Janet, she’ll take care of you.”
No one ever argued with Russ when he used that tone of voice, but I couldn’t seem to figure out how to stand up, much less walk in the house. I just stared at him, barely understanding what he said. With a snort of disapproval, he looked around and spotted one of Cody’s friends standing in the circle of men who had run to the scene.
“Bill, take Annalee in the house and tell Janet I said take care of her. The rest of you men, stand back so the ambulance won’t run over half of you getting here for Cody. Miguel, can you get a blanket for him?”
Everyone but me jumped to obey his orders. I looked in confusion at Bill as he pulled me to my feet. “Is he…Bill, he’s not dead?”
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