The Bull Rider's Bride

by Vickie McDonough

  Lindsey shook her head. She couldn't give Shirley false hopes. And there was no hope for her and Dusty to have a life together. Too much murky water under that bridge. She squirmed in her chair and forced a smile. "Do you feel up to walking around the house for a little bit?"

  Shirley nodded, tugged her walker close, and stood. Fifteen minutes later, after several trips up and down the hall, they returned to the kitchen and sat.

  "You did very well." Lindsey smiled. "I'll return on Friday at the same time. I'm scheduled to visit you twice a week until you get your boot off. Your doctor will probably want you to continue seeing a physical therapist after that for a time, too, in order to get you back to full mobility again."

  Shirley grimaced a bit as she sat in her chair. "I'll look forward to your visits. Just make sure you don't come before The Price is Right is over. That's one of my favorite shows."

  Lindsey smiled. "My grandma liked that one too."

  Shirley shook her head. "I sorely miss Helen. She was my closest friend."

  Lindsey couldn't resist giving Shirley a quick hug. "You take care. Don't wait on Dusty. He needs to be getting up and moving around if he wants to heal."

  "I'm worried about him. He's been so down in the dumps since returning here. You know, he couldn't even handle the stairs at first, so Daniel and several of their friends cleared out Hank's office and made a bedroom for him down here." Shirley frowned. "I wish I knew how to pull him from his doldrums." She glanced up, and a surprising gleam lit her eyes. "Maybe you could talk to him. He needs a new plan for his life—a reason to go on. He's far too young to give up."

  "I don't think I'm the one to pull him from his melancholy." Although the thought of energetic Dustin Starr giving up made a section of her heart ache. He was always so confident and focused. He knew just what he wanted—and at one time, he had wanted her.

  Shirley patted her arm again. "Honey, I think you're just the thing he needs."

  Lindsey said goodbye then hurried to her car, hoping she wouldn't run into Dusty again. Evidently, he still held a special place in her heart, in spite of how he'd hurt her—and that surprised her. Time had dulled the pain of his desertion and her broken dreams, and even though her own heart betrayed her, she couldn't trust Dustin Starr. He had abandoned her when she'd needed him the most. How could she believe he wouldn't do that again if she allowed him back into her life? But then she didn't know if he even wanted to renew their relationship. No, it was better to leave things as they were now.

  She started the engine, put the car into gear, and peeked at the room where Dusty was staying. The curtain suddenly dropped into place. Had he been watching her?

  Her pulse soared. She gritted her teeth and stepped on the gas, tossing gravel. She would not open her heart—no matter how hard it thumped for Dustin Starr.

  Chapter Two

  Dusty sat on the porch, resting after his long walk, more out of breath than he'd admit to. His knee ached, and limping so far had made his hip burn like fire. He slapped the arm of the rocker, hating that he felt like an old man.

  A cloud of dust lifted in the distance, drawing his gaze to the ranch's long driveway. A blue truck headed his way. Daniel had finally arrived with lunch. From inside the house, Butterscotch barked.

  Daniel pulled to a quick stop, slinging dirt. He climbed from the cab and waved, then turned around and pulled something from the seat. Smiling wide, he held up a sack in one hand and two cups in the other. "Thought you'd be starving for a burger."

  Dusty worked up a smile and nodded. "You thought right." His mouth watered at the aroma wafting from the greasy sack. "Did you get them at Comet Drive-in?"

  "Where else?" Daniel paused in front of him and held out the hand holding the cups. "One's a chocolate shake, and the other's vanilla."

  Dusty snagged the vanilla one and took a long draw from the straw. Delicious sweetness exploded in his mouth. "Mmm…this tastes great."

  His brother dropped into the other rocker and set his shake on the porch floor. "It's good you picked that one. I already drank about half of the other one."

  Dusty punched Daniel's arm. "You might have warned me."

  "Nah. I knew you'd choose vanilla." His brother rifled through the sack then passed a burger to him. "There's fries too."

  "Didn't you bring something for Gramma?"

  "I called, but she said her friend Burt was coming with a pizza. They're going to play Scrabble."

  "That's news to me." Dusty eagerly peeled back the paper to reveal a lukewarm cheeseburger with mayo, pickles, and lettuce—just how he liked it. He bit into it, enjoying the tasty flavors. "This is much better than another turkey sandwich."

  "Why don't you drive to town and buy a burger if you get a hankering for one?"

  He shrugged, not wanting to admit he hadn't ventured to town because he couldn't endure all the sympathetic smiles he got last time he went. He'd been a hero to most of the townsfolk for years, but now he was nothing but an ex-bull rider. "I don't have a vehicle, for one thing. For another, the doc hasn't cleared me to drive yet."

  "Well, give me a call if you get to starving, but somehow, I don't think Gramma will let you get to that point."

  "So, how's it feel to be engaged?"

  "Wonderful." A satisfied expression engulfed his identical twin brother's face. "I can hardly wait for the wedding."

  The spear of jealousy that pierced Dusty's gut surprised him. He'd been so focused on winning another championship that he hadn't thought about settling down and getting married. Still, he was happy for Daniel. "I was a bit surprised you and Amy decided to get hitched so soon. A month doesn't seem very long to plan a wedding."

  "We're keeping it simple." Dan wadded up his burger wrapper. "You had any luck hunting for a job?"

  "No, I've been looking online. Not much there though." Not much that he was qualified for. Who wanted a washed-up bull rider? "I've been thinking about getting a truck, once I'm cleared to drive again. You think you could drive me to Texarkana Saturday to look at some?"

  "Maybe. I need to make sure Amy doesn't have plans for us. Have you talked to Gramma about what we discussed?"

  Dusty shook his head.

  "You need to do it sooner rather than later. She's getting too old to live out here alone." Daniel popped three fries in his mouth.

  "She's not alone." He snagged a fistful of fries, so his brother wouldn't devour them all.

  "Not now, but what happens when you leave?"

  "Don't know."

  "Putting off talking to her won't make it any easier. I realized after her fall that it wasn't good for her to live this far out alone. If we had an extra downstairs bedroom, I might consider asking her to live with us—if Amy was agreeable—but we don't."

  "I'll probably wait until I get a truck—something that's safer to drive to other towns than Gramma's car. She either needs to quit driving, or we need to get her a better car." Dusty took another drink from his shake, stalling. He'd just as soon put off talk of Gramma moving and enjoy his meal, but Daniel was like a sandbur and wouldn't turn loose once he'd latched onto a topic he was passionate about. "If you're so worried about it, why don't you talk to her?"

  "I did when she first fell, but she insisted she'd be all right. How is she doing with the physical therapist?"

  Dusty narrowed his gaze. "Do you know who her current PT is?"

  "No. Who?"

  "It's Lindsey."

  Daniel choked on his drink and leaned forward coughing. After a moment, he looked at him with brown watery eyes. "Your Lindsey?"

  "She's not my Lindsey. But yeah."

  "Talk about awkward. What did she have to say?"

  Dusty couldn't begin to explain how tongue-tied he'd felt when he'd opened the door and seen the women he'd once dreamed of marrying. Nor could he mention how good she'd looked. "Not much. Just that she was Gramma's new physical therapist and had come to check on her."

  Daniel shook his head. "I sure didn't see that coming."

/>   "Me neither. Thanks for the burger."

  "Anytime." Daniel shot him a look that meant he had something else on his mind. "You going to be able to stand up long enough to be my best man?"

  Grinning, Dusty nodded. "You bet I will—so long as I don't have to wear a tux."

  "You might. We're still discussing that."

  Dusty rubbed his knee—a frequent habit these days.

  "Is your leg hurting much?"

  "Some days are worse than others. The doctor said rubbing it helps to keep scar tissue from forming."

  Daniel nodded and looked at the barn. "Other than looking online, have you made any plans for what you want to do?"

  "Do?"

  "You know, for the future."

  "Nope." He'd thought of lots of things, but he still hadn't quite grasped the fact that he'd never ride another bull.

  "You're gonna have to sooner or later. You can't sit around moping all the time."

  He shot his brother a glare. "I'm not moping—I'm recovering. And besides, I've been riding." Twice.

  "Glad to hear it, but riding a horse won't bring in any income."

  He watched a pair of pigeons land on top of the barn. Too bad he hadn't finished college like Dan had, but he'd only had one thing on his mind after attending two years of community college—and that was becoming top cowboy in the PBR.

  "I think you should consider going back to college. You could earn a bachelor's degree in a couple of years."

  "Yeah, but going back to school won't pay the bills either."

  "True, but you've made good money from all of your winnings and from the funds I invested for you. I'm sure you still have plenty saved. I've never seen you buy anything but boots and burgers." Daniel grinned.

  "Been thinking about buying some sneakers."

  Daniel obviously bit back another smile, but his eyes danced with amusement.

  "What?" Dusty frowned and pushed up from his chair. He leaned against the porch railing and stared at the hills in the distance. Although he liked the quiet here, he missed the action of the rodeo.

  "You haven't worn runnin' shoes since high school PE."

  "The doc told me to walk a mile or so each day and exercise my leg. Kind of hard to walk that far in boots right now."

  "Then I reckon you'd better get a pair of tennis shoes—and don't think I didn't notice that you changed the subject about Gramma. You need to talk to her."

  "Why me? You can do it just as well as I can."

  "But I don't have time to take her to visit the assisted living places like you do. You haven't changed your mind about her needing to be in one, have you?"

  Dusty shrugged. "I'm not sure that's the right thing for her." Dusty wished he had gotten a job, because now he had no excuse. "It will kill her if she has to give up her pets. But I agree this place is too much for her. I'll talk to her—one of these days."

  "Amy might be willing to take in Peppermint, but I doubt she'd want a dog."

  "I wouldn't want to rock the boat between you two."

  "No worries there. I won't let anything come between us."

  "That's good."

  An ornery gleam twinkled in Daniel's eyes. "Maybe you and Lindsey should try again now that so much time has passed."

  He crossed his arms. "No matter how much time has gone by, she's not likely to forget that our brother was responsible for her brother's death."

  "That was years ago." Daniel stretched and stood. "You might be surprised. Why don't you try talking to her?"

  Because he'd been avoiding her, so he didn't have to.

  Daniel's expression turned serious. "I've been praying for you. Praying that God would heal your leg and give you a new vision for the future." He clapped his hand on Dusty's shoulder. "I know you're angry about what happened, but I believe God has a plan for you. Talk to Him, Dust'." He cleared his throat. "Listen, I've gotta run, but I want to say hi to Gramma first." He strode into the house, unaware of the storm he'd loosed in Dusty.

  He'd only prayed a handful of times since his fall off that bull. He'd prayed he would be able to compete again, but he knew in his heart that would never happen.

  And then there was Lindsey. Seeing her again had really shaken him and made him realize a shocking truth. In spite of all that'd happened between her family and his, she was still the only gal he'd ever loved.

  #

  Lindsey glanced around the Starrs' yard after her latest visit with Shirley, telling herself she wasn't looking for Dusty. The last two times she'd come to visit Shirley, he'd been absent. Was he avoiding her or simply busy? In truth, she hoped he was busy. It made her heart hurt to see the strong, determined man she'd cheered for from the upper bleachers of the rodeo arena sitting around, stewing.

  Dusty was the kind of man who needed a goal. Did he have a new one, now that he could no longer ride bulls? She opened the back door of her SUV and set her equipment bag inside. The articles she'd read in newspapers and magazines said that he'd never ride again—at least nothing that bucked. Dusty must have been heartbroken when he first learned the news.

  As she shut the back door, she glanced down. "Oh, no. Not a flat." Blowing out a sigh, she looked at the barn. Was Dusty in there? She could call the auto club, but they usually took several hours to respond. She needed to be at her next appointment in forty-five minutes, and it was a twenty-minute drive.

  Pushing her feet into motion, she stiffened her resolve. It wouldn't kill her to ask Dusty for help. He was her closest neighbor, after all, and he'd once been her best friend. He would help her, if for no other reason than to be neighborly. She hoped.

  Pausing just inside the barn, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting. Five of the six stalls were empty. A pretty black horse stuck its head over one of the stall gates and whickered at her. Dusty wasn't there.

  "You need something?"

  She jumped at the sound of his voice coming from the shadows to her right. Dusty sat on a bale of hay, polishing a bridle. He set his rag and the tack on the hay and stood. Her heart sped faster with each step he took toward her. He barely limped today. He looked so good—all man. Tall. Muscled. Handsome. He and Daniel were identical twins, but there had always been something about Dusty that attracted her. Maybe his roguish aura. Or his determination to go after what he wanted—and he used to want her. She swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat. She could always tell the brothers apart, even in the days before Daniel had grown a bit stocky. "I…uh…my SUV…it's flat."

  A teasing grin lifted one side of Dusty's mouth. "Your SUV's flat, or the tire is?"

  "Oh, uh…the tire. I guess." Ugh! Why did he unnerve her? She'd best remember how he hadn't been there when she needed him the most—when Sean had died.

  "You got a jack and a spare tire?" He stopped three feet away, and she resisted looking up into those dark brown eyes she used to love so much.

  She nodded. "In the…um…back."

  "Pop it open, and I'll see what I can do."

  He started for her vehicle, and she had to hurry to keep up with him. You'd never know he'd been in the hospital a month earlier by the pace he kept. He smelled like fresh soap, leather, and hay. And today, he was clean-shaven, not that she'd minded the more rugged version. She wanted to smack herself upside the head for even noticing. Maybe she should have called the auto club.

  "So, how's Gramma doing?"

  "Good, all things considered."

  He stopped and stared down at her. "What's that mean?"

  "Head injuries and broken bones in seniors can be dangerous. You're fortunate that your grandmother didn't have a concussion. But she did hit her head when she fell, not to mention breaking her ankle. I'm just being overly cautious."

  "But you think Gramma's okay?"

  She offered a reassuring smile. "Yes. She's getting around well and doesn't seem to have any lingering issues, other than her foot still being in a boot."

  "Good." He continued to her car.

  She pulled the remot
e from her pocket and pushed the button to release the rear door. It lifted open.

  Dusty rummaged around for a minute then dropped her spare tire to the ground and carried the jack to the side with the flat. He set the base of the jack in place, stuck in the handle, and started pumping up the car.

  Her eyes drifted from his broad shoulders to the bulge of his bronzed arm, not hidden by the short sleeves of his T-shirt. Even weeks of recovery couldn't hide the strength in them. His dark hair had grown long enough to touch his shoulders and to show the curl. He'd always hated that, but she rather liked it. When he'd come to the door on her first visit, his hair was mussed like he'd just crawled from bed, and stubble had darkened his jaw. With that narrowed-eyed gaze he'd set on her, he'd almost looked dangerous.

  A loud thud jerked her from her thoughts. Dusty rubbed his knee then straightened, drawing in several breaths.

  "Is your leg hurting?"

  He shrugged, as if it were nothing.

  "You can't fool me, Dustin Starr. I know that recovery from knee replacement surgery takes a long time, even for someone young and in such good physical condition."

  He lifted one eyebrow and stared at her with a teasing glint in his eyes.

  She broke free of his gaze and glanced at the house, wishing she hadn't mentioned his physique. Why was she still attracted to him? Shouldn't she be over him after all that had happened? The truth was, she'd missed him. And she hadn't realized how much until she was with him again.

  Dusty cleared his throat. "It does hurt some, mostly when I overwork it."

  She turned back to face him, knowing that his confession didn't come easily. "Are you still taking the pain pills the doctor gave you?"

  "Nah. Those things knocked me out. I quit them after two weeks."

  "You do know there are other pain meds you can take besides narcotics."

  "I take some ibuprofen when it gets bad."

  She knew that wasn't likely to dull the pain much after such a drastic surgery. She touched his arm then jerked back her hand. "Why don't you ask your doctor if he'd consider giving you a script for tramadol and see if it helps? Shirley takes it for her arthritis. It isn't a narcotic and gives most people relief without side effects."