by Jamie Craig
"Those sponge baths are going to be a lot more interesting from now on,” she said.
Spencer kissed the top of her head. “And they were already my favorite part of the day."
"You might be able to move up to showers soon, you know. We do pretty good in showers, too."
"Better than pretty good.” Her hair tickled his nose but he didn't lift his head. “I didn't know if you've missed...this."
The caress of her mouth against his damp skin spread the warmth suffusing his body even more. “No more worries then.” She snuggled closer, and it seemed as if for the first time, she didn't handle him as delicately as she normally did. “'Cause nothing's changed for me, Spence. Nothing."
Spencer closed his eyes, more out of relief than exhaustion. He hadn't realized it, but he had been waiting for those words. He never thought of her like he did the other girls, but everybody had always just wanted him for one thing. Or because of one thing. He needed to believe Becca was different. Even if he didn't know why.
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CHAPTER 12
Life took on a brand new perspective after the night Spence came home late. Rebecca hadn't been entirely proud of herself for practically jumping him when he asked her to stay in his bed, but seeing him smile, seeing him so close to his normal self, with the out-of-the-blue mood swings mostly gone, made him too tempting. She had just wanted to touch him as a woman, not as his nurse. His response pretty much clinched it.
He was more good-natured after that night, offering smiles and jokes far more often than before. The walls were down, too, any barriers she'd erected to give him the distance he needed now gone. Now there were touches when she was near, cuddling on the couch with his good arm around her shoulder as he watched television. She didn't bother with any pretenses about sleeping anywhere else but next to him, either. They both wanted her there. That was where she'd stay.
Rebecca understood Spencer's uncle contributed to his high spirits. Travis came back the second day, and the two men spent a good part of it just hanging out. They talked about rodeo stuff, and people they knew, and when it looked like their snacks and drinks ran low, Rebecca refilled them without being asked. Otherwise, she let them have their privacy. It was easier. Spencer needed to spend time with someone who obviously cared about him as much as his uncle did, and Rebecca needed to separate from Travis's obvious dislike for her.
She never mentioned it to Spencer. She didn't want to sound like she was complaining. She just wished she knew what she'd done, or not done, to get on Travis Cole's bad side.
Sometimes, the two men disappeared for hours together. Rebecca very much wanted to know what they were doing. Spencer always came home cheerful, but he also too tired to do much more than follow her into the bedroom and spend the next few hours necking like teenagers. Such simple pleasures made both of them happy. After everything, they both deserved some happiness.
On the fourth day after Travis's arrival, Rebecca got a call from her dad. “Do you have hard copies of those fire photos you took last month?” he asked. “Someone's asking for ‘em, and I don't have any left."
She cradled the phone in her ear as she went to her filing cabinet. “I've got a few. When do you need them?"
"Today, if you can manage it."
"Sure, not a problem."
Hanging up, she pulled out the folder she needed and wandered down the hall to the living room. “Spence, I need to go out for a little bit. Is there anything you need?"
"I need some ice cream. And beer, but I don't think you'll let me get away with that."
She laughed. “No, not just yet. Chocolate, right?"
"Yep, chocolate. How long are you going to be gone?"
"Probably a couple hours. Dad needs these pictures, and then I'll run to Foodtown.” She grabbed her purse and dug around for her keys. “Since I'm going in, do you still want those leftover ribs for supper, or do you want me to bring something else home?"
"The ribs are fine.” He held out his hand and gestured her toward him. “Come here for a sec."
With a grin, she sat down next to him on the couch. “Your seconds are usually more like hours."
"I don't plan to distract you for hours.” Spencer cupped the back of her neck and drew her forward. “Unless you want me to."
"I'd love you to.” She eased against his chest, automatically shifting to his good side to keep from hurting his shoulder. “Just hold on to that thought until I get back."
"Yes, ma'am.” Despite his words, the kiss was long and slow, and perfectly designed to make her forget about the errands she needed to run. He kissed her like that any time she got within touching distance, and it always made her pulse flutter and her mouth tingle. When he lifted his head, she stared at his lips. “Come back soon."
"You should take a nap while I'm gone.” Her voice had gone husky with desire, and she leaned in to taste the lower curve of his mouth one more time. “Make sure you're good and rested for me. I might make you eat that ice cream off me this time."
Spencer shifted against the couch, drawing her attention from his mouth to his erection. “I'm not sure how I'm supposed to sleep with that image in my head, but I'll do my best."
"Which is more than enough."
With difficulty, Rebecca peeled herself away, straightening her shirt where it had twisted between them. Her hard nipples poked through the fabric, and Spencer's level gaze didn't make it any easier to retreat to the doorway. She waved and bolted for the truck. If she didn't, she'd find some reason to stay. She'd rather get done what she needed to, to have the entire night to spend with Spencer.
She stopped at the newspaper's office first. Growing up, Rebecca had spent as much time there as she did at home, learning more about the business than she ever wanted to. It wasn't her passion, not like photography, but she'd done what she could to help out. She was the only child, and though Gil Rankin might have nieces and nephews to step in, he always relied on his daughter.
"Becky?” Gil opened his office door and smiled with coffee and nicotine stained teeth. Thin gray hair stuck to his shining scalp and his shirt was almost as dirty as his teeth. His eyes darted around, as though searching for anybody else who might have followed Rebecca into the office. “I hoped that was you. Come on in."
"I only have two of each of the sets,” she said when she stood on the other side of his desk. Opening the folder, she pulled out the plastic sheaths protecting the photos and slid them across his blotter. “If you need anything more, I'm going to need to do a print run."
He lifted them to the light and studied them with narrow eyes before nodding with satisfaction. “These are fine. So when are you coming back to work?"
"I'm working now, Dad. Are you asking when I'm going to be back in the office every day? Probably a couple more weeks at least.” She chewed the corner of her lip as she weighed the rest of her response. As much as she hated leaving Spencer during the day, she knew it would have to come to an end sooner or later. “I could probably manage a couple short days in town now."
"That boy doesn't have any family to watch after him now? Didn't you say his uncle was in town?"
"He is, but Travis just has his trailer. That's no place for Spence to recuperate when I've got plenty of room at my place."
"Just don't start letting him take advantage of you.” Gil sat down heavily, his ink-stained fingers fidgeting with a pen. “It must be nice, living with a pretty girl who'll wait on him, hand and foot."
Her hackles went up. “Spence isn't like that."
"Becky, he's a cowboy. And a young man. I imagine he's just like that."
"Well, if he is enjoying it, can you really blame him? That ride probably cost him his career. He's got some tough decisions to make here soon, so if I can make it a little easier for him now, you can bet I will."
"You're a good girl, but you're too kind-hearted.” Gil shrugged. “I guess I should just be thankful you haven't started picking up strays before now. Maybe I should c
ome by and meet him."
Her stomach plummeted. Though the two men had never come face to face, Spencer had never refrained from expressing his less than positive opinion of the other man. Part of her worried about getting the two men in the same room. Gil could be more than overprotective. Then again, she'd never seen Spence be less than friendly and gracious with anybody, even rabid buckle bunnies at the rodeo. She wasn't giving him nearly enough credit in keeping them apart.
"You could come by for Sunday dinner,” she offered. “Spencer's doing better every day. He'd be up for more company, I'm sure."
"Sunday dinner?” Gil opened the top drawer and took out a giant calendar, far larger than any desk calendar she had seen anywhere else. And far more inconvenient than just using a computer program to keep track of his schedule, but Gil Rankin's system worked for him. One he would never change. After perusing the crowded page for a moment, he nodded. “That'll work. Around six?"
"Sounds good.” Leaning across the desk, she brushed a kiss across his cheek. “I'll see you then."
She left before he said anything else to rile her. She knew his opinion of Spencer, and her role as nurse, but surprisingly, it was a little more subdued than she'd expected. Still, it annoyed her to be questioned on her decisions. No matter what Gil said, Rebecca knew Spencer better than any of them. Nobody was taking advantage of anybody. At least not in the sense Gil meant.
Her good mood returned as she pulled into Foodtown. Her grocery list was small, and if she didn't want the ice cream to melt, she had to be quick. If she had her way, she'd convince Spencer to have dessert first, though honestly, she didn't think that would require too much work. He hadn't wanted her to leave, as much as she hadn't wanted to go.
Rebecca waved at a few people she recognized as she entered the store, but didn't allow herself to be drawn into any conversations. If she let them start gossiping, she would never be able to get away. But a familiar cowboy hat brought her up short, and she nodded to be polite, fully expecting Travis to ignore her and keep walking. But their eyes met and he moved toward her, not giving her a chance to escape.
"Hi there,” she said with her best smile. “How come I didn't see you at the house today?"
"I had to drive to Salt Lake and pick up a few things for Spence. I plan to eat, then come by and get him this afternoon."
"Oh.” She tried not to let her disappointment show. “He didn't tell me you were coming over later."
"You should expect to see me every day."
She laughed. “Just how much catching up do you two have to do?"
Travis pushed the brim of his hat back. “Catching up? We're not women. We have better things to do than spend the day gossiping."
Biting back her instinctive retort, she asked, “Then what are you spending all that time doing?"
"Practicing. Exercising. Getting strong enough to ride again."
Rebecca stared at him blankly. He hadn't just said what she thought he'd said, had he? “But the doctors told Spence that wasn't going to happen. His shoulder's not strong enough."
"That's why we've got so much work to do. He can't use his shoulder, but he can ride left-handed. I thought he would have explained all this to you already."
"No, he hasn't.” He hadn't said a word, actually. Not since the topic had first come up way back in the beginning of his stay with her. “But Spence knows that's a long shot at best. Has he told you how many surgeries he still has to have on that shoulder? And about the physical therapy? And there's no telling what the concussion has done to his reflexes. He tries to ride left-handed, and he's going to kill himself."
"And if he doesn't try at all, he might as well be dead."
This time, she didn't even bother smiling. Her jaw set as she glared at Travis. “He can find something else."
"He rides bulls. That's what he knows. I don't expect you to understand, but I do expect you to stay out of his way."
"So you can kill him? I don't think so."
"If he has to go, I'd rather it be by riding bulls instead of letting a woman suffocate him to death.” He tipped his hat in a parody of politeness and turned to walk away.
Rebecca grabbed his arm without thinking, yanking him to a halt. Unflinchingly, she met his eyes, grateful she didn't have to look up to see him. “Look, I know you're his family, and I know you care about him, but you don't know crap about who I am or what I want for Spencer. The last thing I would ever do to Spencer is hold him back, but there's a difference between supporting his choices and encouraging him with something that's pretty much guaranteed to kill him. I'd hope you'd understand that."
"If you think the risk of death is enough to stop Spence, then you don't know him at all."
"It's more than a risk. It's near certainty. Spence loves the thrill, but last I checked, he didn't have a death wish."
"Maybe you should talk to him about it. This was his idea, after all."
Continuing this conversation wouldn't get her anywhere. And Travis had a point. Letting him go, Rebecca took a step back, her hand tightening on her purse. “Maybe I should. Though I guess I should thank you for telling me."
"Guess so. Try not to ride him too hard. We have work to do this afternoon."
Rebecca didn't wait for anything more. Turning on her heel, she marched back to the parking lot. Nobody would do any riding that afternoon. At least not the kind Spencer wanted.
Her anger had calmed slightly by the time she pulled up in front of the house, fading to be replaced by hurt. Spencer hadn't said a word to her. He'd been meeting with Travis for the past four days, and he'd never even hinted about his true intentions. For the first time, she wondered if her dad's words about Spencer taking advantage of her might have more than a grain of truth in them.
He was right where she left him, stretched out on the couch and watching one of his soaps. As soon as she opened the door, he smiled at her—a wide, charming, almost disarming smile. “Well, there you are."
"Here I am.” Seeing him made it hard to hold onto her disappointment, and for a moment, she wished she hadn't rushed out of Foodtown without the ice cream. She'd let Travis get her upset. For all she knew, he'd been lying about all of it. “How are you feeling?” That was a safe question to start with. Much safer than, are you really crazy enough to try and ride again?
"Rested,” Spencer said with a wink.
Smiling, she dropped her purse by the door, though she wasn't sure what to do then. If she sat down, he'd reach for her. If he reached for her, she'd melt. If she melted, she'd never find out the truth, because her brain would malfunction and she'd believe anything he said to her.
Rebecca settled for perching on the arm of the couch. It was a safe alternative. Maybe.
"Guess who I ran into at Foodtown?"
"The Foodtown mayor?"
Her mouth twitched. “No. Travis. He just got back from picking up some stuff for you in Salt Lake City.” She paused, her gaze steady. “For practicing with, I assume."
The smile faded from his face and eyes. “Yeah. I...needed a few things to help build up my strength."
Ice settled across her skin. “So you really are trying to ride again?"
"I told you I wanted to, Rebecca. That never changed."
"You didn't tell me that's what you and Travis have been doing."
"I didn't want to upset you."
"Because you know I think it's going to kill you. And I don't want to watch you commit suicide."
"I'm not asking you to. But maybe you could at least try to understand."
That's what Travis had said. It hurt no matter whose mouth it came out of.
"I know you miss it, Spence,” she tried, hoping the shift in approach would ease some of the sting. “I know how much you love it. I've got the photographic proof. But you haven't even considered any other options. We never even made it out to that ranch, the one that breeds bulls, like you said we would."
"How do you know I never considered other options? How do you know I haven't
spent the last two weeks thinking about this? I want to ride. I don't appreciate anybody telling me I can't."
"I'm not...that's not what I'm saying.” She didn't know why she was tripping over her tongue. “I know I don't get a say in the matter. It's not my life. It's yours. But you can't honestly expect me to be okay with standing back and pretending I think you're not making a mistake, can you?"
"Maybe I'm not making a mistake, Becca. Maybe I'm doing the best I can with the shitty hand that's been dealt to me. I don't want to go work at a ranch and be somebody's grunt."
"Who says you'll have to? I know you feel more like yourself, and that's great, but your shoulder isn't anywhere near ready for this kind of a decision yet. You've still got at least two more surgeries ahead of you. Anything could happen."
"That's why I'm working on my left arm. I'll never be able to ride right-handed again. I know that. I just...want to feel like I'm actually doing something here. Travis shows up and tells me everything I need to do to ride again, and I...I don't want to let my last chance slip out of my fingers."
He had a small point. He'd been happier in the past few days than she'd seen him since the accident. She had just been naive enough to think the shift in their relationship had something to do with it. And he did need a purpose. She knew being locked up all day had been driving him crazy. He wasn't made for this kind of life at all.
"I think Travis is telling you what you want to hear. I don't think for a second he's considering all your options. But if you promise me all you're doing is strengthening your left arm, that you're not doing anything crazy like actually practicing to ride when you haven't even had the rest of your surgeries yet, I'll promise not to bother you about it."
"I haven't climbed on a bull yet. And I don't plan to for a long time. I don't...I don't harbor any delusions on this point. I know what it'll take to ride again...it's not something that'll happen next month."
No, but his every waking moment would be dedicated to reaching his goal. And Travis would be right there, prodding him along, encouraging him in something that nobody but the two of them believed could happen. Rebecca wanted to believe. She wanted to see Spencer happy more than anything else in the world, and that had been when he'd been flying high in the ring. But she refused to ignore all the facts stacked against him. She couldn't pretend the doctors didn't know what they were talking about.