Catch Me, Cowboy

by Watt, Jeannie

  “We’ll talk later.”

  It was more of a command than a statement. “Yes. We’ll talk later.” After she had time to sort a few things out.

  *

  In Buck’s words, it had been a helluva night. Between the offer for Rough Stock World to fund his comeback and Shelby essentially firing him from her life after they’d just gotten back together… yeah. Ty almost asked himself what else could happen, then remembered that Austin was riding the next day and decided not to jinx things.

  He tipped up his beer and stared out over the river. As he’d approached the Forty-Six that night, he hadn’t pulled in, but instead drove on to the turn-off to the illusive River Road that no one but locals could find. And there he sat, in his truck, pulling on a long neck.

  He had a big ride ahead of him tomorrow. And regardless of what Buck said, he had a feeling it would matter if he blew it. There were other cowboys making comebacks. Maybe not all of them were former world champions, but there were some damned colorful characters out there. He needed to ride well. If he couldn’t have Shelby, then all he had left was rodeo.

  Ty emptied the bottle and set it aside, shooting a glance at the remainder of the six-pack on the seat beside him. Did he really want to get shit-faced the day before an important ride?

  He did not.

  He shifted his attention back to the river, resting his hand on the gearshift of his truck. He wasn’t ready to go back to the Forty-Six, even though he knew Shelby had spent the night in town with Cassie.

  He and Shelby connected in a way in which he’d never connected to anyone else—it had always been that way with them—but they didn’t seem to be able to get past the obstacles life tossed at them. Didn’t seem to have what it took to tackle things together… and he was just starting to get the drift as to why.

  Maybe it wasn’t the leaving that bothered her… maybe it was the job. She’d sounded so odd when they’d talked after his ride. And now that he was almost definitely going back out on the road, she’d cut him loose.

  She’d never wanted to discuss his rides in the past. He’d tried a few times and got shut down. Maybe Shelby was afraid of losing him? As in forever? Like she’d lost her mom.

  Had Shelby ever talked about losing her mom? Not many times. And she had never indicated in any way that it colored her life, but he knew it did. How could it not have?

  People have a way of disappearing.

  Okay… maybe she had talked. In her way.

  Ty dropped his head back against the headrest, watching the dark water through half-closed eyes. He didn’t know why he hadn’t picked up on it before. It made perfect sense that a woman who lost her mother at the age of ten might have abandonment issues. Death was the ultimate abandonment. And Shelby hated showing weakness. She was a survivor, as she’d once said.

  So what now? It wasn’t like he could force her into a relationship. But maybe he could get her to talk. And… maybe he could talk, too.

  He reached for another beer. His last.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Since Shelby’s life was wildly out of control, she roped with deadly accuracy. Once the arena dust had settled, the steer was neatly stretched between Shelby’s horse and Wyatt’s. The crowd cheered and Shelby’s heart rate started approaching normal as she moved Ginger forward and shook her loop off the steer’s legs.

  “Told you that you wouldn’t choke.” Wyatt grinned at Shelby as they left the arena.

  Their time had been even faster today than yesterday and the win was tied up. No one could touch them.

  “Wish I’d done this at High School Nationals.” But, unfortunately, her life had been pretty damned smooth back then.

  Wyatt gave his head a definitive shake. “Things happened the way they were supposed to. Challenges make you grow.”

  Shelby snorted. “I’m tired of growing.” Way tired.

  “Tough. The process continues.”

  After helping Wyatt take care of the horses, Shelby headed back to her truck feeling… numb. The mutton busting was in full swing, and when the little guys were done riding their sheep, the saddle broncs would take over the chutes.

  And Shelby had no idea where she would be when that happened.

  Did she watch? Did she hide out?’

  She’d leave. Her phone rang from inside the truck as she opened the door and she scooped it up off the seat.

  “Shelby O’Connor, please.”

  Shelby’s stomach tightened at the no-nonsense voice at the other end of the line. Whomever it was meant business. “Speaking.”

  “Trooper Russell, highway patrol.”

  “Russ…?” She’d gone to school with John Russell, who had the sad distinction of being the first trooper to respond to the Harry Monroe 911 call.

  “Yeah. It’s me, Shelby. Bad news. Your grandfather rolled his truck.”

  Shelby’s heart hit her ribs. “Rolled… Is he okay?” she demanded. And when Russ didn’t answer in the next split second, she repeated herself. “Is he all right?”

  “He’s being transported.”

  “He’s alive.”

  “He’s alive. I don’t know the extent of the injuries. He was semiconscious when I got there. Where are you?”

  “Rodeo grounds.”

  “I’m close. I’ll swing by and get you. Three minutes. Okay?”

  Shelby nodded, only realizing she hadn’t answered when Russ asked if she understood what he’d just said.

  “I understand.” Somehow she pushed the words up through her dry throat. “I’ll meet you at the bridge.”

  “Got it.”

  “Promise me that he’s okay.”

  “I’ll be there in two and half minutes, Shelby.”

  *

  Ty carried his saddle down the alley behind the chutes and tipped it up next to a small barrel, before pulling the chaps off his shoulder and shaking them out. The announcer had just declared Wyatt and Shelby the team roping champions and Ty told himself he was glad for her. She’d slain the beast. She was also killing him. Why couldn’t they get it together?

  “Hey, Mr. Hollywood. Heard you might have a film crew here.”

  Ty raised his head to smirk at Kevin Woods, who was currently second in the standings. “Rumors.”

  One guy hardly comprised a crew. He’d met with Buck earlier that day, told him he was ninety-nine percent sure that he would take the deal. And he felt good about it. Even if he choked this season, he’d have given it a shot, and Buck had indicated that there could be future openings at the magazine for someone like him. They hired people with name recognition and Ty had that. He and Shelby had their issues, but he still had his career. And that was what he was focused on today.

  He straightened after buckling his chaps behind his thighs, catching sight of flashing red lights heading across the bridge toward town.

  “Did one of the kids get hurt?” Ty asked.

  The mutton busting was almost finished and while he hadn’t heard any kind of commotion, he couldn’t think of any other reason for a code red.

  “Not that I heard, but there was a car accident,” Deke Mahoney said from beside him as he adjusted the knee brace he wore over his jeans before putting on his chaps. “My wife picked it up on the scanner in the truck.” He glanced over at Ty as if making a sudden realization. “It happened close to where you’re staying. County road near the Forty-Six Ranch.”

  “No shit.” There wasn’t much traffic on that road—only locals. What if…

  Ty was almost the end of the alley before he was aware that he was moving. He started toward Wyatt’s truck and trailer, then altered his course as he saw the roper talking to a woman near the rail.

  “Have you seen Shelby?”

  Wyatt shook his head. “Her truck’s here, so she must be in the stands.”

  “Thanks.” But Ty still had a bad feeling about this. He dashed to his truck, the overly-long fringe on his chaps beating on his legs as he ran. He unlocked the door and grabbed his phone, punchi
ng in Shelby’s number. She answered on the second ring.

  “What?” She snapped the word out instead of saying hello.

  “Where are you?”

  “Gramps was in a rollover.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. “Local hospital?” He didn’t want to travel to Marietta General only to discover that Les had been taken to Bozeman.

  “I… uh… yes.”

  “Hang tight, Shelby. I’ll be right there.” He hung up before she answered and ran around to the driver’s side of the truck.

  “Ty!” He stopped at the sound of his father’s voice. “What the hell? Where are you going?”

  “Les O’Connor had an accident.”

  “You’re leaving now?”

  “Shelby needs me.”

  “You won’t get back in time.”

  “Don’t care.”

  “You don’t care?” His father’s face went red. “Buck Creighton is here. He has a cameraman. You have to ride.” The pulse was beating in the vein in his forehead. “You being at that hospital won’t change anything. Half an hour from now you will be there.”

  “I’ll be there now.” His father reached out and grabbed his shoulder as he turned toward the truck and Ty swung back. “I’m not fucking riding, Dad. This is my life, not yours!”

  He shook off his dad’s hand and jerked open the truck door. He started his truck and pulled out of the space, leaving his father standing exactly where he’d left him. He’d deal with it later.

  Ty forced himself to drive slowly as he headed toward the bridge, then picked up speed after swinging out onto the street. The hospital was close and his dad was right—he could have been there in less than half an hour. Except that he needed to be there now. With Shelby.

  *

  Trooper Russell came into the emergency room with Shelby and guided her to the nurse’s station, making certain she was in good hands before once again taking off. He’d barely left when the door swung open and Ty strode in, his chaps flapping around his legs.

  “How is he?”

  Shelby looked at the nurse, since she had no answers.

  “You’ll get an update as soon as we have information. Dr. Gallagher is with him now.”

  Ty’s hands settled on her shoulders, big and warm and reassuring. Shelby swallowed and after giving the nurse the rest of the information she required for admittance, allowed Ty to steer her to the waiting area.

  He sat on a short vinyl sofa and pulled her down beside him, wrapping his arm around her. Shelby sat stiffly for all of two or three seconds, resisting… everything. The truth about where she was and why. The urge to allow herself lean on Ty. Finally, she gave up, closed her eyes to shut out her surroundings and settled her head on Ty’s hard shoulder. His arm tightened around her and they sat. Silently. She was grateful he didn’t offer useless platitudes. She didn’t want to hear that Gramps would be all right except for from someone who knew for certain.

  The waiting room was empty except for a mother waiting for her son’s broken arm to be dealt with. Compound fracture according to what Shelby had overhead when the woman was talking on her cell phone. She was sorry a child was hurt, but bones would mend. Ty was living proof of that.

  But her grandfather… what kind of injuries did he have? She was not ready to lose him. Someday she’d have to let him go, but not now. Not today. Ty’s phone buzzed in his pocket for the third or fourth time, but he didn’t bother to look at it.

  Suddenly she sat up straighter and stared at Ty, who frowned back at her. “What?”

  “You couldn’t have ridden and gotten here when you did.”

  “I didn’t ride.”

  It took her a moment to digest that small fact. He’d given up his comeback ride to be with her.

  She gave him a cautious look as she considered the possible consequences of his sacrifice. “Even though you missed this ride, things will okay with the documentary, right?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Surely they’d understand that you weren’t thinking straight what with a friend having rolled his truck.”

  “It was more than my friend rolling his truck.”

  “But—”

  He pressed her head back down against his shoulder. “This isn’t the time.”

  But it was a distraction and heaven knew she needed one. She was about to mutter those exact words when the emergency room doors opened. Both she and Ty jumped to their feet as a doctor in scrubs approached.

  “Sean Gallagher.” He gave them both a quick nod. “Ms. O’Connor?”

  “Yeah.” She could barely breathe and once again Ty’s hand was on her shoulder. He was there for her.

  “Your grandfather doesn’t have life-threatening injuries.”

  Relief slammed into her, making her knees feel rubbery and ridiculously weak. She pulled in a shaky breath, let it out again as Ty’s arm tightened around her. Waited for the details.

  There wasn’t much to tell. Gramps was bruised and had some broken ribs and a gash on his head that had been stitched, but as far as they could tell, no internal injuries. He was also conscious and swearing a blue streak about going to the hospital—a place that killed people.

  “My grandmother died from a hospital stay,” Shelby said automatically.

  “Your grandfather won’t. But we need to talk about the cause of the dizzy spell that he had before wrecking the truck.”

  Shelby stared at him for a moment as his meaning sank in.

  “Son of a bitch.” The words came out before she’d realized she’d said them and she automatically muttered, “Sorry.” Then explained. “He’s been pretending his loss of balance was due to his knees. I should have pressed things. I didn’t think it was his knees—”

  “It’s not easy to press Les,” Ty said more to the doctor than to her.

  “I know how stubborn some of these guys can get. Trust me.”

  “What now?”

  “We admit him and observe overnight. I’ll contact his primary physician, bring him up to date. He’ll probably order tests, discuss medications.”

  “Good.” Shelby leaned back into the hand that Ty had kept at the small of her back. “Will we be able to see him?”

  “As soon as we get him into a room, sure. Just be aware that he’s on pain meds and may not be all that lucid. He may not remember the visit. And he may be vivid in his language.” The doctor smiled a little.

  “I just want to see him.” Assure herself that he was alive and well and then maybe yell at him for not telling her the full truth about his dizzy spells.

  *

  Les was a sight. Bandaged on his head and arms, hooked to an IV, and fighting the pain meds to stay conscious. The guy was truly afraid of hospitals and Ty had a feeling Les thought if he closed his eyes for even a moment, it might be for the last time.

  “Gramps…” Shelby’s voice was steady, but he had his palm pressed against her lower back and he could feel her shaking.

  “I’m fine, baby girl.”

  Shelby pressed her lips together and shot a look at Ty before saying, “You only call me that when you don’t want me to yell at you.”

  “Gotta do what I can to protect myself.” His voice was low, his words dragged out.

  The pain meds were winning. His eyes started to drift shut.

  Shelby pulled in a breath and exhaled slowly as Les’s head tilted to the side. The door pushed open and they turned to see Dr. Murphy, whom Ty assumed was Les’s regular physician, come in.

  “I see Les has been up to no good,” the doctor said as he approached the bed.

  “He’s been having issues with his balance, but blamed it on bad knees.”

  “Sounds like Les. There are a number of things we can check, but the first will be his blood pressure meds.” He settled a hand on Shelby’s shoulder. “Whatever it is, we’ll get it taken care of. Les is a tough old bird and now that I know he’s having a problem we can deal with it.” He looked up at Ty. “Nice to see you vertical.”

  T
y couldn’t help but laugh. The last time he’d seen the good doctor had been after getting creamed at the 68th Copper Mountain Rodeo. “I’m doing better now.”

  “I heard that you’re coming out of retirement.”

  Ty felt Shelby stiffen beside him. “Playing it by ear,” he said.

  Dr. Murphy shifted his attention to Shelby. “We’ll let Les rest, run some tests in the morning and if all’s well, we’ll release him.”

  “But he’s going to be okay?”

  “Shelby… I promise you. Your grandfather will be back on his feet being difficult to manage within a matter of days. The important thing is to get him out of this hospital.”

  As they walked out of the room, Ty’s phone buzzed yet again in his pocket and this time he answered.

  “Yeah. Les is all right.” He listened for a couple more seconds as they walked, then came to dead stop just outside the ER entrance. “Look, Dad, I don’t care what you and Buck arranged, I can’t—”

  Shelby touched his arm and he shifted his frowning gaze to her. “Do it.”

  Ty lowered the phone. “You don’t know what ‘it’ is.”

  “Do it.”

  She could see him fighting with himself, weighing pros and cons. He met her gaze then, his expression beyond serious. “Will you come with me?”

  Her heart thumped. “F-for how long?”

  “Just for today.”

  “I… can do today.” Maybe she could do more than that.

  Ty uncovered the phone. “I’ll be there… yes, I’ll damned well hurry, if you stop talking.” He dropped the phone back into his pocket, took Shelby’s hand and together they jogged for his truck.

  *

  The ride wouldn’t count. He wouldn’t win the buckle or take home the check, but he was going to ride. An exhibition they called it, because of his record-breaking score the day before. He smiled grimly. After Buck and his father had interceded on his behalf, he’d probably humiliate himself and eat a dirt sandwich. He didn’t care. He had one more chance to do what he loved and the woman that he loved was there with him.