by Melissa Keir
Within seconds, Mikey’s color returned to his face and his eyes opened. Debra continued to monitor his pulse. “How are you feeling, Mikey? I’m Debra, a friend of Mr. O’Neill’s. Are you in any pain? Hurt? Do you often pass out?”
A blush filled Mikey’s face and he nodded. “I pass out about every week now. I’ve been to the doctors but they aren’t sure why.”
“I’m sure you’re super tired now, and maybe a little cold.” She took off her jacket and laid it over the boy. “Did you have breakfast this morning?”
“A little…really not much.” He closed his eyes then opened them again, as his mother approached.
“Mikey. What happened? Johnson, why’s my son on the ground?”
“Ms. Carpenter. Mikey passed out. I carried him to the ground, rather than let him fall. When was the last time he passed out?”
“Two days ago. His doctor thought it was the heat.” She knelt down and scooped her son up into her embrace. She kissed his forehead and ran her fingers over his arms and legs to be sure he didn’t have any injuries.
Debra watched the exchange but remained silent. Her eyes never left Mikey. “Oh. Did you see that?”
“What, Debra?”
Debra was pointing to Mikey’s legs. “Watch.”
As everyone watched, Mikey’s legs moved. Sounds of exhilaration echoed in the arena.
“Mikey. Your legs just moved. Did you do it? Can you do it again?” His mom could barely contain her delight, hope. Mikey’s legs moved again. Tears slid down Debra’s face and dropped into the dirt. Debra ached to wrap her arms around this woman, a stranger.
Johnson bent over and whispered in her ear. “Bad things happen, but so do miracles. Our first tenet as an AA member is to admit we are powerless over alcohol with the second being that we give ourselves over to a higher power who can help restore our sanity.”
Debra examined Mikey. If this isn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is. “Can we talk later, Johnson? There’s so much I want to say.”
“Sure. But, right now, I’m going to call Jake and get him down here.” He yanked out his phone and strode a short distance away.
Debra rested her fingers on Mikey’s shoulder. “How are you feeling?”
The boy’s smile was contagious. “My legs are tingling, like ants crawling over the skin. So, I’m nervous about what this means. But I’m also bummed I didn’t get to ride more with Crimson.” As if hearing her name, the black mare trotted over and nudged Mikey with her nose, eliciting a giggle from his lips. “Am I still going to get to ride her, even if my legs work again?”
“Of course you will. Crimson will want to help your legs get stronger. I think she’s bummed you can’t spend more time with her today, too. But she’ll be here for you next time.”
Jake arrived and helped get Mikey and his wheelchair back into the Carpenter’s van. “I’m driving Mikey and his mom to the hospital to get him checked out.” Ms. Carpenter tried to interrupt, but Jake cut her off. “I know the horse didn’t do anything to hurt Mikey, but you’re in no shape to drive. Besides, it’s my pleasure.” He faced Johnson. “Get Crimson rubbed down and fed. She deserves an extra treat. We don’t have any other treatments today. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Sure thing, boss man. Just let us know how Mikey’s doing.”
Debra stepped behind Johnson and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his back. “I hope this is a miracle. We can all use one. Why don’t we try dinner again tonight?”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll be over at six. Thanks for being here.” He turned and took her in his embrace and kissed her. “I have to get Crimson brushed then feed and exercise the rest of the horses.” He kissed her again. “See you tonight.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A sense of déjà vu flooded Debra’s mind as she prepared dinner for Johnson. I hope this time, things end differently. With the food all ready to go, she took another peek at herself in the hall mirror. Butterflies filled her stomach. I need to come clean with Johnson about my own feelings and find out about his.
When she’d gotten home from the barn today, Debra and researched Alcoholics Anonymous. She’d never considered herself an alcoholic, but after reading through the website, she began to think she might need some help.
When the doorbell rang, Debra jumped. “Ready or not, here we go.” Debra approached the door, opened it, and smiled at the man on the other side. This time, he had a box of chocolates, not flowers.
“Hello. These are for you.” He offered the chocolates to her.
“Thank you. I see you’ve gotten out of the flower business.” Her voice held a hint of teasing.
“Recently, someone bought out all the flowers. The barn smells and looks better with them.”
“I’m glad you liked them. After all the flowers you gave me, I decided turnabout was fair play. Are you hungry?”
Johnson tugged her into his arms and kissed her, nibbling on her lips. He released her. “I’m always hungry for you.”
Her face flushed at the innuendo. “Dinner’s ready. Come sit. What can I get you to drink? Soda? Water? Lemonade?”
“Water. It’s become my new favorite. Do you need any help with dinner?”
“I love my ice water, too. Everything’s ready. I’ll bring it to the table.”
Johnson glanced at the table. The flowers he’d given her last time stood at the center. Candles lit the room. Sitting down, he watched as Debra entered with dishes of food. After three trips, she joined him.
“This looks delicious. I never get anything this fancy.” Johnson placed food on his plate then passed each dish to Debra. He took a bite of the chicken. “You’re an amazing cook. This is tasty.”
“Thanks. My mom taught me.” An awkward silence filled the room. Debra cleared her throat. “After you spoke about your experiences, I did some research on Alcoholics Anonymous. I’ve been trying to do it myself. I’ve figured it out really good except for the wedding. But I’ve come to realize I can’t handle it alone.”
“That’s the best part of being in the group. Everyone understands and supports each other. I’ll also be here to help you.”
“I need to know something. Why did you shut me out when we had our picnic? We’d made love, yet you hardly talked to me on the way back? Was it something I did or said?”
He took her hand in his. Their fingers entwined. “When I spoke about feelings, you seemed to freak out.”
Debra opened her mouth to reply but Johnson placed a finger over her lips. “Let me finish. I know it’s soon to have attachments, especially ones this strong. I also know you’ve been hurt and so have I. I made light of it because I didn’t want to pressure you into either admitting something you didn’t feel…or rejecting me.”
Tears glistened in her eyes.
“I love you. All of you, from your addiction to coffee and pastries to your tender care of animals.” He tugged their entwined hands toward his face and kissed her knuckles. “In fact, when I saw you with the kitten, it all came together for me. I knew then I needed you in my life.”
“Oh, honey, your fears about affections were mine, too. I didn’t want to be hurt, declaring my love only to have you feel obligated or push me away. Angela knew about my feelings even before I admitted them.” Debra stood, sauntered over to Johnson, and sat on his lap. She put her arms around him and kissed him with passion. “I love you, cowboy. You make me a better person and cherish me…flaws and all.”
“Finally. I’ve found my life.”
EPILOGUE
Jake and Johnson carried two more boxes into the farmhouse and had set them down on the floor in the living room, when a car door slammed. Glancing out the window, Johnson saw Debra and Angela approaching. He quickly ran out the door and stood on the porch with his hands on his hips.
“Wait a minute. You can’t just saunter in here.” The glint in his eyes belayed his gruff voice. “I need to carry my wife across the threshold.” He strode down the two steps, sco
oped Debra up into his arms, and carried her back up the steps and into the house.
“I can’t believe this home is ours. And while we won’t fill it with children, we will fill it with love.” Debra ran her fingers around his neck and drew his lips in for a kiss.
The soft meowing broke them apart. “Debra…what did you do?” A big smile crossed his face.
“I thought we could use a mouser.” Debra nodded toward Angela, who held the small kitten from the barn in her grip.
“It’s our housewarming gift to you.” Angela said as Jake placed his arm around her shoulders.
“Thank you for the kitten and helping with the move.” Johnson headed toward the stairs with Debra still in his embrace. “Let yourselves out. We’ve got some christening to do.”
Johnson climbed the stairs toward the upper floor and master bedroom. Debra’s laughter echoed through the house. “That’s my cowboy.”
If you loved The Heartbroken Cowboy…don’t miss out on Jake and Angela’s story…The Heartsong Cowboy
The Heartsong Cowboy
Can two people, one horse and the power of love cure a little girl?
Angela French blames herself for her daughter’s lack of voice. Determined to do anything to correct the situation, she seeks out Jake Kyncade, the owner of The Heartsong Ranch.
Jake Kyncade hides his own sorrows behind his no-nonsense demeanor. Helping children becomes one way to correct his past. Using equine therapy, he sets out to make a difference.
Can Jake help Angela’s dreams come true or will Jake’s past bring more heartache? Will love save them all?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Alcoholism is a serious problem. Like any addiction, it’s one that can be challenging to break. Johnson O’Neill took steps to break his addiction but as it happened with him, relapses occur. It takes determination to succeed. Please know that there’s help out there. All you have to do is to make the first step. The Alcoholics Anonymous Program is one of many successful programs which is why I included some of their tenants in my story. If you need help, you can contact them at: http://www.aa.org/
If you enjoyed Johnson and Debra’s story, see where The Heartsong Ranch began in The Heartsong Cowboy and my other books on Amazon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For my wedding in Vegas, my books and computer came with me but there wasn't enough room for my wedding shoes. It’s all about priorities! As an avid reader, I was probably born with a book in hand. Luckily my mom was also an avid reader, so it was easy to "borrow" her books when my books were finished.
I was reading from an early age about dashing men on horseback riding to the rescue of strong willed and capable women who didn't really need rescuing. I came to expect that women in fairy tales should have fought their own battles. When I was older, I found Margaret Atwood and realized that women could re-tell history in their own way and I experimented with changing those basic fairy tales.
Fortunately for me, my husband allows me the opportunity to be myself (spend my salary on books) and still takes care of the really important things for me like killing spiders and opening jars. As an elementary teacher, teaching children about the many worlds inside of books is a gift that I’m lucky enough to do for a living. Teaching the next generation to love reading is a lot of fun! Reading the right book can make a new world come alive!
Currently living in the suburbs of Ann Arbor, Michigan with my darling husband, way-too-grown-up children and spoiled dogs, I enjoy getting away through a book to escape the harsh winters or summer road construction.
I’d love to hear from you!
www.melissakeir.com
http://www.facebook.com/melissakeir
www.twitter/melissa_keir
Other Books by Melissa Keir
Wilder Sisters Series:
Forever Love
Beach Desires
A Christmas Accident
Coming Home
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Charming Chances:
Charming Chances (print of combined ebooks)
Second Time’s a Charm
Three’s a Crowd
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Pigg Detective Agency:
Protecting His Wolfe
Protecting Her Pigg
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Magical Matchmaker
Chalkboard Romance
One Night in Laguna
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Box Sets
Cowboy Time
Cowboy, Mine
Cowboy, Yours
Cowboys, Bulls and Buckles
Cowboys Forever
Holding a Hero
Summer Heat: Love on Fire
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The Way to the Heart (recipe book)
Love, Bake, Write (recipe book)
We’d Rather Be Writing (recipe book)
Musings of a Madcap Mind (memoir)