The Cowboy's Summer Love (26 page)

“Great if I was ninety and unable to function by myself,” Travis said, dreading the ordeal ahead. When Trent made him use a bedpan last night, he could have chewed glass. He hated it. Hated being dependent. Hated being vulnerable. Hated being treated like an invalid. Now they were going to carry him into the bathroom like a baby and give him a bath.

“Seems to me you are unable to function by yourself at the ripe old age of twenty-five,” Trent said, going into Travis’ bathroom and running water in the tub. Coming back out while the tub filled, he studied Travis briefly. “With a beautiful girl like Tess who, for reasons beyond understanding, likes to be within spitting distance of you, I’d think you would want to smell like something other than rotten fish or a high school gym locker.”

“I don’t smell that bad,” Travis stated indignantly.

“Oh, yes, you do. In fact, this rooms reeks. I’m going to open the windows while you get clean and see if Cady will bring in some fresh sheets. Now, hang tight and I’ll round up Trey then we’ll get your show on the road.”

Travis wanted to throw something and hit Trent on his chipper head.  Always the one who took his side, Trent often offered him a cheery word or deflected Trey’s disappointment when Travis messed things up. He could count on one hand the times Trent had actually fought with him and each time it was like a knife to his heart. Travis knew he and Trey were both hard-headed and too much alike while Trent was more laid back like their mother. He loved both his brothers, but Trent seemed to know how to handle him better.

Scoffing at himself, Travis realized a grown man shouldn’t need to be handled, especially not by his brothers. Maybe it was time for him to really grow up.

Trey came in with Trent and was unusually quiet as they helped him into the bathroom and then got him settled in the tub.

When he emerged from the bathroom forty minutes later, he felt much better. Travis managed to shave in the bathtub, wash his hair and scrub away the previous day’s grime. Trent was right, he did stink. The river water always smelled like fish to him and no doubt that smell lingered on his skin. Come to think of it, he’d been wearing a wet suit yesterday. He wondered what happened to it.

Trey and Trent gently put him back to bed on fresh, crisp sheets, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. The room smelled clean with a brisk morning breeze blowing in the open window. They were propping him up against his headboard with more pillows when Cady and Tess came in. Cady carried a breakfast tray while Tess had more ice packs. Trent helped secure the ice in place on Travis’ legs then Cady placed the tray across his lap.

“It’s nice to see you looking a little more like yourself, Trav,” Cady said, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly.

“Thanks. I’m sorry for all this bother I’m putting you through. I really don’t mean to be a burden,” Travis said, staring down at a plate of biscuits, eggs and strips of crispy bacon.

“You’re not a burden,” Trey said, hoping Travis could understand just how grateful they were that he was alive. With all the crazy stunts he’d done in the last couple months, Trey kept waiting for the call that said Travis had pulled his last one. “You’re our brother and we love you. We’ll do whatever needs done to make you comfortable and help you recover.”

“But, I…”

Trey held up his hand. “Eat your breakfast and we can talk later. If you feel up to some company, there are a few guys out there who’d like to say hello.”

Travis worked up a half-hearted smile and nodded his head.

“Sure, send them in.”

All five of the ranch hands came in quiet and subdued. Visiting with Travis for a few minutes, they were mindful of not tiring him. As they turned to leave, Henry, the eldest of the group, patted Travis on the arm. “If you ever need someone to listen, son, I’ve got two willing ears. I know a little about what you’re going through.”

His comment caught Travis off guard. No one knew much about Henry. He’d been with the Thompson family since before Travis was born. That he was a fine man and a hard-worker was all they really needed to know. Travis suddenly wondered about Henry’s story.

“Thanks, Henry. I might take you up on that sometime.”

Cady eventually came in and got the breakfast tray, adjusted his pillows and took off the ice. She said Tess was sleeping and Trey and Trent were mapping out plans for the day.

When she left, Travis tried to relax, but thoughts kept chasing through his head and memories he’d managed to suppress raged through him. He drifted off into a troubled sleep, one that took him back to Iraq where the nightmares weren’t just dreams, but visions of his past.

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“Travis, wake up,” Trent tried to restrain Travis and wake him up at the same time. Coming in to check on him, he found Travis thrashing on the bed, lost in a nightmare.

Afraid he’d really hurt himself if they couldn’t get him to settle down, Trent stepped into the hall and called for help. He knew Travis fought his demons at night while he slept and often heard him cry out. Sometimes Trent even went into his room, wishing there was something he could do to help him, but not knowing what.

Hearing footsteps running down the hall, Trey rushed into the room followed by Cady. Tess ran in looking startled and half-awake.

“He’s having a nightmare and I’m afraid he’s going to do more damage to his legs,” Trent said as they all gathered around the bed. Travis was moving wildly, his face screwed up in pain, oblivious to anything except what has happening in his dream.

“I’ll hold his legs. Trent, take his shoulders and let’s see if we can calm him down. I think you girls better stay back, just in case,” Trey said, sitting down on the bed and gently, but firmly, putting pressure on Travis’ calves, holding them still. Trent caught Travis’ arms and quickly moved them to his sides, throwing himself across his chest, trying to hold the bucking body down. Travis yelled out and Trent felt him clench his fists.

Not certain he and Trey could hold him down, Trent thought they might have to send one of the girls to get a couple of the hands to help. Travis fought against them and then suddenly quieted.

Trent looked up to see Tess brushing her fingers across Travis’ forehead, whispering in his ear. Just like that, the storm passed.

Releasing their hold, Trey and Trent stood looking at each other then at Tess. The effect she had on Travis was nothing short of amazing.

“Thanks, Tess,” Trent said. “I was getting worried there for a minute.”

She smiled and turned to watch Travis open his eyes, disoriented. Focusing on the family standing around his bed, he remembered the accident. He recalled his dream and how, when he was in the worst of the nightmare, he felt Tess’ hand on his head, heard her voice in her ear. All the fear left, the demons went back to their dark corners, and he felt peaceful.

“Hey,” Travis said, looking at all the concerned faces. “How’s it going?”

“Okay,” Trent said, hesitantly. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Travis said, trying to figure out what was causing all the frowns. “Something wrong?”

“You were having a nightmare and we were afraid you’d hurt yourself,” Trey said, his hand on Travis’ foot. It felt unnaturally cold to his touch, so he pulled the sheet up over Travis’ legs.

Travis looked embarrassed and they collectively watched him draw in on himself.

“Sorry,” he said, studying the floor beside his bed. Travis clenched the sheet, hoping to keep anyone from seeing his shaking hands.  Sometimes the dreams made him feel wrung out and weak, sometimes he shook all over for a while, other times they made his breath come in gasps. It looked like today was a shaking dream. He tried hard to hold his legs still, but before he could stop them, shudders shook his entire body.

“Get out! Get out now!” Travis yelled, mortified by his traitorous body and his inability to control it.

Trey nodded his head and Tess and Cady left, but he and Trent stayed, each sitting down on a side of the bed.

“I didn’t mean just the girls,” Travis growled. “Leave me alone.”

“We can’t do that, bro,” Trey said, rubbing his hand gently on Travis’ leg, waiting for the trembling to stop.  “You’ve nowhere to go and nothing but time, so how about you tell us what’s bothering you.”

“Nothing,” Travis said, grateful the tremors were passing.

“Nothing sure packs a wallop,” Trent said. “You’ve got to talk about what happened, Travis. Until you do, you’re going to keep on having problems. Now would be a good time to have the pastor come and we can call…”

“Get out! Just get out and leave me alone!” Travis yelled, growing more agitated by the minute.

Trey looked at Trent and he nodded toward the door. They got up and walked out, neither one saying another word to Travis.

The rest of the day was spent with Lindsay and Cady alternating care of Travis with ice packs and helping him rotate from stomach to back. Trent worked in the shop so if Travis needed some basic need taken care of, he could help. Tess had three home appointments she had to go to, so she left shortly after Travis ordered them out of his room and hadn’t yet come back.

She needed some time to process what was happening with Travis and was glad for the distraction of home visits.

 Driving back to the Triple T after her final appointment, she was exhausted, worried about Travis and uncertain as to what she could do. He needed healing that went far beyond his damaged hamstrings. He was deeply scarred emotionally and mentally and until he acknowledged his need for some help, things were not going to get any better.

Stopping by the Running M Ranch, she decided to eat dinner with her parents and Brice, who visited Travis on his way home. Travis refused to talk to him.

“It’s like he closed himself off from everyone. He won’t say a word, just stares at the wall or out the window,” Brice said, unaware of what had happened that morning. Tess shared about Travis waking up from the nightmare and his tremors.

“Trey and Trent don’t know what to do to help him. I’m really worried about him,” Tess said, biting her cheek to keep from crying.

“We’ll keep praying for him Tess, and let us know if there is anything we can do to help,” Michele said as they finished up their meal.

As she left, Tess told Brice to give Travis a day or two and then try visiting again. There really wasn’t any need for her to go back to the Triple T. Trent could give as good of medical care to Travis as she could, but she needed to be there. Needed to be close to him. She didn’t want to think about the reasons why right now.

Going in the house, tension hung thick in the air. Lindsay and Cady sat at the table working on assembling wedding favor boxes that looked like miniature carriages.

Trent referred to Lindsay as Princess, and they decided it would be fun to have a fairytale themed wedding. Cass was certainly excited about it. Her flower girl dress was frothy confection of pale blue taffeta, thick lace and enough ruffles for satisfy any little girl.

Tess sat down at the table and helped put together boxes, discussing plans for the wedding as well as the birthday party Cady was going to host for Cass on Monday.

The adults discussed cancelling the birthday party, but since Cass never had one before, they really wanted to make her sixth birthday special. It was going to be a surprise for the child and Tess could already envision the happy look on her face when she realized a party was being held in her honor.

Tess was glad she’d already picked up a gift for the sweet little girl.

“So how’s the patient?” Tess asked, finally broaching the subject.

“He hasn’t spoken a word to anyone all day. Trent tried his best to get him to talk, but got nothing. The guys are so frustrated with him, we suggested they take Cass and go for a ride. Instead, Trey locked himself in the office, and Trent took Cass with him down to the shop. The big baler still isn’t working right and they need to start baling that last field in the morning,” Cady explained, sounding like a true rancher’s wife although this was the first summer she’d ever spent on a ranch, far removed from her former life living in Seattle.