Ride Me Cowboy #4 (The Cowboy Romance Series - Book #4) (4 page)

“Really? Why?”

“Because it means a lot to someone I care an awful
lot about. I think you still have a chance to do this finals thing…if you behave
and let that wrist heal the way you’re supposed to.”

His eyes brightened. “I’m not sure my scores are all
good enough to make it through on alone the rest of the season.”

“No, but there are a lot of rodeos in September and
October. You just have to be willing to do a lot of traveling.”

He grinned again. “Traveling I can do.” He became
serious then and said, “I’d love to have a companion…at least for some of it.
As much of it as she’d like.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” I told him. There
would be a lot to that conversation. “My main motivation is for you to accept
that you need to heal. I knew the only way you’d be willing to do that was if
you knew there was still a chance.”

The look in his eyes was so grateful that I got a
lump in my throat. “Thank you.”

I grinned to keep from tearing up. “What are stepsisters
for?” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. God help me, I was crazy about
this man.

They discharged him with instructions on icing the
injured limb and keeping it clean and elevated and not using it at all. Mark
looked bored with the whole thing. I think he just really wanted to get home. I
checked with Mom and told him
Sarge
was on his way
home with Bob and that made him feel better. The rest of the ride home was mostly
quiet. He had a lot on his mind, as well as the pain medicine in his system
that dulled him slightly. That was okay with me. I had a lot on my mind, as
well.

CHAPTER
FOUR

MARK

As I sat next to Lexi on the ride home, I still
couldn’t believe she had showed up. It had been surreal to look up and see her
come through the door. It was the last thing I was expecting, for sure. The
only thing that would have shocked me more would have been if my dad had shown
up. I was so grateful to her for staying with me the whole time, and I really
couldn’t believe she had even tried to figure out how I could still make the
finals. She was amazing, that was a fact. What she’d learned wasn’t exactly all
there was to it, though. I didn’t tell her, but unless I got perfect scores on
all of my rides during the fall, I still would never make it. Summer is a huge
time for rodeo and if I missed the rest of the
summer, that
would be it. She had worked so hard trying to figure it out for me; I didn’t
have the heart to tell her. I was really just so happy that she cared so much.

I was trying myself to figure out how I could get
the doctors to clear me at least for the next one which was in about three
weeks. It was only a one day event and it was driving distance from home, so
not such a big deal…except for that tricky part about holding onto the bull
with a broken wrist. It’s doubtful that any of the doctors at the hospital
would sign off on it, but I thought one of the rodeo docs might if I could
reach him in time. I hate this. I hate feeling like my whole year was for
naught. I feel so frustrated that I want to break something or hit something. I
wanted to have a tantrum, but I knew that wouldn’t help. So instead, I let all
of the possibilities roll around in my head and unfortunately by the time we
got home, I hadn’t come up with anything new.

Lydia met us on the front porch when we got there.
She had that worry line between her brows that I was beginning to recognize as
I got to know her better. I felt bad that I’d caused her to worry, but it was
nice that she cared all the same. It had been a long time since I’d had a
mother figure to worry about me.

“Oh, Mark! I was so worried about you. That bull
could have killed you!” She hugged me and then held me back and looked at me
again.

“I’m okay, Lydia. Just a little sprained wrist.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Sprained my left butt
cheek! Lexi told me it was broken and fractured in three places. They had to
use four pins and half a metal plate to fix it.”

I laughed. “Were you there?”

“Oh stop it! Lexi kept me up to date. Come in. I
fixed you a spot in the parlor. I’ll get you something to eat.”

I followed her in and saw that she had rearranged
furniture to create me a comfortable spot with pillows stacked around it,
cowboy magazines, and the remote control. Laughing, I said, “Really, Lydia, you
didn’t have to go to all of this trouble. You don’t have to wait on me hand and
foot.”

“I don’t mind. I want you to heal up well.”

“Thank you.” I wasn’t used to being fussed over. It
was really nice, but hard at the same time to accept so much help.

“Sit down; I’ll go get your dinner,” she told me.

I suddenly realized that Lexi hadn’t followed us in.
“Where did Lexi go?”

“She’s unloading your things out of the car.”

I shook my head. These women were too much. “Thanks,
Lydia.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Get some rest.”

She scurried out and as I sat down in the comfy
spot, I smiled. I picked up the remote just as my dad walked into the room.
“Oh, you’re back.” He barely glanced at me. It sucked to be despised by your
own father.

“Yep, I’m back.”

“Broke your wrist, did you?” At least he was paying
attention.

“Yeah, they did surgery on it today. I’m the bionic
man now.” I was trying to lighten things up,

but
I’m not sure why I try. He didn’t even crack a smile. He picked up his paper that
he had come in for. Normally he’d sit in here and read it, but I guess he
didn’t care for the company. He started to leave the room.

“Dad.” He stopped. With his back to me still, I
said, “I wish you would talk to me.” I really wanted to just ask him why he
hated me so much.

He turned on me then and as he was talking I
realized that I should have been careful what I asked for. “You want me to talk
to you? Maybe you want me to fawn all over you like Lydia and Lexi are doing?
Fat chance since you did this to yourself.” I couldn’t help it; I felt a
sarcasm coming on.

“Technically, a bull did it to me…”

“You want to be smart about it now? You go around
choosing to play in these rodeos like a child and when you finally have some
consequences to deal with, you don’t even realize the trouble you’re putting on
everyone else in the process. Doctors who could have been treating real sick
people…people who were hurt or sick through no fault of their own, had to take
time out of their busy lives to take care of you. Lexi had to leave her visit
with her mother and drive all day to get there and spend another day waiting to
drive you home. Now you have Lydia waiting on you like she’s your personal
nurse…I don’t know where you got the idea that you were something special, boy,
but I’m here to tell you there
ain’t
nothing more to
you than any of the rest of us. You don’t deserve special treatment. You don’t
even work for a living or pay your own damned rent.”

I was in a mild state of shock. It wasn’t that I
didn’t know he felt that way about me, but to hear him say all of that out
loud…there was no way that couldn’t hurt. I certainly knew he didn’t see me as anything
special. He’d made that blaringly obvious throughout my life. I had no idea
what to say back to him, either – what do you say to your only parent when they
tell you that you’re nobody special? That’s not the way it’s supposed to be, so
I’ve got no idea. I tried staying calm and I said,

“I do have a job, Dad. Rodeo is my job. What I do
isn’t playing. It’s a serious job that I make serious money at. It’s not a job
in the traditional sense, but really when you think about it, neither is
ranching. I love the rodeo, Dad. Don’t you think people should earn a living
doing what they love?”

“People should earn a living doing something that
will give back in the long run, like the land. All rodeo does is take from you.
It will take everything you have to give and then some. You sit there with that
ruined wrist still not being able to see that. In the end, all the money in the
world won’t be worth the cost you pay for it.”

“I don’t want to die regretting that I lived my life
for someone else.” I don’t want to be a miserable, unhappy man like him.

“Then you might just die very young and very alone.”
He turned and walked out. Some people might think this is crazy, but I let
myself wonder if maybe it was his worry for me that made him so angry. It made
me feel a little better to believe that, anyways. It was easier than believing
I just disgusted him.

Over the next week, Lexi or Lydia was at my side
practically every minute. I tried to tell them that I wasn’t an invalid, but
they wouldn’t let me do anything for myself…except for use the bathroom, thank
goodness. Lexi kept surprising me. She was actually coming around to the idea
that I might get well in time to ride in the rodeo that was now in two weeks. I
cautiously mentioned it one day and was very surprised at her response.

“My wrist feels so much better I hardly even need
the pain meds any longer. That’s a good sign, right?” I was being more
optimistic about it than I was, but it was feeling better.

“Yeah, it is. I read up on the surgery you had
online a few days ago. They say that people heal differently, the younger and
healthier you are, the faster you’ll heal. I think you have a great chance of
healing faster than eight weeks. You’re healthy and you eat right and take care
of yourself.”

“Fast enough to ride in the rodeo in two weeks, you
think?”

She raised an eyebrow, but she smiled. “I guess you
never know. I’m learning to never say never.” I took that as encouragement for
more than the rodeo.

She took me to my follow-up appointment with the
surgeon on Wednesday and even went in the back with me to see the doctor. I
told her that it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. When he came in and asked
how I was doing, Lexi said,

“He’s doing well doctor, but he’s stubborn. Can you
give him something for that?”

The doctor laughed and replied, “If I could invent
that, I’d be a very wealthy man. So how’s it feel, Mark?”

He was looking at the arm when I answered, “It’s
practically healed, Doc. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

“It looks good. The surgical site is clean and the
swelling has gone down. I think we’re ready to cast it.”

“Can’t we just splint it or something?” I asked him.
I didn’t want to be stuck with a cast. For one thing, it would be a lot longer
before I could actually see or feel if it was healing if it was all casted up.
I think the doctor had my number.

“You wouldn’t be thinking about using that wrist if
I don’t put a cast on it would you?” he asked with a raised bushy gray eyebrow.

“Of course not,” I lied.

“I won’t let him use it.” That was Lexi – my own
personal Nurse Ratchet. She was a lot prettier than I would have expected Nurse
Ratchett
to be.

“Yeah,” I said with a forced smile. “She won’t let
me use it. Her and her mother barely let me pee on my own.”

He chuckled. “Well, there could be worse things than
having this beautiful young lady and her mother, who I am assuming is beautiful,
as well, at your beck and call.” I looked at Lexi. He was right and I knew it.
There were a lot of worse things. He let me out of there with a bandage and a
splint and strict orders not to use that hand at all. Lexi made notes…she’s so
cute. It warmed my heart that she cared so much. At that moment, anyways. When
we got home, I was put back on the couch with my arm elevated and told to stay
there while she and Lydia made dinner.

 
“Maybe I
could go out and help Bob and the guys feed tonight. Some fresh air and
exercise might do me some good.”

She laughed. “Um…let me think…no!”

“Aw come on! Sitting on this couch is killing me. I
would totally use my left hand. You can watch and make sure.”

“You need to keep the arm elevated to prevent
swelling. You can’t be out there moving it and swinging it around.”

“You should be a nurse…or a terrorist.”

She laughed again. “A terrorist, really?”

“Yeah, you’re very good at kidnapping and the art of
torture already.”

“You think you’re a captive here?”

“Feels like it.”

She smiled. “You’re a captive of two women who care
very much about you. I’d say that you’re a lucky man.”

“
Hmph
!” I couldn’t help it;
I had to smile back at her. God, she’s beautiful. “You know that I appreciate
all of this, in spite of my complaining, right?”

“I do,” she said. “I’m glad we were here to help.”

“Me, too. You can bet my father wouldn’t be doing
any of this. By the way, did he move out?”

She looked like maybe she missed something. “Move
out? No, why?”

“I haven’t seen him in a week. I guess he’s just
getting better at avoiding me.”

She sat down and put her hand on my leg. My cock
jumped in my pants at that simple touch. God, I wanted her. “I’m sorry.”