Star Spangled Cowboy (3 page)

Chapter Three

Everything hurt. It hurt to breathe, and even thinking hurt. Dacey had spoken with the doctors and knew she’d coded twice. Once on the side of the road and again during surgery. She remembered being in the ambulance and everything going dark, then becoming very bright again. The feeling of her heart slowing to the point where it stopped wasn’t something she was likely to forget anytime soon. Dacey had a feeling they hadn’t told Tyson that she’d died, or he never would have agreed to leave the hospital. Dr. Maddox had informed her that she was very lucky to be alive. She’d been stabbed in the abdomen, nicking her internal iliac artery. In addition, one of her ovaries was too damaged for them to fix and her uterus had been torn and repaired. The doctor had assured her that she could still have children, but it would be harder to conceive.

The nurses showed her a mix of pity and loathing, so it was obvious the staff knew about her chosen profession, or rather the profession that had chosen her. She’d run away from home at the age of fifteen, had lived on the streets for two years, and then she’d had the misfortune of meeting Carlos. He’d been charming, but she knew now that was his M.O. for pulling in young women. He’d offered her drugs, which would have ensured her compliance, but she’d refused. When things hadn’t gone his way, he’d drugged her drink and then charged a group of guys at the party to do whatever they wanted with her.

It had been the beginning of the end. Once that had happened, she’d known she could never go home. Carlos had put her to work, convincing her that the police would arrest her if she tried calling for help. She’d been young and stupid, and had quickly fallen in line with his plans. She’d slept on his couch, which had come at a cost, but eventually, she’d saved enough to buy the rusty trailer she still called home. For every fifty she charged, she earned twenty. It wasn’t a bad hourly wage, but it wasn’t as great as what some of the other girls received. Carlos’s favorite, and the customers’ favorite—Margarite—earned two hundred an hour, of which she kept fifty percent.

Dacey stared up at the ceiling and wondered what was going to happen to her now. Once Carlos found out she was still alive, he’d come after her again. And this time, he wouldn’t stop until she was dead for certain. The best thing to do would be to get out of town, but she doubted there was any cash left at her place if she was even allowed to return there. It would be a crime scene now.

There was a knock on her door, and she swung her gaze in that direction, hoping it was Tyson. A sheriff’s deputy stood with a hand braced on his gun, the sun from the window glinting off the star pinned to his shirt.

“Miss Morgan, I’m sorry for disturbing your rest, but I need to speak with you.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Am I under arrest?”

“For what, ma’am?”

“Prostitution.”

“Well, I guess that depends on the answers you give me. But if this is your first offense, you probably won’t spend more than one night in jail, and given the shape you’re in, I doubt very much you’ll even do that much time. I think you’ve been punished enough for your sins.”

Her lips twisted. Oh, she’d sinned plenty, and not willingly. Dacey would like to say that if she could she’d go back in time and never run away from home, but that would be a lie. Her father had been a mean drunk and her mother a drug addict. If she’d stayed, she’d have had even less of a chance of surviving. Her life might be seriously fucked up, and her pimp might have tried to kill her, but she probably wouldn’t have made it past nineteen if she’d stayed at home.

“What would you like to know?” she asked.

“Is it true that you work for Carlos Rivera?” the deputy asked.

“Yes.”

“And how did you come to be in Mr. Rivera’s employ?”

“He found me at a party and drugged me. After letting some guys have their way with me, he convinced me I’d go to jail or be sent home if I went to the police. I was living on the streets at the time, and he managed to convince me I had no choice but to do as he said. I stayed on his couch until I’d saved enough for my place, but he still pulled my strings like a puppet master.”

The deputy made some notes. “And how long have you worked for Mr. Rivera?”

“Five years.”

“Why don’t you tell me what happened last night? If Carlos Rivera did this to you, especially if there were witnesses, then we can put him away for a long time. You’d be free, Miss Morgan, free to start life over, do things differently.”

It sounded like a dream come true, except she had no idea how she’d earn money to pay for the utilities and food. It wasn’t like she had a lot of job skills, or had ever worked a job she could put on her resume. Still, working at a fast food restaurant was better than what she was doing now, even if it paid a lot less. Being respectable had only been a dream until now. Was it possible that she could start life over?

She licked her lips and took a breath. “I went home from a friend’s house last night, and when I got there, Carlos was already waiting for me. He’d let himself in, and it looked like he’d gone through my belongings. He started yelling at me about how I belonged to him and had to do what he said.”

“Were any neighbors around who might have heard the yelling?”

“I think a few people were home. It’s hard to tell. It’s not like we hang out on our porches or something like they do in suburbia. The inhabitants at the trailer park tend to mind their own business, not look out windows and ignore anything they may or may not have heard. So good luck finding someone who will talk to you. Chances are, most women in the trailer park either work for Carlos, have worked for Carlos, or are related to someone who does. He has their allegiance.”

“Well, someone talked last night, or Braxton would have never found you. We’ve already heard his side of the story. What we need to know is what happened before he found you on the side of the highway.”

Her heart warmed at the thought of him running to her rescue, even though he could have gotten seriously hurt if Carlos was still around. It was nice that someone cared what happened to her. Dacey couldn’t remember the last time anyone had cared if they ever had. She only hoped that she didn’t disappoint Tyson and let him down. That would have been worse than what she’d already suffered at Carlos’s hands.

“Like I said, Carlos was waiting for me when I got home, and he yelled a lot. When he started slamming things around, I knew it was going to be bad, but he’d already warned me that I would be punished. I expected a beating, but when he pulled a knife, I panicked. I’d like to say I fought him, but the truth is that my life is miserable. Tyson was the only bright spot I had, and I knew it was a matter of time before he stopped calling for me.”

The officer paused. “You gave up?”

“Death was preferable to the life I had to lead. I was a pawn, something for Carlos to own and sell, and I was tired of my life. No one will ever want me as a girlfriend or a wife. Would you marry someone who’d been a whore for five years?”

His silence was answer enough.

“That’s what I thought.” Dacey looked out the window. “No one’s ever wanted me, and now they never will. What’s the point in living if you have to do it alone?”

“Is that what you think?” A deep voice rumbled from the doorway.

Dacey nearly got whiplash, she turned her head so fast. “Ty?”

Tyson came toward her, stopping beside the bed. “Did you think that no one wanted you because of a life you’ve been forced to live?”

“You’ll eventually find some nice girl to settle down with,” she said, tears gathering in her eyes. “I looked forward to our time together, but I knew it would never last.”

“Dacey.” He stopped and shook his head. “I thought I’d made it rather clear, on several occasions, that I wanted more from you. I’ve offered to get you away from Carlos so that you could have a different life. I’d hoped you’d let me be a part of it.”

“I thought you were just being nice.”

The officer cleared his throat. “I think I have enough for now. I’ll go to the trailer park and see if I can stir up some witnesses. I think the two of you have a lot to discuss.”

Tyson smiled at the deputy. “Thanks, Deputy Watson.”

The deputy tipped his hat to Tyson before stepping out of the room. Then her cowboy gave her his full attention. Dacey licked her lips as she stared up at him, feeling a sense of wonder that he could ever want a relationship with her. Tyson was a decorated war hero, and his ranch did fairly well. He’d be a prize for any woman, and for some reason he wanted her.

“When you’re released from the hospital, you’re going to come home with me. I don’t think there’s much at your place that’s of any use. You’re going to give me your sizes, for everything from shoes, to underwear, to jeans, and then you’re going to rest while I take care of some things. I was hoping you’d agree to share my bed when you come home, but if you want your space, there are plenty of bedrooms upstairs.”

Dacey reached over and took his hand. “I would be honored to share a bedroom with you, Ty. Just knowing that you want me, even knowing about my past…” A tear slid down her cheek. “You’re more than I could have ever hoped for. I don’t deserve you, but I’m going to do my best to be a good girlfriend.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. “That’s all any man could ever ask for, sugar. And stop telling yourself that you don’t deserve me. I’m a broken man, but you’ve never seen me that way, have you?”

She shook her head.

“Well, when I look at you, I don’t see a whore. I see a vibrant, young woman with her whole life ahead of her. You can do and be anything you want, Dacey. I know you didn’t finish high school, but with some study time, I think you could easily pass the G.E.D. And from there, you could look at the community college, or maybe train for a job you like.”

“You think I can do all that?”

He smiled warmly. “I do. And if you don’t want to work, then I know a certainly broken soldier who would love having you around the house all day.” His eyebrows bounced up and down. “I’m sure I could think of something to keep you occupied.”

Dacey giggled, a sound she hadn’t made in a long while.

“Now,” Tyson said and grabbed a pad and pen off the small table beside the bed. “You write down everything I need to know, and I’ll go shopping. Make sure you tell me any preferences for deodorant or shampoo. I want to make sure I have everything you need, and all the stuff you want. Don’t pick a brand because it’s cheap. You pick something you want.”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing to pick, Ty. I’ve always bought what I could afford, which usually meant a trip to the dollar store. You pick whatever you think smells nice, and I’m sure I’ll love it, if for no other reason than you chose it for me.”

He gave a longer, deeper kiss before giving her a knee-weakening smile and a salute. “I’ll be back when the doctor says you can have visitors again.”

“I was told I can go home in a week. It’s going to be a long week, though. There’s only so much daytime TV that I can handle.”

“I’ll make sure you’re entertained,” Tyson said with a wink. “I’ll be back in a little while, darlin’. Be good and do what the doctor tells you to.”

He disappeared out the door, and Dacey felt a twinge in her heart, missing him already. No one had ever been as nice to her as Tyson was, and the thought of living with him filled her with joy. She didn’t kid herself into thinking that things would be perfect between them. From what she’d heard, all couples argued at some point, and she knew they would, too. But she’d get to sleep in his arms at night and wake up beside him in the morning.

For the first time since Dacey had realized her life was complete shit, there was hope in her heart. Tyson had given her the most precious gift in the world—the gift of hope. She had a future, not only as his girlfriend but as whatever she wanted to be. There were options in front of her, choices she’d have to make, and all of them led to a life more wonderful than anything she’d ever dared dream.

She only hoped he didn’t wake up and come to his senses anytime soon.

Chapter Four

Tyson spent the next week gathering everything he thought Dacey would need when she came to his home. He’d bought her enough clothes to get by, but thought she might prefer to pick out her things. Although, the lingerie shopping had been fun. He could easily see himself buying her bras, thongs, and naughty nighties for years to come. By the time the doctor had cleared Dacey to come home, Tyson was a mess. What if she didn’t like the things he’d bought? What if she decided that living with a cripple full-time was more than she could handle? The self-doubts ate at him, but the moment he pulled up to the hospital and saw her sitting in a wheelchair, ready to leave, the tension inside of him eased.

He got out of the truck and leaned down to kiss her softly. “You look beautiful.”

“I highly doubt that, but thank you anyway. I haven’t had a decent shower in a week, and I smell like a hospital. They removed my staples this morning.”

Tyson lifted her into his arms and carried her to the truck, easing her down on the passenger seat. “I’m glad you’re healing.”

She looked a little nervous, and he wondered what she wasn’t saying. Had the doctors given her bad news? Last he’d heard, they were pleased with her recovery. Had something changed since he’d last spoken to the doctor?

“I…”

“What, Dacey? You can tell me anything.”

“I can’t have sex for five more weeks,” she said softly. “If you want me to sleep in another room until—”

Tyson placed a finger over her lips. “I didn’t ask you to share a bed with me just for sex, Dacey. I want to hold you in my arms at night as we fall asleep, and I want you snuggled against me in the morning.”

He watched as tears gathered in her eyes. One slipped down her cheek, and he wiped it away before pressing his lips to hers. He felt her tremble and wanted to comfort her more than anything in the world right then, but he wasn’t sure how. It wasn’t that Tyson didn’t have experience when it came to women, but he hadn’t had a serious girlfriend in his entire life, and he was very serious about Dacey. When he looked into her eyes, he saw forever.

“Let’s get you home. You can shower for as long as you want, and then get dressed in something comfortable. We can relax in the living room and watch some movies, or you can go to bed if you’re tired. The doctor said you’d still need to rest, but you need to make sure you get up and move around some too, to help the healing process.”

She nodded.

“If you’re hungry, we can pick up something on the way home. I set aside the fixings for meatloaf and mashed potatoes with sweet carrots for supper. Picked up some of those Hawaiian rolls to go with it. And I have three different types of sandwich meat for lunch with your favorite chips.”

“Anything but hospital food sounds good right now. I’d kill for a cheeseburger and some fries.”

He smiled a little. “With a strawberry shake?”

Dacey moaned.

“One cheeseburger with fries and a shake coming up. We’ll hit the drive-thru on the way home and pick up some lunch. After you’ve eaten, I’ll help you get situated in whatever room you choose.”

Dacey was quiet and watched the passing scenery. Tyson worried that she was having second thoughts about moving in with him. She technically had her place, even if it wasn’t much of one. Between his statement, her statement, and the residents in the trailer park, he hoped that Carlos would be off the streets by nightfall, which would mean she wouldn’t need his protection. Didn’t stop him from wanting to offer it, though.

Tyson pulled through the drive-thru and placed their order. After he had paid, he set the sack in the backseat and the drinks in the cup holders. Dacey had her head pressed against the window, and her eyes were closed, her face drawn and pale. He knew she had to be hurting, and thankfully her prescription had been filled at the hospital. She’d have to take a pain pill with lunch. He knew she didn’t like the way they made her feel, but there was no point in her suffering if she didn’t have to.

He made the rest of the drive to the ranch in silence and tried to get out of the truck without disturbing her. He carried their lunch inside before returning for Dacey. Tyson eased open the truck door, careful to catch her before she fell, then lifted her into his arms. Later, he would pay the price for carrying her around so much, but it would be worth a little pain to take care of her.

Tyson carried her into the house and back to the bedroom, pains shooting through his leg with every step. He nearly fell in the kitchen but managed to keep himself upright and slowed his steps until he reached the bed. Laying her down gently, he removed her shoes and pulled a blanket over her. The heat of summer was upon them, which meant his thermostat was set at sixty-five degrees. Polar bears would have been comfortable in his home. Tyson had always been hot-natured, and he found he loved air conditioning even more after having survived Afghanistan. It wasn’t so much that the heat bothered him, not after the sweltering temperatures over there, but he didn’t see a reason to be uncomfortable if he didn’t have to be.

Tyson put their food away and stored the milkshakes in the fridge. He sprawled in his favorite recliner and put the foot up to ease the tension in his leg. The only thing that would truly help was getting his prosthetic off and soaking in a hot bath, and even that didn’t always do much. They called it phantom leg syndrome, when he felt pain where his leg should have been. There wasn’t a magic pill to make it all better, so he suffered through it as best he could, and waited for the day that things would get easier.

Picking up the remote, he clicked on the TV and found ESPN. It didn’t matter what sport was on TV. He seemed to like them all. He hoped that wasn’t a deal breaker for Dacey. Some women couldn’t handle their significant others spending a lot of time watching sports on TV, but he hadn’t had much else to do since returning home, other than his two nights a week with Dacey. He did his exercises and went to P.T. like he was supposed to. There were a VA three towns over, and while it took him over an hour to get there, it was better than paying out of pocket for everything like he’d have to do with private insurance.

When he’d first heard the news that he’d lost his leg, Tyson had thought his life was over. How was he supposed to run the ranch with one leg? He’d thought he’d never dance with a pretty woman ever again, much less have sex with one. All the things he’d once been able to do, he either couldn’t do any more or would have to learn how to do them with a prosthetic. The months before he’d received his new leg had been the worst. Not that walking with the prosthetic was a piece of cake, and it definitely wasn’t pain-free, but it beat using crutches and hopping around on one leg. The prosthetic at least made him feel more like a complete man again. He’d been told the pain would lessen over time, as long as he didn’t overdo it—like carrying his new girlfriend around. As much as he loved holding her in his arms, he’d have to let her get around the house on her own two legs for a while. He’d definitely overdone it lately.

He dropped the leg on the chair, limped into the kitchen, and fetched a beer from the fridge, saving the milkshake for when Dacey was awake. Popping the top, he took a long pull and closed his eyes as the taste of hops exploded on his tongue and the cool liquid slid down his throat. There was nothing quite like a cold beer on a hot Texas day. He carefully made his way back to his recliner, nearly collapsing onto the seat when he got there. After putting the foot up again, he enjoyed his beer and the sports channel while he waited for Dacey to wake up.

He must have zoned out or dozed off because the next thing he knew the sun was setting. Dacey was sitting on the couch next to him, eating her burger and fries. There were dark circles and bags under her eyes, and he wondered when the last time was that she’d had a decent night’s sleep. At the hospital, she said nurses had come in and out of her room every few hours to check on her or change out her IV bag. And he would guess that before that she hadn’t exactly had sweet dreams while she was under Carlos’s thumb.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

Dacey jumped and turned her startled gaze toward him. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No.” He smiled. “I need to get up anyway, or I won’t sleep tonight.”

Tyson kneaded the muscles in his sore leg before dropping the leg of the recliner. He stood and nearly lost his balance. Once he was sure-footed, he went to the kitchen to get his food and milkshake. While the recliner was easier for him to get up and down from, he claimed a seat on the couch next to Dacey while he ate, putting his stuff on the coffee table.

“If you want to get the remote off my recliner, you can change the channel. I was just watching this while I waited for you to wake up,” he told her.

“I always thought it would be fun to play baseball,” she said between bites. “I don’t understand the rules of the game, though, so that would probably be a hindrance.”

“Baseball isn’t so tough to figure out.” He smiled. “Especially for someone as smart as you. If you really want to learn about the game, I’d be happy to teach you what I know. I’m not an expert by any means, but I can tell you enough that you might enjoy watching in on TV a bit more. I guess you understand how the hits and bases work, right?”

She nodded.

“There are nine innings, each divided in half, and each team gets three outs during each half of an inning. If the pitch isn’t in what they call the strike zone, then it’s considered a ball. If you get four balls, then it’s called a walk, and you advance to first base.”

“That seems easy enough.” Dacey smiled. “I’d never understood the whole ball versus out thing before. I’ve watched a few games when I was younger, but I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I just cheered whenever my high school team got on base or had a home run.”

“Well, if you want to know more about the game, I’d be happy to teach you. And if you want to go to a game sometime, we can watch the high school play sometime. I’ve been to a few of their games before, and they’re pretty good. The coach played professionally for a few years before he tore his rotator cuff and retired.”

Dacey gathered her trash and took his as well. Tyson started to follow her to the kitchen, but he had a hard time getting off the couch. By the time he was standing, she was back, looking a little uncertain.

“I cleaned out two drawers in the dresser for you and made room in the closet. I didn’t put any of your new things away because I thought you might want to look through everything first, and I wasn’t sure if you were one of those women who liked to wash their new clothes before they wore them. My mom was that way.”

“You never talk about your family,” she said.

“Mom passed away while I was in high school. Probably a good thing she wasn’t around when I joined the Army. Not that she wouldn’t have approved of me serving my country, but she’d have worried non-stop. Dad wasn’t the same after her death, but a few years ago a sweet woman came along and swept him off his feet. They moved to Florida two years ago to be near her family. He offered to come stay with me when I came back home, but I told him I’d be fine on my own.”

She placed a hand on his arm. “And are you?”

Tyson shrugged. Truthfully, not really. He had days when he sunk into a depression so vast that he felt like he’d tumbled head first into the ocean and didn’t know how to swim. And other days, he was determined to keep going and see what life had in store for him next. He didn’t like the pity parties and tried not to succumb too often, but there were days when things were just too damn difficult.

“I make do,” he said.

“I know you think you need to take care of me right now,” she said, “but maybe I can take care of you, too. We can help each other, if that’s okay.”

Tyson took her hand and pulled her into his arms, brushing his lips against hers. “I’d like that. But right now, I suggest you let me take care of you. You said you wanted a nice hot shower, and I’m sure you’d like to see your new clothes. We ate lunch so late that I’ll probably hold off on supper for a while.”

“Can I explore the ranch?”

“Of course. This is your home now, Dacey. All I ask is that you don’t go into the pasture areas alone. And if you go to the barn, there’s a large black horse you should avoid. He’s mine, even if I can’t ride him right now, and he’s a mean bastard most days. It’s not uncommon for him to try to take a bite out of someone.”

“My exploring can wait until you feel up to escorting me, and don’t even attempt to tell me we can go now. I saw you rubbing your leg, and I know you’re in pain. What I don’t know is if there’s anything I can do to help you.”

“I have some cream I rub into my leg when it hurts a lot, and the therapist said that massage would sometimes help. But you just came home from the hospital. You have no business trying to take care of me tonight. I’ll soak in the tub before bed.”

“I’ve never seen your bathroom.”

Tyson took her hand and limped his way to the bedroom. He flipped the switch inside the door, turning on the two bedside lamps, and then led her toward the bathroom. There was a stained-glass window over a large, jetted garden tub, and the waning sunlight filtered through it. He turned on the lights over the vanity and let her get a look at the space. There was a decent-sized shower with glass walls and a glass door, a single sink with a large counter and several cabinets underneath. The floor was tile, and the walls were painted a light taupe.