15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
River
T he last thing I wanted to do was leave that bed after that mind-blowing orgasm Gray gave me this afternoon. I lay there for twenty minutes before I even felt stable enough to stumble into the bathroom, shower, and then dress.
My car is still at Gran’s, so he dropped me at the hospital, where I walked into an absolute shit show.
High school athletes and freak accidents never go well together. The kid shattered his pelvis, snapped his femur, and fractured his tibia. One wrong tackle, and he ended up on the operating table. That’s not even accounting for all the soft tissue and ligament damage.
He’ll recover fine. He’ll run and jump again, but his football career is likely over. And I’ll be the one to tell him that in time. He’ll come to see me in the office once he’s discharged, that hope to return either burning bright in his eyes or the devastation of knowing it’s all over dulling them. It’ll be a year of rehab and establishing his gait and strength. He has a long road ahead of him.
“Hey, baby. You okay?” Gray questions, kissing my cheek as I slide into the truck.
His own previous injuries come to mind. I’d read his file, too. He was lucky to be alive. It’s a miracle he does all he does now after that. I’d only seen him on a bull in the video the day we met, and I hadn’t felt anything more than what I normally do anytime I watch these men and women leave their lives up to the massive animals beneath them.
That same thought flitting through my mind wouldn’t be me .
But today, fear clutches at my chest. I need Gray too much to watch him go through that again. He’d put on his tough guy face and pretend he’s not affected by it, but now that I know him, I would know better. There will come a day when he has to stop riding, or something like his previous injury puts him out of it.
That day will be his breaking point, and I worry no one will be able to put him back together. I worry that if I’m not there, no one else will be.
“No. I’m not.” Usually, I wouldn’t be so honest. I wouldn’t reveal my fears about a patient’s prognosis or how shitty I feel for being the one to blow up their entire world.
“That bad?”
“Yeah. He’ll recover fine, but he’ll likely never play again.”
Gray goes quiet, and I know he’s thinking about how that was almost him. How that injury kept him from going pro with a national organization, though he still competes regularly and is better than so many of those other guys who are on the circuit now.
“We’d better get moving. We’re going to be late.” My voice is small as I focus on the hospital outside of my window. A place that normally brings me joy, but only weighs on my soul today.
Our drive is quiet. Unspoken words drift between us. The reality of Gray’s work hangs like an anvil over our heads. The single fraying thread of the rope holding it steady, while slowly unraveling, will eventually lead to its downfall.
The moment he parks, he’s out of the driver’s seat and running around, opening my door. I learned quickly to stay put.
Gray opens my door, period. It has yet to serve me well to go against it. The seemingly simple gesture brings me back to normalcy a bit. Out of the pit of despair I feel for that kid and for Gray.
“I’ll walk you to the med room.”
“Don’t you need to go get ready?”
His lips find mine, holding the kiss for a few moments before pulling away. “Yes, but I want to make sure you get settled in.”
“You’re a good man, Grayson Garrison.”
“Sometimes. But more importantly, I’m your man.”
That darkness drifts away, my smile pulling wide. “Yeah. You are.”
Our fingers weave together as we make our way to the barn. My recap of the extent of the surgery leaving Gray with more questions than answers. He listens to every word, genuinely interested. His request for clarification more insightful than I’d expected. The vet tech in him shining through, showcasing his passion and intelligence.
We’ve just entered t he room when I spot Joy. “Perfect timing,” she chirps.
“For?”
She cocks her head to the side in question. “Food?”
The heel of my hand smacks into my forehead. I’d forgotten I’d gotten a text from Joy just before I went into the OR. Tate was bringing her dinner to the ranch since they’d both been working all day, and asked if I wanted anything. Food hadn’t been anywhere on the priority list for Gray and me since last night, so I quickly agreed. Those three exchanged texts completely slipped my mind.
“Hey,” Tate enters, carrying several grease-stained white bags. “Gray.” His jaw flexes as he addresses his brother. Gray’s body going rigid as he angles himself in front of me slightly.
“Thank you.” Joy grabs a few of the bags from Tate, rifling through them. “I’m starving.”
Gray stands tense at my side as Joy hands me a bag with what she picked for me. I don’t care what it is; I’m starving, too. “Want some?” I ask Gray, settling onto the small couch at the edge of the room.
“What the hell?” he suddenly barks. The room goes eerily quiet as he stares at his brother. “You bought my girlfriend food?”
“It’s food. Chill,” Tate replies coolly.
“You just can’t stay out of my relationships, can you?”
“Relationship?” Tate laughs. “If that’s what this is, maybe you should have made sure your girl ate.”
Gray rushes forward, my food barely tossed to the side fast enough for me to grab hold of him, keeping him from colliding with his brother. “Gray, look at me.”
His chest heaves as he stares at his almost clone. But slowly, his gaze finds mine. “I—”
“It’s not a big deal. You two need to stop this bullshit.” My narrowed gaze drifting from one Garrison brother to the other.
“River.”
“I’m not done. It’s fucking fast food, Gray. Your brother didn’t even ask; Joy did. So sit your ass down and eat some of my fries or go take a walk. We don’t need either of you worked up before you pickup tonight.”
Gray sends one more glare Tate’s way before dropping to the couch and pulling me onto his lap. “Better?” he grumbles.
“Eat something.”
With more force than necessary, he snatches the fries from the cushion beside us, feeding me two before taking one for himself.
These two men are the biggest mess I’ve ever seen.
***
Amateur night is longer and more exhausting than the competition nights.
Gray had been right. No major injuries so far, but I’ve seen countless riders for abrasions and hard falls. The worst was a calf roper who got his entire cheek scraped by the rope while trying to wrestle the poor little cow. I’m no plastic surgeon, and I doubt he’ll see one, so he’ll have a nice scar to show for his efforts.
I’ve been at the gates watching those brave enough to ride the bulls try and fail. We must be ten into the lineup, and not a single one has made the eight.
“Hey,” Joy appears beside me.
“Done with the horses?”
“For now. I’ll have to get back in there at the end of the night.”
“Hopefully, some of the guys stick around and help out, so you don’t have to stay too late.”
She only shrugs, leaning her forearms against the metal bar in front of us. “So, any idea what all that was about today?”
She doesn’t have to say the blow-up between the Garrison brothers. It’s no secret they act like they loathe each other’s existence, but why Gray would get so pissed about cheap food seems over the top.
“I wish I did. Those two need to work out their issues.”
I can only shake my head, replaying those few minutes. “My thoughts exactly. Gray’s reaction was a bit… much. And it didn’t help that Tate had to be an ass in return.”
“No. It didn’t,” Joy agrees quietly.
“Speaking of Tate… what is going on between you two?”
Joy goes silent, but her eyes betray her. Seems that both of us have it bad for those Garrison boys. “Nothing, really.”
I only nod, a smirk pulling at my cheeks as they call the next rider. Old Man Wilber .
“Is he really going to ride a bull? He has to be like a hundred by now,” Joy gasps.
“I’ve known the man my whole life. He and Gran are still good friends. Wilber Crawley does what he wants.”
Joy’s eyes only go wide as the chute gate opens, and the bull kicks up in the air. Battle spins and jumps, changing directions and damn near crashing his face into the ground with his landings, but Wilber hangs on. That right arm high in the air at a perfect ninety-degree angle, cackling like a hyena the entire time.
Chancing a glance at the clock, it’s only been six seconds, but it feels like we’ve been watching for hours. When the buzzer sounds, the crowd howls.
I’ve never seen the old man ride, but the way he commanded that bull, you’d think he was born for it. I was sure that unnecessary show would end in me running out into the arena and an ambulance sprint to the hospital. Maybe even an emergency surgery tonight.
The crowd continues to roar—the regulars who come for every event. You wouldn’t think a local rodeo would have so many season ticket holders, but that’s how we do it here in Cole County.
“Tell your boyfriend that’s how you ride,” Wilber’s gruff voice comes behind me. He quickly pulls me into a bear hug. Tears threaten to spring from my eyes, thinking of my grandfather. He and Wilber had been thick as thieves back in the day. It’s why I grew up around the crazy old man. When my grandfather passed seven years ago, it was Wilber and his wife there to help hold my grandmother together every day.
“I’ll be sure to let him know,” I chuckle. “Gramps, do you know, Joy?”
“Sure do. Hear you’ve been keeping these horses in tip-top shape this season. Nice work.”
“Thanks,” Joy beams.
“Ginger, you tell your nana I’ll be around this week.”
“Will do.” Then he’s gone, sauntering off into the crowd, waving his Stetson like the celebrity he is, those same royal blue chaps he’s had for ages flapping out around him.
“Ginger?” Joy questions.
I can only groan. Only my grandmother and Wilber use the nickname anymore. “Long story short, when I was a kid, I went through this phase where all I would eat was ginger. My brothers started calling me ginger because they said I stunk all the time from it. Gran and Wilber turned the nickname into something endearing and just never stopped using it.”
“I’ll stick with River.”
“Thank goodness,” I chuckle.