Chapter Seventeen
I hear the screen door smack and voices in the kitchen.
Then he calls to me, making sure I’m still sitting in this damn chair.
At first, I think about staying quiet for a minute, then finally answer.
“I am! Obeyed—just like you told me to, boss.” I hope he can feel my eyes roll with every word.
Footsteps come closer and I arch my neck to see who’s behind me.
“I’m Evie!” A little curly, chocolate brown-haired girl boasts as she rounds the corner.
“I’m Addie.” An older honeysuckle blonde says as she comes up next to her sister. They both look a little guarded as they stare at me. Don’t worry darlin’, I’m not here to steal your daddy.
“These are my daughters, Dixie. They’re feral as hell, but they clean up nice.”
“Hey.” They both scowl as they turn to look at the towering boulder of a dad behind them. He smiles, winks, and their smiles reappear.
“Nice to meet you both. I got busted up and your dad says I have to stay here—probably so he doesn’t have to pay worker’s comp…” My eyes meet his and I smirk. His lips form a flat line and he folds his arms across his chest.
“I got those crutches for you.” He reaches for the set of crutches leaning against the wall nearest to him. I didn’t even notice he had them when he walked in. “Have you ever used these before?”
“Nope.” I answer honestly. Injuries are part of the life I chose, but I’ve escaped anything that prevented me from walking until now.
“Well, let’s get you out of this chair and you can try.”
My ankle’s still wrapped in the ace bandage from yesterday, but we haven’t put that boot on yet.
I reach to the side of the chair and pull the handle.
Keeping my fist around it so the foot drops slowly.
My boss moves directly in front of me, holding the devices. “Think you can get around with these?”
I scoff. “I made it to the bathroom without ‘em last night, didn’t I?”
“Barely.” He looks less than amused.
I take the crutches from him and use them to stand. I put one under each armpit and grip the handles to steady myself. The throbbing pressure of my ankle hanging low makes me wince a little.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Think I can get some more medicine?”
He nods and tells his two henchmen to watch me while he gets it. They’re both staring at me and the silence is awkward as hell.
“So… You girls like horses?” It’s a dumb question, I know. But I had to say something.
“We both ride.” Addie looks to her sister and then back to me.
“I’m gonna be a barrel racer.” Evie perks up. Something tells me she’s a little big for her britches. But hey, I always have been, and it suits me just fine.
“Nice!” I hold my fist out so she can bump it with her own. She does, and I think we just became best friends. Addie though…
“How did you hurt your ankle?” She’s still sizing me up.
“My horse Blaze caught the edge of a ravine. I was admiring the landscape, and I walked her too close. She’s okay though and I will be too.
Sometimes even the best riders make mistakes.
I’ve been on a horse for as long as I can remember.
I used to rope for cash. My horse and I were champs together. But I quit when…”
Damnit. Sometimes I forget. I forget it even happened until I talk about something like this.
It sneaks up on me and I remember… The pain, the fear, the heartbreak, the anger—it all hits me like a semi-truck.
I choke back the lump in my throat and try to brush it off in front of these sweet girls.
Girls who have a dad that would let nothing like that ever happen to them.
My dad didn’t give a shit about me—and when he found out, he blamed me.
“I just quit.”
I hear his boots on the hardwood floor, coming up behind me. He’s got two pills in the palm of his hand and a glass of water in the other.
“What were you girls talking about?”
“Oh!” I chuckle and pretend I wasn’t about to spiral to the floor with my nightmare.
“They were just telling me how they ride and I found out Evie wants to be a barrel racer.” I throw back the pills and drink the entire glass with them.
I take my last swallow and hand the empty glass back to my boss.
“Okay, now show me you can walk with those things.” He commands.
I struggle a little at first but after a few laps around the room, I think I’ve got it.
“The girls and I are going to the bunkhouse to get the rest of your things. You go down the hall and take a shower. There are bars in there, just like there is by the toilet. We’ll be back with your toothbrush and everything else. Okay?”
I watch as he lifts his youngest daughter and throws her onto his back.
Her arms come around his neck and he motions for his oldest daughter to follow as he strides to the kitchen and out the squeaky door.
They’re such a sweet family. I feel like an intruder, but also, like I want to stay here forever at the same time.
I swing my crutches and make my way down the hall, I’m ready for that shower.