Chapter 6
Chapter Six
J ace was in Mexico lounging on the beach and feeling sorry for himself when he got the call from his mama telling him that some guy trying to rob a gas station convenience store had shot Decker. He felt like he had when his mama had called him to tell him that his daddy had died of colon cancer. He felt like someone had punched him hard in the chest and knocked all the wind out of him.
Except Decker wasn’t dead. He was still alive.
Jace drove straight through the night to get to the Houston hospital where they’d flown Decker. When he got there, he was directed to a waiting room outside surgery. All the Holidays were there and so was his mama.
She jumped up to greet him. “Jace.” She pulled him into her arms for a hug. “I’m so glad you made it.”
He absorbed her love, love she had always given so freely. She had taken on single parenting without one complaint or one bad word against the husband who had walked out on her. Jace, on the other hand, had never forgiven his father for leaving him when he was only eight years old. Or maybe for dying before he had a chance to make it up to Jace.
Which was now Jace’s biggest fear. He was terrified Decker would die before he had a chance to repent for his selfish behavior.
He drew back. “How is he?”
Tears filled his mother’s eyes. “We don’t know yet. The nurse just texted Sweetie and said he’s out of surgery and the doctor will be out shortly to talk with us.” She lowered her voice. “Sweetie’s been sobbing her little heart out and we’re all worried about the baby. Maybe you could talk to her and calm her down.”
Jace glanced over at Sweetie who was surrounded by her family. “She doesn’t want to talk to me, Mama.”
His mama got the stern look she always got when she was about to let him have it. “Don’t you start that up, Jace Daniel Carson. Sweetie loves you. She’ll always love you. And you love her. I’m not talking in a romantic way. You were friends much longer than you were sweethearts. Now you get over there and give your lifelong friend some comfort.”
He couldn’t even comfort himself. How was he going to comfort Sweetie? But unable to ignore an order from his mama, he pushed down his fear and headed over to the huddle of Holidays.
Darla was the first to jump up and give him a hug. The woman had always given good hugs.
“So glad you got here, Jace.”
The rest of the Holidays followed suit. Cloe, Liberty, Belle, and Noelle all gave him hugs with tears glittering in their eyes. Hank, Rome, Jesse, and Corbin shook his hand and thumped his arm. They didn’t say anything. No one wanted to voice their worst fears.
The only Holidays who didn’t greet him were Sweetie and Hallie. They remained seated on the couch. Hallie had her arm protectively around Sweetie while Sweetie just stared off into space as if she didn’t know where she was or what was happening.
The sight of her so lost and heartbroken made his own heart break.
He realized his mama was right.
This was Sweetie. The sassy four-year-old he’d run through the sprinklers with in his underwear. The determined fifth-grader he and Decker had collected empty soda cans with so they could raise money to help put a new roof on a tornado victim’s house. The rancher’s daughter who had taught him how to ride a horse and rope a steer.
Yes, there were other memories of their first kiss and their first date. But the feeling that overwhelmed him at the moment had nothing to do with the sweetheart he’d lost.
It had to do with the friend he still had.
He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. They were ice cold and he cradled them between his, trying his best to warm her. “Hey, Sweetie Mae.”
She blinked and her tear-drenched eyes focused on him. “Jace?”
He forced a smile. “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.” It was something they’d said to each other all the time when they were silly kids. Today, she didn’t find it silly and amusing. Tears started racing down her cheeks and a sob broke free.
He stood and pulled her into his arms, tears welling in his own eyes. He held her tightly and rubbed her back. “He’s going to be okay, Sweetie. Nothing can keep my ornery cousin down. You remember when that steer ran over him at the ranch. Bruised him up pretty good. The next day, he hopped right back on a horse . . . until your mama and Mimi came running out and read him the riot act.”
Mimi moved up behind Sweetie and placed a hand on her shoulder. Just seeing her beloved wrinkled face made Jace smile through his tears. He’d always had a soft spot for Mimi. She reminded him of his nana.
“Jace is right,” she said. “Decker doesn’t let anything keep him down. He’ll pull through this. We just need to keep the faith. In fact, why don’t we all pray right now?”
The entire family and his mama encircled him and Sweetie while Mimi prayed. He didn’t know if it made Sweetie feel better, but it sure made him feel better. He’d forgotten how it felt to be encircled by people who loved him. Forgotten how it felt to be part of a family with strong faith.
When the prayer was over, the Holidays and his mama moved away, allowing him to see the doctor standing a few feet away. She looked tired, but not sad. Jace hoped that was a good sign.
“Sweetie,” he said. “The doctor’s here.”
Sweetie pulled out of his arms, but took his hand and held it tightly as the doctor approached. Jace needed the support as much as she did. His knees felt like they were about to give out and his heart thumped loudly in his ears.
“Mrs. Carson,” the doctor said. “Everything went well. The bullet didn’t hit any vital organs and your husband should make a full recovery.”
Sweetie sagged against Jace. “Thank God. Can I see him?”
“As soon as he comes out of the anesthesia.” The doctor glanced down at Sweetie’s rounded stomach. “Before he went under, all he could talk about was you. He was worried about you being upset and he made me promise to check on you as soon as I could to make sure you were okay.” She glanced around. “But it looks like you have plenty of people watching out for you.”
Sweetie did have a lot of people watching out for her. Jace knew the entire Holiday family and his mama would rally to make sure Sweetie was okay and Decker had all the help he needed to make a full recovery.
But his mama had a job and her life in Galveston with his stepdaddy. And the Holidays had ranches, jobs, and their own families to worry about. They couldn’t be there for Sweetie and Decker every second. Sweetie couldn’t be expected to take care of Decker all by herself when she was pregnant. After he got home from the hospital, she’d need help getting him in and out of bed to go to the bathroom and shower and taking him to doctors’ appointments and physical therapy. But mostly she would need help making sure Decker didn’t overdo.
Like Jace, he was stubborn. He’d want to be up and around as soon as possible. Someone would have to be there to make sure he got the rest and recuperation he needed.
Right then, Jace vowed that someone would be him.
After the long drive and scare, he was mentally and physically exhausted, but he pushed down his own needs and saw to Sweetie’s. He asked one of the nurses for a blanket and tucked it around her shoulders, then he brought her a cup of hot tea with honey and lemon from the coffee shop. When she finally nodded off, he let her use his shoulder as a pillow.
He didn’t sleep himself until Decker was out of recovery and Sweetie was allowed to go see him.
Once she was gone, he slumped on the couch and was out like a light.
He woke up disoriented. He sat up and then winced at the crick in his neck. He was rubbing it out when he noticed Hallie sitting in a chair across from him. For the first time since coming to the hospital, he felt awkward and uncomfortable.
He cleared the sleep from his throat and glanced around. “Where did everyone go?”
“They went to get something to eat in the cafeteria.”
“Is Sweetie still with Deck?”
“Yes.” Her tone was like a serrated knife. “Which is exactly where she belongs.”
The implication wasn’t lost on him. “I know where Sweetie belongs, Hallie.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah, I do. I might have acted like a jealous fool. Or how did you put it . . . a pathetic loser. But I never doubted that Decker is the better man for Sweetie. Maybe that’s why it was so hard for me to accept. It’s not easy accepting that you weren’t enough.”
Hallie rolled her eyes. “Please don’t start that ‘Woe is me’ crap again, Jace. You were the hometown hero.”
“Only because everyone couldn’t see past my throwing arm. I don’t have that anymore.”
“And maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s what made you such a pathetic loser.”
He sighed. “You don’t pull any punches, do you?”
“Sometimes people need a good punch in the gut to get their heads out of their asses.”
“I can’t argue with you there. Deck getting shot was a hard punch in the gut.” Tears flooded his eyes and he ducked his head and ran a hand over his face to hide them. He should have known better. Hallie was too damn observant to hide anything from.
“No need to hide your tears from me, Jace the Ace. I saw you cry like a baby when you dislocated your finger while roping that wild mustang.”
He glanced up. “I did not cry like a baby.”
“You’re right. You screamed when Daddy popped it back in place.”
“Because it hurt like hell.”
She smiled before she snuggled down in the chair and closed her eyes. “Like I said, no need to hide your tears. I’ve always known you’re a wimp.”
He couldn’t help laughing.
It wasn’t until the following morning that Jace finally got to see Decker. It was disturbing to see all the tubes and machines his cousin was hooked up to. But he wasn’t as drugged out as Jace thought he would be. In fact, he was sitting up in bed staring at the tray of food in front of him when Jace walked in. A teasing glint entered his eyes.
“So this is what it takes to get you to visit me.”
Relief washed over Jace and all he wanted to do was pull Decker into his arms and hug the shit out of him. The bandage covering his chest was the only thing keeping him from it.
“I see getting shot didn’t take the smart ass out of you,” he said. Decker laughed and then winced in pain. Jace instantly regretted his teasing. “You okay? You need some more painkiller?”
Decker shook his head, then took a deep breath and slowly released it. Once he had control of the pain, he smiled. “So you do love me.”
Jace didn’t even try to come up with a snarky reply. “Like a brother. And I’m sorry, Deck. I’m so sorry for being such a complete and total jerk these last few months. Like Hallie says, I’ve had my head up my ass.”
Decker grinned. “Hallie does have a way with words, doesn’t she?”
“She can slice you open like a gutted fish.” He cringed. “Sorry. Bad analogy.”
“Real bad, considering I was just sliced open like a gutted fish. But you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me, Jace. Nor do you have to apologize for having a rough spell.” He hesitated. “Especially when I’m partly to blame for that rough spell.”
Jace sat down in the chair next to the bed. “You didn’t do anything but fall in love, Deck.”
“With the girl you loved.”
“The girl I still love.” When Decker’s eyes narrowed, Jace held up a hand. “Before you jump out of that bed and tear all your stitches, let me explain.” He took a minute to collect his thoughts before he spoke. “The reason I’ve been wrestling so much with you and Sweetie falling in love is because when I came back here a few months ago I realized that I still had feelings for Sweetie. I didn’t realize what those feelings were until now. I love her. Not the kind of love that you and Sweetie have. The kind of love you have for a person you’ve known most your life. Like my mama pointed out, Sweetie and I were friends long before we were sweethearts. And those are the feelings that have been tricking me all this time. I love Sweetie. I’ll always love her. But not like you love her, Deck. And not like she loves you.”
Saying the words out loud made him realize how true they were.
“We never had that kind of love and I guess that was part of my jealousy. I wish I had what y’all have. I wanted to blame football. If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in it, Sweetie never would have broken up with me. But the truth is, if I had loved Sweetie enough, football wouldn’t have come first. Nothing would have.” He looked at Decker and smiled. “You taught me that. You didn’t let anything get in the way of loving her like she deserves to be loved.”
Having run out of words, Jace sat back and waited for Decker to say something. He must have been drugged up because he didn’t even address the long speech. Instead, he looked at his tray of food.
“Do you think you could figure out a way to sneak in some of Bobby Jay’s barbecue ribs or maybe Tito’s chicken tacos? I’m starving and lime Jell-O and whatever this goopy shit is isn’t going to cut it.”
Jace smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Decker leaned back and closed his eyes.
Figuring he’d have to repeat his speech all over again once the drugs wore off, Jace settled back in the chair and pulled out his phone to scroll through it. Several minutes passed and he thought Decker had fallen asleep. Which was why he startled and almost dropped his phone when he spoke.
“I’m glad we got that cleared up, Jace. Now I don’t have to worry about you putting a pillow over my face just to get my girl.”