Chapter Twenty-Two
Jordon released the hoof she’d been holding between her knees, straightened, then arched her back.
She’d spent most of the last twenty minutes bent over cleaning the hooves of all the horses as she brought them in from the pasture.
Most didn’t bother but she was paranoid about one of the horses ending up with a lame foot, even for a while, because of a rock that could have been found and removed.
Today she was glad she had, because she had found a rock that had taken her a while to work free, but she’d managed.
When she finished stretching her back, she untied the mare and led her into the stall that had been cleaned, made sure she had hay and water, and went to clean and put away her tack.
She’d just hung up the halter when she thought she heard Daddy’s voice calling for her.
She didn’t bother to hide her frown as she made her way out of the barn and toward the house.
Daddy didn’t usually yell like that, at least not for her.
He hollered for her brothers all the time.
As she rounded the house where she could see the driveway, she saw a familiar pickup sitting in front of the house, but she’d never seen it here.
She could see an outline of someone sitting in the passenger’s seat but couldn’t tell who it was.
Increasing her pace to a trot, she hurried into the yard, looking around for Daddy.
She spotted him in front of the gate to the short wooden fence Mama insisted on keeping.
She said now that Jordon and her brothers no longer needed the fence to keep them in the yard, it was handy for puppies, and wouldn’t let them tear it down.
“What is it?” she asked as she came to a stop beside Daddy.
“Someone came to see you.” He motioned to the truck in the yard.
“Why didn’t he come inside?” she asked.
“Why don’t you go ask him?”
She watched Daddy for a couple of moments, feeling something was up, but knowing that more questions would get her nowhere.
Instead, she turned on her heel and headed for the truck.
As she got closer she saw that, as she suspected, it was Spider in the truck, but who had driven and where were they now?
She’d almost reached the truck when the door swung open and a leg appeared under the door.
As she reached the door, two crutches appeared and Spider slid off the seat and stood.
“You’re standing!” she couldn’t help her excitement. She wanted to rush in and hug him, but she didn’t want to knock him over.
“I’m standing.” He held his arms wide, the crutches wedged tight under his arms. “Don’t I at least get a hug?”
She didn’t hesitate, she moved in and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tight for a moment before loosening her hold and looking up at him.
“I’ve waited a long time for this. I was determined I wouldn’t do this while sitting on my ass.”
“What?” she asked with a frown.
“This.” Spider lowered his head and kissed her.
A gentle brush of his lips at first, then with more pressure.
He teased her lips open, then his tongue plundered her mouth, teasing and tasting her as her senses went haywire.
The rest of the world faded away and all that mattered was the two of them.
The heat building between them and what they could have.
When he pulled away, she wanted to reach up and pull him back.
But the sound of someone clearing their throat not far away stopped her in her tracks.
Had her father just watched Spider kiss her? Had he stood there and not stepped in and ripped his head off, or sent her to her room?
Sure, she was an adult, but what man would stand by and watch that.
Reluctantly, she released Spider. Slowly, so she could be sure he was stable on his leg and crutches, then she took a step back, hoping Daddy wouldn’t lose his shit.
“When did they take the cast off?”
“Yesterday. I know you’ve been busy here the last couple of days, but I couldn’t wait to share the good news.
” He looked down at his leg. “It’s not all the way yet.
But it’s a step. I need to celebrate the steps and milestones and while it was good to tell my brothers, especially the ones back home, the one I’ve been excited to share it with was you. ”
“It’s great! Any restrictions?”
“Yeah. I’m only allowed to use it for an hour a day. That means on PT days I have to use the wheelchair but on the days I don’t have PT, I can mostly get around without it.”
“Well, don’t waste your time just standing there. Sit down.” She moved closer and pushed gently on his chest, urging him back into the seat and off his leg.
Spider chuckled as he eased himself backwards and into the seat of the truck. He pulled the crutches inside and propped them against the seat on the other side of him.
“What now?” she asked, wondering if this meant he would be headed back to Craven’s Creek.
“Now I continue PT. I talked to the doc about that road trip you mentioned. He said if I keep up with my exercises and things continue to improve, I could be off the restriction, and with no brace, and allowed to go by early to mid-May. Are you still up for it or was it just something you were throwing out there to get me out of my funk?” He cupped her cheek with one hand.
“I’d understand if it’s not something you want to do, but I think we should.
I’d love to have the time with you. We could do just you and me or I could talk to some of my brothers and see if they want to ride along.
They would be responsible for their own beds, and I’d make them pay for their share of the food, but it would be extra hands to help.
I’ll help as much as I can, wildcat, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be with some of it.
Especially some of the more difficult tasks. ”
Jordon tilted her head to the side, watching him as she thought about it.
The suggestion of the trip had been a spur of the moment suggestion to try and pull him out of his funk, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t do it.
And while she liked the idea of it just being the two of them, she had to admit that having a few of his brothers along would make things easier all the way around.
“Let me talk to my friend. I’ll see when I can get the trailer.
How about we plan on leaving about the first of May, just to give you plenty of time to be ready.
” She watched him for any sign that he didn’t like the idea.
But she didn’t see any. He just nodded. Butterflies fluttered in her belly.
She had something she wanted to ask but wasn’t sure how he would take it.
“What is it, wildcat?” he asked after a moment.
She watched his face for a few seconds as she tried to figure out the best way to say this. “I’d like to meet them first. Before we leave, I mean.”
“Who?”
“Your brothers. Or at least the ones who will be going with us.” She rolled her lips inward and bit them, hoping that wouldn’t piss him off but she couldn’t embark on a road trip that would last at least a couple of weeks, and more realistically, closer to a month or more, with a bunch of men she’d never met before.
“I’m sure that could be arranged, wildcat. How would you feel if some of our women want to come along too?”
“I have no problem with it, but where would they sleep? Are they going to want to camp on the ground with what gear you can carry on a bike?”
“That will be up to them and their men. If they want to find another trailer that they can sleep in and have someone tow it with us, they’ll figure it out. Now scoot, wildcat. I need to go talk to your dad. I need to get his permission to make this trip with you.”
“His permission?” She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I’m an adult. I don’t need Daddy’s permission to take a trip.”
“I know you don’t, baby. But I need permission to go with you.
It shows that I respect you and him. I may not be up for all the things that would normally happen on a trip like this, at least not yet.
But I’ve got time to get there and time to figure out how to make it work.
” He hooked one hand on the door frame above his head and leaned out the door toward her.
“That kiss was the beginning of something, wildcat. I think we’re good together and I want to see how far we can take it. ”
She blinked and stepped back, not sure what to say. He had so much going on right now, and he still wanted to make sure she knew that he wanted her.
He wanted her.
He wanted to do things right so Daddy would respect him.
She leaned against the side of the truck and wondered for a moment at how she’d managed to find someone who cared so much about her and how it had happened so fast. She hadn’t even been looking, especially not that day when Daddy had taken her to the hospital.
She watched as Spider pulled his crutches out again, got out of the truck, and made his way to where her father stood, about thirty feet away, still marveling at the man.
“He’s gone on you, you know that right? I hope you’re not messing with him.” Dax’s voice behind her startled her, making her turn around.
“I’m not messing with him. I’m not sure I’d say I’m gone on him, but I could be.
I can see spending the rest of my life with him.
” She glanced over her shoulder, checking on Spider and found that he and Daddy had moved to the porch.
She was glad. There were chairs there that would get them both off their feet.
“I’m glad to hear that, but you need to know our life is different. We all live on one big piece of land. Mostly in the clubhouse right now but we’re building houses and it can be dangerous sometimes but we’re a family and we protect each other.”
She watched Dax as he spoke, then waited for a few seconds before responding to him. “Why does it feel like you’re trying to scare me off?”
Dax held up both hands in front of his torso. “Not trying to scare you off, just prepare you. He doesn’t know it but they’re building him a house, moved him to the top of the list because of the accident. Don’t tell him. They want it to be a surprise.”
“Why?” she asked with a frown. “Are they trying to distance him?”
“No, not at all. Raven and the others are doing everything they can to make it easier for him. All the bedrooms at the clubhouse are on the second floor. We could have converted a room on the bottom floor—we’ve got several guys moving out, mostly those with old ladies but they decided that he should be next.
And they’re making the whole house accessible, so he’ll be able to get around with just his crutches or even in a chair.
They’re doing it to make life easier for him.
I shouldn’t have told you, though, so please don’t ruin the surprise. ”
She turned around and looked toward the house at where Spider and Daddy sat in the two rockers where Daddy and Mama often sat on summer evenings, enjoying the night.
It was long past time for her to move out, but she’d been content here.
And without any motivation to leave, other than her age, she’d just stayed on and helped out.
She wondered for a moment how her folks would feel about it if she left to be closer to Spider?