Chapter Nine
J ason wasn’t sure what had happened. One moment, he’d been heading toward the gate with a bull that wasn’t ready to leave the arena. The next, he woke up in the arena dirt with a blazing headache, stars shimmering behind his closed eyes, and voices murmuring around him.
Slowly, he opened one eye, and the first face that came into focus was Lainey’s. She looked like an angel, with the sun shimmering all around her.
He did his best to grin—to reassure her he was fine—although the effort made the pain in his head increase.
She squeezed his hand, smiling and crying all at the same time.
“I’m not dead,” he muttered through lips that suddenly felt thick and dry.
“I’m really glad you aren’t,” she said and leaned down to brush her mouth over his, dripping tears on his face.
“Dad, can you feel your legs?” Shaun asked, coming into view when Lainey moved back, although he could feel her fingers wrapped around his, as though she couldn’t bear to let him go.
Jason moved one foot, then the other. Movement was good news, although he was still trying to recall what had happened.
“Stroker?” he asked, as a vision of the bull coming at him and his horse filled his thoughts. He’d been nearly to the gate when the bull had lunged at him and Stroker, sending the horse off his feet and onto his side. No wonder Jason felt like he’d been hit by a truck.
“He’s fine, Dad. The vet checked him over, and nothing is damaged. He’s not even limping,” Shaun said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “You must have hit that hard head of yours because you’ve been knocked out for almost five minutes.”
“I have?” Jason asked, wishing someone would give him a drink of water. His mouth felt as parched as the Sahara. He started to struggle to get up, but both Lainey and Shaun held him down.
“Just wait, Jase. They’re pulling the ambulance around,” Lainey said in a soft, soothing voice.
“I don’t need an ambulance. Just give me a minute to …” He wasn’t sure what he needed a minute for, other than to perhaps be sick. The waves of pain in his head were making him feel queasy.
Before he could give it more thought or ask questions, many hands were there to move him onto a hard plastic backboard. He knew it was easier to carry someone out of the arena on it than to try to push a stretcher through the dirt.
The crowd cheered when he lifted a hand to wave as he was carried out of the arena.
Lainey walked beside the men packing the backboard. When he refused to let go of her hand, she climbed into the ambulance with him. He heard Shaun say he’d meet her at the hospital.
“This is not how I planned to spend my evening,” Jason said, mustering a smile for Lainey.
“It wasn’t exactly on my agenda either,” she said, taking a water bottle from the bag she carried and holding it to his mouth. Jason took a few careful sips and felt exhausted when he finished.
The paramedic was busy checking Jason’s vitals and shining a light in his eyes that made him feel like he might pass out or throw up. Either seemed unthinkable with Lainey sitting beside him, giving him worried glances between her reassuring smiles.
Frankly, he was surprised they’d let her ride with him in the ambulance, but then again, thousands of people had witnessed her kiss him and cry over him, so maybe that counted for something.
Or maybe Jason was delirious and the whole thing was a dream.
When the ambulance hit a pothole and the jolt to his head made his toenails hurt, he decided, if it was a dream, it had to be more along the lines of a nightmare.
“You’re doing great, Jase. We’re almost to the hospital,” Lainey said, patting his hand like he was a dog. He might have complained if it hadn’t actually felt comforting.
“Some guys will do anything for attention,” the paramedic teased. It wasn’t until that moment that Jason realized he recognized the woman from past rodeos he’d worked in town.
“Hey, Jenny. How are the kids?” he asked, glad he could at least pull the information about the woman from his mental files.
“Growing like weeds, Jason. My oldest will be a freshman in high school, and my baby is starting first grade this fall.”
“They grow up too fast, don’t they?” he asked, grateful he was able to carry on a conversation.
From experience, and seeing hundreds of cowboys get injured over the years, Jason was fairly certain he had a mild concussion.
He could move his arms and legs, it didn’t hurt to breathe, and he had most of his wits about him.
Enough that he was sure he didn’t need a trip to the hospital.
The doctor in the medical trailer at the rodeo could have given him the diagnosis without an ambulance ride, but he supposed the fact that he was knocked out was likely the reason for the trip in the ambulance.
When they arrived at the hospital, Lainey stayed beside him as they took him into an exam room in the ER.
Maybe they were having a slow weekend, or he’d arrived between waves of patients, but it only took a few minutes before a doctor arrived.
Jason was sent for a CT scan, while Lainey promised to wait for him in the waiting room.
An hour and a half later, a nurse wheeled him out to where Shaun and Lainey waited for him.
“It’s just a mild concussion,” Jason said, starting to get out of the wheelchair, but Shaun pushed on his shoulder.
“You stay there while I bring Lainey’s van around.” Shaun dashed outside.
“Do we need to keep you awake?” Lainey asked. Although she looked at Jason, it was clear she was questioning the nurse.
“No. Let him sleep and rest all he can. No working at the rodeo for at least two weeks, doctor’s orders. By then, his bruised ribs should be healed as well, if he behaves himself.”
Jason had hoped the nurse would forget to mention his ribs, but, apparently, she’d treated enough stubborn cowboys to know they didn’t like to stay down and out for long.
“We’ll make sure he behaves. Anything else we should know?” Lainey smiled at the nurse, then frowned at Jason.
“If he gets dizzy, experiences slurred speech, or has trouble with his memory, get him immediate medical help.”
Lainey’s eyes widened, but she nodded. “Okay. Thank you for taking good care of him.”
“He was a tolerable patient for an impatient cowboy.” The nurse patted Jason on the shoulder. “Want a lollipop?”
He glared at the woman. She laughed, then took a little sucker from her pocket and held it out to him.
“Hope you like grape. I’m out of lime and cherry.”
Jason glowered at her, then took the candy from her with a nod. He pulled off the wrapper and stuck it in his mouth. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” the nurse said, then pushed him outside the sliding doors toward Lainey’s van.
Jason didn’t want to seem weak in front of Lainey, but he felt unsteady on his feet when he stood to step into the van.
Thank goodness his son, his girlfriend, and the nurse ignored his protests that he was fine and helped him into the van.
He settled into Lainey’s comfortable passenger seat with a sigh. He had no idea why Shaun was driving Lainey’s van, but he got behind the wheel, and Lainey climbed in behind Jason and took a seat on the sofa.
“It was a good thing you thought to toss me your keys, Lainey. Dad will be so much more comfortable in this than the pickup.” Shaun glanced back at Lainey.
“Of course. I know he needs rest and quiet. It might be best if I drive him home this evening.”
Shaun nodded his head. “I was thinking the same thing, unless you want to stay in a hotel room tonight?” He glanced at Jason, then back at Lainey.
“Or we could play musical beds. Brylee and I could stay in the van with the kids, and Dad could have the trailer to himself. You could stay in the bed in the gooseneck.”
“No.” Jason carefully turned his head to look at his son. “My preference is to go home. If we leave soon, we’ll be in Baker City by midnight, at least the way Lainey drives.”
He glanced back at her, and she stuck her tongue out at him, making him chuckle, which made his head hurt, but it seemed worth the pain.
“Okay,” Shaun said, then looked back at Lainey, who nodded in agreement. “I’ll gather up everything, Dad. You and Lainey hit the road ,and be sure to text us when you get home. I’ll see if Brylee wants to drive home tonight or wait until in the morning.”
“It’s a plan.” Jason closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat, uncertain when he’d felt this awful. It had been a long while, likely the last time he’d been hurt at a rodeo.
“Have Kash call Galen. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind filling in for me for a few weeks.
Tyler can hire some local kids to help out on the ranch while he’s gone.
” Jason sighed, regretting the extra work and trouble he was putting everyone through.
At least the next rodeo was only a few hours from the ranch instead of a long distance away.
Jason sighed again and found a more comfortable position in the seat. The next thing he knew, Lainey was gently shaking his arm.
“Come on, Slim. We’re here,” she said. Her fingers caressed his cheek, and he breathed in her fragrance. Instead of finding it tantalizing as he usually did, he was comforted by it.
He didn’t know how, but in the time since he met her, Lainey had become such a part of him, part of his world. A part he never wanted to let go.
Rather than open his eyes, he held still, wondering what Lainey would do to wake him up.
“Jason, please wake up,” she said softly, then her lips brushed over his.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, intent on kissing her, but his bruised ribs protested. Jason sucked in his breath at the sharp pain stabbing his side, then his head began to throb like a drum line had taken up residence inside his brain.
“Serves you right, Romeo.” Lainey scrambled off his lap and got out of the van.