The Cowgirl's Sacrifice

by Tina Radcliffe

  Her thoughts were interrupted when music began to play over the loudspeakers and the arena noise increased as the bleachers filled. The announcer’s booming voice offered the afternoon’s highlights. A few timed events followed by roughstock, and that meant bull riding.

  Beau Connor was back in the saddle, which would be particularly nostalgic as she hadn’t seen the cowboy since Tucson.

  Kate glanced at her program in anticipation. Franny was right. She’d be racing against the reigning favorite, Shelby Locker. The woman had won the National Finals Rodeo too many years in a row to remember. Kate was well aware that if she were as good as Locker, she’d still be competing.

  The announcer tapped the microphone and cleared his throat. “I understand we have a special guest in the audience tonight. Folks, a few months ago, one of our very own community, bullfighter Kate Rainbolt, did a remarkably heroic thing in the arena up in Tucson in February. Up against Despiadado, one of the meanest bulls to ever hit the chute, her quick actions saved the life of rider Beau Connor. Cowgirl Kate Rainbolt, stand up and make your way down to the arena floor.”

  Kate’s head jerked up, and she sat frozen in her seat, stunned by the announcer’s words.

  “He’s talking to you, Kate. Stand up.”

  “What?” She whirled around to find Jess in the bleacher aisle, tall and handsome as ever, and he cocked his head toward the arena floor.

  “Jess, what are you doing here?”

  “Doesn’t matter. Head on down there.”

  She nodded numbly and stood, weak-kneed as the applause, hoots and hollers continued to rise. Jess took her arm and helped her down the steps to the fence, where he gave her a boost over and into the arena.

  In the center of the floor, Beau Connor and one of the rodeo officials met her with a microphone in hand. “Ms. Rainbolt, your friends have gotten together to give you a thank-you check to assist with your medical bills. We understand you spent quite a while in the hospital recuperating, due to your brave action.”

  Everything became a blur as she said thank you into the mic and shook the hands of both men. When a wave of applause rose, Kate looked up into the bleachers. Her gaze scanned the audience. Then it hit her. This was no doubt her last time on the arena floor. The very last time to stand in this particular spot, looking up at the loving faces of the rodeo fans.

  Choked up with emotion, she said a silent goodbye to the life she’d known for the last ten years and sent up a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity.

  As the applause died down, she found herself at the gate, squirming as her picture was taken and a reporter for a local paper asked questions for the next edition. When the reporter turned to Beau, Kate slipped away and searched through the crowd for Jess.

  It was Franny she found first. The older woman pulled Kate into a warm embrace. “Oh, honey, I’m so proud of you.”

  “Did you have something to do with this?” Kate asked.

  “Of course. I couldn’t let what you did go unsung. You could have been killed. Beau, as well.”

  “What about Jess? What’s he doing here?”

  “I have no idea. But I can tell you one thing for sure, the man isn’t here for the popcorn.” Franny nodded to an area near the concession stand where Jess stood silently watching and waiting, as though he had all the time in the world. “I ran into him in the pen area, looking for you.”

  Kate’s heart stuttered when he turned and offered a slow smile. It had been only a week, yet she’d missed him. Missed sparring with him, working with him, and mostly, she’d missed the silent moments between them when words weren’t necessary.

  “You better go get him before someone else does,” Franny said with a chuckle. “I’ll be at the trailer if you need me. If I don’t see you, I’ll trust you came to your senses.”

  “What?” Kate turned back to Franny.

  “Sweetie, your days of looking for something you’ll never find are over. That man over there is in love with you. Get a move on.”

  Get a move on? Could it be that simple? Kate hurried down the walkway toward her future.

  * * *

  Jess leaned against the fence, enjoying the attention Kate was receiving in the walkway. She was a hero, and she’d certainly earned the accolades and this time in the limelight. He was so very proud of her.

  Kate spotted him, and her eyes lit up. She spoke to Franny for a few moments and then crossed the walkway toward him. Was she discussing the job Franny had offered?

  Nope. He wouldn’t think about that right now. Somehow, some way, he’d find a way to make things between them work. Because he loved her, and he missed her.

  Yeah, it had been only a week, and he’d missed so many things. Her stubborn opinions. There was no one who was as much fun to spar with as Kate. Her laughter. He’d missed her laugh and the joy she brought to everything.

  When she stood in front of him, he pushed off from the fence and gave her a quick hug. “Congratulations,” he said with feigned nonchalance. “You looked good down there.”

  “Oh, that.” She pinked and ducked her head. “That was...unexpected.”

  “In a good way, right?” he asked.

  “Yes. In a good way.” She smiled and looked at him hesitantly. “Can we get out of here?”

  “Sure. There’s a taco drive-through right around the corner.”

  “Now you’re talking my language.”

  Awkward small talk about the weather replaced real conversation on their way to the truck, and then they were silent. After a few minutes, Kate turned to him. “You never said why you’re here.”

  “Insomnia,” Jess said. He signaled and pulled into the fast-food drive-through. A cheerful voice asked for their order, and Kate leaned closer to Jess to see the menu. Close enough that he could feel the warmth of her arm and smell her shampoo. He’d missed that scent.

  Mangos.

  “Um, sorry,” she said when her head brushed his chin.

  “No problem.”

  “I’ll take a Number Four and a Number Five with a side of chips and guac. Oh, and a large Dr. Pepper,” she said.

  Jess laughed and placed his order with hers.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked.

  “I like how you do everything with gusto. I’ve missed that.”

  Kate shrugged. “That’s a polite way to say I eat like a lumberjack, right?”

  “Not at all.” He smiled. “Kate, you’re a what-you-see-is-what-you-get gal. Unfortunately, I forgot that. I won’t again.”

  She frowned at his admission while he drove up to the next window. When she reached for her wallet, Jess glared at her.

  “I’ve got it,” he said. “Haven’t we discussed this before?”

  “We have, but I wasn’t sure if the rules were the same. That was a long time ago.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Spring. Here it is early summer.”

  Summer. It did seem like a lifetime ago that they’d begun this journey. He’d walked into Eagle Donuts in Rebel, Oklahoma, and caught his breath for the second time in his life. That day had changed everything.

  They picked up their orders at the second window, and Jess found a shady spot beneath a tree to park the truck. He lowered the windows and released his seat belt.

  “So tell me about this insomnia.” Kate pulled her burrito from the paper bag and eyed the thick wrap before digging in.

  “First, you tell me what you’ve been doing,” he said. “Made any decisions?”

  She nodded and finished her bite, then put a straw into her Dr. Pepper and looked at him. “I’m trying to read the road signs.”

  “What? That sounds like a Willard-ism.”

  “It is,” she said.

  Jess took a bite of his own burrito without tasting anything and then set it down on a napkin on the dash. He’d come here for a reas
on, and it wasn’t to eat.

  “Are you going to keep looking for your father?” he asked.

  Kate raised a brow as though surprised by his directness. “No, my search for TJ has ended. My brothers helped me with that.”

  Jess gave a slow shake of his head, all the while thinking and unsure how to proceed. Echoing over and over in his head was the constant realization that he had one chance to get this right. His last chance.

  “Now, will you tell me about this insomnia?” Kate asked.

  “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days, and I’ve been praying about what to do. Then it hit me. I’ve got to change the ending to this story.”

  “The ending?”

  “Yeah. I was wallowing in self-pity when you left, thinking I was a failure again. I couldn’t be what my dad wanted, and I couldn’t be what you want or need.”

  “No, Jess, that’s not it.” Concern filled her eyes.

  “Wait. Hear me out.”

  When she nodded, he continued. “My mother helped me realize that my father’s issues were his issues. Not mine. As for us. Ten years ago, you had a quest in your heart that superseded your feelings for me. I should have understood that it wasn’t about me. But I didn’t.”

  He swallowed, determined to get the words out. “I’ve done a lot of thinking since you left. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “The Lord has given me another opportunity to get things right. I’m not going to blow it this time. I’m here to fight for us. If you want to be on the circuit, working for Franny or whatever, then I’ll support that.”

  “You will?”

  “Yeah. I’m no different than my father if I presume to tell you what you should do with your future. If you want to rodeo, we’ll find a way to make it work. Just give what I think we have a chance.”

  Jess gathered courage when her eyes met his. There was something in the blue depths that said she cared. He’d bank on that for now.

  She wiped her lips with a napkin and cocked her head. “Jess, I think we can agree that I’m at least as prideful as you are. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I pushed you away. I guess the truth is I’ve spent my entire life pushing away most of the people who tried to get close, certain they’d leave me. After all, the one man who should have loved me more than anything did.”

  At the admission, Kate swallowed hard and blinked, her eyes moist, and his heart ached for her.

  “Jess, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to fix the past. I was so certain I would find him. I was sure that if I did and he knew how much I loved him, my father would come home.”

  “Remember what you told Olive?” Jess asked. “Your worth is unchanged in the sight of the Lord. It’s unchanged in my eyes too, Kate. I’m bursting with pride at the woman you are.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured. “I have a lot of people who care about me, and I haven’t spent nearly enough time telling them how much I care, including you.” She paused. “Please forgive me, Jess.”

  “Nothing to forgive. We both had a lot of mud to slog through to get to where we are. I’m thinking it’s time we both give as much time to our future as we have given to our past.”

  “I agree. I’m ready to look to the future.”

  “Yeah?” His heart slammed against his chest as he prayed that for once they were riding horses in the same direction. “Kate, I want a future with you. Wherever that may be.”

  She sighed. “Finally, we agree on something.”

  “We do?”

  “Yes. I love you, Jess.”

  For a moment, he stared out the window, both shocked and savoring the words he hadn’t expected to hear.

  “Aren’t you going to say something?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah, I am.” He took the burrito and the Dr. Pepper from her hands and placed them on the dash. “I love you too, Kate. Probably never stopped loving you.”

  “Oh, Jess,” she breathed.

  He played with the purple tips of her hair, twirling them around his fingers. “Mind if I seal the deal?”

  She sighed. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  He cupped her cheek with his hand and looked down at the face he’d loved for so long. “I love you,” he whispered before his lips touched hers.

  Epilogue

  “But, Jess, I don’t want a fancy church wedding.” Kate smiled with excitement as the truck passed the Rebel city-limits sign. Soon, she’d be home. It was four days post–laparoscopic surgery to donate a kidney, and she was ready for her little house, her cat and a future with her husband.

  A warm September morning breeze streamed through the open truck windows, and the sweet, welcoming scent of recently mowed grass welcomed her. The redbud leaves had turned a canary yellow and seemed to be guiding her home.

  When the sunlight bounced off the rings on Kate’s finger, she held up her hand to admire the wedding band and engagement ring. A sweetheart diamond had been set in the middle of two smaller side stones. They represented his, hers and theirs. Two hearts united.

  Mrs. Jess McNally. She was blessed beyond measure.

  “I love this ring,” she murmured.

  Jess took his hand off the steering wheel for a moment to squeeze her fingers gently. Love and the promise of tomorrow shone in his eyes.

  “Just think about it, Kate. I don’t want you to regret that we got married by a justice of the peace in St. Francis Hospital and that you wore a hospital gown and I wore my Levis.”

  “No one ever had a wedding like ours, Jess. It was a spontaneous expression of love. Besides, we had cake. Daisy brought us that beautiful lemon-filled cake, and our family was present. Even your mother. What else could we want?”

  “Surely you want a church wedding, something you can look back on.”

  “No. That’s not what I want at all.”

  “Kate, Pastor Tuttle was still in his golf shorts.”

  She gave an adamant shake of her head. “The Lord was in that hospital room, and that’s good enough for me.” It was the wedding she’d never dreamed of, and everything she wanted. No fancy gazebo ceremony could even compare. It was a wedding she’d tell her children about.

  “Look at that picket fence,” Jess murmured as he pulled the truck into the drive of the little house that would now be theirs. “It’s pretty sad. Shall we get rid of it?”

  “A new coat of paint should fix it, right? Someday we might have kids in that yard, and we’ll want them safe.”

  Jess jerked his head around to meet her gaze. “What did you say?”

  “I said someday. The doctor said at least six months post-op.”

  He opened and closed his mouth before finally speaking. “Every time I’ve mentioned children, you’ve changed the subject.”

  “That’s because I was afraid. I’m not now.” Kate smiled. No, there was nothing to fear about her future anymore.

  “Now that I’ve mastered the slow cooker,” she continued. “I’m confident that cereal won’t be the only thing I can dish up.” She unfastened her seat belt and leaned close to press a quick kiss to his lips. “And everything will be served with a side of love. Plenty of love.”

  Jess chuckled. “We have lots of that to go around.”

  For a long moment, Kate simply stared at the handsome face of the cowboy she loved so very much. “I love you, Jess McNally.”

  “I love you, Katherine Margaret Rainbolt McNally.”

  Kate grinned. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” She pushed open her door.

  “Hey, hey, wait. I’ll help you down.”

  “Stop fussing. I’m fine.”

  “That’s what you always say.” Despite her protests, he carefully eased her to the pavement.

  “Well, it’s true. I’m fine. They wouldn’t have discharged me if I wasn’t okay.” She looked around. “I want to
see Einstein soon too.”

  “Kate, you just had major surgery.”

  “Never felt better.” She paused. “When did you last check in with your mom?”

  “Right before we left the hospital. They’ll discharge her tomorrow. She’s still insisting on staying in her own house and refusing to be admitted to the rehab center in Tulsa.”

  “I love that woman.” Kate laughed. “She warned us she was going to insist.”

  “She’s as stubborn as you are,” Jess said.

  “Yes. Her best feature.” She smiled. “You called the nursing agency Tucker recommended?”

  “Yep. Nurses are set up for as long as the doctor advises.”

  Kate reached for her tote bag and grimaced as her incisions pulled.

  “I’ve got your bag.” He met her gaze. “You don’t have to be tough. It’s okay to ask for help.”

  “I’m learning.” Yes, she was learning that Jess would always be there for her. She wrapped an arm around his, and they started up the walk to the house. She stopped at the sight of two large glazed clay pots filled with autumn flowers. Deep burgundy and golden chrysanthemums and tall purple fountain grass.

  “Who did this?” Kate asked. “So pretty.”

  “Those are courtesy of your sisters-in law. Nicole made the pots, and Claire and Daisy filled them.”

  When she stepped over the threshold, she realized her house was filled with people. They must have walked over from the admin building to surprise her.

  It was a welcome surprise to see the faces of everyone she loved. Mitch and Daisy and their crew were present. Reece and Claire and their kids. Tucker and Jena and the twins, along with Jena’s daughter, Dee, visiting from college. Nicole was present with Finn Hardy. She spied Willard Cornell swiping one of Daisy’s muffins from the buffet table. He looked up and winked.

  Even Violet and Chef Luna were in attendance.