The Cowboy’s Sacrifice

by Danica Favorite

  “Not you, too,” Rachel said. “I’m fine. I just got a little dizzy, that’s all. I went to sit down, and I misjudged where the chair was.”

  Ricky must have heard the commotion, because he also stepped out of the ranch house.

  “I’d feel a lot better if a doctor checked you out,” Ricky said.

  Katie tugged at Ty’s hand. “Me, too. I came to get Ty to make Mom listen.”

  He hated the defeated look on Rachel’s face. Her priority had always been about protecting Katie, and he’d done his best to help her with it.

  Ty gave Katie a reassuring squeeze. “Your mom’s a big girl, and I trust her to make the right decision. She’ll see the doctor, if only to make the rest of us feel better.”

  He looked at Rachel, who mostly seemed embarrassed about the whole incident. He knew her I’m-not-feeling-well expression, and she wasn’t wearing it. It seemed more that she disliked everyone making a big deal of the situation.

  As Rachel approached, Katie let go of his hand and ran to her mom, wrapping her arms around her. “Please say you’re going to see the doctor. Ty said it’s the right thing to do.”

  Rachel hugged Katie close to her, but looked directly at Ty. “I see how you played that,” she said. “And you’re right. I will see a doctor, because it’s the only way to get you people to leave me alone.”

  Busted. But it would give them all peace of mind, especially since he would have to drive down to Denver tomorrow for his appointment. If there was anything precarious about Rachel’s health, he wouldn’t feel right leaving.

  Rachel’s agreement was enough to get the crowd to disperse, and Ty escorted her into the family room, where she immediately sat in what seemed to be her favorite chair. Anytime they were in that room, Rachel gravitated to that chair.

  Even though she’d said she was feeling fine, Ty couldn’t help noticing that as soon as she sank back into the chair, she closed her eyes. Annoyance? Or fatigue?

  Maybe a bit of both.

  Ricky came up alongside him. “She looks just like my Rosie. I can’t believe it took me so long to see the resemblance. I believe there has to be something of Rosie in her, since that was Rosie’s chair.”

  Rachel opened her eyes and looked at them both. “Really? You’ve never said that before.”

  A tender expression filled Ricky’s face. “Well, I’m saying it now. There are times when I look at you, and it’s like staring right at your grandmother when she was younger. I wish she could have met you. You two would’ve gotten on real well.”

  “Tell me something about her,” Rachel said. “A new story, one I haven’t heard before.”

  As Ricky told Rachel the story of how he and Rosie had met, one Ty had heard dozens of times, he left the room to call the local doctor.

  Once the doctor came on the line, he briefly explained the situation. Being in such a small town, they didn’t have a lot of medical options, but this was always a good place to start.

  “Let me talk to Rachel,” the doctor said.

  He figured that was where they’d end up anyway, given privacy laws, so he brought his phone into the family room and held it out to Rachel. “She wants to talk to you.”

  When Rachel took the phone, Ty motioned to Ricky that they should leave the room to give Rachel some privacy, but Rachel said, “No, it’s okay. It’s better that you’re here to listen in so you know that everything’s fine.”

  He was grateful, because even though he wasn’t that worried, it was always reassuring to hear good news from a medical professional.

  But as the doctor quizzed Rachel about what was going on, he could see the furrow in Rachel’s brow deepen. It wasn’t the reassurance he was looking for. In fact, it seemed like, based on the conversation, what Rachel said was nothing, might actually be quite serious.

  Instead of giving the phone back to Ty when the conversation ended, Rachel dialed another number. “She wants me to see my doctor in Denver as soon as possible. I’ll make an appointment for tomorrow.”

  Not the answer he wanted, but at least Rachel was taking it seriously and doing what had to be done for her health. As Rachel made arrangements with her kidney doctor to go in the next morning, Ty thought about how he could make getting her to that appointment work with his own. He’d asked for the first available so they could get moving on Rachel’s kidney transplant. And now it seemed even more critical that he make it happen.

  He just needed to find a way to get his appointment taken care of without telling Rachel what was going on and getting her hopes up. He’d heard stories about the operation getting canceled in the waiting room because of one failed test. How could he do that to her? At least they were both going to the same hospital, which made the logistics easier. Maybe he was making too much of it, but it seemed like Rachel had already had so many setbacks and near misses that it would be unfair for her to have to potentially face one more. Just because they were this close didn’t mean they were already there.

  Besides, it wasn’t just Rachel’s disappointment they’d have to manage, but Ricky’s, as well. The older man had been following Rachel’s case, and even though Ricky had been told multiple times that it was illegal to offer money in exchange for a kidney, Ty knew the old man would do just about anything for more time with his precious granddaughter.

  He wasn’t going to let anyone get excited until they were wheeling Rachel in for surgery.

  So Ty prayed with all his heart that they’d get through this final hurdle, and that soon Rachel would have her new kidney.

  Once the arrangements were made, Katie climbed up into her mother’s lap. “You’re going to be okay, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” Rachel said, looking at Ty.

  He knew what she was reminding him of. If Rachel didn’t survive, he would be the one to make things okay for Katie.

  It hurt his heart that she had to go through this, but hopefully tomorrow’s tests would be the green light they all needed to stop living in fear.

  Wanda entered the room. “Ready for supper? I thought we’d eat with the hands tonight, so they could all see Rachel’s doing better. Everyone has been asking about her.”

  Rachel hesitated, and Ty wondered if she really was as okay as she’d been saying. It bothered him that despite all the progress they’d made in being open with one another, she still downplayed the times when she wasn’t feeling well.

  “Yay!” Katie said. “Maybe Hunter will be there with Lynzee!”

  The little girl’s excitement only made the pained look on Rachel’s face worse. No, she wasn’t feeling well.

  “Why don’t we have a quiet evening here instead?” Ty suggested. “I’ll grab some plates for us from the barbecue, Katie can pick out the movie and we’ll all sit in here and have some family time.”

  Though disappointment flashed on Katie’s face momentarily, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his legs. “Even that horse movie you never want to watch again?”

  Ty tried not to groan. Some of the kids in the youth group had recommended an animated movie about a mustang, and since then Katie had played it over and over. The last time they’d watched it, he’d begged her to never make him see it again.

  But to give Rachel a much-needed break?

  He scooped Katie into his arms and swung her around. “Even the horse movie, you little monkey.”

  Katie giggled, and as he looked around, the smiles on everyone’s faces brought a satisfaction to him that he’d never felt before. He’d always known the love of a family, but he hadn’t ever experienced the joy of seeing it grow.

  “I really just want to go to bed and rest,” Rachel said. “Why don’t you take Katie to the barbecue and let her play with Lynzee? Maybe tomorrow when we get back from the doctor’s, we can do something as a family.”

  It was unlike Rachel to be so open about how bad she felt, which
meant she was probably feeling worse than she let on. But Ty was glad she was finally starting to trust them enough to admit what she really wanted.

  He went over to her and gave her a kiss on top of her head. “If that’s what you want. Can I get you anything before we go?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to crawl into bed.”

  “It’s my job to get you some food,” Wanda said in a mock-stern voice. “I can heat up some soup for you.”

  The tender expression on the older woman’s face reminded Ty again of how blessed he was to be part of such a great community.

  But Rachel shook her head. “I’m really not that hungry.”

  Once they got Rachel settled, Ty and Katie walked to the barbecue with Wanda and Ricky. It warmed his heart to see how Katie had taken Ricky’s hand and was chattering with him. Katie would be fine no matter what. Once again he prayed that God would find a way to make it true for her mother also.

  At the barbecue, Ty tried to focus on having a good time and making things fun for Katie, but all he could think about was Rachel.

  Katie grabbed him by the hand. “They’re going to play music. Let’s dance.”

  Ricky nudged him. “When a lady asks you to dance, you dance.”

  The music started up, and Ty smiled down at Katie. “All right, little one, show me your moves.”

  Giggling, Katie spun around as he twirled her. But instead of lifting his spirits, it only made him feel worse. Rachel should be here, enjoying this. Ty swung Katie around a few more times, but he couldn’t get into the spirit.

  Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and Ty turned to see Janie.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  “Wanda called to tell me about Rachel needing to see the doctor tomorrow and asked if I’d take Katie tonight so Rachel wouldn’t have to worry about her in the morning.”

  One more thing to love about their community. Even though he knew this was more about helping Rachel, it also let Ty off the hook for the night. He could get Katie situated with Janie, and then he could check on Rachel.

  “I get to go to your house tonight?” Katie asked.

  Sam came running over. “Yes! Mom says we can watch our movie again!”

  A quick glance at Janie told Ty it was the same horse movie he’d almost been forced to endure yet another time. He’d have to get her something nice to thank her for taking one for the team.

  “Why don’t you guys stay here and enjoy the rest of the barbecue, and I’ll go back to the house to get Katie’s things,” Ty suggested.

  Not only would it give him the chance to check on Rachel, it would also keep the kids from disturbing her rest.

  “Great idea,” Janie said. “I see a tray of brownies calling my name.”

  When he got to Rachel’s room, he knocked on the door softly. He’d noticed the light on through the window as he walked to the house, so hopefully he wasn’t disturbing her.

  “Yes?” Rachel asked, sounding wide awake.

  “Can I come in?” Ty asked.

  “Of course,” Rachel said. “I’m dressed.”

  That didn’t sound like a woman who was exhausted and ready for bed. When he opened the door, she was sitting on her couch, a bowl of popcorn beside her, the television on.

  “I thought you were headed for bed,” he said.

  Rachel shrugged. “My show is on tonight. I didn’t want to miss it, especially because they’re about to reveal Damon’s killer.”

  “But you said you were going right to bed,” Ty said.

  This time Rachel gave an annoyed sigh. “I don’t tell you everything. This show is one of my guilty pleasures, and after hearing some of the people at church making fun of it, I haven’t wanted to tell anyone how much I love it. You should’ve heard Janie go on about what garbage it was.”

  She lied to him over a television show? Lied to all of them. Made them worry about her. And over a simple thing she should have told the truth about. She knew how much he hated people lying to him.

  “But I thought, after everything, you were finally opening up to me and telling me things.”

  Ty felt sick to his stomach. He’d prided himself on his ability to spot a lie, but he’d been so blinded by his growing feelings for Rachel that he’d missed her using not feeling well as an excuse to watch some show.

  “I don’t understand why you couldn’t have just been honest with me.”

  Instead of agreeing with him and saying she would work on it, Rachel stared at him like he was crazy.

  “It’s just a show. Are you going to give me the third degree when you find out that I really don’t like Brussels sprouts?”

  “A lie is a lie,” he said. “I wouldn’t have judged you if you said you wanted to spend the evening watching your favorite show instead of Katie’s movie. But you said you were going straight to bed. A relationship is only as good as the foundation it’s built upon, and for me, the truth is very important.”

  Rachel shook her head. “It wasn’t even really a lie. I did feel too tired to go to the barbecue. Is it so wrong to want to watch my favorite show instead of a movie I’ve seen a million times? I’d planned on watching it in bed, but I was a little hungry, so I popped some popcorn. I’m allowed to change my mind.”

  “It still feels deceptive,” Ty said. “You don’t have to keep things from me out of fear of being judged. If you’re afraid I’m going to judge you, then we don’t have trust, which means we don’t have a relationship.”

  Instead of answering him, Rachel turned to the TV. They were talking about Damon’s murder, which meant it would have more of Rachel’s attention than Ty. It shouldn’t matter so much, because he knew the show was important to her. But it stung to know that she was more involved in a television show than in understanding how hurtful her actions had been.

  Maybe they weren’t ready for a relationship. Rachel still obviously had to work through whatever issues she had about trusting him, even with minor things like a silly television show that people made fun of, and he had to figure out how much of this he was willing to put up with. When Rachel had deceived them into coming to the ranch, he’d had a hard time trusting her because deception was usually a pattern for people. He’d hoped that with Rachel finding Christ and realizing the importance of the truth, she would be able to break this pattern in her life.

  But as he thought about how her lie—and more important, her justification for her lie—so easily slipped off her tongue, he wondered if this didn’t point to something deeper inside her that God needed to heal before Rachel would be able to handle a real relationship.

  A commercial came on, so Ty decided to give it one last shot. “I know you think you were justified in not telling me about the television show, but you know how important the truth is to me. You used our concern for you to cover up your true intentions. That’s not how a relationship works. I need to know you’re willing to work on this.”

  Rachel stared up at him. “And I think you’re making too big a deal out of nothing. I feel like you’re trying to control me with these demands. It’s ridiculous that you’re so upset over a small omission.”

  “You lied,” Ty said, trying not to raise his voice.

  “Maybe I felt like I had no choice, with everyone hovering over me.” She squared her shoulders, staring at him like she was ready to fight.

  But he didn’t want to fight with her, especially since it was clear she didn’t understand how important this was to him. He wasn’t going to be manipulated into believing twisted versions of the truth because he was blinded by his feelings. If she saw honesty as control, then they couldn’t see eye to eye on the most basic value he held dear.

  “Fine,” Ty said. “I was just coming to get some things for Katie to stay over at Janie’s tonight so we can get an early start in the morning.”

 
Initially, he’d told Katie that she couldn’t come with him because he didn’t want her waking up her mom. But now...

  “Do you want me to bring her up to say goodnight?”

  Rachel looked away from the television and gave him a small smile. “That would be great, thanks. I was thinking I’d get to see her in the morning, but if she’s at Janie’s, I won’t be able to.”

  Ty gave a quick nod, then went to get Katie. While Katie said goodnight to her mom, he packed Katie’s things. He’d helped with Katie enough that he knew where her clothes were kept.

  Katie grabbed his hand just as he was zipping up her bag.

  “Come on! Janie said we have to hurry!”

  He smiled at the little girl tugging on his hand. “You go. I’ll be right down.”

  As Katie raced out of the room, Ty glanced over at Rachel, whose attention was back on her show.

  She’d taken her eyes off it long enough to be with Katie, and while he couldn’t fault her for focusing on her daughter, it hurt that he didn’t get the same level of interest.

  His heart shattered at the thought that fixing whatever was broken between them was less important to her than some fictional guy’s murder.

  At least he hadn’t bought the ring he’d been eyeing. One less piece of evidence to his heartbreak.

  Chapter Eleven

  Rachel felt fine. Completely fine. So maybe she was a little more tired than usual, but who wouldn’t be with all the stress? Ricky’s doctor had recommended that Rachel see her kidney doctor in Denver as a precaution, and Ty had insisted on driving her. She’d tried to think positive, that their time in the car would give them the chance to talk. But so far she hadn’t managed to find a way to broach the subject of the previous evening’s fight.

  Ty had said next to nothing, other than to communicate the plan.

  Which meant he was probably still angry with her. She hadn’t liked arguing with him last night, and she sure didn’t want to start another fight now. Rachel hated arguing, especially with people she cared about. Sometimes it was just easier to give people the answers they wanted. When she’d called Janie this morning to talk to Katie, she’d mentioned it to Janie. Janie told her that she needed to find a way to learn to trust people even if it meant not saying what she thought they wanted to hear. She’d even confessed about the show, and Janie had laughed. Even though Janie thought it was a dumb show, she didn’t think less of Rachel for watching it.