Renegade Cowboy

by Sara Richardson

  Letting go of a sigh, Cassidy closed the glove compartment and pushed open the door, slipping past Molly.

  The stands were nearly full of spectators who were sipping their beers and placing bets on which riders would take the top titles. Excitement buzzed in their murmurs, but the whole scene weighed on her shoulders. Didn’t they know this was the sport that had killed her brother?

  She turned to find Molly standing beside her. “You want to take a walk outside? I can hold down the fort.”

  Before she could take Molly up on the offer, Theo came running over. “Cass!” He bounced around, dressed in a western button-down shirt and genuine leather chaps over his jeans.

  Cassidy ruffled his hair and waved at his mom, who never seemed to be able to keep up with him. “Awesome outfit, buddy,” she said, tipping up his cowboy hat.

  “Thanks!” The boy’s eyes lit up like sparklers. “Levi brought it to me this morning. With tickets for the rodeo!”

  “Really?” She hadn’t meant to sound so surprised, but Levi was doing that a lot lately. Surprising her. Catching her off guard. As far as she knew, he’d never been particularly fond of little kids.

  “You know what else Levi said?” Theo asked, his eyes growing even wider. “He said he was gonna do a clinic this summer. When he’s home between competitions.”

  “He did, huh?” Her voice had dried up. She didn’t want to say anything to Theo, but she had serious concerns about Levi following through on that promise.

  “I can’t wait! It’s gonna be awesome!” The kid hugged her waist. “Thanks for letting me meet him. I gotta go get in my seat so I can cheer real loud!” He bounded away before she could say goodbye.

  “Wow. Levi’s doing a clinic for kids?” Molly sounded impressed. “Maybe I won’t beat him up after all.”

  Cassidy crossed her arms and watched Theo run back to his mom. “He’s setting that kid up for disappointment. Levi doesn’t follow through on anything.”

  Molly panned her gaze around the arena. “He sure went all-out with this facility. Bet that took some serious follow-through.”

  As much as she wanted to, Cassidy couldn’t argue with that. Everything about the arena was state-of-the-art. And supposedly he’d raised every penny himself. The town had been waiting for this for a long time. After the old facility had burned, there’d never been enough money to rebuild. The vacant land had always sat there on the edge of town—a scarred reminder of what they’d lost. But today this place was sold out. Everyone seemed to be there. Most of the businesses on Main Street had closed so everyone could be part of this historic day.

  The house lights dimmed, hushing the crowd. On the other side of the arena, the bulls were led into the chutes.

  Even under the layers of her polyester-blend uniform, a chill prickled across Cassidy’s skin.

  The loudspeaker crackled. “Welcome to the first rodeo in the brand-new Cash Greer Memorial Arena.” Hank Green stood in the judge’s booth and waved at the crowd.

  Cheers and hoots rang out. Molly even clapped and hollered beside her. But Cassidy couldn’t move. Instead of clapping, her hands squeezed into fists.

  Hank waited until the noise died down. “For our first event, one of our own homegrown cowboys—Levi Cortez—will be riding Ball Buster.” The crowd went crazy again, people jumping to their feet, chanting “Le-vi, Le-vi!”

  Cassidy crept closer to the action, stopping just outside the corral’s steel fence.

  It’s time to party. That had been her brother’s phrase before every ride. She could still hear his voice, the anticipation, the fire. Levi had it too—the same drive, the untamable spirit. He always had.

  Over in the bucking chute, Levi slid onto Ball Buster’s back.

  Her heart competed with the crowd’s noise, drumming its own erratic beat. She gripped one of the fence rails tightly as a restless energy rushed through her legs. She wanted to run over there and tell him not to do it. It wasn’t worth a life. But the chute opened and Ball Buster charged into the ring, snorting and kicking and bucking. Dirt flew in clumps. The crowd’s applause muted into an awed hush.

  Fear barricaded itself in Cassidy’s lungs as she watched Levi ride.

  He looked so broad up there, so fully in control. Even underneath his helmet, she could see that wide, cocky grin, his eyes glistening with passion. He’d rolled up his shirtsleeves enough to show off his bulky forearms, which strained as he held on with one hand and whipped the other freely over his head.

  Something caught in her chest. The same girlish flutter she used to get when she’d watch him out on the ranch training with her brother. He looked boyish and free. Unburdened. And something in her wanted that so badly…

  The crowd praised his showy ride—his arm lifted over his head, waving as he passed the south side of the stands. The bull stampeded past, and Levi turned his head. He looked at her and flashed an even brighter smile.

  She hated the way it warmed her through, the way it sent the sting of anticipation straight to her heart. I don’t want you! she screamed in her head. She couldn’t want him. She wouldn’t. It didn’t matter how much he flirted with her, how much time he forced her to spend with him, he was reckless, just like her brother.

  Turning away, she headed for the ambulance. She didn’t have to stand here and watch him. She should’ve refused to come. It’s not like Walsh would’ve fired her. And who cared if he did anyhow? She was supposed to leave. Which meant she should be spending all her free time getting Lulu ready to live on her own again…

  Behind her, a collective gasp left an eerie, deafening second of silence. Cassidy whirled back to the arena.

  “Shit, that didn’t look good,” Molly muttered, staring into the corral.

  Levi lay sprawled on the ground, flat on his back near the north fence. Tucker, the Cortez’s stable manager and trained bullfighter, had already dashed out to lure Ball Buster back to the chute.

  “Oh god…” The words eased out of Cassidy in a long breath. He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t bouncing back up like he usually did.

  “Looks like we’ve got a live one.” Molly ripped open the ambulance door and hauled out the backboard.

  “He’s okay,” Cassidy whispered. This was Levi. He had to be okay. Her eyes strained as she waited for him to stand. Nausea swirled through her, sending a tingle up her throat.

  “Medic!” Tucker waved frantically from the chutes, giving them their cue, but Cassidy couldn’t move forward. Her brain had already gone backward.

  She’d seen her brother sprawled out in the dirt like that. As still and lifeless as a stone. It still shocked her that a soul could be snuffed out so quickly. It took only one small mistake. A seemingly insignificant error. She hadn’t been able to help him. Levi couldn’t help him. No one could help him. He’d been crushed. In one second.

  You’re not helpless anymore. The whisper came in Cash’s voice. She wasn’t. She’d trained for every kind of emergency so she could make sure she’d never be helpless again. It was the lifeline that pulled her out of the past.

  She found the courage to raise her head. Molly had knelt next to Levi on the ground and seemed to be assessing his injuries. It didn’t matter how hard Cassidy’s heart pounded or that her legs shook the same way they did after a long mountain-bike ride. She had to get out there.

  In a quick maneuver, she threw herself over the rails and into the arena, sprinting hard to the scene. Fear pounded through her pulse points, blurring everything.

  She hit her knees across from Molly. “Levi?”

  His eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling. A shot of relief fortified her hands as she leaned over him. At least he was conscious. “What’re we dealing with?” she asked as though this were some random patient instead of someone she didn’t want to care about.

  Was it his spine? She should’ve been watching…

  “Head injury,” her coworker reported.

  “Not a head injury,” Levi countered.

  Molly huffed. �
�You lost consciousness.”

  “For maybe two seconds.” He went to sit up. “I feel great.”

  The loudspeaker crackled again. “It looks like Mr. Cortez is conscious and moving,” Hank Green intoned. “Please be patient as our medical staff evaluates him.”

  Grinning, Levi waved to the cheering crowd. “I’m ready to get back on my bull,” he said to Cassidy.

  “Like hell you are.” She pressed her hand into his shoulder and laid him back down. “We’re taking you in.”

  His eyes narrowed as he stared up at her. “To the hospital?”

  “Yeah. The hospital.” She motioned to Molly, and before he could protest, they’d tipped him on his side and back-boarded him.

  “I don’t need a hospital,” Levi grumbled. “My head doesn’t even hurt.”

  He reached over and covered her hand with his as she tightened the straps on the board. “Come on, Cass. I’m fine. Seriously.”

  She jerked her hand away and glared into his eyes. “You’re the one who wanted me here.” He’d forced her to come and face all the things she didn’t want to remember. “So now I’m doing my job.”

  * * *

  Once again, Cassidy drew the short end of the stick in having to ride in the ambulance with the patient. Molly obviously wanted to torture her. As soon as they loaded the backboard onto the gurney, her coworker hopped out of the box.

  “Hang in there, dream boy,” she said, closing up one of the doors. “I’ll have you to the hospital in no time.”

  As soon as the other door slammed shut, Cassidy settled in and went to work taking his vitals. Fear had nearly submerged her, but now it hardened into anger. She worked briskly and silently, taking his blood pressure and then monotonously going through the routine of other tests.

  Levi was the first one to speak. “This really isn’t necessary.” He didn’t sound nearly as cranky as she felt.

  “You’re in no position to decide what’s necessary.” She finished charting his vitals and moved onto the health history portion of the show. “Any allergies to medications?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

  “No,” he said, looking at her too intently. “No allergies.”

  She avoided his eyes. “What about previous surgeries?”

  “Sorry I made you do this, Cass.” Levi lifted his head as much as he could, being strapped down and all. “Sorry I made you come today.”

  “It’s fine.” The stress of seeing him lying on the ground hadn’t shaved a good ten years off her life or anything. Nope. This was all just a normal day in her world. She was trained to deal with emergencies. Levi was just another patient. She didn’t care that he had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. Didn’t care that his hair made her want to run her fingers through it…

  “I miss you, Cass,” he murmured, laying his head back down. “We were good friends once.”

  “Yeah. I guess we were.” In another life. An easy, carefree life. She refocused on the questionnaire. “Do you have insurance?”

  “I know you hate me. And I get it.”

  “I don’t hate you.” She’d never hated him. No matter how much she wanted to.

  “I still miss Cash,” Levi said, a tremor of emotion in his voice.

  “I do too.” But it had gotten easier to miss him. They had so many good memories. Her brother had been her favorite person in the world. After losing him, she couldn’t imagine being close with anyone else. Especially not with the man lying in front of her.

  “Your brother was a hell of a guy,” Levi said. “Even though he almost killed me once.”

  The cryptic statement baited her, just like he obviously wanted it to. She lowered the clipboard. “He did?”

  “Yeah. Took a few swings at my face.” Levi laughed. “Gave me a pretty sweet shiner.”

  “Really?” How had she missed that? “Why?” She could see Cash hitting a lot of guys back then, but not Levi. He was like his brother…

  “Because I was gonna ask you to homecoming. My junior year. And he found out.”

  Was it getting hot in there? Maybe Molly had turned on the heat. “Why…uh…would you have asked me to homecoming?” He could’ve asked any girl to homecoming. Hell, he could’ve taken five girls to homecoming. Actually, he might have one year…

  “I thought you were beautiful.”

  “Oh.” Something flickered in her heart. Probably lust. Because even though Levi had likely suffered a concussion and was strapped to a backboard, he still had that sexy, in control look about him.

  “Cash knew I liked you,” he said easily. “He always reminded me that you were off limits.”

  “He was overprotective.” Cassidy busied herself with glancing over the paperwork she’d better finish filling out before this conversation went any further. Cash wasn’t around to protect her heart, which meant she was on her own. And something told her it would be much harder now than it had been when she was fifteen.

  “Did you ever like me?” the man had the balls to ask.

  “Um. Yeah.” She studied the clipboard as though all the words were written in Chinese. “Sure. I liked you okay.”

  Levi reached over and tipped the clipboard down as though he wanted to see her face. “Okay? Like a friend? A brother?” His eyes were on the hunt, intent on hers, determined to dig out all her secrets.

  “Does it matter?” Would it have mattered? “It was a long time ago.”

  “It matters,” he insisted, staring at her like he already knew the answer.

  That was because her face had to be as red as the flashing lights on the ambulance. She was blushing so hard it actually hurt.

  “Did you like me, Cassidy?” he asked again, teasing her.

  That was it. Anger overpowered her embarrassment. “Of course I liked you,” she snapped. “You were a damn bull rider. Hot as hell. Dangerous. And as smooth as Don Juan.” She threw up her hands. “You made all the girls fall in love with you.” He made them all love him, and then he played around with them. Obviously, some things never changed.

  Instead of a triumphantly cocky grin, he simply gazed at her, his face more serious than she’d ever seen it. “I wish I would’ve known that,” he finally said.

  “Yeah, well, like I said, it was a long time ago.” She held the clipboard firmly between them. “Now I have to complete your medical history before we get to the hospital.” Stick to the facts. Things she could observe and record.

  That was much safer than this sentimental walk down memory lane.

  Chapter Four

  Give it to me straight, Doc.” Levi was only half kidding. Judging from the grim look on the doctor’s face, he likely wasn’t about to get the best news.

  The man was your standard-issue ER doctor—dark hair, no sense of humor, and little emotion. His frown was so firm that Levi wondered if he’d ever cracked a smile.

  “Based on the test results and CT scan, I’d say you have a minor concussion.”

  “That’s it?” Well, hell, then why’d the man look so concerned? “So, what? I rest for a couple of weeks?” He’d miss only a few events and then be back on his bull in time for the rodeo in Tulsa.

  The doctor sat on a rolling stool in front of a small desk. “How many concussions have you had, Mr. Cortez?”

  “Not sure.” That was the honest truth, seeing as how this was the only one he’d ever bothered to get diagnosed. And that was only because Cass had forced him to.

  “I don’t have to tell you that repetitive head injuries can cause lasting damage to your brain.”

  “So I’ve heard.” These days, most rodeos were implementing concussion protocols. Not that any of the riders willingly participated.

  “In order to give your head the time it needs to heal, I’m recommending you take four to six weeks off and watch carefully for more severe symptoms.”

  “Four to six weeks?” That was almost the whole summer.

  “At least,” the doctor said sternly. “And you really should be evaluated b
y a concussion treatment center in Denver before you go back to riding.”

  “Wow.” Levi had to stand and let that sink in. He paced the room. “Okay. I guess if that’s what you think…” See? This was why he didn’t go to doctors after he hit the ground too hard. They loved to bench riders.

  The doctor stood too. “In a job like yours, you have to take care of yourself now so you don’t suffer later.” The man handed him a slip of paper. “Here’s the information on the treatment centers. Feel free to call me if you have any other questions.”

  “Thanks.” He couldn’t find the energy to make it sound heartfelt. He’d never been sidelined longer than two weeks, even when he’d broken his foot. What the hell was he supposed to do with himself?

  The doctor ducked out of the room, and Cass peeked in. “How’s it going?”

  “Things are dandy,” he muttered, milking it. “Doc says I have a concussion. I’m out for four to six weeks.”

  A sympathetic smile softened her face as she stepped into the room. She still wore a crisp white paramedic’s shirt that fit her snugly. He’d never dreamed a uniform would do it for him, but somehow the polyester only made her curves more enticing.

  “At least the rodeo was a hit,” she said brightly. “Tucker and Lucas stepped up to help run the rest of the events, and everyone had a great time.” Her smile turned shy. “So you can consider all of your hard work a success.”

  “Is that why you came back?” He worked an unspoken question into his tone. “To tell me how it went?” Or had she been worried about him?

  Cassidy stared up at the ceiling, her lips creased as though she was thinking of something snarky to say.

  He didn’t give her a chance. “What I meant to say was thank you for coming back.” He may be taking all kinds of liberties here, but…“It means a lot to know you’re concerned about me.”

  She shot him a dark look. “Concerned about you?”

  Damn. Too far. “Sure. Isn’t that why you’re here?”