Renegade Cowboy

by Sara Richardson

  “Then you should rest. Okay? I want to talk to the doctor anyway.” So she could confirm that they weren’t facing something more serious.

  “Okay,” Lulu murmured as though she’d already started to drift away. “I’m so glad you’re here, honey.”

  Leaning over, she brushed a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.” She stood straighter and gazed down at Lulu. Makeup had smudged at the corners of her eyes. Blood had crusted along her hairline. Cassidy couldn’t go anywhere. She couldn’t move to Denver. Not after this. Grief rose up like a massive thunderhead, darkening everything, but she stuffed it deeper and ducked into the hallway.

  A doctor cruised toward her, wearing the typical impassive expression. Luckily she’d been dealing with ER docs for a long time. Before he sailed right past her without a glance, she stepped in front of him.

  “Hi, I’m Cassidy Greer. LuEllen’s daughter. I got here as soon as I could.”

  “Oh.” The man stopped. He looked to be in his early fifties, with dark graying hair and studious eyes. “Right. She said you’d probably be coming.” He tucked a clipboard under his arm and held out his hand. “Dr. Wolfe.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said blandly. Nothing about this was nice. “So Mom said she has a concussion and a few broken ribs?”

  The doctor’s polite expression turned grim. “Yes. Based on her tests, I’d classify the concussion as moderate. And the ribs should heal up fine.”

  A nurse scurried past them. He waited until she was out of earshot. “Like I’ve already told your mother, she’s very lucky, given what I was told about the accident. I’ve seen a lot worse when it’s a DUI situation.”

  “I have too.” She didn’t mean for it to sound so harsh, but humiliation pulsed in her throat. “I’m an EMT.”

  “Then I don’t have to tell you.” His serious doctor expression softened into something more sympathetic. “We’ll keep her overnight for observation, but you should be able to take her home tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” She leaned against the wall, welcoming the stability in the midst of her warring emotions—anger and embarrassment and sadness. So much sadness. “Thank you, Dr. Wolfe.” Once again, she extended her hand.

  He shook it quickly, already moving away from her. “I’ve asked the nurse to put together some information on alcohol treatment centers,” he said, as if it would be that simple. “Feel free to contact me if you have questions.”

  “I appreciate it,” she managed. Still bracing herself against the wall, Cassidy watched him walk away. As soon as he turned the corner, she finally let herself cry.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Levi parked next to Dev’s cruiser and sprinted across the empty parking lot. Just as he approached the doors, Dev appeared. Alone.

  “Where’s Cass?” Levi paused to catch his breath.

  “She’s inside. I just talked to her. Sounds like her mom’ll be okay. But she’s gonna stay with her tonight so she told me to go home.”

  The news gave him some space to breathe. “Lulu’s okay?”

  “She’s got a few cracked ribs and a concussion. But if you would’ve seen the car, man…” The deputy shook his head. “It could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.”

  “I wish I could’ve gotten here sooner.” He’d gone to look for Gunner, and just like he’d suspected, the man was still waiting for Lulu to show up at the ice cream shop. After he explained what had happened, Gunner insisted on going to the flower shop to buy her a get-well-soon arrangement. Which Levi had left in the truck for now. “How’s Cass?”

  “She seems to be doing okay,” Dev said. “You know her. From what I can tell, she’s taking charge, ordering the nurses around, and making sure Lulu is getting the best care.”

  “Of course she is.” That’s what she’d done for the last six years. That’s what he’d wanted to save her from having to do anymore.

  “Anyway, I gotta head out.” Dev gave him a nod. “Good luck with everything. I’m sure you guys’ll work it out.”

  “Yeah. Thanks.” Uncertainty needled him as he made his way through the waiting room and checked in with the receptionist. Telling her he was Lulu’s son wasn’t really a lie. She’d always been his second mom.

  When he turned the corner to head to Room 3, he stopped. Cass stood just outside the door, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

  “Hey.” He ran to her and wrapped her up in his arms. “It’s okay. Everything’ll be okay.”

  Her shoulders tensed in his embrace. “It’s not okay, Levi.” Instead of clinging to him like she’d done earlier, her arms hung limply at her sides.

  He refused to let her go. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I caught her drinking. I should’ve. I didn’t want you to worry.”

  “I know.” Her red puffy eyes looked exactly the same as they had the night she’d broken all those bottles in the street—lost and unsure. “But I have to worry. She’s my mom. I have to take care of her.” Something in her tone steeled, emphasizing the word I. As in independently. Individually.

  He refused to acknowledge it. “I’ll help you. We can get her through this.” They’d do all the research; they’d fight to get her the help she needed…

  “I have to do this myself.” She closed her eyes and inhaled a long breath before opening them again. There were no more tears, but he recognized that distance in her gaze. “I don’t have the energy for anything else. Getting her healthy is going to take everything I have.”

  She said it as though she’d resigned herself to giving up. He wanted to shake her. “You don’t have to do this alone.” Hadn’t he proven that to her by now? “We’ll get you moved into your apartment like we planned, and you can come back when you have some time off. I’ll schedule people to check in with her…”

  She gaped at him. “I’m not moving. I can’t go to Denver.”

  She’d already decided. In the midst of shock and fear, she’d decided to bail on what she’d been working toward for years. “You can’t give up on your dream because of one small setback.”

  “Small setback?” Disbelief rang in her tone. “This is my mom’s life. I know you want me to be free and to feel good all the time, but that’s not my reality. That’s never been my reality. It’s different for you. There’re other people to take care of your father. My mom has no one else.”

  “She has me.” He wandered a step closer to her. Raised his hand to her hair and brushed it off her cheek so she could feel his touch. “And so do you.”

  “I was wrong before. In your truck. I’m not sure about anything.” Tears brightened the deep hue of her eyes again. “This isn’t something you can fix, Levi.” Her voice trembled. “Not with a dinner or a job or a back massage or a picnic at the lake. So please don’t try.”

  * * *

  “I need a favor.” Levi waited for the rolling eyes, dirty looks, and grumbles his friends were famous for.

  Sure enough, they didn’t disappoint. “I think we’ve done you enough favors,” Mateo said, helping himself to another hefty piece of the spinach and mushroom quiche they were enjoying at the Hidden Gem Inn. Since it was their last morning in Topaz Falls—for now anyway—Levi had joined his friends for breakfast. And for another negotiation meeting, though they didn’t know it yet.

  “I need a favor too,” Charity said with a glare. “Stop asking for favors.”

  Ty simply ignored him and dumped more hot sauce on his roasted potatoes.

  “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.” They already knew that. It had been three days since Lulu’s accident. She was home and resting comfortably. He’d dropped by the house twice—once to bring her the flowers Gunner had insisted on buying and another time to see if he could catch Cass. She hadn’t been home, of course. Somehow she always seemed to know when he was on his way over there. He swore she was tracking his movements somehow.

  Charity heaved a dramatic sigh and tilted her head, her eyes demanding that he just come
out with it already.

  Yeah, it wasn’t like him to beat around the bush. “I need cash. A big chunk of cash.” He had investments, but he’d used up a good portion of his cash flow rebuilding the rodeo grounds. “And I got a lead on another sponsorship opportunity that could happen fast.” But once again, he needed the other Renegades to make it a go.

  A practiced ensemble of groans met his ears.

  “I’m happy to do more clinics,” Charity said. “But there’s no way in hell I’m doing more embarrassing photo shoots for you, Levi.”

  “It won’t be embarrassing.” He grinned at her. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Char. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” Flattery never hurt. He looked at the others to back him up.

  “Nothing could be as bad as that casino gig,” Ty said. “Even though, I have to say, you looked pretty hot, Char.”

  She threw her wadded-up napkin at his face.

  “It’s not a casino this time.” He’d learned his lesson after that. Charity hadn’t spoken to him for a good month. “It’s a beef jerky company.”

  Mateo perked up. “I love jerky.”

  “Me too,” Ty agreed. “Can we negotiate a year’s supply into the deal?”

  “You guys are total lunkheads.” Charity belitted them in obvious exasperation. “All he has to do is offer you meat and you roll over. Once again, you’re willing to jump right into something without thinking through the potential risks. Without weighing the pros and cons…”

  Levi had heard that tone before. Lecture time. Here we go. He settled in.

  “Do you even care how much it pays?” Charity demanded. “Or what will be required of us? Or what the schedule would look like? Need I remind you that we’re all booked up for the next three months with events? Don’t you care about any of those things?”

  Mateo and Ty looked at each other. They both shrugged.

  “No,” Ty said, snatching another piece of bacon off the platter.

  “Not even a little,” Mateo put in.

  Charity growled out a frustrated sigh. “I swear, hanging out with you guys is like hanging out with barnyard animals.”

  No one disputed that point. And yet for some reason, she stuck it out with them. Levi suspected it had to do with the fact that she couldn’t stand her own family, so she’d kind of adopted them as brothers. They watched out for her on the circuit too, and even though they irritated her nonstop, she seemed to appreciate it. Much as she complained about them, she was grateful, which he could use to his advantage.

  Levi put on a smile to butter her up. “The pay is excellent, trust me,” he said. “And it’s very minimal effort on our parts. A quick photo shoot and a commercial.” He garbled the last word so hopefully they’d miss it.

  “I’m sorry. What was that?” Charity didn’t miss anything.

  Levi sighed. “They want us to do a commercial.”

  “Sweet.” Mateo and Ty slapped high fives over the table.

  “Commercials go over big with the ladies,” Ty informed Charity.

  She was too busy glaring at Levi to pay him any attention. “What kind of commercial?”

  “We don’t have all the details worked out yet.” That wasn’t exactly true, but there was no way he could tell her the commercial would be themed as a spoof of an old western. Then he’d lose her for good. They’d already demanded Charity wear a saloon girl costume, complete with a corset and fishnet stockings.

  “Why do we have to do the beef jerky?” she whined. “We’re already negotiating another contract with Renegade.”

  “But we likely won’t start anything until early next year. And I need the money now.” He’d asked for plenty of favors over the years, but begging for money was new. He wouldn’t have to if there were any other way to help Lulu and Cass, but he’d been over his finances and he simply couldn’t cough up the money unless he signed this deal now. Which meant he might as well level with Charity. “Cassidy’s mom is in rough shape. She’s been struggling with alcoholism for years.” Among other things like depression…

  “Oh…” A look of understanding widened her eyes. “That’s why she crashed her car…”

  Levi let the silence speak for him. He didn’t want to make Lulu look bad, but he also wanted this money.

  “Wow,” Ty muttered. “That sucks.”

  “Yeah.” It still got to him to think that he’d enabled the accident. That he hadn’t taken the drinking more seriously. This time, he didn’t want to leave any room for Lulu to relapse. She had to be isolated in a place where she could deal with the underlying issues. “There’s no way Cass can afford to send her to an inpatient treatment program on her own.”

  “So you’re going to.” The hard edge had disappeared from Charity’s tone.

  “I’m hoping to.” But the best one he could find nearby—in Utah—was one of those luxury deals complete with yoga, counseling, and holistic health education. Which would cost about thirty grand by the time it was all said and done.

  “That’s one way to win Cassidy back,” Ty commented, looking impressed.

  “I’m not doing it to win her back.” She’d seemed pretty adamant that she didn’t want him anymore. “I’m not even going to tell her about it.” This would be between him and Lulu.

  “Are you crazy?” Mateo gaped at him. “Man, seriously. You’re not gonna tell her? She’d forgive you for everything.”

  “I don’t need her to forgive me.” That’s not what this was about. He still loved her. He’d always loved her, but he couldn’t force her to love him back. “I just want to make sure she can do the program in Denver without worrying about her mom.” He was only doing what he should’ve done years ago—what Cash would’ve wanted him to do.

  “You want her to move to Denver?” Charity’s scowl made it no secret what she thought of that plan. “Wouldn’t you rather have her stay in Topaz Falls? I mean, maybe it’s better this way. If she goes to Denver, she might meet someone else. A children’s hospital will be crawling with hot, benevolent doctors. Nothing sexier than a man who devotes his life to helping kids,” she said sweetly.

  “Yeah, thanks for that.” The thought had crossed his mind. It was tempting to stay out of it and simply let her continue living in Topaz Falls. At least then she’d be connected to him and his family. Over time, he’d probably have a better chance at earning her forgiveness. But…“She’s always wanted to be a pediatric nurse. She’s put her life on hold for everyone else all these years. She deserves this.”

  “Damn it, Levi,” Charity grumbled, “why can’t you be an asshole? Then I wouldn’t feel like I had to help you with anything.”

  He grinned at her. “If I was an asshole, you wouldn’t love me so much.”

  She flipped him off.

  “We’re in.” Mateo nodded at the others. “Right, Char?”

  “Fine,” she griped. “But I’m telling you right now, Levi. If they make me wear any stupid costumes in that commercial, I’ll rip off your head and shit down your neck.”

  Well then. That would give him something to look forward to.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Levi pulled up in front of Cassidy’s house, and once again, her car wasn’t in the driveway. Which was just as well today. Since she’d made it clear she didn’t want his help, he’d come to offer it to Lulu instead. Something told him Cass’s mother would be more open to what he had to offer.

  “Come on, girl.” He lifted the dog from the passenger’s seat and climbed out of the truck. “Something tells me Miss Lulu’s gonna be mighty happy to see you.” Carefully, he set Sweetie down and took a hold of the leash.

  The dog cowered slightly, but Levi gently urged her across the lawn. “We’re gonna get Miss Lulu all fixed up,” he said. “While we’re at it, maybe we should fix up this whole place.” The house needed a paint job. New shutters. A whole new concrete walkway complete with steps up to the front door. The old ones had crumbled and cracked as though they were about five footfalls away from caving in c
ompletely. Another thing he could add to his to-do list for when he got back from Wyoming.

  Carefully maneuvering around the cracks, he climbed the stairs and peered through the screen door. Lulu was lying on the couch. “Levi!” She waved but didn’t move to get up. “Oh my! Is that Sweetie, too?”

  “Sure is.” He opened the door and unclipped the leash. Wagging her tail with delight, the dog made a beeline for the couch and put her paws on Lulu’s legs.

  Levi walked in too. The living room was dim, but cheerful. There had to be twenty flower arrangements decorating the space. Somehow, Lulu looked more cheerful too. The bruising had faded since he’d seen her last. She was propped up on at least three pillows and had a variety of snacks and drinks within an easy arm’s reach on the coffee table.

  “You’re looking good,” he said, scooting himself into the chair on the other side of the couch. Maybe not good but at least better.

  “You’re sweet. I’m not looking good. But I will soon.” She stroked the dog’s head affectionately. “Seeing this sweet girl makes me feel a hundred times better. Thanks for bringing her for a visit.”

  “Actually, it could be more than a visit, if you want.”

  Hope gleamed in Lulu’s wide eyes. “Really?”

  “Jessa said to tell you she’s available for adoption now.” Though Lulu might have to wait a while if things went as he planned. Which brought him to the reason he’d come. He’d thought about the best way to do this, but now he felt as skittish as a newborn calf. She might be offended by his offer. She might hate him for thinking she needed to go away. How did you come out and tell someone you thought they should check themselves in to an inpatient treatment program? He wasn’t good at conversations like this.

  “Of course I’ll adopt her!” Lulu leaned over, wincing, and hugged the dog. “Oh, Sweetie, we’ll have such a fun time together.” She suddenly looked up at Levi. “I’ll have to run it by Cass first though.” Her smile faded. “I’m sure you’ve heard that she’s staying in Topaz Falls. I can’t believe I let her down. My baby. She’s giving up on her dream because of me.”