Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance)

by Danica Chandler

  “What’s on your mind, Livie?”

  Turning, she glanced at Cale over her shoulder. It was after midnight and both of them were dealing with insomnia. “Just about the past few months. If someone had told me I’d be standing here right now, in a bull rider’s hospital room, I’d have laughed in their face.” She sat on the edge of his bed, smoothing her finger over his lips.

  “I guess I could say the same thing. If someone had told me I would be in the same room as my dad for over five minutes without fighting, I’d have laughed too.”

  “You’ve both come a long way. I’m proud of you, hon.”

  “Lay beside me. I need you against me.” He scooted to give her some space and lifted the IV chords. She lay beside him, realizing how much she had missed his strong body beside her. “Just what I need. Better than any medicine.” He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her as close to him as he could.

  Leaning into him, she took it all in. His five o’clock shadow was starting to get thick, and she enjoyed the rugged look. The hospital gown was thin and she brushed her hand across his stomach.

  “You go any lower and we’ll have some explaining to do. This is a new record broken for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s been over a week without sex. Won’t take much to get me going.”

  Olivia laughed. “Wow, how are you handling it?

  “Just the thought of what I’m going to do to you once I break free of this place keeps me going. You have no idea what you’re in for, Livie.”

  She shivered at the thought. She had gone much longer than a week without sex, but since Cale had awakened the desire within her, she did long for him. “Don’t get too excited. They don’t give us much time between coming in here to check things.”

  “Five minutes. That’s all I need right now.”

  Olivia smirked and kissed his chin. “Get some sleep. We shouldn’t be awake right now.”

  His hug tightened and she buried her face in the nape of his neck, her body finally relaxing. His breathing grew deeper, and she was certain he had finally dozed, but his voice vibrated in his throat, pulling her from her light sleep.

  “You think I’m gonna need surgery?”

  The mention of surgery made her heart skip a beat. She was tired of the waiting game. “I hope we find out soon.”

  “Surgery scares the shit out of me, Livie.”

  “I know, Cale. It scares me too, but it’ll make you feel better if they can get that rib back where it needs to be.” Olivia wondered why they hadn’t already done the surgery when they first discovered the possibility of the rib inflicting more damage. Maybe they wanted to see if it would heal on its own. Maybe they were waiting on Cale to get stronger before they put his body through more trauma. She’d never understand doctor’s reasoning for things.

  He kissed the top of her head and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down against her. “It would be nice to be able to breathe again without it hurting.”

  “Are you in pretty bad pain?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Leave it to Cale to downplay his injuries. “If you’re trying to put on a tough act to impress me, you’ve already won me over, hon. Hurting doesn’t make you look like less of a man.”

  “It’s not too bad right now, really.” He yawned and his hug around her shoulders loosened. “Pretty tired… Goodnight, Livie. Love you.”

  “Love you too.” She kept her face against his neck, feeling his smooth skin, his chest rise and fall as he relaxed, and took in his manly scent. Maybe the doctor would have good news for them in the morning. Surgery or not, things would be okay. They had to be.

  She had a hard time sleeping, but feeling Cale beside her, his breathing steady, his body warm, was comforting. With the nurses coming in several times throughout the night, she wondered how he was even able to catch some sleep. She finally began to doze around four AM. Tomorrow they’d know more about the possible surgery and it made her stomach do back flips.

  ***

  Cale woke up to the smell of food wafting into his nostrils. It made his stomach growl and though his appetite had been non-existent, the food looked halfway appetizing on the tray next to his bed. Reaching for the orange juice, he knocked a fork to the floor, cringing at the loud sound, hoping that Olivia didn’t hear the commotion. Her legs stretched out next to him and she murmured something he couldn’t understand.

  “Shh, go back to sleep Livie.”

  “What time is it?” Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up.

  He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “A little after seven.”

  Yawning, she smoothed her hands through her hair. Her locks were unruly and she was so cute when she was groggy. “You hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  She went around to the other side of the bed and edged the tray closer. “That’s really good to hear. You’re getting too skinny.”

  He dug into the food, filling up quicker than anticipated. The bacon was perfect and though the eggs weren’t all that great, they still tasted like a delicacy.

  “Not bad for hospital food,” he replied, licking his finger. Olivia stood at the foot of the bed, staring at him. “What’s wrong, babe?”

  She yawned again and the dark circles around her eyes made Cale feel bad. “Just thinking. I hope the doctor does his rounds early. I know you want out of that bed. I want you out of that bed too, but we can’t rush it.”

  He could only eat about half of the food before pushing it away. “Livie, why don’t you get out of here for a while? Go get some rest somewhere where they’re not constantly coming in to prod me with needles and take my vitals.”

  “I don’t want to leave you here.”

  “It won’t bug me a bit. Don’t get me wrong, Livie, it’s nice having you here, but I won’t think anything less if you have to step away. This place makes people crazy.”

  “But you can’t leave.”

  Cale smirked and arched his eyebrow. “But I’ve got some damn good drugs hooked up to this here IV. Sort of dulls the bad stuff.” He traced his finger down the rubber tubing, lifting it up.

  Olivia laughed and sat on the bed. “You’re so full of it, Cale. You want to bust out of here.”

  “Glad to see your smile. Just what the doctor ordered.”

  Cale couldn’t have planned it better. Dr. Chambers knocked and entered, adjusting his stethoscope to listen to his chest. “Good morning, Cale. I see you’re eating a bit better.” He pressed the cold metal beneath his gown. “Take a deep breath and let it out for me.”

  Cale did as told, and to his surprise, it wasn’t as challenging as before.

  “Everything is sounding strong. Can you sit up for me?”

  Cale expected to get dizzy and lose his breath, but it came much easier than just days before. Dr. Chambers listened closely, concentrating.

  “Very good, Cale. You can lay back now. I looked over your chart. Your 02 has been steady. How’s your memory seem to be?”

  Cale looked over at Olivia and back to him. “Still forgetting a few things, but you might ask Livie. She’s the one who has been around me the most.”

  “It’s definitely better than when he was first waking up, Dr. Chambers.”

  Nodding, he adjusted his white coat. “That’s good news.”

  “You say I’m breathing better. I’m still hooked up to oxygen. How will it be once you take me off?” Surgery still was a question. He was scared to ask about it.

  “We are slowly weaning you off. We had it almost as high as we can set it, but now we’re about halfway. The fact that you’re maintaining without as much assistance is a good sign. We mentioned possible surgery, but I think you’re in the clear. I’m going to have another x-ray ran just in case, but now that swelling has gone down, we’ve got a better vantage point. With your improvements, it’s definitely in favor of not putting you through surgery.”

  Cale let out a deep breath and touched Olivia’s hand. “That’s g
reat.” Another question was bugging him, and he feared what he’d be told. Cowboy up. He had to be a man about it. “Doc, will I be able to continue to bull ride?”

  Dr. Chambers folded his arms over his chest. “That’s a question I’m not sure about at the moment. There’s a lot to take into consideration - your age, your medical history, and the shape that this most recent injury will leave you in. Once a lung is damaged it never truly heals back to the way it was before. It might not be a risk you want to take. Another trauma to your chest could be detrimental.”

  It wasn’t what Cale wanted to hear, but something he had tried to prepare himself for. No matter how much he got ready for the day when he was told he should walk away from rodeo, it still hit him like a brick wall had toppled over him. Swallowing, he felt the eggs and bacon churn in his stomach.

  “So our next steps are the x-ray?” His voice shook. So much for keeping a lid on his emotions.

  “X-ray and we’ll continue to turn the oxygen down. I don’t want to put a damper on your future. It’s just something to consider.” Dr. Chambers patted his leg and smiled at Olivia. “If you have anymore questions, let me know. They’ll come do the x-ray soon.”

  Cale and Olivia both thanked him as he shut the door, giving them privacy. Squeezing her hand, he stared up at the ceiling. “Good news and bad news. How about that?” he asked.

  Olivia scooted in beside him again, pulling his head against her chest. Her embrace was comforting, helping alleviate the brunt of the doctor’s suggestion. She didn’t say anything and they both lay in silence, the only sound coming from the IV machine pumping his medication.

  “Say something, Livie. What do you think?”

  She massaged his head and kissed the top of it. “I think we need to take this all one step at a time. You’re not even discharged yet. Let’s get that done first and go from there.”

  “I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t be in the rodeo anymore, Livie.” There was no way he could do it forever. There was no such thing as an old bull rider, but he figured he had a few more years left. “You’re right. Next up, Cale Warren gets zapped by radiological waves again.” He nudged her, his desperate attempt to lighten the mood failing. He looked up at her, smiling.

  Her furrowed brow was replaced with a sexual hunger he hadn’t seen in what seemed like forever. Her hand skimmed down his chest and lower, the thin fabric of the hospital gown not serving as much of a barrier. Her fingers rested on the inside of his thigh, moving just enough to send a chill through him.

  “It better not zap you too much. I hope we have some little Cale’s and Olivia’s running around one day.”

  He bit his bottom lip to stifle a moan. “Like I said last night – you keep that up and we’re gonna have some explaining to do. It doesn’t take much to get me revved up these days.”

  “These days?” Olivia kissed his forehead. “First things first, Cale. Let’s get you out of here and then we’ll worry about the rest later. Deal?”

  “Deal. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Livie. You were sent to me just in time.” He rested against her again, closing his eyes. If they weren’t in a hospital bed with medical staff just on the other side of the door, things would have been perfect. “I can’t wait to make love to you again,” he said as he laid his arm over her stomach, unable to make enough contact with her to satisfy his need.

  “It’ll be amazing, no doubt.”

  The door swung open, along with a mobile x-ray machine. “Let’s do this,” Cale said, keeping Olivia’s words close to heart – take things one step at a time.

  ***

  Several days passed and Cale continued to improve. Olivia gathered up his belongings in his room and unfolded the clothes that his dad had brought him. Sammy and several other friends had come by to help take the large amounts of flowers and gifts he had received back to Dean’s house. She was overwhelmed with all of the help, support, and with the fact that though it took forever, Cale was finally getting discharged to go home.

  Cale stared down at the packet of papers, his brow creased.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He shrugged and pulled his shirt over his head. “Just glancing over all of the stuff I gotta do. Physical therapy? I don’t know…” he trailed off and stepped into his jeans that now fit him baggy around the waist.

  “I think it’s to help strengthen your lungs.” She took a second to admire him. He was finally able to shave and his color was getting back to normal. “I was starting to forget what you looked like in regular clothes. I’m gonna have to fatten you back up though.” She poked at him, caught off guard when he cupped the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

  Nipping at her bottom lip, his hand traced her jaw line. “Who needs physical therapy when I’ve got you? I plan on you strengthening me up real nice.” The corners of his eyes crinkled, a clue that he was being mischievous. Though she was used to him by now, she still felt her cheeks heat up. Wagging his finger at her, he shook his head and took a step back. “And don’t play that innocent act. I’ve seen you in action. I’ve said from the get go that you’re hustling me.”

  Before she could refute, Dean and Sammy came in the room, each of them carrying bags to gather up the last bit of gifts. “Finally busting out of here, huh?” Dean patted him on the back. “You’re free to stay at the house as long as you need. A motel room is no place to recuperate.”

  “Thanks, Dad. As long as Livie can come too. I told her to get back out on the road, but she’s a stubborn ass.”

  Dean smiled. “Of course. I’d love to have her.”

  It’d feel awkward at first, but Olivia was glad to be there for Cale. Part of his recovery was physical, and part of it was getting back on good terms with his father. Tucking her arm in Cale’s, she walked with him to the door, each of them taking one last glance at the hospital room.

  “Good riddance. Let’s get on with life,” Cale replied, ambling down the hallway. Waving to the nurses, he stopped at their desk. “Thanks for everything, ladies. I plan to not see you for a very, very long time.”

  “Yeah, yeah, Cale. Next time, you trample the damn bull,” one of the nurses said, looking up from her monitor. “Get outta here! But come visit, preferably not as a patient next time.”

  Winking, he said, “Count on it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  A few weeks had passed since Cale had been discharged from the hospital. Physical therapy had been going well and he was making great progress in his recovery. He found himself getting winded a lot easier than before the injury, but it was something he told himself he’d have to live with.

  His father was also coming around. Cale had his reservations about the man – he feared it was just an act and Dean would soon revert back to the man he knew him to be, but there was also sincerity in everything he did for Cale. During the day his father was busy on the farm, and in the evening he made sure Cale and Olivia had everything they needed.

  As time passed, he also thought about his future. Would he ride bulls again? Dr. Chambers was right – he had to think about the next time he got injured. He had been lucky up until now. Was it a risk he was willing to take? The thought of not doing rodeo anymore hurt almost as bad as getting bucked off and trampled, and he’d have to face making a decision soon.

  Sitting on the back porch, he admired the sunset against the trees. The orange and blue hues were breathtaking, like a painting spread for miles. The breeze was humid, but cool, and he laughed as Olivia approached, tripping over several of his dad’s hound dogs that begged for her attention. Squatting, she reached out and scratched one behind the ears, talking to him as if he understood everything she was saying.

  Catching his stare, she smiled and sat beside him on the swing. “Penny for your thoughts, Cale.”

  He spread his hands in front of him. “I want your opinion.”

  “Okay. What’s up?”

  Taking a deep breath, he thought about it for a second. “It’s gettin
g to the point where I’ve gotta figure out what I want to do about the future. Should I go back?”

  “What does your heart say?” she asked, resting her hand on his leg.

  Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Cale scoffed. “It’s telling me more than one thing, Livie. I want to hop back on. I want to get back out there. But I also know my body isn’t as tough as it once was. You know how it is. Do I want to become the guy who can barely crawl out of bed in the morning because of rodeo? Or worse. What if I’m not so lucky next time?”

  Olivia squeezed his knee, glancing out at the sky. “I know you love rodeo. It’s all you’ve known. But if you decide to hang the spurs up, I support you. No one would think you’re any less of a man if you do it. I’ll support whatever you decide to do.”

  “What exactly would I do if I’m not bull riding?” The uncertainty was terrifying.

  “You could always travel with me. You’d still be around the life. And once we save up enough, we’ll start that riding school I have talked about and you can help me with that too. That is, if you see me as part of that future you’re thinking about.”

  He caressed her hand. “Of course you’re part of it, Livie. And I like that idea. I wouldn’t be completely eliminating rodeo. But what about Sammy?”

  She waved her hand. “We’ve talked. He’s ready to get back home and work my daddy’s farm. So if you want, I have a spot open on my team.”

  It was finally an option that didn’t scare him and felt appealing. “Let’s do it, Livie. I want to be around for you. I want to be able to play out in the yard with the kids. If I keep riding, I have a feeling none of that will happen.”

  “Okay, Cale. Let’s do it,” she repeated, leaning in. “Where’s your dad tonight?”

  “I think he went to an auction in Austin.”

  Olivia smirked. “So he’ll be gone a while?”

  “I like where your mind is, Livie.” Standing, he gently pulled her arm, leading her into the house and up the stairs. “Seems we haven’t been alone since before I got hurt.”