I smiled when I realized that meant that I won.
Let him have it. The fame. The fake glory. The pain. The pressure.
I’d take the girl.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LILY
I hadn’t seen Lee in two days. Well, not in the flesh. He’d been front and center in my brain since we’d made love. But now, seeing him saunter my way, a slow grin spreading across his handsome face, it was like seeing him for the first time all over again.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he hugged me tightly and then released me, holding me back as he looked me up and down. I looked quite the sight today, unfortunately.
I was wearing a red satin cowboy shirt with black fringe hanging from the arms and across the front and back. I’d tried to lasso my unruly curls under a white Stetson and my jeans were even tighter than usual, with red sequined stripes going down them. My black boots were shined and a little too stiff for my comfort.
“You look amazing!” he said, whistling.
“Competition clothes. You know the drill,” I said. I hated dressing up, give me my worn out jeans and boots any day. But this was part of the competition, and while I was much more interested in the sportsmanship part of it all, I still had to play the game.
“I can’t wait to see you walk away,” Lee leaned down and whispered in my ear.
I shook my head and laughed, giving him a playful punch on his arm.
“Oh, you! Where is everyone?” I asked. I’d just arrived at the arena and I needed to check in with my dad and find Charlie’s stall.
“Come on, I’ll take you back to where they are.”
“Thank you,” I smiled up at him. He leaned down, brushed a quick kiss on my lips, which instantly made me blush and made my nipples hard all at once.
“After you,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly. I shook my head and shivered as he put his hand on the small of my back and led me down a long passageway past the dozens and dozens of stalls that had been installed.
“Is there anything you need before you compete? Anything I can do for you?” Lee asked, looking down at me with such sweetness in his eyes. How in the world did I get so lucky? I thought.
“No, thank you,” I replied, leaning into him. His warmth was so comforting, I just wanted to sink into it. We rounded a corner and I saw my father in Charlie’s stall, leaning down and rubbing his fetlock.
“Daddy?” I said, opening the stall and walking in. “Everything okay?” I asked, fear gripping my heart. Charlie was my best-friend, if anything happened to him I don’t know what I would do.
“I think so. His fetlock joint looked a little stiff when he was walking a minute ago.” Daddy stood up and pulled me into his arms. “It’s good to see you. You ready?”
“I think so, but now you’ve got me worried about Charlie,” I said, leaning down to look at his leg.
“No, don’t worry. He should be just fine, darlin’,” he replied. “Your first run in is in an hour. You should get some water, relax for a few. We’ll get Charlie saddled up and ready for you.”
“Okay, thank you, Daddy,” I replied, turning to Lee. He’d been here since yesterday, probably slept in his truck, and yet he looked like the hottest thing I’d ever seen. His rugged, tousled, disheveled look worked for him. I’d never wanted to kiss someone so badly as I did right then, but instead, I just smiled up at him, hoping he could read my mind. “Thanks, Lee.”
“My pleasure, Lily,” he said, his drawl thick with emotion. I met his gaze and he gave me a quick wink before turning away.
I sighed and walked out of the stall, leaving them there alone, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Well, as alone as one could be amongst a swarm of other competitors and livestock. Every year the rodeo got bigger and more crowded. It was almost too much to take.
I’d been doing this for years, working my ass off to win the championship, and always ended up second or third. It was maddening, and I guess the allure of finally finishing first is what kept me going, but to be honest, I was growing weary of it all. The girls kept getting younger and faster and I was struggling to keep up.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d do this. It made my folks proud, and that made me happy. I enjoyed competing, but it was a lot of work, especially with school. The thought of just focusing on one thing at a time was completely foreign to me, and yet I knew once I finally got into graduate school, it would be impossible to focus on both at the same time.
I looked around at all the hustle and bustle going on around me, and drank it in. This might be the last time I was here and I wanted to remember it. The sights, the smells, the sounds…there was something intoxicating about it all. It reminded me of my childhood, of my whole life, really. Of my family.
Of Brock…
Brock. The thought of him kept creeping in, no matter how much I tried to push it away. I knew I’d see him today, and I wasn’t looking forward to it at all.
Oh, well, I thought, I’ll just have to avoid him as best as possible. As long as he leaves me alone, everything should be just fine.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
LEE
“Lee,” Beau’s voice boomed through the air, even with all the people milling around. I turned to see he and George coming my way.
“Howdy, brother,” I said, pulling him in for a hug and then kissing George on the cheek.
“I think the crowd is ten times as big as it was last year,” he said.
“I think you’re right,” I said. “I was just about to watch Lily compete, why don’t y’all join me?”
“Who’s Lily?” George asked. Georgia Hope was a great girl. My brother Beau had finally made a good decision in his life and married her before someone else did. Of course, not before a whole lot of drama unfolded, and I’d made a complete fool of myself with her on what turned out to be one of the worst nights of her life but that was all in the past. I cringed when I thought about it now, especially now, knowing she was technically my half-sister. I felt like I should apologize to her all over again, but it’s best to let bygones be bygones, I suppose.
“Lily Morgan. I think you knew her in school at Sugar Hill High? I’m working for her father Jimmy at his practice pen.”
“Oh, right, I remember her. Cute little thing with a head full of curls, right?”
“You betcha,” I said. “Come on, let’s go watch.”
I wasn’t about to miss Lily’s run. I’d been looking forward to it all day. The three of us stood outside one of the gates as the round was announced and waited.
“Lee, I need to talk to you,” Beau said.
“Sure, sure,” I brushed him off. The last thing I wanted to do was talk about anything serious right now, but I knew I couldn’t avoid it for long.
“I mean it, Lee.”
“Okay, what is it?” I relented, turning to him. Maybe it was best to get this over and out of the way with now, so I could go on with my day.
“You’re my brother, Lee,” he said, his tone serious and his voice low. “Don’t make no difference what happened in the past.”
“Right, you say that because you aren’t the one with newly discovered Hope blood running through your veins. And thank God for that, eh?” I said, gesturing to George. “Your marriage could have turned out a lot different.”
“Well, you got me there, Lee. That’s true. I’m glad it’s not me, but only because of my marriage to George. Otherwise, part Hope isn’t a bad thing to be. Ward Hope was a good man.”
“I know,” I replied. “I remember.”
“Either way, it don’t matter none. Dad’s dad. And he needs you right now. Even if you aren’t going to come home, you can at least stay in touch. The clock’s ticking, and it’s ticking fast.”
“I can’t believe there’s nothing that can be done,” I said. “There’re experimental studies and shit going on all over the world. Can’t he get in on something like that?”
“I don’t know. His doctor’s are doing
everything they can.”
“Don’t sound like it,” I said.
“Well, you haven’t been around in a while, so maybe you’re a little out of the loop,” he snapped.
“Okay,” I replied, shaking my head. “Listen, Beau, I’m working on it, okay? It’s a lot to process.”
“Just don’t be a selfish asshole, alright?” Beau snapped again, anger flashing in his eyes. I couldn’t blame him. He was right. I was being a selfish asshole, no doubt about it. I was claiming that, but right now, I didn’t know any other way to be.
“Nice to see you, too, Beau,” I replied, turning to watch as Lily was announced.
She looked amazing. Beautiful. Confident. Graceful. I was so proud of her and I watched her with joy filling my heart. I planned to do everything in my power to make her mine, no matter what.
I scanned the crowd and my eyes landed on Brock across the way. He was watching her intently, transfixed as he ignored his executive fake cowboys that had been surrounding him since yesterday. I didn’t like the way he looked at her, and a part of me wanted to go over and punch his eyes out to make him look away. But what good would that do? Other than a strong sense of personal pleasure, it would do nothing. He’d done all the damage himself. Lily wasn’t interested in being anywhere near him. I had no reason to feel so possessive or jealous.
I shoved it all away as the timer sounded and Lily prodded Charlie forward. Charlie was fast. Real fast. They took the first barrel so tight, Lily’s leg brushed against the barrel as they rounded it. I held my breath as they took the next one, flying around it so quickly they were a blur, Lily’s hat flying off behind her as they headed for the third and final barrel, turning around it fast as lightenin’.
Lily hollered, encouraging Charlie to pick up the pace on the outstretch. The crowd roared as they flew past, headed for the finish line. They were two steps away when Charlie stumbled, and they were going way too fast for him to recover.
And then everything happened in slow motion.
Charlie’s front legs bent and he went down, hurling Lily to the dirt beside him, her head slamming on the ground. I was moving before I even realized I was moving. I saw Jimmy coming from the other side of the arena and we were next to her in seconds. Someone pulled Charlie to his feet and he limped away.
“Lily!” I knelt down next to her, but she was unconscious, her eyes closed, her blonde curls splayed out around her head.
“Out of the way!” someone yelled and then I felt hands pulling me back. I tried to shrug them off, but once I realized it was the medics, I stopped fighting and stood watching, my heart in my throat, my worst nightmare coming to life in front of me.
Within seconds, they were loading her onto a stretcher.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
LILY
All I heard was the roar of the crowd as Charlie and I flew past them on the end stretch. We were so close, going so fast, and then it was all over. I felt the wind in my hair and then everything went black. Chaos whipped around me, the darkness engulfed me until all I could hear was Lee’s voice, but it faded away to nothing and I was all alone.
I blinked, my eyes burning from the bright lights. Whimpering, I tried again, as pain shot through my throbbing skull. My hands flew up to shield my eyes and I winced in agony.
“Shhh, baby, don’t move, don’t move…” Lee’s deep baritone was comforting, his hands warm as they slid against my skin. But there was only one thing on my mind.
“Charlie…” I whispered, my voice cracking.
“Charlie’s fine, love. It was just a stumble. You got the worst of it. You hit your head, but you’re going to be alright.”
“Lily, darlin’, can you open your eyes?” Daddy’s voice was loud and booming beside me. I nodded and opened my eyes again, trying to muster a smile for him. He looked so worried.
“Hi, Daddy,” I whispered.
“Oh, honey! We were so worried about you,” he said, his forehead furrowed.
I tried to swallow, but ended up coughing.
“Water, I’ll get water! And a nurse!” Daddy raced out of the room, leaving me alone with Lee. Slowly, I turned my head and met his warm gaze.
“Hey,” he said, peering into my eyes with a smile.
“Hey,” I replied, half-grinning. “Did I win?”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“Sorry, ma’am, but you did not,” he whispered. “Maybe next time…”
I nodded slowly and squeezed his hand.
“I’m glad you’ve woken up,” he said, his voice so soft, so comforting, that I wanted to climb right into his lap and fall back asleep.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I said.
“What else would I have done, Lily? You’ve become very special to me,” his eyes were serious, determined, so sure, so confident and good. He was the kind of man I’d always dreamed about. And he was right here by my side when I needed him the most.
He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. Feather soft and instantly comforting, I sighed as he pulled away.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling up at him. I was just about to ask him for a real kiss when Daddy and a rotund, smiling nurse walked in. He poured me a glass of water and I drank it quickly and asked for more.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” the woman said. “You’ve got quite the fan club here.”
I smiled up at her as she took my temperature and shined a light in my eyes, and then looked back over at Lee. He looked like a God in a Stetson as he towered over the foot of my bed looking down at me. He winked and tipped his hat, and my heart melted. I’d never been more grateful to see anyone in my life.
“You’re Mama went down to the cafeteria. She should be right up. I’m going to step out into the hallway to call her and let her know you’ve woken up. She’ll be so happy.” Daddy squeezed my hand and then walked out of the room.
“Well, your vitals look good. I’ll tell Dr. Taylor you’re awake, and he’ll be in to talk to you shortly,” the nurse said.
“Will I have to stay here long?” I asked.
“He’ll probably want to keep you overnight. If all goes well, you should be able to go home tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I said, gratefully.
“Of course. He’ll be in shortly.” She walked out, leaving me alone with Lee again. He walked back over to the side of the bed and leaned down again, planting a soft kiss on my lips.
“I must look awful,” I mumbled.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Lily,” he replied, kissing me again. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
“I’m okay,” I replied. “I’m tougher than I look.”
“I know that,” he said, “but let’s try not to test it again anytime soon, okay?”
“Deal,” I said.
“In the meantime, you should save your strength. Get some sleep.”
“Will you come back tomorrow?” I asked.
“Come back? Are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere.”
“You can’t stay here all night, the nurses won’t let you.”
“Not to toot my own horn, Lily, but I’ve charmed these nurses so hard that they’ve already offered to wheel in an extra bed for me. There’s some advantages to the ol’ Lee Haggard charm,” he winked.
I laughed and shook my head.
“Of course you did,” I said, smiling over at him. This man could charm the dew right off a honeysuckle. For the moment, I was really happy about that.
The last thing I wanted was for Lee to leave my side. I drifted back to sleep with his hand over mine, my heart full of blooming love as I dreamt of what our future might look like.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
LEE
I’d never been so happy to see someone open their eyes in my life. I was overcome with relief once I knew Lily was going to be okay. Once she’d fallen back asleep, I left her alone and walked out into the hallway.
I was surprised to see ever
yone waiting for me. Crit, Ruby, Seth, Beau, and George all sat in the waiting room and jumped up as soon as they saw me coming their way.
“She’s okay. She’s going to be fine,” I said. “You guys didn’t have to wait around. I could have called you.”
Beau hugged me and then patted me on the back.
“I’m glad she’s going to be okay. We weren’t about to just leave you here alone. That’s what family does. Obviously, she means a lot to you.”
“She does,” I said, ignoring the family comment. I looked over at Crit and he smiled at me.
“We brought you some dinner. Burgers, fries…” he said, holding up a paper bag.
“Thanks, man,” I said, taking the bag from him and sitting down to eat. “I’m starved, now that you mention it.”
“Thought you might be. You’ve been here for hours…” Georgia smiled down at me.
“Thanks, George,” I looked up at her gratefully. I was so thankful she’d forgiven me for being such an asshole to her. If there was anything in my life I regretted, that night was it.
They sat down around me, and I looked around at them. My family. No matter their last name, I was grateful to have them here.
“Y’all can go on home now, Lily’s going to be just fine. The docs are going to have her spend the night, and she’ll probably be released tomorrow.”
“What about you?” Ruby asked.
“Me? I’m staying here. Already charmed the nurses into letting me stay,” I said between bites.
“Once a player, always a player,” Seth said, as everyone laughed.
“Actually, that might not be the case,” I replied, winking at him. “This one’s a keeper.”
“Oh, yeah?” Ruby drawled. “Is it possible that the elusive Lee Haggard has finally found someone to pin him down?”
“It just might be, Miss Ruby, it just might be,” I nodded.
Everyone laughed but the laughter faded away quickly as Vivian and Brock rounded the corner. I put down the food and stood up.
THE HOPE BROTHERS: The Bad Boys of Sugar Hill Page 38
