Christmas At Love House: Bittersweet Interlude (Bull Rider #3)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  “It looks different in the daylight, but yeah, I-I’m sure.”

  Foley sat forward. “Here, go left. I see it through the trees. Over yonder. The guy’s truck is in the driveway.”

  “I’m so glad you two are here. I’m so mad I can’t’ see straight.” Velia pressed her palms against her chest. She glanced back at Foley, anxiety showing on his face.

  Jase tore down the snow covered road, and when they got there, he jumped out, peered into the window a second before he rammed through the door. Foley and Velia were not far behind him, but Foley took her arm to hold her back. Caulder was sprawled out on the floor and the stranger had almost wriggled his way to where he lay—hands and feet still tied.

  “Get back, you sonofabitch,” said Jase, holding the rifle to his head. “I knew something wasn’t right with you that night. I won’t hesitate putting a bullet in your head.”

  “Caulder!” She broke free to rush to his side and lifted his head to her lap. His eyes fluttered, but when they opened, an unfocused gaze met hers. She lifted her hand from under him. “His head’s bleeding in different areas, Jase.”

  Foley knelt, ripped off his jacket and his shirt, and held his shirt against Caulder’s head. “You’ll have to wear a damn helmet twenty-four hours a day if you do this outside of the arena. Damn, Caulder. Another concussion?”

  He mumbled. “Maybe.”

  This terrified Velia. Doc had said if he had one more concussion, it could kill him or end his career. No, he wasn’t ready to call it quits yet. “Caulder, honey. Stay with me.” Velia used the dangling sleeve of the shirt Foley removed, to wipe the blood off Caulder’s face. She turned to Foley. “We have to call the police.” She glanced at the man who called himself Abe Smith, and he remained still. Jase held the rifle pointed at him.

  “Velia, I’m all right. The…the asshole has a Sat phone on the…t-table. No signal, otherwise. I’m buying us one of those things.” Caulder peered at her as he attempted to sit up, wincing in pain with each breath. “I’ll be all…right.” When to the sitting position, he doubled over and hugged his abdomen.

  “Honey.” Velia dabbed at more blood on his face then glared at the man on the floor again, also bleeding from the head. “What’s this about? What happened?”

  “Exactly what it looks like. He wanted money. A lot of…it. He didn’t just…happen to be there that night. He’s wrapped up with Kyle Costello. Remember him from a few years back?” Caulder glanced at his cousin. “Better tie that idiot up better’n that. He might be military.”

  “Yeah, well, my brother’s an Army Ranger and taught me a few things,” said Jase, glaring at the man on the floor. “In fact, he taught me many ways to kill a man. Been a while since I’ve been into it, so you wanna go at it, buddy? Wanna see what I’ve learned?”

  “Shut the fuck up.” That’s all Abe said before Jase decked him with an uppercut to the jaw, snapping his head straight up, knocking him out.

  Velia shook her head. Anger made her want to tear at the man herself. A whole ball of emotions simmered inside of her—scared, concerned, flustered. Angry. Is this the way their life would always be? Somebody wanting something from them? If not for looking like a deranged fool, she’d let out a scream, but she wanted to yell, even shoot the man for hurting her husband. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “Velia, I have to get up.” He pressed his arm against his ribs. “Aw, man, that hurts.”

  Velia held her palm against his chest and didn’t budge. “Stay here until the EMTs come. I’m so sick of this. Does one of us always have to go away in a damn rescue truck? This is enough. Enough!”

  Foley gave him a boost up and Caulder took her hand when he stood. Still wobbly, he took her outside.

  “You need to be still. Do you want your career to be over? Dammit, Caulder.” Velia stomped in the snow. “Dammit!”

  “Why you mad at me? I didn’t do anything.” He leaned forward at the waist to take the pressure off his ribs, yet, couldn’t prevent from coughing.

  Sniffling now, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. “I’m not angry at you. I’m mad because bad things keep happening. He could’ve killed you.”

  “Come here, woman.” Taking her into his arms, he held her tight. “This will pass like everything else.”

  “How can you be so positive? It could’ve been me and Kase!” She leaned back. After a short pause, because she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the truth, she asked, “Would he have held me and Kase for ransom last night?”

  “Babe, we have to go home. Jase and Foley can take care of this. Let’s get you away from here. It’s hard to breathe. Ribs are…probably cracked.”

  “We need to stay.” Velia held his face and peered into his eyes. “Are we ever going to not have to worry?”

  “Yes. We’re safe.” Caulder looked up when the police pulled in. “I’ll wire the whole damn property if it’ll make you feel better. We’re safe in our home, Velia. Rest assured in that. I told you bad things wouldn’t happen in that house…your love house.

  “Dear God, Caulder. It almost did. Kase and I almost died. Now this with you.”

  Caulder brought her against him again. “Nobody has to remind me of that.”

  ***

  The police took Abe Collins, not Smith, into custody and wrote down Caulder’s statement. EMTs checked out Caulder, but he cowboy’d up and refused to go to the hospital. His head could use some stitches, but he fussed with Velia about seeing his own doctor. Maybe it could stay off his record, was his excuse. Foley drove Caulder’s car back, and he and Velia rode home with his cousin.

  Jase peered around Velia to Caulder. “You know, back home in Arizona, our sheriff told my brother Dane that a black cloud follows us Carlson boys around, but somehow the sun always shines. It will for you, too.”

  “Well, I can’t wait for sunshine!” Velia boomed out, “It’s not been easy for us.” Her emotional strength wavered, but she refused to give in, knowing she needed to be strong for him—for their family.

  Caulder slipped his arm around Velia’s shoulder but removed it to adjust his position. “He knows about everything, honey.”

  “It’s true, Velia. We’ve all had our share of shit.” Jase glanced at her. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s all right. I have a string of four-letter words, both in English and Italian, which I can’t wait to scream out at something. I need to get it under control before my parents arrive this evening.” Velia rested her hand on Caulder’s thigh and glanced at his head. He’d need blood washed off before their son saw him.

  “I hope that asshole dies in jail like Blake Pemberton did. Save everybody the hassle and expense. Kyle Costello’s finally going to get his, too.”

  Wait until her father got a hold of this. Someone might die in jail...again. “You’re not a vindictive person, honey.”

  “It all depends. Certain things can change…change a man. I don’t want to talk about this right now.” Caulder leaned forward during a couple short breaths.

  Blood appeared in his hand when he covered his mouth, which he tried to hide, but she glimpsed it.

  He pressed his hand against his ribcage. “Come summer, we’ll take a trip to your place, Jase. Check out the Double Dutch Ranch again.”

  He nodded in agreement while pulling up the road toward the house. “Can’t wait for you to visit for more than twenty minutes on a pass through town.”

  Velia lifted her head to look out the window when they arrived home. “Oh, Mom and Dad are here early. They must’ve just arrived. Come on now, they weren’t supposed to be here this soon. I’m not ready.” A mournful sigh slipped out. “How can I tell them about this ordeal?”

  “I’ll take care of it. This blood on my jacket will be the introduction. Might as well tell our parents all together.”

  “I’ll be damn,” said Jase. “My mom’s with them. I didn’t think she’d make it. Now there’s a woman who never ceases to amaze me.”

  “I bet Aunt Judy
has her cussin’ jar, too. Damn, we’ll go broke.” Caulder inhaled short breaths, showing a wince in his eyes as he tried to laugh.

  “Your son can’t see the dried blood on your head and face, Caulder. We’ll have to make sure he’s not around.” Velia held her head between her hands. “Oh, no, I better keep my four-letter words to myself for a while longer.”

  “I’ll take you out to the mountain, darlin’, and let you scream all you want, but for a different reason. Soon as these ribs heal.”

  “Time for me to get out,” Jase said, rolling his shoulders. “You talking like that makes me miss my kids and Brenna, even her younger sister Chloe.”

  Dinner prep hadn’t been done, and she didn’t have anything ready for them to eat except a little leftover breakfast. She hated this so much. Velia held her husband’s arm back. “Give them time to get in at least. And I need a minute. You still have to get stitches. Let me take you there before we go in, because by then you won’t let me.”

  “Hey, leave us your keys so we can go, Jase.” Caulder handed her his phone. “My doctor’s number is in here. This pisses me off in more ways than I can count.”

  While on hold, Velia held her finger up for him to calm down. She had explained to the doctor’s nurse the circumstances and the doctor wanted him to go to the hospital.

  “Mother fu… I don’t need to go to the hospital.” Caulder pounded the dashboard with his right fist. “Why now?”

  Jase got out, so Velia scooted over and wrapped her fingers around the top of the steering wheel. She lowered her head. “We have no choice. You need to be fixed up so you don’t get an infection or a punctured lung from a busted rib.” She glimpsed him out of the corner of her eye. “The new season starts in a matter of weeks, Caulder.”

  “You don’t have to tell me that! Let’s go.”

  Before Velia got the car turned around, Natale and Foley came outside and up to the door. “Here’s keys to your car, Caulder.”

  “Thanks, Foley. I have to go to the damn hospital to get my head stitched up. Guess I can’t avoid it,” he said, glancing at Velia.” He nodded toward the house. “How’s it going in there? Is my son doing okay?”

  “Kase is fine. Alba’s playing with him to keep him busy,” Natale rattled off. “Aunt Lidia and Uncle Ric are getting situated. Your parents, too, Caulder. I put on more coffee.”

  “I’ll call my dad,” Caulder said to both Natale and Foley. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

  “Why don’t you let us go with you? Natale can drive,” Foley replied in return. “We’ll sit with Velia in the ER.”

  Velia hooked her seatbelt. “I’ll drive. Sounds like a plan to me, but I’ve experienced too much with this man to wait in an ER waiting room while he’s being attended to. I dare them not to let me in the room with him.”

  Foley slid in the back and rested his hand on the front seat. “Someone should’ve blown that guy’s head off back there.”

  Caulder leaned forward to suck in a slow breath. “I came close earlier.”

  Velia lifted her left hand to her head. “Is it Christmas yet? I need it to be Christmas. Please, just joy and peace from now on.”

  “It’s coming up soon, darlin’. Better call your dad when we get there. We should have a conference call to let everyone know at once.”

  “Stop making light of this situation.” This wasn’t the time to joke about anything, although it would save them both a lot of agony to have a conference call from the hospital instead of waiting.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “It’s a good idea, though. We’ll call my dad and put it on speaker phone, so everyone can hear it. Let’s make sure they are away from Kase first. Natale, will you call Alba so she can take Kase out of the room when it’s time? It might turn into a long day for all of us.” It already seemed like an eternity had passed by in an hours’ time.

  Chapter Nine

  Three hours later, the four of them left the hospital. He had been through the same thing before—x-rays and a CT scan. Check. Also, sutures in the back of his head, butterfly stitches in the front of his head, and ice for a knot on the side, along with pain killers for his abdominal and back pain. Sleep sitting up? Suck on a damn breathing instrument to keep his lungs clear? Six weeks plus for his fractures to heal? This sucked. He’d be on a bull before that.

  His body sure hurt like hell everywhere—like he’d been stomped on by a bull, but instead it was a damn pair of boots. Velia about flipped out when she had seen the bruises on his torso. Hell, he almost did.

  Collins had caught him off guard. Came up behind him on the porch and hit him in the head with a blunt object. Surely, it wasn’t what he had expected when he pulled up at the old cabin, albeit, he should’ve listened to his instincts. He had hit the floor before he even knew what happened. The asshole dragged him inside. Still, he’d rather it was him than to have the guy hurt Velia last night. She had still felt a little beat up herself.

  Natale glanced at Caulder as she drove home. “We’ll all help out. Caulder, your parent’s are so nice. If only zio Ric is that nice when he drags me and Foley into the family room.”

  “He will be,” said Velia half-heartedly. “Agree with him no matter what he says.”

  Caulder clasped her hand in the backseat. Her downtrodden voice echoed in his ears. Would she move on from this? She’d been so strong in the past—the abuse from Justin, the fear at the hands of a maniac in Tucson, almost losing her father—she had come through it all, but would she be able to again? Their son had been involved in this, and of anything else on this earth, no one messed with her child. Not that he’d let this go by lightly, either.

  It tore at his heart that this happened. He meant it when he said he’d wire the property especially around the vicinity of the house, and have it equipped with enough power to zap-to-death whoever tried to get past it. Anger spoke for him now. Wiring the property wasn’t logical thinking. He squeezed her hand, wanting to see a smile, but she didn’t have one. His pain medication eased the ache when he breathed.

  Her dad came out on the porch when they pulled up. He first hugged Natale, shook Foley’s hand, and even hugged Caulder. He waited until Foley and Natale went inside before taking Velia into his arms. “You all right, angelo?”

  “I will be, papa. Like always. How come you all came early?”

  “No delays,” said Ric. “Aiden and Dolly finished shopping early, so we headed right here when we got up. Sorry about keeping the secret about Caulder’s Aunt Judy, but we were sworn to secrecy. Shocked, I must say to hear what happened here.” He leaned over to take a peek at Caulder’s head. “It’s time you hire someone to watch over your family.” He held the door open and followed them inside. “Roy will be available.”

  Ric hadn’t put that last statement into a question. Caulder was the boss of this family and even Ric Armano wasn’t going to tell him how to run it. He loved Velia and his son as much, or more. No one had to tell him he needed to keep them safe. For now, he nodded and took Velia’s hand to go upstairs, but his mom came rushing in before they made it to the stairway.

  She first hugged Velia, then wrapped her arms around Caulder. “Honey, I can’t believe something like this happened here.” Dolly McCutchen hugged Velia again. “Oh, you dear girl. Thank God you and my grandson are all right. That was just awful. Awful. I’m sorry we left you all yesterday morning after your first ordeal.” Dolly released her and removed a tissue from her pocket. “I’m sorry, but it upsets me so.”

  Velia nodded. “I know, Dolly. You already had plans in Pittsburgh, so it wasn’t a problem. Where’s my mom?”

  “She’s making tea. We all need a shot of Brandy in it after hearing all about this.” She gave Caulder’s arm a squeeze. “Maybe your Aunt Judy can take care of that part.”

  Caulder peered into the family room from the great room. “Isn’t brandy tea a family secret, Mom?”

  “I’m teasing. You all go rest now. We’ll have lunch and dinner under cont
rol. It’s so great to see everyone here. It seems like forever since I’ve seen my nephew, Jase. Dolly continued to sop up tears.

  Caulder eased his hand to the small of Velia’s back. “Come upstairs and rest a while.” He peered around for his son who played in the family room with Torre and Alba.

  “Let me run out to see my mom. I’ll be right there.” Velia held his arm and seemed to have a hard time letting go.

  Lidia beat her too it and entered the room. With outstretched arms, her mom said, “There you are. Velia. Caulder.” She hugged them both at the same time. “Thank the good Lord, you’re all fine.” She backed away and ran her hands over Velia’s hair as if she were a child needing comfort. Her gaze ran over the front of her. “Thank you, Dio.” She lifted her eyes upward.

  Velia hugged her mom again. “We’re going up to rest a bit, mamma. We’ll chat later. Ti amo. Give Pops another hug for me, and thank you all so much for helping. I’m sorry you have to fix dinner in my home.”

  “I knew there was a reason we came early. You go, figlia mia, everything here is good.” Lidia hugged Caulder again before going back into the kitchen.

  “Kase, come here to Dad a minute.” Kase came running. Caulder took his hand and Velia’s in the other, and they went up to their bedroom together. He indicated for Kase to get on the bed. Over at the window, he peered out at the creek. Shuddered. The mountains and pines beyond it were covered in fresh snow. Gulping, he almost lost it. It’d take a while before he could look out there and enjoy the view again.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yeah, little guy?” Caulder turned from the window but glanced at Velia as she made her way to the bathroom in a rush.

  “Can I go back down to play?”

  “In a minute.” Caulder propped pillows, then sat on the bed beside his son. “How you doing today? All warmed up inside now?” He wanted to see if that night had a lasting effect on him. “Come lie beside me until Mom comes out. Be careful of leaning on my chest for now.” It wouldn’t take long for Kase to fall asleep since he got up so early this morning. Caulder lay his head back and closed his eyes. If he pretended, maybe Kase would follow suit. In reality, all he wanted to do was hold him.