A Cowboy's Heart (Hitting Rocks Cowboys) (13 page)

“Bless you.” His voice cracked. “You two have made this old man proud. My cup has run over.”

“So has mine. Here’s Connor.”

After passing him the phone, she disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up and give them some privacy before things settled down and she could rest. Hopefully more painkillers would kick in and Connor would finally sleep.

For someone who’d sustained a serious injury, he was babbling like a brook. It had to be the medication. He was hilarious, and she loved him so terribly she didn’t know what to do with all her unlocked feelings running rampant.

After she’d stayed in there as long as she dared, she went back in the room, hoping he’d fallen asleep because he needed it badly. No such luck. The nurse had just finished putting something in his IV and was recording his vital signs.

“I thought you’d never come out of there.” He sounded grumpy.

She couldn’t prevent the chuckle that escaped. “I bet it felt good to talk to your grandfather.”

“He’s a fusser, but I told him I didn’t want Jarod or Avery to come because I had you to look after me. You’re a doctor, and you understand me, and you like me and my horse a lot. And you give us treats and entertain me better than anyone in the world.”

The nurse flashed Liz a grin. “That’s high praise.” She mouthed the words before she left the room.

“Your praise is going to go to my head,” Liz said, trying not to burst into laughter.

“They’ll all fly here on the last day with your parents to watch you crowned.”

“I didn’t know they were giving those out. I thought it was a buckle.”

“No...no.” His voice was slowing down fast. “You should have been...nominated for the queen of the...rodeo.”

“Queen?” He must have meant Miss Rodeo. There actually was such a person being feted in Las Vegas, but Liz couldn’t understand where that thought had come from.

“You...don’t...know how...beautiful...you...a...”

Even if he was delirious, she felt the impact of those words in every atom of her body. Was it the drugs talking, or were his feelings as strong as hers? She wanted to trust them, but Reva was still in the picture.

Realizing the medicine had taken effect, she pulled her boots back on and slipped outside to the nursing station. She asked that, when it came time to prep Connor for surgery, they would wake her up if she wasn’t already awake.

With that request taken care of, she slipped down to the lounge to buy some chips and a cola out of the machines. Before she returned to the room, she called her parents to tell them what was going on.

The minute she heard their voices, they all shed a few tears of happiness over her results so far, but once Connor’s name was mentioned it was her father who said, “His disappointment has to be gut-wrenching.”

Liz’s heart was devastated for him. “Right now he’s too doped up to feel much of anything. But in the days to come he’s going to feel it.”

“I’m glad my Lizzie girl is there for him.”

Dad...
“He’s been so good to me, it’s my chance to pay him back. I told Ralph I’d watch over him.”

“I know. We’ve already talked to him and he was so grateful he could hardly get the words out.”

“Ralph’s a sweetheart.”

“Honey?” her mom chimed in. “You need to get your rest. You’ve got three more big nights coming up.”

“I know. Don’t worry. Wade and his girlfriend are here for Connor, too. We’ll take turns. I’d better go now, but I promise to call you tomorrow after his surgery. Love you both.”

Once they’d hung up she texted Derrick to apologize for being abrupt over the phone. She wished him and his brother luck and told him she’d call him soon to talk.

A phone message had come in while she’d been with Connor. Kyle had heard the news and asked her to phone him back. But she couldn’t handle an actual conversation with him right now, so she texted him with a brief report and promised to call him sometime tomorrow. Liz hurried back to Connor’s room and walked over to the bed. He was out like a light. Her heart ached because the great champion had come to the end of a long journey. But a new one would be beginning.

Please, God, help him to find himself.

The hospital cot didn’t do the job, but it didn’t matter. She was exactly where she wanted to be, because she’d discovered that the cover of the book she’d always found the most compelling couldn’t begin to compare to the substance of the man inside.

Chapter Nine

“Mr. Bannock?”

He opened his eyes. The lids felt heavy. “Are you ready for me?”

“You’re back in your room. The surgery is over and you’re doing fine. Your doctor will be in later.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Well, it’s true” came the familiar female voice he longed to hear.

His eyes opened wider. “Liz—you’re here!”

Her beautiful face smiled down at him. He could never get enough of the green sparkle coming from her dark-lashed eyes. “Where else would I be? I made you a promise. Don’t you remember?”

“Everything’s pretty hazy. Did you stay all night?”

“Of course.” He noticed that the room was filled with flowers. “We’ve been joined at the hip for almost two weeks now. I wouldn’t have deserted you.”

He reached out to grasp her hand, needing her touch. “What time is it?”

“Twenty after ten in the morning.”

“You should be out exercising Sunflower.”

“I’ve got all day, but my first priority is you. On a scale of one to—”

“A two, Doctor. No more.”

“That’s good.”

“They must have doped me up big-time.”

“I spoke to the surgeon. Dr. Mason made a small incision so, in time, you probably won’t see the scar. He said it was a textbook case, and you’re going to be a hundred percent
if
you follow the rehab instructions to the letter.

“For your information, he’s a fan of yours. In case you’ve reconsidered your retirement from the rodeo, he said that you’re still young enough and in such good shape that in twelve weeks you could get back in training in order to win your sixth gold buckle next winter.”

Connor squeezed her fingers before letting her go. “Afraid not. I meant what I told you. My rodeo days are over.”

“It isn’t me you need to convince. There’s a world of fans out there that can’t bear to think they’ll never again see you fly out of the chute on Firebrand to wow everyone with your genius.”

He scowled. “It’s not genius, just stupidity.”

Her features sobered. “You know what? We’re all born into this world with a purpose and gifts. You have many gifts, and one of them has been to entertain people who can’t imagine doing what you do. For a little while, it wrests them from their mundane existence to watch a champion.

“To me, it’s like listening to a great concert pianist or a world-famous opera singer. How about watching a great skier win the downhill at the world championships? Or thrilling to the winner of a Formula I grand prix? You think those achievements are stupid?” Her hands formed fists. “The venue doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that someone has risen far beyond human expectations to make life exciting for the rest of us.

“At my autograph signing last evening, a twelve-year-old girl in a wheelchair came with her parents to get my signature. She’d been paralyzed in a car accident. Before that, she’d wanted to be a barrel racer. She told me of the pleasure it gives her to watch someone like me perform and thanked me through the tears. I’ve never been so humbled in my life.

“Don’t you realize how exciting your career has been for Ralph, who’s been doing his hardest to help his grandchildren realize their dreams? Because if you don’t, then it’s sad that you’re so blind, Connor Bannock!” Her rebuke rang out in the room.

It reminded him of that first day in the truck, when she’d ripped him up one side and down the other. But this second chastening found its way to his inner core. While he was trying to recover, he heard voices at the door. It opened a little wider to reveal his ex-wife’s silhouette. Wade and Kim stood behind her.

Those startled light blue eyes darted from Liz to him. “Conner? I got here as soon as I could. Am I interrupting something?” She sounded out of breath.

Before Connor could say anything, Liz reached for her purse. “Not at all. I was just leaving to get back to the trailer and take care of the horses. I’ll call you later to see how you’re doing, Connor. If you don’t overdo today, the doctor said you could be released by evening.” He watched her greet the others before her lovely body in her knockout shirt and jeans disappeared out the door.

Evening?
Hallelujah.

* * *

L
IZ
LEFT
THE
hospital at a run. Anything Connor had said to her last night was the effect of the medication.
You’re a lovesick fool, Liz Henson.

Bless Wade for transporting Liz’s horse to the Mack Center early. When she called him later in the day to find out Connor’s condition, Wade told her the doctor said he was coming along nicely, but he shouldn’t overdo it from all the phone calls and visitors. She also learned that Reva had been with him all day.

Connor had given Wade a key to get into the trailer and bring him his toiletries and a change of clothes. That meant he didn’t intend to come back to the trailer. With Connor no longer able to compete and Reva there, he had incentive to leave in order to be alone with her. No doubt they would go to a hotel when he was released.

Naturally Wade wasn’t about to pass on anything that Connor might have confided to him in private. It was enough to know his ex-wife had dropped everything to fly to Las Vegas. After all, she’d never stopped loving him.

Liz decided to keep her horse in the stall at the Mack Center for the duration of finals to cut down on the transporting. But, even with her usual preparations, she knew her timing was off when she raced out of the alley that evening. Lack of concentration was the culprit. Her score of 13.77 gave her a fourth place for the night. Not good. That would bring her average down.

When it was over, she removed the saddle and blanket. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered to Sunflower. “I didn’t get any sleep last night and my mind couldn’t focus. Worse, I did the unforgiveable and got angry with Connor right after he was out of surgery today. I’ve really lost the plot, little lady, but I’ll do better tomorrow.”

She walked over to the other stall and walked Polly around for a little while before heading for the truck to go home. The trailer was like an empty tomb without Connor. After her shower she went straight to bed with the remote and turned on another rerun of
Keeping Up Appearances.

In this one, Daisy had run away from her sister’s house and needed to be found. Normally Liz would be laughing her head off, but not tonight. Dissolving into tears, she turned off the TV and buried her face in the pillow.

She slept late. While she fixed herself some cereal, her first thought was to phone Connor and make sure he was all right. But, if she did that, she’d be interrupting him and Reva.

If Liz could just apologize for what she’d said to him yesterday, maybe then she’d be able to get through two more nights of competition and not fall apart. For years she’d had the ability to compartmentalize her personal and professional lives. Not this time.

Wade’s knock on the trailer door had her rushing to answer it. “I was just about to call you. Have you talked to Connor today? Is he all right?”

His friend eyed her steadily. “When I left his hotel room a little while ago, he looked in pretty good shape.”

No mention of Reva, no mention of which hotel. Liz found it difficult to breathe. “Thank goodness.”

“Yup. He asked me to check up on you.” That made her heart flip-flop. “If you don’t like sleeping in the trailer alone, he hopes you’ll go to a hotel and has asked me to take care of you.”

Pain cut her to the quick. “Both of you have enough on your minds without worrying about me. I got a good sleep last night and intend to hang out here until finals are over. Once my parents fly in with Jarod and Sadie tomorrow, we’ll figure everything out to get the rig and the horses back to Montana.”

“I’ll tell him what you said. Do you want to go to lunch with me and Kim?”

“That’s very nice, but I’m eating breakfast now and plan to stay here until it’s time to drive to the center and take a little ride on Sunflower.” It was nearing the end of the ten-day competition. She didn’t want to wear out her horse.

He nodded. “Connor told me to tell you good luck tonight, but he knows you won’t need it because you light your own fires.”

She’d done that, all right, when her mouth had run away with her yesterday. He might have forgiven her once, but not a second time.

“Thanks for coming by, Wade. Thanks for everything.” She hugged him before shutting the door.

* * *

T
HE
NINTH
NIGHT
of the NFR finals was about to begin. Connor wanted to watch it on the hotel’s big-screen TV uninterrupted. Reva had left the hotel where she’d stayed the previous night and moved to his hotel.

She was curled up on the end of the couch to watch with him. He sat up in an upholstered chair with his arm in a sling, his feet resting on an ottoman. To his relief, simple ibuprofen was doing the job for the pain. He hated taking drugs.

“I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t stay at the Mirage with me.”

He thrust her a glance. “Because we’re not married, Reva.”

“But somehow living in the close quarters of the trailer with Liz Henson is different?”

They’d skirted certain issues last evening after he’d been released. But bringing up Liz’s name now meant she was going for the jugular. “We pooled our resources to come to the finals together. The Hensons are our neighbors and family friends.”

“She’s more to you than that, so don’t deny it!”

“I’m not.”
I’m not.

Those blue eyes glistened with tears. They’d always gotten to him before, but no longer. “Have you slept with her?”

His anger flared. “Have you slept with your producer friend?”

She averted her eyes. “I asked you first.”

“This isn’t a game, Reva. You called me and said you wanted us to get back together. But two years have gone by. Aside from the issues that broke us up before, if you can’t be honest with me about him, where will that get us?”

After a silence, “We’ve stopped seeing each other. Yes, there was a period where I thought I cared about him and we did have an affair, but it’s over.”

The revelation didn’t touch him. “Why?”

“After I stopped seeing him, I found out he’d been keeping a secret from me. Ginger told me he’s the one responsible for getting me moved to the afternoon time slot.”

Connor
knew
it had to be something like that. “In other words, they’re making room for someone else on the six o’clock news.”

“Yes. That’s like death to me.”

“I’m sorry, Reva, very sorry. I know how much you’ve put into your career. With your track record, you have to be aware there are other networks in other cities that would grab you up in a minute.”

She got to her feet. “If I went to work at another network, the same thing would happen because I’m not getting any younger. I’ve thought it over and want to give it up to be a wife and mother.” She eyed him hungrily. “I want to be
your
wife again and have
your
baby.”

“You don’t want to be a wife to a cowboy.”

“But the rodeo’s over for you now.”

He shifted in the chair. “You just don’t get it. Forget the rodeo. Ranching’s my life. Every aspect of it, from the horses to the cattle. During our marriage you made it clear you hated that life.”

“But a baby would—”

“Do nothing to change your feelings,” he broke in. “You have to love that life the way I do. It’s not for everyone, as you found out. I couldn’t live in Los Angeles. It’s not what I do or who I am. I’m going to be starting up a stud farm. The ranch isn’t the place for you and your special talents in front of the camera.” He could hear Liz’s voice. “You have a unique gift not given to everyone and need to use it, Reva. We were young and thought we could make it work. It pains me that we couldn’t.”

“So you’re saying it’s impossible for us?”

They stared at each other. “Isn’t it? Be honest.”

“How about
you
being honest. I asked you once. Now I’m going to ask you again. Have you taken Liz Henson to bed yet?”

He took a deep breath. “No.”

That seemed to shake her. “So she’s not the reason you don’t want to get back together?”

“Stop trying to find a reason when we both know what it is. Our attorney defined it.
Incompatibility
in the truest sense of the word
.
But I’ll give you another reason I couldn’t have given you two years ago, because at that point I was too devastated to think.”

“What is it?” she murmured.

“I’m no longer in love with you.”

Reva backed away from him. “I know.” Her voice shook. “I can tell.”

“If you’ll be honest with yourself, you’ll admit you’re no longer in love with me, either, only the idea of it. That’s what broken dreams are all about. But I’ll treasure the memories of those early days when anything seemed possible. Time can’t take that away from us.”

Angry color filled her cheeks. She reached for her purse and started walking toward the door. Connor got up from the chair and followed her. She turned to him. “There’s a big difference between you and me. I’m afraid I’ll never get over you. Goodbye, Connor.” She kissed his cheek before walking out into the hall.

He watched for a minute and then closed the door. All he felt was a liberating sense of relief that, at last, this period of his life was over. And maybe he felt a little guilt, because his mind was already somewhere else. After going back to his chair, he increased the volume on the remote. The rodeo was halfway over. He’d missed the steer wrestling. Three more events until it was time for the barrel racing.

Connor reached for the coffee he’d been drinking and finished it off while he watched each performance. Team roping was up next. Derrick was the heeler in the Porter brothers’ duo. His aim was off tonight and he only roped one hind leg of the steer, costing them a five-second penalty. That was too bad.

As the time grew closer to Liz’s event, his stomach muscles tightened into knots. They’d never cramped up on him this badly prior to one of his own events. Good old Wade was there, watching over her, and would keep in touch with Connor. While he sat there held in the grip of gut-wrenching nerves, his cell phone rang.