Chapter 25

Dirt flew up behind her horse's hooves. Kaylee rounded the last barrel, brushing it with her inside knee, feeling the hard edge of the barrel through her jeans before Alcott straightened and Kaylee leaned down over the mare's neck, kicking her through the straightaway out of the arena.

She raced past the line that would stop the timer, down the short corridor, before pulling Alcott into a spinning stop, whirling around to look at the clock. She held her breath while she waited for Murphy to announce her time. But before she heard that, she saw Ezra. Watching her, not the scoreboard.

He jumped down from where he had stood at the rails and came to her. He held the reins while Kaylee swung down from the saddle. She felt his free arm come around her, holding her close while she held her breath and looked up at the board.

Numbers flashed on the screen as the announcer's voice came over the speaker, but she couldn't hear it over the shouts that started. She read the number. 16.8 seconds. Her knees started to give out with relief and Ezra's arm was the only thing holding her up.

"Not too bad," Ezra said against her ear, a smile in his voice.

There was only one rider after Kaylee and Kaylee was now in first place for the night. It was enough to guarantee her some money. And put her on track to win the big prize at the end of the week.

Enough to send something back to Nebraska and buy her some more time, even if she didn't win again over the ten day competition.

"Hey, what's this?" Ezra asked. He leaned back to see her face better and Kaylee could feel the tears that the relief threatened to push free.

"Nothing," she shook her head, swiping at her eyes. "Just glad to be done."

Ezra looked like he questioned her explanation, but didn't comment on it.

"Can we go over to the hospital?" she asked. "See how Vin's doing?"

"Of course." Ezra linked his hand with hers while he led Alcott.

Kaylee cooled down Alcott and got her settled while Ezra got fresh water and hay for her mare. By the time they got in Ezra's truck, the rush of the competition had faded and the guilt of letting Vin down, causing his injury, was working its way back in.

Kaylee wasn't aware that she was fidgeting uncomfortably until Ezra covered her hand with his, stilling her restless movements. He looked at her. "I called the hospital. Vin was doing fine earlier. Having some pain, but they were managing that for him quite well, he said."

Kaylee nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She barely noticed the lights and scenery of Las Vegas passing by outside the window, her thoughts with Vin in the hospital and a busted knee.

She hopped down from Ezra's truck at the hospital. When she and Ezra passed through the automatic doors into the ER, she looked around. She hadn't seen much of the ER when she had her injury earlier in the summer, but the sounds and smells were familiar. She remembered Ezra holding her hand while she had her dislocated shoulder moved back in place. Ezra right by her side in the hospital, Ezra carrying her up the steps to his camper.

"What?" Ezra asked, brow furrowing when he noticed her looking up at him.

Impetuously, Kaylee wrapped her arms around him. Startled, Ezra drew her into his arms, one hand smoothing over her hair. "You're sure you're alright?" he asked.

Kaylee nodded, her cheek brushing against his shirt with the movement, the steady sound of his heart in her ear. "Just realizing you've always been here."

"Somewhat," he amended. "But I intend to make sure I'm with you from here on out."

"I hope so," Kaylee murmured against his chest, closing her eyes and wishing for everything in Nebraska to stay there and let her have this with Ezra. To let her be happy. Let her make him happy.

"I promise," Ezra said, some sort of unyielding steel in his vow. His voice vibrate through his chest, making the promise seem more real to Kaylee. "I will be the first to admit I don't have…experience in remaining faithful to commitments I've made. And I certainly have never made a commitment to anyone I care about the way I care about you." He moved his hand from her hair to her chin, tilting it up so she looked at him. The green in his eyes was almost vibrant as he looked at her. "I have no intention of doing anything to let you down. Ever."

"Me too," Kaylee said, promising as much as she could. Knowing she could say more once she didn't have Cletus making threats. After this week, after she won the money she needed, she wouldn't have to keep anything from Ezra ever again. She found his lips with hers, promising as much as she could with a kiss. Putting everything she couldn't tell him, but wanted to, into the kiss. Pressing against him and wanting to be as close as she could for as long as she could.

She felt Ezra's hand move from her face to her back, holding her close.

Breaking away to catch her breath, Ezra drew in a breath of his own before speaking in low tones to her.

"I fully intend to take that several steps farther when we get back to the hotel."

Kaylee's stomach heated. She grinned. "That might be the best promise you made tonight."

"I suggest we find Vin before I lose any and all self-control," Ezra said.

Kaylee didn't argue. Ezra made his way to the desk and the woman who looked like nothing that came in from the streets of Vegas would faze her.

She looked on her computer, and pointed them in the direction of Vin's treatment room.

Nerves mixed with a sick feeling the closer they got to Vin's room. She didn't want to see him hurt. Not Vin, who had always been kind to her, from the day she had showed up on the same rodeo circuit as him, even before she had met Ezra, Chris, Buck, or the others.

Ezra tapped lightly on the sliding glass door.

"Yeah?" Even the sound of Vin's voice made Kaylee start to lose her nerve. She wasn't sure she could see him and face him.

Ezra entered the room, brushing past the privacy curtain that blocked the view of Vin.

Sucking in a breath and steeling herself, Kaylee followed him in. And then she was faced with Vin, leaning back on a gurney, in a hospital gown instead of the boots, jeans, and worn shirts she was used to seeing him in, his face tight with pain, but still trying to force a smile for her benefit.

"I'm so, so sorry," was all Kaylee could manage. Her words came out as barely a whisper.

Vin frowned and shifted himself up higher on the gurney, grimacing at the movement and Kaylee felt her own expression matching his, her hands going to her mouth to hold back the moan that threatened in sympathy to Vin's obvious pain.

"It ain't your fault," Vin said, his own words coming out on a groan with the movement. He looked at Kaylee, over to Ezra in question. Then back to Kaylee. "It ain't," he repeated, more forcefully.

"I tried to back off the steer," Kaylee said. "I tried to give him room, get him to keep from turning in toward you. I tried—"

"Aw, that wasn't anything anyone could have done different," Vin insisted.

Kaylee shook her head, words not coming past the lump in her throat.

Vin held out a hand for her.

Kaylee went to him, gripping his rough hand in hers, willing him to get better.

"I promise, Kaylee, it wasn't you. Woulda happened with anyone. Besides, wasn't just the steer. I landed wrong. You gonna take the blame for me diggin' a heel in wrong?"

Kayle looked down at the ice pack on Vin's knee.

"You ain't," Vin answered his own question. "I ain't gonna lose the best hazer I had because you get shook up by somethin' that weren't your fault."

Kaylee still didn't answer and Vin squeezed her hand, bringing her eyes from his knee up to his eyes.

"You hear me?" he asked gently.

Kaylee hesitated, then nodded.

"Good," Vin said. He leaned back against his pillow, then.

"The three men Vin was supposed to haze for asked me before your event if you would be available to ride with them," Ezra said. "I assume that means they all saw what Vin is telling you. That they saw the steer take that turn apart from anything you did."

"Or they just want you to pick 'em up after a spill like you did for me," Vin said, teasing in the smile he forced past the pain.

"They won't be getting any sort of special treatment from my wife," Ezra said, a warm look for Kaylee.

He pulled one of the molded plastic chairs in the room forward for Kaylee and she sat, still holding Vin's hand, taking the other for himself.

"What did the medical professionals have to say about your knee, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra asked.

Vin sighed. "Torn ACL."

"Oh no," Kaylee whispered.

Vin shook his head. "It'll work out. The season was just about over. I'll get surgery back home, do some physical therapy and be ready to go back on the circuit come spring."

"I hear Dr. Blacker is excellent," Ezra said.

Kaylee looked at him. "You and Vin live near each other?"

Ezra nodded. "We all live fairly close."

"All of you?"

Vin looked confused. "Yeah. Chris, Nathan, Josiah, Buck, JD, Casey. Mary and Orren. Lay claim to the same hometown now."

Kaylee let that sink in. "So…we'll get to see you still this winter?" she asked Vin. She hadn't realized how intensely she had dreaded saying goodbye after this week until she had the chance of getting to stay near the man who had become as close as family.

"Often enough to get sick of me," he assured her. "My house ain't that far from Ez's."

Kaylee turned to Ezra then. "Where do you live?"

There was silence as Ezra and Vin stared at her.

Ezra looked stunned by her question. "You married me without knowing where we'd be going after this?" he asked.

Kaylee shrugged, not fully understanding why they were both gaping at her. "Wherever we were going was going to be better than…where I'm from." Ezra's forehead wrinkled in concern. "And nothing mattered as long as I'm with you," she quickly added on brightly.

"Colorado," Ezra said. "A few hours northeast of Denver."

A tingle of excitement started in Kaylee's stomach. She hadn't really let herself think beyond the rodeo season, even after marrying Ezra. It was just get from one competition to another, get some money to send to Cletus, and don't think beyond that. The promise of a new life with Ezra, in a home of their own, was more than she would have conjured up in her imaginings.

"It will be even better going home at the end of the season with you coming with me," Ezra said.

Kaylee felt her cheeks warmed and gave Ezra a private smile.

"Come on now," Vin said in mock complaint. "JD said you two were awful. I shoulda believed the kid."

Kaylee laughed.

"Are they keeping you here tonight?" Ezra asked, effectively changing the subject.

Vin shook his head. "Naw. They said I can head out as soon as they're back with paperwork and a disc with pictures to show the surgeon in Denver."

"Where will you be staying tonight?" Ezra asked, slight concern on his face.

"My truck," Vin said.

"No."

"Absolutely not." Kaylee and Ezra spoke in unison.

"It's what I'm used to," Vin said. "I like being close to the horses."

"Yes, well, you can tell your equine friends that you need something more comfortable and accommodating than stretching out on your truck seat. I'm sure they'll understand," Ezra said, clearly unimpressed with Vin's reasoning.

"And you need someone to help you out," Kaylee insisted. "I bet Chris will stay with you."

A smile played around Vin's lips and he looked down while Ezra let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"What?" Kaylee asked. "He's Vin's friend. You don't think he'd help?"

Vin winced and Ezra spoke. "It's not so much he wouldn't help…"

"You ever seen Chris Larabee play nursemaid?" Vin asked.

Kaylee shook her head.

"Let's just say his bedside manner is lacking," Ezra said.

"Lacking what?" Kaylee asked.

"Everything," Vin and Ezra said in unison.

Kaylee looked from one to the other. "Oh," she said.

Ezra stood, pulling his phone from the pocket of his jeans. "I'll call Mr. Sanchez and let him know he'll have a bed in a hotel tonight. A room with two queen beds should suffice. Does that sound agreeable?"

"It sounds like a waste. Don't need no help. Or no hotel room," Vin argued.

Ezra lifted his eyebrows and ignored him. "Good. It's settled then." He started dialing as he left the room.

Vin let out a resigned sigh. He turned his head to Kaylee. "You never said how you did tonight."

Kaylee shifted slightly, not sure if she should share her good fortune with Vin after his season had ended ingloriously.

"Come on," he said. "Was it that bad?"

"16.8," Kaylee said.

A slow smile spread across Vin's face. "Only one who could probably beat that time was Meghan McCallister."

"She didn't," Kaylee said, a smile threatening.

Vin clapped his hands together. "Knew you could do it," he said. He shifted again, then winced at the movement it brought to his knee.

Kaylee pursed her lips in concern.

"It's fine," Vin said.

"I can't believe you think you can go sleep in your truck," Kaylee said, concern making her frown.

"Yeah, well, Ezra might be right about needing a real bed."

"You think?" Kaylee asked, standing to adjust the ice pack on Vin's knee.

"Just don't tell him I said so. We'll never hear the end of it."

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