Two of a Kind Page 12

  “Uncle Daddy! Help me!” He could hear Amelia bellowing, sounding pretty pissed.

  “Okay. I’m coming. Can I call you later? From my cell?”

  “Yes. Please.” He wanted to just talk until he fell asleep, like they’d done at home.

  “Good deal. Let me deal with homework and getting hooligans to bed, then I’ll call.”

  “I’ll be waiting.” That would give him time to call for a pizza. He grinned wide. Even life on the road was better with a lover to share it with.

  Chapter Sixteen

  GOD, Trey’s head was going to pop right off. Honestly, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. If he didn’t have a head, he wouldn’t have ears, and he wouldn’t have to listen to the constant noise.

  Cole was complaining about having to balance his new job at Denny’s with school and taxiing his siblings when Trey couldn’t. Braden was pissed about his science project, Amelia was asking to go somewhere, Court was crying, and God knew where the fuck Bella was.

  Probably setting something on fire. He rolled his eyes.

  “Cole, I’m sorry, but I have to meet the farrier in ten minutes to work on Bettie’s foot. I told you that yesterday.”

  “I have to be at work. She can miss one guitar lesson, or she can sit and wait for her teacher outside.”

  “Don’t make me miss, Uncle Daddy! Please! I’ll be good!”

  “It’s snowing. I’m already stressed out enough with you driving yourself….”

  Cole rolled his eyes. “Please. I’m fine.”

  “I can worry if I want to. Can you wait for teacher outside, Ames? You have to bundle up good.” He hated it, but it was the only solution at hand.

  “Uh-huh. You’ll come pick me up, right? You won’t forget me.”

  “Have I ever forgotten you?” Silly girl.

  “No.” Look at that smile. “I’ll wear all my winter stuff.”

  “Be nice to her, huh?” he told Cole, pulling on his gloves. It was cold as a witch’s tit out there.

  “I am. I can’t wait for Uncle Ap to get home.”

  “Yeah.” Him too. “Braden, watch your sister.”

  “Which one?”

  “Boy, don’t start. You’re the one that switched out your feeding duties with Bella. You get to watch Courtney.”

  “She can watch TV.” Braden got all mutinous.

  “Braden Allen!” He was just about done.

  “Amelia! Come on!” Cole hollered.

  “Coming!”

  “Don’t yell at me!”

  He turned on Braden, his temper sizzling up along his spine. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to sound calm, even when he wanted to shake the little shit hard. “Give me your tablet and go to your room. Now.”

  “But—”

  “Now.”

  “Yessir.” Braden thrust the tablet at him, scowling.

  “Amelia, now. Courtney, get your boots and coat. You’re coming with me.”

  “Okay, Uncle Daddy! Can I bring my baby doll?”

  “Sure, honey.”

  She was the fastest of all the kids to get boots and a coat, and she put her baby doll in a fuzzy blanket to bring her along. He got Cole and Amelia gone before taking Court down to the barn.

  “Bella? You out here, girl?”

  There was no answer, and Trey frowned. She wasn’t one to tease and play hide-and-go-seek.

  “Bella?” He opened the barn door. “Baby girl? You here?”

  Courtney went running down the aisle, skipping and calling to the horses. “Hey, Copper, hey, Rhoda. Hey, Marky. Hey….” She stopped short, her baby eyes going wide. “Uncle Daddy! Uncle Daddy, help!”

  He didn’t think, didn’t breathe.

  He ran.

  Trey skidded to a halt, the sight of pink Ropers splayed wide and splashed with blood enough to tear him in half. “Bella? Courtney, get back. Bella, baby, I’m here.”

  He muscled his way into the stall, Bettie stamping and snorting. A hoof pick lay on the straw, blood on the tip.

  Oh, sweet Jesus. He knelt at her side, afraid to touch her but knowing he had to. “Stay with me, Bella. I’m right here.”

  “Trey? You in here?” Gary Esposito came running into the barn, carrying Courtney, who was crying a little hysterically.

  “Gary, man, call 911. Please. Please, call now.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  AP stretched, pondering what he needed to do.

  He’d gotten another check for fourth place on the saddle broncs. Six thousand dollars. Not too shabby. Today was bull riding, and that was the conundrum.

  He’d pulled a bull named Rootin’ Tootin’, and he was a head buster. He’d sent three cowboys to the hospital this season alone. Ap was thinking of turning out, truth be told, and heading home.

  Tugging out his phone, Ap tried to get his head in the game. He texted Trey: Tell me to cowboy up and that it’s only eight seconds.

  He waited a few minutes, then sent another text: Tell me to ride, baby.

  When he got no answer, he checked the day sheet. Four more barrel racers. Ap ducked behind the chutes to dial Trey’s cell phone. Trey always answered, even if he was in the truck.

  It went straight to voicemail. Shit, Trey must be out of battery. Ap called the house. “Come on. Come on, now. I need your voice.”

  “Uncle Ap?” That was Ames. “Oh, are you at the hosp—”

  “Amelia!” Cole grabbed the phone. “Hey. What’s up?”

  “What’s wrong?” Hospital? That had to be what she was saying. Ap started toward the rider area. He was turning out right now.

  “Uh. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I was trying to get Trey. He’s not answering his cell.”

  “I… I’ll tell him as soon as I see him.” Cole was hiding something. Sixteen was a terrible time to start lying.

  Ap grrred a little. “Son, you tell me what’s wrong so I don’t have to come beat it out of you.”

  “Uncle Daddy said not to worry you ’til after you rode.”

  “I’m not riding tonight.” He found Sara, the lady working rider registration, kinda giving her hand signals to give him the sign-in sheet so he could withdraw. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Bella’s at Central. Bettie kicked her in the head. It’s real bad. The ambulance came.” Cole let the panic show. “I got all the others. I fed them. What do I do if he can’t come home?”

  “You’re there alone with the kids?”

  “Gary stayed with everyone and called me at work. I got Amelia and came home. Gary bought a bunch of pizzas and then headed down the hill to see how Bella is.”

  Okay, so the kids were all home but Bella, and they had food for at least a day. It was a nine-hour drive home. “Okay, kiddo, I’m leaving now. All you have to do is get everyone to bed, okay? Hell, if everyone is freaked-out, you can all sleep in the front room on the couches so no one is alone.”

  He wrote “family emergency” as his reason for pulling out of the go-round.

  “I wasn’t supposed to mess up your ride. Uncle Daddy said it was important.”

  “I made enough this week, son. I’m in the top ten, so I’ll have my spot next year.” He checked the box to forfeit his entry fee, and Sara gave him a one-armed hug. “I’ll be there about five tomorrow morning.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you. She’s going to be okay, right?”

  “She’s gonna be fine. This is Bella. She’s my cowgirl.”

  “Okay. I’ll… I’ll be here holding down the fort.” Cole sighed. “Come home, Uncle. We need you.”

  “I’m on my way.” He was too. He grabbed his gear bag and chaps, and he was on his way to his truck. “I love you, and my phone will be plugged in. You call me if you need anything at all.”

  “I will. I promise. Be careful.”

  “I will. Oh, does Bella have a room number?”

  “Intensive care at the pediatric unit. They said PICU?”

  “Okay, kiddo. You hang in there.”

&nbs
p; “Will do. I love you.” Cole hung up the phone, and Ap took a couple slow, cleansing breaths.

  Jesus. Bella was hurt, and Trey hadn’t even—no. He had to focus on getting home. His suitcase was in the truck since he’d already decided this would be his last go-round. He needed to get the hell on the road.

  They needed him at home.

  TREY waited to call until midnight, needing to hear Ap’s voice.

  He sat in the PICU waiting room with his thousandth cup of coffee, his phone plugged into the wall.

  “Hey, baby.” Ap’s voice filled the empty space around him.

  “Ap.” He fought his tears, fought to breathe. “Please. Come home.”

  “Hey. I’m on my way. I just stopped to pee in Williams so I could go on by Flagstaff. How’s our girl?”

  “It’s bad. She’s been in surgery. I need you. She’s in a coma, and… I can’t do this alone. Please.” He wanted it to be him, not her.

  “Shit. Oh, Jesus, Trey.” Ap sounded… worried. Tired.

  “I wanted to wait ’til you rode. I didn’t want you getting hurt.” He didn’t want Ap to be distracted.

  “I turned out, baby. I think I knew something was wrong, and you weren’t answering, and I pulled Rootin’ Tootin’.”

  “That bull’s an evil bastard.” Trey rubbed his forehead. “Cole’s hanging in there. He’s got everyone in bed.”

  “I called the house when you weren’t answering. I know you were in the surgery area, baby. No stress. I kinda talked him down.”

  “Thank you. I’m… I hate this.” He didn’t know what to do. He’d had a kid in the hospital before, sure—but not like this.

  “I’m sorry I’m not there. I have to go to the house first. Is, uh, Gary still with you?”

  “No. He’s the farrier. He was a huge help.”

  “Oh man. Was he coming to work on Bettie?”

  “Yeah. Looks like that’s what Bella was doing, working on Bettie’s hoof. I told her to stay out of the stalls of the hurt ones. You’ve heard me. Over and over.”

  “She wants to be a hero so bad, baby.” Ap chuckled, the sound tired more than amused. “I heard you, but did she?”

  “You know she did. She just didn’t care. She wants to grow up so fast.” And now…. No. No, he was not even thinking that.

  “They all do. Cole is holding it together. He said Braden wanted to sleep with the girls. Your farrier got them pizza.”

  “Yeah, he came by and sat with me during her surgery.” They had to reduce the swelling, they said. Bruises on her brain, they said.

  “I can’t even imagine this, Trey. She’s gonna be okay.”

  “Of course she is.” He’d never forgive himself if she wasn’t. He’d just lost track of her for what? Twenty minutes.

  “I’ll be at the house in four and a half, five hours. I’m making good time.”

  “Good deal. I’ll be here until she wakes up or they make me leave.”

  “I’ll bring you a bag of stuff when I come down, I promise.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Ap. I need you. I need you here.” He was scared, so scared that he couldn’t remember how to breathe.

  “I swear. I’m coming home.” Ap’s voice was all determination.

  “I’m so sorry.” He let his head drop into his hands, sucking in desperate air.

  “No. No, baby. This isn’t your fault. Bella’s just too damn strong for her own good. But that means she’ll fight to heal.” Ap just babbled for long minutes, letting him cry. His man-of-few-words cowboy had a lot of them when it came to this.

  Finally the storm blew over, leaving him empty and shaking but ready to start again, to fight for his oldest girl to get back on the horse, so to speak.

  “Hey. Better, baby?” Ap’s voice held nothing but care, the words soft and gentle.

  “Yeah. It’s been a shit day, man.”

  “I bet. I’m so sorry you have to deal with all this. I’m coming.”

  Probably faster than he should, knowing Ap.

  “You just be careful. You sleep if you need to.” He needed Ap safe.

  “I will.” Ap chuckled low. “I slept until ten this morning. I swear, riding makes me lazy.”

  “Ten? Damn.” He chuckled. “I think the critters would break the windows to have me feed and milk.”

  “The goats would explode. Can you catch a nap somewhere?”

  “I’m in the waiting room while she’s in ICU. When she has a room, I’ll be able to sleep in the room with her.”

  “Okay. I’ll pray for that soon. I’m doing a lot of praying.”

  “You and me both, honey.” His phone started buzzing, and he sighed. “I’m going to answer texts. There will be tons of people offering to help and feed us, come morning.”

  God love the New Mexico Small Town Phone Tree.

  “That’s exceptional, baby. Okay, Flagstaff ahead. I love you. I’ll see you this morning.”

  “I love you. Be careful.” He hung up, closing his eyes just for a second. Just a minute. Just to make them stop hurting.

  He could do this, and Bella would be herself again in no time. Ap was coming. He just had to make it there.

  Chapter Eighteen

  AP pulled into the drive at the ranch, and it looked like the kids were having a hell of a party. Cars and trucks were parked all over the dirt area they usually used for loading trailers and firewood. There was even a bicycle or two. Wow.

  He parked at the back and hiked in, because he would have to run down to the hospital to spell Trey soon. First he needed to see his kids.

  It was Amelia who found him first, his sensitive girl sobbing on the front porch. She looked up at him, pretty blue eyes watery and bloodshot. “Uncle Ap! You came back!”

  She launched into his arms.

  Ap hugged her to his chest, his own throat clogging up, his eyes stinging. “Hey, baby girl. I’m right here.”

  “You have to make it better. Everything is wrong. Please. Help me.”

  “I got you now. I’m gonna help as much as I can, okay? You need a Kleenex?”

  “Uh-huh. My head hurts. Bad.”

  “I bet. All that crying. We’ll get you a little Tylenol.” He carried her into the house, knowing she was on the porch because of all the people in the kitchen. He smelled green and red chile, meat cooking, and fresh bread.

  The Girl Scout leader was there, the football coach and half the team, Amelia’s guitar teacher, their neighbors on both sides, and every abuelita in Bernalillo. Wow.

  “Señor Ap!” A sweet old lady was holding a sleeping Courtney, rocking her gently. “My José and Ephraim are feeding and milking. Don’t worry.”

  “Hi, uh, Dolores. Wow, it’s been a while. Thanks so much for coming.” The last time he’d seen her was the funeral. The funerals. They’d done everyone at once, and he’d about fallen over dead himself at the end.

  “Of course. We take care of our own.”

  “Uncle Ap.” Cole stood there, caught between being a boy and a man, but so much closer to a man right now than he had been two weeks ago. “You… you made it.”

  “I did, buddy. Ames, do you know where your Tylenol is?”

  “I’ll help her, sir.” A kid about Cole’s age held out his arms. “Come on, Ames.”

  Amelia went with him, so Ap gave Cole a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you, kiddo. You’re amazing.”

  “I came home as soon as I heard. I picked up Amelia and came home.” Cole shook for a second, then straightened up. “You tell me what you need me to do, Uncle. I’m on it.”

  “Right now, I need you here, sort of riding herd on all these people.” He winked.

  “Yes, sir. I’m on it. Uncle Daddy said we can stay home from school today. The animals are getting taken care of.”

  “They are. Dolores says her guys are doing it. Do we need anything? Food is covered, it looks like. Toilet paper? Paper towels?”

  “We’re dealing with that stuff, Ap.” Coach Mike stood there with a smile. “We brought paper pl
ates, cups, toilet paper, that sort of thing. I’ve spoken to the manager at Denny’s too, explained that one of my players needed some time off, so his job will be safe.”

  “Thank you.” He shook Mike’s hand. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “We’re a team, right?”

  Cole nodded. “We are. Thank God.”

  “You know it.” Mike smiled. “I’ve got to head into work. You have my number, Cole. Use it. Missy and me will be over tonight to spend the night so y’all can be at the hospital, Ap.”

  “Thank you.” He was a little choked up at the goodness of their friends. Hell, he hadn’t earned this friendship, but they were here nonetheless.

  “Anytime.” Mike clapped him on the arm, then headed out.

  “Uncle, can you go talk to Braden? He won’t come out of his bedroom.”

  “Sure, Cole.” He patted Cole’s back on the way by. Braden wasn’t one to hide, so that sounded ominous. He knocked gently. “Braden? It’s Uncle Ap.”

  The door opened a crack. “Hey.”

  “Hey. Can I come in?”

  “Are you going to yell at me?”

  “Why would I yell at you?” Ap didn’t push the door, but man, he wanted to.

  “Because this is all my fault. It was my day to feed, and I didn’t want to.”

  “Oh, kiddo, this is not your fault.” He pushed the door open, steering Braden through the clutter so they could sit on the bed. “She knows better than to try to doctor Bettie on her own. I bet she does it again anyway.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry she’s hurt. Is she going to die because of me?”

  “No. She’s going to be okay.” After years on the rodeo circuit, Ap knew what kind of miraculous recovery could be made with head injuries these days. She would fight hard.

  She was young. She was strong. And he wouldn’t accept anything less.

  He hugged Braden to him. “I love you, okay?”

  Braden leaned on him, sniffling, but Ap didn’t comment on the tears. “Is Uncle Daddy mad at me?”

  “I doubt it, bud. He may talk to you a bit about doing what he asks, but he’s not mad.” Poor kid was shaking.