Dixie Lynn Dwyer (18 page)
“I hope all those cuts and bruises heal without scarring. She doesn’t deserve to have eternal memories of this night.” Vic clenched his fists at his sides. Tommy was certain his brother was talking about their own scars from the war.
“We both know the worst scars are in our heads. We’ll help her forget and move on,” Tommy whispered as Elise began to moan again.
“Just like she helps me,” Vic whispered as he approached the bed, too. They both caressed her cheeks until her eyes popped open.
She gasped in fear.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. You’re in the hospital,” Tommy stated as he watched the tears roll down her cheeks.
Vic caressed them away. “Don’t cry, sweetness. We’ve got you. You done real good, too.”
She cried harder as they tried to console her.
“Please, baby, you need to calm down. Everything is going to be okay. Tagart is dead. Cobbs has been arrested. Mason, Steven, Chad, and Michael took care of everything. Your bravery saved a lot of innocent people. Their bull-riding event was busted by the feds big-time,” Tommy explained.
“Yeah, and there were so many people connected to it and families that had been torn apart because their loved ones were forced to participate that numerous arrests occurred. It opened up a full investigation by the government. It’s all over the newspapers and on television across the United States.”
“I thought…I thought I’d never see you again,” she stated in a dry, raspy voice before coughing.
“Shh, you’re okay and we’re right here with you,” Tommy whispered as he poured some water into a cup and placed a straw in it. Vic tried to help her sit up and she cringed in pain.
“It hurts.” She clenched her eyes tight.
“Well, fighting off an animal like Tagart has a price. But we’re so proud of you, baby. We love you and we’re going to help you get through this,” Vic told her.
She took a sip of water.
“I love you both, too. I didn’t want to leave you. I fought him off because of you both. I wanted to see you again and be with you.” She started crying some more as Tommy eased her back down so she was lying back on the pillow.
“Rest, baby. We’re here and we’re not leaving.” Vic leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Tommy held her hand, brought it up to his lips, and kissed it.
“Close your eyes and rest. You have a lot of visitors waiting to see you.”
She closed her eyes and looked a bit more peaceful. Tommy looked at Vic.
“It will be all right. The three of us, together forever.”
“Together forever. I like that,” Vic said then looked at Elise and smiled.
Elise insisted that she wanted to attend the final round of the championship bull-riding event at Dixie Chix. It had only been two weeks since the incident of Tagart trying to kill her. She was still bandaged up and her bruises looked terrible, but she didn’t care. She wanted to be there for Keith and Corey.
Sally and Ava were sitting next to her as the bull-riding event continued. It appeared that Keith would be the big winner with Corey coming in second place. Either way, they would both be winners. When people found out about what had happened to them and how their lives were threatened, donations started pouring in. Over a dozen television and radio stations had interviewed Elise. She talked about her story and how she lost her boyfriend to the violence behind illegal bull-riding events. Her tragedy went viral across the Internet and more stories of hardship and criminal activities were reported. Dudley Farms offered to help any cowboys affected by the Tennessee event, and Elise and Ava volunteered to provide room and board since all the women in their house except for Ava were practically living with their men anyway.
Vic and Tommy offered to help, too, and expand on their own land and build a training facility for bull riders. Elise suggested using the donations they received, as well as corporate sponsors, to build living quarters for the riders and their families so that even when the riders were away at rodeos, their loved ones would be cared for and never alone.
Of course the women wanted to be part of it, too, and the bull-riding training facility would be an extension of Dixie Chix.
“So, I see that Vic and Tommy are finally giving you a little bit of space here,” Sally teased as Elise and Ava looked over a few feet away where Tommy and Vic were talking to Mason and Steven.
“They are, but to be honest, I love them being around me. I feel safer somehow.” She lowered her eyes and felt the emotion and commitment she had to her men.
“That’s great. They love you so much,” Ava said and Elise looked up and smiled.
Sally had her hand over her belly. The cute baby-doll-type dress was sexy and Elise noticed the small bump.
“Are you showing already?” Elise asked as she reached over to touch Sally’s belly and Sally beamed with joy and excitement as she nodded her head.
“Oh God, that is awesome,” Ava said and Elise looked at her. She hoped that Ava wasn’t sad at remembering her loss. As if reading Elise’s thoughts she squeezed her hand and smiled.
“I may need your help to go shopping in a few weeks,” Elise whispered as she held Sally’s gaze, and Sally squinted her eyes.
“Shopping?” she asked.
Elise covered her belly with her hand. “Shopping,” she repeated and Sally smiled wide. Ava squealed low as she hugged Sally’s arm.
“Really?” Ava asked. Elise looked toward Vic and Tommy.
“I haven’t told Vic and Tommy yet. Things have been moving slowly in the bedroom, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh yeah, I know. They worry they might hurt you or bother your injuries,” Sally stated.
“Yes and I plan on telling them about the baby tonight. I just found out this morning when I went to the doctor’s office to check the stitches. I asked him to run a test and he did. I just had a feeling.”
“Oh God, this is so exciting. Our family is growing,” Sally whispered. They smiled and hugged as the next rider started the match.
Elise watched her men and a feeling of contentedness consumed her. Tommy and Vic had been taking care of her since she arrived home from the hospital. They had made love last night slowly and were so incredibly gentle. She was awed by their compassion and care. She was going to have their baby. The tears stung her eyes and she hugged herself.
“Hey, are you okay? Shit, I told you this was going to be too much. We should leave, honey, right now,” Vic told Elise. Ava and Sally smiled before they stepped down from the stools, allowing Vic and Tommy to sit there.
“No, I’m fine. As a matter of fact, I’m great.” She smiled up at Vic as Tommy sat next to her and placed his hand on her thigh. Vic was standing in front of her with his hand on her shoulder.
“Then why the tears?” Vic asked.
“They’re happy tears, silly.”
They both looked at her as if she were a complete nut job.
“Well, you’d be emotional and hormonal, too, if you were pregnant,” she replied, and both of them appeared shocked. She got them good. Now who was looking nutty?
“Seriously, baby?” Vic asked.
“Really, you’re pregnant?” Tommy asked and she nodded her head.
They both cheered, causing a commotion around them.
“She’s having our baby,” Tommy told everyone and more cheers and congratulations erupted around them.
Vic kissed her then placed the palm of his hand gently over her belly. Tommy kissed her next, and she took his hand and placed it next to Vic’s. She smiled wide, knowing that she was in love with her two deputies, and life was only going to get better from here on out. Getting on that bus, escaping from Tennessee, and becoming a Dixie Chix had been the best thing to ever happen to her besides her double deputies.
“A round on Tommy and me. Our baby’s having a baby!” Vic announced and everyone around them cheered including her friends, who yelled out “Dixie Chix!”
THE END
People seem to be more interested in my name than where I get my ideas for my stories from. So I might as well share the story behind my name with all my readers.
My momma was born and raised in New Orleans. At the age of twenty, she met and fell in love with an Irishman named Patrick Riley Dwyer. Needless to say, the family was a bit taken aback by this as they hoped she would marry a family friend. It was a modern-day arranged marriage kind of thing, and my momma downright refused.
Being that my momma’s families were descendents of the original English-speaking Southerners, they wanted the family bloodline to stay pure. They were wealthy and my father’s family was poor.
Despite attempts by my grandpapa to make Patrick leave and destroy the love between them, my parents married. They recently celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary.
I am one of six children born to Patrick and Lynn Dwyer. I am a combination of both Irish and a true Southern belle. With a name like Dixie Lynn Dwyer it’s no wonder why people are curious about my name.
Just as my parents had a love story of their own, I grew up intrigued by the lifestyles of others. My imagination as well as my need to stray from the straight and narrow made me into the woman I am today.
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