Roses and Rodeo (Rough and Ready) (13 page)

“I need to go.” She grabbed her iPad along with the pictures, and shoved them all into her purse. She didn’t know if she should thank him or yell at him, so she said nothing. She picked up her mostly full cup of macchiato then strode from the table and threw it in the garbage.

Tears bit at the backs of her eyes as she shoved open the door to the coffee shop and a single tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away with a rough, jerky motion as she walked to her car.

Damn him.
Damn him.

He’d taken her heart and all along he’d been playing her.

She unlocked her car door and jerked it open before climbing behind the wheel and starting the car. She wondered if she should even be driving as angry as she was.

The tires squealed as she spun the car into traffic and headed to work when she’d rather hunt down Creed and let him have it.

Chapter 17

Danica had always been a strong woman, but it felt like her world was falling apart. She tried to focus on her anger but she couldn’t help the overwhelming thoughts of sadness. It was like someone had died. She’d thought she knew Creed but he wasn’t the person she’d thought he was. That person was gone.

Almost as soon as she walked through the door after work, Creed called. She bit the inside of her lip and tried to hold back tears. She knew she had to talk to him sooner or later, but it would have to be later. She wasn’t ready to have a conversation with him so she sent his call to voice mail.

Her heart squeezed and teardrops rolled down her cheeks. She had managed to hold back the tears while at work but now they wouldn’t stop. She was furious while at the same time she felt totally crushed. Her body felt heavy and she collapsed onto the couch and didn’t want to get up.

Teardrops continued to roll down her cheeks. She needed to talk with someone, to get it all out. But Kelsey wasn’t talking to her and if she discussed it with any of her brothers they would likely go after Creed and end up in jail.

Danica’s phone rang again and she glanced at the caller ID, ready to send Creed or Barry to voice mail if either one of them was calling. It was a San Diego number she didn’t recognize.

When she answered the call, a woman on the other end said, “Is this Danica Cameron?”

“Yes.” Danica wiped tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, suddenly feeling like something was very wrong. “Who is this?”

“I’m Sarah, a nurse at San Diego General,” the woman said. Danica’s gut twisted as the woman continued. “Kelsey Richards was admitted an hour ago and she listed you as next of kin.”

Shock went through Danica. “What happened? Is she all right?”

“She was physically abused by her boyfriend,” the nurse said. “She needs someone to pick her up when we’re finished treating her.”

“I’ll be right there.” Danica got instructions on where to go as she grabbed her purse and headed back out the front door, locking it behind her. Her tears dried, her focus solely on Kelsey.

She’d kill Darryl. First chance she got she was going to hurt the bastard right where it counted.

When she finally got to the room at the hospital where Kelsey was being treated, her heart squeezed at the sight of her friend and she almost started crying again. Kelsey’s pale face was bruised even more than it had been, her eye was swollen shut, a bandage was on her forehead, and her arm was in a sling.

“Oh, my God.” Danica rushed to Kelsey who was in a hospital gown and sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. “Where is Darryl? When I get a hold of him—”

“He’s in jail.” Kelsey’s voice sounded a little scratchy. “I picked him up from the airport and we went to my apartment. Before we were even inside, he slammed me up against the wall beside my front door in the stairwell, yelling at me for telling you about the last time he’d attacked me. When he started hitting me, the neighbor looked out her window and saw it. She dialed 9-1-1 and the cops came and arrested him.”

“He’s so lucky he’s in jail.” Danica stroked the side of Kelsey’s face that wasn’t bruised. “I swear I’d hurt him.”

“I’m lucky the neighbor saw it.” Kelsey sighed. “You were right all along. I just cared about him so much that the first time he hit me I convinced myself it was an accident. I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that he’d abused me. I almost felt like I’d deserved it.”

Danica frowned. “You’d better get that thought right out of your head.”

“Believe me, it’s gone.” Kelsey adjusted herself on the edge of the bed and winced when she moved her arm. “I’m pressing charges.”

“It’s a good thing you are.” Danica squeezed Kelsey’s good shoulder. “You and I would be having a serious talk if you didn’t.”

“I’m not going to be a doormat for anyone, anymore.” Kelsey set her mouth in a firm line as Danica sat beside her on the edge of the bed. “It finally hit me that I don’t deserve this. I don’t know why it took me so long.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to see things about ourselves and about the people we care about.” Danica’s stomach churned as she thought about Creed. “Sometimes those people aren’t who we thought they were after all.”

“You’ve got that right.” Kelsey gave a rueful smile. “I think I’ve finally learned my lesson.”

You and me both,
Danica thought.
You and me both.

* * * * *

After she got Kelsey safely home, Danica went home to her townhouse. She got ready for bed, her heart heavy after all that had happened.

When she sat on her bed in her long nightshirt, she made herself look at the photos of Creed and the woman again. There was no brushing this off as nothing. It was clear by the dates and timestamps that he’d spent time with her in her hotel room as well as going out with her to various places.

Fresh anger rushed through her body. How could he do this to her?

When it came down to it, it was her fault for trusting him. She’d seen the evidence on the Internet and in the magazine. She’d just wanted to believe in him so badly.

Her phone rang and she picked it up off the nightstand. It was Creed, his third call since she’d first walked into her home earlier in the afternoon.

She took all the anger, hurt, and sadness inside her and held onto it as she answered the call.

“What’s wrong, Danica?” he said when he obviously heard the edge in her tone.

“I know you’re having an affair.” Her voice was hard as she spoke. “You and I are through.”

“What are you talking about?” He sounded genuinely puzzled. “I’m not having any kind of affair.”

Great actor,
she thought.

“I’ve been given proof.” She picked up one of the pictures and almost crumpled it in her hand. “You and the blonde I’ve been seeing you with. It’s here in black and white.”

“Are you talking about Teri?” he said. “I can explain—”

“No, you can’t.” Danica clenched her cell phone tighter as she cut through his words. “Don’t ever call me again. Don’t email me. Don’t come to my house. Stay. Away. From. Me.”

“Danica, wait—”

She disconnected the call then turned her phone off.

The moment her phone was off, tears began rolling down her cheeks and she sobbed so hard that she hiccupped. She held the back of her hand to her mouth to hold back more. An ache so great, like she’d never felt before, sat hard in her chest.

Tears wouldn’t stop rolling down her cheeks and she couldn’t stop sobbing. Teardrops landed on the photographs of Creed with the blonde. She almost shredded the pictures but she would need them to remind herself of what a bastard he was.

And then, once the tears stopped for good, it would be time to burn them.

Chapter 18

On the following day, Friday, Danica stood in her living room, in front of her TV. Creed was in New Mexico for his next event and competing sometime during the next hour or so.

She picked up her remote control as she stared at the TV.

He had called no less than six times. She kept her phone on vibrate while she was at work and it kept going off in her pocket. It had stopped about an hour ago, probably because he was getting ready for his ride tonight.

The only call she’s answered that day had been Kelsey’s, who was feeling better but still shaken. Danica had wanted to tell her friend about Creed’s betrayal, but Kelsey didn’t need to have to face anymore negativity than she was already experiencing after yesterday’s assault. The discussion about Creed could wait.

She looked at the remote in her hand. What was she doing? Was she seriously considering watching him ride?

It was like she couldn’t stop herself. She clicked the TV on then went to the channel the event would be shown on. Two announcers were giving a sort of “pre-game” talk while at the same time cameras went to a bull rider preparing to ride.

She took a deep breath. She needed to do this. Needed to remind herself of every single reason why it was good that she was no longer seeing Creed. At least that was what she told herself.

Still holding the remote, she sank onto the couch as the first bull of the night shot out of the chute, the rider on its back.

She caught her breath as the rider was bucked off of the bull. It never ceased to affect her when the riders were tossed or ended up near the bull’s hooves. The bull rider jogged safely out of the arena as the bull headed down a chute.

One after another she watched the riders battle with their bulls until it was Creed’s turn. The announcers said that he was to ride a bull by the name of The Machine.

Her belly clenched as her gaze was glued to Creed. She couldn’t have taken her eyes off of him if she tried.

Everything about him had been dear from his very presence to the way he seated himself on the bull and prepared himself. She had to get past thinking that way about him, but it was harder than she could ever have imagined it would be.

She held her thumb over the
off
button on the remote. She shouldn’t watch, she shouldn’t watch, she shouldn’t—

The bull exploded out of the chute like nothing she’d ever seen before

It seemed to be in a frenzy as it bucked and twisted round and round. She held her breath as Creed hung on. His ride wasn’t as smooth as normal, like he was having a much harder time hanging on.

Just as the eight-second horn sounded, the bull flung Creed off. He hit the ground hard on his back and the bull charged him.

Before he could get out of the way, the bull rammed its head against Creed, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him back.

Danica put her hand over her mouth, covering a scream as she watched in horror.

The bull trampled Creed. It’s rear hooves came up high and it slammed them down on Creed’s chest.

He was completely still.

“No.” Danica shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks. “Get up, Creed.
Get up!
”

The bull trampled Creed again before the bullfighters finally got its attention, putting themselves in danger while getting the bull away from Creed.

The moment the bull was safely out of the arena, a group of men surrounded Creed who lay unmoving on the ground. The crowd was silent.

Danica felt as if her world was tilting upside down. Was he going to die?

Thoughts whirled through her mind. Even though he had cheated on her, she was in love with him. Being with him when he needed her was more paramount than anything at this moment.

The announcers talked rapid-fire about what everyone had just witnessed and what they were seeing now.

A stretcher was rushed to Creed’s side and he was carefully lifted onto it. He still didn’t move.

Danica’s hands shook as she ran to her laptop that was sitting out on the coffee table. She had to go to him. She pulled up the site for the airline she normally used, and booked a flight for Albuquerque. She printed out the ticket and went to throw a few things in her backpack.

The announcers were still going on in the background about the seriousness of Creed’s injuries as she hurried to grab everything she would need for a quick trip, then rushed out the door, locking it behind her.

Her mind spun with images of what she’d seen, words that the announcers had been saying, and the terror and helplessness of what she was experiencing now.

Would Creed survive such a horrible accident? She tried to slow her breathing. He had to live. He
had
to.

On her way to the airport, by phone she tracked down the hospital that Creed would most likely be taken to, the one closest to the arena he’d been in tonight. She turned on a local sports station on the radio where the DJs were giving blow-by-blow accounts of the tragic ride.

Tears blurred her vision as she shut off the radio and she almost missed her exit to the airport. She had to get a grip and get herself together before she ended up in an accident.

Everything took too damn long from the time Creed had been hurt to the time she boarded the plane.

It was a direct flight but it still was interminably long. She almost forgot her carryon when it was time to get off the plane in the Albuquerque airport. She rented a car and used her phone’s GPS to get herself to the hospital.

“Where is Creed McBride?” she asked in a rush when she reached the information desk in the ER.

The nurse checked the computer. “Only immediate family is allowed to see him.”

“I’m his fiancé.” She said the first thing that came to her mind.

The nurse looked at Danica for a moment then nodded. She gave Danica directions on how to get to Creed’s room and she turned and rushed there.

When she reached the room there was a couple of men sitting outside. A wizened cowboy was sitting on a chair, his forearms resting on his thighs and his hat in his hands. The other cowboy was much younger and had his shoulder hitched up against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

“How is he?” she asked as she reached them. She could hear the panic in her voice.

“Nurse says he’s in stable condition,” the older man said in a deep Texan drawl.

“Won’t let us go in the room and see him, though,” said the younger cowboy.