Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) (22 page)

Tye slid
into his arms fully as he bent his knees to keep his balance. Jake's breath
whooshed from his body as the sun-heated skin of their bellies touched and
burned.

Jake
heard the lotion bottle drop to the ground, but by then his arms were fully
around her and he was lifting her back onto the lounge cushions.

Jake
slid the thin straps of Tye's top down, deliberately trapping her arms in the
material, dropping his mouth to her breasts as she arched upwards with a soft
sound. Jake moved to capture Tye’s lips, breathing in the soft, breathy
sounds she made. Undoing the tie at her back, he tossed the bathing suit top
aside.

He knew
her body by heart, yet he still wanted more. He hadn’t tired of her, even
though they’d been together every day for a week. He peeled the skimpy
bottom of her swimsuit down her hips and felt her trembling hands doing the
same for his cut-off shorts. Her hands on his body started him shaking,
skittering close to the edge. She had learned how and where to touch him to
make him lose total control. He had no defenses against Tye when they made
love. She was as uncontrolled as the rodeo horses she vowed to ride once more.

The air
around the pool remained hot, almost airless. Jake welcomed the slide of Tye's
skin across his. He wanted to give in to his own urgency, but he took his time,
as if they had nothing but time. Behind Tye Jake saw the sun reflecting off the
water, blinding him.

#

Tye
squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Making love with Jake was always different,
exciting. Sometimes a whirlwind, other moments agonizingly slow. Tye felt as if
she couldn't get enough of him, which in saner moments, scared her. She held a
secret fear that this man would change her life forever, whether she wanted it
or not. She couldn’t think about the future, when they would once again
be strangers. She knew if they talked about it, their last week of joy and
discovery would come to an abrupt end. She wanted it to go on, to be with Jake,
be loved by him, enjoy the physical aspects of their relationship. She couldn't
think past that right now. If she did, the old fears would rise to the surface.
Mama had loved Daddy so much, and he’d left. Tye knew what the loss of
love felt like, she had seen it her entire life and lived it. She
couldn’t bear to leave Jake again; but she knew she would. Jake would
tire of her, put the past behind them once and for all. She couldn’t stay
when that happened.

Tye
stifled the sob that rose to her throat. She kissed Jake desperately instead,
emotion a raw ache in her chest.

Their
lovemaking felt different yet again, their coming together urgent and
necessary. A strange intensity clutched at Tye as Jake filled her, and
strangely, tears clung to her lashes. She dashed them away, gripping Jake
around the waist and letting him take her up and up, and then slowly down,
leaving them both breathless, satiated for the moment.

When
their heartbeats slowed, and the sounds around them once more intruded, Jake
shifted to give her more room on the lounge chair. Cupping her face with his
big palms, he gently pushed damp tendrils from her face. Now Jake was tender
with her, and it was what Tye wanted. Despite her independence, and her
determination to keep her heart locked away from him, she craved these moments
of tenderness. She needed to store them up.

Watching
his face, sensing the seriousness of Jake's mind set regarding their
relationship, Tye experienced a fleeting moment of anxiety. How long could this
last? These wonderful, idyllic moments where they filled each other and the
world seemed to revolve around them? Jake's earlier question about the rodeo
showed that reality was already intruding. Tye knew she couldn’t hide her
head any longer.

"Jake,
we have to think about what's going on here." The words spilled from Tye,
despite her intention to keep quiet. "I mean ― really going
on?"

"We
ignite," he murmured, his gaze deep and probing. "We knew it would be
like this."

"Yes,
I guess we did," she admitted. "We’ll ignite until we burn
ourselves out." And then she would leave because she wouldn’t be
able to bear the indifference on Jake’s face. The way she felt right now,
she couldn't bear for their feelings to burn out.

Jake's
eyes were more gray than blue right now. "I know we’ve avoided
serious conversation all week, but I never stopped caring."

She
looked away, licking her lips, frowning down at her hands. "I care about
you, too, Jake. But sometimes ―" he put a finger to her lips, not
letting her finish.

"Let's
not get ahead of ourselves."

Tye bit
the inside of her cheek, then nodded. "Maybe you're right. There's no
sense worrying things to death."

"If
things are moving too fast for you, Tye, say the word and we'll slow the
pace."

"Is
that what you want, Jake, to slow this down?" Tye paused uncertainly, then
blurted, "Or are you like me? I want to ride as fast and crazy as we can
and see where it takes us."

Jake
stood up, and Tye immediately missed the contact of his body. She watched him reach
for his shorts and pull them on. As her body responded again to the sight of
him naked, she hurriedly picked up her bathing suit pieces and donned them.

Jake’s
gaze was steady. "It's not my usual style, rushing along at breakneck
speed. But with you, Tye, that's exactly what I want to do, ride fast, hang on
and damn the consequences."

Tye
slung her towel over her shoulder. Despite her earlier misgivings, she said,
"Then we have nothing to argue about. Our relationship is perfect."
Standing, she reached for her crutches. Jake handed them to her and gripped one
of her hands.

"How
about we ride into Oklahoma City? The gallery is seriously considering my
exhibit under the umbrella of their grant. We could go there and I’ll
show you the place. The architecture is great."

Tye
threw her arms around his neck. "Jake, I knew they would love your
carvings. I am so happy for you."

Jake’s
arm came around her and held her close to his side.

"I
owe this to you, Tye."

"You
would have found out about it. I just got you there quicker."

"There's
also a carnival going on all weekend. Maybe you’d like to stop there,
too?"

"That
sounds like fun," Tye said quickly, glad to drop the serious side of the
conversation. She watched a dark wing of hair slide down over his brow. Balancing
her crutches in one hand, she carefully wound her fingers through the silky
strands. "I've always felt comfortable in a carnival atmosphere."

"I
remember how you liked to go on all the crazy rides," he said with feigned
resignation.

She
lifted a brow, knowing they were on safer ground. "I still love those
rides, Jake. I never miss the scrambler or the roller coaster. You’ve got
a date."

#

Tye
drove into town the next day, arriving early only to discover the doctor was
out on an emergency. Jake had offered to drive her to the appointment but she
knew she needed time to think about this past week with him.

She felt
as if she was walking a couple inches off the ground. It was a new feeling for
her, one she was careful about exploring, having a man look out for her. It
made her feel special... cherished. She felt kind of strange associating such a
word with herself. Surprisingly, the old fears about relationships were calm
today. She and Jake could take all the time they needed to find out about each
other. Despite her usual style of jumping in feet first, she was treading
carefully.

Tye
shifted in her seat in the waiting room, staring at the kaleidoscope of colors
reflected on the pale walls. Crystals hung in every window in the office,
throwing light in all directions.

"When
it's late in the afternoon, I sit over here and the rainbow colors are all over
my arms," a child's voice said.

Tye
turned her gaze toward a young girl, the only other occupant of the waiting
room. The child sat in a wheelchair.

"Do
you come here often?" Tye asked, trying not to stare at the child's thin
arms and tiny, misshapen legs.

The
little girl, about ten, nodded her head, causing her two red plaits to bob on
her shoulders. "Just about every week."

"I
love the bright colors," Tye said with a smile.

"My
mom's going to put some in my hospital room."

"It'll
be nice to see that color on the walls." Tye wondered why this child would
be talking about a hospital room. She had a mischievous light in her green
eyes, but looked very frail.

"I'm
Emily. I know who you are. You're Tye Jenkins."

"You
know me?" Tye asked in surprise.

"I
love rodeos. My mom takes me when there's one close by. I think you're the best
I've ever seen."

Tye felt
touched. "Thank you. That's nice of you to say so."

"I
wasn't there the day you got hurt, Tye, but it was on the news. I'm glad you're
okay."

Tye
expelled a slow breath. "I'm kind of taking a vacation right now."

Emily
nodded, her eyes direct. "You're rehabilitating," she said
matter-of-factly. "I'm going to have two new legs, you know. Then I'll be
able to walk. Maybe even horseback ride," she added wistfully. "I
hope I can walk as good as you after my operation."

Emily's
words went right to her heart.

Leaning
closer, Emily lowered her voice. "Mommy's real worried, but it's kind of
exciting, you know, thinking I'll be able to walk. I'm always in this dumb
wheelchair on account of my legs are all twisted. The blood supply is bad, so
they have to operate."

Gently,
Tye lifted Emily's thin fingers. "You tell your mom to let me know when
you have your operation, Emily. I'll come see you."

"Would
you really?" A grin split Emily's face and her freckles stood out on her
small nose. "My friends will never believe it."

Tye
walked over to the reception area and wrote down her name and phone number on a
piece of paper.

"Ms.
Jenkins," the nurse behind the counter said, "the doctor will see you
now."

"Okay."
Tye gave Emily the paper. "I want you to give this to your mom."

"Thank
you, Tye."

"Good
luck, Emily. I'll be seeing you."

As Tye
followed the nurse down the hallway, she thought about how brave Emily was, and
recalled her own anger and subsequent depression over losing a leg. Emily had
never known anything but a wheelchair. She hadn't been able to ride every day
as Tye had done, and taken for granted, at that same age. Faced with an
amputation of both legs, Emily was looking forward to getting her prosthesis'
and learning to walk on new legs. Talking to Emily made Tye feel as if she had
wallowed in self-pity. She had never been as strong as Emily. It gave her an
entirely different perspective on her own situation. Tye began to realize how
selfish she had been, how centered her life was on herself and her wants. Tye
wondered if she were capable of making a difference in someone’s life.
Maybe some changes were in order.

"I'm
riding again," Tye told Dr. Winans after he’d examined her leg and
watched her walk through her strengthening exercises.

"You're
making good progress, Tye, but I still want you to be careful not to overdo
it," the doctor cautioned. He looked up from her file, his deep brown eyes
studying her. Tye liked him, she had liked him from the moment she had met him
in the hospital. He was young, and seemed very interested in her progress.

Tye
lifted a paperweight of heavy crystal and turned it this way and that.
"What's to be careful? I'm doing what I set out to do. I've opened the
door to living."

"Which
is all well and good, but I have to wonder if you're trying to prove you're
better than all the two-legged people out there?"

Tye
jerked her head up to stare at him, then carefully put down the paperweight.
"You sound like you're telling me to give up or something." She
couldn't help the anger that rose. His words put her on the defensive.

The
doctor shook his head. "No, not at all. I'm glad you're doing so well.
Believe me, a lot of amputees don't adapt as quickly as you seem to be doing.
Some struggle all their lives. I'm merely saying take it easy. If you overdo
it, you're going to end up with blisters and soreness, then you'll be back on
crutches or in the chair."

"Of
course I know that. I'm careful, but I'm not stopping for anything."

"I
guess I ought to know you by now, Tye. You're like a steamroller when you
decide on a course of action, but think about what I've said."

As Tye
prepared to leave the office, the doctor waylaid her. "There's one other
thing I'd like you to consider. I try to get active amputees like yourself
interested in talking to new amputees. Would you be willing to do that?"

Something
inside Tye stiffened, and she began to shake her head no.

"Do
you remember Doris, the girl who came to see you? How did you feel after she
spoke to you?"

"Yeah,
I recall Doris." Tye crinkled her brow. "I was depressed when she
came to see me." She didn't like thinking about that early time in the
hospital. She had thought her life was over.

Slowly,
Tye admitted, "Near the end of our meeting, Doris said something that
really hit home. She told me I could work hard and resume a normal life, or sit
and stare at the walls. Since I'm not yet thirty that might be quite a long
time. At that moment, a pinhole of light pierced the darkness."

"Wouldn't
you say talking to someone who experienced amputation makes a big
difference?"

Tye gave
the doctor a doubtful look. "You really think anything I say could make a
difference?"

"I
do. You've got a lot to offer, Tye, I want you to think about it. Your
determination would be an asset. Another thing I wanted to mention since you're
a horse person is that you should check out the riding clinic in
Riverdale."