Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) (8 page)

Jake
entered her apartment and came back quickly. "I brought you some dry
clothes, too."

Surprised,
Tye looked up and saw the assortment of clothes in his big hands. "But . .
."

"Your
suitcase was open, so I picked some stuff off the top." Jake dropped the
pile in her lap and turned away. "I'll be in the pool." He dove into
the water without saying anything more.

Tye sat
and watched him for several moments, but he ignored her. Setting her teeth, she
lay back on the chaise lounge and wriggled out of the cold, wet jeans, her eyes
on Jake as he continued to swim.

Carefully,
she pulled on the special sock for her leg, smoothed the wrinkles, then put on
the second one. Sitting on the edge of the chaise, she bent her knee slightly
and slowly pushed her leg into the socket of the artificial limb. She fastened
the straps into place, all the while darting glances at the pool.

As
quickly as possible, Tye lay down on the chaise and pulled the dry jeans up
over her damp underpants. She whipped off her T-shirt and quickly pulled the
dry one over her head. Her breath came fast and her heart pounded hard with
nerves. Jake hadn't brought her any regular socks for her other foot, so she
left her boots off.

Gathering
up her wet clothes, conscious of her underclothes soaking through, Tye walked
jerkily toward her apartment door, careful to stay well away from the edge of
the pool this time.

The
sound of her metal foot on the concrete sounded like an old peg-legged sailor
she had seen on television as a kid. Tye wanted to laugh, but a deep down
sadness was strangling her. Emotion gripped her throat, and something akin to
panic swirled inside, trying to take over. She had to get inside and sit down
so she could close her eyes until the feeling passed.

Before
the accident she hadn't known about anxiety attacks. They had started while she
was in rehabilitation. Apart from relaxing, there wasn't much she could do
about them.

Her
doctor had suggested some type of antidepressant, but the very idea scared the
hell out of Tye, even worse than the attacks themselves. They usually lasted
only a minute or so.

Entering
the sanctuary of her apartment, Tye was glad to feel the beating in her chest
ease. Damn Jake. Damn him and his accuracy about her fears.

Jake
heard the door to Tye's apartment slam. He pushed himself another lap. Back and
forth, he swam as hard as he could, another twenty strokes before he stopped to
tread water, hearing the sound of his harsh breathing on the evening air.

He felt
the anger pouring from him. If Tye expected him to keep his mouth shut, she was
in for a surprise. He wasn’t a lovesick kid anymore. Jake closed his
eyes, thinking about that kiss in the pool. It had been a damn fool thing to
do. Why had he done it? It had just seemed so right at the time. Now, it kept
coming into his thoughts, making him want more.

Maybe he
should've kept his mouth shut, but Tye had gotten her licks in, too, and
they’d felt like salt in a wound. Jake gritted his teeth. She was getting
under his skin and he didn’t like it.

For all the
women he had in his life, including his six sisters, Jake felt right now he
didn't know squat about the gender. Tye had acted as if she thought he was a
peeping Tom who wanted to sneak a peek at her leg. Why couldn’t she see
he was helping her? He knew what an atrophied stump looked like.

Jake
hadn’t wanted to see her leg. He had told her so, but he had lied. He had
looked. He had seen the leg briefly when she’d closed her eyes. He had
felt an aching twist of pain and fear ― her fear mixed with his own. His
mind dwelled on the pain she had gone through. He didn’t want to think of
the emotional stress she still obviously suffered.

Jake had
a feeling he could tell her till he was blue in the face that her leg didn't
matter to him, but he’d be wasting his breath. Perhaps he’d be
lying too. He didn’t want it to matter, but it did. It was gone; that was
a fact. At least the doctors had done a better job on Tye than they had with
his father. Viewing it for the first time made it all very real. Knowledge was
one thing, seeing was another.

Tye had
made up her mind that it made her deficient in some way. She was doing her best
to pick up the pieces and resume her life. That took courage and persistence.
No easy task for a woman hell-bent on relying only on herself.

Jake
knew this was something Tye had to resolve on her own. But the worst thing she
could do was shut herself away from the very people who might help her, family
and friends. Maybe in helping Tye, Jake could rid himself of the fascination
still pulling at him. It was obvious she didn't think she needed anyone in her
life. She had made it clear ten years ago she didn’t need him. This time
around Jake wasn’t going to be a stop along the way.

He dove
into the water and pushed himself harder, but the memories howled after him. At
no time could he let himself forget he wanted her to get well and leave.

#

The next
day, Ben showed up on her doorstep. Spotting her brother through her living
room window, Tye opened the door with a squeal of delight and threw herself
into his arms. Ben promptly dropped the bouquet of flowers he held and caught
her in a tight bear hug.

"Ben,
you’re back!"

"Glad
to see you, too," he said with a big smile. "You look like your old
self," he added approvingly, stepping back.

"I'm
settling in, Ben."

He
squatted to retrieve the flowers he had dropped. "I’m glad
you’re getting along okay out here."

"I
like it here," Tye admitted. "I’ll miss it when I find another
place."

"Actually,
I haven’t had much luck in finding anything yet. I was planning on
tackling that next week."

"I’m
looking, too. I don’t want to hold Jake up any longer than
necessary." Tye stepped back and invited Ben into the house. "Come
on, let me show you the place."

Ben held
the flowers out to her and this time Tye took them. Lifting them to her nose,
she drew in a deep breath.

"So
Jake told you his plans for the apartment?" Ben asked.

Startled,
Tye looked askance at her brother. "What are you talking about?" A
sinking feeling began in her stomach.

"Never
mind," Ben said, too quickly.

"Ben.
Tell me what you’re talking about."

He
grimaced. "I thought you knew. Jake’s going to be renovating the
house. He’s making a combination showroom and workroom out of the area
where you’re living, since it’s got the best lighting in the entire
house. Don’t worry, though, he said a few month’s delay
wouldn’t matter, since nothing’s been finalized with the
contractor."

Tye
gripped the bouquet to her chest. "He never said anything. Is that why
he’s got boxes all over his house?"

"Well,
he’s been in the middle of some general clearing out, what with Amy
moving."

"Is
the workroom going to be for his carvings?"

"So
you know about that? Yes. He’s gotten a lot of interest in the last few
years, and with the elk and moose antlers he’s carving now, he needs more
display room." Ben was looking at her with a worried frown.

Tye
pasted a smile on her face. "Maybe there’s other plans I’m
messing up that I don’t know about." She felt pain jab at her heart.
She might as well be a bulldozer wreaking havoc.

"I
don’t know of any other plans, Tye. You’ll have to ask Jake."

"I
intend to." With determination, she grabbed Ben’s arm. "Let me
show you my place.

Ben
pulled her back around. "We can do that later, Tye. I have a surprise that
has first priority."

Tye looked
at her brother, narrowing her gaze. Placing the bouquet on a small table, she
asked, "What kind of surprise?"

"Don't
look so suspicious. Come outside," was all he said.

Once
outside, Tye looked toward the driveway. She caught her breath and gave Ben a
disbelieving look. She moved carefully down the ramp toward his truck and the
familiar fire-engine-red horse trailer hitched behind. Her horse trailer.

"Jake
figured right about now you'd be missing your babies," Ben said, following
her to the back gate of the trailer. "So I stopped at Mom's place first
and brought you ―" the horse inside the trailer whinnied loudly.

"―
Pongo," Tye finished excitedly, immediately recognizing her Paint's voice.
As Tye moved toward the back of the trailer, steel shoes moved restlessly on
the wooden flooring. Tye unlatched the back gate with trembling fingers. She
wanted to cry and run away at the same time. It had been an eternity since she
had ridden.

"Pongo!"
she called. "Hello there, you black beauty." Indescribable joy filled
her as she looked through the metal slats and saw Pongo's wide black
hindquarters with their splash of white. She swallowed the tightness in her
throat, emotion very close to the surface. She almost couldn’t control
the urge to cry. Ben had caught her totally off guard. Tye blinked rapidly as
she swung the back door open.

"Here,
let me bring him out." Ben moved past her and pulled the quick-release
knot on the lead line where he had tied the horse to the front trailer rail.

Tye held
the door open as Ben backed Pongo down the ramp. Once on the driveway, Pongo
turned toward her and softly rumbled a greeting. Immediately, she slung an arm
over her gelding's neck and buried her face in his smooth black coat. Tye
inhaled deeply the lingering smell of hay and the warm scent of horse. How had
she stayed away from him so long?

"You
remembered me, Pongo. I've all but ignored you and you forgive me, don't
you?" Tye whispered into his neck, stretching her arm to stroke lovingly
under his jaw.

"I
see you didn't come alone, Ben," Jake said from behind Tye. Tye didn't
move her arm from her horse's neck, but turned her head to look at him. Some of
her excitement dimmed.

"Why
did you do it, Jake?" She felt her hackles rise, disrupting her previously
excited mood.

"I
think you need him."

"Since
when do you know what I need?" she blurted, unable to still her tongue.
All these years Jake had never questioned her decision to leave, yet now he
suddenly knew what she needed! Tye looked away from Jake as Pongo nickered
softly, standing perfectly still as she leaned her weight against him.

For a
moment a wild urge took hold of Tye. She wanted to jump on his back and ride
off. There was a small hedge at the end of the drive. Pongo loved to jump; he
could clear the hedge with room to spare. Tye grabbed a handful of black mane
and her gaze met Jake's. She hesitated, her fingers gripping the long hair
tightly. Fear sliced into her.

If
circumstances had been different, that's what she would have done. It's what
she had done countless times in the past ― jumped on a horse's back when
the urge struck her. She had been riding bareback since she was four years old.

Now,
things were different. Uncertainty stabbed through her, attacking her
confidence in her riding skills. With Ben and Jake as witnesses, she could do
nothing but stand beside Pongo. Tye loosened her grip on the gelding's mane and
smoothed the hair with shaking fingers. Apprehension she didn’t want to
acknowledge twisted through her. She could no longer measure up to her own standards.
What was happening to her?

When she
rode her beauty, she’d have to be by herself. If she was going to
humiliate herself, she wanted no witnesses. Still, the urge to run was not
easily suppressed, and Tye fought an inner battle for several more moments.

Jake, as
if guessing her thoughts, gave voice to the desire riding her so hard.
"You look like you want to jump on Pongo. Come on, I'll give you a leg
up."

"No!"
she said sharply. Tye took a jerky step away from Jake. "No." She
lowered her voice. "Pongo hates to be trailered and I want to give him
time to settle down. I'll take him over to the barn. He might as well get
introduced to Tibald right away, since Tibald's top horse in the pecking order
here." Tye knew she was talking too fast, but she felt mortified at her
cowardice. She put her shoulders back, trying not to let dejection override her
initial joy.

Tye saw
the stiffness on Jake’s face and felt ashamed of her churlishness.
"Thank you," she muttered, still stinging over his interference. She
was acting illogically, but it was all she could manage.

Pulling
the lead line from her brother's hand, Tye walked toward the stables with Pongo
following behind. When she was several feet away, Tye turned back to her
brother and flashed him a bright smile.

"Thanks
for bringing him, Ben."

"It
was Jake’s idea," Ben repeated, narrowing his eyes. "I agree
with him that it’s a good idea. You could be a little more
gracious," he chided.

Tye
shrugged a shoulder, hating the feeling that her life was moving beyond her
control. She looked up at Jake and met his gaze. Some of the tension eased from
her body. "Ben’s right. I’m sorry. I love having him
here."

"There's
plenty of room," Jake said flatly. He turned to Ben. "I told Tye her
horses were welcome if she wanted to move them out here."

When she
moved out of earshot, Ben said, "I apologize if that’s how
Tye’s been acting toward you. I’ve never seen her so disagreeable,
to say the least."

"We
seem to hit the wrong chords with each other."

"Also,
I thought Tye knew about your plans for the house. I let it out of the
bag."

"A
few months makes no difference. I’ve converted a big box stall in the
barn as a work area."

"It
must be kind of crowded with all your tools." Ben’s gaze strayed to
his sister, who’d stopped to give her horse another hug. "So you and
Tye aren’t hitting it off so good?"