Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance) Read online

  She flashed him a quick glance and wiped her face clean. “That supposed to make me feel better?”

  He cringed at her comeback. “No, of course not. I’m sorry.”

  Shaking her head, she leaned back in the chair and raked her hand through her hair. “No, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that. I just…” she stood up and paced. “I just want to know something. Anything.”

  “I didn’t get a good glance at him, but I think he was unconscious when he fell from the bull.” Sammy looked up at her. “Sit down. Your pacing is making me a nervous wreck.”

  “Where the hell is his dad?” Olivia didn’t care for the man, but the fact that he wasn’t there for his son made her hate him even more. “I know they have a rocky relationship, but he was at the rodeo. He saw what happened. Shouldn’t a father be there for his kid?” So many emotions poured out and she told herself to get a handle on them, but she was angry. Cale didn’t deserve any of this.

  “You took the words right out of my mouth,” Sammy said, looking around the room. “If he shows up, it’s not for support. It’s to berate him for falling off, so honestly, it’s probably best he’s not here anyway.”

  Olivia finally sat down again. “You’re a really good friend to him, you know that right?”

  Sammy ducked his head and laughed. “I think I drive him crazy.”

  “No, not at all. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

  “Yeah?” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “I think he really loves you too, Olivia.”

  She exhaled a deep breath. “What makes you so certain?”

  “He’s never been like this with any other woman. I’ve known Cale forever and this is definitely a marathon and not a sprint when it comes to time spent with a girl. Just the mention of you changes his attitude. And when he watches you ride – it’s like watching a kid on Christmas morning. He never cared for barrel racing before, but he’s told me that he admires how well you handle that horse of yours.”

  Olivia felt more moisture well up in her eyes, and she blinked back any chance of the tears falling. She felt proud to hear it from Sammy. “I love him too, Sammy. I hope he’s okay.”

  He pulled her in for a side hug, allowing her to cry on his shoulder, each of them sitting in the busy waiting room, their patience wearing thin. She blocked out the blaring TV, the loud baby crying in the corner, and the kids playing with toys on the floor. Though she didn’t know Sammy well, she felt safe from his comfort.

  He broke the hug and stood up. “I’m going to get some coffee. You want any? Anything from the vending machine?”

  “No, thanks. I don’t think my stomach can take it.”

  “You gotta eat something, Olivia.”

  “I will. Just give me a bit.”

  She looked over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat when she saw him walk through the sliding doors. There was no mistaking him – he held too much of a striking resemblance to Cale, though angrier. He pushed through a group of people and stood at the nurse’s station, his finger pointing toward the area where they had taken Cale. Joining Sammy at the coffee bar, she tried to keep her cool.

  “Don’t be alarmed and don’t look just yet, but Cale’s dad is here.”

  Sammy finished pouring some creamer in his cup and slowly turned to look. “Holy shit.”

  “Will he come over here?”

  “Probably. He’s never been real nice to me either, but he’ll think I have answers and he’ll press me for them. Just let me do the talking. Does he know you?”

  “I’ve been introduced, but he was focused on other things. I doubt he’ll remember me,” Olivia said, taking a breath when he rounded the corner to the waiting room. “I think he saw you.”

  Sammy remained calm and they both sat down, pretending they hadn’t seen him. He sipped on his coffee, both of them anticipating Dean Warren’s wrath.

  “Sammy.” He stood in front of them, towering over them like a bully on a playground. “They ain’t telling me shit. What’s going on with Cale?”

  Like you care, Olivia thought, but she took Sammy’s advice and bit her tongue.

  “You know what I know, Mr. Warren.”

  “You were down there with him. What did you see?”

  Sammy blew on his coffee. “What you did. He got hung up and fell underneath. The rest is history.”

  Dean sat down adjacent to them and took his cowboy hat off. “That’s bullshit, Sammy. When can we see him?”

  “When the doctor comes out and tells us what happened.”

  Sammy had patience. Olivia was on the verge of mouthing off to the man. There was a difference in being concerned and just being there for show, and Dean Warren’s agitation was more about the fact that his son had fallen off and not because he was seriously injured. She wasn’t sure how long she could hold it in.

  “I need a cigarette,” Dean said, pulling a red package from his shirt pocket.

  He went outside, leaving them alone. It was a chance for Olivia to be alone with him and away from the crowd of the waiting room. Taking the chance, she stood up, trying to play it cool with Sammy.

  “I’m gonna get some fresh air. If the doctor comes, please get me.”

  She didn’t give him a chance to intervene, nor did she know if he was even on to her plan. Walking through the automatic doors, she saw Dean leaning against the brick wall to her right, puffing on a Marlboro.

  “I’m not sure if you remember me, Mr. Warren, but…”

  “Of course I do. You’re the ball and chain distracting Cale from riding.”

  His words stung, but she had to stand her ground. She had to do this for Cale. “With all due respect, Dean, Cale is an adult. He can see or do whatever he wants.” It felt wrong calling him Mr. Warren. He didn’t deserve it.

  The older man eyed her, his mouth set in a hard line. Had he not been so jaded, he’d look like a carbon copy of an older version of Cale. “Women ain’t nothing but trouble. His mother pulled me from rodeo right when I was on top of the game, and now here you are, doing it to my boy. He’s just like me, it seems.”

  “No, he’s not like you at all.”

  Dean laughed and exhaled a straight line of smoke from his nose and mouth. “No? And tell me miss buckle bunny, how long have you known him? I don’t think it’s been long enough to make a fair assessment of who Cale is.”

  “I’ve known him a lot longer than you, and I’ve already got a damn good opinion of who you are, Dean. Cale is loving and caring. He’s got a heart. From what I’ve seen, there’s a hole where yours should be. We all know you’re not here because you are worried about your son.”

  He extinguished the butt of the cigarette on the ground. “Why am I here then?”

  “You want any chance you can have to belittle him. Nothing is ever good enough, is it? He’s in the top of the standings right now and…” she threw her hand in the air, biting her lip. She couldn’t let Dean see her cry. He’d pounce right on the chance to use that against her. Controlling herself, she continued, “Be proud that he’s even doing what he does. Not everyone can do this.” She took a deep breath. “And now he’s laid up here in the hospital. I can’t do this with you right now. I can’t even look at you with all the evil that just pours out of you.” She got closer to him, keeping her voice low. “How could you ever lay your hands on your kid? Cale is a beautiful person. You don’t even know the man he has become, even after everything you put him through as a kid, he is twice the man you’ll ever be, Dean.”

  Her words must have hit him hard, because he didn’t have a quick response to it. She had no idea where it had all come from. Her anger made her do crazy things, but it felt good to get it all off of her chest. Would there be repercussions because of it? She would be ready if so.

  “You love Cale, don’t you?” He tapped another cigarette out, but didn’t light it.

  “I do. And the man I love is inside in a hospital bed. The last thing I want is to fight with his family, but you leave me
no choice but to completely despise you until you give me a reason not to. He’s your son, Dean. Try to resolve whatever issue you have with him. Salvage what little relationship you have left if he makes it through whatever is going on.”

  Turning on her heel, she went back inside. She didn’t want to miss the doctor, and most of all, she had nothing left to say to Dean Warren. It would make a dent or it wouldn’t, but at least she let her feelings be known to the one person Cale couldn’t stand up to.

  Sammy was dozing in his chair when she got back to him. She poured herself a cup of coffee and though her stomach still wasn’t ready for anything, and sipped on the hot beverage in an attempt to get some energy. She was drained, she was angry, and she was worried. She stared at Dean as he came back in, sitting in the same chair he had when he first pumped Sammy for information. He didn’t say anything and kept his eyes downcast, his usual overbearing demeanor appearing like a man defeated. Maybe she had gotten to him. Maybe it was an act. It didn’t matter either way. She was not going to let him run over her.

  “Cale Warren family?”

  A doctor took his mask off and adjusted his glasses, approaching them. He shifted his clipboard and Olivia felt like she was about to puke up the coffee she had just drank. Sitting up, she grabbed Sammy’s hand, pulling him from his slumber.

  “I’m Olivia, his girlfriend. This is Sammy and that’s his dad, Dean.”

  “I’m Dr. Chambers. I wanted to come out and give you an update on Cale’s situation.”

  His situation. Oh God, Olivia felt the room spin.

  “He’s still unconscious, so it’s uncertain if there’s any brain damage. We are running scans to check that. He has a broken rib that punctured his lung, so he’s on oxygen. There’s also some internal bleeding happening, and at the moment, we can’t locate where it’s happening. We have to stabilize him and run more tests. They are in the process of getting him moved to the ICU. Once he’s situated, he can receive two visitors at a time. Do you have any questions?”

  “So you don’t know if there’s any brain activity yet?” Sammy asked.

  “We did some scans and we are waiting on the results. We won’t know a whole lot until those come back and if we can get a reaction from Cale.”

  “So he’s not stabile?”

  “His o2 is at a good level now that we have him on oxygen, but past that, we just have to take it one step at a time. Our concern is the brain activity and keeping the lung from collapsing, along with locating where the internal bleeding is coming from.” The doctor patted Olivia’s hand. “He’s in good hands. He’s young, he’s otherwise healthy, and he’s strong. We’ll come get you as soon as we get him moved.”

  “Thanks, Doctor.” Olivia whimpered and hugged Sammy, his strong arms serving as a safety net. “Brain function? It’s worse than I thought.”

  “Dr. Chambers is right, Olivia. He’s strong. You need to be strong for him too.”

  “I hope they get him moved soon. I want to see him.” Time was in slow motion, and she wished they could push the reset button on this day.

  Chapter Eleven

  Olivia had to take a few seconds before stepping behind the small partition that separated the beds in the ICU. He was in bed seven and she took that as a good luck omen. Sammy had let her go in first and to her surprise, Dean stayed back as well, giving her some privacy with him. The nurse nodded toward her and extended her hand.

  “I’m Daisy. I’ll be Cale’s nurse until seven in the morning.”

  Olivia was so disoriented that she didn’t even know what time it was. Returning the gesture, she said, “I’m Olivia.”

  “If you need anything let me know. He’s still asleep, but everything is stable.”

  “Thanks.”

  She slid into the small room, gasping at the sight of him in the bed. His face was bruised up and there was a nasal cannula in his nose. Edging closer, she took his hand in hers, wishing he’d squeeze back, but it fell loose, not responding to her touch. Looking up at the numbers on the monitor, she studied them. She wasn’t a medical person, but she at least understood where they needed to be. As the nurse had said, things looked okay, but he wasn’t awake, and it made her sick to her stomach.

  “Cale, it’s Livie. I want you to know that I’m here for you. We’re here for you. Sammy is just outside. He said he’d come in soon.” She thought better of mentioning his father. She didn’t want to agitate him just in case he could hear her. “I love you so much, babe. We need you to wake up.”

  She fanned her hand through his unruly hair, hoping his eyebrows would lift in response like they usually did when he was sleeping, but again, she received nothing in return. The bull had done a number on him. His bottom lip was swollen and the bruising around his eye was swelling. And that was just the visible injuries. What was going on inside him?

  She recollected what he had told her the night he had opened up to her about his dad.

  “Pain is relative. At least if the bull hurts me it’s only because he just wants to buck me off and get on with his life. It doesn’t hurt near as bad as my dad’s fists did.”

  Would that still ring true for him? Had he ever been through something this drastic? She swallowed hard, studying every line on his face, every eyelash, and everything about him, as he lay helpless in the bed.

  Sammy came in and went to the other side of the bed, taking his hat off as he looked down at his friend. “Jeez, Cale,” he said, keeping his voice low.

  “Sammy is here, Cale.” Olivia smiled. “I’m not sure if he can hear us or not, but I’ve always heard to talk to them and that sometimes can pull them out of their coma, or whatever it is he has going on.”

  “Yeah, that sounds good to me.” Sammy swiped his hand against his skin, trying to hide his tears, but he wasn’t quick enough. “I just… I just can’t stand seeing him like this. It brings back too many memories. Cale is a superhero for what he’s been through. This shouldn’t be happening again.”

  “He’s been hurt this bad before?”

  “I wouldn’t go as far as saying this bad, but he was in and out of the hospital since he was a boy.” Sammy gripped the side of the bed so tight that his knuckles turned white. “You need anything, Olivia? Want food? I’d be happy to go get it for you.”

  He wasn’t one to stand around in the hospital, and he was grasping at excuses to be helpful. She couldn’t blame him for it. He genuinely cared for Cale, but felt more useful doing productive things.

  “I could use a toothbrush and some toiletries. I don’t plan on leaving, but I’d like to freshen up.” Walking to his side of the bed, she hugged him again. “Cale won’t be mad if you don’t want to stay up here. Don’t feel like you have to stand around and wait. You go finish your rides. Stay on eight. Bring home a check. That’s how you can help him.” She pointed down at the bed. “I’ll stay here with him.”

  He nodded and the tears flowed. “Yeah, he wouldn’t want me skipping out on them, especially here in Killeen.”

  “Go take home first place. For him.”

  Olivia followed him out into the hallway, hugging him one last time before he left. Letting out a deep breath, her calmed nerves heightened when Dean started toward her.

  “How is he, Olivia?”

  “Still unconscious.”

  He stepped toward his bed but she put her hand on his chest in an attempt to stop him. The man had seventy pounds on her, but she stood her ground.

  “I don’t think you should go in there.”

  “He’s my son. I want to see him.”

  She kept her hand on him, staring right into his eyes. They were the same shade of green as Cale’s. “I don’t think he needs to stress put on him, Dean. The last thing you need to do is hop on in there and start talking down to him, even if he’s not awake. Can’t you have a small shred of respect for him right now? I mean, let him recover.”

  “I thought a lot about what you said to me earlier. You’re right. Everything you said hit home and I’m sor
ry.”

  Shaking her head, Olivia had a hard time reading him. Was he that good of a con artist, or was he truly being sincere? “That’s good to hear, Dean, but maybe you ought to say that to Cale once he’s awake. For now, let him rest. Respect him that much to just wait a bit longer. Can you do that?”

  Dean hesitated, looking past her toward Cale’s room. He didn’t like it, but he agreed. “I can do that. If that’s what you think he needs, I can do that. I really did think about it all. Thanks for opening my eyes to it.”

  Olivia was skeptical, but rather than stand and debate it with him, she went back to Cale’s bedside, sending Oscar a text about the situation. She was on the verge of breaking down. There was still no news from the doctors about his brain functioning or what the next steps would be. What little patience she had was in its last reserves.

  Taking Cale’s hand again, she closed her eyes. “Come on, Cale. Wake up. Be okay. Please.”

  ***

  “Cale?”

  The voice echoed like he was in a deep tunnel, but when he tried to open his eyes, it felt like a nail was being driven through his skull. Cringing, he kicked his legs out, but his body screamed at the sudden movement. Even the groan deep in his throat was painful.

  “Cale? Are you waking up?”

  A hand gripped his and his first instinct was to pull away, but the touch was so soothing that he welcomed the smooth palm against him. Forcing his lids open, he squinted, still unable to make out who was there. His vision was blurry and he blinked several times to try and clear it.

  “Cale, honey, it’s Livie.”

  Livie. Her name was like music to his ears and he turned to face her, finally making her face out against the light above him. “Livie…” he whispered, his throat burning.

  “Do you need some water?”

  He nodded and it was like his brain was sloshing around in his skull. “Can you turn the light off?” His own voice was painful. How in the hell did he get here? Had a semi truck hit him?

  The light dimmed but didn’t completely turn off, but it helped alleviate some of the sharp pain. Olivia placed the straw on his lips and he drank two big gulps, savoring the water.