Cowgirl Up (13 page)

Jerry
appeared. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”
Cody accepted the item, carefully returned to Legacy’s rear hind leg, then
slipped on the air cast. He was nearly one-hundred percent sure he didn’t need
it, but he believed in being overly cautious rather than to look back and
regret not taking precautions. “Okay. Let’s get him loaded.”

Lacey
opened the trailer gate as Trinity led him into the aisle of the barn amidst a
gaggle of onlookers. She ignored them, walked her stallion inside, then removed
the lead rope to allow him freedom in the trailer. Afterward, she hurriedly
exited, shut and secured the trailer gate, then looked over at Cody. “I’ve got
to go.”

“I’m
going with you.” He wasn’t about to let her drive even across town after what
she’d just experienced.

“You’re
job…”

“Screw
it. I’m not leaving you. Now get in so we can get going.”

Trinity
strode to her side and actually beat him into the truck.

Cody
sucked in a deep breath, started the truck, and pulled out, worry pushing his
shoulders down.

He
honestly didn’t think Legacy sustained a bad injury, but leg and foot injuries
in horses, especially thoroughbreds, could spell disaster. Not to mention,
Trinity’s still unknown injuries. Until they both had a complete go over and
received a clean bill of health, he wouldn’t be able to rest.

Not
when he finally understood Trinity’s attachment to Legacy.

Lacey
hit the nail on the head. After the loss of her mother, Trinity’s life now revolved
around Legacy. If anything happened to him, she would be devastated.

He
pulled onto the highway. “What’s the fastest way to get there?”

“Keep
going west for about another mile. We’ll hit the main road there…which will
take us right to the…equine hospital.” Her soft voice broke more than once.

He knew
she fought tears and his heart went out to her.
Shit. Why her? Why now?

No
answers came. Not like he expected them to. After all, they’d never come to him
before.

Helpless
to do much, he navigated them through traffic as quickly and smoothly as
possible.

Several
minutes later, he pulled into the unloading area, turned off the truck, and met
Trinity at the trailer gate.

A
gray-headed man hurried over. “Trinity?”

She
spun around. “Dr. Hayward! It’s Legacy…” Her words faded into a choked sob.

“Let’s
get him inside. We’ll check him over with a fine-tooth comb.”

Trinity
collected Legacy, walked him out of the trailer, and into the building.

Cody
watched Legacy move, finding no telltale limp or sign of impending trouble.
“Still steady.”

Dr.
Hayward tapped his chin. “Looks better than I thought when Carmen called me.
Good idea to put that cast on him, just in case.”

“I
figured it couldn’t hurt.” They strode along behind Legacy. Cody remained
quiet, too busy appraising both horse and owner to say much more.

He
stayed with Legacy and Trinity through the whole process as half a dozen vets
surrounded him, discussed their findings, and reviewed the pictures. Cody noted
everything as they went, reassuring Trinity with each normal finding. Relief
came with the MRI’s results.

Dr.
Hayward presented the news. “No damage that we can find. He’s not limping, not
showing signs of tenderness.”

Trinity
glanced up at the older vet. “But he flinched when I touched the area.”

“Probably
just a reaction after his fall. He’s not tender now. No swelling, no evidence
of trauma.”

She
breathed in deep and leaned against Cody.

He
accepted her weight easily. “Bruising?”

“Nothing.”
Dr. Hayward grinned slightly. “Other than being pretty darn hateful, he’s
sound.”

“Thank
God,” Trinity said.

“Just
the same, I’d give him some time off.”

“How
long?”

“A
couple of weeks at least.”

Her
gaze flickered from Dr. Hayward to Cody. “I have to run next weekend at
Cheyenne, Wyoming or I won’t make the finals.”

“We’ll
figure out something.” He hugged her gently. Cody didn’t have a clue where to
find a great barrel horse in less than a week, but he would pull out any and
all stops he could. Anything to get Trinity back on her feet and a smile on her
face.

“Find a
way to make it to the finals. He should be raring to go by then.” Dr. Hayward
glanced back at the stall where Legacy was kept. “As far as I’m concerned,
you’re good to go on home.”

“Thank
you.” She grinned slightly. “So much.”

Dr.
Hayward gestured toward Cody. “Thank him. He’s the one who did all the right
things in the beginning. Probably saved any damage with his quick thinking.”

She
peered up at him. “He’s right. Thanks isn’t enough for all that you did.”

Cody
kissed her forehead. “I’m just glad things turned out okay.”

“Guess
you need to get back to the rodeo.” She wiped at her eyes, banishing the rest
of the tears.

“More
like get you home, instead.”

She
smiled softly. “I’d like that.”

“Me
too.”

A
horse’s piercing whinny split the air.

“Um. Sorry
to interrupt, but do you guys think you might collect your horse soon? He’s
more than ready to go and in the biting mood.” Dr. Hayward rubbed his arm with
chagrin.

Trinity
laughed. “I think he’s hungry.” She approached him, running her hand down his white
blaze. “Let’s go home, boy. I promise we’ll feed you there.”

Legacy
snorted and snuffled her before resting his chin on her shoulder.

Cody
couldn’t hold back the smile at the sign of affection between horse and rider.
His heart turned over, for in that moment he understood something important. He
wanted Trinity not for now or a few days. He wanted her for all time and would
move heaven and earth alike to make it happen.

Carmen
met them at Legacy’s stall, a rife expression of concern painted on her face.
“How is he?” They watched as Legacy dug into his later than normal evening
meal.

“Dr.
Hayward said he didn’t see or detect any damage. The MRI was clear. He thinks
it was just reflex that he flinched when I first checked him, but recommended a
couple weeks’ rest anyway.”

“That’s
a blessing.” Carmen turned her attention to Cody. “I hear thanks are in order.”

Cody
met the older woman’s gaze, intrigued by the stallion manager of a major
thoroughbred farm. “None needed. Just doing my job.”

“You
did so much more than that!” Trinity interjected.

A tiny
grin crept over Carmen’s lips. “Somehow I doubt most rodeo vets consider
driving a horse and owner to the equine hospital, staying with them the entire
time, then bringing them both home would fall under their contract.”

He
shrugged.

She
gave a single nod and focused on Trinity again. “I know you’re worn out. I
stuck some leftover casserole in your fridge so you don’t have to worry about
cooking.”

“Thanks,
Carmen.” Trinity offered up a tired grin. “You’re the best.”

“Yeah,
yeah. Just remember that when I give you extra stall mucking duty to cover
vacations.”

With
one more glance back at Cody, Carmen headed out the side door of the barn.

Cody
appraised Trinity, found both relief and fatigue in her eyes. He knew she had
to hurt, apparent by her slowing movements as time went on. “Okay, Trin.
Legacy’s taken care of, will be good as new, and has a full belly. That means
it’s your turn.”

She
blinked up at him. “You mean the casserole Carmen left?”

He
shook his head. “First things first. Time to get you checked out.”

She
waved a hand dismissively and turned back to watch her horse eat. “I’m fine.”

He
didn’t believe it for a second. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he tugged her
around to face him with utmost care. “Not happening. We can either go back to
the rodeo and have the sports medicine guys look at you or take a trip to the
walk-in clinic.”

She
stared up at him. “I don’t need them.”

“Then
you can shuck those jeans, and I’ll take a look for myself.”

Her
eyes widened.

Before
she could protest, he set down the law in firm tones. “I was the medic for my
SEAL team. I have enough medical background to know what I’m doing. Sure, you
might lack four stomachs, but I think I can handle the job.”

A hint
of humor flashed in her baby blues. “I think I might rather visit a vet than a
doctor any day.”

He
cupped her cheek and tenderly brushed his lips over hers. “Then let’s get you
inside your apartment and find out how much damage you sustained.”

She
blew out a breath, took his hand, and led him down the center aisle. “Okay.
Fine. But don’t let this go to your head.”

“How
so?” Her comment puzzled him.

Trin
slowed her steps in order to walk at his side and glance up at him. “I didn’t
want you to think that I take just any guy home.”

“Ah. I
see. You’re saving your room for someone special?” He picked up the teasing,
hoping to calm the anxiousness he detected in her.

She
grinned ruefully. “Maybe.”

He
cocked an eyebrow. “Not ready to spill the beans?”

“Nope.”
She pulled out a key and unlocked the door. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”
Giving the wooden barrier a shove, she gestured him in.

He
crossed the threshold, blinking when she turned on the light, illuminating the
area brightly. To the left a small kitchen occupied one wall, the countertop
curving around to encompass a small, wooden dining table with two matching
chairs. Just on the other side of the divider sat a sofa and old recliner, the
material faded and worn from years of use. They both faced a small television
perched on a stand. A room stood out from the right hand corner, presumably a
bathroom judging by the size. Next to it, taking up the far wall, sat a double
bed, made up with an old quilt on top, the multi-color rings matching the two
pieces of furniture well.

Along
the third wall closest to them, four fancy western saddles rested on metal
stands. Her rewards for winning barrel racing contests. Or her mother’s.

“It’s
nice. I like it.” He smiled down at her. “Beats fighting traffic on the way to work
each morning.”

“Now
that’s the truth.” She stepped farther in the room. “Do you want something to
drink?”

He
preferred to get the serious stuff out of the way first. Look her over, make a
decision whether she needed more care than he could provide, then worry about
an evening meal. “Not right now.”

She bit
her lower lip. “I’m just sore. No biggie.”

“Uh-huh.”
Stepping forward, he closed the distance between them. “I’ll believe it when I
see it.” As much as he wanted to unbutton her jeans and slip them down, he
couldn’t mistake her nervous gesture. “Do you want to put some shorts on or
just drop the jeans?”

She
peered up at him and sighed. “I guess it doesn’t make much difference in the
end.”

“Not to
me. As long as I can see.”

She
flipped the button with a huff, then unzipped her jeans. Grasping the waistband
on either side, she started pushing them down, wincing at the action.

Cody
watched her face for a moment longer before turning his attention to the skin
revealed as the material dropped to shackle her legs. “Damn.” Sure enough, a
huge purple bruise started just above her knee and splotched a line upward. He
reached out and lifted her shirt, noting the coloring extended over her ribs
and under her pretty white bra.

Ever so
gently, he ran his fingers along the area, lightly prodding here and there,
searching for hematomas. Finding none, he turned his attention to her face.

Trinity
stared at the wall as if enthralled.

He
shifted forward a hair to get a peek at her back, discovering the same kind of
marks covered the part of her left butt cheek not covered by cotton panties. He
gently covered the area and felt her jump. Most likely from his hand placement
than from discomfort from the touch, he’d wager. “Hurt?”

She
shook her head. “Not so much.”

He
didn’t detect a lie, but knew she had to be in some pain. Who wouldn’t? He’d
give her credit for being one tough cookie.

White
bikini panties drew his attention once more. The contrast with the darker
bruises almost startling.

“Cute.”
He’d often wondered what she wore under her jeans. Now he knew and wasn’t the
least displeased. Practical, yet sexy at the same time.

Her
eyebrows furrowed.

He
plucked at the hem of her underwear. “These are cute.”

A light
blush spread over her face. “Umm. Thanks.” She transferred her weight from one
leg to the next. “Are you satisfied yet?”

“That
you’re gonna live? Yeah. With the little bit of peek at you without clothes?
No.”

Her
breath hitched.

He
heard the telltale sign and cursed her poor luck for making a hash of this
night. As much as he’d dreamed of stripping her down just like this, no way
could he toss her on the bed and make sweet love to her. Not with half her left
side turned dark from her fall.

He
stroked the area once more, double-checking to make sure he didn’t miss
anything. “You’re not going to be sitting in a saddle comfortable for a few
days.”

Her
shoulders sagged and her voice turned bleak as she stared at the ground. “It’s
not like I have to worry about that with no barrel horse to ride.”

Using
his index finger, he lifted her chin. “Something will come up.”

“How
can you be so optimistic?”

“Because
I’ve been to hell and back. Things work out, sometimes with a little help,
sometimes not.”

“I’m
sorry. I’m sounding like a spoiled child. Things could have been a lot worse. I
need to be thankful they weren’t.”

“That’s
not what I meant, Trin.” He trailed his fingers along her jaw. “I meant to not
give up quite yet. There’s still time.” Unable to resist, he lowered his head
and brushed his lips over hers. “As for your comment, you’re one tough lady and
nowhere near a spoiled child. Anyone else would have crumbled a long time ago.”

“We
can’t change the past. We can only move forward.” The soft words whispered
against his mouth.

Truer words had never been said.

A
ringing of a phone interrupted his brief kiss. He pulled the phone from the
holder on the belt and checked the caller ID. “Yeah?”

“Just
checking on things.” Jared’s voice came through loud and clear. “We were
worried with stallion going out in an air cast and Trinity not sticking around
to get checked out.”

Cody
watched Trinity pull her jeans back up, trying to suppress the flinch in the
process. Still sexy despite the obvious discomfort. He couldn’t wait for the
day he could shove the denim down himself, toss it aside, and see her in all
her naked glory. His tightening cock agreed. “She’s bruised up something awful,
but will be fine. The stud passed all the tests at the equine clinic with
flying colors.”

“Thank
goodness. Does that mean she’ll be back tomorrow night?”

“No.
The vets there recommended Legacy take a week or two off. She doesn’t have a
back-up mount, so she’ll be scratching for the rest of the weekend.” Most
barrel racers had two horses they trailered to each event, just in case one had
illness or injury issues. Trinity only had Legacy.

“She
might not qualify for the finals without another rodeo between now and then.”

“Yeah.
We’re working on that.”

A
thought came to him. He didn’t want to make any calls in front of Trinity, just
in case things fell through, but as soon as he could get free he’d put his plan
in motion.

“Are
you still with her?” Jared’s voice rose at the end in timbre.

“Yeah.”

“Good.
Planning on spending the night?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay
then. I’ll tell Jerry you’re off shift until tomorrow morning.”

“Late
tomorrow morning.”

His
uncle snorted. “I see. I’ll pass that along.” A pause followed. “Play nice.
I’ve not had near enough of those tasty pies yet.”

Cody
rolled his eyes. “I’m going now.” He clicked off to meet Trinity’s curious expression.

“Do you
need to go back to work now?”

“Not
until late tomorrow morning.” He searched her face.

“Oh,
okay.”

Unable
to read her, he asked the all-important question. “Do you want me to leave?”

Her
mouth fell open as surprise reflected in her eyes. “Where did you get that
idea?”

He
shrugged. “Just checking because I’m kind of stuck.”

Her
eyebrows furrowed.

Either
the fall rattled her brain more than he’d thought or his touch-and-feel session
shook her up. His gut told him the latter. “We came in your truck. Unless I call a cab or bum a ride, I’m on foot
to return to work.”

Her
features relaxed as a smile appeared on her face. “Oh, we couldn’t have that.
Not after all the effort we went through to get your sore feet feeling better
from those silly boots.”

“Does
that mean you’ll give me a lift?”

“Absolutely.”
She strode toward the kitchen. “In the morning.”

Relief
surged even as a small token of concern remained. Unless he slept in his
clothes, he’d have to do some stripping down for bed. Old fear reared its
stubborn head. He smacked them back down with determination.

“Does
that mean I can sleep in the stable tonight?” he teased.

“Nope.
You can stay right here. Least I can do.” After pulling the food out of the
fridge, she dug a couple of plates out of the cabinet.

His
pride burned at her almost flippant statement. “If that’s the only reason, I
would just as soon sleep in the straw.” He let his arms hang loosely at the
side and waited.

Her
gaze locked on his for several seconds. “It’s not the only reason, Cody.” The
near whisper carried easily in the silent room. “It’s just the rational one.”

Walking
forward, he halted on the opposite side of the countertop from her, resting his
forearms on the glazed top as he bent over to be eye level with her. “What
other reasons are there?” Now that they were on the subject, he needed to fill
in a few blanks for his own peace of mind.

She
went about digging out some of the food and dropping generous portions on the
plates. That done, she looked up at him. “I want you to stay. If you haven’t
realized it yet, I like you. I’m interested in you. I think we have potential.”