Ride Me Cowboy #4 (The Cowboy Romance Series - Book #4) by Alycia Taylor Page B

leaned down
and pressed a kiss to his lips. When I pulled back he was smiling, but he also
had a strange look on his face. “What?”
    He reached up and brushed a piece of hair out of my
face. “You’re so beautiful.”
    “Thank you, but that’s not what you were thinking
just now.”
    “It’s just funny how much has changed since that
first day you drove up on the ranch. You were prepared to hate it here…”
    “I was. It’s funny how all of this beauty and fresh
air grows on you.”
    “Is that it?”
    I grinned. “Are we fishing for compliments?”
    Grinning back, he said, “Maybe a little.” I cupped
his face in my hand and kissed him again, harder this time.
    “Does that answer your question?”
    He nodded. “Thank you.”
    We enjoyed our lunch and made it back to the house
before Rob and Mom. We kept our distance from each other when Rob was around.
That was mostly me, I didn’t want to give him anything else to use against
Mark. We were good in front of Mom, too, but we could at least show our
friendship in front of her. The days passed and we grew closer – then the days
turned into weeks and with daily walks and horseback rides, a carnival in town,
and stolen kisses every chance we got, I began to believe that my feelings
towards Mark had far exceeded the level of friendship. I was falling in love
with him. I didn’t say anything to him about it and I’m not sure that I ever
would, but I could no longer deny it to myself.
    I woke up sick to my stomach the morning of Mark’s
final doctor’s appointment to find out if he could ride in the rodeo this
weekend. I was so torn about all of this. I hated the sad look on his face when
he talked about not being able to qualify for the finals after all of the hard
work he did to get this far. But at the same time, I was terrified of him going
back in there and getting hurt again…or worse. I resolved not to say anything
to him about that, though. No matter what, I planned on being supportive. I met
him downstairs in the kitchen. He was eating breakfast. When I walked in, he
looked up and smiled. I could see the excitement in his eyes. He wanted this
day to go his way so badly and his enthusiasm was enough to make me want the
same. “Good morning,” he said.
    “Good morning.” I poured myself a cup of coffee and
came over to sit across from him at the table.
    “Lydia left a plate of breakfast in the microwave
for you.”
    I rubbed my stomach and said, “I don’t think I can eat
yet.”
    “You okay?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just a little nervous about the
appointment today.”
    “Don’t be. I called Tuck Raber .”
    “Oh…well that makes it all better…” he was beaming.
    “Yes, it does.”
    “Who the hell is Chuck Raber ?”
    He laughed. “Not Chuck, Tuck. He’s a rodeo doctor
who’s been around for twenty five years. He’s agreed to come see me if the
surgeon doesn’t consent to releasing me.”
    “And do what?” I asked.
    “Examine me…give me a second opinion.”
    “So he’s easily manipulated?” I was a little worried
about this new development.
    Laughing he said, “No. Really. He’s a good doctor. But
he can relate to what we do. He was a saddle bronc rider for years before he got his medical degree. He understands that this is
our life and all he does is treat rodeo injuries. He’s an orthopedic specialist,
too, so it’s not like he’s just some country bumpkin doctor. If he honestly
believes it will cause me further injury to go back out there, he’ll tell me.”
    “I’ll have to meet this doctor and decide for
myself,” I told him, still skeptical. He smiled.
    “I like that you’re so worried about me.”
    “There was something I didn’t tell you about that
day I did all of that research into the rodeo. Do you know that it is one of
the most dangerous organized spectator sports in the world?”
    “Yep, I did know that.”
    “Do you know that out of all seven traditional
events that bull riders receive