Love Under the Western Skies

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ꜰɪᴠᴇ

ꜱᴛᴇᴠᴇ

➵➵➵➵➵➵➵❂➵➵➵➵➵➵➵

Nash didn't put up much of a fight when I appeared at the door with Rhett, just muttered about how Rae and Nathan existed before being scolded by Kristina.

And when I returned to the room, I walked into the bathroom to see Madison staring at that three-inch scar on her knee. She couldn't hide the grimace on her face when she ran her finger over the raised flesh. I quietly slipped into the bathroom, leaning against the counter, "Why do you hate it so much?" I asked, Madison didn't seem startled by my sudden appearance, and I smiled because I think she had the same sense of comfort that appeared when either of us entered a room after not being together for any amount of time.

"It's ugly," her pointer finger ran over the skin, "It's a constant reminder of losing the only thing I'm good at."

It killed me to hear Madison talk about herself like that, but before I could butt in, she continued. "I spent my entire life in rodeo, it's all I ever wanted to do," Her eyes never left the scar, but I knew she was starting to cry, I could hear the wobble in her voice, "I lived and breathed rodeo, steer roping, it was my everything, my escape, the one thing I had that was only mine. I wasn't living in the shadow of my father, or in the wreckage of my mother, I was just Madison Sawyer, a legend in the making," Her bottom lip trembled and I sunk to my knees beside the tub, it was the most vulnerable Madison had ever been with me, "then my horse spooked, I woke up in the hospital to being told they sold Miriam, I didn't even get to say goodbye," her head finally turned to face me, and I couldn't help but reach out and curl my hand around the side of her face, running my thumb across her cheek, "I didn't get to say goodbye."

It added to her fear of abandonment because if she didn't have her parents, she had her horse.

The crack in Madison's heart was wide, and I wanted to close it, I wanted to be the man who she could rely on to stay steadfast in her life, I wanted her to wake up and know how loved she was, how good at everything she was. She stepped into the role of being my babysitter, dropped that and became my friend then became lover, while also being the mother my son needed. Madison gave for everyone else, but no one gave for her.

"They bought Peanut as an apology, and I love her, and I love you for saving her," I smiled at Madison's words, her eyes never leaving mine, "Ever since that accident my life has been planned for me. It was too dangerous for me to get back on a horse to compete, so I gave up and went to college for management. Then my dad begged me to work for Sawyer's and he controlled every aspect of my life again. I haven't known freedom in so long Steve," I lifted her upper body when she broke, sobs leaving her mouth faster than she could get air, and I held her, soaking my clothes as she shattered in my arms.

"I have you baby," I whispered in her hair, "God I have you, you're not alone anymore," I whispered, crushing her body to mine when she sobbed so hard her body shook, "You're never going to be alone again baby," her fingers gripped onto my back so tightly I knew they were going to bruise, but Madison was floating and she needed me.

She needed me. And I wanted to be there for her. More than anything in the world.

When her breathing returned to a steady pace, I pulled back to look at her, blue eyes bloodshot, cheeks puffy, and she was still the most beautiful girl in the world. "There's my pretty girl," I pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear when she smiled at me, "I want to listen to you talk Madison, but I want to get you into bed where you're comfortable and there's not a tub separating us," she let out a small laugh, "Let me get you some clothes." I carefully placed her back into the water, smiling softly when she squeezed my hand.