"I'll see you in two weeks. Make sure you go to PTas well as do the stretches at home." Dr. Saban said as I finally got to leave the hospital after being there for 13 days."You go it it doc." I said loudly as I got out of the wheelchair. It feels so good to walk around. Well it does when I'm allowed to walk instead of being carried. I got 3 steps in before Kayce carried me to his truck to bring me to the ranch, since I wasn't allowed to be alone until I could drive again in a month. "There ya go baby, let me get the belt." Kayce said, reaching over me to buckle me. "I got it. I'm not broken Kayce I can walk." I said back, a little frustrated. I hadn't been left alone since I got to the hospital and I missed work. Kayce wrapped his hand around my arm and said, "I know but I owe ya baby. I can help. What's wrong?" I sighed,"Can you bring me to my office?" He glared at me,"For what?" I looked at him, with puppy eyes hoping I could win this one, "I can just sit in my office doing files! I won't-." Kayce immediately cut me off."No, no work until you're healed. You heard the doctor." I groaned, "I'd be sitting, it's not even work," I argued back. He looked over at me and got serious, "Not a chance baby." I crossed my arms over my chest as he started backing the truck out of the parking lot. I tried one more time,"Ugh, can you at least bring me to the courthouse? If we go now I could make the afternoon sessions? I'll sit in the audience!" Kayce laughed,"Only you would enjoy listening to court cases. But no. We're goin' home honey." I perked up, "My home?" Kayce sighed, "No. I'm taking care of you. I got the next 6 weeks off work to care for you, remember? Now please relax. If you do well tomorrow after PT, maybe I'll bring you to court to watch." I smiled and sat back in my seat.
Everyone was on the porch as we pulled in. Tate ran over and opened the door for me giving me a big hug. The wranglers cheered as I got out and started to walk up the driveway but per usual, I was swept up into Kayce's arms and I groaned.Ryan made his way over and said, "Hey B baby, how ya feelin?" I felt Kayce's muscles tense as he called me baby, but I've been friends with Ryan just as long as I have been with Kayce. I wiggled in Kayce's arms, "A whole lot of man handled honestly, That's my only complaint," I said back very seriously to Ryan as everyone laughed. Kayce grinned, "Get used to it baby." I rolled my eyes as he carried me inside to sit me on the couch. Tate not thinking came and jumped in my lap on my hurt leg and I yelped out in pain."Tate get off now! What are you doing? You alright baby, let me see." Kayce yelled at Tate who started to cry and ran upstairs." Tate." I yelled out after him. Kayce was pawing at me trying to look at my leg and I slapped his hands away,"I'm fine. You didn't need to yell at him, it was an accident Kayce, Jesus," I said angrily as I got up to go upstairs to comfort Tate. It took a few minutes but I got to his room and sat next to him on his bed, his face was in the pillow as he cried. "Tate I'm sorry he yelled at you. I know it was an accident and I'm not even hurt." I said softly. Tate sat up and pushed my upper body down easily so I was laying down and he nuzzled into me. "I am sorry I hurt you. I forgot and I was just excited to see you," he said quietly. I wrapped my arms around him, "I know buddy. I'm excited to see you. It's been a while, how you been feeling?" Tate uncovered his face but still spoke quietly, I have a hard time sleeping, I get nightmares that I'm back there. Sometimes they have you getting hurt but I didn't know you got hurt until the front porch. How come I didn't know?" I stared at the ceiling to stop me from crying. "I'm sorry about the bad dreams, I get them too now. You didn't know because I didn't want you to be scared. I was getting you home hell or high water. I didn't care about anything else." Tate sat up and kissed my cheek, "Thank you for saving me." I looked at him and held him closer, "I'd give my life for you Tate. Any time. I love you. I'm so sorry about everything." A quiet squeak back told me "I love you too Magic."
About 2 hours later, Kayce came and woke me. Tate had fallen asleep on my chest and we had napped together. Kayce was smiling at the sight. I slipped from under Tate so he could rest and shut the door to his room. "You have to do your stretches." Kayce said quietly. I looked at him unamused, "So you woke me up to stretch?" He nodded. I sighed and slowly decended the stairs to go outside. He grabbed my hand as I walked down then held it as we got outside and down the steps. "Walk over into the corral, you need a flat surface," Kayce said. I walked into the corral as he followed me just as the wranglers were coming in for the day. Kayce kneeled down and instructed me to hold his shoulders as the first stretch was being done. I winced and Kayce assured me I was doing great. Jaime and Lee came over, hanging on the corral. "You're doing great baby." Jaime encouraged as Kayce glared at him for the pet name. Lee laughed and said, "Hurry up and get that leg better so you can come straddle my pony baby." Kayce shot up fast making me fall backwards as he went to punch his brothers. As the three of them fought, I laid clutching my leg in pain, Rip ran to pull the brothers apart as Ryan ran over to me."B, you okay? What's hurt?" Ryan said frantically. "Fuck. My leg." I groaned back and Ryan cut my jeans off my leg to see that it had opened back up and was bleeding. "Shit B, you're gonna be okay. Rip!" he yelled. Rip had gotten the boys apart who were now running. "Fuck Ryan, I'll get the chopper. Kayce what the fuck."Rip said angrily. "Baby I'm so sorry, fuck! I forgot you were holding onto me." Kayce said frantic. "No Kayce, yet again your jealousy got the best of you because you can't help yourself. We all love her. We're all attracted to her. Be a man and earn her for fuck's sake." Jaime said angrily. I yelled in pain."Would all of you shut the fuck up and get my pain meds? I'm not a pawn in this game, I belong to no one." The chopper landed and I jumped in. Kayce tried to get in and I pushed him back. "I'm coming," he said firmly. I yelled back,"No you're not. Figure out your jealousy Kayce, apologize to your brothers. I'm taking Ryan." Ryan boarded and shut the door as we headed
back to the hospital.
The doctors quickly patched me up and sent me home. By the time I was discharged, Kayce had been walking into the hospital. Ryan and I were talking when he walked into the room. "You in love with her still?" Kayce asked angrily. I was confused and looked at Ryan. Ryan stood up, "Always have been, always will be." he said sounding smug. That confession surprised me, I knew Ryan, we were good friends. Kayce's words interrupted my thoughts, "Well at some point you think you'd have learned she was mine and to back off..." I spoke up angrily,"Did you go deaf back there? I told you to figure out your jealousy. I don't belong to you, I'm a person not property. So how about some fucking respect?" Kayce stared at the floor. "I do respect you. I know your value," he said quietly. "If you respected me, you wouldn't talk about me like I'm property. We're not together. I am single, so if what people say to me doesn't bother me, it shouldn't bother you either. We're working on friends, remember?" I said loudly. Kayce just nodded as the nurse brought in the discharge papers.
"I'd like to go back to my own house."I said. We had gotten in Kayce's truck, Ryan was in the back seat sleeping. "Baby you can't yet, I'm sorry," Kayce said, sounding defeated. I rolled my eyes and huffed. "I'd be better off by myself than with you. You're the reason I had to go back to the hospital." Kayce pulled the truck over and got out, putting his hands on the back of his head looking at the side of the road. "Are we back?" Ryan asked."No, he needed a minute I guess," I said back. Kayce seemed to be frustrated, his muscles were tense, he stood straight up. I sighed, "I'll be right back." I got out and walked up to him, placing my hand on his neck as I faced him. He was crying and wouldn't look at me."I'll have Ryan drive and I'll sit in the back with you." I held my hand out and it took a minute but he took it and followed me back to
the truck. "Hey RyRy, can you drive please?" l asked sweetly. "Sure B, to the ranch?" he said back and nodded, getting up front. I pushed Kayce into the back behind Ryan so he could have privacy while he cried. I got in and he pulled me onto his lap, buckling us into the seat together. He kept his face in my neck with his arms around me. I traced my finger tips up and down his arm to soothe him. I whispered, "We can talk when we get back," and he nodded softly. I noticed Ryan watching us in the mirror and gave him a small smile.
Back at the ranch. Kayce headed inside. Ryan stood with his hands in his pockets, "You're the best person I've ever met B. You're kind, loving, loyal to a fault. It's always been him huh?" I looked at him, "Not always Ryan. Not right now either. But he's going through something and everyone deserves to have compassion during hard times." Ryan smiled, "You're too good for this world. Too good for me, for him too. You deserve better. I hope one day you have someone who deserves you." I sighed, "I'm not too good for anyone, I have my own issues I just don't let everyone see them often. I'm sorry I didn't realize you had feelings for me. Had I realized, I would have let you down gently, you've always been my closest friend. I'm sorry I don't feel the same, I wish I did. You're amazing and you'll find someone just as amazing. But if Kayce and l end up together, it's because he earned me. He'd have made it up to me, proven what needs to be proven to me, and he's good for me. He's a good man Ry, a fantastic father, a good son, a loving friend. He'd do anything for who he loves. Please don't let his love for me cloud your judgement of him, please see who he is as a man. Because Kayce as a man, as a human, deserves better than what life has thrown him too." Ryan smiled a small smile,"Make him earn you. I hope if he's who you want, that he is who makes your soul feel whole. Don't settle for less than what you deserve. I love you B. l always have, I always wished I was the man for you
But thank you for being kind and letting me know so I could move on." I smiled, "I'm so sorry if I ever led you on, I truly didn't know how you felt. I love you RyRy. Don't ever settle for less than butterflies okay? Find someone who never makes you lose the feeling of butterflies when you look in their eyes okay?" He nodded and we hugged, then he headed to the bunkhouse as i
headed inside.
