Page 29 of Rainwater

Chapter

Eleven

“ E llie, what are you afraid of?”

They stood outside the ring where she was getting ready for her first ride of the day. They’d arrived late last night, and she immediately went to sleep. This morning she’d been silent and hardly ate anything at breakfast. The big green eyes so like her mother’s pulled at his heartstrings.

“Failing.”

“Are you afraid of what your mom will say? She’ll love you no matter what happens,” Corey said softly.

Her serious little face twisted with powerful emotion and Corey leaned closer to her. “What is it, Ellie?”

“I’m not afraid of failing Mom. I’m afraid of failing you. My dad didn’t want me. He…just left. I never got the chance—” Ellie’s anguished voice broke off.

“Ellie, I just want you to do your best, darlin’. You won’t fail me. I’m so damn proud of you right now that if my chest puffs up any more, it’s going to explode.”

“Corey?”

“What?”

“I think I’m afraid of failing myself the most.”

He pulled the girl into his arms and held her as tight as he could without crushing her. “Ellie, all you have to do is try. Just that. If you don’t try, you’ll never know whether or not you can do it.”

Limelight shifted next to her and Ellie patted the animal’s neck. Turning back to Corey, she touched his arm gently and said, “I’ll never forget this day.” Then she climbed into the saddle.

The loudspeaker’s voice boomed. “Well, Molly Duncan hasn’t disappointed us today. She has the best time. But there’s one more rider, folks, to challenge Molly. She hails from Silver Creek, Texas. Let’s see what this little lady can do.”

Corey grabbed her booted leg. “Show ‘em what you can do, little darlin’.”

Ellie settled herself deeper into the saddle and gave Limelight barely a nudge.

With the grace and beauty that Corey knew was in the mare, the horse pranced into the ring as if bred for display.

Ellie sat erect, her black Stetson pulled low over her eyes, her slim jaw tight with determination.

She was dressed in a dark green shirt with white fringe that brought out the red highlights in her tightly bound auburn braids.

Strapped to her jeans was a pair of dyed-green leather shotgun chaps with silver conchos threaded down the legs, an early birthday present from her mother.

Corey climbed the railing, his body tensing when Ellie reached the center of the ring and the horse burst into action, jumping forward with an eagerness that raced in Corey’s blood.

The eagerness to beat time. Corey watched with a knot in his throat as all the grueling training he’d put her through coalesced into a breathtaking display of pure horsemanship.

He watched her guide the horse with skill beyond her years. She was a natural-born barrel racer.

And he wished for the umpteenth time that she was his.

His breath caught while the crowd surged to its feet as she took a precariously close turn, nicking a barrel and causing it to sway. The mare careened skillfully out of the cloverleaf turn, her flying hooves kicking up clods of dirt. Ellie urged her on as they headed for the finish line.

The excited voice of the loudspeaker boomed over the ring. People were applauding and cheering so loud it was hard for Corey to hear. “She’s done it! She’s beat Molly’s time! I can’t wait to see this little lady in action tomorrow. Keep your eyes on this one. She’s going places.”

It all happened so fast that Corey barely had time to respond.

Out of the corner of his eye, he’d noticed a man having a hard time handling a big black stallion.

The horse broke loose with a sharp whinny and charged into the ring.

Limelight pulled up sharply to avoid the big black, twisting her body around, but it was too late.

Both animals collided and Corey watched in horror as Ellie flew from the saddle.

Limelight and the black also went down in a tangle of hooves and sharp piercing cries.

Corey hit the ground running, reaching Ellie’s still form first. His heart was in his throat as he turned her over.

Her sweet face twisted in agony. Between gasps of pain, she managed to say, “How about that for a dismount?” She tried for levity and failed miserably. He could see her fighting her tears and his heart almost broke for the brave front she was trying to erect.

“Ellie, where does it hurt?”

“My wrist.” She tried to crane her neck. “Limelight?”

“I don’t give a damn about the horse,” he snapped as he cradled her against him and reached for her arm, soothing her as she bit her lip against the pain.

“I hope she’s okay.” She tried to sit up, but Corey held her too tightly.

“Hold still and I’ll check.” He looked over his shoulder, his stomach muscles knotting when he realized that one horse had not gotten up. Then he saw Limelight standing on trembling legs, a man—most likely the vet—checking her over. “She’s okay, darlin’, the vet’s with her.”

Ellie sighed against him as he heard the wailing sirens of the ambulance now making its way into the ring. “Well, it looks like you’re going to ride to the hospital in style.”

“You won’t leave me?”

“Hell, no. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you,” he promised.

“Corey?” Buck McDonald hunkered down, his face full of concern. “How is she?”

Buck was a longtime friend from his rodeo days.

He’d been opening the gate for Ellie’s return when the black broke loose.

“She’ll be okay, Buck. I think it’s just a broken wrist. I would appreciate it if you could take care of Limelight, though, then meet us at the hospital so we’ll have a ride back to the rodeo. ”

“Sure, no problem, partner.” Buck smiled at Ellie and headed for the mare.

During the ride to the hospital, the paramedics immobilized Ellie’s wrist and thoroughly checked her over from head to foot. She had a few bruises, but a broken wrist was most likely the extent of her injuries.

Ellie, looking as pale as the sheet she lay on, turned her head and gave Corey a weak smile. “I beat her time. Can you believe it?”

“Yes. Ellie, you were magnificent. I’ve never seen a child as young as you handle a horse the way you did. You even amazed me.”

“It was the most exhilarating feeling I’ve ever experienced,” she agreed. “I felt as if Limelight had grown wings and we were flying around those barrels. I felt as close to her as a human being possibly can. It was like we both knew what the other was thinking.”

“So that’s your secret, you can talk to animals. Nice trick,” Corey teased. He was rewarded with a giggle.

“Thank God she’s okay,” Ellie said.

“Yeah. I know Buck. He’ll take good care of her.”

When they reached the hospital, Corey walked alongside the stretcher right into the examining room. He had no intention of letting Ellie out of his sight. He stayed through the painful ordeal of X-raying the wrist, keeping out of the way.

When they took her back to the exam room, he again went with her.

A white-coated doctor came into the room. He slipped some X-rays up on a lighted screen and studied them for a moment, then turned to Corey and cleared his throat.

Ellie’s face screwed up in pain, just briefly, as she tried to be brave.

“Are you her father?” the doctor asked.

“No, but I’m responsible for her.” His heart lurched at his own words and how deeply he meant them.

“The wrist is fractured in two places.” He gestured toward an X-ray. “We’ll put a cast on her now, and since she has no other problems, you can take her home.”

“Corey, I don’t want to go home.” Ellie’s jaw was firm and deep determination swam in her eyes.

“Ellie, we’ll talk about that later.”

A nurse bustled in. “Sir, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

“Corey, please don’t go,” Ellie pleaded.

He looked down to see the bravado totally gone, tears shining in her eyes, and he realized in an instant she had been trying to be brave for him. “Darlin’, I’m not going anywhere.” He gently caressed her face with the palm of his hand.

“You have to leave,” the nurse insisted.

“Who’s going to make me? You?” Corey challenged, thrusting out his hip and narrowing his eyes.

“Are you her kin?” the nurse asked with challenge.

“Close enough. You have some kind of argument?”

The nurse backed down and they began to put a cast on Ellie’s wrist.

Twenty minutes later, they were in the back seat of Buck’s car. Ellie’s face was set and determined, and Corey felt as if he were being attacked by a full army.

“I don’t want to go home. If I don’t compete tomorrow, I won’t have a chance at the buckle.” She stuck out her bottom lip, the sly look in her eye replaced by belligerence.

“Ellie, you’ve got a broken wrist.” He tried to reason with her, but knew that he was already losing the battle inside where it counted.

“I can still ride. I have to, Corey. I’m no quitter,” she said intensely.

“Ellie, I know you’re not a quitter, but you’re injured. It’s too dangerous,” he said, but even he could hear the doubt in his voice.

“It isn’t. I can handle a horse with one arm,” she said defiantly.

“Corey, I think the little lady deserves a chance.” Buck’s voice floated to them from the front seat.

Corey sighed. “Buck, I’m drowning here. I don’t need you pushing me under,” he said gruffly.

“Sorry,” the old cowboy said, but there wasn’t an ounce of remorse in his voice.

“Ellie, look at it from my point of view. I’m responsible for you. I couldn’t bear it if I let you up on that horse and you hurt yourself even worse.”

“You had nothing to do with me getting a broken wrist. It was a freak accident. Corey, I’ve trained so hard , please.” Tears welled up in her eyes and slipped out to run down her face. “It’s important to me.”

Her tears tore through him like little barbed arrows. He knew what it cost her to cry. He could see the effort it had taken earlier to keep herself from bawling. Through the worst of it, she’d never let even one tear fall. Courageous and tough, his little darlin’. He couldn’t say no.