Chapter 8

She pulled out of his arms, stepping back as she drew in a deep breath, ready to argue. "Don't ‘Katie' me. Why is this even a question? Of course I'm going to come watch."

Nick shook his head. "Look darlin', you said yourself, the idea of watching me compete scares you. And I don't want—"

"I didn't say that!"

"Katie…"

"I didn't. I said it worried me. I have a right to be worried. It's dangerous; you know it is." She crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't want to have another meltdown, especially not out in public.

Nick sighed. He swept his black cowboy hat off his head with one hand, while the other shoved through his thick hair in a gesture that was pure frustration. "Okay, worried not scared. But I don't want you to have to see it if it's going to upset you. There's no reason for you to have to do that."

Katie glared at him through narrowed eyes. She kept her mouth closed and breathed rapidly through her nose, fully aware that she was sounding like a bull about to charge. She felt like it too. "There is a reason. You're my…my…" She trailed off.

She didn't really have the words to describe what he was. Nothing that wasn't going to feel silly coming out of her mouth anyway.

What was Nick to her? Her boyfriend? That sounded so high school, and it didn't quite cover the intensity of what she felt for him. Her lover? Accurate, but it was weird to call him that. What he was, was her Daddy. The title felt right for him, and she loved saying it, just as much as he loved hearing it.

She was getting to the point where she wouldn't even care if people heard her calling him that. It had taken some time, but it wasn't like it mattered. Daddy was such a common term these days, and even if people suspected they had a D/s thing going on… so? No one was going to care what a bartender and a cowboy did in their free time.

But until she gave in and actually asked him to be her Daddy officially, it didn't seem right to refer to him as her Daddy in this situation. During scenes or in the bedroom, sure, but not… not like this.

It was her own stubborn fault, but that's how it was. The silence stretched out and she shook her head, dismissing all of that. "You're my guy, of course I should be there to see you."

If he noticed the pause, or realized she'd been seeking a different word, Nick didn't comment on it. "I appreciate that, sweetheart, and of course, I'd love to have you there…"

She brightened, starting to relax, until he continued, "but not if it's going to be upsetting for you. I'll bring you home and as soon as the competition is over, I'll come back. Bet I'll have a big trophy to show off too."

Stress on top of too much heavily sauced meat, was making her stomach roil and pitch unpleasantly. She couldn't tell if the building fire in her gut was emotional or physical, but there was definitely a burning sensation inside that she didn't much care for.

"Nick, if this is part of your job as a cowboy, then I have to get used to it. I can't just hide away at home and wait for you to show up with a prize." Her voice trembled even though she tried to keep it steady.

"It's not hiding, to avoid watching something that's going to upset you. I'm just trying to keep you safe, Katiegirl."

"Well, that's not your job," she snapped. The instant it left her mouth she felt bad about it.

It was true. It wasn't his job, because she hadn't given him that job yet. The conflict between modern feminist and submissive rose once again. It was overwhelming.

She wanted to scream. The feminist side was busy gloating, because this was exactly why Nick shouldn't be in charge. If he was, he'd force her to sit at home, instead of going to the rodeo like she intended.

The submissive side of her was frustrated that Nick didn't just take control. He knew what she wanted. If he would just stop waiting for her to spit it out, everything would be easier. Knowing it was unfair to blame this on him didn't help in the slightest.

Nick growled and shoved his hat back on his head. "You're lucky it's not my job," he said in a deliberately calm tone. "But you're right. If you want to go to the rodeo I can't stop you. I don't have to be the one to drive you there though… that's not my job either."

Her mouth dropped open and a second later she snapped it shut again. He was right. "I can drive myself then." She hated that there was such an obvious pout in her tone, but she couldn't help it.

"You can… fuck." Nick blew out a loud whoosh of air as someone bumped into him from behind. He looked around, realizing they'd stopped to argue in the middle of everything, and sighed. "We need to get out of the way."

Her cheeks were suddenly blazing with heat as she realized they'd been putting on a show. With so much going on, it was likely no one had paid them much mind, but still. She followed as he moved out of the street, finding an empty spot against a building between two stalls, where they wouldn't be blocking traffic.

The short break didn't help. If anything it seemed to ramp up her emotions.

Nick, on the other hand, sounded calmer when he spoke. "Katie, this isn't how I wanted our day to go. I've been looking forward to it all week."

"Me too," she admitted. With her working until late at night, and him having to be up at sunrise, it was often days before they could see each other. Even then the time tended to be limited because one of them had to go to work or was falling asleep. When their days off matched, it was like a gift, and she'd been waiting anxiously for this one.

And then she'd messed it up. Not just once, but… three times now? Well, maybe getting spanked didn't count as messing up exactly. Nick probably didn't mind. He loved to spank her.

But this was the second fight of the day and that was no good. She closed her eyes and drew in a slow deep breath, holding it until she started to feel dizzy before she let it out in a whoosh. It helped release some of the stress.

"You're right, Nick. I'm sorry. I'm not sure what's wrong with me today. I've been feeling like my skin is too tight lately. Just sort of anxious all around." She realized she was playing with her hair, something she tended to do when she was nervous, and let her hand drop.

Nick's dark eyes focused on her for a long moment. He seemed on the verge of saying something, but only shook his head instead. A few more seconds clicked by. "I'm going to drive you home. It's up to you if you want me to come back over afterwards. If you're mad and don't want to see me then—" He shrugged. "that's up to you, I guess."

She'd hoped he'd change his mind, but apparently not. She glared at him and then looked away, staring at an empty spot on the ground. "You're such an asshole sometimes."

His lip twitched like he was trying to hide a grin. "I've heard that before, yeah. If it's any consolation, darlin', I'm not trying to be a dick. This is the caretaker part of me. We both know that it's going to upset you to watch."

After her tantrum earlier about how nervous she was about him competing in the rodeo, she couldn't very well go back now and say he was wrong. She didn't want to see him ride. Every second was going to be terrifying as she waited for him to get hurt.

And if he did get thrown off, she was likely to have a full-on panic attack right there in the stands.

He just didn't get that waiting at home and hoping he was okay wasn't going to be any easier. At least she'd know immediately when he finished the event if he was injured. But it was clear he wasn't going to change his mind, so she let her shoulders slump in defeat. "Okay, you can bring me home."

She hadn't said she wouldn't follow him over in her own car, of course, but Nick seemed to take it for granted that he'd won. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "That's my girl. Thank you." He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her back into the crowds so they could make their way to the end of the street.

The walk back to the truck was silent. She squeezed her stuffed prize, while Nick shot her looks. He was probably trying to decide if she was mad, but she wasn't. She was just doing her best to project an image of pouting surrender so he wouldn't think she'd given up too easily.

Because she hadn't given up.

When, and she could admit to herself it was definitely going to happen, he became her Daddy, he'd have the right to keep her safe. Until then, she was in charge of herself. She couldn't make him bring her, of course. He was right about that, but she could certainly bring herself, and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt anything.

It seemed like a fair compromise. He wouldn't need to worry about her being upset. She'd know instantly if anything went wrong, and she wouldn't be left waiting at home. Win-win as far as she was concerned.

When he pulled up in front of her house, she hurried to unbelt and jump out before he could come around, as usual. When he got there, he pulled her into his arms, giving her a serious look. "You're going to stay away from the rodeo, right?"

Her heart fluttered and she swallowed. "Yes." It was a lie, but she'd already committed to a course of action, and she wasn't going to back out now.

He must have been a little suspicious about her giving in. "Promise?"

She rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed that he needed extra reassurance. "Yes, Nick."

His body softened and a smile crept across his mouth. "Thank you for not fighting me on this."

She let out a long woe-filled sigh. "It's fine. I get it. When do you think you'll be back?"

He sucked his teeth, a thoughtful look on his face as he did the math. "I'd give it about three hours total. They capped the list at twenty and the individual time slots go really fast, but it is a show after all. There's gonna be all kinds of theatrics."

Katie nodded. "Things will run late downtown; everything should still be open by then. If you're feeling up to it, we can go back."

"Hope so. I'm going to be starving. Competing always makes me hungry." His hands slid down to her ass and squeezed. "In more ways than one.

"Now that sounds like fun." His hands had reawakened the soreness from the spanking, but the throbbing wasn't entirely unpleasant, and it stirred other things in her body. Then she frowned. "Wait… what happened to no sexy times for me?"

A look of consternation twisted his expression, making it clear he'd forgotten about that, but he recovered quickly. "Well, since you've been so understanding about waiting at home… maybe I can let that go this time," he said. "Good girls do deserve to be rewarded."

It was a suggestion that should have thrilled her, and it would have, if she was going to be good. Her plans, however, didn't involve sitting passively at home being well behaved. Guilt started to rise, but Nick didn't notice.

"I better get going. Kiss for luck?" He pulled her up tight against his body and his mouth came down on hers. It was a hard, hungry kiss. His tongue probed between her lips, tasting her for only a second before he pulled back. "I'll see you soon, darlin'."

She hurried into the house, because she knew he wouldn't leave until she was safe inside. It was broad daylight and there was no danger on her quiet street, but it was a habit with him. She waved from the doorway as he drove off.

But as soon as he was out of sight, she grabbed her keys and got in her car. The drive to the county fairgrounds, where the rodeos were held, didn't take long normally. There was more traffic than usual though, and she took her time to make sure Nick would get there long before she did.

She found a place in the crowded stands and tried not to bite her nails while she waited. The hard wooden bench made her sore butt ache, so maybe that was part of the reason for all the squirming. Mostly it was nerves.

The rodeo clowns in the ring weren't entertaining enough to distract her. Worse, their theatrics, parodying various events, seemed to make her more jittery. Her right foot was tap-tap-tapping nonstop as she watched. She was all too aware that the show between events was only part of their job.

Their other purpose was to protect the cowboys during the most dangerous competitions. Luckily, Nick wasn't doing the bull riding event today. She wasn't sure she could have handled watching that. Bareback on a horse was going to be hard enough.

She'd never seen the event live, but she knew that Nick would be subjected to a short ride full of bucking and kicking as the horse tried to throw him off. There would be no saddle or stirrups, just a leather strap he could only hold with one hand.

She gulped and tried to calm herself with slow deep breaths. All too soon the rodeo clowns, with their bright and flashy outfits, were trotting out of the dirt ring and the announcer was calling up the next event.

His job was to make everything sound more exciting, more dangerous. She knew that, but every word made sitting there harder. She tuned out as he explained the rules. She didn't need to hear how it was the most physically grueling event of the rodeo. That was definitely information she hadn't wanted to have, and her stomach lurched.

Katie shoved her hands underneath her butt, to keep from gnawing her nails into a bloody mess, as the first competitor burst from the gate. One arm raised high in the air, his feet lifted to the shoulders of the horse, he seemed precariously placed from the start. She had no idea how anyone could ride like that.

And the animal was… a monster. Every movement was pure violence.

It never stopped. Its body seemed to fold in half with its attempts to throw the cowboy. A digital clock counted the seconds, and the audience chanted along with it, but as it reached seven, the cowboy lost his grip and hit the dirt. Hard.

There was a chorus of "Awwwww" from all around her, as the announcer said he was disqualified for not making the time, but Katie was more worried about his safety. He'd landed so hard she was sure he had to have broken something.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she held it without noticing as she watched fearfully. To her surprise he was only down for a second before he stumbled to his feet. Mounted men were immediately between the horse and the fallen rider to protect him, and help him catch his balance.

He waved to the crowd to let them know he was okay, and then leaned down to snatch his battered hat off the ground. By the way he beat the dust off it, slamming it against his thigh, it was clear he was frustrated, but the other cowboys greeted him with backslaps and cheers when he went through the gate.

Katie kind of wished she had paid attention to the rules, because she wasn't really sure what was going on, except that they had to stay on the horse for a full eight seconds. It was all chaos and confusion as the next few contestants came out. The announcer seemed to have something personal to say about each one. Little tidbits to engage the audience, she guessed.

A woman was the second in line, and that caught Katie's attention. ("Mother of three and co-owner of the Farewell Ranch, Alice Rhodes!") Female cowboys weren't unheard of, but they were vastly outnumbered by the men. Somehow, she hadn't expected to see one in an event like this, but she was glad when the woman lasted out the time and slid to the ground gracefully at the end.

The following two men made the time without losing their seat as well, but the next one flew off almost immediately. He didn't take it as well. He cursed up a blue streak as he stalked out of the ring. She noticed he was holding his side, so maybe it wasn't only anger, but pain too, causing the twisted scowl on his face.

And then Nick's name was announced, and she froze in her seat. She watched from a distant place, as if she was not right there, on a hard wooden bench, watching the man she'd fallen in love with laughing on the back of a horse as they waited for the gate to open.

She could hear the announcer talking about him. "Now, this is Nick Crowe next, and if you haven't seen him ride before, you're in for a treat. He was a circuit rider back in the day, but it's been a while. Sure hope he's kept on top of things."

A bell rang. The gate flew open, and the horse charged out, already bucking its hindquarters up before it was even out of the chute. "There's the mark out; perfect. Ooh, looks like Nick's riding a stallion today—you don't see many of those in the rodeo, and—whewwww that's some powerful kicks there."

She couldn't separate the roaring of the crowd from the rushing in her ears. Dizziness swept over her.

Before this Katie would have said eight seconds was a blink of time, barely noticeable. Not today. Today every second dragged out like an hour, and she wasn't sure she took a breath the whole time.

The spotted stallion kicked and lunged, and when that didn't work, he tried spinning, to buck Nick off sideways. Her Daddy, with one hand raised in the air, somehow stayed on. His ass lifted so high she was sure he would go sailing right over his mount's head, but miraculously, he managed to compensate, throwing himself back against the momentum.

"They say bareback riding is like trying to ride a jackhammer with one hand, and they aren't wrong. We're seeing some real skill here, ladies and cowpokes. We're definitely looking at a money score, unless I miss my guess."

She could hear the praise and the cheering around her, but her eyes never left Nick as his body was whipped back and forth. And then… the buzzer rang and everyone around her cheered. That meant he'd made it eight seconds, but apparently no one had told the horse because it didn't stop its wild gyrations.

Riders were moving in on both sides to guide the horse to a stop, but they weren't fast enough. With one last brutal kick, Nick was sent sailing. He landed in a crumpled heap, face to the dirt.

Katie's heart seemed to stutter in her chest. For a moment the world froze around her, and when time lurched forward, she let out a scream. Both hands flew up to cover her mouth, but not her eyes, because she had to keep watching to make sure he was okay.

When he didn't immediately get to his feet the crowd went quiet and the silence stretched out for nearly a minute.

Her insides were a twisted mess, and she could taste bile rising at the back of her throat. "Please be okay. Please be okay," she whispered in a panicked voice. She couldn't move. Could barely breathe. Her stomach felt like it was full of ice.

But then he rolled over and sat up, shaking his head. One of the mounted men jumped down to give him a hand up, while the other dealt with the horse. Nick was nodding as he stood. His mouth twisted. He stretched and nodded again to something the other man said.

A few seconds later he turned to the crowd and gave them a wave. The roar from the audience was deafening, but she barely noticed as she checked for visible signs of damage. From where she sat, he seemed to be more-or-less intact. There was too much distance between them to be sure, until he smiled.

His smile was so broad, she could see the flash of white from his teeth and she blew out a long breath of relief. That had to mean he was okay, but the relief was somewhat short lived. As he turned to walk away, she noticed a pronounced limp, and his steps were slow. Someone else ran out to grab his hat and take charge of the horse.

As Nick disappeared from sight, she could see handlers flanking him. And her Daddy seemed to sag, allowing them to help.

Katie was on her feet and hurrying to the end of the row before she even thought about what she was doing. She only had the vaguest idea of where Nick would be, but she was determined to find him. Bumping into people and blurting out hasty apologies, she pushed through the crowd, making her way to the competitor side of the ring.

There was a whole back section roped off for the cowboys. It was guarded by security, and they were checking passes before allowing anyone through. Katie, of course, didn't have a pass.

The guard closest to her, wearing a nametag that proclaimed him to be Tom, shot her a skeptical look, one eyebrow raised. "Sorry, miss. Can't let you through. Things are real busy back there. Besides, it's not safe."

"But Nick… my D-uh boyfriend, just got thrown. I need to see him and make sure he's okay," she explained desperately. Her heart was racing, and she was frantic with the need to get to Nick.

The guard tipped his hat back and shook his head. "Real sorry about that, but I'm sure he's in good hands. There's doctors back there and he'll get looked at."

"But, I need—"

"Sorry. Listen, there's a lot of ladies who are into uh…" He cleared his throat. His mouth tilted up at one side. "Well, into cowboys. They all want to get back there, especially when it looks like a man mighta made some money. Now, you can go wait over there with the other buckle bunnies, and when he comes out, you can take your shot like the rest. Pretty thing like you, I'm sure you'll catch someone's eye."

Katie's mouth dropped open. She knew exactly what a buckle bunny was, and she was anything but. Plenty of women claimed the title proudly. She saw them in the bar flirting with the cowboys all the time in their short skirts and boots.

There was nothing wrong with that. Everyone had a type, and she admired their self-confidence in going for what they wanted, but she doubted the guard had meant it as any kind of compliment.

She narrowed her eyes. "Now listen, you asshole. I am not a buckle bunny. I'm in a relationship with Nick Crowe and he just limped off that field. I'm going in there to make sure he's okay and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop me." She headed for the opening.

He frowned and moved to block her, she twisted around him and kept going. But when he grabbed her arm, her bartender instincts kicked in and she threw a punch at his middle, sending the air whooshing out of him.

That was usually enough to make any man who grabbed her let go. When that didn't work, she would follow it up with a drink to the face—but that wasn't an option this time. So when his hand tightened on her arm, she aimed a hard kick to his shin. Sure, it was a little girly, but the shins were sensitive and she, like everyone else during cowboy days, was wearing boots.

The guard snarled and finally let go of her. Katie didn't wait for him to recover. She took off running through the entrance in a headlong sprint that was more about putting distance between them than finding Nick at this point.

Behind her there was outraged yelling, but she didn't risk looking back to see what was going on. It was too crowded, and it was all she could do not to knock people over as she ducked and twisted through the chaos. Up ahead and to the left she saw a trailer marked with a medical sign, and she turned and pelted in that direction.

But just as she reached the stairs, someone grabbed her from behind and swept her right up off her feet. She screamed at the top of her lungs, going wild as she fought against the painful grip. "Ma'am, if you don't stop that I'm going to wrestle your crazy ass to the ground and sit on you." The snarled threat was punctuated with harsh panting.

"Nick!" she shouted, as loud as she could.

A second later the door flew open, and her Daddy appeared. He looked down and instantly took in what was happening. "Get your hands off my girl! Now!"

Katie was so relieved to see him that it took her a second to realize he wasn't wearing any pants. His button-up shirt hit mid-thigh, covering up the briefs she assumed he was still wearing. There was a roll of white medical tape hanging from one leg, which had, clearly, been in the process of being taped.

A grey-haired woman in a white coat appeared in the doorway, trying to coax him back inside, but Nick was having none of it. He pulled away from her and started down the metal stairs, in just his socks. "What the hell is going on here."

"You need to come back inside and sit down. We have to—"

"Sorry, Doc. Need to deal with this first." He didn't look back at her. Instead his gaze shifted to security.

The guard loosened his grip immediately, and Katie pulled away from him. "I told her she wasn't allowed back here unescorted, and she attacked me," he said, by way of explanation.

Katie rushed over to wrap her arms around Nick's waist. "Are you okay? I saw you fall, Daddy. Did you hurt your leg?" It was her desperate questions that got his attention first.

He squeezed her. "Katiegirl, settle down and take a breath. I'm fine. It's not a big deal." His voice was low and soothing. It helped some.

"You're not wearing any pants," she pointed out quietly. Heat rose in her cheeks when she realized she'd just called him Daddy in public. Or maybe it was because she was hugging a man who looked bare from the waist down. Both were reasons to blush.

He looked down and sighed. One hand went up to ruffle his hair, while the other remained at her back. "Had to skin off the jeans so the doctor could take a look at the whole leg."

"Oh… we should get you back inside."

"Hey, she's not going anywhere but to the police station for assault!" The guard still sounded outraged, and Katie's stomach flipped as she remembered punching and kicking him.

At the time she hadn't really been thinking coherently about anything but Nick, but now the reality was starting to set in.

Nick didn't ask her if it was true. He didn't even look down at her, which was good because she knew she had to be looking pretty guilty at the moment. Instead he focused on the guard. "You're accusing her of assaulting you? You've got a foot and a hundred pounds on her easy," Nick said, scoffing.

"That's… that's beside the point. I told her she wasn't allowed back here, and she punched me."

Katie couldn't just let that stand. "I punched him because he grabbed me, and he said I should go stand with the other buckle bunnies."

"I grabbed her because she tried to run past—"

"You wouldn't—"

"—and then she kicked me!"

"Only because you—"

"Quiet!" Nick's bellow signaled the end of his patience.

They both shut up, and so did the doctor who had kept up a persistent running monologue behind him about the need to finish taping his leg. In fact, everyone in the vicinity immediately went silent and stopped to watch.

"Tom, do you really want to go to court and tell them that a girl kicked your ass and got by you?"

"She didn't—"

"And then what's going to happen when she gets up there and says you put your hands on her first, and goes on to say it was just because she was scared her fiancé was hurt?"

"I…" The guard trailed off and Katie twisted a little to look at him over her shoulder. "She's your fiancé?"

His… fiancé?Katie's eyes widened and she quickly pressed her face against Nick's shirt to hide her reaction. He'd only said it to try and get her out of trouble, but that didn't stop the rush of emotions she felt hearing it.

"Yeah, not a buckle bunny," Nick said through gritted teeth.

There was silence and Katie couldn't resist taking another peek at the guard.

He'd pressed his lips together tightly enough that they went white and seemed to be considering the new information. He was clearly realizing that if he did pursue this any further, he was going to have an angry cowboy on his hands.

He blew out a long breath. "Okay, alright. Fine. But she still assaulted me. My shin is probably black and blue. I only grabbed her because she was ignoring me when I told her she couldn't just stroll through looking for you." He cleared his throat. "I was just looking out for her."

Her Daddy looked down at her, eyes narrowed, but before she could guess what that meant, he turned his attention back to the guard. "She was scared for me… and people don't always make the best choices when they're upset. Which is why she wasn't supposed to be here watching at all." The tone promised a reckoning later and Katie gulped.

"Still…" Tom sounded like he was weakening, but not quite convinced to let things go.

"What if I promised to take care of it personally."

"Personally?"

"Let's just say… I'll make sure she regrets acting up," Nick said, as his hand slid down to her ass and patted it firmly. There was an implication there that she couldn't ignore, and the guard seemed to get it too.

"I guess, uh, sometimes handling discipline at home makes more sense than involving the police." There was a pleased look on his face, as if he liked the idea of whatever he was picturing even better than seeing her behind bars.

Katie had to look away to hide her scowl. She felt like kicking Nick in the shins now, but she was in enough trouble. Besides he was hurt.

"It will be handled—thoroughly." Katie squirmed in his arms. Embarrassment was filling her up, leaving no room for any other emotions.

Tom didn't even bother hiding the laugh. "Fine. Just keep her in your sight. You know as well as I do that it's dangerous around here. People get hurt all the time."

"I appreciate that. She won't cause you any more trouble. You have my word," Nick said.

The guard seemed satisfied. He turned and limped away. Katie was sure he was being extra dramatic about it. If she'd really kicked him that hard, he wouldn't have been so fast on his feet chasing her. "Jerk."

"That jerk almost got you arrested, Katie." Nick's tone was serious and there was a hint of anger.

She looked up, bottom lip rolled out. "You only let him think you were going to punish me, so he'd go away, right? You're not really going to…"

"We'll talk about it later. We'll talk about everything later." The tone combined with the way his jaw clenched, made Katie's stomach do somersaults.

"If you're finished with all this drama, will you please get your stubborn cowboy ass back in here so I can tape your leg? Or do you want to finish the day in the hospital?" The doctor had lost all of her patience and was now glaring at him.

"Sorry, Doc. I'm coming," Nick said, but it was easier said than done. Getting back up the stairs was a trial, and Katie and the doctor both had to help him climb the steps. The entire time, the doctor was grumbling about cowboys, and how stubborn they were. She didn't stop until they seated Nick on one of the exam tables.

Once he was settled, Katie moved out of the way, tucking herself into a corner. She looked around with wide eyes, taking in the surprisingly spacious inside. There were multiple exam tables, and even some sectioned off cubicles along the back wall with cots. There was a shocking amount of medical machinery neatly stowed in every empty spot too. It was all very efficient.

After seeing her mother through her final days, Katie was no stranger to diagnosis equipment. Carol had been determined to be at home for the end, refusing the hospice facility in favor of familiar surroundings. But there had been plenty of emergency trips to the hospital and multiple stays of various lengths, so she'd even learned what some of the machinery was for.

That made it a little scarier, because some of it was for resuscitation and it reminded her that people did die in the rodeo. Not Nick… not this time anyway, but it happened. She wrapped her arms around herself, and turned back to pay attention as the doctor lectured Nick about making things worse by jumping up like he had.

"You realize that stunt probably made it worse," the doctor said, as she moved around collecting things.

That didn't help with Katie's guilt. If she hadn't yelled for him, he wouldn't have come out and hurt himself more. And it was clear he was in a lot of pain. His face was deliberately neutral, aside from the occasional wince, but she could see the tightness in his neck and shoulders.

"Is he going to be okay?" Katie asked.

"He'll be fine, if he listens," the doctor said, snapping the words in a tone that made it clear she doubted he would. A metal rolling stool clattered as she kicked it across the white tile floor. It stopped in front of Nick. She plopped down on it and went back to taping his knee. "Keep this taped when you're on it. Stay off it as much as possible and ice it."

"I will," Nick said. He shifted, stretching his leg out to test the tape. "Can we go?"

"Not until the radiology report comes back. I don't like the swelling in the calf. Shouldn't take long; the portable X-ray machine sends the pictures directly to them." She rolled over to the laptop stand and checked, shaking her head. "Not yet. Oh, wait…"

She trailed off as she clicked a few buttons and a report popped up, complete with notated x-ray images. She frowned and leaned in as she read through the text. "Yep, you've got a fractured fibula," she said without looking up from the screen. She seemed to be examining the images closely.

Nick sighed and shifted again. The lines at the corner of his eyes seemed more pronounced and there was a whiteness around his mouth. "Great."

She spun around and fixed him with a look that would have had Katie shivering. Nick didn't seem too fussed about it though. "It's minor, but I would recommend a cast for a month to give it time to heal."

Nick was already shaking his head. "Can't be out of work that long."

The doctor seemed to expect that and blew out an exasperated breath that made her nostrils flair. "Fine. I can put you in a walking boot, but you need to keep it on. And keep the weight off that leg for the next couple of weeks." She held up a hand when Nick started to protest. "You can argue with me, but you can't argue with your leg. If you make it worse, you could end up needing surgery."

He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. His glance slid to the side, so he wasn't looking at either of them. "Alright, I'll take the walking boot and try to wear it as much as possible."

The doctor narrowed her eyes. "Obviously, I recommend skipping any other events too."

Nick frowned, brows drawing down. "I've got one more tomorrow, and I'm going to try to see it through, if I can. Hate losing that entrance fee."

The doctor scowled at him. "You know that's a stupid idea, right? What part of ‘keep off of it' did you miss? You could very well cause permanent damage."

Nick shot Katie a look, clearly wishing she wasn't there to hear that. "I'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow. If it's not better, I'll withdraw."

Katie wasn't sure if he was talking to her or the doctor, but she wasn't reassured at all. "Nick… if the doctor says…" The panic in her voice was obvious and embarrassing, but she couldn't help it. The idea of him going back out in that ring was bad enough, but doing so when already injured?

Thatwas terrifying.