Page 31 of Before You Can Blink
Before I knew it, the vows had been recited, the rings exchanged, and I was given permission to kiss my bride.
Forever with the love of my life began today.
Chapter 5
Jett
Age 23
June
Therewasaknockon the motel room door, and I gritted my teeth as I rolled out of bed and padded across the room to answer it.
The latch was barely turned before the door swung open, and a vise tightened around my middle, causing me to cry out in agony.
“Jett?” I could barely hear Daisy’s sweet voice over the sharp bursts of air rushing past my flared nostrils as I tried to breathe through the pain.
“What is it? Where does it hurt?” Her tiny hands roamed over my torso, and I sucked in a sharp breath when they skated over my sore ribs. My shirt was pushed up, cool air rushed over my skin, and my heart fucking broke at the sound of her gasp when she caught sight of the tapestry of blues and purples blossoming across my side and up over my chest.
Peeking up from my battered and bruised body, her eyes were glassy as she whispered, “Oh, baby. What happened?”
I cupped her cheek, brushing away the first tear that broke free. “Looks worse than it is.”
Daisy’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re not planning to ride hurt like this tonight, are you?”
Lifting one shoulder in a half shrug, I replied, “Ridden through worse.”
“Jett.” Disapproval dripped heavily from the single syllable of my name.
“I’m fine, Daze. Nothing’s broken.” Taking a few steps backward, I sat on the edge of the mattress, trying like hell to hide my grimace when the action pulled on my stiff muscles.
With a heavy exhale, my wife folded both arms over her chest. “All right, tough guy. Lift your left arm all the way over your head without making a peep or a face, and I’ll let you ride tonight.”
The scoff flew past my lips before I could stop it. “You’llletme?”
Daisy didn’t back down, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. “You heard me.”
“Infuriating woman,” I grumbled under my breath.
“You’re only pissed that I’m right.” The sass in her tone had me itching to put her over my knee, but it wouldn’t do much to curb her attitude since we’d discovered that was something she very much liked.
The tapping of her foot on the paper-thin carpet grated on my pain-soaked nerves. “You fixin’ to prove me wrong or what?”
Fingers flexing on my jeans-clad knee, I lifted my left arm, but before my bicep became parallel with the ground, a whimper escaped past my tightly sealed lips.
Daisy hummed. “That’s what I thought. I’m telling Layla to pull you.”
Before I could utter a word of protest, she was out the door.
Lying back on the bed, I blew out a heavy breath as my eyes slid shut.
Fuck.
Injuries not only cost me potential winnings—impacting my spot on the season leaderboard—but they put me in a hole. There was no way to recoup the entry fees and motel room expenses if I didn’t compete. That money was just gone with nothing to show for it.
The bed dipped beside me, and fingers raked a soothing path through my hair. “I know you’re mad at me, but I’ve missed you.”
I captured Daisy’s wrist, dragging her hand over my face so I could kiss her palm. “I’m not angry, Daze, especially not with you. I just hate being sidelined, and you happen to be the only one here to witness my frustration.”
