Page 45 of Cowboy of Convenience
Grady grabbed Scout's reins and led the bigger horse out of the barn. Lula Bell proved herself the right pick by falling in beside him, staying close as they went out into the yard. Grady was just about to mount up when he heard a door slam. He turned as his mother came running toward them, both arms up in the air. Lula Bell’s tail flicked, swishing from side to side as the woman who used to ride her every day closed in.
"Who are you?" His mother started screaming, shaking her fists as she approached Evelyn and Lula Bell. "Get off my horse!"
Lula Bell took a step back, clearly flustered by this different version of the woman she used to know.
"Mom." Grady abandoned Scout, going to where his mother continued rushing Lula Bell. "Calm down."
"I know what you two are doing. You're trying to steal my ranch." She continued yelling, flailing around as she tried to grab at Lula Bell’s reins.
Evelyn, not knowing what to do or how to react, gripped them tighter, yanking as she desperately tried to figure out how to get Lula Bell away from his raging mother.
"Get off my property." His mother shifted tactics and lunged at Evelyn, trying to drag her down as all hell broke loose.
Evelyn jerked in the saddle, trying to slide off the other side to escape his mother’s attack. Lula Bell panicked, dancing around before lifting her front feet off the dirt in a rear that was just enough to send Evelyn sliding straight to the ground.
"Evelyn." Grady raced toward her, heart in his throat as Lula Bell continued dancing around, her hooves coming dangerously close to Evelyn’s crumpled body. He bumped the horse on her butt, giving her a slap as he ducked down to scoop Evelyn up from the dirt.
"Calm down, Darla." Larry rushed into the mix, going straight for his mother.
"They're trying to steal my land. They want to take the ranch from me." She shoved at Larry, still trying to get at Evelyn.
Larry jerked his chin toward where Grady's truck was parked behind the barn. "You go. I've got this."
He didn't argue. Staying here now would only make the situation worse. He carried Evelyn to his truck, depositing her in the front seat before reaching out to push her hair from her face, looking her over for any injuries. "Are you okay?"
Her eyes were wide as they locked onto his face. "I'm fine."
Grady ran his palms down her arms, over her hands, along her legs. "Did Lula Bell step on you?"
"Grady." She caught his hands, holding them tight as she leaned down to meet his eyes. "I'mfine." She released her hold, lifting her fingers to trace along his face. "But what about you?"
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EVELYN
HER ASS WAS sore and she'd probably never try to get on a horse again, but any discomfort she was feeling was nothing compared to the pain etched in Grady's face.
"I'm okay." He tried to reassure her, but his words didn't sound truthful, only resigned.
Evelyn studied his face, trying to figure out what to say next. "Do we need to go back? Make sure everyone else is okay too?"
Grady shook his head, hands still gripping her thighs like he needed to hang onto something just as much as she did. "It'll only make things worse if I go back."
Not iftheywant back, but ifhewent back. It was a tiny clue about the situation she wasn't confident she fully understood, but also didn't really have the right to ask about. So she just nodded, stroking the slightly stubbly skin of Grady’s jawline in a way she hoped was soothing. "Okay."
His forehead dropped down to rest against hers and his eyes closed as she continued petting him. "My mom's had vascular dementia for the past few years. For a while it wasn’t too bad, but lately it's been getting worse. Some days she's fine, but other days—" His voice broke, shattering her heart a little at the same time.
What in the world did you say in a situation like this? She didn't have a clue, but she had to saysomething.
"Is there anything I can do?" It was a stupid question. She didn’t know how to help someone with dementia. The only skill she really had was helping people build up strength through yoga, and that certainly wasn't useful in this situation.
Grady's lids lifted and he gave her a slow smile. "You're actually doing a whole hell of a lot." He lifted his head from hers, thumbs stroking over her blue jeans. "Usually I’m on my own after something like this happens, and it's nice having you here with me." His smile slipped. "But I still wish you hadn't had to witness that."
Evelyn tried to give him a reassuring smile. "It's okay. That's what fiancées are for, right?"
Grady seemed to relax a little, chuckling at their inside joke. "That's a good point." He looked over the top of his truck door, scanning the ranch. "I could probably call Larry and see if he could bring the horses back here so you could still get the ride I promised you."
Evelyn shook her head, shifting a little on her sore rear end. "I think I might take a rain check on horseback riding. At least until the bruise on my ass goes away."
