Page 7 of Take Me Please, Cowboy
Rye grabbed a T-shirt, tugging it over his head, then adjusting the waistband on his sweatpants before opening the door.
A bloody young cowboy stood outside in the dirt, swaying on his feet.“I think I need stitches,” he said, slurring the words a little, but the slur didn’t hide his Southern drawl.
“What happened, JB?”Rye asked, stepping out to get a better look at the youngster who was a great kid when sober but a hothead when liquored up.
“Had some words with a knucklehead.”JB squinted through the blood.“I was winning until he hit me with a bottle.Cut me pretty good.”
“Let me get my boots and keys.I’ll be quick.”Rye was quick, too, back outside in less than a minute.He walked JB to the passenger side of his truck and opened the door for him.“Where did you get hit?There’s so much blood I can’t tell.”
JB settled in the seat.“Can’t say exactly.It all hurts.”
Rye closed the door and went around to the driver’s side.Once behind the wheel, he started the engine and pulled away from his trailer.“What about your eyes?”
JB tipped his head back.“They were brown last time I checked.”He managed a smile.“You flirting with me, cowboy?”
Rye wished he could smile, but this wasn’t the first time he’d dragged JB’s sorry self to the hospital.“You’ve got to stop drinking, JB.You’re going to tangle with the wrong dude one day—”
“He started the fight, Calhoun.I didn’t want to fight.”
Rye said nothing.Most of the other cowboys now kept their distance from JB, not wanting to be drawn into the Mississippi kid’s drama, but JB was just nineteen, his brother Jasper’s age, and Rye couldn’t help being concerned.And exasperated.
Marietta’s hospital wasn’t far from the fairgrounds, and Rye drove up to the emergency room’s entrance and parked in front of the sliding glass doors.“I’m going to wait in my truck,” he told JB.“I’ll drive you back when you’re done.”
JB hesitated.“You don’t want to come in?”
Rye had spent far too much time in hospitals, far too much time in ER.He’d do it for family, but JB could handle this on his own.“You’ll be fine.You know the drill.Go check in and they’ll do the rest.”
JB staggered out of the truck and slammed the door behind him.Rye watched him disappear through the sliding glass doors and approach reception.Smothering a yawn, Rye did a circle, looking for an open parking spot.Most of them were assigned to doctors but there were some visitor spaces and he took one of the open ones, backing into the spot so he could keep an eye out for JB, although Rye didn’t expect to see him for a good hour or two.
Parked, engine off, Rye leaned his seat back and closed his eyes, thinking another hour of sleep would be appreciated.
He was dozing when his phone rang and with a start he opened his eyes, grabbed the phone, checking the number.His mom.Rye’s stomach fell.She normally didn’t call him when he was on the road.
He answered immediately.“Everybody doing okay, Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart.We’re doing just fine.”
“How about Jasper?”
“He’s better.I promise.”She hesitated.“Did I wake you up?Am I calling too early?”
“I’ve been up for a while,” he said, returning his seat to an upright position.“What’s on your mind?”
“It’s nothing really.I suppose it could wait.But I thought, if it’s not too much trouble…” Her voice faded.She didn’t finish the sentence.
“Spit it out.No need to be embarrassed.”
“I’ve overdrawn the checking account.I thought I had enough in savings to cover, but I don’t.Is there any way you could transfer some money into my account?I’ll reimburse you back next payday.”
“Of course,” he said, knowing he’d never accept her money, and she knew it, too, although they never discussed it.“How much do you need?”
“Two thousand.That way I have enough for all the utilities—you know I’ve been running the air conditioner a lot more for Jasper—”
“You don’t need to explain.”
“But I do.And then there are the credit card payments.I don’t want to be late again.”
“I’ll transfer money now, as soon as we hang up.”
