Page 57 of Entwined Hearts
I should’ve hit him harder. Hit him until every moment he had with her was wiped clean from his undeserving memory.
“Figured. I’d say maybe another six weeks minimum before you’re okay to ride.”
Six weeks. Six weeks until I could feel the bull handle in my hand, hear the roar of a crowd, or say goodbye to it all. It felt like forever. It felt like no time at all.
I swallowed roughly. “Sounds good.”
“You’re way less excited than I expected,” Matt said, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“Just a lot sooner than I thought, that’s all,” I replied. I shook his hand and promised to see him next week. On the way out of the rehab building, I tossed my sling in the trash, not wanting to look at it for another second.
“Six weeks,” I sighed, staring out into the parking lot. I sent Sav a text with the news, not exactly sure how she’d take it. And then I called the second person who needed to know.
“Weston!” Austin said as he answered the phone. His smile was thick in his voice. “Just the man I wanted to hear from.”
I rolled my eyes. If he wanted to hear from me so bad, then why not just call me? “Hey,” I said with about half his enthusiasm. “Just left PT.”
“And?”
“Said another six weeks.”
There was only silence. Silence long enough that I pulled the phone from my ear to see if the call dropped. It hadn’t. “Austin?”
“I’m here.” There was a long sigh. “That’s…a while. Not what I was expecting.”
My grip tightened on the phone. “Well, it was three months two weeks ago, so I’d say that’s pretty good progress.”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course. What about those plasma injection things? I’ve read those speed up healing. You could be back in half that.”
I scowled at the pavement. Was he serious? “I’m not injecting myself with shit just to get back before my body is ready,” I said through clenched teeth. Beau pulled up to the curb, watching me with a frown.
“It’s not shit. It’s your own blood. The cells?—”
I cut him off. “I don’t care.” Beau tapped his wrist, and I held up a finger. I swallowed roughly. “Actually, I’m thinking about taking a step back.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Maybe even hanging it up.”
The words were deafening as I said them. I couldn’t believe my mouth could even form them. It somehow felt even more real now that I’d said it to someone other than Sav. Like the final snowflake that causes an avalanche.
Austin scoffed. “Hang it up? Are you kidding me?” I didn’t say anything. “You’re at the height of your career, Weston. Number three in theworld. After everything we’ve worked for, after eighteen years of blood, sweat, and tears, retiring now would be a mistake. A colossal one.”
My chest burned hot like acid. “It’smyhard work that got me where I am,” I growled. “No one else’s. Just like it’smydecision to make. And what you’re not gonna do is pressure me into coming back before I’m ready.” I ended the call before he could respond, sick of feeling like nothing more than a commission check to him.
Beau was quiet as I climbed into the truck, but I knew he wouldn’t be for long. “Thanks for getting me,” I murmured, looking out the window.
“Of course.”
“I’m cleared to drive now, so I won’t need rides anymore.”
He chuckled. “That’s good considering you drove last night.” There was a beat of silence. “Which was somethin’.”
I wasn’t sure which part he was referring to, so all I said was, “Yeah.”
“So what does that mean for, you know, you and Savannah?”
I ran my hands over my jeans, straightening in my seat. “Not really sure. There’s a lot to talk about.” I didn’t know if she was staying here or what I was doing. “A lot of decisions to make.”
“About what?”
“Her work…mine.”
