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Three.
Ted walked to the barn slowly. Walking on crutches was a nightmare and he hated it, but he didn’t want to split and break his good leg. That would be his ruin!
He breathed deep to settle his temper that ran thin lately. It was his damn fault he was stuck in this hut, bored and sour, eating from cans and watching reruns of his favorite series.
If he only hadn’t been so stubborn and had listened to his older brother Rex! But no, he had to do it his way, hadn’t he?
That young bull Rex wanted to castrate had smashed Ted’s right leg when he cornered it. Who could blame the animal? They were trying to cut its jewels.
Open fracture of the tibia. He went through surgery and he had a long, straight metal rod inserted into the center of the bone to keep the bone straight and stable, and a cast to use for the first weeks.
Next week, it would be replaced with a removable brace. It will take him months to recover. He would heal faster if he rested and didn’t put too much weight on the leg, the doctor said.
And he needed physical therapy. Easy to say, but oh, so hard to accomplish for a cowboy and a bull rider as Ted was. He was restless thinking about all the things he should be doing, but he wasn’t.
Like helping Rex on the ranch. His fracture had been bad news for him but for his brothers, too. Sweet Marie, her sister-in-law, was about to pop her child.
He would be an uncle! Rex was going mental with the prospect. The bastard had his hands full and his mind was a mess. He could barely work these days.
Brad, the middle brother, was in San Francisco to record with his former band. He had been a country singer for years, but he had left that life behind till his partners called him.
Their new singer had had a diva tantrum, and they fired him. Brad didn’t want to go, but they had begged it was for a good cause. They were recording a solidarity album and all the proceeds were for cancer research.
So Brad traveled and he would be there for several weeks. Ted was on his own. That would be great if he wasn’t so dependable on people. He couldn’t drive around or ride his horse, and he refused to call Rex or Marie anytime he needed something.
Spencer, the Sheriff, Billy, the foreman of Sullivan’s ranch, and Marge visited and helped him how they can. But as he had told Marge, he needed a person in the house during the day.
He reached the stall where his stallion was. The animal nickered, avid to get its treat, and Ted put some oat in a bucket and fed it.
He patted its head and stroked its mane while the appaloosa ate, focusing on the peace of mind he felt just for being around the animal.
“Soon, Thunder. We will ride again. I miss our afternoons over the hills. We will have to mend a lot of fences when I am recovered.” The horse moved its head gently and Brad smiled.
He cursed when he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. He had to stop moving around, so he returned to the house, using the crutches properly to support his weight.
It was warm and cozy inside, and he sat on his favorite couch. The hut he lived in since Rex and Marie got married was located in the south part of the ranch. It was one of the best places in the world.
The second one was any place where he could ride a bull and feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the public roaring. Those few seconds of glory when he faced wildness and animal power were exhilarating. Dangerous.
It was quite an irony he had been injured working at home and not during a championship. He sighed. He was so bored. He wasn’t a talkative man, but he needed socialization.
At least something good had happened today. He had hired help. He grinned. Would that pretty babe show herself tomorrow? He hoped so.
She was a pretty tiny thing, all flustered and big eyes when Marge and he joked and talked shit. Those baby blue eyes were beautiful, and the curly light brown hair was a delicate frame for her rounded face. Cute, indeed!
Peggy Sue’s visitor, Marge said. Weird. The old lady was the kindest woman he knew, but he thought she didn’t have a family. Her only son had died ten years ago, and she had been a widow for decades.
Dakota, that was the visitor’s name. His new assistant’s name, he said to himself. He had to think about her duties and salary. Rex would help him with the papers and shit. He didn’t know a thing about hiring and dealing with employees.
But he surely needed the woman to cook, do the laundry, clean, and do things like that. She could drive him into town, too. The idea made him smile. He had to share the news. He got his cell phone and sent Rex a message.
Me:Hi, big bro! How are things going?
He had to wait a good half an hour to get an answer.
Rex:Marie is napping, so this is as peaceful as a thumb in a baby’s mouth.
Ted snorted and shook his head.
