Kelly grimaced as she looked at the clock. 7:52. There was no way she would make it now. There was nothing worse than being called in to work on the day you had asked off.
Buzz.
“Nurse? Nurse?!”
“Yes, what do you need?” Kelly spoke into the microphone.
“The water you brought me is tepid,”a crotchety voice rasped, “I thought I said I wanted ice.”
“I'll bring a cup of ice,” Kelly said patiently but the roll of her eyes belied her real feelings.
“I caught that.” Anastasia grinned across the circle of desks. “I'm impressed you didn't mention that you had put ice in the last glass but it melted while she slept.”
“That would just make her want to stay up and she needs to sleep. I need her to sleep.” Kelly shook her head ruefully, “This is a hospital not a nursing home. I'm not sure this lady has any other ailment besides a sever case of grumpiness.” She heaved a sigh as she stood.
“You're usually more patient. Sorry you couldn't go to your thing tonight. But they have bull riding every weekend, right?”
Kelly nodded and quickly turned, hiding the tears that sprang to her eyes as she walked away. She would rather die than explain that a certain man from her past would be riding here tonight only.
Kelly grabbed a cup and pushed it against the ice release. She'd always been a firm believer in fate. She had thought she and Cody were destined for each other. How else could you explain their connection? Their perfectly fated meeting?
But then life happened. She couldn't really pinpoint the end, they had just drifted apart. Sometimes long-distance did that. But they had neither one ever married and barely even dated anyone else; she had his mama to thank for that strategically dropped piece of information.
Loud clinking pulled Kelly back to the present. The ice had overflowed the cup. She hurriedly picked up the fallen cubes and dashed to room 4013.
“It's about time. You finally bring ice for me?” the cantankerous woman asked from deep within the sea of pillows she had requested one by one.
Kelly smiled and gently placed the cup on the woman's tray table.
It was going to be a long night.
*****
Cody looked at the bright lights surrounding the arena.
His hometown rodeo. He hadn't ridden here for years. For the hundredth time tonight he wondered if she was here. Vainly, he scanned the indistinct spectators. A sea of faces.
“Next up, a cowboy returning for one night only to ride for family and friends before heading off to nationals next week. Ladies and gentlemen, Cody MacGuire.”
The crowd roared. His stomach clenched. Was she cheering for him? Right now?
The gate beneath him rattled as Big Red reared, ready to do battle.
“Ready, MacGuire?” the young man next to the gate pin asked.
Cody didn't recognize the guy. He'd been gone for over five years. This man had been a boy sitting in the stands last time he rode here.
Cody glanced at the faces again.
“Ready.” He dropped onto the bull's back. “Pull.”
The boy pulled the pin from the gate and Big Red shot into the arena.
In that instant Cody realized with shock that he wasready. He was ready to find Kelly and settle down for good. After Nationals he would find her. His mind was made up.
That is when the bull threw him.
*****
Kelly could barely breath. All she knew was that one of the rodeo riders was being brought in by ambulance. She didn't know how serious the injury was. She didn't know the rider's name. She was nearly running as she made her way through the halls to the emergency room.
By the time she reached the emergency department she was nearly hyperventilating. Was this fate bringing them together? Was he okay? Was this her fault for hoping to run into him and then not being at the rodeo? Was some terrible twist of fate forcing their meetup? No. She was losing it. It wasn't him. It couldn't be him.
She pushed through the doors. There on the gurney was a very bloody man. And it was not Cody. She felt terrible for her relief. After all, he was somebody'sCody.
“Hey, we need a nurse over here!”
The years since Kelly had worked in emergency fell away and she jumped right in. As her adrenaline pumped and she worked with the team to save this poor cowboy, time passed more quickly than it should.
In a moment he was stabilized and resting in a recovery room. Kelly was sitting beside him holding his hand.
“It's all right.” She smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “You're going to be okay.” He was asleep but she needed to sit with him until someone arrived. Her brother had died like this. Alone.
She'd not been able to handle that possibility with Cody. It wasn't something she had ever spoken out loud to him but it had been the reason she hadn't held on as tightly as she should have. She had let him go because she had known this moment was in her future.
Only it wasn't him.
She was holding the hand of a stranger and Cody was okay. She had let go of the greatest love she would ever know for fear of losing him. That is irrational.
“Excuse me, ma'am, but how's he doing?”
Kelly twisted around slowly, wonderingly.
A cowboy stood in the doorway. Hat, chaps, boots, surrounded by sterile white. Her past, her present collided. Cody was as handsome now as in her memories. Darn it all, he is handsomer, she couldn't help thinking.
She smiled as his eyes widened in surprise.
“He's stabilized. He probably won't ever ride again...” she trailed off knowing that could be devastating news to a rodeo cowboy.
Cody smiled, “There's much worse out there than that.”
“Really?” A few short years ago he wouldn't have said that.
He shrugged. “I can think of a few.” Cody took a large step toward her, his boots clicking sharply on the white-tiled floor. “He could have died.”
She watched with astonishment as this rugged, darkly handsome man came close to her. “That would be worse,” she agreed.
He stopped just inches away from her. His masculine scent enveloped her, prevailing over the antiseptic smell.
“He could have wasted years that should have been spent with the woman of his dreams.”
“That would be bad too,” she couldn't believe how breathless she sounded. He wasn't touching her but his eyes kept glancing at her mouth. His head slowly lowered toward hers.
He stopped and pulled back a little to look in her eyes. “I suppose this means you missed my eight second ride?”
She hit him on the arm. “Is that all you can—“
Cody swept her into his arms and kissed her. Deeply. Passionately.
He pulled back, shaking his head. “No, that is all I can think about.”
He took her in his arms again and Kelly knew he would never let her go.
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