I shared Chapter One - how about Chapter 5? We're a little farther into the story and if one chapter wasn't enough to captivate your reading interest, let's try one more chapter.
This chapter goes deeper with their developing relationship, Calhoun's ties with his family, especially hi remaining brother Lincoln Kelly, Cal's bull riding life on the road, and Vivian's foundation back in Missouri.
Here's the blurb followed by the chapter and buy links:
Blurb:
When
Vivian Blackburn, recently returned to Southwest Missouri after her grandmother
suffered a health setback, sets out to shoot pictures at a rodeo, she's not
looking for a cowboy but when she meets bull rider Calhoun Kelly, she's found
one. They have an instant attraction and rapport, so much that she follows him
on the rodeo circuit. When they can, they head back to Missouri to visit her
grandmother. They're compatible in every way but one – he has a strong
Christian faith and she lost hers after her parents died. Still, they stay
together through his bull riding lumps and bumps on the rodeo circuit. When
Vivian experiences strange dreams that seem to warn Calhoun of upcoming danger,
she doesn't know what to think and when the messages spread through his family,
everyone is concerned. Calhoun decides to hang up his spurs at the end of the
season but before he does, he and Vivian are married. They decide they'll
settle at her grandmother's old farmhouse but not until he rides his last
rodeo. When he's critically injured, his life hangs in the balance. Will Vivian
find her faith and pray or be widowed? It's a close call but time will tell.
Chapter Five
Calhoun
sprawled backward, pillows propped behind his back, and called his brother. It
rang twice before he picked up the phone.
“It’s about time I heard from you.”
Lincoln’s East Texas drawl was more pronounced. “What in tarnation is going on?”
“Same old, same
old. Riding rodeo, like always.”
“First time I ever
called you when a lady answered your phone,” Linc said. “And told me that you
were worn out and sound asleep. She refused to wake you, man, but she told me
you had a rough ride last night and wrecked. You all right?”
“Sore but fine,
yeah.”
“She got me
worried, little brother. I already
told Sasha that if I didn’t hear from you today or if you didn’t sound right, I
would head up that way.”
“Bro, I’m good.” Calhoun appreciated his brother’s concern, but he
wanted to blow it off. He didn’t want Lincoln fussing over him. “Better than I’ve
been in quite a while.” Although Linc laughed, Cal knew he hadn’t fooled his
astute brother.
“I smell a rat, Cal. There’s more to this story. Either you’re hurt
more than you’re letting me know or there’s something with this gal. Which is
it?”
“Busted.” Calhoun laughed. He never could fool Linc for long. “I ain’t
hurt bad or anything, but I landed on my shoulder last night so it’s sore as a
bear. And I’m hurting like any bull rider but nothing serious.”
“I figured something like that. Is it the shoulder you dislocated over
at Paducah? And the woman? I hope she’s not a buckle bunny.”
“You ought to know better than that.” Linc had to be aware how little
Calhoun thought of the pushy women with their scanty clothing and desire to
take a cowboy home for the night, nothing more. “Same shoulder but it’s not
dislocated this time. It just hurts. And she’s the farthest thing from a bunny
you could find, Linc. Her name’s Vivian Bradburn. She’s a writer and
photographer from Missouri.”
“Is she pretty?”
“Very.”
“Is she there?”
“Yeah, she is.” Cal shot a glance at Vivian,
standing before the mirror, brushing out her long hair and rolling it into a
bun.
“Is she at your trailer?” After a pause, Lincoln
questioned him further.
“No, we’re at her motel, but it’s not what you
probably think. It’s at Rick’s place, the old Marine guy, you know? Her room
has a spa tub and she offered me the chance to soak my sore body. Besides,
there’s two beds. I didn’t plan to stay, but I fell asleep after being in the
tub. But we kept it decent.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else from you.”
Vivian walked over beside the bed with her hair
neat and tidy. “Calhoun, the cold root beer you wanted is in the fridge. And I’ve
got the arnica. If you want, I can rub some into your shoulder.”
He glanced up and smiled. She was so attractive. “I’d
like that, Pretty Lady, soon as I get off the phone.”
“Is that a hint?” His brother chuckled.
“Might be.”
“Then I’ll let you go, but hey, are you still comin’
next week on the way to Fort Worth?”
“You bet but it might be a couple days later, might
take a run up to Missouri first. Linc, do you still have room for a guest at
your place?”
“I do. Does that mean…”
“Maybe,” Cal interrupted. “I’ll let you know for
sure when I do. Take care, Linc.”
“I will and you do the same, you hear?”
Talking to Linc left him more than a little
homesick, but he’d be there soon, long enough to enjoy the breezes beneath the
tall pines and ride his horse. Calhoun shut his eyes for a moment, imagining his
brother’s place.
Vivian put his root beer on the bedside table and
tiptoed away.
“I’m not asleep.” He scooted over so she could sit
on the bed if she wanted. “Linc said they have plenty of room, if you decide to
go home with me to Texas.”
“I’m still thinking about it.” She stood in front
of the window but turned to face him.
“Good. If you want to rub some of that cream on my
shoulder, I’m game.”
“Is it still hurting?” Vivian settled onto the edge
of the mattress.
“Some.” Calhoun shrugged, which shot pain through
it. He pulled off his shirt for easy access and hid his smile when she ogled
his chest.
Cal stayed buff because he had to be fit enough to
compete. Behind all the mystique and excitement, bull riders were athletes,
too. He also had a seven-inch scar down low on his left side.
Vivian traced it with her fingers. “What happened
there?”
“Got gored when I was nineteen.” He kept his tone
casual, but the injury had been serious when it happened.
“By a bull?” Her voice rose up the scale.
“Yeah.”
“You have a dangerous occupation.” She wore a
frown.
“Oh, yeah, I do.” He couldn’t deny that. Conversation
wasn’t easy as her fingers rubbed slow circles on his bad shoulder. Her touch
was light enough it didn’t hurt as she rubbed the arnica cream into his flesh,
but he was very aware of her touch. When she finished, she handed him his undershirt,
so he pulled it over his head.
She washed her hands at the sink, then returned. “Do
you want anything?”
“Ibuprofen, please,” he told her. “It’s to keep
ahead of the hurting, honey. I feel decent right now. What time is it?”
“Twelve thirty.”
“That’s all?” He figured it must be three or after.
“I’ll need to head over the arena to get ready by five at the latest. I hope
the rain quits.” He could hear it, pattering against the window and falling
over the parking lot.
“It’s really coming down,” she told him. “Makes me
sleepy. I’ve always wanted to take a nap or sleep late when it’s raining, but I
hardly ever get the chance.”
“We’ve got time. I’m a bit drowsy myself, Pretty
Lady.” Cal resumed his earlier position.
“You’re tempting me.” Vivian yawned.
“Stretch out and get a few winks,” he advised. “I’ll
set an alarm for four.” Calhoun hoped she might lie down beside him, although
he knew she really shouldn’t. That would be more intimate than he’d be
comfortable with at this point.
She removed her shoes and lay down on the other
bed. Then she pulled up the comforter. “All right, you convinced me.” She
removed the clip from the back of her hair and undid her ponytail.
For the first time, Calhoun saw her hair down, and
he enjoyed the way it fell past her shoulders. He didn’t figure he would sleep,
just watch Vivian as she did, but it wasn’t long before drowsiness claimed him.
Cal dozed until the alarm he’d set on his phone blared. He’d changed both the
alarm and ringtone on the first night he met Vivian to Hank Williams’ classic, “‘Say
Hey Good-Lookin’.” Cal
woke and turned it off.
But not before Vivian sat up. She shook back her
long hair. “That’s your ringtone?”
“Yeah and my alarm, too.”
“Who’s it for?” she asked, lips puckered into a
pout.
“For you, Pretty Lady,” Calhoun told her. “Only for
you.”
“I like it, then.” Her smile returned, brighter
than ever.
He watched as she rose, brushed her hair at the
room’s vanity, and put it up again.
Then she went into the bathroom, changed tops, and
picked up her purse. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Let’s roll, then. There’s no need to take two
vehicles, is there?”
“Not if you want another soak in that tub later.”
Cal did and by the end of the night, he’d likely
need it. “Yeah, if you’re offering, sure.”
At the rodeo grounds, rain drummed a rhythm on the
roof of his trailer, and they dodged puddles as they raced to the door. Once
there, Vivian settled onto the couch while he taped his joints, then changed
into his rodeo outfit including spurs. The showers stopped as they emerged to
head over to the arena, and the sun broke through the clouds. The air became
hot and steamy.
En route, Cal stopped to find out his position and
last night’s ranking. Despite the tumble he’d taken, his ride scored a total
sixty-two, not bad. He would ride among the ten finalists, and this time, he
would be last. If he could stay on the bull for eight seconds and not make any
mistakes, he could win some decent money, maybe as high as a thousand bucks or
a little more, depending on his final score.
As had become their habit in just a few days, they
found seats on the bleachers. This time, they held hands as they watched and
waited.
“What bull do you ride tonight?”
“Badlands Bruiser.”
Vivian frowned. “Do they all have names that sound
mean and scary?”
“Pretty much.” He didn’t mention it was the same
bull he had ridden the night he dislocated his shoulder in Kentucky. When it
came time to head for the chutes, Calhoun touched her shoulders and turned her
to face him. “Kiss me for luck.” He stood.
So did she.
Cal put his arms around her and kissed her, his
mouth slow and sweet on hers. It grounded him, and when he sauntered off to
ride, he wasn’t nervous at all.
Sometimes, his intuition warned the ride would go
wrong, but tonight, he knew he’d ride well. Despite the wild antics and
thrashing the bull delivered, Calhoun held his seat and maintained the right
form. Most of the time, he tuned the announcer out, but he caught bits and
pieces of the chatter as he lasted the full eight seconds. He landed on his
feet, but he still had been splashed with mud. He returned to Vivian to hear
his score for the night and cheered when he heard the final. Between his ride
and Badlands Bruiser’s performance, he ended up with a rare ninety.
Vivian shrieked as she hugged him, smearing mud on
her jeans.
But she didn’t seem to care. He took home third
place, and they waited for the payout. After a change of clothes, they headed
for the diner. The counter, tables, and most of the booths were full of rodeo
people. Most waved a hand or called a greeting as they passed. More than once,
Cal paused to shake hands or exchange a high five with another rider. Once
seated, Calhoun ordered a rib-eye steak with a side of shrimp, fries, and Texas
Toast. “If you want steak, honey, order one,” he told her. “If you can’t eat it
all, I’ll help you.” When the food arrived, he tasted the steak and found it
perfect, cooked medium to his taste. He ate all his and the last third of hers.
Although his muscles ached and his back hurt, he
rode a happiness high. He’d come out with prize money, he hadn’t been hurt, and
Vivian was with him. For this moment, life was grand, and he savored it.
“The rodeo’s over, so what happens now?” She
finished her tea and rattled ice in the empty glass.
Cal shrugged, then winced because it made his sore
shoulder twinge. “Sometimes, I stay the night and head out in the morning, or sometimes
I go now. It depends on where I’m headed and how far. I generally stop for
church along the way.”
“If you were coming to Missouri, when would you
leave?” Vivian set her glass down and traced the water ring it left with one
finger.
Hope surged through him. “Are you going home with
me to Texas?”
“I thought I would, if you still want me to go, if we
can visit Nanna first.” She raised her head and offered him a sweet smile.
Thank you, Lord. Joy filled his heart and he grinned. “You know I do, Pretty Lady, and
we will. It’s late, so we’ll head out tomorrow morning.” Now that they had a
plan, he returned to his tin can, so he could grab a few hours of sleep, then
secure everything for the road.
Vivian promised she would check out early and come
over to the arena.
Then they would set out in a caravan. Vivian would
lead the way, and he would follow. Since he would be pulling the trailer, they
would take the interstate.
On Sunday, Calhoun called his brother again. “Good
morning,” he said when Lincoln answered.
“What’s shaking? I hope you didn’t call to tell me
you got banged up and are in some hospital.”
“Nah, not this time,” Cal said. “We’ll be there
probably Tuesday or Wednesday, and I am bringing Vivian so get a room ready.
That’s why I called, to let you know.” He could imagine Linc’s face, eyes wide
and mouth hung open.
“That’s the gal you were with at the motel?”
“The very one.”
“And you’re bringing her home?”
“Yeah, I am.” Calhoun tried to keep his tone casual
but he wanted to whoop out loud, maybe even dance a little jig. He didn’t think
he could stand to part company with Vivian and now he wouldn’t have to say
good-bye.
“You haven’t had a girlfriend in so long. I’m
surprised but I’m glad. Is this a serious relationship?”
Asked point blank, Cal took a moment to answer but
told the truth. “I hope so,” he told his brother. “I want it to be, and I’m
hoping she feels the same. I’m crazy about her.”
“The very fact you’re bringing her down here says a
lot. What happens after that?”
“I don’t know,” Calhoun admitted. “Guess we’ll find
out.”
Lincoln laughed. “I reckon you will. All right, see
you when you get here. If it’s gonna be past Wednesday let me know, okay? I’ll
smoke a brisket, and we’ll get a room ready for your lady. Take care, Cal.”
“I will. Thanks, bro.”
“De nada.”
He had dosed up with ibuprofen before Vivian
arrived at his tin can, bringing fast-food biscuits, and coffee. “Good morning,
Pretty Lady,” he told her. “Thanks.” The rich sausage aroma piqued his
appetite.
“I figured you might be hungry,” Vivian replied. “Good
morning, Calhoun.”
The biscuits filled his belly as they sat at his
trailer’s tiny table. He noticed she wore the boots he’d bought her so she must
like them. Vivian had tucked her jeans into the boots, and she wore a tunic
style floral print blouse. He caught a whiff of her perfume, something sweet
that reminded him of roses. Her long, beautiful hair was pulled back into the
usual tight bun. I need to get this
gal a decent hat and maybe some Western shirts. “How long will it take to get to your place in Missouri?”
“Two hours, maybe a little more on the interstate,”
Vivian stated. “I figured when we get to the farmhouse, you can pull the
trailer around back between Nanna’s house and the barn. We’ll settle, then head
over to the facility to see Nanna. Sometimes, I eat dinner with her on Sunday,
but if you’d rather not, we can grab a bite somewhere else.”
Cal had never eaten in a nursing home and seldom
visited one. “Sure. We can eat with your grandma. I hoped we might find a
church somewhere along the way.”
“Do we have to?” Her expression went sour, and her
lips flipped to a frown.
“I’d like to. I haven’t missed church in years,
even being on the road so much.”
“If you can wait until evening, I’ll go with you to
the little church I used to attend. They have an evening service at six.”
He suspected agreeing to go to church was huge so
he nodded. “Sure, that’ll work.”
“I’ll make supper for you afterward.”
“Can you cook?” Calhoun wondered as she rewarded
him with a sweet smile that brightened her pretty face.
“Yes, although just for me, I often don’t. What’s
your favorite home-cooked meal?”
“Pot roast with noodles, fried chicken, and
biscuits, or pan-fried pork chops. Unless I eat with Linc’s family, I seldom
have a homemade meal.”
“You’ll have one tonight.”
As soon as he got the trailer hitched to the truck,
they set out, winding through town to US Highway 412 which would link them to
I-49 at Springdale. Vivian took the lead and he followed. At the early Sunday
hour, traffic was light, and he had no trouble keeping up. Once on I-49, they
zipped through the metropolitan cluster of towns in Northwest Arkansas and
crossed the state line into Missouri. Calhoun followed her when she exited the
highway near Neosho and wound beneath it to a country road.
She drove down it and turned into a long driveway
beside a two-story frame farmhouse, following it to the barn where she parked.
Calhoun pulled his trailer beside her without blocking the barn doors and
stopped.
Although it was obvious, she waved as she got out
of the car. “We’re here.”
He climbed out of the truck, his back aching and
knees twinging. “Nice place.”
Although the adjacent fields held knee-high weeds
and not cattle or horses, the pastures stretched green and vibrant in several
directions. The big white house boasted a front porch with a swing and the
barn, apparently empty, appeared solid. It demonstrated the potential to be a
working farm again.
“It’s where Nanna and Papa lived,” Vivian explained.
“I grew up coming here to visit. I spent every weekend I could and more time in
the summer. I’ve been staying here since I came back from Kansas City. It will
be mine, I guess, when Nanna’s gone. She did a beneficiary deed that will go
into effect then. None of my cousins wanted it. They either live somewhere else
or have their own spreads.”
Calhoun could hear the whine of steel-belted
radials on the interstate, but otherwise, it was a quiet place. Honeysuckle
bloomed somewhere, and the fragrance filled his nose, bringing a rush of
memories. The vine had bloomed in Granny’s back yard. To him, it was a lovely
oasis and would make a great place to retreat to when he could.
“Will you live here, then?”
“I have been now, and I’d like to,” she replied. “Maybe.
If I stay here, either the freelancing has to pan out, or I’ll need to get a
job. Come on inside.”
They entered through a back porch which led into a
mud room, then into a kitchen.
At the end of the kitchen, she pointed out a
bathroom.
Cal followed her through a dining room, with a
bedroom to one side, then into a spacious living room. In addition to a couch,
two easy chairs, an older television, lamps, and end tables, he noticed a
spinet piano beneath the open staircase. The steps began next to the front door
and led up three to a landing, then turned upward. Near the top, they curved
again.
Vivian mounted the stairs.
So, he trailed behind. A narrow hall held four
bedrooms and a bathroom at the end.
“The front bedroom was Nanna’s until she couldn’t
manage the stairs.” Vivian opened the door to a pleasant bedroom overlooking
the front yard. “Do you sleep here?” Calhoun ran one hand along intricate
woodwork on the stair railing as he ascended.
Vivian shook her head and moved to the next. “I
sleep in this one, but you can take your pick between the others. I’ll put
fresh sheets on the bed.”
Although he liked the homey feel of this house, he
shook his head. “I figured I’d bunk in the trailer. I don’t want to be any
trouble.”
Vivian turned to him. “You’re no trouble at all, Cowboy.
I wouldn’t invite you to stay if I minded. I’ll be staying with your brother I’ve
never even met, so you can sleep inside. Take the blue room across the hall.”
Calhoun peeked inside and surveyed what she called
the blue room. The walls were a light, bright cobalt-blue. Navy and white
floral curtains framed the single window. Both rugs on the floor were shades of
blue. The metal frame double bed had been painted an antique white and so had
the cedar chest at the foot. “All right,” he told her. “I’ll go get my gear.
Out of curiosity, what color is your room?”
“Pink.” Vivian tossed her head and her ponytail
bounced. “I liked pink as a little girl. And the other one is the yellow room. The
bathroom’s done in shades of green. The front bedroom was Nanna’s with a peach
color scheme. Nanna always wanted to try her hand at interior decorating, so
after Papa retired, they redid the rooms. I need to bring up my bags, too.”
“I’ll get them for you. Any chance there might be
coffee?”
“I’ll make some. How’s your shoulder?”
Cal put his right hand on it. “Not bad. My back’s
hurting a bit, though but that’s every day. It’s part of a bull rider’s life.”
“Take something for it. I’ll make coffee.”
They drank it on the front porch, sitting in the
swing. Calhoun moved the truck and trailer, then unhooked it so he could drive
his vehicle. When he finished his cup, he put it down and took her hand. “I
like it here. Someday, after I hang up my spurs, I hope to buy a place
something like this.”
Vivian shook her head and frowned. “Don’t you want
a place in Texas?”
“I just want my own.” He rocked the swing with one
foot and sighed. “It could be in Texas or here or anywhere. I’ve always wanted
my own spread.”
“Will you raise rough stock?” Vivian caught hold of
the chain that held up the porch swing as if she didn’t care for the motion.
Calhoun considered the question. “Not likely. Beef
cattle, I reckon and maybe a few horses.”
“Like your paint, Johnny.”
She remembered his horse’s name, which pleased him.
“Yeah, probably.”
“How old are you, Calhoun? If you’re talking about
retiring, I wondered.”
“Thirty-three,” he told her. “I might look older,
but cowboys retire young if they don’t get crippled or killed. I figure I might
have two or three good years left, at most. Maybe less, maybe more, so I think
about it.” Her fingers wrapped tight around his hand.
“You don’t look old, Calhoun. You’re a good-looking
man. I might’ve guessed thirty. Before you ask, I’m twenty-eight.”
Five years younger, he counted. “I would have
guessed younger, honey. What comes next?” As soon as he asked the question, he
wondered if he meant today or down the road because he wondered about both.
“I suppose we’ll head over to the Sunny Morning
Senior Citizens Home before long. I talked to Nanna this morning, so she’s
expecting us. I’m changing clothes before we do, though.”
“That works. I can drink another cup of coffee
while you get ready.” He would also go choose a better shirt and his best black
jeans. He wanted to make a good first impression on her grandmother.
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Vivian's sports car
Cal's cake his nephews picked out:
