Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) by Grace Brannigan Page B

stitches had faded. It
didn't look nearly so grotesque. Everything had smoothed out rather well.
    She lay
down on her back. Ever since the amputation she felt off balance when she
rolled over in bed at night. She had to be careful when she slept that she kept
the stump straight, so it didn’t seize up on her. She had learned how to
sleep on her stomach.
    Continuing
her nightly ritual, Tye reached for the elastic bandage and wrapped the stump,
wondering if she could ever ride again. Maybe she'd never regain her center of
balance. She took a deep breath and told herself it was a miracle she hadn't
lost both legs.
    She had
cracked her ribs, knocked some teeth loose and suffered a mild concussion. She
was lucky to be alive.
    For the
umpteenth time Tye pondered the question Amy had raised. Why had Jake been at
the rodeo that night? Could he have come looking for her? No. They hadn’t
had contact in years. Why would he seek her out after all this time? Deep
inside, Tye knew she wanted that to have been the reason, but it was a foolish
wish at best.
    Jake had
made a success of his life, but he had not married. Tye wondered why.
    She knew
why she wouldn’t marry. She was like her father. Daddy had tried
ranching, tried settling in one place, but he had left again, declaring rodeo
was in his blood.
    Mama had
bred the best of the bulls used in rodeo. Times had been hard, but Mama was
strong. Tye recalled many an evening when Mama sat on the front porch swing,
humming a song only the night would hear, or a child up later than she ought to
be. Daddy hadn’t been around to keep a woman’s heart from aching.
Rodeo was rough on family life when you pursued it six days a week.
    Tye had
been consumed by rodeo until she met Jake. Mama had convinced her to get a
degree, see what else the world offered before she decided to pursue rodeo
full-time. It had been during one of her spring breaks that she had met Jake.
She’d had all summer to fall in love with him.
    Tye
hugged her arms around herself, her mind filled with lost dreams.
    She
hadn’t felt anything but a passing interest in other men since Jake. How
could she, when a part of her always loved him?
    Trying
to ease the worry and old pain, Tye relaxed each muscle and concentrated on her
breathing. She couldn’t get Jake’s kisses out of her mind. What did
he think about them? It was no big deal: they were old friends, at least
that’s what she told herself. But she was burning up inside, remembering
the feel of Jake’s mouth on hers. She wanted more than kisses.
    With a
groan, Tye told herself such dangerous thoughts didn't bear thinking about.
She'd get sidetracked. It was best to remember she had no home, that she was a
roamer. She didn't belong here; she’d just taken a slight detour.
Strangely, that empty stretch of rodeo road didn’t have quite the appeal
it used to. The glory of rodeo palled when all you came home to were your horse
and buckles.
    She
didn't know what lay ahead, but she was a fighter. Maybe she should start by
returning her friends’ calls. Tye wondered if it was time to reconnect
with her past.
    She
looked at her leg, the feelings of uncertainty insidious. It had healed fine,
but inside herself she knew there remained a gaping emptiness, a fear that
wouldn’t let go. Tye still felt as if she was in a dark tunnel. Would she
ever reach the end? Would her life feel complete if she could return to rodeo?
    She
needed to recharge. Perhaps bringing her friends back into her life would fill
that empty spot.
    A party
would liven things up and help her get back in the groove of things. Then life
could resume some normalcy. Tye knew there was no going back, no fixing the
life she had thrown away ten years ago. But how she wished time could be turned
back! She wanted a second chance with Jake.

§ Chapter Nine §
    Tye
stood in the doorway of her apartment and watched Jake's black pickup truck disappear
down the driveway. She rubbed her damp palms together. Her hands