Back Country (Country Duet Book 2) Page 13
“I’m sorry. I’m so excited.”
“I know, sweet girl.” I hold her tighter to my chest, thinking of the horrible outcome that could have been.
Teale squeezes her hand in mine, reassuring me and helping me calm down. Baker doesn’t look back as she races over to her dance instructor and is ushered behind the stage. My wife tugs me back out to the truck and presses my back against the cab. Her chest collides with mine, then her arms trap me in on either side.
“Cowboy, you’re about to break.”
I nod because she’s spot on. Between my gallbladder still giving me fits of pain and Dave’s daily battle to survive, I’m ready to wave the white surrender flag.
“What happened with Dave?”
“They took him to the hospital to have more amputations done on his foot.”
“Go to him.” She cups my cheek. “Dad is coming and can take us home. He needs you.”
“I know he does, but there’s no way in hell I’m missing this.”
“You’re running yourself into the ground, baby. You go to school full-time, work at the feedlot, take care of Dave, then come home and give us your all. Hunter, you are going to crash and burn, then what good will that do?”
“He’s dying.” I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling the betrayal seep through my body. It’s the first time I’ve spoken those words out loud. “He makes it seems like everything is better than it is. His kidney is still failing, and he just wants to give up.”
“You’ve done everything you can. Not one other person would do what you do for him. Hold his hand, be there for him, and remember to breathe, because I kind of love you and don’t want to lose you.” Teale twirls the diamond ring on her finger.
“What did I do to deserve you?” I run my finger down the length of her nose.
“I ask myself that same question every single night, Hunter,” she replies.
“It happened fast, yeah?”
“I guess like Elvis said, only fools rush in.”
“And you’re my fool.” I lean down, brushing my lips along hers then seal them with a final kiss.
“Do you think your mom’s friend, Malerie, will write us in her book? We are a total hopeless romantic type of story, you know, the insta-love type?”
I smirk. “God, we need a proper honeymoon. The things I want to do to you for hours, instead of rushed minutes at night.”
“I have that covered.”
I cock an eyebrow in question.
“Your mom and the girls will be taking Baker for a week and a half when we move to the ranch for the summer, and we are going to Yellowstone.”
“Yellowstone?” I ask.
“Boning in a cabin, surrounded by bears and other wildlife? Utterly romantic.”
“Say boning again.” I kiss her cheek, trailing my lips down the length of her neck.
“Boning. I’m going to let my husband bone me all day, every day, on our honeymoon.” She reaches down between us and cups my hard dick. “Speaking of boners, Mr. Yates.”
I laugh against her skin. “Rock hard wanker.”
“Your Action Jackson is eager to play.”
“The Giving Tree feels gracious tonight.”
“Your Thrill Drill is exciting me.”
That makes me erupt out in a full belly laugh, throwing my head back and all. “You got me there, baby.”
“Oh, and I’m bringing Draw a Dick on It on the honeymoon. I have a feeling you need to brush up on your dick drawing skills.”
Just like that, Teale makes the worries of the world seem so much lighter. Not one single day has gone by that I’ve regretted my decision diving headfirst back into our relationship. She’s my soul’s other half that keeps me grounded and focused. We waltz, hand in hand, back into the dance studio to watch our little girl shine.
23
Hunter
“You don’t know it yet but, I ain’t gonna be that easy to leave.” –Sam Hunt
“You are not going to be sticking me with a fucking needle three times a day.”
“Mr. Hendricks.” The doctor takes a formal stance with him. “It’s crucial to monitor your health. We are at a point where the diabetes is killing you from the inside out.”
“I’m so tired of you fuckers pricking me. I’ve had enough of this shit.” Dave lies back in his bed, mirroring his defeated stance.
“We can insert a hemlock that would avoid poking you every single time. However, there’s some upkeep with them and the possibility of it having to be changed out.”
Dave glares down the doctor, then looks to me. I give a slight nod of my head, letting him know he needs to comply with the doctor.
“Fine,” Dave finally grumbles.
“Now to the hard part.” The doctor sits on the edge of the bed. “To control your diabetes and the complication with the gangrene in your body, we need to amputate from the hips down on both legs.”
Dave’s eyes flash wide. “No way in hell. I’m done.”
“There are no other options.”
“I’m ready to die. I’m not going through that.”
I clear my throat. “There has to be another option.”
The doctor stands with gloom on his features. “A morphine drip to control the pain while you die.”
His words are harsh and to the point. The message received. I scrub my face, knowing there’s no subtle way the doctor could’ve told Dave. I know that Dave isn’t going to look to me for confirmation. He’s making the decision for himself, it’s what he wants and is ready for. The only choice I have is to stand by him and be his friend.
“No amputation,” Dave growls.
The doctor nods and exits the room. I thought Dave had experienced lows before, but they were nothing like this. I hold out a bag of licorice, and he never grabs it, so I lay it on his bed next to him.
“I’ll be here every single day until summer break, Dave.”
“Then you’ll leave me like everybody else.” He never makes eye contact with me.
“My dad is counting on me and needs my help on the ranch. I’ll come visit as much as I can.”
“Just leave, Hunter.”
“Dave, there’s no way in hell you have the right to kick me out of your life right now. I’m not leaving you. We’ll talk daily, and I’ll come visit, no matter how big of a dickhead you want to be.”
He turns to me with tears filling his eyes. “I just can’t go through anymore. I’m going to die, it’s time. I’ve lost a lot in my life, but my legs aren’t going.”
“That’s fine, and your choice. I stand by you no matter what.” I grab the top of his hand. “But you don’t get to kick me out of your life.”
There’s a light knock at the door to his room in the nursing home. “Mr. Hendricks, I’m here to help you get out of that gown and into your shirt and sweatpants.”
He doesn’t say a word, and the nurse has tits and looks for days. It’s not that I’m looking because I’m a happily married man, but just know what to expect from Dave. But he remains silent. She helps him get his legs over the bed. Then it takes every ounce of her strength to pull him up into a standing position.
I keep my hands tucked in my pockets and remain put. Dave gets agitated if I try to help him anymore. Hell, I used to carry the man around his farm with no problem. He’s keeping his one ounce of pride tucked close to his heart, refusing to let go of it.
Once he’s settled back in bed with his favorite blanket covering him, he grins at me. The bastard grins.
“I can do shit on my own, Hunter. It’s nonsense they want to take my legs.”
I nod. That nurse nearly collapsed with the amount effort she used to help Dave, but there’s no sense in arguing with him. He runs his fingers over the package of candy, but never opens it.
“I just need some sleep, Hunter.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow, you ornery bastard.”
He gives me a half-cocked grin, but remains silent. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Dave, it’
s that he always has to have the final word. Not tonight when he’s made the biggest decision of his life.
“I love you, Dave. You’ve taught me more about life than I thought possible.”
Epilogue
Hunter
Two Years Later
“Wide open spaces are good for the heart.” –Unknown
The tires on my work truck come to a stop in our driveway. I don’t even have one leg out before Teale and Baker come racing out of the house. It was a long day on Sweetwater working cattle on horseback. My body aches, belly is empty, and I’m in need of a good shower.
“Cowboy, we gotta run. Baker’s dress rehearsal is in fifteen minutes.” She pecks me on the lips, but pulls back in a flash. “The baby is sleeping, and there’s breast milk in the fridge.”
“Bye, Daddy.” Baker hops up on the running boards of the truck and taps my nose.
The simple action makes me smile, and I tap hers right back. It wasn’t until we were on our honeymoon that Teale told me about the gesture between the two of them causing me to break down. It seems like yesterday that Baker’s last name changed to Yates. Life is simple, yet perfect, in every aspect.
Not gonna lie, when our little one was born I was thankful he was a boy. Watching Abby and Quinn grow up, and knowing I have a daughter of my own has scared the shit out of me. I have no idea how Dad survived two of the wild cats. Now we have real talks about beating bully’s asses.
“Dinner is in the Instapot,” Teale says before dashing to her car.
Baker’s on her heels, excited as all hell for her dance rehearsal. I’m still amazed, day-to-day, how Teale has all the energy she does. She tells me every single night before we fall asleep how thankful she is to be living her dream. A family is all Teale ever wanted. A powerful marriage, house full of kids, and a ranch where she can wear real cowgirl boots. She’s quite the ranch hand, especially when she brings me lunch out on the tractor or in the barn, that’s where she shows off her real talents. It’s those rare moments we have alone, exploring each other’s bodies, that I hold dear.
It’s not my cow dog, Tux, who is my right-hand partner on Sweetwater anymore. He’s buried up on a hill that overlooks the Snake River. Now, I have Ruger who is just as good. If life has taught me anything, it’s that the only thing that stays the same is that everything changes. With the only thing mattering is how you rise to the occasion.
I slip my shitty work boots off at the door and creep into the baby’s nursery. My little, chubby cowboy is out like a rock. I pull off my dirty work shirt, then pull him from his crib even though he’s fast asleep. The little man is a spitting replica of me, from his hair and eye color, right down to his bow tie lips.
“Hey, Bubba.” I kiss his sweet smelling forehead.
Mom deemed him with my nickname right off the bat, and it stuck. The amount of excitement coursing through my veins on a daily basis is unreal, with the reality of being able to raise my kids on Sweetwater just like I was.
In quiet moments like these, I never miss the opportunity to tell my son a story about the man who taught me what life is all about. It hurts every single day not having Dave in my life. I miss his stinky house, taking care of him, and mostly learning from him. I still hate black licorice to this day, but always have a pack of it in my house. Tears often well up in my eyes with just the thought of him. Funny, how life throws you a curve ball when you least expect it, and it turns out to be the grandest learning adventure of your life, not leaving you the same person.
I rock slowly back and forth in a steady rhythm with baby Dave clutched to my chest, and then begin telling him one of my favorite stories about the man he’s named after.
“One of the last nursing homes Dave was in, two nurses came in to change him out of a gown and into his black shirt and sweatpants. The thing about Dave, son, was you never knew what to expect. These nurses were barely twenty-one, but that didn’t stop Dave. He flat out asked them if they’ve ever seen a man naked before.”
I pause, shaking my head and remembering the moment I was embarrassed for the nurses, shaking my head, and mumbling, “Jesus, Dave.”
“Well, they both admitted to seeing a man naked before, and ol’ Dave proudly told them, ‘well, this won’t be the last dick you’re going to see then.’ When they left the room, I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. The harder I laughed, the more Dave laughed along with me, even though he was in the worst shape of his life and he was barely hanging on. He turned to me and told me that it didn’t matter anymore. He used to cover himself up, but they’ve seen all kinds of dicks. Small, medium, and big ones, so he didn’t give a shit if they saw his.”
An odd story to be telling your newborn, but Dave wasn’t your typical man in any sense. He marched to the own beat of his drum and had no reservations about telling anyone to fuck off. It’s that fighting, country spirit I want baby Dave to have, with a bit of my finesse and good manners to round it out, of course.
Dave Hendricks grew up on the beautiful Palouse of Idaho. He was born into a dirt-poor family where his dad and uncles farmed for years. His soul loved the land and the ways of it, from his first breath to his dying one. He experienced love and loss on his farm, but it never broke the ties of dedication and love he held deep in his roots. His heart beat for the wild country, and his soul ended up in the back country.
I’m no idiot and know when the hail destroys a corn crop, or I’m stuck in the middle of a downpour while pulling a baby calf, that it’s Dave’s reminding me that he could do the job better. He’ll always be looking over my shoulder. The man will forever be just one memory away, reminding me to never give up on the wild country in my soul.
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The End
Acknowledgements-
I know I’ve said this one hundred times, but this duet pushed me beyond belief. I want to thank Hunter Yates’ parents for raising an exceptional young man. They trusted me to teach him years back and then the honor to have him in my 4-H club. There are not enough words to express the honest and genuine heart this set of parents have. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could call them any hour of the day for help and they’d be there. (I wonder where Hunter gets it from? LOL)
It’s rare to find a family who my children and husband both adore. We all live in small towns that are connected in one big community, and there has never been one ounce of judgment between us. That my dear friends, is priceless.
I’ve been the user in this situation. I’ll admit that! I’ve used all their children to leap forward in my author career. But hey it’s their fault for having amazing children. Even, the Mom of the family was tossed under the bus a few times in the writing in the most loving way! However, the Dad still scares me a bit, maybe the only one to keep me in line?
I’m rambling now. I just want this family to know how much I appreciate them. And thank you to all the readers who invested in Hunter and Dave’s story. I know that I write romance, however, The Country Duet is Hunter and Dave’s story and I hope everyone can take something from it.
Playlist
The music to their love story…
Beautiful Drug- Zac Brown Band
T-Shirt- Thomas Rhett
Dirt on My Boots- Jon Pardi
Girl Crush – Little Big Town
My Church- Maren Morris
Redneck Crazy- Tyler Farr
Better in Boots- Tyler Farr
Die A Happy Man- Thomas Rhett
Vice- Miranda Lambert
Ready Set Roll- Chase Rice
&nbs
p; Make You Mine- High Valley
Blue Ain’t Your Color- Keith Urban
Road Less Traveled- Lauren Alaina
Body Like a Back Road- Sam Hunt
Bar at the End of the World- Kenny Chesney
Roller Coaster- Luke Bryan
Point At You- Justin Moore
American Country Love Song- Jake Owen
Loving You Easy- Zac Brown Band
Tin Man- Miranda Lambert
For Her- Chris Lane
If I Told You- Darius Rucker
Pain Killer- Little Big Town