“He didn’t tell me that,” she says, not bothering to look at me.
Dr. Pine frowns. “I figured.”
“What does this mean? He had scans, right? They did all of that in the hospital. And everything had to come back okay or they wouldn’t have discharged him.”
“You’re right. They did scans, everything came back fine, the swelling subsided, and it was identified as a grade 3 concussion. But it’s still considered a traumatic brain injury.”
Mo’s eyes grow wide. “That sounds serious.”
“Any time there’s a traumatic brain injury, we take it very seriously. This type of injury can cause bruising or damage to the blood vessels and nerves, as well as amnesia and memory loss.”
Lips parted in disbelief, Mo turns to look at me. She holds my gaze for what feels like a solid minute before turning back to Dr. Pine.
“Ms. Gallagher, I know this must seem startling to you, but it isn’t new to Rhett. We’ve had several long talks about the dangers of bull riding, and he’s well aware of the implications it could have on his future.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” she says.
He pats my knee. “Me neither, which is why I brought him in today. One last-ditch effort to get him to reconsider returning to the arena.”
I hate that they’re talking about me as if I’m not sitting right here. It’s easy for them to pass judgment on my decisions, but I wonder how either of them would feel if I barred them from doing what they loved most. The rodeo is in my DNA. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing, and despite the ‘risks and implications’, as Dr. Pine likes to call it, I can’t walk away. Not yet, at least.
“Save your breath.” I hop off the table, positioning myself near the window. “I’m not giving it up.”
“I’ve always been a straight shooter with you, Rhett, and I’m not going to change that now. You’re risking your life by getting back on a bull. Another blow to the head could cause permanent brain damage or paralysis, and I don’t think you understand how serious that is.”
“I don’t think you understand what my profession means to me,” I growl. “You could get killed in a car accident every time you drive to work, but you still do it.”
“That’s different.”
“It isn’t!” I yell, even as I regret my outrage. Jamming my hands into my hair, I pace the room. “I get it, okay? I get that each ride could be my last. Every one of us steps into that arena knowing we might not walk out. It’s a chance we take. My chances are higher; I understand that too, and I’ll walk away when I’m ready. But I’m not there yet, so I’d appreciate it if you two would get off my back.”
Mo was with me when I got on a bull for the first time. She’s seen me get bucked off more times than I can count. She’s seen me get kicked and trampled, and she’s always encouraged me to get back on. I asked her to come with me today because she was always my biggest supporter, and I thought she’d continue to be that today.
I guess I was wrong.
Yanking the door open, I storm out of the office, refusing to listen to another warning from Dr. Pine or receive another questioning look from Mo.
Fuck that.
Monroe
“I’m sorry about that,” I say, staring at the door Rhett just walked out of.
Dr. Pine’s eyes are kind. “Don’t apologize.”
“I should get going.” Standing up, I grab my purse off the floor and reach for the door knob.
“Can I give you a piece of advice before you leave?”
“I’d appreciate any advice.”
He smiles. “There are a lot of bull riders in this town; several of them are patients of mine. I’ve had countless talks with them and their wives, and I’ve been able to draw one consistent conclusion: bull riding is in their blood. It’s something you and I will never understand. Who in their right mind would get on a two-thousand-pound bull?”
We both laugh, and he continues.
“But—and this is a big but that many wives have learned the hard way—if you want to continue to be part of his life, you’re going to have to accept that for what it is. Support him, love him, and one of these days when the time is right, he’ll walk. But it can’t be my decision, and it can’t be yours.”
I hate to admit it, but I know he’s right. The sport has been part of Rhett for as long as I’ve known him. His passion for it is one of the reasons I fell in love with him.