“Hey,” I said with a smile.
Her eyes lit up with happiness . . . and relief. “Hey back at you.” She shook her head, tears streaming down her face, and she stood. Her lips pressed against mine. Lincoln kissed me like it was our first kiss. When she pulled back, her eyes drifted up above my eye, and then she did a quick sweep of my face.
I remembered my face coming down on my helmet, so I was positive that I looked like shit.
“I’m not going to lie to you: I was so scared.”
My chest ached. I could see it in her eyes. No woman had ever looked at me like this before. With such love mixed with worry. Not that Kaci hadn’t worried about me; I think she was just used to seeing me banged up.
The way Lincoln was looking at me right now, though, I knew this thing between us was entirely unlike what Kaci and I had shared. Not to take away from my love for my first wife, but I had to admit to myself that things felt completely different with Lincoln. I wasn’t going to let myself feel guilty for loving her like I did. Not anymore. Life was too short.
“I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to take my eyes off the bull. I wasn’t thinking.”
Her head shook. “Please tell me I wasn’t a distraction, because if I was, I’ll never sit in the stands again.”
My brows furrowed. “What?”
“If I distracted you, and that’s the reason you got hurt, I’ll never forgive myself.”
This woman was like no other. I fell in love with her even more in that moment.
“Lincoln, it wasn’t your fault. It’s my job, and it’s dangerous. And honestly, I was expecting a lecture about how you couldn’t love a man who rode bulls and to come find you when I was done.”
She giggled and kissed me again. “I told you, I’m not a runner. I know what you do, and I know you love it.” Her eyes turned serious. “Brock, I promise you right now: no matter what happens, on or off a bull, I will never ask you to give up riding.”
The tightness in my chest wasn’t from whatever injury I had. It was from the knowledge that Lincoln would stand by me no matter what. She knew what I did for a living, and she was willing to support me. My chin wobbled some as I tried to speak.
“I love you, Lincoln. The way I feel about you is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”
It was clear in her eyes she wanted to ask about Kaci.
“I loved Kaci; I did. But with you . . . it feels like my soul has finally found what it was searching for.”
More tears filled her eyes, and she leaned over to kiss me. “I love you, Brock.”
It hit me then—my son.
“Blayze,” I said, a worried rush to my voice.
“He’s fine. He was upset for a couple of days, but your dad took him back home and will be back tomorrow.”
“A couple of days? How long have I been out?”
She pulled in a breath and said, “Three days. The last eight hours or so, you’ve been sort of waking up off and on. Not opening your eyes, but moving a lot more. You’re probably really sore.”
I nodded. “So, what damage did he do?”
The door to the room opened, and the nurse came in. “You’re awake, Mr. Shaw! Thank you for letting me know.” She glanced at Lincoln, who was now retreating away from me.
I tried to lift my brow in question but stopped when I felt more pain. Lifting my hand, I felt the stitches.
“I pushed the call button when I kissed you,” Lincoln stated.
The nurse took my vitals and asked if I wanted some water.
Lincoln jumped at the chance. “I’ll go get it.”
The moment she left the room, the nurse started chatting. “So, I hear from your wife that you’re a bull rider.”
My breath stalled. “My wife?”
She was messing around with my IV bag but stopped to look at me. “I’m so sorry. I just assumed you were married. She certainly loves you very much. Her friends nearly had to drag her out of the room each time to get her to eat. That’s the only time she’s left you alone.”
I licked my dry lips and focused on my words. “I could see why you thought we were married. I love her too. We haven’t been together very long.”
Her brow rose. “Really? Well, I have a feeling the two of you are going to make . . . a beautiful future together.”
She had paused, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. I smiled, though, and agreed with her. “I do too. She’s an amazing woman, and to be honest, I’m not sure what she sees in me.”