Honoring Freedom (Cowboys of Sagebrush Rose #3)

Chapter Twenty

“What happened, Keller?” Freedom examined Keller’s bloody clothes from the other side of the doorframe. Fear escalated in her.

"It's Jinx. He's in the truck and had an accident. He's bleeding too much to make it to the clinic. With all this rain, I don't even know if the road is passable because of an avalanche five miles up."

“Bring him inside. I’ll gather hot water and towels. Take him to the bedroom.” She left the door open and went in search of the items she needed.

She'd always been told to keep her cool when accidents happened on the ranch. But walking into the bedroom and finding Jinx with a bad leg injury, blood everywhere, she couldn't help but panic. "Keller?"

With an uncertain glance at her, he took the bowl and towels from her hands. “Call the doctor and check if he can make it here.”

“I already did.”

Keller gave her a faint smile of gratitude before he tended to the severe wound.

“What happened?” she asked, not caring if Jinx or Keller answered. She just needed an answer.

"That bull got me good," Jinx muttered, wincing as Keller pressed a towel against the injury. The fabric was soaking up blood fast.

She shot Keller a curious glance. “What were you doing inside the pasture with the bull?”

“A tree fell on top of the north pasture fence just as the storm broke loose. I was fixing the damage. Next thing I know I heard a loud bang like a gun going off and that bull went into a rage. I barely had time to jump to safety before the Sum’bitch got my leg.”

“Why wasn’t the bull contained?” Freedom needed details. They expected the crew to always take safety precautions.

“I did contain him.”

“I was the last one through the fence,” Keller said with a grim expression.

Freedom looked at him, furrowing her brow. Keller had never been clumsy. “Is the latch faulty?”

He shook his head.

“Hell, it can happen to anyone,” Jinx said through tight lips.

“Jinx, we’re going to have to take care of this.”

“Do what you need to, Keller.”

“What does he need?” Freedom asked, knowing what was about to happen wasn’t going to be pretty.

"Do you have any whiskey?" Jinx asked, getting paler by the moment.

She looked to Keller for his approval, and he nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She returned with the most expensive bottle she could find just as she heard Keller tell Jinx…

“I can’t wait for Doc to arrive. It might take him awhile with all the trees and debris that came down blocking the road. Jinx, you’re needing stitches.”

“Like I said, do what you need to do. I trust you the same as I would any other doctor.” Jinx lifted the bottle to his mouth and took a long gulp.

“Will you cut away his jeans, Freedom?” Keller asked.

“Sure.” She accepted the gloves and scissors that Keller offered her while he prepared his medical items. She carefully cut the denim away being as gentle as she could. Once she could see the injury better, she knew why Keller needed to get the wound taken care of fast.

She finished her task and stepped back and gave Keller space.

“I’ll need to clean it thoroughly, Jinx.”

“Go for it,” he said and closed his eyes, gripping the whiskey bottle until his knuckles were white. He made a howling sound as Keller poured the disinfectant over the wound. Jinx chugged more whiskey and the pain seemed more tolerable.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything to help. It’s different managing a horse’s pain.”

Jinx nodded and pressed his head back into the pillow.

“Are you staying?” Keller asked Freedom.

She nodded. “If you need me to.”

"Put on fresh gloves," he whispered. "Try to keep him calm. He's going into shock, so we need to hurry."

An hour later, Freedom stood under the hot stream of water, watching the pink tinged soap suds swirl around the drain before disappearing. Her tears mingled with the water as her adrenaline came down. The tension of watching Keller suture the wound had left her in a weakened state. The blood. The pain. Keller had been as gentle as he could.

She shut the water off and stepped out of the shower stall, drying herself with a soft terry cloth towel.

She and Keller hadn’t spoken for a week after the Harvest Picnic. A battle of wills or pride, she guessed but they had worked well together to take care of Jinx.

After dressing, she made her way back downstairs. Downstairs she found Keller making coffee. He’d taken a shower too and had put on the clothes she’d given him from her father’s closet. They fit him a little tight, but they would be fine for the time being.

“How is he?” she asked as she stepped inside the kitchen.

“He’s resting. Doc called and said he’ll be here as soon as they clear the road.”

She nodded. “What you did in there…was amazing. He would have died had you not been here. He had lost so much blood.”

Keller ran his hand through his hair. He looked tired…internally beaten. “We won’t know if it’s amazing until he recovers with no infection.”

She watched Keller pour himself a cup of coffee.

“What about us?”

He didn’t answer.

“Are you still refusing to speak to me?”

Still no answer.

“I guess you are then.”

She missed him. She hadn't appreciated how much she enjoyed everything about him until he wasn't around. Her feelings were suspiciously like love. Did she love him? Could it be possible?

“Keller…”

“Freedom…”

They said in unison.

She gave a light chuckle.

She had to fight the urge to cross the room and hug him. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest, a protective barrier against the whirlpool of emotions swirling inside her. "You know, Keller, I never wanted us to stop talking. It just... happened."

His eyes met hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of the old warmth. "I know," he said quietly. "Pride got in the way. On both sides."

"Yeah," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper. "But it doesn't have to stay that way."

He sighed deeply, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavily in the air. "It's not easy, you know. Pretending everything's fine when it's not."

"It's never easy," she replied, stepping closer. "But I'm willing to try if you are."

His hand found hers, and for a moment, the tension melted away. "Alright," he said, squeezing her fingers gently. "Let's try."

They stood there, their past grievances unspoken but not forgotten, a silent promise hanging between them. It was a start, and for now, that was enough.

“I don’t want you to ever think that I’m embarrassed or ashamed of us,” she said.

“But we can’t keep going the way things have been,” he said.

She dropped her arms to her sides. “What do you want from me?”

Several expressions flitted across his face. “I’m not asking for anything. If this is all you have then that’s that. I can’t change that.”

So many emotions rushed through her. “The past…”

“Freedom…”

She nodded, understanding the gravity of his words. "We've been through so much, and it's hard to just put it all behind us."

"I know," he replied, looking into her eyes. "But we can't let the past define us. We have to move forward, somehow."

She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their shared history. "I want to believe that we can find a way. That we can heal and find a clean slate."

"There will be days when it feels damn near impossible," he admitted. "But I think if we hold on to each other, we can make it."

For a moment, they stood in silence, the enormity of their task stretching out before them. She reached up and touched his face gently, a gesture of reassurance and hope. "Let's take it one step at a time," she suggested softly.

“I’m sorry to hear about Liberty, about the baby.” He looked concerned.

“I am too.”

“How is she?”

“It has been a few weeks and she and Wyler are back together. Finally.”

Keller nodded. “Glad to hear.”

“I think we should announce that we’re married,” she blurted.

He blinked. “Really?”

She nodded. “I’m serious. I think it’s time.”

He started to say something, but the doctor came rushing through the door. He looked frantic. “I made it as fast as I could. I have antibiotics. Where is he?”