Texas Girl Grit Read online

  Tana moved closer and clasped my hand in hers. “Sweetie, let them help. They will be discrete and keep it close. Besides, what can it hurt?”

  “Okay,” I whispered, thinking it was a waste of my friends’ time. Wanting them to stop worrying, I added, “And I’m figuring it all out…what I need to do. I promise. I’m using my downtime productively,” I said, motioning to the bed.

  “Good. Now, we brought a little somethin’ somethin’ sweet,” Jen said, standing. “I’ll go and get it and some forks, and while I’m gone, Sunni’s going to entertain you with some more belly-dancer monologues.”

  Sunni shot her the Texas-girl salute as she giggled down the hallway.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  A fire crackled and popped in the stone fireplace, warming the entire room. Lights sparkled and danced, thousands of tiny sparkles reflected from the tree and garlands as they bounced off the windows and pool beyond. The entire house seemed to glow with warmth and lights. But the real warmth came from being surrounded by our friends. Emotional didn’t cover the way I felt, my eyes filling with tears every time I thought of leaving it all behind, even if it was temporarily. I wished I could enjoy it. I wanted it to last.

  George Strait crooned carols from the sound system as Tana helped me finish setting the food out on the buffet. With Angela and Miranda’s help, I’d cooked a ham, ginger and pineapple gravy, spinach almandine, scalloped potatoes with caramelized onions, and carrots with ginger glaze. I’d even made a pumpkin cheese cake from scratch. Throwing myself into plans for tonight’s festivities was the distraction I needed—a temporary reprieve from dealing with that sickening video.

  “This smells good. I can’t believe you cooked all of this yourself,” Tana said, placing the bread basket on the table.

  “Well, Angela and Miranda did help a bit. Since Masen started walking, it’s all hands on deck. He’s in to everything,” I said, plopping down in a side chair. “Man, my feet hurt.”

  “Well, little Momma…I’m thinking you are going to have to give those heels up soon,” she drawled, nodding at my feet. Ellen and Chelsea had been shoe shopping, and they’d bought me some cute peep-toe booties that buckled in a bow at the ankle and showed off my cherry-red pedicure. But the four-inch heels weren’t preggo friendly.

  I sighed, looking down at the cute boots. “Yeah, I know. My balance is off a bit as it is. I’m beginning to show,” I said, nodding down to my tummy. The off the shoulder sweater I’d worn highlighted my cleavage, but bloused down to a hip-hugger waist, and I thankfully could wear it below my bump. I could still manage my short skirts, but I had to leave them unbuttoned and unzipped part of the way under my blouses. In another month or so, I’d have to give them all up for elastic waists and leggings.

  “Play it up, girl! The press has been loving this ‘young couple in love’ thing you’ve got going on. The baby makes it much more exciting. The way you’ve been photographed lately, you’d think you were the Texas version of Duchess Kate on baby watch.”

  “Oh, please,” I rolled my eyes.

  “Seriously, girl,” Jen added as she strolled into the room. “There is a picture of you and Liam at dinner at the Menger Hotel a few weeks ago, in the newest Texas Monthly. The entire caption is about what you have on.”

  “Yeah. My mother-in-law and Chelsea stepped in on that one.”

  Tana glanced at me from under her bangs, eyebrow cocked. “Don’t sweat it, cowgirl. Nothing wrong with them giving you a bit of fashion advice. You’ve got this, now. Ever since that speech at that luncheon,” she trailed off as I snapped my head around.

  “Please, don’t remind me,” I moaned.

  “I know it was tough, darlin’, but you kicked that reporter’s ass. I was proud of you the way you stood up for yourself and handled the questions about your past. And you did it with Texas-girl grit and a bit of grace.”

  “Mmm…Texas-girl grit…a bit of grace. I love how that sounds. Well, thanks for the complement. But I don’t feel it was my proudest moment,” I said, shaking my head. And sadly, I knew there wouldn’t be any more. How in the hell could I handle this video situation with grace? There was no possible way to spin it.

  The sudden chime of the doorbell took the attention away from politics.

  “I’ve got it,” Liam called out from the living room, moving toward the front door. Soon Sunni’s giggles filled the foyer.

  “Sunni!” Tana and Jen chimed together excitedly and then laughed because they were so in sync. Liam ushered Sunni and her mystery date into the great room.

  Sunni’s face was brighter than our Christmas tree. “Everyone, I want you all to meet Colton Yeager. Colt, these are my friends--Liam and Kelly Covington, Jen and Scott--and you’ve already met Tana at our apartment. And this is her boyfriend, Sean.”

  “Holy bulges and buckles,” Jen gasped, taking the cowboy in from head to toe. Tana’s eyes widened in appreciation at the fine specimen of Texas maleness in front of us, but elbowed Jen for her crassness just the same.

  Sean and Scott had joined us, Sean moving to slide his arm around Tana.

  Colton shifted around Sunni to shake hands with Liam and turned to Sean. “Hey, man…your Sean Reynolds, quarterback for the Texans. I’m a fan,” he said, grinning as he shook Sean’s hand.

  “Hey, me too, man,” Sean replied. “I recognize you too. Made it to the finals last year in Vegas, right?”

  “Yeah. Had some tough luck with an injury back this summer, and it knocked me out of the finals,” Colton murmured, working his shoulder.

  “So, you rodeo?” Scott asked.

  “He is a rider of bulls,” Sunni clarified.

  Tana’s eyes widened. “Wow. I’ve never met a professional rodeo cowboy before.”

  “Well, you can mark that off your bucket list, sweetheart,” Colt joked, pulling Sunni in and kissing the back of her head.

  Sean growled in Tana’s ear. I had to admit it was pretty hot.

  “Don’t get too starry eyed, sweet cheeks. You’ve got your own athlete right here,” he said, slapping her butt.

  Sunni looked as if she’d won the Texas lottery with a megaplier. She’d finally scored a cowboy. I thought back to all the times we’d been to the bars on sixth street, and she’d trolled through an ocean of cowboy hats and wranglers each time. I had to hold back a giggle. I caught Tana’s eye from across the way and her smirk said she was thinking the same thing.

  Jen leaned in to Scott, her arms crossed across her chest. “Hmmm. Pro rodeo, football, and politics.” She nodded at Liam as she said the last, and then turned back to Scott with a smirk. “So, what’s your superpower?”

  Scott cracked his knuckles, never breaking a smile. “I intimidate people.”

  After a pause, everyone burst out laughing. “That’s a good one, babe,” Jen said, patting the tree trunk that was his chest. Scott smirked.

  “Dinner’s ready, if you all are ready to eat,” I announced.

  “Here, let me take your coats,” Liam offered. Colton had already helped Sunni out of her leather jacket. He handed it to Liam as he also shrugged out of a black wool sport coat. He then removed his black felt Stetson hat and handed it to Liam as well. Jen, Tana and I exchanged glances, all of us feasting on the heavily-starched Cinch jeans slung low on his hips, topped off with an impressive belt buckle, outlined by the title of a championship of some kind. Bull riders wear their trophies, and this bull rider wore his well. Sunni giggled and shrugged at us as she caught us gawking.

  Liam pulled me back into his chest as he pulled my chair out from the table.

  “Baby, you’ve outdone yourself. Everything is beautiful, and the food smells great. You’d give my mother a run for her money in the hostess department,” he whispered, his mouth brushing my ear. “I’ll properly thank you later,” he finished. I looked up to find all our friends watching us and I blushed as I sat down. Liam winked at Tana when she cleared her throat.

  “I think they’re still on their honeymoon,” she te
ased. Then catching my eye, she sobered a bit, knowing the struggle I was going through with my decision about the threats. Sean, sensing tension, changed the conversation to football and the playoffs. I was grateful.

  I watched our friends throughout dinner, feeling disjointed, as though I was having an out-of-body experience. Any other time, I would have enjoyed the warmth and closeness, the happiness seeming to bind all of us together. But not tonight. I couldn’t help but wish that time would stand still. If I made my decision, this might be the last time I entertained friends with Liam for a while. I glanced across the table to him to find his eyes on me. He searched mine, sensing my disquiet. I smiled at him, wanting to assure him everything was fine.

  As a country singer crooned about her “Santa Baby,” we all settled in the living room around the Christmas tree after dinner. Liam refilled everyone’s drinks, and then joined me on the couch with a sparkling water with lime juice.

  “Thanks,” I said as I took the glass from him.

  “Welcome, Baby,” he said, kissing my forehead.

  “Puh-leese,” Jen said, rolling her eyes. Sunni snorted as Tana came to our defense.

  “I think it’s adorable how Covington dotes on her. She sooo deserves it, with being pregnant and all,” she teased.

  “Yeah, Coving-stud, totally adorable,” Sean drawled dramatically.

  “So, you two played ball together? Bet you’ve got some stories,” Colton said.

  “All three of us, actually,” Liam corrected, nodding at Scott.

  “Really? At UT?”

  “Yup. Hook ‘em,” Scott drawled, holding up his horn-hand dramatically. “Even if some of us were third string at best,” he murmured.

  Liam leaned forward. “You know you would have been right in there with Sean and me, if you hadn’t blown your knee out junior year.”

  Scott gazed at him, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, his face a mask. As usual, he only spoke when asked a question directly. He had the broody, bad-boy persona down.

  “Well, I know I have friends on the Texans,” Sean interjected. “But there is something about those friendships you form in college football. It’s as if you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and they become a part of you. Like you’ve shared something no one else understands. But it’s not the same out in the real world. The pro athletes, I mean. Once it’s a paycheck, the passion isn’t the same. I know these guys will be my friends for life.”

  “Oh, bro, I love you too,” Liam gushed. Sean picked a pillow up and threw it at his head.

  Everyone laughed, Colton included. “Yeah, but I get it, man. I’ve got a lot of friends on the pro circuit. But there are a couple I’ve rodeoed with since high school days. Those are the ties that bind.”

  The laughter died down.

  Sunni cleared her throat. “I don’t know about you three, but I’m wishing I’d been one of the leaders of cheer,” Sunni said wistfully.

  “Oh my gawd,” Jen answered, giggling at Colt’s expression. “It’s cheerleader, cowgirl. What are we gonna do with you?”

  “I was a cheerleader,” Tana admitted.

  “Of course you were,” Jen countered, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m bettin’ Kelly there was too,” Colt said, grinning as he tipped his beer bottle toward me.

  Liam tightened his arm around me as he felt me tense beside him. Tana looked at me sadly, now knowing my teenage years didn’t hold fond memories like cheerleading.

  I made a quick recovery. “Nope, wasn’t cut out for pom-poms. I ran track.”

  “And that explains those beautiful legs,” Sean added as he winked at me.

  My eyes moved, as did Sean and Tana’s, to the back windows. I could hear the low hum of an engine, and then the thud-thud-thud-thud of the beat of a helicopter approaching.

  “We hear them sometimes. It’s an air evac helicopter passing over,” I explained to them as everyone nodded. They were usually making their way to UT Medical Center.

  “I hate that sound. It means someone’s been in an accident.” Sunni shuddered, admitting out loud what I was thinking.

  As the noise grew progressively louder, Liam stood, his gaze focused. “They usually don’t fly this low,” he murmured.

  Bright lights filled the room, stunning us.

  Then the windows shattered.

  “Get down!” Scott yelled, jerking Jen from the sofa. As everyone dove into the floor, screams erupted. I watched in horror as Liam moved toward me and then folded, sinking to the floor, blood spreading across his white dress shirt.

  On instinct, I fell to him, pressing my hand against the wound in his chest. He reached up and grabbed my shoulders.

  “Get down, Baby,” he gasped, pain clouding his eyes.

  The tap-tap-tap sound continued, faint thudding noises continued behind the sofa. It never entered my consciousness they were continuing to shoot into the room, and the thuds that continued were the sound of bullets cutting into my sofas.

  “Liam, you’re hurt,” I sobbed, trying to stem the flow of blood. I kept willing the wound to move up his shoulder. It was way too close to his heart for my brain to grasp.

  “Baby, please,” he begged, continuing to try to pull me down fully on the floor.

  Sean and Scott crawled over to where I lay with Liam. Gunfire erupted from outside, and the whir of the helicopter engines sped up and then droned over the house.

  I was oblivious to everything except Liam. His color wasn’t good…his face was pasty white.

  “Shooting, victim gunshot wound. Possibly more. Eight twenty-five Mesquite Tree Trail, Canyon Ridge Edition. We need ambulance and police now!” Scott shouted into his cell.

  “I need a towel…something to try to stop this flow of blood,” Sean called out.

  “I’ll get it,” Tana answered, rising and then running toward the kitchen. She returned instantly with several kitchen towels. Sean ripped the buttons down the front of Liam’s shirt and then stuffed one of the towels into his chest, above his left pectoral. The towel was soaked immediately. I noticed the same staining the carpet below.

  I started to move him, but Sean stopped me.

  “Don’t move him too much, we don’t know if his spinal cord has been hit.” Sean grabbed another from the pile, changing the one from his chest. “It’s a sucking chest wound. I need plastic,” he said, looking around the room. Fishing in his back pocket, he pulled his wallet out and removed a credit card. He then gently pulled the towel off and placed the card against the bullet hole in Liam’s chest.

  A bullet hole. There was a bullet hole in Liam’s chest. My entire body flushed with the feeling of ice water. My husband was dying in front of my eyes.

  “Honey, stay with me,” I pleaded, watching Liam fight his hold with consciousness. “Fight, please…don’t leave me,” I whispered.

  I felt hands squeezing my shoulders and turned to see Jen standing over me.

  “He’ll be okay, Kel.”

  “Guys, I need help,” I heard from behind the coffee table. It was Colton’s voice.

  “Shit,” Scott muttered. “Where’s she hit?”

  “Oh, God, Sunni!” Tana gasped, moving from behind me toward where Colton and Sunni had been sitting on the love seat.

  I was in a nightmare, and I couldn’t wake up. Liam’s head was cradled in my lap, his blood all over me. As I glanced back down at him, he’d closed his eyes.

  “No, no, no, no,” I sobbed.

  “His pulse is weak, but it’s there. He’s still breathing,” Sean assured me, his voice calming. “Where’s that ambulance?” he murmured, glancing at the front door as two of the outside security guards came rushing in the foyer.

  “We’ve got two hit,” Scott called out from where they had Sunni on the floor.

  One minute I was rocking, Liam’s head cradled in my lap. The next, I was in Sean’s arms, watching helplessly as four paramedics lifted Liam carefully on a gurney, two more guiding another carrying Sunni through the front doors.
r />   I pulled away from Sean. “I have to go with him,” I sobbed.

  “We need the room to work on him,” one of them answered.

  “Kel, we’ll follow them in my truck. I’ll drive you, we’ll be right behind them,” Sean urged, pulling me toward the front door, his keys already out of his pocket.

  Scott moved about the room, talking with our security and the police. I glanced over my shoulder at Tana.

  “Where’s Masen tonight?” she asked, large tears in her eyes.

  “With Liam’s parents. I have to call them…and Ethan and Chels,” I whispered.

  “I’m calling Chelsea now,” Tana replied, phone to her ear. “Just go. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  * * *

  We sat in a stark, cold waiting room, my arms tight around my waist as I watched nurses, doctors, aids and emergency workers move by. The urge to plow through them all to find Liam was strong. Why weren’t they all in the trauma room working on him? How could everyone be calm? I was jumping out of my own skin. I began to rock. It had been too long. Someone should have come out by now.

  When Sean tightened his arms around me I turned to look at him.

  “We need to get you cleaned up. Tana’s brought you some clothes,” Sean stated, pulling a bag over and placing it in my lap.

  “Where’s Tana,” I asked, looking around the waiting room. There were strangers there. I vaguely recalled someone talking about a three-car wreck on the interstate. Loved ones from those families paced on the other side of the room.

  “She and Jen went down to wait for Liam’s family and Sunni’s parents. They’ll bring them up when they arrive,” he murmured, stroking my arm.

  “Oh my God…how’s Sunni?” I gasped, realizing I knew nothing of her condition.

  “She’s stable. Her gunshot wound was high in the shoulder. It went through clean. Colton’s back with her now.”

  I closed my eyes. “Thank God.”

  Ellen and Davis rushed into the room behind Tana, their eyes searching until they spotted me. Ellen sank down in the chair beside me as Davis knelt in front of me.