My True Cowboy

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“Yep. Okay now, let’s go see how he’s doing,” he murmured when they finally got to their dad’s door.

Slowly twisting the handle, he peeked in. “Dad?”

Lying on the bed, looking beat-up and pissed off, Calvin Sr. glared his way. “I’m here. Where else would I be?”

Cal matched his father’s glare with one of his own. “Ginny’s here with me. She wanted to come see you.” Cal made sure he put the emphasis on she, just so his dad would know that Cal’s patience was up and gone.

Before he could give his father any additional warning glances, Ginny broke free from his hand and scampered in. “Hey, Daddy!” she hollered. Surely loud enough to wake the patients down the hall.

Quickly Cal reached for her but was too late. “Gin—” he warned. “Watch—”

She either didn’t hear or didn’t care to abide his warning, because she was flying toward the bed like a bullet.

Ready to jump and cause a heap of trouble….

“Stop!” Calvin called out, his face full of alarm.

Ginny skidded to a stop. “Daddy?”

“You settle down, girl. You’re in the hospital, not the circus. You hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” she said meekly, then turned Cal’s way.

As he saw her bottom lip begin to quiver, he took two steps forward and reached for her hand again. “Remember how I said Daddy’s had surgery?” he murmured as their father continued to scowl. “You’ve got to move a whole lot slower in here. You could have hurt him.”

Turning back to their dad, Ginny started moving in slow motion. “Is this better, Daddy?”

She looked ridiculous. But instead of smiling Ginny’s way, their dad glowered at him. “Why did you bring her?”

Ginny stopped again. Cal placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I brought her because she wanted to see you. Though, with the way you’re acting, I don’t know why.”

Twin spots of color appeared on their father’s cheeks.

When they were stopped in front of his bed, Ginny let go of Cal’s hand and placed both of hers on the bars surrounding the hospital bed. “You don’t look good, Daddy.”

“Thanks. I don’t feel good.”

“Cal says you’re grumpy ‘cause you don’t like people messing with your heart, on account it don’t work too well. What was wrong with the old one?”

“I smoked and ate too much.”

Ginny paused a bit, digesting that bit of news. Then she rose on her tiptoes and stared at his chest. “Do you have a scar?”

“I do.”

“Is it big?”

“It is.”

She leaned forward, turning her head slightly so her eye was peeking out through the bars on the side of the bed. “Can I see it?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Slowly, their father raised his eyes to Cal’s and sighed. “You can’t see it because it’s all bandaged up.”

“But you’ll be all better soon?”

To Cal’s relief, their father chuckled. “I think so, darlin’.”

After a moment, Ginny rearranged herself in front of the metal bars again. Now, as she peered at her daddy through the openings, Cal imagined she looked like a prisoner in a jail cell. “So, are you happy to see me now?”

Cal held his breath. There was no telling what his dad was going to say to that. His father was in extreme pain, and possibly loopy from medication, too. Mentally, he cursed himself. He should have known better than to bring his little sister in. All this was going to do was aggravate their father and cause Ginny unnecessary grief.

And then he, of course, was going to have to deal with it.

But then, in the blink of an eye, Cal watched his father’s whole disposition change yet again. Gone was the pissed-off expression, the frown between his salt-and-pepper brows. In its place was the kind of sweet, special smile Cal only saw when his father worked with his prized gelding, Vixen, or talked with Ginny. “Of course I am. You never fail to brighten my day.” Reaching out, he tapped her knuckles. “Whatcha been doing? Have you been a good girl?”

“I’ve been helping Cal around the house. I’ve been helping Gwen, too. We made Rice Krispie treats.” She swiveled her head and looked up at him. “I’ve been real good, right?”

Cal nodded slowly. “Pretty good.”

“How many fights?”

Ginny stuck up her finger. “Only one this week, and the playground aide didn’t even look that upset about it.”

Cal pressed his hands on Ginny’s shoulders. “Ginny’s only gotten four time-outs this week, too.”

Their dad’s eyes lit right up in amusement, though Cal could see he was trying hard to be serious. “Virginia Ann, you’re more trouble than all three of your brothers combined! What am I ever going to do with you?”

She looked down at her feet. “I don’t know.”

“Come now. What do I always say?”

Slowly, she looked up at her dad. “Love me a lot?”

Calvin’s smiled widened, but Cal noticed that it also looked strained. “That’s a fact. When I get home, we’ll have to watch TV together.”

“Okay. The Biggest Loser’s on again.” She and her daddy were reality-show junkies.

“What about Survivor?”

“I’m not sure. Cal hasn’t let me watch it since that man took off all his clothes and that boy and girl started kissing in the dark.”

“It really wasn’t appropriate for a six-year-old, Dad.”

“Good TV, though,” his dad remarked. “But, uh, probably not so good for little girls. Your brother’s just lookin’ out for you.”

“But you’ll watch TV with me soon?”

“Of course, sweetheart. It’s a date.”

Ginny leaned closer, eyeing the IV tube. “Does that hurt?”

“Nah.”

“Just your heart?”

“Just my heart. And my ribs.”

“Poor Daddy.” Ever so slowly, one by one, her fingers loosened on the bed rail and she thrust her hand through. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed my little girl, too.” He reached out a hand. “Come here, pumpkin. Come hold my hand for a sec.”

She did as he asked, her tentative expression morphing into a full-blown grin as she stepped closer.

Cal took the empty seat and let the two of them have their time together. In a way that he’d never done with his boys, Calvin Sr. asked Ginny a dozen questions and listened intently to each answer. Within five minutes, he’d heard all about school and her dolls and even got an update on Spot—the puppy Jarred’s girlfriend, Serena, had brought home. “You’re not letting that dog chew up my slippers, are you?”

Ginny’s little mouth formed a circle. “Oh, no, sir.”

“That’s good.” He yawned. “I’m getting tired now and you need to get out of this hospital. There’s sick people everywhere. Before you know it, they’re going to make you sick, too. Now, is your brother going to take you to lunch? Because I think visiting folks here should at least earn you a meal.”

Cal stood up. “I am. We’re going to go get shakes and burgers at the Sonic, aren’t we?”

“And go to Shop-N-Go. Cal said maybe I could get some new crayons.”

“If you do, will you draw me a picture?”

Ginny’s face lit up as if her daddy had just given her the sun and the moon. “Uh-huh. I’ll bring it next time.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Their dad looked to be fading fast, so Cal cleared his throat. “It’s time, sugar.”

“Bye, baby,” Dad said.

Ginny blew him a kiss, then trotted back over to Cal. “I’m ready now.” She peeked out the door, then turned back to Cal. “The nurses’ station has suckers. Can I go get me one?”

“You may.”

When they were alone, his dad looked like the grumpy old man that he was once again. With a ragged sigh, he leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes. “That girl. She’s everything and a day, ain’t she?”

Cal smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Really only four time-outs?”

“That’s all I’ve heard from her teacher.” Cal shrugged. “’Course, the year’s just starting. Ginny might be starting off slow. You know … breaking her teacher in slowly.”

His dad looked as if he was trying to look perturbed, but his eyes were glowing. “Maybe I should’ve told her no more often.”

“I tell her no all the time. It doesn’t seem to do much good.”

“Perhaps you’ve got a point.”

“Dad, do you need anything?”

“Only the same things as ever. I need to get pain free and out of here. I’m ready to go home.”

Except, he wasn’t going to be able to go home anytime soon.

But because he wasn’t ready to bring that up, Cal concentrated on his dad’s pain. “Want me to call for the nurse?”

“Nah, I’ll push my button when y’all leave.” After a moment, he murmured, “I’m glad you brought our girl here, son. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. She loves you.” Briefly, Cal wondered why it was so easy to talk about Ginny’s love but not his own. Now was the time to tell him about Trent, but the words stuck in his throat. “So, Dad, we got a phone call….”

“What happened? Was it the accountant?”

“No. Business wise, everything’s fine.” Cal paused. “It’s about Trent. Dad, Trent got hurt in Albuquerque.”

“Oh, I know that,” he said wearily. “I wondered if you were ever going to tell me about it, though.”

“I didn’t want to bother you about it.”

“I’m old and falling apart, but I’m still your father. Trent knows that. He called last night. I talked to him.” He shook his head. “That boy’s going to be the death of me. If that little girl of ours doesn’t wear me out first.”

“I spoke with his doctor. He’s going to be okay. Just out of commission.”

“Hope he’ll use the time to come home for a while. I asked him to.”

“He said he’ll probably get this way in a month or so.”

“A month, huh? That boy. Always doing what he’s wanted to.”