Starting Over

Chapter 16- Another Trip to Vanderbilt...

Today is the first time I have been to our Tennessee home since I left in January, but it’s the first time I have seen Bridget since the show in Louisville. It’s been over a month and it’s driving me insane. With the Kenzie’s softball practice and Bo’s t-ball practice, plus chorus rehearsal for Kenzie too, Bridget hasn’t been able to out at all. She even missed my Spring Break shows. Today that is all going to change. The next almost two months are going to be all about us and our little family.

“Honey, I’m home!” I yelled as I walked through the door. It was eerily silent in the house and made me worry. Bridget’s truck was outside, so I knew she had to be here. I walked through the house, making sure to check every room, but there was no sign of her or the kids.

“Let’s go get the 4-wheeler!” I heard Kenzie yell as I looked out the boy’s bedroom window, seeing her, Raegan, and Keeley run towards the barn at the farm.

I quickly ran down the stairs and out the back door trying to catch them before they got too far away.

“Kenzie! No!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. I was too late, they didn’t hear me. I ran around the front of the house and jumped in my truck.

“Why didn’t I make that path through the woods big enough for a truck?” I questioned my own judgment, knowing the girls would be long gone before I could get to the farm and stop them. I flew down the driveway and out onto the road, driving as fast as I could. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and called Bridget.

“Hey Luke,” She said, “Made it home yet?”

“Where are you?” I asked with fear in my voice.

“I’m in the basement. What’s wrong?” She replied.

“The girls are on their way to the farm to get the 4-wheelers. I tried to stop them, but I was in the boy’s room when I heard. I’m on my way to the farm now,” I told her.

“Dammit! Luke stop them!” Bridget demanded knowing Kenzie was a little too wild to be riding without supervision.

“I’m trying. Just get over here as soon as you can,” I told her as I hung up the phone.

Moments later I was pulling into the farm. As I did I saw three 4-wheelers flying through the field, heading towards one of my riding paths. I pulled up to the barn and ran in quickly running for my 4-wheeler. I jumped on it and quickly raced towards the last spot I saw the girls. I was going fast, this was my racing 4-wheeler I had custom built just for fun pretty much. It was the only thing I had where I knew I stood a chance at catching up with the girls. I rounded the bend and coasted sideways into a path in the tree line. I somehow managed to navigate through the trail without hitting anything and came to the clearing where I had built my dirt ramps. That’s when I spotted them going around the track jumping ramp after ramp going way too fast. I hit the throttle just a little harder trying to get to them before Kenzie got to the biggest ramp of them all. I didn’t make it in time. Kenzie rode up the hill and was flying through the air. That’s when it all went wrong. The 4-wheeler started tilting backwards. She didn’t have the upper body strength to keep it level. It was a matter of seconds before I watched as Kenzie fell off and came tumbling to the ground, the 4-wheeler landing a matter of feet away from her.

“Kenzie!” I yelled as I jolted to a stop about 50 yards away from her. I ran faster than I had ever to her side. She was unconscious. “Call 911!” I yelled as I threw my phone at Keeley and Raegan.

“Yes. My friend just wrecked her 4-wheeler,” Keeley said to the operator before I took the phone from her.

“We are at 9854 Cane Ranch Road. My stepdaughter wrecked her 4-wheeler. She’s unconscious,” I practically yelled at the operator.