Chapter Thirty-Two
"Rodeo?" Cavanaugh asked with a frown two days later, on Saturday, as he sat down beside Nicole on the couch and slid his arm around her shoulders. "What's a rodeo?"
"It's a bunch of cowboys and cowgirls that rope and ride to entertain the crowd and earn titles." Nicole replied.
"So they do ranch work and people wanna watch?" Ian asked with a frown. "Ranch work is overrated."
"Are you combing a dolls hair?" Cavanaugh asked with a raised brow. Ian held up the Barbie doll and pink brush and nodded, "Sure am." he said with a grin. "Ain't she pretty?"
"She'd be prettier if you put clothes on her..." Madeline said with a giggle.
Ian looked down at the naked plastic doll, "I don't know. I think she looks pretty good like she is," he countered.
Nicole smacked him on the back of the head, "You're such a perv." Ian just shrugged and took the dress that Madeline was holding out for him. He shimmied the doll into it and then winked over at Leslie, "First time I've ever helped a woman into her clothes," he stated and this earned giggles from Madeline and a shake of the head from Leslie. That woman was a hard one. Normal flirting and innuendos just didn't seem to work but sticking a gun to her husband's head earned you one heck of a ham sandwich.
"Well the rodeo only comes once a year so I am going," Nicole said. "Anybody else want to come?"
"You know that if you're going, I'll come," Cavanaugh assured her. Nicole sighed with contentment as she leaned into his warm embrace. He still hadn't said that he loved her but he spent every waking moment he could with her and spent their sleeping moments curled up with her in her large bed. Nicole had never known happiness like the happiness that Cavanaugh had given her.
He was always there, always supportive, always eager to hear what she had to say. And the day of her mothers birthday he had been a rock. He hadn't offered advice or meaningless words while she cried sadly or talked about her painful past, instead he had just listened and held her and that had meant more than anything else could have.
"I think Madeline and I will just stay here..." Leslie said as she looked out the window.
Ian frowned, "Why?"
"Yeah, mommy, why? I wanna go see the horses and bulls!" Madeline exclaimed.
Ian saw the flash of fear in Leslie's eyes and he shook his head, "I think it would be a good for ya to come," he insisted.
Leslie's eyes met his and Ian tried to communicate without words that he would keep she and Madeline safe. Frank wasn't a threat, he was just a blowhard bastard who needed to be put in his place. Their eyes locked and Ian felt something tugging at his chest. Must have been those baked beans he'd eaten for dinner the night before.
"Okay, we'll go," Leslie whispered as she tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear and looked away from Ian.
Ian grinned with victory and went back to combing the dolls hair. Madeline was trying to teach him to braid but he figured a cow had a better chance at learning how to fly.
"Well I for sure want to go," Andrew said excitedly from where he and Bethany sat beside the fireplace. Bethany nodded her agreement.
"Nothing hotter than a cowboy on a bucking bronco," Nicole added with a sigh.
Ian nudged her leg with his elbow from his spot on the floor, "Then you'll really love my brother! He was the best roper, bronc breaker, rider, ranch worker you've ever seen! Why just for the hell of it once we dared him to jump on a raging mad bull and that crazy ass did it! And he stayed on too, for a long time until it finally threw him off. You ain't never seen a man run so fast in your life as Cav did to get to that fence!"
"You should enter tonight!" Nicole exclaimed as she looked over at Cavanaugh.
He frowned and rubbed his left thigh awkwardly, "Naw."
"Why not?" she asked.
He smiled sadly as he looked down at her, "I was good but that was before... I don't think I could now." Nicole laid her hand over his leg and his arm tightened around her.
"Come on, Cav, you never know unless you try!" Andrew insisted.
Cavanaugh just shook his head again, "I don't think so."
Ian snorted, handing the doll back to Madeline, "I give up on braiding," he grumbled to the girl and then he looked at Cavanaugh, "And you, quit feeling sorry for yourself. Mama told you that fifteen hundred times before she died and yet here you are, moping and feeling sorry for yourself because of your damn leg. Give it a try, big brother. You never know, you might still have it."
Cavanaugh glared at Ian and, for a moment, Nicole thought that Ian might have finally pushed his older brother too far but finally Cavanaugh sighed, "I'll think about it," he relented.
"So when is this rodeo?" Andrew asked.
"Tonight. We should probably start getting ready," Nicole admitted and everyone went their separate ways to do just that.
***
Cavanaugh breathed in the scent of horses, bulls, hay and manure and couldn't help but sigh. God he missed ranch life. He missed 1875. He hated cars and the smells they put off. He hated that talking picture box and he hated modern electronic cooking. Food tasted better when cooked over a fire. He hated the noise. Everything seemed loud in this day and time. Car horns, car engines, lawn mowers, telephones, alarm clocks.... It was as if no one appreciated the peace that could only be found in silence.
There was one thing and one thing only that made him never want to leave this time and that was the woman walking beside him with her small, soft hand resting in his large, work hardened one. If he couldn't take her with him then he never wanted to go home. What was waiting at home for him? Nothing, other than the Biggley ranch and falling back into his old boring habits. With Nicole he was the Cavanaugh he had been before he'd lost everything he loved.
He was laughing again. He could smile and talk and he went whole days without being overcome by sadness. He still thought of Leah from time to time when little things would remind him of her but instead of being overcome with grief he was just filled with bittersweet memories, some that even made him smile.
It was different when he thought of his lost children though. There had been several times over the last week when something Madeline would do or say would make images of his precious son and daughter's faces to appear in his mind and he would be overcome by a sadness so profound that he would have to walk away. Nicole would let him go at those times and for that he was grateful. She would let him walk away and have that time to himself to remember... Then just when he would be preparing to sink down into that same depressed state he'd been in for years, she would come find him and without a word she would simply take his hand and lay her head against his shoulder and with that simple gesture he would find himself healing.
"Well now this looks a little more like home," Cavanaugh stated.
Ian clicked his tongue, "Well then where the hell haven't I been back home because I sure never saw nothing that looked quite like that...." he demanded as his eyes followed three women who were walking arm in arm, wearing shorts that came up to their butts and short tank tops that showed their tight stomachs and impressive cleavage. All three were wearing big sunglasses and they had long blond ponytails that were swinging with every step they took.
Nicole rolled her eyes and looked up at Cavanaugh but he seemed to be making a pointed effort not to look at the women. Andrew laughed as he looked at the three of them, "We got them back home, Ian, but back in our time we gotta pay 'em if we wanna see all that. In this time women just offer it up for free."
"Andrew!" Bethany exclaimed as Nicole fought back a laugh and Cavanaugh chuckled.
"Well it's the truth," Andrew replied with a sheepish grin and a shrug.
"Nicole, please help me keep an eye out for him," Leslie whispered as she walked up to Nicole's right side.
Nicole nodded and Cavanaugh did as well, "We know what he looks like, Leslie. He won't get nowhere near you and the little one if he knows what's good for him." Cavanaugh promised.
Ian could be heard grumbling under his breath and then he stepped forward and scooped Madeline up in his arms. She giggled breathlessly as he lifted her high over his head and sat her on his shoulders.
"Your hat is in my face," Madeline gasped and Ian grinned as he pulled it off and plopped it on top of her pigtails.
"Can I keep it?!" Madeline exclaimed hopefully and Cavanaugh and Andrew's eyes widened as they looked at their brother. There was a bond between a cowboy and his hat. A bond that was nearly impossible to sever. Ian had had the dirty, stained, worn out black hat on Madeline's head for years.
"Madeline..." Leslie scolded.
Ian just waved his hand and craned his neck so he could look at the side of Madeline's face, "It looks a mite better on you than it does me, I think, Maddy. I guess that means you oughta keep it."
Madeline laughed and then Ian pointed to the tents that were set up and selling hats and other western apparel, "Gonna have to go get me a new one," he said and he headed off in that direction.
Nicole had given Ian and Andrew both spending money for tonight while Cavanaugh had money of his own that he had earned doing odd jobs for people all week. Ian stopped suddenly and then turned and waved Leslie over, "Come on with us." he urged.
Cavanaugh saw Leslie blush, look a little surprised and then join Ian and Madeline. Cavanaugh was damn near shocked speechless when Ian's free arm, (that didn't have a grip on Madeline's legs), went around Leslie's shoulders.
"Well I certainly never saw that coming," Nicole stated blankly. Cavanaugh shook his head, "Me neither."
"Hey, Cav, let's go check out those broncs they got over there!" Andrew exclaimed as he tugged on Cavanaugh's arm. Cavanaugh nodded and they made their way around the big dirt track, surrounded by a white wooden fence and rickety bleachers full of men, women and children.
They wound their way through the crowd of onlookers and toward the pens that held horses, some broken and some not, bulls and calves.
"Aww, look how cute they are!" Bethany exclaimed as she stuck her hand in the calf pen and the tiny beasts began licking her hand.
"Well what do we have here?" Cavanaugh looked away from Bethany to see a man walking up to them in the most ridiculous outfit that Cavanaugh had ever seen.
Bright red button down shirt, black leather vest with star shaped rivets, tassels and fringe. He was wearing black pants with oversized chaps like Cavanaugh had seen some Mexican ranch hands wear, only this mans were black and white spotted cow hide. His boots were bright white and pretty clean (clearly not the boots of a working man) and they had large metal spurs hanging off of them, clinking in the sunlight. The mans hat was also white and sparkling clean and he had a smug grin on his clean shaven face as he sized up Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh looked down at himself and then back at the man. Cavanaugh was wearing his white button down that he'd come to the future in. Nicole had bleached it and gotten out most of the stains. Over that he had on his worn brown leather vest. He was wearing tight levi's and his light tan chaps that were worn in the knees. His scuffed up brown boots were looking a little worse for wear and he knew his hat was sweat stained and dirty. Most people would say it was time for new clothes but Cavanaugh just considered them good and broken in.
"You think you're a real cowboy or something?" the man demanded. Cavanaugh chuckled as he rubbed his stubble covered jaw, "Something like that," he replied.
Nicole tilted her head as she looked at this man. He was the definition of a fake 'rodeo cowboy'. A man who didn't have any idea about true ranches or hard work but called himself a cowboy because he could ride a bull. Not all of the men here were like that. Most of the cowboys and cowgirls were truly what they called themselves but not gaucho cow pants.
"Are you competing?" she asked him and he nodded and turned his shoulder, showing her the white and black paper on his back with the number twenty-eight written on it, "Sure am," he said as he turned back around and then he looked back at Cavanaugh, "You competing?" he asked. Cavanaugh shook his head and rested his hand on his gun as he looked around, "Naw."
"Yeah, I saw that limp. I figured you weren't gonna be competing with us. That and you look a little old to be fresh on the circuit. Most of us newbies are barely twenty."
"I see that," Cavanaugh replied, feeling his pride kick in just a little. Hell he wasn't old. Twenty-eight wasn't old. He was sure he could probably wipe the floor with this young gun any day.
"We were just wanting to look at the animals," Nicole said, realizing that Cavanaugh's temper was rising.
The young rodeo cowboy nodded and moved in closer to her next to the bull pen. He leaned against the metal bars and tilted his hips toward Nicole so that they were nearly touching her side, "There are some tough ones in there." he said with a wink as he pushed his hat back. "I'm riding one of the toughest and I could always use a kiss from a pretty lady, you know, for luck,"
He wiggled his brow and Nicole was about to put him in his place when Cavanaugh was suddenly sending his fist plowing into the young mans face, "Cav!" Nicole exclaimed as Andrew laughed loudly and Bethany took cover behind him.
"Shit!" the young man exclaimed as he held his broken nose and blood poured between his fingers. "I was supposed to compete! How am I supposed to ride now?!"
"Sounds like a personal damn problem to me." Cavanaugh replied with a shrug.
"Cavanaugh what were you thinking?" Nicole demanded as she looked around to see if anyone had witnessed what had happened. Thankfully they were on the backside of the pens and the animals had blocked them from view.
Cavanaugh just shrugged. He'd been thinking that this little bastard had overstepped one too many boundaries. First had been criticizing Cavanaugh and acting as if he wasn't a 'real' cowboy, second was calling Cavanaugh old, third was drawing attention to his limp and fourth (and the most serious offense) was going after Cavanaugh's woman.
"What's going on?" Cavanaugh turned to see an old grizzled cowboy walking over. It was clear from the gray whiskers on his face and the dust on his clothes that this man was the real deal.
"This damn bastard just broke my nose," the young cowboy slurred through the blood and pain.
The old cowboy shook his head and pointed toward a trailer that stood about twenty feet away, "Go in there and see what they can do for ya. I've warned you, boy, that one day your mouth was going to override your ass and someone was going to knock some dents in that pretty face of yours."
"But..."
"No buts, Ricky!" the old man snapped before spitting a stream of tobacco. Ricky threw a hate filled glance at Cavanaugh, who simply tipped his hat, and then stormed off.
"I'm so sorry he did that, sir," Nicole said as she quickly came forward. "Please forgive us. We'll just leave now."
The crusty cowboy shook his head and eyed Cavanaugh like a rider sizing up a bull, "You'll do." he said with a nod.
Cavanaugh frowned, "Do for what, sir?" he asked.
The old man smiled, revealing tobacco stained teeth and a gap where his right canine tooth used to be, "Name's Pierce, and you just took out one of my cowboys. Now I got all these broncs and bulls lined up and need somebody to ride 'em. You won't be earning no points of course since they are decided over several rodeos but I can't let these fine folks lose out on entertainment. Ricky is a damn good rider and the fans love to see him. Thanks to you he'll be out for the night."
"Out for the night?" Andrew demanded with a laugh as Cavanaugh rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of a polite way to say 'hell no'. "A man ougtha be able to take harder licks than that and come right back up swinging!" Andrew exclaimed.
Pierce nodded as he stuck his thumbs through his belt loops and rocked back on his heels, "I agree, but Ricky's a pretty boy. He won't want the girls to see him all swollen and bloody."
"Sir, I don't think..."
Pierce clicked his tongue and shot Cavanaugh a look that had his mouth clamping shut, "You will ride. You know how, don't you?" Cavanaugh was about to say no when Andrew spoke up, "Sure he does! He's the best damn roper and rider I've ever seen!"
Cavanaugh glared at Andrew but his youngest brother just grinned. "Alright then." Pierce said with a nod. "Go on over to that trailer right there..." Pierce pointed at another trailer about ten yards from the one Ricky had dragged himself into. "And tell Fay that you're gonna be filling in for Ricky. That means you'll be roping calves, wrestling steers, riding a bronc and competing in the bucking bull competition. The man that stays on that beast the longest gets five hundred dollars cash."
The four of them followed Pierce's gaze and Nicole felt her stomach turn when she saw the angry solid white bull snorting and grunting as it stomped at the mud, "I don't think that's a good idea...." she said as she swallowed hard.
Cavanaugh suddenly wanted to do it. If for nothing else than just to show Nicole that he could. He wanted her to see that he was a tough, able man not just some damn cripple who had mood swings and depression, "I'll do it." he assured the man and Pierce nodded and then walked away.
"Are you sure about this?" Nicole asked cautiously.
Cavanaugh nodded, "It's all just a days work where I'm from." he assured her, though inside he wasn't quite as stoic. He was actually pretty nervous. Sure roping cattle and calves was something he had done quite often on the ranch but the rest of the stuff? He hadn't done those things in a long long time. Not since his leg had been injured and honestly longer than that even because Leah had insisted that taking risks was a stupid thing to do. She had a no risk policy that went along with the no gun policy she had had and what had they both gotten her? Raped, beaten and murdered that's what.
Cavanaugh shook his head to clear the dark images from his mind and then smiled at Nicole, "I'll be okay. Us McEllis boys used to ride pissed off bulls just for fun."
"For fun?!" Nicole and Bethany both exclaimed at the same time.
Andrew and Cavanaugh nodded, "Yep. For fun." Andrew agreed with a hearty nod.
Nicole sighed and forced a smile, though Cavanaugh could tell she was scared for him. She put her hands on his chest and rose on her toes to press a gentle kiss to his mouth, "Be careful, cowboy," she whispered in his ear and he hugged her tight and then headed off for the trailer Pierce had indicated.
"I gotta go tell Ian!" Andrew exclaimed. "This is gonna be great!" He ran off through the crowd. Bethany and Nicole shared a look of dread and walked off to find a free place to sit.
***
Leslie pulled out of Ian's embrace before they made it to the tent selling western apparel. She looked at his face but if he was disappointed or upset it didn't show.
Leslie liked Ian. Ian was good with her daughter and it was clear that Madeline loved him. He had defended she and her daughter against Frank and had sent the big man running and yet Leslie just couldn't let herself fall for him. He was the quintessential 'bad boy'. He would hurt her, not physically the way Frank had, but surely he would hurt her heart and that was something Leslie wasn't willing to risk.
"What color hat should I get?" Ian asked Madeline.
The girl giggled, "A pink one." she whispered.
Ian laughed loudly, "Pink?!" he exclaimed. "Why Madeline I do believe you want to scare all the women right away from me. A cowboy can't impress the ladies if he's wearing pink!"
"You don't need any other ladies," Madeline informed him from her perch atop his shoulders. "You have me and mommy."
"Madeline!" Leslie scolded.
Ian just shrugged. A few days ago, a statement like that would have sent him running for the hills but something had changed. Ian wasn't sure what and he wasn't sure when it had happened but he wasn't quite the man he'd been a few days or a week ago. He loved Madeline. She was funnier than hell, spunky and there was something about having a little girl teach you to sing nursery rhymes that softened a man's heart.
And Leslie? Well Ian was pretty darn sure that he liked her a lot. He could like her more if they could get really talk or spend time together but he could tell she wanted to keep distance. Which irritated him to no end. He might be a rough and rowdy outlaw who had had a lot of experience doing a lot of bad things but that didn't mean he'd hurt Leslie. He didn't want to settle down, no that wasn't for him, but he would like to get just a little closer to the woman.
"Is that a gun mommy?" A little boy asked as he tugged on his mother's shirt.
The woman turned and saw the revolver on Ian's hip and her eyes widened, "Yes it is... Sir, why are you bringing a gun out in public like that?" she demanded.
Ian frowned and scratched at his hair, "In case I need it, ma'am." he replied.
She scoffed and pulled her son closer to her, "Is it loaded?" she asked.
Ian grinned, "My gun's always loaded, ma'am," he stated with a raise of his brow and then he winked, "It's a lot more fun that way." The woman gasped, grabbed her son and walked away quickly while Ian chuckled.
"Do you have to do that with every single woman you see?" Leslie demanded as Ian began looking at the pathetic selection of hats this place offered.
"Do what?" he asked.
Leslie snorted, "Flirt, hit on, make a move, talk dirty...."
Ian glanced at her and saw that she looked angry as she looked through the shirts hanging from a rack "I don't mean nothing by it," he replied, ducking as he moved around the rack so that Madeline's head wouldn't hit the support beam of the tent. "And you have to admit, it was funny to see how red her face flamed."
Ian felt his chest swell with pride when Leslie's lips curved in a smile. She had the cutest crooked smile and dimples that he'd ever seen in his life.
"It was entertaining," she finally admitted. "But you still shouldn't do it."
He could hear a bit of jealousy in her voice. She was jealous of him? "I have to do it," Ian replied with a shrug. "It's what makes me, me. Telling me to quit would be like telling Jamison to stop acting like a tough ass or telling Cav to stop brooding or telling Andrew he couldn't bounce anymore."
"Andrew does bounce a lot. He's like Tigger," Madeline giggled. Ian slipped from the tent, there weren't any 'real' hats there just imitation ones, which irritated him. It was like folks nowadays just wanted to make a mockery of the kinds of men he and his brother were. Ian bounced a couple of times and Madeline squealed and then began to laugh happily as she clung to him with one hand and held on her new hat with the other.
"What are you doing?" Andrew asked as he came rushing over.
"Bouncing," Ian replied with a smile as he stood still and Leslie came to stand beside him. "Where is your shadow?" he asked his brother when he realized that Bethany wasn't behind him.
"She and Nicole are finding seats. Cav is gonna ride tonight! He broke one of the star's noses and they told him he had to fill in."
"Why on earth did he break a man's nose?!" Leslie demanded. As far as she knew Cavanaugh was even tempered.
Ian chuckled, "Cav is usually a pretty calm man but I guarantee that man probably looked the wrong way at Nicole. Cav always was the jealous type."
"He did," Andrew replied. "He asked her for a kiss and he called Cav old."
Ian laughed, "Well let's go find a seat and watch our brother kick some major bovine butt."
***
Nicole had always loved coming to rodeos. There was just something about a lean cowboy moving on top of a horse, roping calves and wrestling steers that had always excited her but watching Cavanaugh do those things.... Holy hell, it was lucky the rickety wooden bleachers she was sitting on hadn't already burst into flames!
He put most of the other men here to shame as he outshined them all. She knew his leg had to hurt but no one else would be able to tell as he jumped from his horse and wrestled a steer to the ground, tying it's legs and jumping back to his feet in less time than anyone else. He pulled his hat from his head and wiped his sweaty brow on his shirt sleeve before looking up into the stands and catching Nicole's eye. She waved and he smiled. Nicole licked her lips as he swung himself back up into his horses saddle.
Oh yes, that man was getting lucky tonight once they got back to the house. That was if he didn't get himself killed on that damn bull. As much as Nicole had been dreading the moment, the rodeo came to its final round.
There were five cowboys that were going to ride the bull named 'Manslayer'. Nicole prayed he hadn't really earned that name as she watched him being placed in the tiny holding pen and the first of the five cowboys went about being placed on his back. Nicole couldn't watch. She didn't want to watch until it was Cavanaugh's turn. She covered her head with her hands and looked down at her feet.
Judging by the screams from the crowd, it was bad, and in less than four seconds the announcer let them know that the cowboy was on his back in the dirt. It went this way three more times, though one of the cowboys did manage an eight second ride before being thrown from the bull and then having his leg snapped by the beast.
Nicole was near tears when the announcer said the name 'Cavanaugh McEllis'. The crowd cheered for the man who had been the favorite all night.
Nicole stood up and Andrew stood next to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders when he saw her shaking, "He'll be just fine." he promised her.
Ian stood as well and took her hand, "That's right. Hell he's the only original cowboy out there," he added.
'Manslayer', burst from his pen like a great white tornado. Nicole covered her mouth with her hand and stared in horror as the beast twisted and jumped and bucked for all it was worth. It was clear that the previous rides hadn't tired it any and it was giving Cavanaugh everything it had.
For a moment it looked like Cavanaugh was going to be thrown quickly but then he righted himself and seemed to settle into a groove. Nicole glanced up at the clock. Six seconds. Seven seconds. Eight seconds. Nine seconds. The crowd was cheering and the announcer was going crazy as the clock made it to twelve seconds and Cavanaugh decided that was enough. He slid from the beasts back, rolling across the dust and then jumped to his feet and ran for the fence while the bull fighters distracted the beast.
Nicole was out of the bleachers and running for the fence where Cavanaugh had jumped over. There was already a crowd around him, mostly women. She fought her way desperately to him and then saw a woman stand on her toes and try to kiss his cheek as Cavanaugh pushed his back against the fence.
"Hey, back off!" Nicole warned, "He's mine."
Cavanaugh breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her and he reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to him before giving her a kiss that lit her world on fire.
"Cavanaugh, that was amazing!" Bethany exclaimed as she and Andrew pushed their way through the crowd.
Cavanaugh held Nicole tight in his arms and nodded his thanks to Bethany. He had to go back in the ring to be awarded his money and then the rodeo was over.
Nicole noticed how badly he was limping as they made their way back toward the truck which was parked quite a ways from the field, "Do you want me to get the truck while you wait?" she asked him.
He shook his head, "I'll be okay," he assured her, tightening his arm around her as they walked.
"Hey Nicole!"
Nicole turned to see Jessica, a woman she had graduated high school with walking toward her, "Hi, Jessica."
"Is this your new man I've been hearing about?" Jessica asked as she looked Cavanaugh up and down appreciatively.
"Yes," Nicole replied. "Jessica, this is Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh, this is Jessica."
Cavanaugh held out his hand and Jessica shook it, "Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said.
"Likewise," Jessica replied and then she looked at Nicole with a bright smile on her face. "I have some news for you that I think you'll like." Nicole frowned, "What's that?" she asked.
"Brian and Lisa's wedding was yesterday evening." Jessica replied.
Nicole shook her head, "Why would I like hearing that?"
"That's not the part you'll like," Jessica replied with a grin. "The part you'll like is the part where Lisa didn't show up. Her mom brought Brian a note from Lisa. Turns out Lisa's been cheating on Brian for nearly as long as he cheated on you and she changed her mind about marrying him."
Nicole knew it wasn't very Christian of her to be happy about someone else's sorrow, but dammit, Brian deserved what he'd gotten.
"I guess Karma really is a bitch," she said with a smile.
Jessica laughed, "Yes it is. Well I'll let you two love birds get on home."
"I think I'm gonna take some of that Tylenol tonight," Cavanaugh stated as he limped heavily. Nicole smiled and laid her head on his shoulder as they walked.
"I'll massage the pain away, cowboy," she promised and she heard Cav growl.
"Let's walk a little faster then, cowgirl."