Weeks, and then months passed by quickly. Both Tate and Megan had days where they struggled coming to terms with their losses, but Megan did more than Tate. This was due to the fact that Tate was used to pushing down his feelings and hiding them, and also because Megan has lost her father so recently. However, they both talked freely to each other, opening up when they felt the need and had also settled into routine and living together with their new relationship status very easily. Megan had also faced her fears and and was riding with Tate with every spare chance that he got. Today was the day she was going to try to ride on her own.
******
Megan bit her lip as Tate helped her into the saddle. She had been working on her core strength, and Tate had moved a saddle into the house and placed it on a mount so she could practice holding herself upright in the saddle and so she could get used to not being able to feel the saddle under her as much as she was used too. Now she was ready to try it on the real thing.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Tate asked, placing a hand on her leg after making sure the straps on her legs and waist were secure. Megan took a deep breath.
"Yeah. I'm sure." Tate beamed up at her and she felt her stomach flip a little at his smile.
"I'm so proud of you Megan. But you do know that if you feel uncomfortable at any time you can stop and I can come up there right?"
"I know." She focused on holding herself straight in the saddle. Tate went to Diesel's head and started leading the horse out of the barn and over to the corral. Almost immediately, Megan felt herself tipping and she grasped hard at the pommel of the saddle, pulling herself upright again. She felt the muscles in her core working and she gritted her teeth and tried to force herself as straight as she could. Once they made it to the corral, she took a deep breath.
"How are you doing?" Tate stopped and looked back at her.
"Good. Can I please have the reins?" She spoke before she could give the idea too much thought and Tate looked surprised.
"Are you sure Megan? I don't want you to push it too far. I don't want you getting hurt." She didn't quite meet his gaze as she nodded, not wanting to give away her nervousness.
"I want to try." He nodded and handed her the reins over Diesel's head.
"I'll be right here. If you need me call." He then stepped back to lean against the fence and watched her as she gathered her courage.
"Okay boy. It's just me and you. Just like old times." Megan spoke quietly to Diesel and the horse flicked his ears back as if he was listening to her.
"C'mon." Megan clicked softly to Diesel and the horse started gently forward as if sensing that his rider wasn't the confident rider that she used to be. Megan concentrated on holding herself straight for a round of the corral, before she let herself relax and actually enjoy the experience. She looked around her, enjoying the view from horseback once again. She was back where she belonged and a huge smile spread across her face. She had enjoyed riding with Tate, but she liked this even more. She finally had her independence back and it felt amazing. After several laps of the corral, she bit her lip in concentration and then clucked at Diesel. The horse broke out in a smooth trot, but Megan quickly began tipping to the side.
"Woah!" She called and Diesel stopped instantly, but she still had gone white and was clutching to the pommel for dear life.
"Megan?" Tate called, but she waved off his concern and started Diesel walking again. After a couple more laps, she asked the horse to trot again, and this time was able to keep upright, although she leaned to the the side a little. After trotting a few laps, she came to a stop in front of Tate, beaming down at him.
"I did it!" She cried and he nodded.
"You sure did darlin! I'm so proud of you." Her insides warmed at the pride on his face.
"Thank you! I'm tired now though." Tate nodded and took the reins from her, leading her back to the barn. Her stomach muscles burned and she collapsed against Tate when he lifted his arms to help her slide off, and he stumbled as she fell against him. Quickly he regained his footing and she leaned her head against his chest.
"Sorry." She whispered and he bent to kiss the top of her head.
"You don't have to apologize darlin'. I know you are tired." She watched as he quickly unsaddled Diesel and gave him a quick brush down. On their way back to the house, he looked sideways at her and grinned.
"Soon you'll be ridin out with me to check cows." Her whole mood brightened even more at the idea and she beamed at him.
"I sure hope so!"
*****
Later when they were both snuggled on the couch talking, Tate suddenly grew silent. He was playing gently with Megan's hair and the soft action combined with her sore muscles was enough to make her fall asleep. She was warm curled up inside of his arms.
"What's bothering you?" She asked quietly. She had come to know his moods and knew what his silences meant.
"Well I've been thinking. How long do you have us in Texas for?" She turned her head and looked at him.
"For about a week. Why?" He was silent for a long moment.
"Do you think we could stay longer? I kind of think it's time I go and visit my family again and I'd like you to meet them. Plus I kind of want to tour around Texas a bit more and show you the sights." She turned her torso to face him, and Tate read her mind, helping her turn the rest of the way so she was straddling his lap.
"Oh Tate. You don't know how happy that makes me." His heart warmed a little as she wrapped him in a hug and he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Well it does mean we have to cancel our tickets home and try and book new ones. And we leave in a week."
"I know. And I also knew that you would change your mind about this so I didn't book a return ticket home yet. I was just tricking you when I said a week." She pulled away to smile mischievously at him and he laughed.
"I don't know whether I should be irritated that you hid this from me and that I am so predictable, or relieved that you know me so well." She leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips.
"Just be happy. I knew you would want to go visit your family once you got there." She snuggled back into his arms and he wrapped her up securely.
"It's just one of the many reasons that I love you Megs. You know me almost better than I know myself sometimes." He lightly kissed the top of her head as she sighed contently and snuggled in closer. Soon she was fast asleep.
******
Soon the day that they left for Texas came and Megan crawled out of bed bright and early. Her suitcase was packed and leaning against the wall in the corner of her room and she knew Tate had already thrown his duffel bag in his truck. They had to drive about an hour to the nearest airport and Phil, one of the men who had helped bring the cattle home, had agreed to bring the truck home so they wouldn't have to pay for leaving it there. He had also agreed to look after the cows while they were gone, along with a couple of the other men who had helped them bring the cows back from their pasture. Megan was happy that Tate had seemed to make friends here and that those friends had been so happy to help them when they needed it.
"Good mornin darlin! Are you ready to go?" Tate popped his head in the room as Megan was pulling on her shirt. As soon as she got her head through she smiled and nodded.
"Is that breakfast I smell?" She asked, as the scent of bacon wafted in the air. She had quickly pulled on a pair of leggings and a long sleeve shirt for the flights there.
"It sure is. Come grab some and then we will hit the road. Are you all packed?"
"I have a couple more things I need to put in there." Megan quickly packed a few last essentials like her brush and tooth brush, before rolling out to the kitchen. It was still dark outside and she was grateful to see the plate Tate had made up for her which consisted of some bacon, eggs and toast, complete with a full cup of coffee sitting in front of her plate. She settled to eating as Tate loaded her suitcase into the truck. When he came back in she was almost done.
"You sure got up early to make breakfast." She smiled at him around her bite of toast and he laughed.
"To tell you the truth Megan, I couldn't sleep. Too excited or nervous I guess." He shrugged a little and she chuckled at the way he was acting like a little kid.
"I had trouble falling asleep last night too." Soon they were locking up the house and Tate helped Megan out to the truck. She was nervous as she had never flew in her condition, but they had phoned ahead and been assured that it was no problem at all for her to fly. Megan dozed in the truck after the picked up Phil, listening to the two men talk quietly.
"Hey I appreciate you doing this man. Especially so early." She heard Tate say quietly.
"No problem. I'm glad you two get to get away for a bit. I know it hasn't been easy for Megan and I'm guessing you haven't had the best of times either." Phil whispered and Megan felt a smile overtake her face. This town was full of kind people, even if she hadn't realized it for a long time.
*****
When Megan awoke again it was to Tate softly shaking her awake.
"We are at the airport darlin." He whispered and before she could wake up fully, had swept her up and into her wheelchair. She felt a blush spreading across her cheeks as Phil stood and watched, having unloaded their luggage from the back.
"I could of gotten out on my own." She hissed at Tate and he just grinned.
"I know that Megan. You don't need to prove to anyone that you are independent." She blushed again at his words and looked down. After handing Phil the keys and giving some last minute instructions for the ranch, the two headed off towards the airport, Tate carrying the bags and Megan wheeling herself along. She was nervous and knew she would have a lot of eyes on her today. They moved through the lines to get their tickets quickly and soon they were at the bag check.
"I'm assuming you will want to check the wheelchair?" The lady barely even looked up from her computer, popping her gum and typing stuff in rapidly.
"Um yeah. But could we please bring it with us to the gate and check it right before we get on?" Tate asked the lady, a gleam of annoyance in his eyes.
"Sir, it would be easier for us if you transferred to an airport wheelchair." The lady finally looked up at them and had stopped typing.
"Well I'm sure it would but it would be easier for us if we had our own wheelchair." Tate responded firmly and the lady just shrugged.
"Suit yourself I guess." She quickly weighed their bags and dropped them onto the conveyor belt before coming around her desk and attaching a tag to the back of the wheelchair. Megan felt her cheeks flaming as others stared at her.
"Thank you so much." She said as Tate started wheeling her away, but the lady didn't even look at them. Security didn't take very long and soon they were sitting at their gate. Megan was relived to be through security where she needed special treatment. She spotted the bathroom down hall a ways and pointed to it.
"I think I'm going to go to the bathroom. What time do we start boarding?"
"We start in ten minutes. We got here a little later than we should have. Do you need help?" Tate asked, and she glared at him.
"No. I think I'll be just fine going to the bathroom by myself thank you very much." His eyebrows rose in surprise but he just nodded. As she came back from the bathroom, Megan heard an announcement echo over the airport.
"We are now boarding Flight A17 from Missoula to Houston. Calling all passengers with disabilities to board now." Megan watched as Tate got up and looked around for her, smiling when he saw her.
"That's us." Megan clenched her teeth to keep from making some kind of sarcastic remark that it was her not him, but she knew she couldn't take her frustration out on him. The man at the counter scanned their tickets and then pointed down the tunnel.
"Please leave the wheelchair just outside of the plane. Your seats are a couple rows behind first class. Do you need an attendants assistance with boarding?"
"No thank you. I've got it from here." Tate nodded at the man.
"As you wish sir." Tate then pushed Megan down the tunnel. She was glad to be away from people for a few short seconds. People had been staring at her every since she had gotten into the airport and she wished it would stop. At the entrance to the plane, Tate locked the wheels to her wheelchair and then lifted her out of if gently. The flight attendant standing by the door beamed at the two of them.
"Welcome aboard. I'll fold up your chair and it will be waiting for you in the same spot when you get off the plane in Houston." Tate nodded his thanks and then carried Megan to their seats. After setting her gently in he made sure she buckled okay and then leaned back.
"There. Now just a 3 hour flight and we are there." She smiled weakly at his excitement, suddenly wishing they hadn't come. She knew that their whole trip she would be treated as someone different and she hated the thought of it.
"Hey is something wrong?" He noticed her fake smile.
"No. I just.." She poked her bottom lip out and felt a tear slip down her cheek.
"Megan! What's wrong darlin?" Tate quickly leaned forward to block her from the aisle and prying eyes and wiped the tear.
"I just hate being different Tate. I hate getting special treatment and I hate when people stare at me."
"Oh Megs." He leaned over and wrapped her in a hug as best he could. "I know it's hard for you, but I promise people aren't staring as much as you think you are. It isn't that unusual to be in a wheelchair. I know you are going to hate being stuck in there in Texas but just embrace being there. I promise you aren't a burden and even if you feel people are staring they aren't. I'm so so thankful for you to step out of your comfort zone and do this for me sweetie." She sniffled and wiped away the rest of her tears.
"I know. Sometimes it just gets hard."
"I know sweetie." With that she rested her head on Tate's shoulder and closed her eyes. A couple minutes after take off she fell fast asleep.
****
So this is a long and loaded chapter. Hopefully it is better than I think it is, because I'm not sure that I like it! Anyway thanks for reading! ~S