Page 19 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

“Decker’s been shot!”

Chapter Six

Jace was in Mexico lounging on the beach and feeling sorry for himself when he got the call from his mama telling him that some guy trying to rob a gas station convenience store had shot Decker. He felt like he had when his mama had called him to tell him that his daddy had died of colon cancer. He felt like someone had punched him hard in the chest and knocked all the wind out of him.

Except Decker wasn’t dead. He was still alive.

Jace drove straight through the night to get to the Houston hospital where they’d flown Decker. When he got there, he was directed to a waiting room outside surgery. All the Holidays were there and so was his mama.

She jumped up to greet him. “Jace.” She pulled him into her arms for a hug. “I’m so glad you made it.”

He absorbed her love, love she had always given so freely. She had taken on single parenting without one complaint or one bad word against the husband who had walked out on her. Jace, on the other hand, had never forgiven his father for leaving him when he was only eight years old. Or maybe for dying before he had a chance to make it up to Jace.

Which was now Jace’s biggest fear. He was terrified Decker would die before he had a chance to repent for his selfish behavior.

He drew back. “How is he?”

Tears filled his mother’s eyes. “We don’t know yet. The nurse just texted Sweetie and said he’s out of surgery and the doctor will be out shortly to talk with us.” She lowered her voice. “Sweetie’s been sobbing her little heart out and we’re all worried about the baby. Maybe you could talk to her and calm her down.”

Jace glanced over at Sweetie who was surrounded by her family. “She doesn’t want to talk to me, Mama.”

His mama got the stern look she always got when she was about to let him have it. “Don’t you start that up, Jace Daniel Carson. Sweetie loves you. She’ll always love you. And you love her. I’m not talking in a romantic way. You were friends much longer than you were sweethearts. Now you get over there and give your lifelong friend some comfort.”

He couldn’t even comfort himself. How was he going to comfort Sweetie? But unable to ignore an order from his mama, he pushed down his fear and headed over to the huddle of Holidays.

Darla was the first to jump up and give him a hug. The woman had always given good hugs.

“So glad you got here, Jace.”

The rest of the Holidays followed suit. Cloe, Liberty, Belle, and Noelle all gave him hugs with tears glittering in their eyes. Hank, Rome, Jesse, and Corbin shook his hand and thumped his arm. They didn’t say anything. No one wanted to voice their worst fears.

The only Holidays who didn’t greet him were Sweetie and Hallie. They remained seated on the couch. Hallie had her arm protectively around Sweetie while Sweetie just stared off into space as if she didn’t know where she was or what was happening.

The sight of her so lost and heartbroken made his own heart break.

He realized his mama was right.

This was Sweetie. The sassy four-year-old he’d run through the sprinklers with in his underwear. The determined fifth-grader he and Decker had collected empty soda cans with so they could raise money to help put a new roof on a tornado victim’s house. The rancher’s daughter who had taught him how to ride a horse and rope a steer.

Yes, there were other memories of their first kiss and their first date. But the feeling that overwhelmed him at the moment had nothing to do with the sweetheart he’d lost.

It had to do with the friend he still had.

He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. They were ice cold and he cradled them between his, trying his best to warm her. “Hey, Sweetie Mae.”

She blinked and her tear-drenched eyes focused on him. “Jace?”

He forced a smile. “That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.” It was something they’d said to each other all the time when they were silly kids. Today, she didn’t find it silly and amusing. Tears started racing down her cheeks and a sob broke free.

He stood and pulled her into his arms, tears welling in his own eyes. He held her tightly and rubbed her back. “He’s going to be okay, Sweetie. Nothing can keep my ornery cousin down. You remember when that steer ran over him at the ranch. Bruised him up pretty good. The next day, he hopped right back on a horse . . . until your mama and Mimi came running out and read him the riot act.”

Mimi moved up behind Sweetie and placed a hand on her shoulder. Just seeing her beloved wrinkled face made Jace smile through his tears. He’d always had a soft spot for Mimi. She reminded him of his nana.

“Jace is right,” she said. “Decker doesn’t let anything keep him down. He’ll pull through this. We just need to keep the faith. In fact, why don’t we all pray right now?”

The entire family and his mama encircled him and Sweetie while Mimi prayed. He didn’t know if it made Sweetie feel better, but it sure made him feel better. He’d forgotten how it felt to be encircled by people who loved him. Forgotten how it felt to be part of a family with strong faith.

When the prayer was over, the Holidays and his mama moved away, allowing him to see the doctor standing a few feet away. She looked tired, but not sad. Jace hoped that was a good sign.

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