Page 20 of Wrangling a Texas Hometown Hero

“Sweetie,” he said. “The doctor’s here.”

Sweetie pulled out of his arms, but took his hand and held it tightly as the doctor approached. Jace needed the support as much as she did. His knees felt like they were about to give out and his heart thumped loudly in his ears.

“Mrs. Carson,” the doctor said. “Everything went well. The bullet didn’t hit any vital organs and your husband should make a full recovery.”

Sweetie sagged against Jace. “Thank God. Can I see him?”

“As soon as he comes out of the anesthesia.” The doctor glanced down at Sweetie’s rounded stomach. “Before he went under, all he could talk about was you. He was worried about you being upset and he made me promise to check on you as soon as I could to make sure you were okay.” She glanced around. “But it looks like you have plenty of people watching out for you.”

Sweetie did have a lot of people watching out for her. Jace knew the entire Holiday family and his mama would rally to make sure Sweetie was okay and Decker had all the help he needed to make a full recovery.

But his mama had a job and her life in Galveston with his stepdaddy. And the Holidays had ranches, jobs, and their own families to worry about. They couldn’t be there for Sweetie and Decker every second. Sweetie couldn’t be expected to take care of Decker all by herself when she was pregnant. After he got home from the hospital, she’d need help getting him in and out of bed to go to the bathroom and shower and taking him to doctors’ appointments and physical therapy. But mostly she would need help making sure Decker didn’t overdo.

Like Jace, he was stubborn. He’d want to be up and around as soon as possible. Someone would have to be there to make sure he got the rest and recuperation he needed.

Right then, Jace vowed that someone would be him.

After the long drive and scare, he was mentally and physically exhausted, but he pushed down his own needs and saw to Sweetie’s. He asked one of the nurses for a blanket and tucked it around her shoulders, then he brought her a cup of hot tea with honey and lemon from the coffee shop. When she finally nodded off, he let her use his shoulder as a pillow.

He didn’t sleep himself until Decker was out of recovery and Sweetie was allowed to go see him.

Once she was gone, he slumped on the couch and was out like a light.

He woke up disoriented. He sat up and then winced at the crick in his neck. He was rubbing it out when he noticed Hallie sitting in a chair across from him. For the first time since coming to the hospital, he felt awkward and uncomfortable.

He cleared the sleep from his throat and glanced around. “Where did everyone go?”

“They went to get something to eat in the cafeteria.”

“Is Sweetie still with Deck?”

“Yes.” Her tone was like a serrated knife. “Which is exactly where she belongs.”

The implication wasn’t lost on him. “I know where Sweetie belongs, Hallie.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah, I do. I might have acted like a jealous fool. Or how did you put it . . . a pathetic loser. But I never doubted that Decker is the better man for Sweetie. Maybe that’s why it was so hard for me to accept. It’s not easy accepting that you weren’t enough.”

Hallie rolled her eyes. “Please don’t start that ‘Woe is me’ crap again, Jace. You were the hometown hero.”

“Only because everyone couldn’t see past my throwing arm. I don’t have that anymore.”

“And maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that’s what made you such a pathetic loser.”

He sighed. “You don’t pull any punches, do you?”

“Sometimes people need a good punch in the gut to get their heads out of their asses.”

“I can’t argue with you there. Deck getting shot was a hard punch in the gut.” Tears flooded his eyes and he ducked his head and ran a hand over his face to hide them. He should have known better. Hallie was too damn observant to hide anything from.

“No need to hide your tears from me, Jace the Ace. I saw you cry like a baby when you dislocated your finger while roping that wild mustang.”

He glanced up. “I did not cry like a baby.”

“You’re right. You screamed when Daddy popped it back in place.”

“Because it hurt like hell.”

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