Page 35 of Barbed Wire Hearts

I nod. “I’m fine. I didn’t hit it that hard. I know what day it is, and I know who the president is,” I tease. When he helps me to my feet, I sigh and shake out the aches as he leads me away from the man when what look like paramedics come in. “What the fuck just happened?”

Dakota glances toward the flashing lights reflecting at the entrance and sighs. “I’ll explain outside. First, I gotta talk to the cops. Come on.”

The Steele Sheriff is waiting outside with crossed arms when we appear. He eyes me for a moment before looking back at Dakota. “Why is it always your people in trouble, Dakota?”

“It wasn’t Levi’s fault,” I interject. “The guy assaulted me and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Levi was just protecting me.”

The Sheriff levels his eyes on me. “I see.” The sigh he lets out is two parts frustrated and one point annoyed. “What have I told you about bringing Levi into these sorts of situations, Dakota?”

“He’s fine,” Dakota grunts. “Maybe if you did your job and give those douchebags a ticket for cutting our fencing, this would never be a problem.”

“The law doesn’t work like that, and you know it. You have no evidence?—”

“Except their admission,” Dakota grunts. “Regardless, we’re fine, thanks. The guy inside probably needs medical to look him over.”

The Sheriff shakes his head. “I bet he does. You better hope he doesn’t press charges, Dakota.” He tips his hat to me. “Ma’am,” before stepping inside.

Other people start streaming out, the party apparently over.

“Come on,” Dakota sighs, pulling me toward the truck. “We’ll just wait for everyone over here.”

He presses a button on his remote and the truck starts automatically and the windows roll down. The radio flicks on and music starts coming from it as he lowers the tailgate and lifts me onto it without asking. He studies my expression which I’m sure still looks confused and awestruck. Briefly, I wonder if Levi is okay. I’d seen his wince of pain as he stood up.

“You sure you’re gonna be okay?” Dakota asks, looking me over. “I’m sorry you had to see that side of Levi.”

I shake my head. “He was protecting me. I don’t blame him.” I tilt my head. “But what was that asshole talking about?”

Dakota grimaces. “Which part?”

“All of it. The bull? The cripple comment? The. . . remarks about his dad,” I murmur.

His grimace only deepens. “It’s not really my history to tell, Kate, but. . . you deserve to know at least a little of what happened, I suppose.” He sighs. “Levi was a bull rider about five years ago, on the road to stardom. He was making waves across the states, winning money at all the rodeos. We thought he was gonna be big, and Levi, well, he was planning on it. When he sets his mind to something, he sees it all the way through.”

“And what happened?” I ask because he’s not a bull rider now. Clearly, something happened between then and now.

“Kill Dozer happened,” Dakota murmurs.

“The bull in the pasture?”

Dakota nods. “He was considered unrideable. No one had ever lasted the eight seconds and Levi was determined to be the first one.” He chuckles. “And damned if he didn’t do it, but it cost him. . . everything.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, my fingers clenching on my thigh. I know his next words won’t be pleasant. I can feel it, this build up.

“He hit eight seconds, the first ever to do so, sealing his name into infamy, but when it came time to dismount, Kill Dozer decided he didn’t much like that. The rodeo clowns weren’t fast enough, and I suppose they wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Dozer set his sights on Levi and there ain’t no outrunning a bull when he’s mad. He. . . got hurt. Real bad. Almost died. I was there in the stands. We all were. I thought I was losing one of my best friends that night.” He shakes his head. “Broken spine. Broken ribs. He was skewered through the stomach by Dozer’s horn. It took him months to recover, and even longer to learn how to walk again. I try and tell him to take it easy, but Levi is Levi.”

I stare at him in horror as he recounts the memory. “What?” I rasp.

“He can’t bull ride anymore because of the injuries. One wrong move and he’ll be paralyzed forever. It’s a wonder he wasn’t the first time,” Dakota continues. “If you ever see him lifting them calves, tell him not to.”

“He does it all the time!” I say, flabbergasted. “Literally all the time! What the fuck?”

Dakota sighs. “Levi has his way of doing things and he doesn’t like to admit he has to be careful. He’s a brute, but he cares.”

“Why have the bull there at the ranch?” I ask, horrified that I’d made him get into the pasture with him again. “Why keep his monster?”

“That, you’ll have to ask him,” Dakota says. “I’ve already said too much but you should know. That fall to the floor likely agitated his old wounds, too. I can’t imagine how he’ll feel tomorrow so maybe stay away from him in the meantime.”

I run a hand through my hair and set my hat to the side with a sigh. “I didn’t expect. . . fuck. I’m sorry if I’ve caused any trouble being here.”

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