Page 65 of Jump Back On

"Hey, Daddy. J.D. got hurt tonight. Looks like I'm going to be sleeping in a hospital. I'm fine, though. Not too sure how I did, because I forgot to check the scoreboard, but J.D.'s messed up. If I don't answer, it's because I'm in one of those no phone zones, ok? Love you!"

Checking the screen again, as if it could give me some clue why my father wasn't answering, I gave up and locked the screen. That phone went into my back pocket. Then, using J.D.'s birthday, I unlocked his phone - and felt like my whole world paused.

His wallpaper was one of my PBR photos. I was glaring right at the camera. My knuckles were raw and busted up. My hat was low on my head, my eyes barely showing, but my blonde braid was laying on my shoulder.

I looked good, tough even, but I hadn't expected to see me on his main screen. Curious now, I locked his phone again, then checked that screen. This picture was a hell of a lot less obvious. It was nothing but feet on the dash of his truck, but those feet were mine.

My heart began to pound just a little too hard. My feet. My face. My place in his life, and right about now, that was all I had to hold on to. I'd made him a promise though, so I scrolled through his contacts until I found "Mama."

Pressing that, I ducked my head and walked a little further.

"Mijo!" the woman answered before rambling off a string of Spanish. I caught the word for late and one for cattle, maybe a bull? Still, it was clear she expected me to be her son, since that was probably how the call came up on her side.

"Maria?" I asked.

Her rambling stopped cold. "Hello?" She switched to English easily.

"Hey, um, my name's Cody. I'm J.D.'s friend."

"Yes, he's told me about you," she promised. "Says you make him proud."

My damned heart stumbled again. "Ma'am, he's in the hospital. He got hurt tonight and I thought someone needed to tell you."

She gasped, but after that came nothing.

"Maria?" I asked, only knowing her name from the tattoo on J.D.'s chest.

"How bad?" she asked.

"We don't know yet," I admitted. "I'm here in the waiting room. They're taking pictures of him to see what's broke, but someone said there might be surgery. I just don't know yet."

"Again?" she asked.

I had to huff out a laugh at that. "Yeah..."

Then she grumbled out a whole lot of Spanish that woulda had my daddy washing my mouth out with soap. "I told him he needs to stop this before it gets him killed, but no! Is his boyfriend there?"

That made me twitch in place. "Yeah, Tanner's here with me."

"Good. You two take care of him, and don't let him say he's ok. He'll lie to you. He thinks nothing can break him, and he's so sure he has to save the world. My José is a good boy. His heart's in the right place, but his way of doing it isn't always smart."

"I think that's a common failing for us bull riders," I admitted.

She laughed weakly, making it clear she was worried. "But he's going to be ok?"

"I don't know," I said again. "They're still figuring that out. The PBR doctor got him stable. An ambulance got him here, and now he's in the emergency room. That's all I know."

"Will you call me when you know more? I don't care how late."

"Promise," I swore. "I'm also not leaving him. He's had my back, so I'm going to make sure he has someone here to hold his hand." Then my eyes drifted over to where Tanner and Jake were still talking. "Two someones."

"Well, just know José isn't as tough as he likes to pretend," Maria told me. "And don't let him take those drugs again. He'll start thinking he needs them, and then he'll start coming off more. Just... Please?" she begged.

"He already made that clear," I promised. "I can be a pit bull too when it comes to the people who matter to me, and your son is definitely one of those."

"Good," she breathed, sounding a little less worried. "Because he says a lot of good things about you, Cody Jennings. My boy thinks the two of you put the stars in the sky. It's been a long time since I've heard him this happy, so please make sure he's ok? He won't listen to me, but he might listen to the two of you."

"Then we will," I assured her. "See, the truth is, I'm not sure I can do this without him. I need him too, and if I have to guilt him into doing the right thing, I'm willing to. I'll play as dirty as I have to so I can keep him safe."

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