Mitch (The Hometown Heroes Series Book 1) by Leigh Duncan

Author:Leigh Duncan [Duncan, Leigh]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gardenia Street Publishing
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Dad?” Amanda hurried up the walkway between rows of neatly trimmed hibiscus.

Paint flakes littered the porch beneath her father’s ankle. From the looks of things, he’d been hanging out in front of her house for quite some time. She scanned the area, looking for beer or soda cans, a bottle of water. Seeing none, she glanced at the decorative thermometer on the wall behind him. The mercury had climbed past eighty-five.

“You must be dying in this heat.”

“I’ve spent my whole life in arenas where the temperature never dropped below a hundred,” Tom groused in typical fashion. “Guess I can handle a couple of hours in the shade.”

Amanda ignored a guilty twinge and stifled the urge to feel sorry for him. How was she supposed to know her dad was in the state? He hadn’t bothered to call. Not since the night of Hailey’s accident. She lowered her purse and a bagful of groceries onto an empty chair.

“Well, I’m surprised to see you. How’ve you been?”

“Not so good, in case you hadn’t noticed.” He raised his foot an inch above the rail, pointing as if she were blind or oblivious. “I’m sittin’ here with a busted leg, ain’t I?”

“I see that, Dad.”

She sucked her tongue between her teeth and bit down. Broken bones notwithstanding, he’d always been too busy for visits with his only child. Which meant he needed something.

“Hand me them crutches, will ya.”

She reached for the pair he’d propped against the house, bracing herself for another of her father’s impossible demands. “What happened?”

“Some fool in Bonifay tossed a firecracker into the ring during the show. You know Brindle never was big on noises. He shied. I fell.”

Amanda winced. “How’s Brindle?”

“Mighta known you’d be more concerned about the horse than me.” Tom sank back against his chair. “Can’t you see I’m the one sittin’ here all busted up?”

Amanda took a deep breath and counted to five. This wasn’t the first time her father had gotten hurt during a performance. Not counting the year she’d turned thirteen when three broken ribs had cost him his last chance at a gold buckle, she could cite at least a dozen trips to emergency rooms in as many towns. Her words rode out on a long exhale.

“I assumed that since you made it this far, you were okay. Is it just the leg? Nothing else? No concussion?” At his age, he was lucky he hadn’t broken his neck.

“Ain’t that enough, Baby Girl?”

“Enough to keep you from riding for a month or two. Is that why there’s a motorhome parked in my driveway?”

Tom ignored her question in favor of one of his own. “Where’ve you been, anyway? I’ve been sittin’ here waiting for you all afternoon. Don’t ya take calls from your old man anymore?” He eased his leg from the rail with a groan and grunted his way onto the crutches.

“Guilty as charged.” She hoped the quip would distract him from the heat that crept up her neck and onto her face. While her dad had been sweltering on her porch, she’d spent part of that time in Mitch’s arms.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.