Heavenly Angel (43 page)

Gwen joined their group in the stands, excited about Joaquin’s high score. Michael got down from Angel’s lap and went to sit in Gwen’s, giving her a big hug. “I cheered hard for you! You won big, didn’t you?”

Gwen kissed his cheek and said, “I sure did! Thank you for cheering me on, little-mister-cowboy-man.”

“Yes! Congratulations, Gwen! We’re so proud of you,” Teresa said, patting her shoulder.

The tension in the arena increased as the final rider of the evening prepared to ride his bull, a massive 1,800-pound monster named Ricochet. Teresa watched with a strange mix of emotions. Obviously, she wanted Joaquin to do well in the scoring, but she didn’t want to see this rider get hurt on the back of that bull, which seemed to dwarf the little cowboy. She’d seen him ride the previous nights, and his size seemed to work to his advantage, and he held on with a tenacity that was admirable.

The gate swung open, and his ride started out on a high note, the bull bucking and weaving, trying to get the irritating nuisance off his back. The diminutive cowboy spurred him on, angering him further, and the bull began twisting and rolling. The ride was stellar until the last second when the bull bucked in the direction opposite of what the cowboy anticipated, and he was unseated.

He flew through the air and landed on the dirt floor of the arena. He’d just jumped to his feet as the bull charged and nailed him between his shoulder blades, trampling him ferociously into the dirt.

Screams erupted from the crowd as the rodeo clowns distracted the bull from the rider beneath his hooves, but he returned moments later for another shot at the cowboy, pummeling him again with his heavy horns, knocking the rider unconscious.

Everyone in the stands was on their feet, watching in shock as the rodeo clowns tried with limited success to distract the bull into chasing one of them. He followed one, but then returned for a parting shot to the cowboy’s head with his horns. The cowboy was moving, struggling back to consciousness, and was able to curl into a ball and shield his head. The bull rolled him with his horns one last time before taking off for the exit gate.

There was a collective groan and sigh as the bull finally moved off. The rodeo clowns ran to the cowboy, who was curled up on his side, while the paramedics entered the dirt arena rolling a gurney. All the other riders, including Joaquin, were either in the arena with them or perched on the pipe fence. Several took a knee in the arena, removed their cowboy hats, and lowered their heads, praying for the rider who had slumped back, unconscious again.

Teresa saw stars and sat down, taking a deep breath, realizing she’d been holding it since the first impact. Angel sat with her, whispering to her to put her head down and take some deep breaths. Luckily, Michael was still in Gwen’s arms, watching the action unfold below them. The thought kept going through her mind that it could have been Joaquin under that bull, and chances were good that someone who loved that cowboy had watched him get savaged by it.

“Just keep breathing, Teresa. I’m sure Rusty will be fine. He has years of experience, and he had his protective gear on. I’ve seen the same sort of thing happen to Joaquin before.”

“Oh,
so
not helping
with telling me that,” Teresa said weakly as Angel rubbed her back.

He pointed out into the arena and said, “See? Rusty’s awake and moving around. His wife is right beside him there. He’s talking to her and hugging her. It looked a lot worse than it was.”

“Oh, good,” she murmured, looking up as the cowboy struggled to his feet amidst cheers from the stands, raising a fist into the air. The cowboy went to Joaquin and shook his hand then gave him a hug before he allowed him and another cowboy to help him from the arena on his own two feet.

Teresa smiled at Angel as he looked over at her, concern on his face. “You okay?”

“Note to self. Don’t forget to breathe,” she said sheepishly as he slid an arm around her and kissed her cheek.

Angel said, “This sport takes some getting used to. You’ve been brave.”

“
Puh-lease!
I’m the biggest chicken-heart that ever walked the planet,” she said, flapping her elbows like a chicken, trying to laugh at herself. He just gave her that flirtatious grin and kissed her again.

“Naw, I think our
kitten
proved earlier that she has the heart of a lion.”

Unfortunately, because he didn’t last the full eight seconds, the rider received no score for his last ride. The top scores were flashed on the scoreboard screen, and everyone cheered wildly. Joaquin had taken first place. Caughlin McIntyre announced the standings and congratulated all the participants.

Teresa felt her purse vibrate again and reached for her phone. She glanced at the screen, and a chill ran through her as she recognized the phone number. It was a text message from her friend, Delores. Her go-between for communicating with the nursing home in Tillman about her parents.

She tapped her fingertip on the touch screen to open the message.

Honey, you need to call me right away. It’s about your mom. Love you.

Angel must have noted the sudden tension in Teresa’s body and the change in her demeanor. His arm slid around her waist. “What is it, Teresa?”

“My mom,” she whispered with a tremor in her voice as she allowed Angel to look at the message.

“Do you think it’s bad news?”

“She wouldn’t call in the evening if it wasn’t important.”

Angel nodded and hugged her. “Then you’d better call her back right away. Joaquin will understand.” Teresa tapped the screen on her phone to dial Delores’ number, grabbed her purse, and exited the stands, leaving Michael with Angel.

* * * *

Joaquin looked up into the stands, trying to find his family. He located Teresa as she made her way from the stands. Her phone was held to her ear, and the worried look on her face and the hint of concern in Angel’s body language told Joaquin something was wrong. He slipped out of the dirt arena and gathered his gear, stuffing the five-thousand-dollar check into his shirt pocket. He grinned and smiled to everyone that patted him on the back and shook his hand, but he felt a deepening sense of urgency to get to his wife. Something was definitely wrong.

He hefted the duffel with his gear in it onto his shoulder and hotfooted it onto the concourse, making his way toward the VIP stands.

Chapter Thirty-four

Teresa sniffled as she gathered clothing and other necessities into a bag for Michael. Angel watched from the door, the concern obvious in his eyes, but left her to her own thoughts. Her mother had a massive stroke earlier that evening, and the eventual outcome was clear. The doctors did not expect her to recover from it, and they were honoring her mother’s request to not use heroic measures. Joaquin and Angel promised her that they’d do their best to get her to Tillman in time to see her mother before she passed away.

Zipping up Michael’s little suitcase and his backpack, she handed them to Angel as Joaquin brought Michael in to change his clothes. Michael was coming with them because Teresa could not bear to be parted from him, regardless of any circumstances in Tillman.

She left Michael’s room and returned to their bedroom, where Joaquin’s and Angel’s duffels and a garment bag were already packed and ready on the neatly made bed. Teresa tried to think of what she would need to bring with her. She battled with the urge to simply run out of the house, jump in the truck, and speed down the highway to Tillman.

A strange numbness descended as she showered and dressed for the trip. Moving like an automaton to the closet, she methodically pulled out a black outfit and several changes of clothing. Angel and Joaquin had not pressed her to talk unless it was necessary. They seemed to understand that she was preparing herself to say goodbye to her mother. Teresa’s heart lurched painfully at that thought. Joaquin’s large hand grasping hers drew her from her painful reverie, and she turned to him. He squeezed her hand comfortingly.

“Do you have everything you need?”

Teresa nodded. As she went out the door with Joaquin, she saw Jack standing by the truck talking to Angel, nodding and shaking his hand. Jack gave Teresa a hug, and she got into the truck.

Climbing into the driver’s seat, Angel said, “Grace will let the girls know. They’ll head out to help in a day or so when we know what is going on. I asked Jack to get hold of Ace and have him come out if he’s available.”

“Why?” she asked numbly, smoothing her fingertips over Michael’s brow as he slept in his car seat.

“Ace has connections, as a private investigator. He helped Jack when Grace’s ex-boyfriend was harassing her. Jack said Ace handled another investigation recently with good results. He wasn’t real specific, and I didn’t want to pry. I think it would be helpful to have him do a little snooping while we’re there. While we’re in Tillman, I don’t want any mishaps with
him
or his parents. I have a feeling that if they get wind you’re in town, they may try to make contact with you, which I’d like to avoid.”

“Me, too,” she quietly murmured. Teresa was sure they would show up at some point in the guise of being “friends” of her mother and father. Selective memory seemed to work for them.

* * * *

Upon arrival at the nursing home in Tillman around four o’clock in the morning, Joaquin helped Teresa from the big truck and kissed her tenderly then climbed into the driver’s seat. He watched as Angel and Teresa went into the nursing home to check in with the staff and then drove on to the hotel they’d made reservations at, with Michael still slumbering in his car seat. Joaquin would lie down with Michael for a few hours then they would drive the short distance back to the nursing home to be with Teresa and Angel later in the morning.

Joaquin carried a slumbering Michael into the lobby and got them checked in with no problem. Michael was restless in the unfamiliar bed but curled up to Joaquin, tucking his hands under his chin just like Teresa did when she slept.

Drowsily he said, “Mama sad?”

Joaquin kissed the top of his head and whispered, “Yeah, but she’ll be better. You sleep, and then we’ll go see her.”

“’Kay,” Michael murmured around a yawn.

Joaquin caressed Michael’s head, and they both eventually drifted off.

A little while later, Joaquin rose from the bed. After tucking a snoring Michael in under the covers, he locked up the room securely and took a quick shower to revive himself. When Michael woke up, Joaquin ran a warm bath for him. It helped Joaquin to have Michael to take care of, and he wondered how Teresa was faring. Allowing Michael to play with the bubbles for a minute, he retrieved the five-thousand-dollar check from his other shirt pocket and placed it carefully in his wallet.

After dressing Michael in jeans and a shirt, Joaquin helped him into his pint-sized barn jacket. Michael popped his cowboy hat on his head, just like he saw his daddies do, and he held Joaquin’s hand as they left the hotel room. Joaquin drove them to a
taqueria
that had a drive-thru window and ordered breakfast tacos and orange juice for everybody.

“So, Granny is sick?”

“Yeah, son. She’s real sick.”

“She gonna go be with Jesus?”

“Maybe so. What do you think about that?”

“Okay, I guess. I don’t really know her, but if she’s Mommy’s Mommy, then I’m gonna be sad. I heard Mommy crying last night. I think I might cry, too. Mommies are special,” Michael said softly, then sighed heavily, his breath hitching a little.

Joaquin looked at his son sitting in his car seat, his little hands resting on his knees, and felt the lump in his throat double in size. “Your mommy could probably use a hug when we get there.”

“I’ll give her lots,” Michael responded. Joaquin noticed that Michael’s little eyebrows were drawn together with a little crease between. He silently wiped a tear from his chubby little cheek. Seeing that brave display caused a painful hitch in Joaquin’s chest, and he wiped a tear from his own cheek. Michael hadn’t had enough time with his grandmother.

They drove to the nursing home and located Teresa and Angel in the room her parents shared. Angel sat talking quietly with Teresa’s father on one side of the bed. Teresa sat on the other side with her head on her mother’s pillow, brushing her fingertips over her mother’s brow. Teresa crooned to her as they entered then sat up and went to Joaquin and Michael. Michael hugged her and kissed her forehead then got down and went to Angel and Mr. Palacios, who seemed so happy to see him. Joaquin held her securely in his arms, and she shook and sobbed softly as the men looked on in concern.

He pressed a kiss to her brow and said, “Tell me what the doctor said.”

“Her organs have begun to shut down,” Teresa whispered in a trembling voice. “She’s not expected to last the morning. I’ve been listening to her, and I can tell her breathing has begun to slow down.
Thank you
for getting me here in time.”

“Sugar, we’d do anything we can for you. Has she regained consciousness?”

“No, they don’t expect her to. At least I got to see her one last time at the wedding.” She rested her head against his chest and held on to him. He would have given her his strength if that was possible. Joaquin couldn’t fix this, but he could help her as she faced the inevitable parting.

“Want me to let Grace and the others know?”