Champion At Heart (Sequel of Breaking Ice)

Chapter Three

Milan, Italy

Sweat beads rolled down her forehead, dampening her hairline as she stirred in her hospital bed, struggling to open her eyes. She saw him, saw the bull impale him on his leg, and saw him scream in pain as he fell on the ground after freeing himself from certain death.

"Marshall, be careful," she muttered, tears sneaking out of the corner of her eyes. Bexley stood by her hospital bed, concern plastered on her face as she carried her niece, just hours old, in her arms, rocking her back and forth while she sang her a soft lullaby.

Brooklyn moved her head, calling his name while she sobbed.

"Brooks, wake up," Bexley whispered, shaking her gently by her shoulder. "You're having a nightmare."

Taking a deep breath into her lungs, Brooklyn opened her eyes and looked at the white ceiling, the lightbulb overhead being her main focus as she tried to slow down the rapid beating of her heart.

It felt so real to her, the way she saw him ride that bull, when he fell to her ground, only to be caught by the animal's horns, and his scream. That broke her heart, the way his eyes opened wide as he tried to pry himself from it.

"Brooklyn, are you okay?" Bexley asked, sitting by her side. Abilene cooed softly, signaling she was hungry while she pointed with her head at her sister's breasts and her hospital gown was damped.

"I guess I better feed her then," extending her hands towards Bexley, she reached for her daughter, loosening her gown as she placed the little bundle against her nipple, letting her latch on. "I am so sorry, sweetheart. Mama slept too much," she whispered, leaning over to kiss her little one's hair. As she studied her bundle of joy, she realized she was every bit her father.

Marshall Redd. The cowboy that had stolen her heart in just a few days, and the same one that had insulted her in a way no man should have. After a night of passion in the barn, her body under his, feeling the heat and lust over the hay, he had kicked her out of his life.

Not before he told her he would never love her the way she wanted him to. Not to expect for him to be at her feet, begging for her to stay.

"You have such a beautiful girl, Brooks. I can't wait to have one of my own. My niece has already stolen my heart in just a few hours," they both chuckled as the cute sucking sounds echoed in the room after they both fell into a long silence.

"Where's Jezzah?" she asked, noticing he was not around. "And what about Mom and Dad?"

"Mom and Dad went to their hotel to freshen up, and Jezzah went home. They will start the season soon, so they have to practice." A frown on her face was hinting that she had to say something else. As Brooklyn urged her to talk, Bexley was hesitant, getting off the bed and walking away from her sister.

"What's going on, Bex?" she asked.

She took a deep breath, her lungs filling until they hurt as she turned around and smiled sympathetically at her. "It's Marshall. Jezzah called earlier, saying that his mother had a message for you."

At the mention of Marshall, her heart palpitated, threatening to come out of her chest as thoughts of that dream being real, came to her mind. No, it can't be, she thought. It must be all a dream.

"What happened to him?" Brooklyn asked, hesitantly. She tried to get comfortable while hoping Abilene didn't let go of her breast as she moved. Looking at her sister, she urged her with her eyes to tell her what happened.

"He had an accident. The bull impaled him on his leg and he had to get emergency surgery. I heard he was doing fine, but he told her in the ambulance that he loves you and that he loves his baby."

"Baby? How did he know?"

Bexley shrugged her shoulders. "Dolly didn't want to believe it, but he told her he had a feeling he was a father. Brooks, you have to call him. I have told you many times these past months that you have to let him know about Abilene. The more you put it off, the more he'll hate you for hiding this from him. And I am afraid he will hate Jezzah and I for covering for you."

"So you would be on his side?"

"No, of course not. But..." She pointed at Abilene. "He deserves to know that he has a daughter."

"No, I can't." Brooklyn was still afraid of what might happen if she told him. He told her he didn't want her, that he didn't want anything serious with her. That night had been the best and the worst night of her life, and when the day to say goodbye had come, he didn't even look into her eyes, instead, turned his back to her before getting in his pickup truck.

Bexley sat next to her again. "Brooklyn, he loves you with all his heart. You stole it and now you're holding it in your hands. He might have been a jerk, but I am sure he regrets every mean word he told you. At least just call him to make sure he's doing okay. I know he wants to hear your voice."

The fear of him finding out he fathered a child crept up Brooklyn's mind. What if he decided to take her daughter away from her, the court surely would side with him. What she did was considered kidnapping. Wasn't it?

"No. When I'm ready, I will."

"Brooklyn, it's been over nine months now. You have to tell him..."

"I said no!" Brooklyn shouted, her baby crying loudly as she accidentally unlatched herself from her breast. "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry," she whispered, trying to get her back on, but Abilene was inconsolable.

"I'll have the nurses take her for a bit. Maybe they can feed her some formula as well." Despite her protest, Bexley grabbed Abilene and carried her towards the crib, calling the nurses to wheel her to the nursery while she gave Brooklyn time to calm down.

"He offended me, Bexley. I gave myself to him and he just acted like he didn't care about my feelings. He is an idiot, and I don't know if I'll want to ever see him again."

Bexley sighed, holding her hand. "What are you going to do when she gets older and asks about him? She will, Brooks, and that's something you won't be able to avoid. For now, call and find out if he's okay. That night might have been his last one, and you two didn't get to set things straight."

She kissed her sister on her forehead, whispering an I love you before she left the room, leaving Brooklyn to her thoughts. It was painful if she had to be honest with herself, and as much as she wanted to find out how Marshall was doing, she was still scared. It didn't matter how long it took, she wanted to avoid the grumpy cowboy at all costs, although she wished him a speedy recovery.

She knew she was acting selfishly, but it was the only way to have her heart heal properly without the complications of ever falling into his arms again.

"I'm sorry, Marshall. But it's for the best."