To Rodeo To Your Heart (COMPLETED)

Chapter 23

Gunner picks up a rock on the bank of the pond behind his parents house. Turning it over in his fingers a couple of time he can't help but think of Caisson and the softness of her hands in his. "Why are you such an idiot?!" He chunks the rock into the water and watches the ripples play out. No, nothing has gone the way he had it planned to go in the last two months. Sure, somethings have been for the better, but for the most part they have been not so good.

Settling at the base of a tree near by he puts his head in his hands and sighs. "Lord, I don't know what you are trying to tell me through this injury. Show me. I've been sitting on the side lines as a 'fan' of You instead a true follower. I want to get back close to You. Back into Your arms. Show me how to do that, Lord." Tears roll down his face as he looks up and around at the creation around him. Each thing is beautiful in its own way and it has its own purpose. From the tiniest rock to the largest tree.

"Lord if you want me to stop riding bulls I'll do it because no matter what it is I will do it to be closer to you."
***

Caisson wraps herself in a blanket and slides under her bed with her bible and prayer journal resting on her belly. She says a quick prayer for an open heart before she opens her bible to Revelation chapter three. Recently she has began reading through the letters to the seven churches. Just as she starts to read there is a knock at her door before it opens.

"Cay?" Her brother's voice calls.

She giggles a little. "Under the bed!"

He bends over to pear at her with one eyebrow raised. "What are you doing under there?"

She shrugs. "I was trying to find a quiet place to read my bible."

He nods as he slides his own body under the wooden frame. "Where are you reading?"

"Chapter three of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches."

He nods. "I see."

She chuckles at his not so enthusiastic tone. "It is quite interesting in fact. You want to know the three things that each one includes?" Without giving him time to answer she claps her hands. "Great! Almost all of them mention something about repenting from sins, about a reward for the overcomes, and they say 'to those who have an ear let him hear what the Spirit has to say."

Colton nods at his sister and can't help but crack a smile. "Have you given Gunner this history lesson?"

Her small smile falters a little at the mention of his name, she her fingers begin to play with the ribbon bookmark on her bible. "Umm, no. We don't really talk about our bible study time."

"Oh." Colton isn't sure what to say so instead he just lays beside his sister staring at the two by four boards that rest inches away from his nose. The intenseness of the silence is beyond a high level so the ringing of his phone is a welcomed sound. He looks over to Caisson just to make sure she isn't going to try to knock him out if he gets up.

"Take it," she says with nods towards the door.

"Thanks sis!"

"No problem," she mutters as the door swings close behind him. This is great! I'm so boring that no one wants to be around me. She thinks as she reopens her bible. As soon as she begins to read she is reminded that no matter how she is feeling The Father is always there and never gets bored of her.

Once she is done reading her bible and has journalled her prayers she slides out from under her bed and uses the slickness of her socked feet to shuffle down the hall to the tv in the living room. Figuring that Hope has gone into town for something she stretches out on the couch and turns on Christmas in the Smokies.
***

"Come on Caisson! Pick up the peanut of a phone already." Ten voicemails, fifteen calls, and thirty texts now with all of them unanswered. When you suddenly left your girlfriend without much of an explanation one unanswered phone call gets to you not to mention fifteen! He sinks into the wooden chair and sighs. Things just keep getting better and better. Way to go Gunner!

Finally not know what else to do he calls Colton. Maybe her phone is lost, he tells himself. Ring. Ring. Ring. He jabs the red circle and tosses his phone on his childhood bed. "Maybe she gave up on me." He grabs his crutches and begins the process down the stairs.

After what seems like half an hour a sigh of relief escapes him as he scans the kitchen for food. He points the end of his crutch in the air after opening the pantry and finding Peter Pan peanut butter and Ritz crackers. "Finally!"

He hold the end of the Ritz cracker sleeve by his teeth and the peanut butter in the pocket of the black basket ball shorts he threw on that morning. "Perfect midnight snack."

"Gunner!" His dad hollers as the sound of his heavy foot steps on the stairs ring through the house. "I think you forgot your phone in your room."

The iPhone SE in a black case waving in front of his eyes makes him ball his fist up under the table. He nods stiffly as it is laid on the smooth cedar wood table. Stuffing a cracker in his mouth he shakes his head and stares out the window on the other side of him.

"Have you tried telling her how you feel?" His dad's voice sifts into his ears.

He grabs his crutches and shoves the chair back with such force that it topples over and slides against the tile floor. "Of course I have! But I was too stupid to do that before it was too late," he yells over his shoulder as he shoves the back door open and crutches, as fast as he can, down the side walk. The last thing he wants is to here the painful ringing sounds of the phone as once again she doesn't pick up.

At the end of the side walk he leans against the flimsy metal contraptions under his shoulders and kicks a rock with is good foot. It is too darn cold to be spending very long outside in shorts and a tee shirt, but the lump in his throat isn't going back inside with him. The more rocks that skid across the earth the more he just wants to hear her sweet voice, no matter what it is saying. "I guess that's the normal. Screw up, regret it and wallow around in self pity."

Then 2 Timothy 1:7 comes to his mind. For God did not give us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of love, power and self control. He turns around and with a fire building in his belly he crutches back inside, grabs his phone and starts up the stairs as fast as his crutches will move.