My Cowboy, My Hero

Chapter Fourteen

 How many of you wish I would start off with the conversation between Joe and Rhye? That many? Wow that's a lot... Too bad, I'm not. Muwahahah

I need my silence readers to vote and comment please. Thank you!

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Max sat down on the floor in front of the couch and sighed. He had just taken Katrina and Lexi to bed, they had fallen asleep during the last movie. He rolled up his pant leg and took off his prosthetic. He fingered the long, crooked scars that ran up his knee.

"You know it's funny Lord. I never would have imagined three years ago I would be here today. I remember sitting in that little hospital thinking I was going to die and now, here I am taking care of Lexi. I mean I am not complaining or anything. I am very thankful for your blessings on my life, I just never saw it like this." he said as he spoke with God.

He debated on putting his prosthetic back on, but decided against it. His knee was a little swollen today, he could probably go without it for a while.

Max reached up and pulled the paper work he needed to work on into his lap. He sighed. He had been working on it for a few days now, but he kept coming up with a negative number, which was incorrect. Rhye was too careful with the finances of the ranch and there was no way they were in the red, Max just couldn't find the mistake.

He worked on it for about another hour before a soft sob brought his attention back to reality. Lexi was standing in the doorway of her room with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Lexi baby, what's wrong?" Max asked as he opened his arms for Lexi to crawl into.

"I had an nightmare." she sniffled as she walked to him.

She stopped about a foot away from him and he frowned at her. It took him a minute to realize she was looking at his prosthetic on the floor.

"I can put it back on if it bothers you.." he said as he reached for it.

"No. It doesn't bother me. What happened." she asked as she closed the distance.

He lowered her into his lap and pulled her tight. "I was hurt in Afghanistan."

"You were overseas?"

He nodded. "I was in the military." he realized he hadn't been very informative. He hated to talk about his time overseas. He never spoke of it and very few people knew he had a prosthetic. He hated the look of pity people gave him, which is why he was so thankful for Rhye and this job. Rhye treated him like a employee and not a cripple. He looked at Lexi and sighed. If he wanted her to trust him, maybe he needed to trust her first.

"I was in Afghanistan about three years ago. I was only nineteen, but I was tough. My team and I were driving and we ran over a land mine. It blew up and..... . They couldn't save my leg, so they had to amputate it in one of the little hospitals over there." he said as he offered more information.

"That must have been awful. Were you scared?"

Max nodded. "It took a while for someone to find us. I couldn't reach my radio and I was too injured to move. I prayed a lot though and I truly feel Jesus kept me calm."

Lexi nodded. "That's good. I often wonder if people feel him more in dangerous situations."

"I think they do."

"Can I see it?" Lexi asked.

"See what?"

"Where they amputated."

Max hesitated but then reached down and lifted his pants leg. He expected her to gasp or turn away, but never in his life did he expect her to bend down and kiss one of his scars.