He Healed My Heart - Book cover

He Healed My Heart

Tinkerbelle Leonhardt

The Rodeo

HARPER

We had risen fairly early for a Saturday, and I figured I would need a nap later to get through tonight’s events. I had never been to a rodeo, so I was unsure of what to expect. “Where’s he taking you again?” my uncle Clade questioned.

“The rodeo. Levi and I have never been.” He nodded with a distant look in his sparkling blue eyes, the same eyes as my father. “What will you do with yourself while I’m away?”

“Ah, kid, I have three women on the go that I’ve neglected since you two showed up. Perhaps I should pay at least one of them a visit.”

“Three?” I was flabbergasted. “I can’t even manage to get one. How do you have three?”

“Easy, there are more women in this town than there are men.”

“Do they know?” I asked curiously. Suddenly finding out my uncle was some kind of a ‘playa’ had me more than just a little enthralled.

“They do. I’m completely honest about keeping our ‘coitus’ open and my bachelorhood intact.”

“So you have no problems if they slept with other men?”

“Nope.”

“Do they?”

“Sleep with other men?” He questioned, and I just nodded in complete awe of his revelation and active sex life. “No, they are fine women.”

“Do they get jealous of each other?”

“Yes, but I don’t take them out. I fuck them, maybe stay a night or two, then head home.”

“Do you not want to settle down with any of them?” I asked incredulously.

“Well, ideally I’d love to settle down with all three of them but two just ain’t into that sort of thing, so I continue this way, loving all three, committed to none.”

I slumped down into the chair, bewildered by my uncle’s sexual exploits. “Jesus, when did I become such a loser?”

Uncle Clade laughed. “Kid, your father had the same ability, only the moment he met your mom, he was a goner. I haven’t met that one for me, I doubt I ever will. I love all three of my women for different reasons. If only they liked each other, I would be a blissfully happy man.”

“You would be a polygamist?”

He smirked wickedly.

“This town isn’t exactly against ‘free loving’. Hell, the town was founded by hippies. Fitz Marcelo and Patty were only ever fuck buddies, still are really, she may carry his last name but they don’t live together and they sure as shit aren’t married, yet their son Spencer is their pride and joy.”

“fucking hell, what the heck did I move into?”

“The future, kid. We may be small but we got the right idea on stuff.”

“I need a nap before tonight; will you watch Levi for a bit?”

“Of course, I love that superstar.”

I stood to my feet, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “You’re too much,” I commented before heading to my room.

***

I was getting ready; a towel draped around my body as I straightened my hair and applied makeup.

Leivon swung open the bathroom door; he was dressed in his cowboy costume, complete with boots and hat. “Mommy, can I take my gun?”

I looked down at him and my heart swelled. He looked incredible.

“Maybe we should leave it behind tonight, honey, don’t want anyone thinking it’s real and you being arrested by Deputy Spencer for having an unlicensed firearm.”

He pointed his tiny finger at me. “You’re right, plus it might spook the animals.”

I chuckled. He had crafted himself a gun out of toilet paper rolls a few days ago and carried it like it was his pride and joy. “Good thinking, that too.”

He strode out, slamming the door behind him. I slipped my legs into my tight black jeans and shrugged on a loose, off-the-shoulder, purple glitter midriff top.

I paired my outfit with my favorite purple Doc Martens. Hearing the distinct sound of Spencer’s baritone laughter coming from the lounge, I knew it was time to leave the comfort of my room.

I nervously padded down the hall and into the kitchen. My uncle was dressed to impress in a gray suit and Hawaiian print shirt.

“Woo, woo, planning on impressing someone special?”

“You know me, kid, I always look spunky.”

I laughed. “Have a great night, Uncle.” He kissed my cheek and playfully bumped Levi’s shoulder.

“You guys have fun too, don’t wait up,” he called back, exiting.

Spence coughed, his eyes wide as they raked predatorily up and down my body. My core pooled with wet heat at the way he hungrily perused me.

Spence cleared his throat. “Shall we take your truck? Since it’s already fitted with Levi’s booster seat?”

“My truck is a serious downgrade from your lavish beast, are you sure you want to be seen in it?”

He scrunched his forehead, “yes, why would I be ashamed of your car? You have some strange ideas about things, Harper. Now, the important thing is keeping you and Leivon safe, and there is nowhere safer for either of you than in my hands. I’ll drive, but if you would prefer to move his booster, we can…”

“No, it’s fine, I just meant… never mind, c’mon let’s get going before Levi bursts.”

***

We arrived at the most elaborate rodeo I had ever been to. Well, I hadn’t actually been to any rodeos before but I had seen them in movies. This one sported not just the arena but rides and games.

My eyes were bulging out of my head. I grasped Spence’s arm excitedly. “Wow, this is nothing like I imagined.”

He laughed at me as my eyes surveyed the scene. “Yeah, it’s a pretty big event.” Spencer turned in the driver’s seat, “you ready for this cowboy?”

“I wanna ride a bull,” Levi stated. I paled.

“Ah, how about the horses on the merry-go-round, honey?”

“Oh, Mommy, I swear I won’t fall off,” Leivon pouted.

“I’m sure you won’t, honey, but I might have a heart attack.”

“C’mon, cowboy, let’s get you out,” Spencer chuckled.

We grabbed some tickets from the booth and headed towards the haunted house. Levi made sure he stayed in between us both, holding our hands.

There was a bunch of petrol drums sawn in half with wheels attached, being pulled by a tractor and a man disguised as a zombie was behind the wheel.

Spencer handed over the tickets and we stepped in. “Hey, cowboy, how about you let mom and I sit together and you sit in between her legs? Ya know how afraid of the scary monsters she gets.”

I arched my brow at him and he just shrugged defensively.

“Okay,” Levi happily obliged, shifting forward.

It was hard to understand why he was making such bold moves, but it stroked my ego and made me feel…admired? Attractive? Hell, it just made me feel good inside.

I climbed in between them, Spence’s big hands gripped my backside and squeezed, eliciting a groan from the back of my throat as I got comfortable in between his legs.

I turned my head to the side as he swept my hair out of the way to expose the side of my neck.

“Smooth moves there, Mr. Deputy,” I teased as his rough spiky chin grazed gently along the curve of my neck, causing me to shudder.

“You possess a luscious ass like that and expect me not to cop a feel?” he huskily purred into my ear. We hadn’t even started the ride and my core was already throbbing.

Stop reading into it, I chastised myself.

“Lean back into me, Harper, I’ll save you from the horrors.”

I chuckled. “What’s so funny, Mommy?” Levi questioned.

“Nothing, honey. Just excited, are you?” I said, leaning into Spencer’s warm embrace. I felt stiff and slightly awkward, I had never done anything like this and truthfully, I wasn’t sure how to relax.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Within the first few seconds of the tractor entering the fake haunted house, a man with half a face wielding a chainsaw stepped out from the shadows.

Leivon and I were screaming, I was practically crawling on top of Spence with my head buried into his shoulder, and Levi was mimicking my actions not too long after me.

As the tractor exited, poor Spencer was cradling both of us like newborn babies, one in each arm.

They snapped a Polaroid of us, and the organizers laughed so hard at the trembling bundles in his muscular hold that they said we could just have the picture for free.

I was unimpressed by the scary haunted house, even more so by the picture of a beaming deputy with a gigantic smile and two trembling figures in each arm.

“I’m never going in there again,” I stated clearly and passionately as he pocketed the Polaroid.

Spence bit down on both of his lips, clearly amused. “You don’t have to.”

“I think we should go again,” my son chirped up, and the deputy burst out laughing. I narrowed my eyes at my seven-year-old son, flashing him a scowl of a lifetime.

“Never…again…Leivon.”

After playing a few more games, we headed for the merry-go-round. I watched from the fence line as Spence seated him on his horse and came to join me, his hand resting comfortably around my waist.

“Don’t think I miss that smirk every time I touch you, Harper…like right now.” I couldn’t hold back, and my face broke out into a wide toothy grin; I could feel my cheeks flush.

Levi rounded the corner and beamed at us, his tiny hand flapping excitedly as we both waved back with just as much enthusiasm.

“Spency? Spency baby, is that you?” I felt his hand clench at my hip.

“Shit,” he cursed through gritted teeth, refusing to turn around. I, however, couldn’t help but look, my eyes immediately regretting the sight.

She was a tall leggy brunette in a denim mini-skirt and a plaid red chequered shirt that was tied just under her gigantic tits and opened at the front, exposing an obscene amount of cleavage.

I stayed still, unsure of what to do as her evil glare failed to hide her hatred of me and Spencer’s arm around my waist. “Just ignore it, it might see a dick and go away,” Spence whispered.

But she didn’t see any dicks or go away. Instead, she stepped closer, her cheap perfume invaded my nostrils and I scrunched my nose in disgust.

She must have touched him because he whipped around so fast, glowering murderously at her. “Don’t ever fucking touch me, Sheila.”

“Oh, come on, Spency baby, you’re not still angry at me are you?” She pouted, batting her eyelids at him.

“You need to get the fuck away from me right now.”

“Mommy, Spence, did you see me? Did you?” Levi came running up to us and Spencer dropped to his knee and collected him into a great big bear hug.

“You sure are a natural cowboy, we’ll get you riding a real horse in no time.” Spence picked him up, depositing him comfortably on his strong shoulders.

“Hey there…cowboy, who are you, cutie?” My green-eyed monster was lurking below the surface of my skin, ready to be unleashed on this woman trying to engage with my son.

“Mommy, who is that? She stinks.” I stifled my giggle, but Spencer did not; his baritone rumble exploded from within his chest.

“That’s her nasty perfume, cowboy. Come along, we have some bull riding to watch.” Spence collected my hand and took off in the opposite direction. I followed behind, almost tripping over my feet.

Watching a rider trying to stay on a bull for eight seconds was pretty exhilarating. Leivon asked to join a friend he had made a couple of rows below us, but we kept vigilant watch over him.

“Are you going to ask me?” My head snapped towards Spencer, but his eyes were trained on the action in the arena.

“Do you feel like sharing?” I replied honestly.

“Do you want to know?”

“I want to know what you are willing to share.”

“Does it bother you at all?” His brow furrowed as he finally caught my eye.

“I’m guessing at some stage she belonged to you.” I took a sip of my warm beer.

“Sheila is my ex, yes.”

“Okay,” I simply said.

“Okay? That’s it? Nothing else?”

“I’d be stupid to think you didn’t have a past, Spencer, we all do. If you want me to know, you will tell me.”

He enlaced his fingers in mine and lifted my hand to his lips, pressing them gently against my soft skin, “I want you to know that she means nothing to me.”

His statement was firm and I believed him, though it really was hard to hide my pleasure at hearing his statement. “Alright, I believe you.”

He flashed me a megawatt smile as our eyes remained locked on one another’s.

The announcement of the final competition between two riders broke our heated stare and he suggested it was time to go. Collecting my son, we climbed into the car and made our way home.

Back at Uncle Clade’s house, Levi had fallen fast asleep in the back seat, so Spence carefully unbuckled him and carried him to bed, removing his cowboy boots and hat and placing him under the covers.

My heart swelled seeing how much Spencer cared for Leivon. This was moving into dangerous territory, my heart had awakened and the dream I thought was long gone roared to life.

But could I do it? I made the mistake of trusting my heart with Levi’s dad and he completely and utterly smashed it to pieces.

I walked Spencer to the door. “Don’t come outside, your uncle is not home, I want you to lock the door behind me, okay?” I nodded, understanding he was doing it to keep us safe.

He cared for us. Shit, I was losing myself quicker than I realized.

“Spence…thank you…for tonight, I really appreciate it.” He moved in closer, my body fizzled like fireworks were exploding inside me.

Why did he have to be so goddamn intoxicating? Why was I not stronger? More resistant to his charms? This was going to end badly and now my son was at risk too, he liked Spencer, he liked him a lot.

His head dipped as my mouth slightly parted and he pressed his soft succulent lips against mine, for a moment I could not function, my breathing stopped and all I could feel was his heated flesh against mine.

I was drowning in a pool of ecstasy and I was willing to hold up the white flag, surrender completely and fall into the Grand Canyon if this is what kissing him was like.

Suddenly, he withdrew completely, his face scrunched as though he were finding it hard to say something he really wanted to.

“Good night, sweet cheeks.”

And just like that, he left and closed the door behind him.

Now I was even more confused than before, leaving all of my insecurities exposed. I had set myself up and fallen into his ploy, maybe I was a terrible kisser?

Maybe he had suddenly decided I wasn’t worth the effort over a lay? Maybe once he kissed me he realized this wasn’t what he wanted. God, I was so embarrassed my eyes welled with tears.

All night I tried to talk myself down from that ledge, tried not to think that this could be something more. I wasn’t made to be loved, I was made to watch from the sidelines as others fell in love.

He didn’t want me, and the moment his lips touched mine, I surrendered every wall put in place for nothing.

He had gone and left me staring at the closed door, feeling more rejected and insecure than I ever had in my entire life.

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