Her Rancher, Her Protector

Chapter 15 - Tyler

Things were such a blur after that. I was holding her as I cried when cops and paramedics came into the house. The cops had to pull me away from Angel so the paramedics could work on her. They found a faint pulse. When I heard this, I prayed that she would pull through. They rushed her off but not before I told her that she was pregnant. At first the cops where trying to arrest me as I had the gun. It was Cory who got them to stop them from arresting me. As they were handcuffing me, Cory came down and yelled at the cops not to arrest me. That I didn’t do this. It was his dad, the guy unconscious on the ground, not me. They quickly uncuffed me and went over to Kurt to see he was pretty messed up. He was also rushed off to the hospital. I kept Cory close to me as the cops asked us questions. I found out in this time, that Cory called them from upstairs. I was glad I never got rid of the landline phones as many times that I have thought about it. I kept getting antsy as I just wanting to go to the hospital with Angel. But they wanted to get the stories straight. After a few hours, they finally left and I could go to the hospital. I went to my mother’s. I showed up on her front steps with the small boy. She looked confused by this. She was also worried as she saw the blood on me. She quickly rushed us inside. She went to feed Cory and as he ate in the kitchen, we moved to the living room to talk. I didn’t want to, but I knew she needed answers if I was to ask her for her help. Once we sat down, she quickly asked, “What is going on, Tyler? And who is that boy? And who’s blood is that?”

I looked down and saw the blood on my hands. I tried to wipe it on my jeans as I teared up. The reality of it all was starting to hit me as the blood just reminded me of it. I started to yell as the blood wouldn't come off, “Why the f**k won’t it wipe off!”

Tears started to flow and my mom was quickly by my side. She took my hands and forced me to look at her. “What is going on, Tyler?” She asked me, sadly.

I just looked at her and it came out. I started to cry harder and she held me. She went to sooth me as I cried in my mother’s arms. Once the tears subsided, I moved away from her. She asked, “Do you feel better?” I just shook my head. “Well, do you think you could tell me what the hell happened?”

I looked at her. “Have you been to the diner lately?”

She nodded. “You know I go every Sunday after church with the girls.”

“Have you seen the new girl there?” I asked.

She smiled. “Oh, yes, she is so beautiful. Very pretty. I couldn’t help it but to think she would be perfect for you.”

I almost laughed at the irony. “Yeah, well, so did I.” She looked at me confused. “Mom, her name is Angel and we have been dating for quite some time. Started shortly after she got stranded in town. I saw her in the diner one day before I came to see you. I was drawn to her. Well, after I left your place to go home, I saw her in the diner parking lot and pulled in. I found out her son and her were sleeping in her car because of her situation. I quickly offered them to stay with me till she got on her feet. She agreed but only cause of her son. We immediately felt drawn to one another, it was quite trying at first as we both had some things in our past that wouldn’t allow us to move on. With me, it was Maggie. For her, her ex husband and what he did to her. That is when I found out, her ex husband abused her and horribly, mom. She finally decided to leave him because of her son. She tried to get the law to help her but with his dad being the mayor of the town, she never got the help.”

“God, that poor thing.” My mother gasped.

I just looked at her sadly. “Mom, she was so scared of him. So, she just left. And every town she went to, he followed trying to kill her or trying to drag her back to their hometown. She kept running. She actually was when she got stranded her. Her car broke down as they were heading to California. She took what money she had left to fix it and had nothing. That is what made her work at the diner. She was trying to save up for them to leave again and that is why they were sleeping in a car. She was scared he would find them again. I promised her I would protect the both of them cause I already loved them so much. I didn’t want to lose them. The last few months we have been together and happy and I love them both.” She gave me a small smile. “But today she went to work and came home in less than thirty minutes, basically yelling at me where her son, Cory, was. I told her inside and she told me, her ex found them. So, we rushed into the house, looking for Cory. We found him, with her ex. He had a gun to the boy, mom.” My mother gasped at this, even teared up a bit. “Angel was going to do whatever she could to get her son away from him. So, she offered a trade, she would take his place if he left quietly, leaving us alone. He agreed. He really only wanted her back. She told me he never cared for the boy. She knew it would work and it almost did. After he let go of Cory, I told him to hid until we came to get him. He did. He then pointed the gun at me and Angel pushed his hand away as the gun went off.”

“Oh, god.” My mom looked scared that the man tried to kill me.

“He got angry with her and slapped her. I made my move and tackled him. I beat him till he went unconscious. I went to call the cops as she went to get Cory. I turned my back to her ex and she yelled at me to watch out. I looked over at him to see him pointing the gun at me. He fired and she pushed me out of the way and got shot. I lost it. I beat him till he was bloody and I thought he was dead. I kinda hoped he was. But Angel was shot. As I went to tend to her, her worry was about the baby, the baby she carried inside of her. I didn’t even know she was pregnant until she was shot.” I started to cry as I sobbed and looked at my mother. “Mom, I might lose the first woman I have loved since I lost Maggie and my child. I can’t lose them.”

I cried again as my mother hugged me. “Oh, Tyler. I am so sorry.” She pulled away. “So, the boy you brought with you is her son?”

I nodded. “I was hoping you would watch him so I could go to the hospital to see how she is doing.”

“Of course.” She quickly said. Than she looked at me up and down. “But first, you need to shower and change. You look like you just stepped out of a horror movie.”

I opened my mouth to object as I just wanted to get to the hospital so I could see Angel. But the look on my mother’s face, I knew better. I quickly closed it and nodded in defeat. “Good, you do that and I think I have a change of clothes here that you left.”

Again, I nodded and moved upstairs. I went to the bathroom and stripped out of the bloody clothes. I got into the shower and turned it one. The hot water washed over my body. I watched as the water on the ground turned red from the blood. Once I washed the blood off my body, I moved a hand on the wall and held myself up. I started to cry again. Just knowing I could lose the woman I love and the child I didn’t know about till very recently. I finally calmed myself. I got out and moved to an empty guest room to see the clothes my mother set out for me. I quickly dressed. I moved downstairs and found Cory sitting on the couch, watching TV. He didn’t really look to be paying much attention to it. My mother was with him. I moved in and sat next to him. His eyes were on me. I sighed. “Cory, I am going to leave you here with my mother, Linda. She is going to look out for you. I gotta go for a bit to the hospital. I don’t know how long I will be there, but while I am there, do you think you could behave for my mother?”

“Yes, sir.” He said, softly. Then asked, “You going to see mama?” I nodded. “I want to go with you.” He quickly said.

I looked hurt for this boy. “Cory, I think it is best you stay here. You have been through a lot today. My mom will look out for you. I promise.”

He started to tear up. “Is my mama going to be okay?”

I looked away as tears threatened to surface as I didn’t know if she would be. I didn’t want to cry in front of the boy. He worried about his mother and I didn’t want him to. But I didn’t know what to say to him. “Of course she will.” My mother quickly chimed in. I looked at her as Cory looked at her and she gave him a small smile. “What I hear about your mother is she is a fighter. I know your mama will be okay.”

She looked at me for a moment and I gave her a grateful look. She gave me a small nod in response. Cory looked back at me and hugged me. I hugged him tightly, back. “I love you, Cory. And I know your mama does too.” I kissed the boy on the top of his head and looked over at my mother. “Thank you for doing this.”

She just gave me a smile. “Go be with her. She will need to see your face when she wakes up.”

I nodded and gave Cory another kiss on the top of his head. Then I moved away and left. I left prepared for the worse. Prepared to lose another woman I love. But also hoped for the best. I was ready for any outcome. I just hope that my mother was right and she would pull through. That both her and my child would live. If I lose them, I didn’t know what I would do. I didn’t think I was ready to deal with another heartache.