"The x-ray doesn't look quite as bad as I expected it to be. You only broke your ankle in two places. Because of where it is at we are going to put a full leg cast on so that you rough tough cowboy don't mess your leg up more," the doctor explains, a smile forming as he says the last part. It is obvious this isn't his first rodeo injury to treat. He shows Gunner and Caisson the x-ray and where his ankle is broken before leaving the room.

Caisson turns to look at Gunner with a half glare half worried look.

He smiles and kisses her cheek. "I am fine. I promise. I just have one favor to ask of you."

"Okay."

"Can I stay at your place for a couple of weeks until I get back to riding? I would go to my parents, but it is going to be hard to drive all the way to Texas like this and if you took me then I wouldn't have my truck and this way I won't miss you so much-"

She cuts his rambling off. "Yes, Gunner, you can stay with me, but you are not riding until the doc releases you."

He rolls his eyes. "Okay okay we will cross that bridge when it gets here."
***

Caisson listens to Gunner's end of the conversation with his parents. She hasn't gotten to meet them so she isn't sure how they will take the news of his injury. Somehow she imagines that his mom is none too happy and probably begging him to quit riding bulls. While his dad probably blows it off as nothing while inwardly he is thinking about what would happen if his little boy wasn't here anymore. She wonders if that is ever how her parents feel.

One of her favorite songs comes on the radio distracting her from her thoughts. Since Gunner is still on the phone she begins to whisper sing the words, "You are the God of the hills and valleys. Hills and valleys and I am not alone. I have watched my dreams get broken. In You I hope again no matter what, I know I am safe in Your hands."

"You have a really pretty voice," Gunner says softly.

She blushes and steals a glance at him before looking back at the road. "Thank you," she whispers. There is a moment of silence before she begins to speak again, "So what did your parents say?"

He chuckles, a hint of nervousness resting in the deep rumble. "Well the usual, I guess. Are you okay? How bad is it? And that they wish I would stop riding bulls. Aside from that they want to come see me." He pauses, "And meet you."

Her right foot immediately switches to applying gentle to the brake pedal. "They what?"

He can't help but to smile at her reaction. Sure he understands her uncertainty and if he is being completely honest he is a bit nervous about seeing them himself. He knows that they will love Caisson and everything about her. His mom tends to over react to his injuries and he isn't sure how she is going to take this one. "They want to meet you and check up on me."

By now she has pulled over on the side of the road and is hiding the panic on her face behind her hands. She begins to shake her head. "No no no," she mutters.

He places a hand on her back and rubs small circles on it. "Cais, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"My house isn't clean. It is a wreck and I need to go get food and-"

He chuckles slightly. "Cais, they are not coming today. It will be a week or two and they don't have to stay at your place. They don't even have to go to it at all."

Slowly she peeks through her fingers at him. "Are they going to like me?" She whispers so softly he barely hears her.

He smiles softly and begins to run small circles on her cheek. "They are going to fall in love with you. Just not as much as I have."

She smiles and lays her head on his shoulder. "If you say so."

He gently places his lips to the top of her head. "I do say so."
***

Gunner chuckles as he hears Caisson's voice carry through her homey house.

"Gunner Pate! Get your rear out of bed and get dressed. We should have already left."

As she comes to stand in front of him he makes his pouty face. "But, Cais, I don't want to go to that stuffy doctor's office that is too sanitary for it's own good. You know I am surprised doctors can even breath, the air is so 'clean'." He uses his fingers to make air quotations.

"Well if you get up and moving you won't be there long enough to damage your sense of smell." She stares at him for a few seconds then when he doesn't move she slams her hands onto her hips and huffs. "Fine you don't want to go you don't have to." He cheers at that. "But," she adds, "you don't get to ride for a month longer."

He suddenly jumps out of bed, biting his lip as pain shoots up his leg. "Okay, okay I am up."

"Good!"

Once again Caisson convinces him to let her drive, though he grumbles about not doing his 'gentlemanly duties'. As much as it makes her shake her head and roll her eyes, she can't help but inwardly smile. It is very sweet of him to be so persistent about being a gentlemen.

Before long they have pulled up the doctors office and Gunner has managed to get out of the pickup. Without help. Being a very independent person herself Caisson can understand where he comes from not wanting help, but it isn't easy standing around watching him suffer through pain.

He does allow her to open the door for him as he hobbles along on his crutches. She signs him in while he uses the restroom.

"Gunner Pate!" A nurse calls just as he comes back from relieving himself.

He nods and begins to crutch in her direction. As he passes Caisson he stops and looks at her. "Are you coming back?"

"Do you want me to?"

He holds back the roll of his eyes he so desperately wants to give her. "Yes, of course I want you to."

She smiles. "Let's go then."

Even with his hate of doctors burning inside of him he can't but to smile at her. He makes her go first so that he can watch her hips sway as she follows the older nurse back to the room. Once they are there he hops onto the table using his crutches. Caisson glares at him making him chuckles.

"The doctor will be right in with you," the nurse says, a knowing smile resting on her tanned face.

Gunner nods with a smile. "Thank you."

Just as predicted, within seconds the doctor knocks before swinging the door open. "Good morning! How are y'all this morning?" He is tall, around six foot, with a stocky build and looks to be in his late forties.

"Could be better," Gunner comments with cheer resting in his voice.

"Well you sound happy so that's good! I am Dr. Jones. You must be Gunner and I don't see a name for you," he jokes around making them all smile widely.

Caisson laughs slightly. "I'm Caisson."

"Ah I see. So y'all are married?"

The slightly worried look on her face makes Gunner crack up. "No sir, she just puts up with me on the weekends right now." Then he leans closer to the doctor and adds in a low voice, "Hopefully in the not too distant future it will be a full time bases."

A larger smile spreads across Dr. Jones' face. "So! Your left ankle looks in pretty rough shape from what I can see when they took X-rays two weeks ago. I think I want to go ahead and take some more today and see what it looks like before we make any decisions."

Gunner nods and places his hands on his crutches to hop off the table. "Alright."

Both of the guys look to Caisson who is still sitting in the chair in the corner of the exam room. Only now instead of her bright complexation and a cheerful smile her cheeks are now pale and a worried expression is resting on her pink lips and light eyebrows.

Gunner quickly crutches over to her and slides into the chair beside her. "Cais, sweetheart, are you okay? What's wrong? Talk to me baby."

She looks up into his worried face and tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Come here," he says sliding her onto his lap.

"I'll give y'all a minute," Dr. Jones says before slipping out the door.

Gunner kisses her forehead. "What's wrong?"

"Wh-what if it is worse? I don't want to- to loose you."

"Oh sweetheart!" He lifts her head in-between his hands and kisses her cheek softly. "Baby, even if it is worse than first thought it is a long way from my heart. It ain't going to kill me that easy."