okay?”
She nodded against his soft cotton shirt and then pulled away to look into his eyes. “I’ll see about borrowing some crutches.”
“No fuckin’ way. I’ve got this.” He jumped off the table and limped toward the door.
Now that was the Ridge she knew and loved.
* * * * *
They didn’t make it out of the arena before they were swarmed by reporters and their very own Rope ‘n Ride film crew. Kashley stuck by his side as they pushed through the throng.
The scents of beer and popcorn turned his stomach, and he realized some of his nausea was caused by his knee pain. It hurt like a motherfucker, and it took everything in him to walk with a normal gait so his limping steps weren’t recorded and splashed onto every TV screen in the country.
“Have you heard about Wynonna?” a reporter asked.
Ridge shot a look at Kashley. She was staring right back, eyes wide with surprise.
“Are the Calhouns trying to cause mayhem by beating up fans?”
Ridge’s mind knotted the two questions from different people into one. Wynonna—beating up fans.
He snagged Kashley’s sleeve and barreled through the crowd, pushing his way to the end of the hallway where he spotted West pacing. The minute their gazes locked, Ridge said, “Fuck.”
“What is it?” Kashley whispered. Several reporters still galloped along next to them, clinging to the hope that he’d give an interview or they’d catch him trying to propose to a new woman.
He pushed out a growl and steered her toward West by the elbow. Her bones felt fine and delicate in his grip, but strong muscle connected them. He’d seen her toss hay bales that would knock some men flat.
“Is your name Kashley Cross?”
She threw him a wild look. He nodded to say, Yeah, word gets around.
“Are you and Ridge dating?”
He threw up a hand to block her face from the camera, but it was too late. She was compromised—exactly what he didn’t want. She hadn’t signed up for this reality hell, and she didn’t deserve to be attacked with rumors or worse.
“Take her. Get her out of here.” Ridge shoved her at West, who wrapped an arm around her and hauled her off. As Ridge turned to face the paparazzi, he caught Kashley’s desperate look just before she and West disappeared.
“Okay, I’ll answer your questions,” he drawled to the group.
“Will you marry me, Ridge?” came from a petite brunette at the front of the group.
“I’m sorry, but no. The Calhouns only like blondes.”
A titter of laughter through them all.
“Are you aware that charges are being pressed against you for striking that fan?”
“Don’t know anything about it.”
“Will you be helping Wynonna get out of her charges after the cops pulled her off the woman here in this very arena half an hour ago?”
Jesus. The cops? What the hell had Wynonna done? She’d just left him and Kashley. Of course, thirty minutes was nothing for his baby sister to hide a body.
Fighting back a growl, he responded, “Calhouns stick together. That’s all.” He thumbed his hat in farewell and twisted from the group. Cameras flashed. A cameraman from a popular TV show—that loved to show the worst in people—clung to him until he finally plastered his palm over the guy’s face and shoved him away.
Of course that was caught by another camera.
He stomped out to find West and Kashley—and his little sister—while battling his knee which threatened to give out.
Buck appeared at his side. “Calhoun circle. Now.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”
Buck looked down at his leg, which was wrapped in a huge bandage. “What’d the doc say about your knee?”
“It’ll be fine. What the hell happened with Wynonna?”
Buck’s mouth pressed into a grim line. “I’m gonna tie her ass up, that’s what.”
Ridge almost laughed. For Buck to be frustrated with Wynonna, it must be bad. He was her biggest champion and probably half the reason why she acted the way she did.
“I think we’re going to
She nodded against his soft cotton shirt and then pulled away to look into his eyes. “I’ll see about borrowing some crutches.”
“No fuckin’ way. I’ve got this.” He jumped off the table and limped toward the door.
Now that was the Ridge she knew and loved.
* * * * *
They didn’t make it out of the arena before they were swarmed by reporters and their very own Rope ‘n Ride film crew. Kashley stuck by his side as they pushed through the throng.
The scents of beer and popcorn turned his stomach, and he realized some of his nausea was caused by his knee pain. It hurt like a motherfucker, and it took everything in him to walk with a normal gait so his limping steps weren’t recorded and splashed onto every TV screen in the country.
“Have you heard about Wynonna?” a reporter asked.
Ridge shot a look at Kashley. She was staring right back, eyes wide with surprise.
“Are the Calhouns trying to cause mayhem by beating up fans?”
Ridge’s mind knotted the two questions from different people into one. Wynonna—beating up fans.
He snagged Kashley’s sleeve and barreled through the crowd, pushing his way to the end of the hallway where he spotted West pacing. The minute their gazes locked, Ridge said, “Fuck.”
“What is it?” Kashley whispered. Several reporters still galloped along next to them, clinging to the hope that he’d give an interview or they’d catch him trying to propose to a new woman.
He pushed out a growl and steered her toward West by the elbow. Her bones felt fine and delicate in his grip, but strong muscle connected them. He’d seen her toss hay bales that would knock some men flat.
“Is your name Kashley Cross?”
She threw him a wild look. He nodded to say, Yeah, word gets around.
“Are you and Ridge dating?”
He threw up a hand to block her face from the camera, but it was too late. She was compromised—exactly what he didn’t want. She hadn’t signed up for this reality hell, and she didn’t deserve to be attacked with rumors or worse.
“Take her. Get her out of here.” Ridge shoved her at West, who wrapped an arm around her and hauled her off. As Ridge turned to face the paparazzi, he caught Kashley’s desperate look just before she and West disappeared.
“Okay, I’ll answer your questions,” he drawled to the group.
“Will you marry me, Ridge?” came from a petite brunette at the front of the group.
“I’m sorry, but no. The Calhouns only like blondes.”
A titter of laughter through them all.
“Are you aware that charges are being pressed against you for striking that fan?”
“Don’t know anything about it.”
“Will you be helping Wynonna get out of her charges after the cops pulled her off the woman here in this very arena half an hour ago?”
Jesus. The cops? What the hell had Wynonna done? She’d just left him and Kashley. Of course, thirty minutes was nothing for his baby sister to hide a body.
Fighting back a growl, he responded, “Calhouns stick together. That’s all.” He thumbed his hat in farewell and twisted from the group. Cameras flashed. A cameraman from a popular TV show—that loved to show the worst in people—clung to him until he finally plastered his palm over the guy’s face and shoved him away.
Of course that was caught by another camera.
He stomped out to find West and Kashley—and his little sister—while battling his knee which threatened to give out.
Buck appeared at his side. “Calhoun circle. Now.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.”
Buck looked down at his leg, which was wrapped in a huge bandage. “What’d the doc say about your knee?”
“It’ll be fine. What the hell happened with Wynonna?”
Buck’s mouth pressed into a grim line. “I’m gonna tie her ass up, that’s what.”
Ridge almost laughed. For Buck to be frustrated with Wynonna, it must be bad. He was her biggest champion and probably half the reason why she acted the way she did.
“I think we’re going to
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