"Shoot, where is my necklace?" Lacey looked around her bedside table frantically. The necklace was the same one that Slade had accidentally broken the chain on a couple weeks ago. A few days after he accidentally broke it, Slade had bought Lacey a new chain for it until the old one could be fixed. Granted, the new chain didn't look as good, nor feel as good around Lacey's neck as the old one did, but nonetheless, Lacey was happy to have her grandma's necklace around her neck every day. 

         "I always keep it right here." Lacey widened her search to the floor, thinking maybe it fell down there. The more she thought about it, she couldn't remember wearing it yesterday, either. For the first time in about 6 months, Lacey had stopped wearing the necklace every day; it was honestly probably just because she didn't like how the new chain felt. 

        Grabbing her phone from her beside table, Lacey called her fiance. "Hey, darlin'." Slade greeted with a smile, picking up on the third ring. 

          "Hey, have you seen my cross necklace that my grandma gave me? I haven't seen it since yesterday morning." 

          Slade hesitated, most likely thinking about it's whereabouts. "I know I saw it there yesterday morning. But don't fret, I am sure it will turn up soon." 

          "You're right. I think I'm going to go hop on Bud for a few minutes. Work on bareback riding." Lacey decided, knowing worrying about her missing necklace wouldn't do her any good.  

         "Alright, sweetheart. I am almost finished with my laundry, then I will be down there. Please be safe."

         "Always. See you in a bit." Lacey hung up her phone, making her way downstairs. On her way out to the barn, Lacey grabbed a nice red apple off of the kitchen island to share with Bud. 

        Once she was outside, Lacey could see that Bud was already in the round pen, ready for her to ride him. With a smile when Bud nickered the closer she got, Lacey promised him she would be right back to see him after she grabbed his bridle. 

        Clucking to her new best friend, Bud, Lacey asked the roan gelding to back up so her and her wheelchair could both fit through the gate. The second she was into the round pen, Bud nickered, smelling Lacey's lap since he knew she brought him an apple. 

         Slade had taught Bud so well; without Lacey even asking, Bud followed her over to the mounting block where he waited patiently for her. Leaning down carefully in her wheelchair, she slipped the bridle on over his face, sliding the metal bit between his parted teeth, on top of his tongue. Once she was satisfied that Bud wasn't going to move any, Lacey turned her wheelchair, locking it's brakes before carefully taking her feet off the pads. 

        Ever so carefully, Lacey adjusted herself beside Bud. Placing both hands on his back, she pushed herself onto his back, laying across his swayback. Reaching behind her, she grabbed her right pant leg, sliding her leg across Bud's rump so it rested against his side. carefully sitting up, Lacey grinned at the fact that this was the first time she had ever mounted a horse entirely by herself; bareback, nonetheless! 

      "Good boy, Bud." Lacey patted his neck, praising him. "Thank you for staying so still and waiting for me." Picking up the reins, Lacey allowed Bud to have his head, guiding him away from the mounting block. "Let's take it nice and slow today, B." 

      Nerves began to rise in Lacey's stomach the further away from the safety of her chair and mounting block they got. Taking a deep breath, she convinced herself that she got this. It wasn't the first time that she had ridden bareback, but it was the first time that she had ever ridden by herself since her accident. 

       Just as she was feeling confident by herself in the pipe fence lined round pen, her phone loudly played it's ringtone from her pocket. Taking it out, she saw her friend Paige's name on light up the screen. "Hey, Pa-"

         "Tell your boyfriend thanks a lot for breaking Jeremy's nose!" She yelled angrily over the phone, interrupting Lacey's greeting. 

       Lacey was completely taken aback by her friend's outburst. A frown covered her lips as she replied, "What are you talkin' about?"

       "Slade beat up Jeremy, and now his nose is broken! And he has all of these cuts and bruises all over his body. He said that Slade got ahold of him and ripped him a new one."

       "Paige, that was well over a week ago that Slade and I saw Jeremy. He was on his way to see you at work and started a fight with Slade, so yes, Slade punched him, but he didn't beat him up bad enough to break his nose or anything." Or, at least she hoped Slade hadn't beaten him to a pulp; she was in the truck for the majority of the fight. Besides, it was a week ago, so any bruises that Slade would have caused Jeremy should have mainly gone away by now. 

       "Yeah, well I haven't seen him for over a week, but he just showed up at my house and said Slade beat him up!" Paige fumed. 

       Lacey looked down at Bud as he still took his time walking around the arena at a slow pace, minding his own business. "Okay. Wait a second. Paige, the last time that Slade or I saw Jeremy, it was, like I said, a week ago. Jeremy must have gotten wracked up again since then. Maybe he rode at the rodeo and got thrown, or fought it out with some guys behind the chutes, or something like that. There are a bunch of different options as to what could have happened, but all I am sayin' is that I know for sure that this time was not Slade's fault." 

      Paige scoffed loudly on her line of the call. "Well, all I am saying is that you better learn to control that psycho boyfriend of yours. He's crazy! You better pray Jeremy doesn't decide to sue him."  

          "Whoa whoa whoa, Slade being the psycho one? Paige, come on. Jeremy was askin' for a fight! This is all on him, not Slade. Honestly, Jeremy is abusive, Paige, and I really think that you can do better. Trust me, I would know. I used to date him for a couple years." 

          "Yeah, right. Jeremy has been nothing but an angel to me. I love him, Lacey. I think Slade is the one who you need to worry about being abusive." 

        Lacey watched Bud's ears flick back towards her in curiousity as she took in a deep breath. Lowering her voice, Lacey continued on, hating fighting with anyone. "Listen, all I am tryin' to do is be a good friend to you. I don't know why you haven't broken up with Jeremy yet, honestly. He is not a good influence, and he is abusive, P, in more ways than one." 

         "No, you are not tryin' to be my friend, you are tryin' to be my mother, and I don't appreciate that. There is a reason I moved out of her house. And as far as me breaking up with Jeremy goes, it's much more complicated than that. It isn't as easy as you make it sound." All anger left her voice, sadness suddenly replacing it. 

       "Paige, what else is goin' on?" Lacey read her friend's sudden mood change.

        Paige sniffed before her anger returned, "Look, I have to go. I'm sorry I called." The phone call ended with a 'click,' telling Lacey her friend hung up on her.

        Lacey lowered the phone from her ear, locking it and sliding it back into her pocket. Opening her mouth, Lacey tried to process the whole situation. Shaking her head, she let out a "click" of her tongue against her teeth.  

       Bud took that nose as his cue to begin trotting. Lacey, completely not expecting the sudden change of pace, tried pulling Bud to a halt, but was too startled. Immediately, everything she had been taught flew out the window as she felt herself sliding from Bud's back at the bumpy trot. Before she could process what was happening, Lacey fell from the gelding's back, falling hard onto the arena dirt. 

        As she lay face down, flashbacks from her accident played back in her mind. That was the last time that she had fallen from a horse. Tears rose to her eyes, not because she was in pain, but because she was brutally scared. "God, please help me be okay." Lacey prayed, afraid to move her arms for fear that she hurt her upper body. 

         Carefully as she could, Lacey brought her arms up to her side, thankful they seemed to be working thus far. Pushing her palms flat against the arena ground, Lacey flipped over, pushing herself up to a sitting position, ever so carefully bringing her legs with her so she could sit up. Taking in a deep breath, Lacey exhaled a prayer. "Thank you, Father." As she uttered the words, she felt a soft wind against her back. Looking over her shoulder, Lacey saw Bud peering his head down in her direction, as if apologizing for making her fall off. The tuft of wind she felt against her back was from Bud exhaling, almost like he was making sure she was alright. 

        The second she touched his muzzle, Lacey thought back to her accident. This time, however, the flashbacks wouldn't stop. Like always, right before she hit the ground in her flashback, everything went black. It was the part of her accident that she could never remember: what it was that happened after she hit the ground. Blinking her eyes for hope the memories would go away, all Lacey could see was her in the back of an ambulance, as beeping, sirens and multiple paramedics giving orders everywhere filled her ears as she tried to move her head, or ask someone where she was. That freedom of talking was blocked by the oxygen mask that covered her mouth. Attempting to turn her head, Lacey remembered how that was impossible due to the brace that was preventing her neck from any movement. Remembering back, Lacey recalled trying to move her hands, but they were also strapped down to the side of the gurney, but at least she was able to wiggle her fingers. Even though she was laying on her back, Lacey's gaze had moved down to her black and silver cowboy boot clad feet as she tried to move them as well, but there was nothing. No movement, no feeling, nothing. At that moment, in the back of the ambulance rushing to the hospital, was when Lacey realized she was paralyzed. 

       Gasping for a breath, Lacey's brain let her slip back to reality when she heard someone shouting her name. Blinking repeatedly, Lacey looked around her now, seeing she was still sitting in the dirt of the arena with Bud right beside her. Glancing in front of her, Lacey saw her fiance sprinting towards her, hopping over the fence as he rushed to her side. 

      "Lacey! Lace, baby. It's okay. I'm right here. You're okay." He comforted, sliding down in the dirt right beside his fiance. Grabbing her carefully, Slade held Lacey in her arms. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt anywhere?" He carefully ran his hand over her whole body, trying to see if she would wince at any of his touches, trying to figure out if she was hurt anywhere.

       "Slade," Lacey started, grabbing his wandering, frantic hands. "Slade." She said his name again, this time making him look at her. 

        "Yeah?" He asked, worried. 

         "I can't feel my legs." Lacey mustered the most serious voice she could, watching Slade's reaction. She watched as Slade's eyes immediately dropped to her legs, before looking back to her eyes with the most concerned look. At that moment, Lacey couldn't contain it any more. She let out a chuckle. "I'm kiddin'. That was a joke." She put her hands up in defense. 

          "That scared me." Slade couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't do that again." He pressed his cheek against hers, holding her close. 

          "I'm sorry. I'm okay, really. Let's just get up and get out of here, please." Lacey said, the adrenaline quickly wearing off. Now was when she began to become fearful. Falling off a horse, whether paralyzed or not, is scary for anyone. But for someone like Lacey, who couldn't get her mind off of her freak barrel racing accident months ago, falling off a horse was ten times more scary. 

         "You sure you're okay?" Slade asked again, giving her a very serious look as he rose to a kneeling postion. 

         "Yeah." Lacey held her arms up, asking Slade to help her up. "Bud just misread my cue and took off at a trot, and I wasn't ready. It was my fault, not his." 

        Bending down, Slade carefully picked up his fiance, walking towards Bud. 

       "Wait, what are you doin'?" Lacey put her arms out, putting distance between her and Bud. 

        "Lace, you fall off, you have to get back on." It wasn't a commanding voice, rather one of comfort, telling Lacey what she really, honestly, did need to hear.

        "Slade, I can't." Lacey protested, her hands becoming shaky as she pulled them back to herself. She stared at Bud, calm as could be. It really was not his fault, in fact, he was doing just what Slade taught him to do: trot at the sound of a clucking tongue. However, that didn't excuse the fact that it scared Lacey, causing her to lose her balance and her seat and fall off. 

        "Lace, I will sit right behind you. I won't let you fall off." He did just as she made him promise her he would if she ever fell off. Lacey had asked Slade when she first started riding again to make her get back on the horse if she ever fell off, but right now, Slade was regretting making that promise to her.

        "Slade, I said I am not ready. Please, just get me out of here." Her voice wasn't one filled with anger, but rather frustration, at herself for not being willing to get back on Bud immediately. 

       Letting out a sigh, Slade walked Lacey over to the mounting block, where her wheelchair was, without another word of protest. As Slade carefully helped Lacey get settled back in her chair, he noticed Bud walking up to the mounting block beside them. He was such a faithful and well trained horse. Lacey thought back to when Smokey used to be that way. 

       Without even looking at Slade, Lacey wheeled herself off of the mounting block ramp, and out of the round pen arena, heading straight into the barn. 

      The second she was inside the solace of the barn, Lacey let out a shaky breath that was quickly followed by the feeling of tears rising to her eyes as she thought about what just happened. Sure, to some people, it probably didn't seem like a big deal that she fell off, but since she had been riding alone, what would have happened if Bud had gone into a bucking fit, thrown Lacey, and she wasn't able to crawl away quick enough? Especially since she wasn't sure exactly where Slade was at the time of her accident. She didn't even want to think of what the outcome could have been if the accident wasn't caused by fault of her own. 

       A loud whinny coming from the stall on the far end of the long barn made Lacey focus on the horse. Lacey could pick out that whinny anywhere. Rolling down the aisle way, she made her way towards the horse's stall. "Hey, Smokey, boy..." Lacey greeted the horse she desperately missed, but was still scared of. Slowly and cautiously, Lacey reached out a shaky hand to her horse's nose that was sticking out of his stall window.

       Smokey, being the anxious horse he had become, forcefully kicked his stall door, making Lacey quickly back away from the stall. To her left, she heard a stall door slamming shut on it's roller wheels before her name was yelled. Slade crossed the barn aisle in a few long strides, quick to scold Lacey. 

         "What are you doin' with Smokey? You know that he is dangerous. He's been that way ever since your accident. I told you that I haven't gotten to work with him much." His voice was raised, but it was laced with worry more than frustration.  

         "Slade, I'm sorry, okay. I just miss him. I miss ridin' on my own. I miss..." Lacey exhaled, putting her head down. 

        Slade let out a sigh, kneeling down in front of Lacey. Reaching out, he rested his hands on her folded ones, sitting in her lap. "You miss what?" 

        "I miss all the things that I was able to do when I still had full use of my legs. I miss being able to freely work with horses, and ride to my heart's desire by myself without worryin' what will happen when I fall off." Lacey let her guard down, allowing her pent up emotions to be released. "Being in this chair has changed my life so dramatically. I mean, we are not a normal couple, nor will we ever be. I will never be able to stand in the kitchen, cooking and then you walk behind me and wrap your arms around me and kiss my neck. We can't run around, chasing each other around the apartment, or even take normal walks with each other. Do you know how badly I want to walk beside you and hold your hand, ending the walk with a picnic? I want to do all of those things with you, but I can't. I guess a part of me was hoping that takin' riding lessons at the ranch and doing physical therapy would somehow give me use of my legs in some way." She took in a deep breath, looking at her and Slade's intertwined fingers, as he softly rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "One of the reasons I get upset with you sometimes is because I feel like you are trying to change me; like you aren't happy with me just the way I am. I know it's stupid, but sometimes I feel like you are with me because you feel bad for me. And I can't help thinkin' about why you haven't given me the ring yet. I know that that is selfish of me, but I mean, we have been engaged for a couple weeks now, and bought the ring last week, and I just...I dunno...I reckon I sort of felt like the ring would just secure the fact that we are engaged, and I'm just tryin' to figure out why you haven't given it to me yet. I know that is something that I shouldn't worry about, but I can't help it." 

        "Baby," Slade reached his hand up to brush some hair from Lacey's face. "First off, do you really think that I am with you just because I feel bad for you? Honey, I am with you because I love you, I love you so dearly. You are such a wonderful, inspirational, and beautiful person among so many other things. And as far as the ring goes, when we saw Jeremy the other day, all I wanted to do was give you the ring right then and there, but I want it to be special. That is the only reason I haven't given it to you yet." Leaning forward, Slade dropped a kiss on Lacey's forehead. "I'm sorry that you thought that all of that about me. About us. What can I do to get those thoughts out of your head?" 

       "I don't know. I reckon it is just something I have to work through on my own. I'll get over it, I just get really insecure about stuff sometimes, though I know I shouldn't." Looking him in the eye, Lacey grinned at the man she couldn't wait to marry. "I love you." 

      "I love you, too." He replied, softly kissing her lips. "Speakin' of a ring, I have somethin' for you. It isn't as good as your engagement ring, but I still think you will like it. One second." Slade pulled away, turning and jogging up the loft steps.

       As Slade walked across the floor of his loft apartment, Lacey could hear his boots hitting against the wooden floorboards, clicking and creaking with every step he took. A minute later, he appeared back downstairs with a long, thin, white jewelry box. 

        "For my love." Slade handed the box to Lacey with a smile. 

       "What's this?" Lacey asked with a chuckle, taking the box. 

        "Just open it." He grinned, making his way to stand beside his fiance. 

        Lacey opened up the hinged box, revealing a necklace, her necklace, the one that her grandmother had given her before she passed away. Several weeks ago, Slade had accidentally broken the chain on the necklace, leaving Lacey heartbroken. The other day, Lacey had noticed that it had gone missing, but she became too busy to worry about it too much. 

        With her mouth agape in awe, Lacey carefully removed the necklace from the box, eyeing the cross shaped pendant, decorated with a small diamond in the cross section of the cross. Holding the necklace flat in her hand, Lacey ran her fingers over the worn silver chain. "Slade, this is the original chain. How on earth did you get it fixed?!" 

          "Well, I know a guy who knows a guy who recommended me to the jeweler in town that we got our rings from. They do a fantastic job with jewelry repair, so after I figured out one of my old rodeo buddies work there, in the welding shop, I told him about your necklace and he was able to restore the necklace for you by just adding a new clasp to it." He stated proudly. 

        "Slade, I can't thank you enough. You have no idea what this means to me." She smiled up at him, still in amazement that she was able to have her necklace back with the original chain and all. Thankful that she was able to wear the necklace again without the uncomfortable chain that they had found laying around the house.

        "Oh, I think I have an idea how much it means to you." Holding his hand out, he offered, "May I do the honors of puttin' it on you?" 

        "Of course." Lacey handed him the necklace, lifting the hair off her neck. 

       "I know I probably should have asked you about it first before I took your necklace without askin', but I really wanted to surprise you." Slade carefully slid the chain around Lacey's neck, latching the clasp before letting it fall naturally on her neck. Not being able to resist, Slade leaned forward, dropping a wet kiss on the back of Lacey's neck, his lips making their way to the side of her neck, finally ending at the spot right below her ear that always made her break out in goosebumps.

      Feeling a blush rush to her cheeks at the softness of Slade's kisses, Lacey let her hair fall back down to her shoulders, feeling the necklace around her neck again. It felt so good to have it back. "Thank you again, Slade. It's absolutely perfect, I love it." 

        "You're so welcome." He watched her, lovingly. 

         The space between the couple fell silent as Lacey tore her eyes from Slade's, looking down at her dusty boots and jeans. Fingering the arm rest on her wheelchair, Lacey stated, "I think I am ready to get back on Bud, but on two conditions: first, you have to ride with me, and second, you have to let me vent about a phone call I got from Paige durin' my ride." 

          Slade's smile was mixed with happiness, pride, and a comforting understanding as he replied, "Anything for my cowgirl." 

                                                          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: Hey y'all! First off, I apologize for it being so long since I updated last. There was a death in my family, so I took some unexpected time off of writing to be there for my family. Plus college is busier than ever, so I haven't had much time to write, regardless. Secondly, I know that the ended of this chapter was pretty choppy and cut short, but hopefully it suffices. I know it has been a while since I updated last, but hopefully the extra long, action packed chapter makes up for it. :)
As always, please give me a holler with y'alls thoughts and recommendations for the chapter. Thanks again, and God bless. :) 
P.S. I did not get a chance to reread and edit this chapter, so if there are any mistakes, please do not hesitate to bring them to my attention. Thanks again! :)