11

Boone

I’ve been working from sunup to sundown for the last week, exhausting myself in the hopes that I won’t dream of her. It hasn’t done a damn bit of good. Georgia claims my thoughts when I’m awake and when I’m asleep. I will never stop wanting her.

Her dad has been giving me a daily report on her progress and I don’t like what he’s told me the last two days. She’s stopped eating much and yesterday didn’t get out of bed. When I asked him if one of the injuries could be worse than originally thought, he told me it was something that happened after the accident but wouldn’t explain. I know he meant me leaving her.

I want to rush to her side, but I can’t. Georgia called me dangerous before and she was right. I almost got her killed. I didn’t protect her like I should have. I’m not the man for her.

“What did that hay do to you?” Cole asks as he walks up to me where I’m moving hay for the horse stalls.

“Fuck you,” I answer back. No one has been spared from my pleasant personality since I left the hospital.

Cole laughs and says, “Nope, I’m not leaving just because you growl. I’m not some wet behind-the-ears teenager you can chase off. You need to tell me what the hell is going on so we can fix it and you can stop making everyone around you miserable.”

I knew this was coming and I kind of thought I would have to face Elly, not Cole. The last thing I want to talk about with him is my feelings and how much I miss just being in the same room as Georgia.

“So…”

“You know what my problem is and that there’s nothing to do about it. She was hurt because I didn’t protect her and now we aren’t together because it’s best for her.”

“You aren’t a stupid cowboy, but you’re sure doing a good job of pretending to be one,” Cole laughs. “Did you talk to Georgia about this?”

“She told me when she was in the hospital that this wasn’t my fault, but what else was she going to say.”

“If Georgia thought that you were to blame for this, she would let you know. Think about it. She was trying to keep you at arm’s length but didn’t use this as a reason.”

That’s true. Before the day of the accident, she was doing anything she could to not spend too much time with me. The day I left the hospital I could see the hurt in her face that I was leaving. I couldn’t even tell her goodbye.

“What do I do, Cole?”

“Man up. If you want to be part of her life then you need to tell her, but if you’re going to walk away again stay away.”

Elly yells for Cole from the porch of the big house. A huge smile transforms his face as he sees his wife. That’s what I want. Georgia to come home to every day.

“Thanks, Cole.”

“No problem, Boone. I just want you to be happy and to stop growling at people.”

We laugh and I realize it’s the first time I’ve laughed in over a week.

Now I just need to figure out what I’m going to say to Georgia when I beg for her forgiveness.