14

Georgia

I wake up with a start, my heart racing and my breath shallow. This has been happening a lot since the accident.

“Are you okay?”

“What!”

“It’s me, Georgia,” Boone sits up, the sheet sliding down his naked chest.

“Boone.”

He wraps his arms around me, and I instantly feel better. How could I forget he was in bed with me? Since the night at my parents’ house, we’ve spent every night together. Sometimes I worry that the accident did something to my short-term memory, but everyone reassures me that I’m fine.

“Did you have the nightmare again?” he asks as he runs his fingers through my hair.

I nod, no need to explain. Boone is well acquainted with the nightmare.

“That’s every night this week, wildflower. Maybe you should wait to go back to Iron H.”

“No, my cast is off, and my bruises are nearly gone. I have to get back on the horse as the saying goes. If I don’t go back, it will just get built up in my mind as a bad place. You love the ranch and the work you guys do is so important. I can’t be afraid to go there with you.”

He nods and we lay back down, my head resting on his chest. We’ve had this argument several times in the past few days. Boone thinks it’s too soon, but I know how my mind works. I have to go, need to go, and see Daisy. It’s the final piece of moving on.

The next morning I wake up still lying on Boone’s chest. He’s awake and doesn’t look like he slept much.

“Did you go back to sleep?”

“Maybe a little bit,” he says, but I can tell he’s lying.

“I need you to be okay with this or I need to go without you.”

“You aren’t going without me,” he firmly states. “I’m fine.”

“Fine, my ass. You are giving off weird vibes and the horses will be able to feel them,” I say, frustration leaking into my words.

“I promise I’ll be okay when we get to the ranch. I’m just worried about you, Georgia.”

I wrap my arms around his body. “I know, but once I do this everything will be in the past. Then we can work on our future together. You, me, horses.”

“Babies?” he asks.

“Do you want to have kids? I guess we’ve never really talked about it.” I avoid answering the question.

“I don’t know. I guess if they happened, I would be happy.”

“I don’t want to have kids.” The words come out so fast that I’m not sure that he can understand them. “I love my brothers’ kids, but I don’t think I have that maternal gene. I just like being the fun aunt.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Georgia, if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m crazy about you. I want to spend forever with you. If kids are something you don’t see in your future then that’s the way it will be. I don’t feel a burning need to be a dad. I like the idea of being a fun uncle.”

“I love you, Boone.”

“I love you, too.”

I climb up his body and show him just how much I love him, causing us to be late to the Iron H.

* * *

“I thought you were going to be here twenty minutes ago,” Cole calls out as we get out of Boone’s truck.

I can feel the blush spread across my face. “Um, we were delayed.”

Boone wraps his arm around my shoulders. “Leave her alone, Cole. We didn’t need to be here at any certain time. It’s my day off.”

“Sorry, Georgia.” Cole looks downright contrite, but I’m sure he’ll give Boone more shit later.

“It’s okay. Where’s Daisy?” I’m nervous and want to get this over with. I’m trying to put on a brave front, but being back here is scary as hell.

“Remember you don’t have to do this if you aren’t ready. We can go, wait a few more weeks,” Boone says looking into my eyes as if he’ll be able to tell exactly what I need.

“I can do this. It will be okay.” I take a deep breath and square my shoulders.

Daisy is brought out of the barn and over to where we are standing. I instantly feel calm. She’s such a beautiful horse and she didn’t mean to hurt me. I walk right up to her and rub her head.

“Hello, sweet lady,” I whisper for only her ears. “I’m sorry you were scared. Everyone is okay. We are okay.”

I can feel tears falling down my face, but I can’t back away from the horse. She lays her head against my chest. It feels like her version of an apology. This is the moment I needed. I’m fully healed now.

“I’ll be back to see you, Daisy. Maybe we can go for a ride next time.”

They lead Daisy away, but I can’t turn around yet. I feel Boone’s arms wrap around me.

“You did so good, wildflower,” Boone whispers as if he also feels the moment is too fragile for anything else. “Tell me what you need now and it’s yours.”

I turn in his arms and wrap my arms around his body. “I just need you.”

“You already have that, Georgia,” he promises. “I’m yours forever.”