9

Boone

It’s all a fucking blur and so vivid at the same time. I hear her scream every time I close my eyes.

It’s been two days since Cowboy Day, as Georgia called it. Fucking disaster is what it was. Two days since Georgia was trampled by Daisy, the sweetest horse, and two days since I’ve seen Georgia’s beautiful blue eyes.

The doctors kept her in an induced coma for the first twenty-four hours to make sure that the swelling in her brain didn’t get too bad or something. I tried to absorb it all, but I couldn’t. The wailing from her mom made me throw up. I put her in that danger. It’s my fault.

I thought I was bad for her when we were eighteen, she thought I was bad for her now and we’ve both been proven right. If Elly had just let her buy her way out of the auction, she would be okay.

“Stop beating yourself up. This isn’t your fault.” Georgia’s dad had sat next to me and I hadn’t even noticed.

“I’m sorry, sir. Does your family need this chair?” I start to get up, but he puts his hand on my arm and forces me back into my seat.

“The boys took their mom home to shower and take a nap. Plus, I have the feeling that Georgia would want you here.”

I shake my head. “She wouldn’t. She was trying to get away from me and I wouldn’t let her. If I had just left her alone, she wouldn’t be here.”

“Bullshit. If my daughter didn’t want to be anywhere near you, she wouldn’t have been. Did you see her brothers? Those three big lugs would have taken you somewhere and beat the shit out of you until you left her alone. All she would have had to do would ask and they would do whatever she wanted. She’s a handful, but it’s worth it. Her mothers the same way.”

“I’m the reason that she was there. I’m the reason this happened.”

“Have you gotten hurt by a horse before?”

I nod.

“Me too, hurts like hell. So has Georgia, twice. It hasn’t kept her from loving those animals and I have a feeling this won’t stop her either. This is the risk of being around these animals and everyone who loves and takes care of horses knows it.” He pulls out his paper. “Oh, the horse that hurt Georgia was Sugar both times and you know how much she spoils that horse. It’s like her baby.”

“She’s gonna be okay, right?” I ask, my voice frail and childlike. I need this man who speaks with such authority to tell me she’s going to be okay.

“Nothing is guaranteed in life, but I don’t think my Georgia is done living yet.”

We sit next to each other, not speaking again, for several hours. Then there is a commotion from Georgia’s room and several doctors go running past us. I’ve never been one to pray, but I say a few words asking for to live.

Fifteen minutes, that feel like the longest fifteen minutes of my life, pass before anyone comes out to talk to us. Then her doctor comes out with a big smile on his face. “She’s asking for that stupid cowboy.”

Her father and I both fall into our seats. “What just happened?”

“She woke up and her heart rate accelerated too fast because she didn’t know what was going on. She tried to pull out tubes and stuff on her own.”

“Damn stubborn girl,” her dad says.

“So, who’s the stupid cowboy?”

“I am,” I say with a huge grin.

Her dad turns to me, “I’m gonna call the rest of ‘em and tell ‘em to get their asses up here. You go see your girl.”

I don’t have to be told twice. I walk as fast as I can to her room. I slow as I walk through the door, my knees going a little weak at seeing her eyes open again.

“Cowboy, I messed up your Cowboy Day,” she says, her voice hoarse from the tubes.

I rush to her side and sit gently beside her on the bed, “Wildflower, you didn’t ruin anything.” I take a deep breath, trying to get my emotions under control. “God, I’m so happy to see your eyes open.” I place a kiss on her forehead. “Your dad is calling the rest of your family. The boys had finally convinced your mom to go home and rest.”

“Have you rested? These are the same clothes you were wearing on Saturday. What day is it?”

“It’s Monday.”

Her eyes widen. “I was out for two days? I just got kicked in the leg, why was I out for so long?”

“You didn’t just get kicked in the leg. You were swept under Daisy and were kicked multiple times including in your head. Luckily there wasn’t any swelling. You were in an induced coma for the first twenty-four hours and then we were just waiting for you to wake up.”

She doesn’t say anything for minutes and I sit with her while she processes. “You know this isn’t your fault right.”

“Sure,” I agree with her, even though I know I’m the one that put her in that position.

“Boone, I’m so fucking serious right now. Look at my face.” Her face is bruised, and it hurts to see her so beat up. “Stop it. I’m fine, right? There aren’t some major injuries that have done something bad to me.”

“No, everything should heal completely. It will take a while and will hurt, but you will eventually be one hundred percent.”

“You didn’t put that kid on the horse, I did, even though I had some misgivings. This is not your fault. And if you try to give me that bullshit about if I hadn’t been made to do Cowboy Day it wouldn’t have happened. If the auction hadn’t happened, my friends hadn’t meddled, your friends hadn’t meddled, then I wouldn’t be admitting right now that I’m in love with you. Now, it could be the drugs, so you’ll have to wait until I’m sobered up to say it back and make sure I still feel the same way.” She winks at me and that’s the moment I know she’s going to be okay. She’s got a long recovery and I’ll be by her side every second.