Ravine.I quickly realize I’m walking dangerously close to the edge of a small cliff. It’s not so big we’d plunge to our death, but definitely big enough to get hurt…bad. I tug the reins and nudge Blazey girl to move left. But as she steps, the ground gives and we slip.
She whinnies and I can’t help but scream with her. I clutch my legs to her, boots still in the stirrups. Holding the reins, I try to help her up but it’s no use; we fall and roll off. I get one foot out in time but the other gets caught, and my ankle twists before I can yank my foot out of my boot and dive over her.
Blaze hits an enormous boulder and I know she’s hurt too. I’m on my back and we’re both clinging to the side of this fuckin’ thing while I choke back tears. I shouldn’t have had my head in the clouds, I should've been payingattention. Now she’s hurt and my ankle is toast. I know the guys up there saw it happen, and the rest heard it. But I’m not embarrassed because I’m too busy being logical. We need help. I look down at my horse, talking to her below me, and promising that everything will be okay.It has to be okay.
“Blondie, reach up and give me your hand.” It’s the most steady voice I’ve ever heard. There’s no panic there. No hurry, no desperation. And my heart slows down just a little. I’m not capable of being steady on my own right now.
“Okay!” I shout, panting at the same time. “What about Blaze? She’s hurt!”
“We’re going to get her. Just reach up and I’ll pull.” He reassures me.
“My ankle’s twisted, maybe broken…” My words come out staggered with a deep breath between each.
“Use your good foot to push up and pull with your arms. I’ve got guys holding my legs.” The ground is loose and I don’t want to push anymore dirt down on Blaze or make her fall further. I look up to see his powerful hand and arm reaching for me. He’s only a couple feet above me and I think I can do it. There’s a sagebrush all around me, one bush close enough to grab. Stretching my hand out, I cling to it as I flip myself onto my belly. I lift my chin and his eyes are on mine. I reach with my other hand and our palms lock. With one arm he hauls me up to the top, then uses his other to grab the backside of my belt and pulls me onto the flat ground next to him.
I scramble onto my butt and bend my knee to look at my ankle. It’s already swelling. I can tell eventhrough my sock, as a sharp pain shoots through it. As I’m selfishly panicking, a masculine hand comes around the back of my heel and another one pulls the top of my sock down. “I don’t think it’s broken. There’s going to be more bruising though, and we’ll need to get it looked at. Can you move it?” His tone is gentle and firm.
I try to move my ankle, but it hurts like hell. I wiggle it enough and he tells me that’s a good sign. “Probably just a sprain to beat all others.” Sudden realization comes flooding back as I reach out to clutch my boss’s shirt and pull him closer.
“Blaze! How are we gonna get her?”
I hear another voice behind me. “I’ve already called Search and Rescue. They’re sending a chopper along with the ground team. She’s going to be okay, Dixie.” Brian's hand is on my shoulder and I feel my chin quiver. This trip has been a shit-show.
Almost eaten alive by a cougar—check.
Fall off a cliff and get my horse stranded—check, check.
“Thank you. I swear I’ve never been, this much trouble in my life. I don’t know what the hell is going on with me, but I’m not making a very good first impression on the job.”
My boss clenches his jaw and growls, “You’re doing just fine, Dixie. It could’ve happened to any of us.” All I can do is nod my head and clear my throat to keep the emotion from consuming me. I think I’m fucked. If he doesn’t fire me today, it’ll be soon.
“Well…” I try to laugh. “Since I can’t walk, maybe the animal rescue can haul me down the mountain with my horse and ya’ll can have a good old time without us.”
“No.” Why do I sense that’s ahard no? My boss has his eyebrows narrowed as he considers his next words. He can’t keep me up here. I can’t ride, and Blaze can’t walk.
“Excuse me?”
“Excuse me, boss, you mean. I thought we discussed this. I’m taking you back.”
What?No way in hell I’m letting my boss take me back and be my nurse. “Fine. But you can take me to the nearest hospital and drop me off.”
“You’re staying at my place.”
“Fuck no.”
“Fuck yes. You’ll do what I say because you’re my responsibility, and I sign your paycheck. I was going back anyway once we got up there tomorrow. My buddy is the ER doc in town. I’ll call him and he can come out to the house, check on you, and tell us if we need to go in and get imaging done.”
“I need to see Blaze!” I completely disregard everything he just said as I flip to my knees and try to scramble around him to the edge, where I know I’ll be able to look down at my pretty painted palomino. The adrenaline is still pumping through me, probably putting a damper on the pain receptors trying to tell me not to use my ankle.
“You shitting me, blondie?” He wraps his body around mine and yanks me back. “A few of the boys have already taken the side trail down to where she’s at and they’re making sure she’s okay. Youcan'twalk.”
As soon as he’s said it, he’s lifting me in his arms and taking long, swift strides toward the chuck wagon pickup.Sydney already has the door open when we get there and my boss sits me in the front passenger's seat. Apparently I’m too stunned to speak, because I just let him cart me off like a damsel in distress.
Shit. Am I a fuckin’ damsel in distress?
“I don’t have two busted ankles! I could’ve hobbled over here or used a stick or leaned on someone! You didn’t need to,” He cuts me off with the way his jaw hardens and his firm hand squeezes my knee.
“Didn’t need to do what? Pick you up and carry you over here? You think I wouldn’t have thrown Brian over my fuckin’ shoulders if it were him who got hurt? Don’t get it twisted, blondie.” I huff and jerk my knee, letting him know I want him to let go. He does.
