Shit. Maybe not a killer, but just as deadly. Reid might have grown up among more cornfields than cattle, but he’d spent his fair share of time around livestock. Any large animal could pose a threat, but an angry bull among a crowd of people was an invitation for disaster.
A piercing cry for help hurried Reid around the corner to the aisle that housed the animals. His blood froze in his veins. A mother shielded her child from a giant bull, her kid against the back wall with the bull blocking her means of escape.
Reid spied the open door to the empty stall. He grabbed a broom resting in the corner then yanked his cowboy hat off the top of his head and waved it high in the air. “Hey there! Over here!”
The bull spun toward him, his nostrils flailing and murder in his eyes. He pawed at the ground. His long ivory horns spiraled out from the top of his lowered head.
Reid braced himself, moving forward until he stood next to the stall door. Replacing his hat on his head, he gripped the broom with both hands and brought it parallel to the ground, chest high. “Get goin’ now.”
The bull snorted and charged. His muscled frame ate up the concrete, erasing the distance between them in seconds.
Reid jutted the broom forward one end at a time. A quick jab smacked the animal between the eyes. He reared up his head and twisted, the sharp dagger of his horn slicing into Reid’s side. Pain tore through his body. He gritted his teeth and hit the bull in rapid succession, forcing him to turn back into his stall. Asenergy and adrenaline leaked from his body, he fastened the lock then fell to the hard ground.
Warm, sticky blood oozed from where the bull’s horn grazed against his skin. Hunching forward, he applied pressure to the gash and hissed out a breath.
The crying mother ran to him and dropped to the floor. “Oh my God. What can I do? How can I help?”
He squeezed his eyes closed against the crushing agony ripping along his side. “Call 911. I need medical attention now.”
Chapter 6
After an enjoyable morning and eating a packed lunch under the wide Wyoming sky, Eve returned Suzy to her grandmother and sat paralyzed in her car. The wildflowers she’d picked for Reid rested on the passenger seat beside her. She stared at the front window of Sunrise Security, mentally urging herself to move.
Maybe he’d be weirded out by the flowers. Hell, he hadn’t called to check in on her, which hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Shoving aside her insecurities, she grabbed the flowers and hopped out of the car. She had no reason to second-guess a nice gesture toward a friend who’d supported her. She’d drop off the flowers, say a quick thank-you, then head to work. Easy-peasy.
Before she could change her mind, she approached the front door to Sunrise Security, smiled and stepped inside.
Peggy sat behind her desk, her stare fixed on her computer screen and worry lines around her puffy eyes. She lifted her head, and her pink-painted lips drew down in a pronounced frown before she shot to her feet and rushed to greet Eve with a hug. “Oh honey, are you okay? I heard what happened. How scary. And now Reid’s at the hospital. What a day.”
Eve’s body went rigid against Peggy’s soft embrace and she crushed the flowers in her tight fist. She pulled back, and her blood turned cold. “What do you mean? Why’s Reid at the hospital? Is he hurt?”
Peggy swished her lips to the side. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew. He and Madden were called out to the rodeo, and he washurt by a bull. Madden filled me in but didn’t give me many details. I swear, these men don’t understand how much I worry about them. They’re like my own sons.”
“Wait,” Eve said, holding up both hands to stop Peggy’s rapid rambling. “So Reid’s at the hospital now? Is he seriously injured?”
“Like I said, not many details.” Clicking her tongue, Peggy shook her head. “I assume he’d tell me if things were really bad, but who knows. I’ve thought about calling Madden, but he has his hands full and he doesn’t need me interfering.”
Eve swallowed her fear and tried to keep her expression steady. The older woman was already worried. There was no reason to add her own anxiety to the mix. “I’m sure you’re right. Why don’t I swing by the hospital and get some answers for us?”
Relief spread across Peggy’s face. “Yes. That’s a great idea. Then I don’t have to look like the nervous mother hen over here. I try my hardest not to nag, but those boys don’t always make it easy.”
“I’ll call when I have any news, okay?”
Peggy nodded.
With one more quick hug, Eve ignored her racing heart and struggled to not press the gas pedal to the floor as she raced to the county hospital just outside town. All the peace she’d fought to find vanished. The stretches of towering trees and mountain views from her windshield did nothing to calm her nerves. One thought continuously echoed in her mind—Reid had to be all right.
The lot was nearly empty, so she parked in the spot closest to the door and jumped out of her car. Warm air combined with her tangle of nerves and caused heat to slam against her cheeks. The whoosh of automatic doors welcomed her inside, and she made a beeline for the information desk.
A young nurse in dark purple scrubs with a pleasant face glanced up from a pile of paperwork. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m looking for Reid Sommers.”
“Are you family?” the nurse asked, her smile in place but not quite genuine.
Eve wrinkled her nose. She’d been so hell-bent on getting there and seeing Reid for herself she hadn’t stopped to consider she wasn’t authorized to receive any information. The heat from her cheeks engulfed her entire body.
