“It’s just a scrape,” she whispers. “You’re okay, sweetheart.”
Charlie looks up at her with wide eyes, a little shaky. “Am I gonna need a shot, Mom?”
He’s holding onto her shirt because it’s the only thing keeping him steady.
“Not a shot, I promise,” she replies, rubbing his back. “Just a little bandage.”
I stand there, shuffling my feet, trying to find something useful to do. “I didn’t mean to,” Charlie mumbles. “I was just climbing off the horse. I didn’t mean to fall.”
“It’s okay, buddy.” Clint looks at Dakota, his expression calm, but his eyes are soft, trying to help keep the mood positive. “Falling happens, kiddo. You’ve got to dust yourself off, right?”
He taps Charlie’s knee gently, making him wince. “You’re tough, I know it.”
Charlie gives him a shy nod, sniffling again, and I can’t take it anymore.
“It’s not his fault,” I blurt. “I took him in there. I wasn’t paying enough attention.”
Dakota glances up at me then. Her eyes aren’t angry. They’re tired, scared, but not angry. “We’ll talk later.”
I nod, swallowing hard.
Clint’s firm hands clean the scrape, and Charlie flinches but doesn’t cry.
“You’re a tough one, huh?” Clint grins, the kind of grin I wish I could pull off right now. “We’ll get you a bandage, and you’ll be back to running around before you know it.”
Dakota’s holding Charlie’s hand the whole time, murmuring little reassurances. Clint tapes a bandage over the cut, and when it’s done, Charlie lets out a little laugh.
A real laugh. Relief hits me so hard I almost stumble.
“See?” Clint says. “All fixed.”
Charlie beams. “It’s not that bad!”
“Not at all,” Dakota says, kissing the top of his head.
She finally looks at me, and her mouth quirks just a little. Not a smile exactly, but not the wall I was bracing for either.
The knot in my stomach starts to loosen. Charlie’s laughing. Dakota’s not glaring at me. Clint hasn’t thrown me out the door.
“Guess I’m still the cool guy, huh?” I can’t help the grin that pulls at my lips.
Maybe it’s a little forced, but I’m trying, damn it. Trying to lighten the mood before it gets heavy again.
Charlie giggles. “Yeah, you’re cool.”
“Okay, now you’re just saying that to make me feel better,” I tease, crouching so I’m eye level with him. “But you know what? I’ll take it.”
Clint chuckles under his breath. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, Reid. If you’re looking for the ‘cool guy’ title, it’s gonna be hard to beat Dakota here.”
I shoot Clint a look. “I think I’m doing all right,” I say, nudging Charlie’s knee with my elbow. “What do you think, kid?”
Charlie’s eyes twinkle, the pain completely forgotten for the moment. “Mom’s the coolest.”
Dakota snorts. “Well, I’m glad one of you is on my side.”
“Hey, we can’t all be as cool as you, Mom,” I joke, looking over at her.
She shakes her head, but there’s a softness to her expression now. “You’re lucky I’m not mad at you, Reid.”
