“You heard me. I need somebody to come pick me up so that I can come home.”
He shook his head. “Hold up, hold up. I need a second.” He took a deep breath, let it out. “What’s up?”
“They say that one of the vertebrae is shattering and they want to surge on it. I can’t do this. I’ve got my girls, I’ve got to get back to work. I need a ride, they won’t let me drive home.”
“Yeah, that sounded like a really good idea. That don’t drive part.” He closed his eyes for half a second. “All right, let mecall my mom. I don’t feel comfortable leaving the girls here by themselves. It’s weird.”
“The girls are fine for?—”
“I’m not leaving an angry storm cloud and a little bubblegum pop baby in the hands of another scared little girl. That’s ridiculous.”
“Would you stop it? Look, I am asking for a favor, and then you can get the fuck out.”
“Nope. You chill. I’ll call back in two shakes.” He hung up his phone.
“What’s wrong?” Sarah glared at him. “Something’s wrong. I can tell.”
“I need to talk to my mom.”
She blinked at him, and it was super still for a second, and then she nodded. “I get that. Can I stay in here with Rosie?”
“For right now, sure. If I have to leave, I’m gonna need you to go be inside with your sisters so I know where everyone is.” He tugged his phone out. “Don’t go in the stall with him yet though. Love on him over the top of it, okay? I don’t want him to get nervous because he’s starting to think of that stall as his territory.”
“I’ll be good. I promise.” She nodded, her little chin and mouth firmed up tight, and he knew she had to be freaking out. But he couldn’t tell her what was going on just yet.
“Good girl. Thank you.” He headed outside, moving far enough away between the barn and the house that no one could hear him, but if the girls needed him, he would be right where they could see him.
Then he dialed his mom.
“Hello, honey, I see you’re spending the night out there and moved Fire over to Mitch’s place.”
Good Lord. Her gossip machine mind was already hard at work. He tried not to roll his eyes, cause sure enough she’d hearit and scold him for it. “Momma, I don’t have time for that right now. Mitch collapsed and he had to spend some time in bed, but I guess he went to the doctor today and they want to surge on him.”
“What?” That got her attention, and her voice was snapping out. “What happened?”
“I don’t think that could have happened when he fell. He was wearing his brace and everything, but they’re saying one of his vertebrae is collapsing and they need to either replace it or put a metal pin in it. Something.” The very thought made him gag because that was a hard row to hoe. He knew some bull riders and some bronc riders who’d had that happen to them, and it always seemed like just about the time they recovered, something else would happen and their back would go out again.
“Well, shit.” Momma’s curse should have surprised him, but it didn’t. She was a champion at it. “That poor boy can’t afford it.”
“Well, he can’t afford to not be able to walk, either. Does he have anybody else that’s like a power of attorney?”
“Not that I know of.” Cam could hear her take a sip of what he figured had to be her coffee. “I’ll ask around, but you’ve got to convince him to do this somehow.”
“I’ll do my best. Can you come watch the girls?”
“I can. I’ll be there in two shakes. Seriously.”
“Thanks, Momma. I appreciate it. If nothing else, he doesn’t need to be trying to drive himself home.”
And God knew Mitch was stubborn enough to do just that. He would try, and he would wreck the truck or something, and it would all be over.
“What else can I do?” Momma was up and moving. He could hear her putting things together.
“See what you can find out about putting a crowdfunding thing together or something. He’s going to need it, and I imagine he’s too proud to do it himself.”
“There’s nothing I love more than raising money for a good cause.” Doors slammed, he knew she was leaving the house to get in the car.
“No, you love gossiping more than you love anything else. But you are an amazing fundraiser. I’m going to get the girls all in the house so I can just leave when you come.” He headed back for the barn because they needed to get Sarah where the other two were, not the other way around. If she got hurt by Fire or Rosie or some other animal in the barn, and he’d never forgive himself.
