I looked at Dennis, the man I had blamed for so much, and realized he wasn’t my enemy.
He was my mirror.
He had spent his life watching the people he loved risk everything, and he was still standing.
“He needs to wear the vest, Dennis,” I said, my voice firming up. “If he’s going to do this, he’s doing it my way. No more match rides in the mud. No more lies.”
Dennis gave me a small, sad smile, the first one I’d seen in days. “Then you’d better get ready, Miss Ford. Because trainin’ a Nash to follow rules is a hell of a lot harder than ridin’ a bronc.”
He was right, of course. No matter how much I wanted to disagree.
I saw the look in my dad’s eyes when he rode. It wasn’t just an addiction; it was a purpose.
That’s when Jo ran into the cafeteria, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Dennis stood up so quickly that his chair tipped over. “Jo?”
She looked between us, and a smile broke across her face. “He’s waking up.”
We practically sprinted out of the cafeteria and into the ICU.
They only allowed a few visitors in the ICU rooms at a time, so right now it was AnnaJane and Jimmy, at the edge of his bed.
They smiled back at us as we slid into the room.
“Colton?” I asked, my voice hollow.
Colton was groaning, his hand reaching toward the mask covering his face. He fumbled at it. Jo grabbed his hand and lowered it back onto the bed.
“Leave it on,” Jo whispered through the relieved tears. “It’s helping you breathe.”
His eyes were fluttering open, trying to make sense of the room.
“There was an accident, Colton,” Dennis said slowly.
Recognition flooded his eyes, followed quickly by a grimace of pure agony as he tried to shift his weight. The monitors spiked, chirping a warning as his heart rate climbed.
“Easy, easy,” I said, putting my hand on his cheek. “Breathe. You’re okay. Just breathe.”
He looked at me, deeply at me, his eyes glossy from sleep and heavy painkillers. He lowered the mask just enough to mouth a single word, “sorry.”
~~~
A few hours later, Colton was fully conscious.
He passed his cognitive function test, and after the doctor had run a million other tests, the Nash family filtered through to greet him. I was finally alone with him.
I waited until the newest nurse left the room before jumping to my feet and pressing a tender kiss on his chapped lips.
I could feel Colton smile through our kiss.
I sat back in my chair. “You have no idea how happy I amto see those eyes again,” I said, in a trembling voice.
He smiled, but he still looked so weak. Dark circles clung to his eyes, and he was paler than paper.
He was in agony.
I wanted to go back to the night on the floor in my apartment. Laughing, kissing, talking about nothing, our uncertain future a concern for another day.
