Chapter Fifteen

Rebecca

For some reason, I’m not allowed to go riding this morning, even though Will promised last night. He won’t tell me why. We’re eating breakfast out on the porch because it’s an especially beautiful summer morning. A morning I’d like to spend practicing my new riding skills.

I’d hoped Ben would show a little solidarity and beg for me to come along, but he’s too excited about a hundred ideas spinning in his mind. Along with chattering about the ride, and a new puppy one of the ranch hands bought, he’s making plans for his birthday at the end of the summer.

I’m sure Will has big plans for him, but they’ll all be things that will happen here on the ranch. It’s not like he’s taking Ben to Disney. The idea almost makes me smile. My grandfather took me when I was ten and I loved it, but even though that was a long time ago, I remember the crowds like it was yesterday. Will would hate any theme park. He’d probably offer to buy one so he could visit without spending time with people.

I brush a lock of hair from Ben’s forehead as he digs into his waffles.

There’s shouting from the barn and Will is on his feet instantly. He moves to the porch steps and mutters a few curse words and then I see what the commotion is all about. Several horses are loose. They gallop past the barn and toward the back fields, leaving a plume of dust in their wake.

“Keep an eye on Ben,” Will says over his shoulder. “Mrs. G is in town.”

“Want me to catch that horse, Daddy?” Ben calls.

“Not today, Ben. You stay put.”

Ben frowns but keeps on eating. He swings his legs under his chair as he divides his attention between his waffles and the barnyard. More yells erupt as the cowboys try to corner the animals. It becomes clear that the loose horses are wild mustangs. Ben’s especially fascinated by these untamed horses.

Craning his neck, he knocks over his glass of milk.

His eyes widen. “Sorry, Becca!”

“I’ll get a rag and clean that up. Don’t you worry.”

I get up but I’m hit with a wave of dizziness and grab the table to steady myself. Maybe it’s a good idea that I’m not getting on the back of a horse today. This is the second time I’ve gotten light-headed. After a moment, it passes and I go to the kitchen for a rag.

When I get back to the porch, Ben is gone. A horse gallops down the driveway and I see Ben standing directly in his path. He holds up his hands as if that will stop the wild animal. I can’t speak or yell because my words are lodged in my throat. I’m moving as fast as I can. Three more horses race around the corner of the barn.

I tear down the steps and reach Ben just before the first horse races past. I scoop him up in my arms. I run out of the horse’s way, but I’m not fast enough. The next horse crashes into me. Ben falls from my hold. I’m on the ground, under the horse’s hooves. A searing pain shoots up my calf. And they’re gone.

“Ben,” I scream. Dust billows around me, making me cough.

He emerges from a cloud of grit. To my relief, he’s uninjured.

“Becca, your leg.” He stares in dismay.

My calf is bleeding but I hardly notice. I’m too terrified that Ben almost got trampled.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

He nods. “Don’t tell Daddy that I couldn’t stop the horse.”

Something wet and warm heats the back of my head. Now that I know Ben is okay, I’m aware that my leg throbs and my head too. Dark spots swim across my field of vision. In the distance, I hear the men shouting to close a gate. They’ve corralled the horses.

“Can you stand?” Ben crouches beside me.

“Not yet. I feel a little woozy.”

All I want is Will to help me inside but he must think we’re still on the porch eating breakfast. It’s my fault that we’re not. I could send Ben to find him but I’m afraid that there might be a loose horse somewhere. It would be just like him to try to catch one of the horses so he could impress Will.

Ben strokes my head. “Poor Mommy.”

My breath catches in my throat and I manage a weak smile. No one has ever called me that before and the word, so simple and yet so powerful, takes me by surprise. I could fuss at him for leaving the porch, but I can never find it in me to correct him, or chide him. His gentle tone melts my heart a little more.

Pain lashes my body. I close my eyes and grit my teeth. “Don’t leave me, Ben.”

The sound of footsteps draws me from my muddled thoughts. I manage to open my eyes when all I want to do is keep them closed and lie down somewhere.

Will comes to my side. “What happened?”

His face is pale, tight with fury and fear.

“I got run down by one of your horsies. S’okay. Jus’ a lil bump.”

A stream of curse words tear from his mouth. Weird. He doesn’t usually swear around Ben. Everything’s spinning and it doesn’t help much when Will picks me up. I grip his shirt, like that’s going to help me hang on. Will’s shouting at everyone, but not Ben, thankfully, because I think I hear him crying.

One minute I’m in Will’s truck and the next minute, I’m in a huge building. It looks like a warehouse. My thoughts aren’t adding up, because Will’s talking about a hospital but all I see are planes and Will hates planes. His family, Ben’s family, died in a plane. He jokes that I’m not allowed on a plane. Only with Will, I know he’s only half-joking.

“Did you buy me a doctor, Will?”

“No, baby.”

A steady thrum of an engine rumbles and gets louder as we cross the warehouse. A plane, a sleek jet, sits just outside a huge door on the other side of the building. Workers in coveralls scurry around the plane.

“I’m taking you to the hospital in Austin.”

His mouth is a grim line, his expression resolute and suddenly I’m aware of everything. I’m in Will’s arms. We’re drawing near some sort of million-dollar plane and he’s taking me away.

“You hate leaving the ranch. I’m sure I’m fine.”

“I hate flying even more and I’m still going to fly you there myself.”

I’m so stunned that I can’t say a word. It doesn’t matter much because the plane’s engine would probably drown out my voice anyway. Will climbs the steps of the plane and sets me down on a leather seat. Everything moves so fast I can hardly keep up. I’m buckled in. He pulls the door closed and disappears into the cockpit, and the plane glides away from the hangar.

We taxi for a moment and when the plane lifts from the runway, I look out the window. The hangar, huge and painted a brilliant red, is emblazoned with huge letters. Branson Ranch Aviation. I fall back in the plush seat, too bewildered to notice much of the pain drifting through my body. I fall asleep and don’t wake until later when I’m inside an ambulance.

“Will?” I whisper, to the man putting an IV in my arm. “My husband?”

The tech nods his head. “That big cowboy? Yeah, he’s right behind us in an escort. He’s not going anywhere without you, sweetie.”