Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(108)

If I wasn’t so scared, even more afraid than when Avery and his creep-o son had me tied to a chair, I might have smiled at her comment.

Drake crouches under Edison, his back pressed against the horse’s belly, and I swear he’s the only thing strong enough to keep the horse upright.

A deputy puts a bucket of water under Edison’s nose, but he doesn’t try to drink.

His eyes are just empty, glassed over, and his head hangs heavier.

I get my shoulder under his chin, using one hand to cup water and rub it on his muzzle, on his lips, his teeth, trying to get some small bit of it into his mouth.

God.

He’s breathing way too fast. Way too fast.

Panting more like a dog than a horse.

Dad and a deputy keep dumping water over Edison, and per Drake’s instructions, scrape off the water, and then dump on some more.

I’m afraid it isn’t working.

He’s lethargic, weak, but more than that, I can see in his eyes that...that he’s finally giving up.

Oh, bud. Oh, no.

“Don’t do it,” I whisper. “Not yet. You still have to meet me at the barn.”

His ears twitch and his eyes shift slowly.

“You heard me. Meet me at the barn, Edison,” I tell him again, still scooping water into his mouth.

Snorting, he dips his nose into the water bucket and drinks a tiny amount.

Not enough, I know it’s not.

There are more people gathering now, workers from the oil company who heard all the commotion. It seems like everyone’s hauling buckets of water, pouring it over his back, scraping it off.

Others are just crouched down on the ground like Drake, who refuses to take a break for shifts, holding the horse up with all his might.

A pickup truck rolls up connected to a horse trailer. The vet, Mike Little.

In minutes, there’s a sling on Edison and a boom truck from the plant lifts him off the ground, into the horse trailer. I stay with him the entire time, talking to him, telling him to please, please meet me at the barn one more time.

So does Drake. He holds my hand so tight it almost hurts. But it’s the kind of pain I need, the kind that’s real, the kind that’s us.

And yes, I’ve decided there will be an us, whatever else happens today.

How could any other man ever appreciate this horse, this ranch, this family, this life more than him?

Whatever may come, heartbreak or happiness, I know I’ve gotten insanely lucky finding him.

I know I married the right man.

“Good job with the water,” Dr. Little says. “He’s cooled down some, but he’s severely dehydrated. I’ll take him to—”

“No.” I look at Drake. “We’re taking him home like we promised. To his barn.”

The vet just looks at me and blinks. “Um, Ms. Reed, that’s highly unorthodox.”

“You heard her. That’s where he belongs. Tell me what you want for overtime and a house call out here, and I’ll pay it out of my own pocket,” Drake growls. “Any price, Doc.”

He knows. He agrees with me. If Edison doesn’t make it, he’ll die at home with us and Gramps’ memory.

Not in some strange, clinical place.

“All right,” Dr. Little says. “You can ride with me, if you want.”

Drake and I stay inside the horse trailer. The sling is now connected to large pulleys in the top.

Edison’s eyes are clearer, but he’s still lethargic. Without the sling, he’d be lying on his side, already gone. I’m positive of that.

“I’m staying right here with Edison,” I say.

“And I’ll ride with her,” Drake says, brushing his hand down the small of my back. He turns to Sheriff Wallace. “You can question her later. Not now, Rodney. Not till we get this horse right again.”

“Sure, there’s plenty of time for that,” Wallace says. “I’ll get your truck and have somebody bring it back to the ranch.”

“We’ll drive his truck out there,” Dad says. “The BMW is evidence right now, anyway.”

Drake reaches in his pocket and throws him the keys. They share a nod, this deep, deep respect in Dad’s eyes.

Despite all the worry, I smile. Maybe some of this nightmare wasn’t for nothing.

Maybe it was meant to be.





Within minutes, Drake and I are sitting on two metal boxes, stroking Edison’s nose as patrol cars give the trailer a lights-on escort, ensuring the ride will be as smooth as possible.

I just hope it’s not a funeral escort.

Drake wraps an arm around me. “I’m sorry about what you heard with Angie. I—”

“Nope. I thought we were done with apologies?” I look at him and smile. “Look, I’m the one who’s sorry. I was jealous. Mad that you had a girl you never told me about, and I had no right to be. I didn’t even know the details.” Pissed at my own behavior, I shake my head. “I figured that out even before I was zip-tied to a chair. I screwed up, Drake. Big time.” I look at Edison, at what my foolishness caused. Tears sting my eyes. “Lesson learned. I swear, I’ll never do this again.”

Drake cups my cheek, forces me to look at him.

“Stop. Wasn’t your fault darlin’. It was mine.”