Cowboys & Horses

Chapter 31

Darkness finally released its grip on me. My eyes fluttered open to a bright white light beaming down on me. I cursed and moved my arms to shield my eyes. Pain scoured through my shoulders, my brain screaming in agony at me to stop moving.

"Soph?"

That familiar soft voice stopped my movements in an instant.

"Brady?" My voice cracked, mustering barely a croaky whisper.

The sound of feet shuffling followed by something thudding against the wall behind me. Warm hands folded around my forearms, peeling them from my face.

"Open your eyes, sweetie. It's ok."

I squinted, allowing my eyes to accustom to the piercing light for a few seconds before I opened them fully. Brady's handsome face peered over my line of sight. His usual sparkling brown eyes were dull, puffy, red. His usual sprinkling of stubble had grown into a shaggy mess. He looked exhausted.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

He cracked a smile and grabbed one of my hands. "You're laying in a hospital bed after being attacked by a mountain lion and you're asking if I'm ok?" He chuckled, shaking his head. Lifting my hand to his lips, he brushed a gentle kiss across the back of it.

I let his words rattle around my mind. Hospital? Mountain lion? What? Then it hit me—like a flood gate being opened, the entire thing hit me full force as I realised what exactly I'd done.

"Was I really that stupid?" I said, groaning inwardly at myself.

He shook his head. "Heroically brave, not stupid."

Warmth trickled through me, tingling all my nerve endings. Before I could respond, the sound of purposeful marching feet turned my head towards the door. Two nurses and Dr Tate were soon upon me, asking questions, poking and prodding. Brady backed away, leaving them to their job. The moment was gone.

"This is becoming too much of a regular habit, Sophie," Dr Tate said, smiling. "I may have to take out an injunction on you if I see you again this side of Christmas."

I blushed and giggled. "Sorry. I promise no more."

"It seems this time was much worse than last. Unfortunately, if you try to make the next time worse, I don't think we'll be in a two-sided conversation. You've been exceptionally lucky, and I can't stress that point enough."

I glanced down to my left leg, wondering what was beneath the bandages. "How bad is it?"

He drew his lips into a thin line. "We seriously debated a skin graft, more from a healing process point of view, but luckily, in the four days you've been in here, it's started to heal very nicely. The rest of your injuries are serious but not as bad as your leg. You will make a full recovery, in time, but I'm afraid it's nothing but rest for you until I say otherwise. I'm afraid that includes going home."

"Four days?" I asked, stunned. "I've been in here four days?"

He nodded and returned his attention to his paperwork. "You've been pumped full of morphine to keep you out of pain and give your body a chance to heal. Your bandages are due a change later this evening. Depending on how well it's all healing, you may be able to return back to the ranch by the end of the weekend, providing there will be care in place."

I said nothing, shocked to say the least at my new reality. The whole thing seemed like a bad dream that had happened weeks ago. Did my parents know? They couldn't, or they would be here.

"Has anyone phoned my parents?" I asked. "And where's Ben?"

Brady and Dr Tate exchanged looks which instantly filled me with discomfort.

"I'll be back later this evening to check on your leg, Sophie," Dr Tate said. He gave Brady a single nod and hurried out of the door.

"What was all that about?" I said, frowning.

Scratching his head, Brady cleared his throat. "Um, your parents do know but they couldn't come over."

A sharp sting cut through my very soul. Why couldn't they come over? They were retired and had bags of money. I'd nearly died, and they weren't bothered? What the hell?

"What? Why?"

"It's not really my place to say, Sophie. I think you should call them."

"Don't be daft. Just tell me."

He shook his head. "It's not my place—"

"Brady, just tell me. Please."

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his face. "Your sister has had a miscarriage."

I said nothing for a good minute or so. I didn't know what to say. How exactly was I supposed to feel about that? Was I supposed to feel sorry for her and offer her my condolences? Or was I supposed to take joy in the fact that karma had come right back around and taken a chunk out of her skinny ass?

"Is that where Ben is?"

He nodded, his lips pulling into a thin line.

Ouch. That stung. But also, kind of sealed the last nail in the coffin for me and him. As traumatic and serious as a miscarriage was, I was pretty sure that nearly being eaten alive by a mountain lion was a little higher up on the scale—at least where it concerned his fiancée and his sister-in-law. The fact he'd rushed to her side confirmed to me that despite his desperate pleas, he obviously had feelings for her beyond 'just a fling'.

A couple of minutes later, I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, it's done me a favour at least."

Taking a hold of my hand, Brady offered me a small smile. "It's ok to hurt over it. It's only natural."

"I just can't get my head around it," I said, shaking my head. "Why chase me to the other side of the world, confessing his undying love for me and then leave me half dead in a hospital bed for my sister?"

"People do strange things in extreme circumstances. You can't ignore the fact that you've had a decade together, grown up together. As unhappy as you both were, that's a hard habit to break."

Habit. The lightbulb flickered on. That's exactly what we'd become. We'd digressed into two people living a routine 'rat race' life and completely forgotten about each other, what made us want to be together in the first place. Not only had we lost sight of ourselves, but also each other.

"Yeah," I said, smiling through a thin film of tears. "You're right. You always know the right thing to say."

He smiled. "Not all the time but I try my best."

I lost myself for a minute, going back over the last time I'd seen Ben, the confrontation with Brady...then I remembered. His wife. I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and decided to deal with that later. I couldn't cope with it right now. My head was spinning enough as it was.

"Sophie," Brady said, taking my hand. "I need to explain something to you."

I gave him a smile and nestled back into my pillow. "I'm tired. Can we leave it for now?"

He stroked my hand and nodded. "Sure."

Turning my head away from him, I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep. If anything, to keep my tears locked away.