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“But, Boone, said this was your idea. That you were interested in equine therapy.” Elly looks confused.
“I am, but I had nothing to do with this. This is all Boone.”
The man himself walks up and wraps an arm around my waist. Normally I would be obligated to say something snarky, but right now I’m just going to enjoy the way his fingers feel above my jeans and against my skin. “I did make some calls, but I only had the idea because Georgia used to tell me all about the different things horses could help with.”
“When we were in high school.”
“I remember,” he says without breaking eye contact. “There’s nothing I’ve forgotten.”
Cole coughs and breaks the moment. “Should we get this started before it becomes less family-friendly?”
The four of us head to where the families have gathered. Boone introduces everyone and explains the different stations and which horses are available for the activities.
I’ve been assigned Daisy, an older horse who is very docile. She’s been set up to walk with smaller kids with me walking beside them. The first two kids have no issues. We make it around the circle, the kids happy and laughing.
The next kid in line is a little boy who is very nervous about riding a horse. So nervous, I explain to his parents that it might be a good idea to just skip it for today, but they assure me and the little boy that as soon as he’s on the horse he’ll be fine. He’s done this before and it’s always like this.
I don’t want to second guess a parent and I can’t seem to get the attention of Boone, Elly, or Cole. I just decide that since the parents seem so confident in their kid then I will too. Daisy picks up on this stuff, so being worried isn’t helpful. I help him into the saddle, and he does seem to calm down.
“We okay up there, bud?” I ask.
He nods, still looking a little iffy, but a lot better than he did in line.
I give Daisy a treat and rub her face. “You are such a good girl. Let’s go nice and slow for this little man, okay.”
Daisy starts and we make it halfway around the circle when all hell breaks loose. The boy starts screaming and his dad rushes toward Daisy, who had an owner who mistreated her and is still distrustful of men she doesn’t know. Daisy bucks the boy off and I catch him, but I also catch Daisy’s foot to my leg. It takes me down and then everything goes black.
9
Boone
It’s all a fucking blur and so vivid at the same time. I hear her scream every time I close my eyes.
It’s been two days since Cowboy Day, as Georgia called it. Fucking disaster is what it was. Two days since Georgia was trampled by Daisy, the sweetest horse, and two days since I’ve seen Georgia’s beautiful blue eyes.
The doctors kept her in an induced coma for the first twenty-four hours to make sure that the swelling in her brain didn’t get too bad or something. I tried to absorb it all, but I couldn’t. The wailing from her mom made me throw up. I put her in that danger. It’s my fault.
I thought I was bad for her when we were eighteen, she thought I was bad for her now and we’ve both been proven right. If Elly had just let her buy her way out of the auction, she would be okay.
“Stop beating yourself up. This isn’t your fault.” Georgia’s dad had sat next to me and I hadn’t even noticed.
“I’m sorry, sir. Does your family need this chair?” I start to get up, but he puts his hand on my arm and forces me back into my seat.
“The boys took their mom home to shower and take a nap. Plus, I have the feeling that Georgia would want you here.”
I shake my head. “She wouldn’t. She was trying to get away from me and I wouldn’t let her. If I had just left her alone, she wouldn’t be here.”
“Bullshit. If my daughter didn’t want to be anywhere near you, she wouldn’t have been. Did you see her brothers? Those three big lugs would have taken you somewhere and beat the shit out of you until you left her alone. All she would have had to do would ask and they would do whatever she wanted. She’s a handful, but it’s worth it. Her mothers the same way.”
“I’m the reason that she was there. I’m the reason this happened.”
“Have you gotten hurt by a horse before?”
I nod.
“Me too, hurts like hell. So has Georgia, twice. It hasn’t kept her from loving those animals and I have a feeling this won’t stop her either. This is the risk of being around these animals and everyone who loves and takes care of horses knows it.” He pulls out his paper. “Oh, the horse that hurt Georgia was Sugar both times and you know how much she spoils that horse. It’s like her baby.”
“She’s gonna be okay, right?” I ask, my voice frail and childlike. I need this man who speaks with such authority to tell me she’s going to be okay.
