Page 79 of Ride or Die

Wyatt chuckles from nearby. “He’s not wrong, Cole.”

Webber smirks into his coffee thermos.

Even Jagger glances over like he’s silently judging me, not that he knows anything about me or that I am, in fact, lovesick.

Traitors. Every single one of them. But they ain’t wrong. I am gone for that woman. Completely and wholeheartedly. And the kids, too. The idea of them coming here to the ranch—safe, giggling, surrounded by good people—it settles deep inside of me in a way I can’t fully explain. For the first time in a long while, the future feels like something solid, even with the uncertainty of everything else going on in my life.

But the fact that they ain’t here, and I can’t get a hold of Clara, it sits like led in my belly because there’s a constant thought in the back of my head I’ve been trying to ignore, but it’s there, and right now, it’s rife. What if she’s changed her mind? What if she’s gone?

A calf suddenly breaks sideways between the horses and Webber yells, “Cole!”

I jerk back to reality. “On it!”

Clicking my tongue, I give Soldier’s sides a squeeze, urging him forward and cutting the calf back toward the herd while everybody starts shouting over each other again.

Dust flies. Calves bawl. Heifers low. Brady pisses Webber off for the fifth time. And I allow the unorganized chaos to take a hold of me, because at least it takes my mind off the shit I really can’t bear to be thinking about right now.

By the time we return from the north-west pasture, the party is in full swing with what appears to be half the town of Summer milling about, eating food, laughing, drinking beers, watching the band as they play a cover of “Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy”, much to what appears to be Austin’s dismay as he stands there with gritted teeth and an unimpressed glower in his eyes.

I walk toward the picnic tables, my gaze scanning the crowd, searching for Clara and the kids. But as I get further into the throng, my heart sinks when I don’t see them, concern brewing in my belly.

I pluck my phone from my pocket, scrolling through to try call Clara again which is when I see a message on my phone that just about knocks me flat on my ass.

Clara: We’re at the hospital.

I bristle, panic swelling around my heart.

Turning, I break into a run, shouldering my way through the crowd as I dial Clara’s number. Thankfully she picks up after two rings, her voice lowered as she answers.

“Baby, what happened?”

“We were on our way out to the ranch and… I-I don’t even know… I ran over something or the tires blew. God, I don’t know. I lost control and we went into a ditch.”

I stop in my tracks at the sound of her sobs, tugging at the back of my neck as dread twists my gut. “Is everyone okay?”

She sniffles and the sound of her tears hurts my fuckin’ heart. “Yeah. We’re okay. Tommy broke his arm. From the airbag. But we’re alright.”

I scrub a hand down over my face, muttering a curse because fuck. I can’t help but feel responsible. I knew her car wasn’t safe to drive these roads. “Where are you, baby?”

She sniffs again. “Um, Lubbock…?”

“I’m comin’ there right now,” I say. “I’ll be there in forty-five minutes, y’hear?”

“No, Cole, it’s okay, you don’t have?—”

“Baby, I ain’t takin’ no for an answer,” I interrupt, looking around the crowd for Bailey. “I’m comin’ there. You stay put, okay, darlin’?”

“Okay.” Clara sounds so vulnerable, so scared and I swear I feel it dent my heart.

When I end the call, I spot Bailey and Darcy sitting beneath the shade of one of the tents. I beeline for them, the girls glancing up at me with matching grins that immediately fall to identical looks of worry.

“What’s wrong?” Bailey asks, jumping up out of her seat.

“Can I borrow your Jeep?”

Her eyebrows tug together, her eyes bouncing between mine. “What happened?”

I swallow hard, looking around. “Clara and the kids got into an accident. There at Lubbock and I can’t get my truck out.”