“Mommy, it hurts. My head hurts.”
I bend forward, looking at the cut and welt along her head, just above her temple. “I know, baby. I know. Does anything else hurt?” I start to pull my tank top off while she talks, pressing the cotton material over her head to tamper the bleeding. Leaving me in a tight-fitting camisole beneath it.
“Kip, I need you to call 9-1-1, okay?” He doesn’t answer me, only nods his head. That’s when Ruben walks up. “I’m on the phone with them now, Mrs. Canton. The operator wants to know if Ava is conscious.”
“My head hurts, Mommy.” Her words answer Ruben for me, and he relays that to the dispatcher. Ava tries to move and I press my other hand to her shoulder.
“Stay still, Ava Anne.” I rub her arm and continue, “We need to make sure you’re okay before you can move.”
I look up at Kip and then Ruben, who is still on the phone, and Kip looks like he’s going to faint.
“Kip, I need you to go and get Lightning settled in his stall, please, we don’t want to lose him. Ruben can help me with Ava if it’s needed. We’ll be okay here.”
He nods, wide-eyed and pushes to his feet, going to grab Lightning to get him put away. Ruben stays on the line with the dispatchers, keeping a small distance between him and us to not crowd Ava.
“I want Daddy,” she cries, lifting her hand up to mine, holding it over her head.
“I’ll call him, just as soon as the ambulance gets here.”
“Ambulance?” She starts crying harder. I’m certain she’s okay, but she fell from her horse and hit her head, I can’t take any risks. Not with her. What if she hurt her neck, too?
“Yeah, an ambulance. You get to ride in an ambulance, and I bet they’ll even turn the sirens on for you, if you want them to.”
“Where’s Daddy?” I think the shock of falling is wearing off now, and the pain and fear of what happened is starting to set in.
“I’m going to call him once we get you taken care of. I promise. He’ll be home soon.”
The ambulance finally pulls into our property, the sirens alerting us to their nearness. Ruben ends his call with the dispatcher when he sees them and then he goes to flag them down.
“You’re okay, Ava. I promise, baby.”
In all the commotion, from watching Ava take off, to her fall, I didn’t stop to think about Aubrey. Not until I look toward where the ambulance will be pulling in and she’s coming outside of the house, clinging to her stuffed animal and watching.
Ruben spots her, too, and walks over to lift her up into his arms. Clearing her of any possible danger while the ambulance drives up to the pen. He guides them, bringing Aubrey with him.
The paramedics enter the pen and make their way to us. They carry a neck brace, and backboard, moving with deliberate strides.
“Ma’am,” the man says, and kneels beside me. “Who do we have here?”
He slides his gloved hand over mine, removing the tank top from Ava’s head and taking a look at the gash there, replacing my shirt with gauze from his kit.
“This is Ava,” I answer. “She’s nine. No allergies to medicines, no health concerns you need to know about, either.”
“Hi, Ava,” he says softly, giving me a silent acknowledging nod before continuing, “I’m Paul, this is my friend, Reed, she’s going to help me roll you onto your back and put a big brace around your neck, okay?”
Ava whimpers out a meek approval and searches for me with her eyes. “I’m here, baby. You’re doing so good.”
Ruben walks up with Aubrey, who immediately starts to get frantic in his arms. “Aubrey Jane, I need you to stay with Mr. Ruben. He’s going to drive you in Mommy’s car behind us when we leave. But you have to be my big girl while I’m with your sister.”
Ruben gives me a tight smile and nods his head. “I’ll go in and get your keys, Mrs. Canton. Do you need anything else?”
“My purse, please. And my cell phone. It’s all on the kitchen counter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answers easily, and takes off toward the house with Aubrey.
I focus my attention back on Ava, just as Paul and Reed roll her to her back. She’s got blood rolling down her cheek and eyes, but she looks okay otherwise. That’s a good sign.
“Ma’am,” Paul says. “We’re going to take her to Edgewater Hospital. They’ll handle any other transfer needs if they arise.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Paul and Reed work seamlessly to lift Ava and get her to the ambulance, where Ruben is waiting for me with my phone and purse.
“We’ll be right behind you, Mrs. Canton.”
“Thank you, Ruben.” As soon as his back is to me, I swipe up on my phone and dial Chase. I tap my foot impatiently, waiting for him to answer. Once his voice comes through, I don’t even give him time to say more than hello before I’m telling him, “Ava had an accident riding Lightning. We’re on the way to the hospital now. Edgewater.”
Chase
Panic. Sheer panic. That’s all I feel after Allie’s quick, frantic call. My little girl fell off her horse and she’s hurt bad enough to go to the hospital. I floor my truck, going ten, fifteen, twenty over the speed limit, watching for cops, and praying with everything I have.
Please let me get there quickly.
Please let her be okay.
Please let this be a bad dream.
Allie didn’t give me much; she was in a hurry to get into the ambulance with Ava. I heard the paramedics telling her they were ready to go, so I couldn’t ask questions. I’m going strictly based on what she said. Ava fell off Lightning. They’re going to Edgewater Hospital.
Interstate signs, exit signs, they all blur as I pass by in a blaze. An hour. That’s roughly how long it will take me to get to my girls. To my Pipsqueak.
Please, God, just let her be okay.
My thoughts are racing, and the longer I’m thinking, the more questions start coming to mind. Where was Allie? Was Ava riding by herself? How did she fall? What was she doing? Was she being safe? How could this happen?
I have no answers to any of my questions. That angers me as much as the fact I wasn’t there. I didn’t keep my daughter safe. I swore to Allie, if we let Ava start riding, she’d be safe. I would guarantee she was always safe.
Anger. Guilt. Frustration. Fear. Panic. They’re all circling and mixing in my mind. There is a knot the size of Texas in my throat, keeping me from swallowing. My stomach hurts. I want to blame someone. But who?
It’s been forty minutes since Allie called. Surely, they’re at the hospital by now. They have to have answers.
Why hasn’t she called me?
The only reason she wouldn’t have called yet is Ava is hurt really bad. She’s trying to be strong for our daughters.
Shit.
Aubrey. Where’s she? Is she okay? Did she see? Is she afraid?
Not knowing anything is torture. I need answers. I need to be at the fucking hospital already.
My hold on my steering wheel gets tighter. My knuckles ache and go white with my grip. Why hasn’t Allie called me yet, dammit!
Please just let my little girl be okay.
Forty more miles until my exit. I can push the speed a little more, I need to get there. But getting pulled over going this fast would take more time away from my little girl. What the fuck do I—
My phone ringing pulls me out of my head and I reach to my passenger seat, grabbing the phone and answering without checking to see who it even is.
“Darlin’?”
“Chase—” Relief is all I feel hearing her calm voice. But is it too calm? I interrupt her before she can get another word out.
“Allie, what’s going on? Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay. What happened?”
“Slow down,” she says in a soft, quiet voice. “She’s okay. They’re going to run some tests soon.”
“Tests? For what? You have to tell me what’s going on.” I know my tone sounds angry, but Christ, I’m terrified and she’s not
giving me any fucking answers.
“Chase,” she says a little more forcefully. “She is okay. I need you to slow down. I don’t want you dying in a car accident trying to get here. Slow down. Please. And I will tell you what’s going on. She’s okay.”
I release my hold on my wheel a little and take a breath. “Baby, please just tell me...” I manage to get the words out in a calmer voice. And I let up on the gas pedal minutely.
“I’ll explain what happened with Lightning when you get here,” she says. “It’s really the least important part. For right now, they suspect she has a concussion, she hit her head pretty hard and they suspect she lost consciousness briefly.” Allie stops momentarily and I listen to her answering a question asked by someone at the hospital. “Sorry, insurance question. Where was I?”
“How did she lose consciousness?”
“She hit her head, she was going around a barrel, too fast, and she fell off him on the turn. She hit her head on the edge of the barrel.”
“Fuck,” I hiss out and close my eyes, picturing my first baby falling like a rag doll off her horse and hitting a barrel. “Is she awake now? Is she in pain?”
“She’s awake, and asking for her daddy. She hurts. Her head, mostly. She’s nauseated, and her neck is hurting, too. They want to run some tests, make sure she didn’t crack her skull or break anything. That’s what we’re waiting for now.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m about thirty-five miles out. It’ll be quick.”
“She’ll be glad to have you here. I’m going to let you go so you can drive safely. Don’t push the speed, Chase. She really is okay. And we need you to get here the same way.” I hear her answering Ava next, telling her I’m coming, and it only makes me want to drive faster.
“Allie, wait!” I shout a little louder than necessary, but I don’t want her to hang up just yet.
“I’m still here,” she answers.
“Aubrey, where’s Aubrey? Is she okay?”
Allie sighs out. “She’s in the waiting room with Ruben, he followed in my car with her. She’s scared, Chase. You know her fears. This time it was her sister who got hurt…”
The pinch I feel in my heart with those words is acute. “I know her fears. I’ll be there soon. For all three of you. I’m almost there.”
As soon as our call is ended, I floor it. To hell with the risks. My girls need me and I’ll be there for them soon.
Allie
I know my husband. And I know when it comes to the girls, or me, and him thinking something may be wrong or one of us needs him for something serious, he will move heaven and hell to get here as fast as he can. So I also know speed limits, traffic lights, and his own safety won’t matter to him at all until he gets here.
“Mommy,” Ava says quietly, squinting up at me, “when will Daddy be here?”
I bend over her bed and kiss her forehead, minding the knot and bruise that are already starting to form around her temple. “He’s going to be here really soon. Maybe fifteen more minutes.”
She nods and closes her eyes again. The lights are dimmed, but they’re still too bright for her. And the noises of the ER are too loud. She’s overstimulated and scared. She’s come close to throwing up, but they gave her something for the nausea and it seems to be easing up now. She’s the bravest girl I know, though. She didn’t cry when they put the IV in her arm. When the doctor was examining her, she flinched and grimaced in pain, but she wouldn’t let anyone see how bad it hurt.
She is her father’s daughter. It’s something I both love and loathe in this situation. I don’t want her to hide what she’s feeling, because we need to know. But I also love how she’s so resilient and determined.
One of the nurses comes in to check on Ava and tells me there’s one more form I need to sign. The nurse says she’s going to check Ava’s vitals, and she’ll sit with her for a few minutes over her break so I can take care of the paperwork.
“Sweet Girl,” I kiss Ava’s head one more time. “I’m going to go sign one last paper and check on your sister really fast, and then I will be right back, okay?”
“‘Kay.”
I leave her in the nurse’s hands and step out of the small room and over to the nurses’ station, asking for the form I need, so I can fill it out, and then go check on Aubrey. I go over the paperwork, sign my consent, and head toward the waiting room where Ruben is sitting with Aubrey.
“Hey, you two,” I say as cheerfully and lightheartedly as I can when I approach them. Aubrey is sitting in Ruben’s lap, playing on his phone, and she looks like she’s been crying.
Aubrey looks up at me and her bottom lip pouts out. “Is Ava okay?”
“She will be,” I say, with a nod and smile. “Are you okay, baby girl?”
Aubrey shakes her head no and tears start slipping from her eyes again. Oh, my sweet, precious girl.
“Come here. Let me hold you for a couple of minutes.”
Aubrey hands Ruben his phone and slides from his lap, stepping into my arms and wrapping her small, shaking ones around my neck as tightly as she possibly can, and then starts crying in earnest.
“Shhh…Shhhhh… I’ve got you. It’s okay. Ava’s okay,” I try to soothe her. I glance up at Ruben where he’s sitting and say appreciatively, “Thank you for staying, sitting here with her. Ava’s so sensitive to light and noise I didn’t want to bring Aubrey back just yet. Not when Ava needs my full attention.”
“It’s my pleasure, ma’am,” he responds with his smooth, easygoing voice. “She was showing me her favorite game. I know you have screen time rules, but…it was the only way I could get her to calm down.”
I stand upright, holding Aubrey in my arms, feeling her legs wrap around me and her head rest on my shoulder, tears soaking through my shirt. “No, you’ve been great. Screen time isn’t even a thought today. I just need both the girls content.”
He gives a slight nod and smile. “How is Ava?”
“Concussion for sure. They fear she may have a cracked her skull, and they want to make sure her neck and spine are okay. We’re waiting for tests now.”
“She’s hardheaded and stubborn,” he injects, “she’ll be okay. So will this one.”
Ruben is a good man. Chase brought him on a couple of years ago to help out with the business end of things at the ranch. He handles operations and finances for us, and he’s become very close to our family.
“Cantons are always okay,” I agree, “as long as we have each other.”
Just as the words leave my mouth, Aubrey starts wiggling in my arms and shouts, “Daddy!” I shift my gaze from Ruben to the entrance and see Chase striding in. His features are saturated in fear and anxiety as he approaches.
Aubrey reaches for Chase first, and I have to work to keep her in my arms until he’s close enough to grab her. He reaches out for her, taking her weight off me with ease—only I see the small twitch in his eye when he bears her weight in his arms. That’s something for me to bring up later, when we are out of here and we know our daughter is okay.
“Chase—” it’s said on an exhale as relief floods my system. I don’t need to be the only strong one now. We can tag team this, be here for both our girls and each other.
“Hey, Darlin’,” he responds, shifting Aubrey to one arm and holding the other for me to fit beneath.
I move in close, slipping one arm behind his back and the other around his stomach and Aubrey’s legs, laying my forehead against his chest and shoulder.
“I’ve got you now. All of you,” he says, close and quiet enough that I know I’m the only one who heard. His breath is warm against my head and he kisses it before he addresses Ruben. “Thank you for being here for my girls, Ruben.”
“I wouldn’t have been anywhere else, Boss,” Ruben answers. “You know whatever you need, I’m happy to help.”
“I appreciate that more than you know. Really.” He kisses my head again, it’s natural, it’s comforting and makes me melt into him even more. �
�I think we’ve got it from here, if you want to head back to the ranch.”
“He brought my car,” I pipe in, my voice muffled by Chase’s chest.
“We’ll take your car back, Aubrey’s seat is in it. Ruben can drive my truck.” Chase lets go of me and digs into his front pocket, pulling his keys out to hand to Ruben.
“Thanks, Mr. Cant—Chase,” Ruben says, chuckling. I couldn’t see it, but I know Chase gave him one of those looks that says, really? “If y’all need anything, let us know. I need to make sure Kip is okay, he was pretty shaken up when we left.”
I pick my head up from Chase’s warm, strong chest and look at Ruben. “Make sure he knows this wasn’t his fault, Ruben. Because it wasn’t. Not even a little. I saw it all happen. He did nothing wrong. You tell him that, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll tell him. I don’t imagine it’ll do much good until he sees Ava is okay for himself, but I will tell him.”
Chase looks between us, the question of what we’re talking about is written all over his confused face.
“Ava was riding under his supervision. She wanted to perfect her turn, so she could show you when she got home. Anyway, he signaled for her to stop, and I assume he told her to stop. And she did. But the second Kip’s back was to her, she nudged Lightning on and took off.”
I can see Chase’s jaw clench and release. I know he’s angry. So am I. But Kip didn’t do anything wrong.
“You’re sure he told her to stop?”
“I heard him myself, Boss,” Ruben speaks up. “He told her to wait a minute while he talked to me. He wouldn’t have let her ride without his watching. Not with the barrel out there.”
Chase nods once. “We’ll talk to her about it later. First, we make sure she’s okay. Tell Kip none of us holds him responsible, and this wasn’t his fault.”
“Yes, sir.” It’s short, but Ruben knows Chase well enough to know less is more right now.
“We need to get to our daughter,” Chase says matter-of-factly. “Thank you again, Ruben.”
Ruben gives a final nod and turns for the door, leaving quickly and quietly.
Hold on Tight (Cowboys & Angels Book 1) Page 5
