“How bad?” I asked, my voice tight. I tensed every muscle in my body, willing myself not to break down. All I really wanted to do was to throw myself into Tricia’s arms and have her rock me like a baby while telling me everything would be okay.
Reaching out, she took my hand and squeezed. “The doctors are optimistic he didn’t suffer any lasting brain damage. Another concussion. No bleeding. Some swelling. They’ve sedated him.”
His mom smiled sadly, her eyes glistening. “If the swelling doesn’t go down, he might need surgery to release the pressure. They said they might have to remove a piece of his skull.”
A horrified sob came from somewhere deep inside of me, and I buried my face in my hands.
“Hush now, Eileen,” Tricia said, sounding her usual irritated self. “They don’t think they’ll have to do that. They’ve been monitoring him. The swelling hasn’t gotten any worse. It’s the other things we have to look out for.”
“Like what?” I asked, a deep and profound sadness washing over me.
“Personality changes, memory loss, that sort of thing.”
Another sob fell from my lips.
Dylan groaned softly. “What’s all that noise?”
My knees went weak. “How you feeling, cowboy?”
“Like I survived the zombie apocalypse and a nuclear explosion all in one day.” He sounded thick and groggy, like getting the words out took tremendous effort and concentration. He half-opened his eyes and blinked several times before focusing in on me. “I’m glad you’re here.”
My chest tightened so much I feared my heart would get crushed. Unable to speak, I simply nodded.
He smiled in my direction, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
A warm hand stroking my hair woke me. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
All night I’d stayed by his side, nodding on and off in the chair by his bed, waking with a start every time a nurse or a doctor came in to check on him.
I studied him. His face was ashen and waxy, but, thankfully, his eyes were bright and focused, and apart from some swelling on his left temple, he looked fine. Not great, but not awful.
He grinned. “You look hot with drool on your chin.”
“You look hot with a beat-up face.” I ran a hand across my jaw. “How are you feeling?”
He bunched up the blankets in his hands. “Like I want to go home.”
I shook my head and gave him a stern look. “Not going to happen. You have a bad concussion. You and the neurologist need to have a long talk.”
He didn’t look happy, but he nodded. “I guess we do.”
I drew in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asked, sounding confused.
“For being a bitch. For being cold and standoffish. I shouldn’t have gone off on you. Shouldn’t have told you to leave. Taking me to dinner was sweet. What happened after and the next morning wasn’t your fault.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry.” He stroked a finger over my cheek. “I shouldn’t have forced you to do something you weren’t ready to do.”
“I’ve done some thinking and soul-searching. You were right about a lot of things.” My voice wobbled with every word. “I can’t stay locked away forever. I haven’t been living, I’ve been existing. Those few days with you were the happiest I’d been in a long time. Maybe ever.” I drew in another deep breath. “If you’re willing to try again, I am. I’m ready to face the world.”
The look in his eyes was tender. “You sure that’s what you want?”
I forced out a small laugh. “Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. But my next steps won’t mean anything without you. When I thought I’d lost you, I’d never felt so much terror or helplessness in my life.”
He briefly closed his eyes. A frown covered his face, and I watched as he took several deep breaths. “I won’t give up ridin’.”
“I’m not asking you to,” I said, meaning it. “I would never expect you to change who you are or give up your passion.” I paused, needing to choose my next words carefully. “But I want you to think about your future. Think about being there for everyone who loves you. I’ve researched it some. Maybe think about a helmet. You can even buy one that looks like a cowboy hat.”
He repositioned himself and winced.
“We can talk later,” I said. “You’re in too much pain to have a heart-to-heart now. I’ll call for the nurse. Get you some pain meds.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “No time like the present to get it all out in the open. You’re not the only one who’s been doing some thinking. I’m gonna take the rest of the year off and allow myself to heal.” He looked at me with so much emotion in his eyes my breath caught. “Waking up and seeing you if only for a second last night made me thankful to be alive. I won’t risk brain damage for a buckle. Not anymore.” He threaded his fingers through mine. “I’m crazy in love with you, Montana. Looking back, I think I fell in love with you the day I knocked you down.”
My heart soared, and I was pretty sure I glowed because happiness radiated from every cell in my body. I stood and, careful not to hurt him, pressed soft kisses on his forehead, his eyes, his cheeks and finally his lips.
I pulled back and brought his hand to my lips, where I brushed kisses all over his fingers. “I love you. More than you can ever imagine.” I gave him a cheeky smile. “You almost killing me was the best thing that could ever have happened in my life.” I kissed his palm. “I love every single part of you and will always love you. You make me braver. Make me
