“I think my damn ankle might be broken,” Joel gritted between clenched teeth, leaning heavily on Colton.
“Let’s get you into the house.” He wedged his shoulder under Joel’s armpit for better support.
Joel hesitated. “What about Barney?”
He glanced at the gelding standing a few feet away and saw one of its back feet cocked in a position of rest. “He’ll be just fine until I come back out.” And ride the S.O.B.
Britt took Joel’s other side, and they acted as crutches to get him through the gate, across the yard, and inside the house. The three subdued boys completed the procession. After Joel was settled on the couch, Britt gently propped his leg on a stool with a pillow. “Do you need something for the pain?”
“I can handle it.”
But Colton didn’t like the look of Joel’s twisted grimace. “Shouldn’t we cut his boot off?” he asked Britt. “See if there’s swelling?”
“No!” Joel glared a warning at him. “This is my favorite pair of boots. Nobody’s cutting nothing.”
Britt’s teeth worried her bottom lip as she stared at Joel’s foot. “Maybe we should let the doctor do it, they’ll need to do x-rays anyway. I’ll make a quick call, and we’ll be on our way.”
He wouldn’t have waited, but clearly, Joel wasn’t letting him near his boots. Britt returned with confirmation their family doctor said to come in immediately. Colton helped him back outside to the truck, but when Britt would’ve climbed up into the driver’s seat, Joel suggested, “Let Colton drive me.”
He and Britt both paused in surprise. Joel’s gaze shifted between them. “The boys saw it all and I think it might be better if you stayed here with them. We can’t all go, and if you come with me, they’ll be here worrying, all by themselves.”
She glanced over her shoulder to where the kids watched silently from the porch. With a final, searching look at his face, she nodded, kissed him and stepped back. He grabbed her hand. “And promise me you won’t try to get up on Barney.”
Colton watched Britt rub her free hand over her small baby bump and instantly thought of Kendra…again.
&nb
sp; “I’ll just put him back in his stall,” Britt promised before giving Joel another kiss to send them on their way.
Two long hours later, Colton met Joel at the emergency room exit with the truck. He hurried around to open the door and pointed out the bright side in the face of Joel’s frown. “At least it’s not broken.”
Joel’s scowl deepened. The moment Colton stepped back to give him room to climb into the cab, he threw his mangled, sliced-up boot onto the floor with disgust. “It should’ve been for what they did to my boots,” he groused.
Colton had to do a quick turn for the driver’s side to hide his smile. As he settled behind the driver’s side, he felt Joel’s sullen glare.
“It’s not funny.”
“Sorry.” And still he had to fight a grin on their way out of the parking lot. Joel’s sulky reaction was reminiscent of Noah’s reaction to being grounded. And just like that, his humor faded. Thoughts of Noah ultimately led to thoughts of Kendra. His foot pressed the accelerator as he jolted onto the highway.
Joel cursed under his breath.
“Sorry,” Colton said again, letting up on the gas pedal. “I’ll slow down.”
“It’s not that. I just remembered I’m supposed to leave for Pennsylvania tomorrow to deliver the Kalhoffers’ mares.”
A quick glance caught Joel’s glower down at his right foot.
“I can’t drive with this damn thing.”
Colton opened his mouth, then clamped his jaw tight and didn’t say a single word.
Silence reigned until Joel swore again. “I’ll have to call them and reschedule in a couple weeks.” After mumbling under his breath, he heaved a sigh and added, “I hope they’re not too upset. Their daughter has a show next weekend. Damn.”
Colton’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. No. Keep your mouth shut. His knuckles turned white.
“I’ll have to knock some money off their bill,” Joel continued. “To make up for the entrance fees they’ll have to forfeit, not to mention their inconvenience. And Brittany—”
“I’ll do it.”