Grumpy Cowboy (Single Dad Collection)

Her voice fades some as she jogs next to them while they wheel my dad toward the helicopter on the stretcher, and Mom and I run along after her.

“…fluids…ride along…no…I know…” I hear brokenly through the whoosh of the chopper blades still tuned up and spinning.

Leah nods then and returns to Jenny and me at a jog as they load Tex’s stretcher inside and start working on him immediately.

“They can only take two passengers, ride along,” Leah says matter-of-factly to my mom and me while holding her hair back out of her face in the intense chopper wind. “You two should go, and Joey and I will drive up to Salt Lake City and meet you.”

My mom hurries off to load up without any question, but as my mind races, I know that’s not the best decision. Immediately, I shake my head resolutely. “No, Leah. You go with him. You’re the doctor. I’d rather you be there than me. You’ll know what to do.”

She considers me closely for a fraction of a second, but ultimately, we don’t have a whole lot of time to be mulling over our decisions.

She nods, leans forward to kiss my cheek, and then promises in my ear with steely determination. “I got him, okay? I promise you—I’ve got him. You and Joey drive safe and slow, and we’ll see you when you get there.”

And then she’s gone, quickly loaded inside the helicopter and behind the closed door. I watch her face through the window as the helicopter takes off, and a violent wind nearly blows me back from my proximity.

A huge part of my world is in that chopper, thanks to a dramatic change of events I never saw coming.

One thing is for sure—I better get moving.

Because clearly, in this life, there’s no time to waste.

And that’s a lesson I’ve got to learn in more ways than one.

July 4th, Sunday, very early

Leah

The medical team that met us on the roof wheels Tex through the emergency room doors at a run, leaving Jenny and me standing in their wake. The doors slam shut with quiet mocking of their role as a barrier, and for the first time since Tex dropped to the ground in pain, Jenny breaks down in tears.

I pull her suddenly frail-seeming body into a hug and hold her as tight as I can, trying to force all the comfort and heat of my body to leave and seep into hers. “Shh. It’s okay, Jenny, I promise.”

Her sobs are nearly silent but full-body-racking, and a sick thud in my gut challenges me to take them all away. To remove the pain and the stress and the worry. Unfortunately, I know I can’t.

All I can do is be here, and thankfully, be confident that the quick moves I was able to make on-site mean that Tex is going to be okay. He might have to cut back on the red meat some, but I have every belief that we prevented the worst of the damage by thinning his blood and getting the helicopter there so quickly.

Now, my worry has shifted. From the medical emergency for which I felt at least a modicum of control and knowledge, to the man I’m slowly losing my head over and his several-hour drive to get here under emotional distress.

When Jenny gets her sobs under control and pulls away to sink into one of the waiting room chairs, I take a deep breath and think about what I can do to calm my current anxiety.

I reach for my pocket and pull out my phone, something I can hardly believe I still keep charged and carry with me everywhere I go, open up the screen and my contacts, only to quickly realize that it might as well be an actual brick for all the good it’ll do me right now.

I don’t want to put any other stress on Jenny, especially not now that she’s just found the strength to pull herself together, but I don’t think I can wait another minute before assuring myself that Rhett and Joey are okay either.

Cautiously, I sit down in the chair next to Jenny and place a kind hand to her shaking knee. She looks up at the contact and meets my eyes, so I chance a calm, gently toned question. “Do you…do you have Rhett’s cell phone number? I just want to check in on him and Joey and give him an update, but…well, at the ranch, as hard as it is for me to believe, I’ve gotten so used to not using my phone. I don’t even know his number.”

Jenny nods, grasping me by the wrist with a little bout of motherly dismay, her forehead crumpling from top to bottom. “Oh my goodness, of course. I can’t believe I didn’t even think to call him!”