Total pages in book: 16
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 76(@200wpm)___ 61(@250wpm)___ 51(@300wpm)
I take a deep breath. I know he’s right. I wish my parents were here, but they’re somewhere across the country living it up, spending the money I make. And no matter what he says, I’m not going to forget about Dillon. Since we kissed last night, he’s all I’ve thought about.
“London… are you listening to me? I need you to be focused when you go out there.”
I nod my head. “Right. Focused.”
The woman before me comes off and wishes me luck. I tell her, “Good ride” and then try to put everything else out of my head.
I get to the line, ready to go. The countdown begins, and when the alarm buzzes, I take off out of the shoot. The whole time, I’m cheering on Queenie. “Let’s go, girl.” “You got this.” “Let’s do this.”
Queenie runs like she’s never run before. She glides around the barrels smoothly, and before I even realize it, we’re on the straightaway back to the starting point.
I can hear the crowd going wild, but everything in front of me is a blur until we come to a halt.
The thunderous reaction from the arena vibrates within me. I’m huffing and puffing, telling Queenie what a good job she did.
While I’m still astride my horse, the announcement comes over that I’ve beaten the record for barrel racing in my division. I’m smiling, waving to everyone as I ride off to the exit. I stay on the horse as I head into the back with Dillon walking beside me. The smile on his face is everything to me, and I hate that I’ve given a man that much power over me. Especially one that doesn’t want to want me.
I climb off Queenie, and as soon as my feet hit the ground, I get woozy. I lose all control of my body, and I know I’m falling, but I can’t do anything about it.
I come to seconds later, or maybe minutes, I’m not really sure. But Dillon has me up in his arms, looking at me with an alarmed look on his face.
He takes me to the back, and I look over his shoulder. “Queenie?”
Dillon is gruff. “Roger’s got her. He’s going to get her back home.”
I lean my head against Dillon’s chest. “I have another ride.”
Dillon’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t say another word. He carries me straight to the infirmary. He bypasses a cowboy holding his arm and another cowboy with a gash in his forehead and blood streaming down.
Dillon bellows, “Help. We need help.”
I struggle to get out of his arms. “Stop it. I’m fine.”
He tightens his arms around me. “I’m not letting you down, so you might as well stop squirming.”
The doctor comes out of a door. “Uh oh, what happened here?”
Dillon answers before I can. “She fainted.”
I gesture to the people in their seats. “They were here before us. See them first.”
The cowboy holding his arm grumbles, “I’m out the rest of the day. See her first.”
The one with the gash in his head chimes in. “Yeah, they won’t let me ride after this. See her first.”
I groan in frustration. “Look, I’m fine. I don’t need to see the doctor—”
I might as well be talking to the wall because Dillon pushes past the doctor and sits me on the bed in the center of the room. “She just rode. Had her best time. Got off the horse and passed out.”
He’s talking fast and in short sentences, breath heaving.
I hold my hand up to Dr. Lane. “I’m fine.”
The doctor turns his back to me, getting things out of the cabinet. “Any chance you can be pregnant?”
Before I can spit out a resounding no, Dillon locks eyes with me, and I see the need in their brown depths. His hand goes to my flat belly.
The doctor turns around and looks at us. “So possibly pregnant?”
Without looking away from Dillon, I shake my head. “No… uh…. There’s no way I’m pregnant.”
“Okay, can you sit up so I can look at you?”
Dillon raises me up and then sits behind me like he needs to support my back. “I’m fine,” I tell him for the umpteenth time.
He doesn’t say anything, just has a hand on my back the whole time the doctor examines me.
“Follow my finger with your eyes.” I do as he says, and he nods. “Good. What’s the last thing you remember before you passed out?”
I think back. “Uh, they announced my ride time, and I rode out of the arena to Dillon.”
Dillon chimes in, “That was right before she passed out.”
“Does your head hurt?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Did she hit her head or anything?”
Dillon answers instantly. “No. I caught her before she hit the ground.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
I open my mouth to answer and then have to think about it. “Uh, well, let’s see. Probably yesterday afternoon.”