Page 41 of A Cowboy's Trust
Jinx glanced up as they approached, her face tight with worry. She had her arms wrapped around herself, shaking from fear and the icy cold. "He’s been like this for a while. He was shaking so hard I thought he needed to be covered up, but I didn’t think it was safe to lie down beside him. I didn’t know what else to do."
"You did the right thing, but now you’re heading home, stat," Tansy said quickly, kneeling beside the man and checking his pulse. It was faint but steady. "Jake’s on his way. He and I will get him back to the house. Sasha, take Jinx back to High Water. Jinx, hot shower right away. Sasha, Make hot chocolate, okay?"
“I can do that.” Sasha wrapped her arms around Jinx. “Will you be okay?”
As if on cue, headlights cut through the darkness, and Jake’s truck rumbled up the narrow road toward them.
“Yup. Now get.”
By the time the girls vanished around the corner and Jake had pulled to a stop and jumped from the vehicle, Tansy had dropped to her knees and done a quick scan on the injured man.
Jake’s breath puffed into the cold air. "What happened?" he asked, his gaze scanning the scene as he joined her on the ground.
"Don’t know," Tansy admitted. "But he’s hurt. Other than the head wound, I don’t see any major injuries. I think getting him out of the cold is the most important thing."
Jake nodded. He crouched then gently lifted the young man into his arms. "I’ve got him. Let’s move."
The fastest way back with the least jostling was for Jake to settle into the truck bed still holding the injured man. Tansy drove as carefully as possible, but every second of the journey was tense until she pulled to a stop outside the main house.
“Put him in the guest room,” Tansy suggested. “We can get him cleaned up a bit, but first, we should call Sydney.”
Jake hummed his approval. “She did offer to help us out in situations like this.”
“She’ll keep things quiet,” Tansy assured him, hurrying ahead to get the door for him. It swung open before she could touch the knob.
Sasha stepped back. Her eyes widened as Jake rushed past her with his burden. “Is he okay?”
“Don’t know yet,” Tansy offered truthfully. Another person who they’d need to discuss keeping things quiet with. “Take care of Jinx and stay out of the way for now, got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Down the hall, Jake shouldered the guest room door open then laid the injured man carefully on the bed. “Help me get this coat off him. It’s soaked through and only making him colder.”
They worked quickly then Tansy pulled out her phone and dialed Sydney’s number. When her friend picked up immediately, Tansy explained the situation quietly.
“I just hit the highway after a house call, so I can be there in under twenty minutes.” The sound of a turn indicator clicked in the background. Sydney’s no nonsense directions helped ease some of Tansy’s panic. “Take off his boots, but other than that, worry more about piling on the blankets. If the head wound starts bleeding again, gently press a facecloth to it, but otherwise, wait for me.”
“We got it.” Tansy met Jake’s gaze, and he nodded. “Come straight in when you get here. Sasha might be in the kitchen.”
“Well, shit. That’s a complication.” Sydney made a rude noise. “She’s a smart kid, though. Not a huge problem if you ask me. See you soon.”
Tansy slipped her phone away. “Extra blankets are in the hall closet.”
“You get them. I’m staying close in case he wakes up swinging.” Jake went to work on the laces of the man’s worn boots.
Ten minutes later, quilts were piled three deep on the shivering man who looked even younger now than before, his face pale against the white pillow. His head wound looked worse up close—a deep gash above his temple that had bled profusely before freezing in the cold.
"I should go wash my hands then check on the girls," Tansy said.
Jake slipped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed tight. “He’s going to be okay. You did well. All of you.”
She leaned into him for one more second then escaped the room. This was part of what she’d wanted—to be a helper.
Shocking how terrifying it was in reality. Helping meant another person hurting first, and as logical as that was, right now it felt as if the bottom had dropped out of Tansy’s world.
Struggling to find her mental balance, she soaked a face cloth and washed her face and hands. She smoothed down the front of her shirt and pants and hit the bulge of the forgotten bracelet in her pocket.
She pulled it out, turning it over in her hand. The gems caught the light from the bathroom mirror and turned it into a miniature light show. Another unreal moment. Another thing that didn’t make sense.
