Page 86 of One Lucky Cowboy

“Jill?” he called out.

“I’m down here. What can I do?”

“Call 9-1-1.”

“I already did. Jax—” Her voice shook. But he couldn’t worry about her feelings just then. He needed to help his son. “Is he okay?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, and a shudder rolled through him.

Ren moaned, a good sign if only because Jax could exhale.

He’s alive.

“Ren,” he said, choking out a sob. “Can you hear me?”

The boy nodded and tried to sit up.

“Don’t move. You might’ve broken something. Just lay there until we can get you down, okay?”

“Okay. But what about Lightning?”

Jax smiled, his cheeks wet with tears. Of course, his son would be concerned about the horse he’d ridden in on instead of his own health.

“I’ll take care of him, don’t worry.” He brushed the hair from Ren’s forehead, and his chest constricted. If he’d have known Ren as a baby, who knew how many times he’d have done that, but instead this was the first time.

It just can’t be the last.

It wouldn’t be. Ren would be okay. He had to be if he was talking, right?

Sirens rang and reverberated on the canyon red rocks.

“They’re up there,” Jax heard Maggie say. She instructed them on how to get up the ridge to where Ren lay, his eyes still closed, his skin still pale.

“Help’s here, Ren. How are you feeling?”

“Stupid.” He coughed and winced. There was a good chance he’d bruised his ribs, a better chance he’d broken at least one. “I shouldn’t have been up there without any gear.” He hissed out a pained breath. “I might be a city kid, but I knew better.”

“It’s okay. We’ll work on that, too, alright? We’ve got time.”

Please let that be true.

“You’re not mad?”

Jax held Ren’s hand and squeezed until Ren’s mouth twisted in agony. He set it down gently and rubbed the pad of his thumb on his son’s forehead again instead.

“Of course not. You’re allowed to explore, kiddo. I’m just mad at myself for not being there when you fell.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you, Dad.”

Jax wiped at the tears that wouldn’t freaking relent.

“We’re gonna need you to clear the area,” an EMT called out from behind Jax. He turned around, not caring one damn bit about the way his shoulders shook with sobs or how he must look.

“Please help him, Bobby,” he said, recognizing the man in the climbing gear as a kid he’d gone to high school with. Ironically, Bobby had been one of the most risk-averse kids in school. Look at him now.

“Hey, Jax. I didn’t know it was you up here. What happened?”

“My son fell while he was climbing. But I-I didn’t see it happen. I don’t know how bad it is.”

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