“She’s in room 503.” She smiles and whispers. “And, it looks like she’s doing just fine. They’ll keep her under observation for another twenty-four hours, but looks like she’s going to go home tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Melanie. I owe you.”
“Oh, you don’t owe me a thing. Been awful nice to look out here and have such a big, handsome man who’s got Cupid’s arrow sticking straight out of his heart. More men should be like you. Gives a girl hope.”
With that she’s gone whistling back to settle behind the front desk. I get to my feet to stretch. After the ambulance had taken my beauty away, it felt so strange that I was so connected to her yet knew so little about her. The thought of her disappearing and me not being able to figure out where she went and if she was okay nearly brought me to my knees.
After the ambulance had left and I managed to get what information I could from people I knew, I drove like a mad man to the hospital, where I’ve been sitting ever since. Travis conveniently disappeared otherwise he and I would have had a come to Jesus chat. Her parents piled into the ambulance with her so I couldn’t get to them.
Something about her makes me feel she is my responsibility. That it’s my job from this moment on to assure her happiness and her safety. That may sound crazy, but I know what I know. I’m more settled than I’ve been in as far back as I can remember. Something about my beauty is making me feel like I’ve finally found something that feels like home.
My clothes are a mess from being down in the dirt yesterday, and my usual neatly pressed look is a bit ruffled. I decide to take an hour, run to my house on the barn property, shower, dress and make it back here and stake my claim outside of room 503 until I get my eyes and hands on her again.
She’s got my heart; I’ll leave that here with her and come back for it later.
Leaving her here is making me nervous, but when I go in to see her, I want to be at my best. Besides, I need to do a quick check on Grand Teton and Nancy back at our barn. I take care of my obligations and they are both on my watch as well.