Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DEVIN
Fuck!
I rush back from the barn to where Zane is lying motionless on the ground.
“Zane, Zane.” I nudge him gently but he doesn’t respond.
Fuck!
I check his pulse and breathe a small sigh of relief when I find one and it’s strong. But he’s definitely not conscious. I pull out my phone and curse when I remember I have no signal. It’s almost dark and I need to get him into the cabin.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter as I hoist him up and over my shoulder like a sack of feed, only about five times heavier. I’m halfway to the cabin when a latent thought comes into my head. He shouldn’t be moved in case there are any spinal injuries.
Fuck!
It’s too late now, and I couldn’t have left him out in the dark for whatever animals will come prowling. Though when I get to the cabin, I lay him on the bed with extra care. I position his head and feel the warm stickiness of blood on my fingers.
Fuck!
I frantically start digging through the cupboards and find a first aid kit, mentally thanking the organized Zane.
It’s basic but it has gauze and bandages.
I add some boiled water and salt to a bowl and clean away the blood as best I can.
Head wounds always bleed a lot, but still, there’s an alarming amount.
Once I’ve cleaned him up, I take a look.
It isn’t too deep and doesn’t look like it might need stitches, which is good as my skills don’t extend to that.
The nasty looking bump next to the wound is more worrying.
I put a simple dressing over the cut and settle him again, pulling off his boots while I contemplate what to do next.
I could ride for help, back to the farm. Except it’s dark and I don’t know the way.
The horses!
Fuck!
I dash out to the barn and open the door to the paddock.
I can’t see the horses in the dark. Perhaps they’ve managed to escape.
That would be just my luck. How do you get horses to come?
I call their names but nothing happens. I’m stuck here, miles from anywhere, with an unconscious boss and no horses.
I can see us perishing up here before help comes.
I hear a stomping and snorting and my heart skips a beat before I see the horses come into view.
Black silhouettes against a dark sky. I don’t know if there’s a lantern, but I use the torch on my phone, which is it’s only use right now, to prepare them some food.
“Hey, wait your turn,” I grumble as they jostle me, eager to eat, and I nearly get knocked over. But I manage to make sure they have food and water and I shut the barn securely for the night.
Zane is still out cold when I return, but he’s breathing and his pulse is strong.
The night has cooled, so I pull a blanket over him.
I make a pot of tea and drag one of the chairs over to the bed so I’m close.
There’s not much else I can do. If he’s not awake by morning, I might have to ride back to the farm, but I can’t do anything tonight.
I must have dozed off as I wake up with a jolt.
It’s still dark and I check my watch. It’s two a.m. I have no idea what woke me, but I listen carefully in case there’s something prowling around outside.
I can’t hear anything, which I’m thankful for.
It would be just my luck to have something else happen.
I make another tea and check on Zane. His skin feels clammy, especially his forehead.
I thought wiping brows was something that only happened in the movies, but I guess it can’t hurt.
I fetch a cloth and dab it across his forehead.
It reduces the clamminess, which could just be my imagination, though.
I stay for the rest of the night, checking him every so often and wiping his brow.
For some reason I start to sing softly, “A Coat of Many Colors.” I have no idea why, but it feels soothing, so I don’t stop.
I watch over Zane, getting a chance to study him. He’s handsome. I don’t know when I noticed that, but he is, even when he’s looking at me like he’d rather the ground swallowed me up. But he’s beautiful when he softens, smiles, and laughs.
I know I can appreciate that guys can be good looking. I have three handsome brothers. But this is different. I want to etch Zane’s features in my mind. I want him to turn those soft hazel eyes on me, praise me . . .
Wait, what?
No, that can’t be right. I must be sleep deprived, that’s it.
I can’t think of any other reason why I’d be thinking of my boss this way.
I’m straight for a start, and this isn’t real, as I’ve never felt like this when I’ve looked at a woman.
It’s definitely due to the lack of sleep, and I push any other thoughts away, despite the sense of rightness that curls round my belly.
I’ll feel differently when I’ve had some sleep, and I’ll be able to laugh about it.
Even so, I stay watching him until the sky lightens and dawn breaks.
The urge to reach out and touch Zane’s hand is strong, but I just sit and stare at it.
He has long, slim but strong fingers. Callouses from a lifetime of hard work.
The back of his hand is tanned from the sun, and I want to trace my fingertips over his skin, lace our fingers together.
I must be losing my mind as I reach out towards his hand.
As my fingers get close his hand twitches.
I hold my breath and it does it again. I snap my eyes to his face and his eyelids flutter.
He slowly blinks and looks at me with blurry eyes. He’s awake.
Thank fuck!