Playing With Fire (Tangled in Texas #2) - Alison Bliss Page 0,57

alive under Jake, lurching and rearing up onto its hind quarters. When the horse came down, his back legs kicked out frantically, bucking wildly until Jake rolled off backward and hit the dirt hard. The palomino bucked a few more times before finally settling down about ten feet away.

Emily’s eyes widened and we both gasped, but no one else seemed overly concerned that Jake had landed flat on his back and wasn’t moving. He lay there, as if struggling to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him, although a deep, whiny moan came from his throat.

Cowboy ran over and peered down at Jake. “Hey, Darth Vader, get up.” He chuckled to himself as Jake closed his eyes and winced. “Oh, come on. Time to wake up, sleepyhead.”

When Jake managed to get his breath back, he glared at Cowboy. “Don’t you have a mute button?” Then he reached for the hand his friend offered and pulled himself to his feet. After dusting himself off, Jake bent backward to stretch out his back, which must’ve been sore after the fall he’d endured. “One day, I’m going to kick that fucking horse’s head smooth off his body.”

As Jake’s temper flared, Cowboy grinned and glanced to the other boys. “Who’s next?”

As Emily checked her husband’s back for bruises, Judd mounted up. Cowboy held the ornery colt until he received a nod from the new rider, then he let go once again. Maybe it was Judd’s heavier frame that caused the horse to panic, but the colt bolted immediately and ran for the back pasture with Judd clinging tightly to the reins. The horse headed straight for the barbed wire fence and didn’t look to be slowing down any.

“Shit. He’s gonna get snagged on the fence if he gets thrown,” Cowboy said, concern lacing his voice. “Jump off, Judd! Jump!”

Judd did. Face-first into the side of a large mesquite tree.

Cowboy took off running toward him, and without thinking, I raced out behind him to make sure Judd was okay. Ruckus came to a dead stop at the edge of the property near the fence line and grazed on the thick weeds.

Judd was sitting on the ground with a dazed expression when we made it out to him. He had a cut above his swelling left eye and deep scrapes embedded into his cheek. His entire face leaked blood, which dribbled down onto his white T-shirt.

As we stopped in front of him, Judd said, “Cowboy? Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me, you idiot.”

Judd shook his head, as if to clear his vision. “I think the horse kicked me in the face.”

“Nah. You just got bitch-slapped by a tree.” Cowboy grinned at him, though I wasn’t entirely sure Judd could even see it. “Just a couple of scratches. Nothing that can’t be fixed. A little ice and some first aid and you’ll be good as new. Come on, I’ll help you up.”

Couple of scratches? Judd didn’t need an ice pack and Band-Aids. He needed a trauma team and a CT scan. Apparently, I was the only one who even considered seeking professional medical attention, though. Because as we walked him slowly back to the house, I spotted Floss waiting for us with a first aid kit in hand.

Cowboy and I deposited Judd in a chair for her and stepped back as Hank stood up to assess the damage. He pulled at his belt and chuckled. “Son, it looks like you got into a knife fight and you were the only sonofagun without a knife.”

Unconcerned, Cowboy laughed and said, “Next.”

But Ox balked at him. “You’re crazy if you think I’m stupid enough to get on that mangy horse.”

“Oh, nut up,” Jake said, scowling. “Judd and I took our turns. Don’t go growing a vagina on us now.”

“Hey!” Emily and Bobbie Jo yelled in unison.

“That’s because y’all are dumbasses,” Ox said as he winked at the girls. He was rewarded with their smiles and laughter before turning his attention back to Jake and Cowboy. “I’m not about to get on that deranged-ass horse and have him throw me off into the pond. I sure as hell don’t need to spend any quality time with Charlie after what happened to the last guy who hung out with him.”

My eyes cut to Cowboy. “Charlie?”

Cowboy grinned. “The alligator in Hank’s pond. Eats one little mob guy and suddenly Charlie’s on everyone’s shitlist.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “Come on, Ox. This is bound to be one of the things on your bucket