Page 53 of Worth the Fall
The living room was dark. I stood in the middle of it, staring up at the pictures.
My music was screaming so loud in my ears that it was beginning to hurt.
A hand dropped on my shoulder, making me jump in surprise. I took out my headphones and whirled around. “Oh my gosh, Dennis. You scared the life out of me!”
Dennis was wearing black pajamas and a blue flannel robe. His hair was wild on one side and flat on the other. He smiled and took his hand off my shoulder. “Sorry, Allegra! I said goodbye to you when you left, but I wasn’t sure you heard me.” He shuffled into the kitchen. “You’re fast,” he called back.
I put my hand on my chest, forcing my heart to calm backdown. “Not usually.”
He came back to the living room with a bottle of water and handed it to me. “Do you run every mornin’?” He groaned as he sat in one of the armchairs, taking a long sip out of a mug with “Rodeo’s best dad” on the front.
“Thank you.”I took a seat on the couch, clutching my water bottle like a lifeline. “I try to. Clears my head.”
He nodded. “Did you sleep okay?”
I nodded again, though it was a big lie.
I tossed and turned for hours. My mind was racing. The idea that Colton was asleep in the other room made the butterflies in my stomach explode. My mom called twice in the middle of the night, but I truly couldn’t handle that, so I ignored it. A toilet flushed around four, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Colton was awake too.
I had given up around five to go for my run.
“Yes, the room was perfect. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”
He itched his cheek. “Oh, Allegra, we’re glad you’re here.”
I took a long drink ofmy water. “Are you going on the horse ride this morning?”
“No,” he whispered, his voice tired. “Unfortunately, I can’t do the horse rides anymore.”
My interest was piqued. “Oh? Why not? Is everything okay?”
Dennis leaned forward and pulled a warm rice pack out from behind his back. He shook it with a sad laugh and put it back. “Rodeo life is not kind to the body.”
“Did you have an accident when you were competing?” My posture was perfect, my grip on the water sotight it was beginning to crinkle under my fingernails.
I could practically hear the sirens, feel the blood rushing through my body, taste the panic.
Dennis shook his head. “No, thank goodness. Abnormally quick aging comes with jumpin’ off a horse multiple times a day for decades.”
I let out a breath. “Oh. Well, I’m glad you weren’t ever seriously injured.”
Dennis gave me a fatherly smile. “Thanks, kiddo. Me too. You know, Jimmy is getting close to retiring. His neck has had enough, and it’s startin’ to take a toll on him.”
A sense of empathetic relief for AnnaJane flooded me. I shook it away. “That’s too bad.”
He gave me a knowing look. “Rodeo life is not easy on the loved ones.”
I pretended not to notice his look. “I’m sure it’s tough to watch the people you love get hurt…over and over again.”
Dennis took a deep breath, laced his fingers together, and leaned forward. “Listen, Allegra-”
“Oh, hey!” Colton’s voice bounced off the walls.
Dennis and I’s attention snapped up.
He was dressed in a white t-shirt and Wranglers, his hair combed back, waiting for a hat. He leaned against the wall, doing his best to look casual, but the twitching in his fingers gave that away.
I swallowed. “Hi.”
