Free Accidental Cowgirl by Maggie McGinnis Page A

stones, heading through the forest out of sight.
    “Want to sit for a little while?” Decker asked softly, letting go of her hand.
    Kyla lowered herself gingerly to watch the water. Her legs were still shaky and her headstill felt a bit prickly, but it was better. “I really am sorry.”
    Decker crouched down beside her, looking at the brook. “You can stop apologizing. And just so you know, that wasn’t supposed to happen. I have no idea what those idiots were thinking.” He tossed a twig into the water.
    “It wasn’t their fault. Not really.”
    “Maybe not, but it was ridiculous. Obviously we need to find more for them to do, if this is the kind of crap they come up with when they’re bored.”
    “I’m sure they thought they were being funny. They had no way of knowing they’d send someone flipping backward over a log.” Kyla rubbed the back of her head, wincing.
    “Well, it won’t happen again, I assure you.”
    Kyla wished she could assure him of the same. But she couldn’t. She hadn’t felt the panic attack coming in time to get away from the crowd, not this time, and not the other day in court. By the time she’d realized what was happening, her limbs had been too heavy to cooperate and help her escape.
    “Kyla—” he started.
    “Hey, sweetie, are you okay?” Jess appeared out of nowhere and folded herself down on Kyla’s other side. Kyla forced her eyes away from Decker to turn to Jess.
    “I’m fine, Jess. Just had to get away from the amputation up there.” Kyla drilled her eyes at Jess, begging her not to ask more questions.
    Decker eased up from his crouch, and Kyla fought the urge to pull him back down with her. What was wrong with her? “Looks like reinforcements are here. I guess I’ll, uh, head back up and roll some heads, if that’s okay with you. You think you’re going to be okay?”
    “Fine. Yes, I’ll be fine.” She nodded, but knew her voice wasn’t very convincing.
    He reached out like he was going to touch her, but pulled back. “I highly recommend sitting by the brook for a while, though. Whisper Creek water is good medicine, Ma always says.”
    Kyla nodded again, slowly. “Thanks, Decker. For, well, for everything.”
    He put two fingers on his Stetson in an old-fashioned salute, then turned to head back up the hill. As much as Kyla was grateful for Jess coming to check on her, she wondered what Decker had been about to say. She twisted her hands together thoughtfully as she watched the water flow over tiny boulders, remembering the feel of her hand in his warm, strong one.
    As soon as he was out of earshot, Jess rubbed her shoulder. “Panic attack?”
    Kyla nodded miserably, and to her chagrin, tears prickled her eyes again. “Dammit, Jess. Am I ever going to get better? Wasn’t it just last night that I was saying I was done with this? Ready to move on?”
    “Oh, sweetie.” Jess put her arm around Kyla’s shoulder. “You are getting better. You know you are. These things are unpredictable, especially when you get a lovely blood-and-gore surprise. Seriously, what was the point of that?”
    Kyla shook her head. “I have no flippin’ idea. Idiots with ketchup.”
    “I’m so sorry we were inside.” Jess squeezed Kyla’s shoulder. “Sweetie, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you look awful. Really awful. Do you think maybe you could sleep if you lie down?”
    Kyla groaned. “Jessie, I’m working on my brave face, but right now I’m too afraid to sleep. If I sleep, I might dream. And you know where that gets me.”
    Jess ran her hands through the pine needles at her feet, drawing squiggles in the sand. “I thought the nightmares would be fading by now.”
    “I know. But they haven’t yet. And in every single one, Gramps is calling to me to save him, but I don’t. Sometimes he’s standing on a cliff, sometimes he’s falling out of a plane. It’s terrifying.”
    “They’re just nightmares, sweetie. They’re not real.”
    “But Jessie,