Page 191

"Wow."

"And that was just me."

"Just you?"

"Oh yeah, poor judgment. Misplaced confidence. A fundamental misunderstanding of gravity."

Despite everything, I laughed. "How many bones have you broken?"

"Mine or other people's?"

I stared.

He grinned and shrugged. “Honestly? Lost count."

"How is that possible?"

"Well, after the third broken collarbone, you stop keeping track."

"The third?"

"Technically, the fourth. But one was just a hairline fracture, so I don't think it should count."

I shook my head. "Your poor mother."

"Yeah, she claims to have a few gray hairs with my name on 'em."

"At least you've grown out of it."

His expression suggested I’d made a wildly inaccurate assumption.

"Or not?" I questioned.

"Last year I broke two ribs trying to jump a creek on horseback."

"Why?"

"Thought I could make it."

"No.” I shook my head. “I mean why would you try and jump a creek on horseback?"

"Well, I asked the horse if he thought we could make it, and he didn't say no."

I laughed again. And for the first time since finding Mom on the floor, I didn’t feel like my world was imploding.

"Dylan?"

A woman's voice came from behind us. I turned. And I immediately felt like I should've put on mascara.

The woman approaching us was gorgeous.

Long red hair. Big brown eyes. Flawless skin.

The kind of woman who could wear hospital scrubs and still look like she'd stepped out of a magazine.

Her eyes were fixed on Dylan.

"I heard you were here." She stopped in front of him, concern written all over her face. "Are you okay?"