Page 74 of The CEO and the Mountain Man

He made a low sound of pain. Thank God.

“Don’t move. You got tossed from Betty.”

Another groan of pain, and Clark, either ignoring me or not hearing me, rolled onto his back.

River’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God,Dad!”

The left side of Clark’s face was awash in blood and dirt, and the bones of his left arm were … wrong. This kind of break was called something. A rifle deformity … no.

A bayonet deformity.

Clark blinked up at me, his face a mask of agony. Blood poured from the deep, jagged cut that ran from the middle of his left brow to his left temple.

“Dad!”

So much blood.

River’s breathing went funny, and he gasped out, over and over, “Please, please don’t die. I can’t lose you, too. Please don’t die.”

Clark reached for River, then blanched. “I’m not dying, son. Just a broken arm.”

River, however, could not be consoled. “Dad, your head. So much blood.”

“Yes, but I’m awake now,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll be okay.”

Clark wasn’t okay, though. Not by a long shot. He was in terrible pain, and the bleeding from his head wound hadn’t slowed in the slightest.

Colt reached down into his saddlebag. “I’ve got the first-aid kit…”

I shook my head. We needed a helluva lot more than a first aid kit. “Get the satellite phone,” I ordered, vaguely registering that River was wheezing. Like he couldn’t get enough oxygen.

Clark rolled his eyes toward me. “He’s hyperventilating.”

Miguel and Colt had dismounted and joined us. Colt handed me the satellite phone and began patrolling with his rifle while Miguel had dropped to his knees next to us, River’s walking stick in hand.

He rubbed River’s back. “I’m here. I’m here, Riv.”

River turned to Miguel, sobbing into his shoulder.

I called the front office and Lucas answered on the first ring.

“Colt? Did something go wrong on the trail?”

“It’s me. It’s Beau,” I said, my voice cracking on my own name. “I—we had a scare with a rattler. Betty reared up and Clark was thrown. Bad arm break, and a head wound. Pretty sure we’re gonna need, um. A helicopter. Life Flight. Something like that.”

Dammit, I should’ve called emergency services directly.I tried to concentrate, but the way River was sobbing… I—I couldn’t.

“Is Clark awake and alert?” Lucas asked, bringing me back to the present.

“For now,” I choked out. “He, uh. He lost consciousness for a bit there.”

“Okay. Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do…”

I listened as Lucas carefully and calmly laid out the plan. He agreed that we should move Clark as little as possible and that an air ambulance was the best option. I nodded along and murmured my agreement in all the right places, then hung up.

“Is Clark gonna be okay?” Cynthia asked from her horse, near tears.

“Yes, but someone needs to ride ahead to the clearing and drop a pin for the rescue team.” I refocused on Clark. “We can’t move him. We’ve got a medical air service in bound.”