Page 21 of Cherry Tree Ranch

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m OK, but…” My body feels like it’s floating above the bed. “Where am I?” This could be a dream, but my head hurts enough to believe it’s not. “What happened?”

“You had a mild seizure. Well, a few of them.” He looks down at my IV and reaches to touch it before pulling back. On his wrist is a silver cuff bracelet, stamped with feather-like lines. “The seizures started when we got to the highway.”

“Seizures? I’ve never had seizures before.”

“The doctor said it’s a side-effect of your reaction,” he sighs. “She said these reactions can get worse each time you’re stung.”

I avoid his concerned gaze. “How did you know where I was?”

“I looked where your mom suggested, but then thought of where I’d be on a scorcher like this.” A smirk pulls on his lips. “Exactly where I found you. Under the cottonwoods by the pond. Except, I’d be buck naked, swimming in that cool water.”

I immediately feel nauseous again. My chest heaves. Cash puts a plastic tub in front of me, his face full of compassion. Thankfully nothing comes up.

“Just the thought of me naked makes you sick, huh?” he jokes.

I crack a smile. I appreciate that he’s lightened the mood, even if it feels wrong to talk about nakedness with a guy I barely know.

Yes, I remind myself – that sleepy feeling of familiarity was mistaken. I barely know Cash.

He hands me a cup of water and I sip it. The mild chlorine of the city water lingers in my mouth, and I find myself wishing I had a handful of cherries to help wash the taste off my tongue.

After gaining some composure, I ask, “Why were you there in the first place?”

He sits down in the rubberized chair next to the bed. “Went for a ride, trying to clear my mind.”

I tilt my head, not understanding.

“When I think about getting on a bronc again … I…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. Forget it.”

“No, I understand. Blue and I had a bad accident once. He slipped in the mud and fell on me. Trampled me as he scrambled to get up. Just the other day, he spooked and I panicked. The thought of being thrown after getting hurt is crippling.”

He clasps his hands together and leans his elbows on his knees.

“So…” I continue, “you went for a ride to my place?”

“There’s something about being there that makes me… No, forget it.” He frowns and gets up, grabbing the pitcher next to the bed. He walks quickly to the sink and shoves it under the faucet. With a hard, dry voice, he asks, “Why were you by the hives without a suit on?”

I rub my sweaty palms on the stark white sheets and decide to embarrass myself with the truth. “Ever since I was little and Grandpa taught me to work with the bees, I’ve felt this connection with them. Like … they hear me when I talk to them. Does that sound weird?”

“No.” His concern dissolves into a glimmer of understanding. “I talk to my dog all the time.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “Everyone talks to their dog, though.”

“Do they?” he says. “I’ll have to tell my dad I’m normal, then.”

“I didn’t say you were normal,” I laugh. “Anyway, I was really angry at my dad and needed to be near the bees. Needed to talk to them, or myself, I guess.” I bite my lip, looking around the room at the monitors and devices. There are giant adjustable lights above me and a poster on the wall to help assess your pain level. “Do you know why my mom isn’t here?”

Cash brings the pitcher of water back to the side table and straightens. “When we got to the house, your sister said your mom needed to sleep. I asked if I could take you in your mom’s car.”

“That’s typical.”

“What?”

“She’ll wake my mom up for the most trivial things, but the one time I need her Emery makes you take care of me.”

“She didn’t make me,” Cash says, rubbing his chin, annoyance on his breath.