Page 49 of Her Royal Cowboy Billionaire

Erin slowly opened her eyes. “Mommy. Joker threw me.”

Michele knelt beside her. “I know. How are you feeling?”

She closed her eyes. “I hurt.” She reached up and touched her helmet and the gash in it. “I guess the helmet helped me, huh?”

“Yes, it did. Where do you hurt? Does your neck hurt?”

“My neck doesn’t hurt, my bottom does.” She rolled to her side and pushed herself up to her hands and knees, off her bottom.

Michele smiled, glad only her bottom hurt. “How’s that feel, you being on your hands and knees?”

“Fine.”

“Okay. Let’s see if you can stand.” She helped her to her feet. “Very good. I want you to ride with me on the way home. Joker will follow.”

“Okay.”

They rode home and Michele immediately took Erin to the emergency room.

The doctors did their tests and determined she might have a slight concussion, but the helmet protected her.

The ER doctor advised Michele about the dosage of some over-the-counter pain medicine. “I don’t want to give her anything more potent for her pain. I want her to rest, but I want you to wake her every two hours for the first eight hours and see if she can answer questions she would know the answer to. Like what is her dog’s name, etc.”

Michele felt her whole body sag in relief. “Thank you, doctor. I’ll do that.”

“If she’s answering everything correctly after waking her for the first eight hours, she should be okay.”

“Thanks again.” Michele extended a hand.

The doctor shook it and held on.

The grasp went for a little too long.

She took her hand back and flashed her ring—Alex’s ring.

“Can’t blame a guy for hoping,” he said with a smile.

Michele gathered up Erin and drove her home. “You can watch TV for a while or read on your ereader or just sleep, but the doctor said you need to rest. Okay, sweet pea?”

“Yes, Mommy. I’m kinda tired, anyway.”

“Okay, let’s get you into your jammies and into bed.”

Michele helped Erin change, kissed her forehead, and left the room, but kept the door open so she could hear her. She went down to the kitchen and put water on to heat. She needed a cup of tea…needed to relax.

She really wished Alex was here. She could talk to him, tell him how afraid she was. Afraid she’d miss something. What if Erin really needed a father more than she needed to return to Montana to have a normal life? Alex would be a wonderful father and Erin already loved him.

Staring up at the ceiling, Michele closed her eyes. She saw eyes watching her. Everywhere she looked, she saw eyes now attached to faces that were telling her what a terrible mother she was. Telling her Erin would have adjusted just fine to living in a palace, if Joker had been there. She could have sent for the horses, and Erin would likely have been fine.

What am I running from?

CHAPTER12

Two weeks after Michele left Batrovia

The Funeral

Gregor Fedorov’s funeral was magnificent. He laid in state, in a closed coffin, for two days before the actual funeral.