something wrong.”
She was up and moving before Billy could stop her, pushing her way through a crowd of women in silly hats, heading for the umpire who stood on the sideline.
She leaned down over the wall that separated her from the field. “Excuse me,” she shouted at the umpire, straining to be heard over the crowd. “Excuse me! There’s something wrong with that horse!”
The umpire glanced over at her, an irritated look on his face. “Get back, lady,” he yelled. “Are you crazy?”
Georgia leaned over even farther, feeling that she might topple onto the field at any moment. “The horse—that Player Number One is riding on the La Victoria team—something is very wrong with it.”
The umpire shook his head, refusing to listen. Billy had reached her by now and was pulling at her shoulder. “Georgia! What are you doing?”
Georgia shook him off. She felt sick. She knew she was making a spectacle of herself, but that insistent diagnostic voice in her gut persisted, the one so stubborn that, when it kicked in, Georgia knew that either she was going to be right or totally humiliated trying to prove that she was right.
“Hey, you!” she yelled. “Goddamn it! Listen to me!”
The umpire had obviously decided to ignore her. She looked out at Rory and his horse again—her heart thumped—there was nothing else to do.
She climbed up over the wall and dropped down onto the field, landing with a solid thwack onto her rear. The umpire turned to her, horrified. “Holy shit, lady, what the hell?”
Georgia looked up at him and took a deep breath. “You need to call a time-out. And help me up while you’re at it.”
Chapter Fourteen
A lejandro lifted his head, squinting to see what the commotion was on the other side of the field. The umpires, two on horseback and one on the ground, were huddled around something—no wait— someone . Someone was on the field.
“ Que mierda pasa! ” he swore, as he recognized the caramel curls and wildly waving arms of the woman standing on the green. “Time out!” he shouted. “Time out!”
The other players pulled up and looked at him in surprise. Players almost never called a time out—not unless there was a major injury or a necessary piece of equipment had broken.
He wheeled away from the others and galloped across the field.
“Stop being so idiotic and listen to me,” Georgia was yelling at the umpires. “That horse is going to be permanently damaged if—” She broke off and looked up at Alejandro as he rode up. Relief flooded her face when she saw who he was.
“Oh, thank God, Alejandro! These asses won’t listen to me! Rory’s pony, there’s something wrong. It’s her spine—maybe spondylomyelopathy. You need to get her off the field immediately.”
Alejandro frowned and looked over at Rory and his horse. “MacKenzie?” he said. “No, you’re mistaken. She’s in perfect health.”
Georgia stamped her foot in frustration. “No, she’s not. She’s got a sway in her gait, and if she keeps being ridden that way, she’s going to have permanent damage. She’s probably in terrible pain. She needs to be taken off the field and rushed to a hospital, right now!”
Alejandro stared at her for another moment. She looked up at him, her eyes imploring him to listen. “Please,” she whispered.
He reared his horse around. “Rory!” he yelled, racing across the field. “Bring in MacKenzie!”
Rory waved and started riding toward them, but halfway across the field, the brave pony’s knees buckled.
“Damn it,” breathed Alejandro as he raced toward them. He sprang off his horse and grabbed MacKenzie’s reins as the pony hit the ground.
“Find Gustavo,” he spat at Rory. He held MacKenzie’s head, stroking her face. “ Bueno, bueno, shhh, tranquila. Just hang on.”
Georgia ran up behind them and knelt at the pony’s side, her fingers gently probing the pony’s spine.
“I think she might need a fusion,” Georgia said. “How
She was up and moving before Billy could stop her, pushing her way through a crowd of women in silly hats, heading for the umpire who stood on the sideline.
She leaned down over the wall that separated her from the field. “Excuse me,” she shouted at the umpire, straining to be heard over the crowd. “Excuse me! There’s something wrong with that horse!”
The umpire glanced over at her, an irritated look on his face. “Get back, lady,” he yelled. “Are you crazy?”
Georgia leaned over even farther, feeling that she might topple onto the field at any moment. “The horse—that Player Number One is riding on the La Victoria team—something is very wrong with it.”
The umpire shook his head, refusing to listen. Billy had reached her by now and was pulling at her shoulder. “Georgia! What are you doing?”
Georgia shook him off. She felt sick. She knew she was making a spectacle of herself, but that insistent diagnostic voice in her gut persisted, the one so stubborn that, when it kicked in, Georgia knew that either she was going to be right or totally humiliated trying to prove that she was right.
“Hey, you!” she yelled. “Goddamn it! Listen to me!”
The umpire had obviously decided to ignore her. She looked out at Rory and his horse again—her heart thumped—there was nothing else to do.
She climbed up over the wall and dropped down onto the field, landing with a solid thwack onto her rear. The umpire turned to her, horrified. “Holy shit, lady, what the hell?”
Georgia looked up at him and took a deep breath. “You need to call a time-out. And help me up while you’re at it.”
Chapter Fourteen
A lejandro lifted his head, squinting to see what the commotion was on the other side of the field. The umpires, two on horseback and one on the ground, were huddled around something—no wait— someone . Someone was on the field.
“ Que mierda pasa! ” he swore, as he recognized the caramel curls and wildly waving arms of the woman standing on the green. “Time out!” he shouted. “Time out!”
The other players pulled up and looked at him in surprise. Players almost never called a time out—not unless there was a major injury or a necessary piece of equipment had broken.
He wheeled away from the others and galloped across the field.
“Stop being so idiotic and listen to me,” Georgia was yelling at the umpires. “That horse is going to be permanently damaged if—” She broke off and looked up at Alejandro as he rode up. Relief flooded her face when she saw who he was.
“Oh, thank God, Alejandro! These asses won’t listen to me! Rory’s pony, there’s something wrong. It’s her spine—maybe spondylomyelopathy. You need to get her off the field immediately.”
Alejandro frowned and looked over at Rory and his horse. “MacKenzie?” he said. “No, you’re mistaken. She’s in perfect health.”
Georgia stamped her foot in frustration. “No, she’s not. She’s got a sway in her gait, and if she keeps being ridden that way, she’s going to have permanent damage. She’s probably in terrible pain. She needs to be taken off the field and rushed to a hospital, right now!”
Alejandro stared at her for another moment. She looked up at him, her eyes imploring him to listen. “Please,” she whispered.
He reared his horse around. “Rory!” he yelled, racing across the field. “Bring in MacKenzie!”
Rory waved and started riding toward them, but halfway across the field, the brave pony’s knees buckled.
“Damn it,” breathed Alejandro as he raced toward them. He sprang off his horse and grabbed MacKenzie’s reins as the pony hit the ground.
“Find Gustavo,” he spat at Rory. He held MacKenzie’s head, stroking her face. “ Bueno, bueno, shhh, tranquila. Just hang on.”
Georgia ran up behind them and knelt at the pony’s side, her fingers gently probing the pony’s spine.
“I think she might need a fusion,” Georgia said. “How
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