A harry harrison collect.., p.2
Snowy Mountain Christmas, page 2
She thought he was trying to regain consciousness because his eyelids were beginning to flutter, but then he went still again. She knew he must be miserable in the cold, on the gravel, but there was no way to shelter him beyond what she was already doing, and her misery was giving way to despair.
She leaned forward, her forehead resting against the top of his head as she willed herself not to cry. There were no more stories left in her, and he wouldn’t open his eyes.
“Don’t die,” she kept pleading. “Please don’t die.”
But time kept passing, and she was so close to all-out panic that she couldn’t think. It had taken the better part of an hour just to get him out of the car, off of her, and up onto the road, and that was before she’d even called 911, and that was nearly thirty minutes ago. She was about to lose hope when she began to hear sirens.
“Oh my God! Oh, honey! They’re coming. Help is almost here. They’re going to get you out of this awful storm and make you well. I knew the angels wouldn’t have sent me here just to watch you die.” She began cupping his face and patting his cheek. “You’re going to be okay.”
She knew when the rescue units took the left fork because the sirens were getting louder. And when a county sheriff’s car finally rolled up, followed by an ambulance, and behind that, a wrecker, Marley breathed a huge sigh of relief. She leaned over until her mouth was next to his ear.
“Help is here,” she whispered.
***
Deputy Curtis Stone was on the move when he got the call about the wreck. It was already raining, but he drove into the core of the storm before he reached the location, and when he did, he was stunned at the sight.
A big Land Rover was upside down in a ditch, and through the rain, he saw a young woman huddled beneath the umbrella she was holding over the victim. Stone couldn’t see her face, but he could see that she’d positioned herself to take the brunt of the storm to protect him.
He jumped out on the run.
***
Marley looked up as a uniformed officer in a rain slicker came running toward her. The relief of knowing help had arrived was overwhelming, and she choked back a sob.
“Miss, are you okay?” the officer asked.
“Yes, but he’s not,” she said.
Moments later, the EMTs rolled up and came rushing toward them. Two of them helped her up, then moved her out of the way as they began working on the victim, leaving her shaking so hard she could barely stand.
She watched them checking the man’s vitals and still stood nearby as another EMT came running with a stretcher. There was a moment when she knew her job was over, but leaving now felt like she was abandoning him.
She staggered as she turned away, so cold and miserable she didn’t know she’d just walked out of one of her shoes. Her entire focus was just getting into the sanctuary of her Jeep.
***
It was the sirens that woke him.
Trey had already begun regaining consciousness, but the sudden blast of sirens was as strident in his ears as the alarm by his bedside.
Part of the time he knew he’d wrecked. And in those lucid moments, he kept hearing a sweet voice—and sometimes he thought she was crying—and wondered if she’d been hurt too, and then he’d pass out again. He’d even had a brief glimpse of her face just as help was arriving. She’d looked away as he opened his eyes, and he wanted to tell her something, but he couldn’t remember what it was, and then he slipped back under again. It wasn’t until they’d moved her and the umbrella away and the cold rain hit Trey’s face that he really came to, but by then, the woman was gone.
He’d heard her voice. He knew she’d been there. But he couldn’t think enough to speak. He turned his head and caught one fleeting glimpse of a rain-soaked blond about half his size before the medics surrounded him.
His last glimpse was of her getting into a red Jeep, and then his little angel was gone.
After that, the voices came.
Men’s voices. Loud voices.
Someone issuing orders. Someone else responding.
Then he was conscious of hands, so many hands, rolling him onto a stretcher and then out of the rain into the back of the ambulance.
At that point, he passed out again.
***
Deputy Curtis Stone stood watching as they loaded the victim into the ambulance and drove away. Then as he turned to wave the wrecker to come in, he glanced down and saw one little red shoe in the mud. The woman had been wearing red shoes!
He picked it up, looked around for her car. It was gone, and he realized he’d never asked for her name. Aggravated at himself for the oversight, he took the shoe to his cruiser and bagged it, and then went back to help clear the road. As he walked back to the site, he sidestepped a big puddle and then noticed a large tree on the side of the road that was split down the middle.
Upon closer inspection, he could see char marks on the green wood, and the ground beneath the tree looked like it had exploded from beneath. His eyes widened as he looked back at the location of the wreck. Lightning had recently struck this tree, and now he was curious to find out if this was what had caused the man to wreck.
He still had a trip to make to the hospital. He didn’t know if he’d get a statement, but he had to ID the victim before he could close out his report.
As soon as the tow truck left with the wrecked vehicle, Deputy Stone headed into Clarksville to the Johnson County Healthcare Center with the victim’s personal effects: a phone from inside the console that hadn’t been submerged, a suitcase, and a duffel bag that had been in the back of the Land Rover.
***
By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Trey was fully conscious. He knew from listening to the EMTs that he had a gash on his head and a large contusion on his rib cage, likely from the seat belt. He didn’t remember much after the car began to roll until he heard the woman’s voice. Even then, he hadn’t fully understood what she was saying, but he’d felt her hand on his face and known he was no longer alone. Then in the ambulance, he keyed in on the medics talking about her during the ride.
They said she’d been huddled over him, using her body as a windbreak and holding an umbrella to keep the rain out of his face. They were theorizing the various ways she might have been able to get him out of the car by herself. She wasn’t very big, they’d said, and that she’d cut the seat belt trapping him to get him out.
But nobody mentioned her name, and he didn’t know if she was okay. Had she hurt herself getting him out of the car? And how the hell had she dragged him out of the ditch and onto the road? He was six feet, two inches tall and weighed in at a buck ninety-five.
Now, he was in an ER with staples in his forehead and a portable X-ray hovering over him, taking pictures of his head and chest. Moving was miserable, but it happened anyway, and then they were gone.
He closed his eyes and sighed, wishing himself to a place where pain did not exist. After a few moments of silence, he heard footsteps and then a man’s voice, questioning the nurse.
“How’s he doing?”
“Waiting for X-rays, sir. BP and pulse rate are a little high, but likely due to pain,” the nurse said.
“Is he conscious enough to question?” the man asked.
Trey opened his eyes enough to see who was there and saw a uniformed officer with an armful of bags. His bags.
“I’m conscious, just trying to ignore a blistering headache,” Trey said.
The deputy put the bags against the wall.
“I’m Deputy Stone with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. I worked your wreck and got your belongings from the car before it was towed. I won’t bother you long. Just a couple of things to finish my report. I need your name and address, and whatever you can remember that caused the wreck.”
“Trey Austin. Phoenix, Arizona. I was doing some research in and around the state this past week and was on my way home. My GPS was acting up, and I was pretty sure I was lost when I drove into a thunderstorm. It was a lightning strike that caused me to swerve. One minute I’m driving and then what sounded like an explosion and a blinding flash just to my left. I lost control, then overcorrected. I remember the car beginning to roll. I don’t remember anything after the windshield popped out until I heard a woman’s voice. I couldn’t wake up enough to talk to her, and kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Is she okay?”
Deputy Stone shrugged. “Unfortunately, she drove away before we knew it.”
“You didn’t even get her name?” Trey asked.
Stone shook his head. “All I got was a shoe. It was stuck in the mud. And I see I accidentally brought it in with your things.”
“It’s her shoe?” Trey asked.
“Yes, for sure. I saw her wearing them when we helped her up.”
“Helped her up? Was she hurt?” Trey asked.
“No, just freezing, and she was on her knees in the gravel when we arrived, holding an umbrella over you. I think she was so cold she was just stiff,” the deputy said.
“God,” Trey muttered, and then saw the little shoe inside an evidence bag. “Do you have any reason to keep that shoe?”
“No. It’s not evidence of anything but a Good Samaritan.”
“Can I have it?” Trey asked.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll put it in your duffel bag if you want so it doesn’t get misplaced,” Stone said.
“Thanks,” Trey said. “I’ll need a copy of the accident report and info as to where the car was towed before I leave.”
Stone glanced at the nurse. “Are you admitting him?”
“I’m sure we will. At the least, he’s concussed and a long way from home. He’ll have to get better to be able to travel,” she said.
“Okay then, Mr. Austin, I’ll drop it by sometime tomorrow. Take it easy and try to get some rest,” he said and left.
Trey glanced at the suitcase and duffel bag and hoped his laptop was still dry and intact. They’d all been in the back of the Land Rover. He’d packed it within layers of clothing in his suitcase, and the bags didn’t look like they’d been submerged. But in a worst-case scenario, everything was saved to the cloud as well as a duplicate file he’d sent to his home office in Phoenix.
A short while later, Trey was moved to a single room in the medical center, wearing a hospital gown that was far too short, and hooked up to a number of machines. He was just so glad to be dry and warm, and with enough naproxen in him to alleviate the pounding headache.
He drifted in and out of sleep, thought about calling his parents, then opted against it. All he knew was that they had flown to Lucerne, Switzerland, before Thanksgiving and were staying until after Christmas, maybe the New Year, but they never spent holidays together, and Trey was used to their absence in his life. He didn’t know why they were the way they were, but he knew why he didn’t miss them.
His parents hadn’t raised him. The nannies and housekeepers they’d hired had been the ones who wiped his tears and bandaged up his cuts and scrapes, and when he was ten, his parents sent him away to boarding school. Coming from a wealthy family had drawbacks, and for him, that was the big one. His parents were the reason he existed, but after graduating college, he’d made his own way in the world without them.
The next day, Deputy Stone came by as promised with the accident report, the name of the towing company, and the tow yard. Trey contacted his insurance agent and let him deal with the rest of it and waited impatiently to be released.
***
Just before Marley drove away from the wreck site, she reset her GPS. She drove slowly through the continuing rain, with the heater on blast until her shaking stopped. Her hair and clothes were beginning to dry by the time she reached the access road to Interstate 40. She took the westbound on-ramp and drove until she was out of the rain and didn’t stop until she’d reached Fort Smith. That’s when she realized she was missing a shoe.
“I liked those shoes,” she muttered, then got out, stuffed the muddy one under the front seat, got another pair from her suitcase, and put them on before refueling.
She went inside the large truck stop and headed straight to the bathroom, washing up as best she could, then brushing the tangles out of her hair before returning to the store area. She made a quick sweep through the refrigerated section and bought a bottle of sweet tea, then went down the candy and chip aisle for some snacks before getting back on the road.
She ate while she drove, but the farther she went, the more exhausted she became. The trauma of the day was catching up. By the time she drove across the border into Oklahoma, she started looking for a place to stop. She drove until she reached Sallisaw, then stopped at a hotel and checked in. She made it all the way up the elevator and into her room before coming undone.
Maybe it was the quiet, or the comfort of not being wet and cold, but as soon as Marley locked the door behind her, she sat down on the side of the bed and began to cry. A few random tears quickly turned into harsh, ugly sobs, and she cried until the overwhelming feeling of fear had completely left her.
No tears needed. You saved him.
She sighed. The angels were talking to her again. “I know. But I was so scared. Please let him be okay.”
She waited for an answer she didn’t get and then went to wash her face. Her eyes were red. Her skin was pale. The last thing she needed was to get sick this far from home, so she went down to the restaurant in the lobby, absently scanned the menu, and when she saw they served breakfast all day, she ordered her childhood comfort food—scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. She ate with appreciation for the simple meal that it was and felt better when she went back upstairs.
A long, soaking bubble bath later, she crawled between the sheets and closed her eyes. When she woke up again, it was morning. She spent one more night on the road, and on the morning of her third day, she was heading west. Tonight, she would be home, happily wandering the renovated guest rooms of Corbett Lodge and sleeping in her own bed.
Chapter 2
The sun had gone down by the time Marley reached Colorado Springs. To her delight, the city had already decorated the streets and the streetlights with Christmas decor. Some businesses had huge red bows on their doors, while others had opted for wreaths or colorful blinking lights around their windows and roofs. All they needed was a little snow and it would be a Christmas wonderland.
Although it was already dark, it wasn’t late, so she stopped at a supermarket to grab a few things to take home and was going down the deli aisle when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Before she could turn around, the hand had slid all the way down her back to her hips.
Horrified at the familiarity, she turned, saw who it was, and shoved him backward, shouting without caring who was listening.
“Jared Bedford! What’s wrong with you? Get your hands off me!”
Jared took a step back and held up his hands. “Don’t be so touchy, Bug. We’ve been friends all our lives. I was just trying to say hello.”
“Friends? We have never been friends, and you have no concept of boundaries. I put up with this all through high school to keep my father from going to jail for breaking your neck, but no more! If you ever put your hands on me like that again, you’ll be sorry.”
There was a crowd of shoppers gathering, but Jared wasn’t backing down. He shoved a hand through his straw-colored hair, then narrowed his eyes down to green slits.
“What are you going to do? Your daddy’s dead, and I’m not scared of you.”
Marley was in shock. This was the most blatant act of crossing a line he’d ever pulled. Suddenly, she was afraid, but she couldn’t let him see it. Instead, she leaned forward and lowered her voice just enough so that he was the only one who could hear her.
“You mistake my size for helplessness. I don’t need my daddy to pull the trigger on that shotgun I keep loaded at the lodge. If you ever put your hands on me like that again, I will make you sorry.”
The grin froze on Jared’s face. He glared at her for a few moments and then made a quick pivot and strode off. When he did, the crowd dispersed, but it was a frightening, embarrassing homecoming she hadn’t expected. And now she was going to go back to that big empty lodge alone, and Jared Bedford likely knew it.
She quickly finished her shopping, loaded up her car, and drove out of the parking lot, then circled a couple of blocks to make sure he wasn’t following her before leaving the city. After that, she headed up the mountain, while paying close attention to the dark road behind her, watching for headlights. And when she saw the Corbett Lodge sign, she quickly took the turn and drove onto her property.
The drive was barely a hundred yards up into the woods, and the security lights lit the way as she pulled around back into her garage. The lights came on inside the moment the door went up, and even as she was getting out of the car, the doors were going back down.
She exhaled slowly, releasing the tension she’d been feeling.
It was like being tucked into bed.
She was home.
The routine of putting up groceries, unpacking her suitcase, bringing in the canned goods she’d been given, and storing her new recipes were enough of a distraction that she forgot about Jared.
She began thinking of the man from the wreck. Was he healing, or was he succumbing to injuries she didn’t know he’d had? The thought of spinal injuries exacerbated by being moved had been on her mind, but she also knew he would have drowned if she had not moved him.
She ran upstairs to see the renovations and was delighted by the changes. The hardwood floors were gleaming. The new tile in the bathrooms looked elegant, and the walls in the guest rooms had been freshly painted with a color called pale sage.
It fit the ambiance of the lodge so well. Now all she had to do was put the rooms back together again, but not tonight. That was something for another day.
She went through the lodge, checking to see that all the doors and windows were locked, and the public bathrooms were empty, and that everything was in its place. Then she set the security alarm and went to work, putting her dirty clothes in the hotel washing machine and carrying her empty bags up to the attic.
