Chapter 24
24
D ean heaved a sigh of relief as Tommy clapped a hand on his forearm and helped him out of the hellhole with Elsie draped over his shoulder. “I located Mila about ten yards away down a narrow tunnel to the left. Injury to her leg and lacerations on her face are the only visible injuries, but she’s unconscious and severely malnourished. Elsie suffered a head wound and was shot in the calf. Both women need immediate medical attention.”
Mr. Sweet stood beside Tommy, terror written on every line of his face. “Elsie, honey. It’s Dad. Please wake up.”
Dean dropped to the ground and cradled Elsie in his lap. He cupped her dirty face in the palm of his hand with his heart lodged in his throat. “Elsie. Can you hear me? Calvin, what’s the status of medical help?”
“Should be here any second. I gave them coordinates and they were en route before you started up the shaft.” Calvin grabbed the rope from the ground that Tommy had dropped. “Tommy, I’ve got the rope while you head down to get Mila.”
Tommy plunged his hand in his backpack and tossed a medical kit and bottle of water to Dean then hoisted the pack on his back. “Not much in there that can help but try and get some fluids in her if she wakes. I’ll be quick.”
“Elsie,” Dean said, attention turned solely to the woman who held his world in her cold, limp hand. “Honey, open your eyes.”
Boo whined but stayed glued to Mr. Sweet’s side, as if sensing the older man needed the support.
“What’s wrong with her? Why isn’t she awake? Oh my God. She has to be all right.” Mr. Sweet crouched and pulled Boo close. He kept his gaze fixed on his daughter.
Dean didn’t have the energy to comfort Elsie’s father, not when anxiety squeezed his lungs so hard he couldn’t breathe. “Help’s on the way. For you and Mila. I need you to wake up. Mila needs you. She won’t be able to take care of Jimmy without you.”
Her eyelids flickered. A small groan sounded from the back of her throat.
Excitement tripled his pulse. “You know how excited he’ll be when he sees his mom,” he continued, knowing with his entire being it was her instinct to protect Jimmy that would make her fight the hardest. “Jimmy will need you to take him to school and assure him his mom needs a little rest before she can play. We can take him for ice cream again—five scoops this time if you just wake up. Please, babe. He needs you. I need you.”
“You just want more ice cream.” The wind almost swallowed her faint voice, but there was no mistaking the tiny smile that lifted the side of her mouth.
Relief washed over him like a cool, spring rain. “You know how much I love chocolate, but we can talk about that later. Can you open your eyes for me?”
Slowly, she blinked them open and winced. “Mila’s safe?”
“Tommy’s getting her now, and medics are on the way. Here, can you drink some water?” He unscrewed the cap from the plastic bottle and pressed it to her lips.
She took a small sip then turned her head. A dribble of water dripped down her dirty chin. “Everything hurts.”
He swiped the water off with the pad of his thumb. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry I let this happen. I should have been there with you. Should have stopped him from taking you. I never would have forgiven myself if I hadn’t found you in time. I love you, Elsie. I love you so damn much it hurts. I couldn’t face another day without you.”
Tears swam in Elsie’s eyes. “Do you mean it? Do you really love me?”
“With every fiber of my being.”
“I knew you’d find me.” She rested her head against his chest. “I want to go home now. I’m cold.”
Mr. Sweet stripped off his jacket and laid it across her before placing a kiss on Elsie’s forehead. “We’ll get you home soon, honey.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
Boo crawled over to lay at Dean’s feet and placed his head on Elsie’s arm.
The sound of hurried footsteps and mumbled voices carried to Dean on the cool wind. A beam of light bounced around the ground.
“Emergency responders, here.”
Two twenty-something men and a middled-aged woman jogged forward, their arms loaded with medical equipment.
Mr. Sweet stood and gestured them over. “She needs fluids and oxygen as soon as possible.”
The woman dropped to the ground beside Elsie and opened her medical bag just as Tommy climbed up the shaft with Mila.
“Wait,” Elsie said, straining to sit up. “Mila! Is she okay?”
“She’s breathing but is in pretty bad shape,” Tommy said and carried her to the two men quickly pouring through their equipment.
“Help her first,” Elsie said, her words swallowed by a fit of coughing.
Dean took an oxygen mask from the medic and fit it over Elsie’s mouth. “Give them a second. Take deep breaths. You both can get what you need at the same time, okay?”
Her eyes widened and she nodded, placing her hand over his to keep the mask in place.
“I’m Macy,” the woman said. “I’m going to look at your leg and see what I can do before transporting you back to the ambulance.”
Again, Elsie nodded.
Dean glanced at the flurry of movement as Mila was worked on.
Mr. Sweet paced between the two women, then stopped to stare down at Mila. A soft cry came from him, and his strong shoulders shook. He crouched low. “Hello there, sweetheart. You have no idea how happy we all are to see you.”
Elsie tore off the mask. “Is she awake?”
Mr. Sweet glanced back and nodded, the moonlight bouncing off the tears glimmering in his eyes. “Yes.”
Elsie gripped Dean’s shirt. “I want to see her.”
“Okay, but then put that mask back on.” In one swift movement, he rose with Elsie still in his arms. He secured her tightly against his body, committing the feel of her to memory.
A fresh round of anger swept through Dean like a flash flood. Dirt covered Mila’s face and matted her hair. Her sunken cheeks were as hollow as her droopy eyes. Dried blood caked her tattered and torn scrubs. Mila gingerly lifted a hand toward Elsie.
Elsie threaded their fingers together. “I told you we’d make it out of there.”
Mila swallowed hard. “Thank you.” The words croaked from her throat.
“I love you, lady,” Elsie said.
Mila managed a tiny smile before her eyes slid shut.
“We need to get you both out of here,” the medic with a shock of black hair said.
Dean took a step away from Mila to give them space to move.
Elsie curled against him. “I love you, too, Dean.”
Joy tightened his chest. He tenderly pressed his lips to hers before carrying her out of the forest and toward a future he couldn’t wait to build together.
Elsie struggled with her crutches as she hobbled across the storeroom at the shelter, helping a young woman find the pale pink shirt she remembered that would go perfectly with her new suit. “It’s right over here. I know you’ll love it and it’s your size.”
The woman hugged the clothes she’d already found to her chest and sighed. Her dark hair was pulled into a stubby pony tail and no make-up covered the tiny laugh lines on her face. “This is such an amazing event. I’ve been so nervous for this interview, it could change mine and my son’s lives, and having something professional to wear will help my confidence so much. You’re a God send, Elsie.”
“I’m only doing my part. So glad to help.” Even as she batted away the praise, she clung to it. Making a difference to all the women who’d stopped by the Dress for Success event three days after she’d fought for her life kept her on her feet. A dull ache still swallowed her head and her leg throbbed from spending too much time moving around.
Mrs. Collins met Elsie at the clothing rack and hooked an arm around her shoulder in a gentle side hug. “Let me grab that shirt and a bag for Marcia. Your man is about to jump out of his skin watching you from the corner. Go have a seat, for all our sakes.”
She grinned, her gaze connecting with Dean’s. He hadn’t left her side since he’d lifted her out of the mine shaft. Staying by her hospital bed while the doctors cleaned her up then sleeping at her place to help take care of Jimmy while Mila recovered. He’d supported her while the police explained the charges against Justin and his stepdad, and how they’d fallen into business with Malcom to help pay off a lien on their family’s property.
A mistake that would cost them—and the woman they were both trying to protect—a whole hell of a lot more than a house and some land.
Dean made his way toward her, weaving through the clusters of women and children browsing the multitude of items waiting to find a new owner. “You okay? Need a break? Jenna said you should take it easy for a few days. You’re still healing from that nasty concussion.”
His concern warmed her from the inside out, but she didn’t need to be reminded of her injuries. Every sudden motion sent spikes of pain through her body, which unlucky for her, was accompanied by dizziness and nausea.
But nothing would have kept her from being at the shelter today. Seeing her idea come to life and all the people it benefited made every ache and pain worth it.
“A break would be nice. Maybe something cold to drink.” She studied the dwindling racks and volunteers buzzing about. “Where’s Jimmy?”
“In the back yard with Boo, Jenna, and Oliver.”
She rolled her eyes. “Jenna wasn’t supposed to be here today. She’s like a mother hen. Hell, she’s been more on my case than my own mother.”
He pressed a kiss to her temple and led her outside. “She wants to make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard. Plus, she figured she could help keep an eye on Jimmy today since you’d be busy. And did you see the time?”
A quick twist of her wrist to check her watch made her grasp. “I didn’t realize it’d gotten so late. Is she almost here?”
He grinned. “On the way.”
Crossing through the kitchen to the back door, she slowly made it outside. Jimmy sat in the middle of the large yard with Boo and Oliver on the ground beside him. Pumpkins lined the cobblestone walkway. Jenna sat on a pergola-covered swing with deep purple and orange mums flanking the sides.
“Elsie!” Jimmy jumped to his feet and ran to her. “Dean gave me a ball to throw to Boo. He caught it once but now just wants to munch on it. He’s so silly. It’s not food!”
She laughed at his full-body giggle. “Are you having fun with Boo and Oliver?”
He nodded, but a hint of sadness crept into his blue eyes and tore at her heart.
Her parents had taken Jimmy to visit Mila at the hospital so he could see with his own eyes his mom was all right. But Mila had been heavily sedated. Jimmy’s worry remained, no matter how many reassurances she and Dean gave him. He wanted his mom home and his world back to exactly the way it had always been.
Well, maybe not exactly. He begged daily for Boo to be his dog instead of Dean’s.
A car door shutting on the other side of the white picket fence turned Elsie’s head to the street. She spotted the top of her parents’ silver SUV seconds before her parents hopped out of the vehicle.
“What do you want to do tonight, buddy?” she asked, turning Jimmy to face her and not the gate.
Quietly, her dad pushed Mila’s wheelchair into the backyard. Her mom stood beside him with a wide smile and watery eyes.
He shrugged. “See Mama? I know you said we should let her rest, but I really miss her. I won’t be loud or hug or kiss or anything. I promise.”
“What if I want that hug and kiss?” Mila asked, her voice still a little weak.
Jimmy gasped and spun around as fast as cartoon character. “Mama!” He sprinted to the front of her chair with outstretched arms but stopped abruptly. His arms fell to his sides. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Mila reached out her hand. The bruising on her face had grown faint, and her cheeks weren’t as hollow. Her healthy glow replaced the ashy pallor of her skin. “You could never hurt me, baby. All I want in this entire world is a giant hug from my favorite little man.”
“Are you sure?”
Elsie ruffled the hair on the top of Jimmy’s head. “Would your mom lie to you? Get your little butt up there.”
With more care than Elsie had ever seen, Jimmy crawled into Mila’s lap and looped his arms around her neck. He nuzzled his head against her shoulder.
Mila closed her eyes and snuggled him close. Tears flowed down her face. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, Mama.”
Her own tears dotted the corners of Elsie’s eyes. This was why she’d fought so hard, why she’d risked everything. To reunite Jimmy and Mila. To bring her little makeshift family back together. To give a mother and son a way back to each other.
Dean wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close to his side. “Not much sweeter to see than that.”
She smiled up at him. “Seeing you wake up next to me in the morning comes pretty damn close.”
He hiked up his brows. “Oh really? You like that do ya?”
“I like it a lot. And I love you. Thank you for helping me make this happen. Thank you for helping me bring Mila home.”
“I love you, too.” He leaned down and gently placed his lips on hers. “Thank you for showing me what my life could be. I only hope things are a little less… exciting from here on out.”
“You don’t want excitement?”
“I just want you, babe. A life with you. A home with you. A future with you.”
Her heart threatened to burst. “Do you really mean that?”
“Absolutely. You, Elsie Sweet, are everything I’ll ever need. Well, you and Jimmy and plenty of ice cream of course.”
“Of course, what’s life without ice cream?” Dropping her crutches, she threw her arms around his neck and he lifted her off her feet. She had her family back safe and sound and the man she loved by her side. Nothing could ever be sweeter than that.