Chapter 15
Lucy had been home for over an hour and still, there was no sign of Grandpa Rusty.
She stood at the kitchen sink and looked out of the window.
Gray clouds filled the sky and a mist hung in the air.
The truck was gone, and in reality, her grandfather could be anywhere.
The Five Steers Ranch was huge, covering miles of woods, hills, pastures, and streams. Hell, in places it butted up against the Canadian border.
But most likely, he’d gone to the upper pasture to check on the livestock.
A platter of pancakes sat on the table. It was the breakfast she’d planned to have waiting for her grandfather. Their sweet scent mingled with the aroma from the fresh pot of coffee she’d made as well. Her stomach grumbled, but she didn’t want to eat until her grandfather made it back.
Whatever Rusty was doing, it was taking too long. Well, she wasn’t about to stand around when he needed help. The keys to a four-wheeler sat in a dish on the counter. She shoved them into the front pocket of her jeans.
After getting home, she’d changed from the silk blouse into a flannel shirt. She had donned work jeans and thick socks. She walked down the hallway. Her work boots sat on a mat next to the door. She stepped into the shoes and pulled the door open.
A breeze blew, rustling the leaves on the trees. By noon, there would be more rain—just another reason for her to find her grandfather and help.
The four-wheeler was parked next to the house. She slid onto the bench seat, her pants soaking up droplets of water, and started the engine. Putting the gearshift into Drive, she headed toward the upper pasture.
It didn’t matter that the four-wheeler had thick, knobby tires or a powerful engine. It was little more than a glorified golf cart. The wind blew through the open sides, and Lucy wished that she’d thought to bring a jacket.
She tucked one hand into the sleeves of her shirt, knowing that once she started working, she’d create her own heat. And then, a coat would just be another thing to worry about.
The four-wheeler’s engine whined as she drove higher into the hills. There in the middle of the road lay a large pine tree. The cart skidded as she dropped her foot onto the brake.
It was going to take hours to cut and drag the tree away.
She began to turn around. That’s when she noticed a wide gap in the foliage. What other damage had been done in the woods? Several saplings had snapped in two. Branches were broken. Putting the four-wheeler into Park, she set the emergency brake and jumped to the ground.
Lucy walked to the edge of the woods and peered into the trees. Staring back at her, like the eyes of an angry beast, were the taillights of Grandpa Rusty’s truck.
Aiden didn’t stay at his mother’s long. It was Sunday morning, and Emily had things to do.
He, however, had an endless day filled with nothing.
As he drove home, he tried to think of something to fill his time.
He could always call Kelly and see if his sister wanted to get together for lunch or dinner.
Maybe he could text his brother Wyatt for a game of one-on-one basketball.
Or maybe, with the concussion, that wasn’t the best idea.
Then again, there was only one person he wanted to see.
Lucy Harris.
His phone blared with an emergency alert from the Red Grove Fire Department.
It didn’t matter that he was on medical leave.
The warning came automatically to every member of the fire department.
He winced as the noise bore a hole into his skull.
He pulled the phone from the cup holder, ready to silence the alarm.
He caught a glimpse of the screen.
Vehicular accident at Five Steers Ranch.
Elderly male is unresponsive.
There were directions to where the car was located, along with a request for an ambulance.
Aiden tossed the phone back into the cup holder. He was less than a mile from the Five Steers Ranch and could be on-site within minutes. Dropping his foot onto the accelerator, he propelled the car down the road.
The entrance to the ranch loomed above the dirt track. He pulled onto the road without slowing. His car bumped and jostled up the hill. He passed the house. The mint green car that Lucy had driven last night was parked next to the front door, but the truck was gone.
He turned onto another dirt road that ran alongside a pasture before heading into the tree line.
The forest passed in a blur. The engine growled as Aiden pushed the car to go faster up a steep hill.
He started to come down the opposite side and dropped his foot on the brake. The car skidded to a stop.
Lucy stood in the middle of the road. Her face was pale, and her lips were pressed into a colorless line. After shoving the gearshift into Park, he turned off the engine and opened the door.
“I got the alert.” He wanted to hug her and tell her that it would be okay. But now was not the time. “Where’s Rusty?”
She pointed toward the woods. “He’s over there.”
The ground, softened by the previous night’s rain, was chewed up by tire treads. There was a groove consistent with a skid mark that led toward the woods. As he got closer, he could see a gap in the trees. He looked down a hill and saw it.
The truck had smashed into a boulder.
Lucy stood at his side. “The engine was still on,” she said. “So, I turned it off. I didn’t smell any fuel, but I didn’t want to risk anything if there was a leak.”
“That’s smart,” said Aiden. “And your grandfather?”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “He’s unconscious. I slapped his cheeks, but he didn’t respond. I thought it was best to leave him in the seat. I figured the EMTs wouldn’t want him to be moved.”
A pit formed in his gut. The outcome for an elderly person in an accident could be complicated at best. “I’m going to check on Rusty. I need you to wait for the ambulance.”
“I can do that.”
He reached for her arm. “It’ll be okay.”
“Don’t make a promise that you can’t keep, Aiden.”
Had there been a hint of anger in her voice?
Then again, he didn’t blame her for being scared and on edge.
Shaking off any worries about Lucy, he sidestepped down the hill.
The door to the truck was open. Rusty was belted into the seat and his head rested on the steering wheel.
A thin line of blood ran from his hairline and down the side of his face.
“Rusty,” he said, raising his voice. “It’s Aiden Colton. Can you hear me?”
There was no response.
Rusty’s arm dangled at his side. He placed his fingers on his wrist, feeling for a pulse. It was there, as thin as a thread. His chest rose and fell slowly.
“Looks like you’ve been in an accident. The ambulance is on the way.
They’ll get you stable and to the hospital.
” Aiden had been the first on the scene more than once.
It didn’t matter if someone was unresponsive, he believed that they were aware of everything going on around them.
That’s why he always spoke to people like they were fully cognizant.
“I’m going to check you over while we wait. ”
He pressed his ear to Rusty’s back, listening for a wheezing or gurgling that would mean a punctured lung. There was nothing. He patted the man down, searching for blood or broken bones. His quick scan revealed nothing alarming.
Voices came from the top of the hill. Aiden stepped away from the truck in time to see two EMTs coming down the hill. “Frank,” he called out. “Carol. Over here.”
The paramedics both carried med kits. Frank had a folding stretcher, and Carol held a back brace.
“I heard you were supposed to be at home for two weeks,” said Frank.
“I was in the neighborhood,” said Aiden, “and knew I could get here quick.”
“We can take over from here,” said Carol.
Stepping away from the truck, he made room for the EMTs. “I’ll be up at the top of the hill. Yell if you need me.”
“Will do,” Frank said but he didn’t turn around. He was already examining Rusty.
Aiden started climbing the hill. Lucy stood on the road and looked down.
“How is he?” she asked.
“He’s in good hands now,” he said. “I found a pulse. His breathing sounds normal. Then again, I don’t have a stethoscope. Carol and Frank will get him stable and to the hospital.”
He stepped onto the dirt lane. His fingers itched with the need to touch her. But he wouldn’t reach out to her without an invitation.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he asked, “How are you holding up?”
“Is he going to make it?”
“Your grandfather is a strong man. He’s determined. It’ll take more than a fender bender to take him down.”
“You think so?” she asked.
In reality, the situation was complex. He had no idea what—if anything—had caused the wreck. And he didn’t know what injuries her grandfather had sustained during the crash. But he sensed that what Lucy needed most of all was reassurance. “Your grandpa will be fine.”
“Coming through,” yelled Carol.
He turned in time to see the two EMTs carrying a stretcher between them. Aiden stepped to the left. Lucy moved to the right. The gurney split them in the middle.
“We’re going to Red Grove University Hospital,” said Frank.
“I’ll take Lucy,” said Aiden. “We can meet you there.”
The EMTs hustled to the waiting ambulance.
It was a cruel joke that less than an hour earlier, Aiden had only wanted to spend the day with Lucy. Now, he was going to get his chance. But this was not what he imagined.
Lucy sat in the waiting room of Red Grove University Hospital. It was the same place her grandfather had waited for her after the fire. Aiden had been with her the whole time. Honestly, she had mixed feelings about his company.
He was the chief of surgery’s son. His future brother-in-law was in charge of the emergency department.
And what’s more, Ryan Palmer was one of the doctors on shift.
It meant that Lucy was given frequent updates.
For now, her grandfather was stable. He’d had blood drawn and several scans had been completed. Now, they were waiting for results.
The problem with Aiden staying with her was this: if it weren’t for him, Rusty would never have gotten into the accident in the first place. His presence was little more than a reminder that she never should have left the ranch.
Dr. Palmer entered the waiting room. He took a seat next to Lucy. “I need to talk to you about your grandfather. We can go someplace private, if you like.”
Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked several times.
Lucy scanned the area. There were only a few other people in the waiting room, and they were too far away to overhear anything that was said.
Besides, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to walk to another room, especially if she was about to hear the worst. “Here is fine.”
Aiden sat in a seat on the other side of Lucy. He shifted toward her. His thigh brushed against her knee. Despite it all, her leg warmed with his touch.
“I’ll start with the good news. Your grandfather is still in stable condition, and I don’t expect that to change.
” He exhaled. “Here’s the bad news. We have all his test results.
According to the X-rays, Rusty cracked two of his ribs.
It doesn’t look like he punctured a lung, so that’s more good news, but until the bone heals, a secondary injury is possible. ”
So far, nothing sounded terrible. “Okay,” she said.
“Now here’s where it gets troubling. Your grandfather has a slight bleed in his brain. It’s consistent with where he hit his head on the steering wheel. We also discovered Troponin in his system. That’s an enzyme the body releases following a heart attack.”
Did a heart attack cause Rusty to wreck the truck? Guilt clawed at her gut. Her grandfather never wanted to go to the doctor for anything. And what’s more, she didn’t make him.
“What does all of that mean?” she asked.
Dr. Palmer said, “It means that I’m going to keep your grandfather in a medically induced coma for the next few days. Then, we’ll have to see how, or if, he recovers.”
Bile rose in the back of her throat. Her pulse started to race. She swallowed, focusing on the chair at her back. The tiled floor. The wall of glass and metal. She drew in a breath and exhaled.
“If he recovers?” she repeated, her voice coming out as a croak.
“I wish I had better news,” said Ryan, getting to his feet.
“When can Lucy see her grandpa?” Aiden asked.
“He’s being moved to a room now. He’ll be settled in the next thirty minutes or so.”
And then, Ryan left.
Lucy’s vision turned blurry, and her ears filled with a buzzing. The chair rocked, like a boat on a stormy sea.
“Hey.” Aiden placed his palm on the back of her hand. That’s when she realized he’d spoken before. “Are you going to be okay?”
If her grandfather died, Lucy would be alone in the world. She would never be okay again. “I’m dizzy,” she said. “Lightheaded, I guess.”
“It’s the shock,” he said. And then, he asked, “When did you last eat?”
How was Lucy supposed to care about something as mundane as food?
Her grandfather was lying in a bed, fighting for his life.
Then, she thought about the platter of pancakes sitting on the table and the pot of coffee that was now certainly cold.
“Dinner,” she said, the word seeming to come from someone other than Lucy. “Last night.”
“You have to get something to eat. Otherwise, you won’t have the energy to face what’s happening.” Aiden stood and held out his hand.
It was as if her soul were tectonic plates that had been moving little by little over the past two days. But now, there had been a seismic shift. Lava flooded her veins, and she started to sweat.
Ignoring his outstretched hand, she said, “Not everything can be solved with a sandwich, Aiden.”
“I’m not saying it will fix anything,” he said. “It’s just that you need to eat.”
“I don’t need someone telling me what to do all time, especially you.” She drew in a shaking breath. “Why don’t you just go. Besides, you’re the reason Rusty got hurt in the first place.”
His mouth hung open. “Wh-what?”
“Leave,” she said, immediately regretting the word. But she’d come too far to go back now. “I don’t need you here.”
“I’m your ride. How are you supposed to get home?”
He had a point. She didn’t care. “I’ll figure it out.”
“But…” he began.
“Aiden,” she said, suddenly too weary to fight. “Just go.”
He stared at her. She hoped he was going to argue. And if he did, she decided, she would relent and let him stay. Then, he shook his head. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll go.”
It wasn’t what she wanted. She searched for a way to take it all back, but she couldn’t find the right words.
Aiden gave her a sad smile. Then, he walked away, leaving Lucy alone.