16. Ozzie
CHAPTER 16
Ozzie
T he change in pitch of Claire’s ATV engine was my only clue something was amiss before I heard the crunching scrape of metal and plastic over the rocky ground.
I let off the throttle and glanced back.
It took several moments and a few rapid blinks for my brain to believe what it saw. Running away from Claire’s overturned ATV was a moose with one antler.
Her four-wheeler’s front tires spun lazily and the engine sputtered.
“Claire!” I braked and spun around, riding back to check on her.
Riding around the other side, I found her lying on the ground, helmet beside her, kicking at the seat of the ATV with her right leg, the left one pinned beneath the machine.
I cut my engine and hopped off. “Shit! Are you all right? What happened?”
“That moose came out of nowhere. I swerved to avoid him and tipped over. Can you set this thing up so I can get my leg free?” She pushed at the seat again with a wince.
“Yeah.” Tipping my head, I studied the way it fell. It wouldn’t be so simple as picking it up and putting it on its wheels. It wasn’t like a bike. The ATV weighed probably five hundred pounds or more.
After shutting it off, I moved to the rear of the machine and grasped the cargo frame with both hands. My hope was that I could lift it high enough she could slide her leg out.
Instead, she let out a sharp cry of pain and waved me off. “That’s not going to work. Lifting like that just puts pressure on my ankle. There’s rope in my pack. Rig it to your ATV and use it to pull mine upright.”
Angles and attachment points ran through my mind as I dug out the rope. The line probably needed to be attached low so it would roll up onto its wheels instead of just sliding over the ground.
“You doing okay?” I asked as I made a loop with the rope and attached it to the machine’s frame at the front and rear. “There’s some pain medicine in the first aid kit.”
“You’ll have it off me before it can take effect. I’m fine.”
She said that, but I could see the pinch to her features. I just hoped the pain didn’t mean something was broken.
Once I had the rope tied to her ATV, I repositioned mine and attached the line to the back.
“Put this on.” I walked over and picked up her helmet, handing it to her. “Just in case a piece breaks off and flies back at you.”
She took it and slipped it over her head.
I headed for my four-wheeler, glancing back as I reached the machine. “You ready?”
Giving me a thumbs up, she flipped down the helmet’s visor.
Slowly, I throttled up my ATV, taking the slack out of the rope. The angles looked right, so I gave it more gas. It slid forward a few inches, but then the tires bit into the ground and it began to tip upright.
Keeping steady pressure on the line, I gave the ATV more gas and slowly tipped her four-wheeler onto its tires.
Claire scooted away from the machine but stayed on the ground.
I shut off my ATV and removed my helmet, returning to her side to crouch next to her. “How’s it feel?”
“Sore.” She tugged off her helmet, letting it fall to the ground beside her as she winced.
“Can you move it?”
She bent her knee, then flexed her ankle. A hiss escaped from between her teeth. “I think it’s okay. Just sore.”
I tipped my head and arched an eyebrow. “That didn’t sound like it felt okay.”
“It’s not crunchy feeling. It just hurts.” She held up a hand. “Help me up.”
Standing, I reached down, grasping her upper arm and her hand. With a little hop, she made it to her feet.
“Take it easy. If it hurts, don’t put weight on it.” I steadied her with a hand around her waist.
Tentatively, she put her foot down. A slight grimace covered her face, but she didn’t cry out or pull it up again.
“I think it’s okay.” She shifted, putting more weight on it. “Just sore.” Pulling back a bit, she took a step. Her grimace deepened, but she took another.
“Okay?”
“Yeah. I think so. It’ll probably turn pretty colors and be painful for a few days, but I think I’m all right.” She turned toward her ATV. “Let’s see if this thing is okay.”
I helped her to the machine, and she sat down on it, starting it up. It sputtered to life, hiccupping a bit before settling into a steady rhythm.
“It sounds all right,” I said.
Her head bobbed. “Yep. Can you hand me my helmet?” She pointed to it.
I scooped it up and passed it to her. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Let’s get back so I can ice my leg.”
She was going to get more than ice. I planned to haul her into the emergency room for an x-ray. “You sure you can ride alone? We can leave it here and you can ride with me.”
“That just creates more work. I’ll be fine. We don’t have that far to go.”
“It’s an hour yet, Claire. We aren’t even back to the road.”
“But we almost are. Now stop yapping and drive.” She waved a hand in the general direction we needed to go.
Scowling, I started my ATV. “You lead, so I don’t go too fast for you.”
I didn’t have to tell her twice. She shifted her four-wheeler into gear and took off.
She didn’t stop once on the way back. Nor did she slow down. Once we hit the road, she sped up. I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing. In any case, I was cursing her stubbornness. She didn’t need to be putting pressure on that leg until we knew how bad the injury was. I doubted Chief Bartles would mind coming back out with me tomorrow—or even later today—to pick up the machine.
When we reached the Bartles’s backyard fifty minutes later, I pulled up alongside Claire and was at her side before she could stand on her own. The bone-jarring ride likely hadn’t helped her pain level. I didn’t want her to fall when she tried to stand.
She shut off her four-wheeler and swung her legs over, holding onto my forearms as she stood. When she took a step forward, her leg buckled.
“Let’s not be superwoman.” I scooped her into my arms and turned toward the house.
“Ozzie! Put me down. I can walk.”
“Maybe. But should you?” I trudged across the muddy ground.
She huffed and speared me with a glare. “You’re going to freak Christina and Tom out.”
“Don’t care. It’ll get them on my side so we can convince you to go to the hospital.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You need an x-ray.”
The back door swung open. “What on earth happened?” Christina called from the doorway.
“A moose tried to take her out,” I replied at the same time Claire said she was fine.
“A moose?” Christina’s eyebrows winged upward. “Did it kick you?”
“No. We were coming back and it ran out of the trees. I didn’t see it until it was on me, and I had to swerve. My ATV tipped and pinned my leg. I’m fine. ” Claire turned her icy glare on me again, but I ignored her. “Someone’s just being overly cautious.”
“You still can’t walk without pain. You need an x-ray.” I walked up the two steps into the house.
“Take her into the living room.” Christina gestured to the doorway leading out of the kitchen.
“Are you sure?” I paused by the table and glanced at my feet. “My boots are muddy.”
“Yes. I have a mop. It’s fine.”
Maneuvering through the tight space, I went into the living room and deposited Claire on the sofa, then crouched in front of her.
“We need to check out this leg.” I touched her boot. “Do you want to take it off yourself or are you okay with me doing it?”
“It might be easier if you do it. Just go slow.”
I looked at her through my lashes. The tight pinch to her mouth told me it hurt. “Singing, is it?”
She gave a short, choppy nod. “Yeah.”
“I’ll be careful.” I slid my hand beneath her pant leg, finding the top of the boot. Pulling on the laces, I loosened it, then gently slid it off her foot. Her fingers dug into the couch cushion, but she didn’t cry out or stop me.
Her sock came next, and I winced as I got my first look at her ankle and lower calf. “Ouch.” It was several shades of purple.
“Oh, Claire. I think Detective Quartermaine is right. You need an x-ray. That looks—” Christina stopped and shook her head.
Claire wrinkled her nose and sighed. “Dammit. Stupid moose.”
“Hey, at least it didn’t attack you when you went down,” I said. “It could have been worse.”
Lips pressed together firmly, she nodded.
I glanced up at Christina. “Are we okay to leave the ATVs and the gear behind your house while I take her to get checked out?”
She nodded. “I’ll bring your packs in and call Tom to let him know what happened. He’ll probably bring the trailer over and pick up the four-wheelers. I can sort the gear and take out what’s yours.”
“We can do it when we get back,” Claire said.
Christina waved a hand. “Nonsense. It won’t take long.” She made a shooing motion. “Go get that looked at. And send him to your hotel to get your things.” She nodded to me. “You can stay here tonight.”
Claire sighed and shook her head. “Thank you, but that’s not necessary. I’m all spread out and?—”
“Then give me your room key and I’ll do it.” Christina held out a hand, her tone brooking no argument.
I smothered a smile.
“How about we wait and see what the doctor says?” Claire countered. “If I can walk on it, I’ll be fine at the hotel.”
Christina crossed her arms and shook her head. She looked at me. “Work on her while you’re gone.”
I chuckled. “I’ll do my best.” Though if her friend couldn’t convince her, I doubted I could.
Burying a hand in the inner pocket of my coat, I produced my car keys and held them out to Christina. “Unlock my car?”
She took them, leaving me free to scoop Claire off the couch.
This close and the rush of adrenaline and worry missing, the light vanilla scent of her soap filled my nose, along with something much more potent. My scalp prickled with an awareness that only grew as her warm curves settled against my chest.
Teeth clenched, I warned my body to behave as I followed Christina out of the house.
This was ridiculous. Claire was injured. I was merely helping her. My brain knew that, but my body didn’t get the memo.
It needed to.
Because at the end of the day, I didn’t take advantage of women.
And Claire was still a witness.