Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
RACHEL
I’m sleeping hard and dreaming that my phone is ringing when I realize that, no, it’s not part of my dream and, yes, my phone is actually ringing.
Sitting straight up in bed, I slap my hand against the nightstand when I reach for the phone, hitting the answer button without paying attention to who’s calling me. “Hello?”
My heart is racing and I’m breathless. Getting woken up by a phone call is always the worst feeling. Only bad things seem to happen when you get a call like this.
“Rachel, hey. It’s Nate. Wyatt’s brother.”
I clutch the phone tightly, my heart in my throat, when I hear his voice.
He doesn’t sound right. And what he said was odd too.
Of course I know he’s Wyatt’s brother. We’ve all spent a lot of time together this summer, though not as much lately because he’s still mad at me.
“Nate. What’s wrong? Did something happen to Wyatt? ”
I don’t know why I asked that, but why else would he call me in the middle of the night? I check my phone for the time—okay, it’s just past midnight, which is still a weird time to call.
“Um, yeah. He’s . . . okay. They tell me he’s talking. But his engine went out on a call. A lightning fire, and they had to hike in. A tree fell on him.”
“what?” I jump out of bed and turn on the lamp, illuminating my room and wincing in the light. This doesn’t stop me from fumbling around my slightly messy room and grabbing at whatever clothes I can find to put on. “Where? Is he in the hospital? Oh my God, is he all right?”
“He’s actually, uh, still pinned under the tree.
They’re working on getting him out right now, and once they do, then they’re going to have to hike him down the trail on a stretcher.
An ambulance is waiting at the foot of the trail.
I’m headed there now,” Nate explains. “My dad is with me, and he suggested we call you and let you know what’s going on. ”
“Thank your father for thinking of me.” I close my eyes, swallowing hard. Wyatt is okay. He’s going to be okay. But he’s still pinned under a tree, and oh my God, he must be so scared. Right? “Where are you? Can you come pick me up? I want to be there when he comes off the trail.”
“Yeah, uh, I can swing by. We only just left. It won’t be too much of a backtrack. Be ready in less than five?”
“Not a problem.” I end the call and throw on some clothes, discarding the oversize tank top I wore to bed and putting on a T-shirt and shorts, then slipping my feet into my New Balances, completely foregoing socks.
I’m pulling my hair into a ponytail and locking the front door of Paige’s condo when car lights cut across me.
Nate pulls into the parking spot closest to Paige’s building, and I run toward the car, jumping into the back seat as quickly as possible. I’ve barely pulled the door shut when Nate is already skidding out of the parking lot, his tires squealing.
“Where was the fire at?” I ask, completely out of breath. My mind goes wild with the possibilities, and I refuse to focus on anything negative. Wyatt is going to be all right.
He has to be.
“Old Mountain Mine Road. It’s clear on the other side of the lake.
There’s a hiking trail that’s mostly used by locals.
It hasn’t been properly maintained for years because the Forest Service doesn’t want anyone hiking out there anymore, and I can only assume it must be a mess.
All the trees out there dried up, thanks to the drought conditions we’ve dealt with.
Plus, the bark beetles that eat at the inside of the trees,” Wyatt’s father explains.
“I’ve never been out there.” But I’ve heard of it.
I’ve even seen photos of the old mine shaft that’s located near the head of the trail.
It’s boarded up now, and no one is supposed to go in there, but Paige told me there are always small groups who are trying to sneak in at least once every summer, searching for lost treasure.
And now Wyatt is out there with a fire coming at him while he’s pinned under a tree. Fighting for his life. I close my eyes and press back against the headrest, trying to calm my chaotic thoughts. I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.
We’re all quiet as Nate somehow drives fast yet cautiously, with a death grip on the steering wheel that must be painful.
His dad has his phone in his lap and the scanner app on, listening for updates on Wyatt’s condition, but they’re not saying much.
A voice I don’t recognize comes over the scanner, saying they’re working on getting him out, and I can hear the distinct noise of a chainsaw in the background.
“Dangerous,” Wyatt’s father murmurs. “Using a chainsaw in August out in the dry grass.”
“How else are they going to get him out, huh?” Nate sounds downright angry. “They have to do what they can to save him.”
Save. Him. Those two words stick in my brain, my throat. Making it hard to breathe. I try to swallow, but I can’t get past the lump, and I start rocking, my movements restrained by the seat belt. A whimper of frustration escapes me, and Wyatt’s father whips his head around, checking on me.
“Are you okay, Rachel?”
I shake my head frantically, rubbing at my throat. Clawing at it, really. Oh God, I think I’m having a panic attack and lean back against the seat again, closing my eyes tightly and telling myself that it’s all going to be all right. Wyatt will be fine. He has to be.
“I think she’s freaking out,” Nate murmurs.
I open my eyes to catch Nate checking on me in the rearview mirror, concern in his gaze. “There should be a couple of bottles of water in the pocket of my seat, Rach.”
Grateful for the suggestion, I pluck a bottle out of the pocket in front of me and crack it open, draining almost half its contents in one go. Feeling like I can finally breathe again, I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling of the car. “Thank you. I’m just . . .”
“Worried?” His gaze is full of sympathy when it meets mine in the rearview mirror again. “I am too.”
When Nate finally pulls into the turnout at the end of Old Mountain Mine Road, three engines are already parked, plus an ambulance.
Men and women in navy uniforms are milling about, as well as a pair of paramedics.
Nate barely has the car in park, and he’s jumping out, his father following after him.
I’m a little more reluctant as I get out of the car because I know no one.
Not really. There are a couple of familiar faces, and I nod and smile at them, but no one really speaks to me.
I never realized it until this moment, but I hate feeling helpless.
There’s nothing I can say or do to make this any better, and I’m at a loss.
For the first time in a long while, I feel like I don’t belong here.
This is probably my insecurities coming into play and reminding me of how different a life I’ve lived compared to everyone else here, but still.
If Wyatt and I actually end up together, can I handle this sort of thing? The risk that Wyatt takes every day in his job is far greater than I understood. Being a firefighter is dangerous work.
A loud whirling sound suddenly emerges overhead, and I unconsciously duck when the helicopter goes flying over us, so close I can see the faces of the people inside of it. I watch its lights until they disappear before I go running over to Nate.
“Are they sending a helicopter to pick up Wyatt and take him to the hospital?”
The older man in uniform Nate is talking to answers my question. “The helicopter is to put out the fire. They don’t have the room to haul Wyatt in there on a stretcher. They’re on their way back down the hill with him right now.”
“Wait, they freed him from the tree?” Relief swarms over me, leaving me weak. “Thank God. Is he okay?”
“We don’t know yet.” The man’s tone is grim, and he shares a look with Nate before he slaps him once on the shoulder and leaves us.
“What does that mean, they don’t know yet?
” I ask Nate, hating the confusion and fear swirling inside of me.
I just need to see Wyatt for myself. See his handsome face, see his body, and hope that it’s still whole.
I don’t know what he’ll do if he broke bones or something worse.
He loves his job, and he’s big and strong and takes care of everyone, including Dottie.
Including me.
“It means what he said, Rachel. They don’t know.
The paramedics here will check him out as soon as they show up.
” Nate sends me a look, his eyes full of emotion.
“Look, I haven’t been the greatest toward you lately, and I have to be honest—I didn’t trust your intentions with my brother.
Which probably sounds stupid, but we’ve always been protective of each other.
But I want you to know that I think . . .
you’ve been really great for him. Brought him out of his shell, which he needed. ”
I keep nodding over and over, unsure what to say.
“Um, thank y-you.” My voice turns wobbly and tears form in my eyes.
Nate reaches for me and yanks me into his arms. I cling to him for a moment, closing my eyes and sending up a silent prayer to whoever is listening.
I’ve never been much of a religious person, but in this moment, I understand why people might need someone to pray to.
I’m terrified. Scared this man I care about—dare I even think, love—is injured. More than anything, I just want him alive so I can talk to him. Kiss him and hug him and tell him how much he means to me.
“How long do you think it’s going to take for them to hike him out of there?” I ask once I’ve composed myself and pulled out of Nate’s arms.
“I’m not sure. It can’t be easy, hauling Wyatt in a stretcher.
The guy is huge.” Nate grins, and it’s such a relief to see that smile on his face.
He hasn’t smiled enough lately for my liking, but that’s only because he’s stayed away from us.
Me. And the high school football season is starting, which also keeps him busy.
“At least an hour. Maybe longer? Depends on how high up they are. They sent another crew to help carry him down. And the fire is mostly out, so that’s good. ”
“I’m glad.” I couldn’t care less about the fire, as long as it’s not threatening my man and his coworkers.
My man. Since when did I get so possessive?
Since that first time you had sex with him in the rental car.
The little voice inside my head is absolutely right. I’ve put an unspoken claim on him since then, and I’ve never let up. Neither has he. I’m in love with him. I am. And I’m pretty sure he’s in love with me.
Actually, I know he is. He’s been holding back, keeping in his feelings, because he’s scared of my reaction.
I’ve put off those I’m-not-serious vibes for far too long, and I refuse to do it any longer.
My leaving at the end of the season probably scared him into keeping his feelings for me to himself, but no longer. I need to know.
And I need to tell him how I feel too.