by Ciana Stone
He did, and when she looked at it, tears sprang from her eyes. "She's here, isn't she? Beneath me?"
"Yes."
Lula nodded and looked to one side. There stood Nanette. "I'll make sure she gets it, Nanette. I promise. Come lay with me and sleep now, sweet girl. It's time for you to go home."
Miraculously, she could feel the child in her arms and she held her close, turning her head to kiss Nanette's forehead. A light flared in the hole and she looked up. There stood her ancestress, Lalia and with her was a man, heavyset, with long gray hair and the kindest eyes she'd ever seen.
Lula smiled at them and then looked at Lincoln. How could she not have realized until now, when it was too late, that she didn't just simply care for him? She loved him. She didn't care that he misinterpreted what he saw between her and Dillon. In his place, she might have reacted the same.
And love meant being able to forgive. "I do love you, Lincoln Shaw."
She felt something heavy pressing on her, like a great weight had settled into every cell of her body, pressing down until she could not feel at all.
And then darkness arrived.
Lincoln saw her eyes close, saw her stop breathing and his chest seized in fear. He howled in rage and grief and started CPR again, unaware that he was no longer alone.
"Let us get to her, sir."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around. Two EMTs were behind him. "Please sir, let us help her."
Reluctant to leave her, but desperate to save her, he moved out of the way. "Sir!"
Lincoln looked up to see another firefighter. "Do you need assistance, sir?"
Lincoln grabbed one of the ropes dangling into the hole and climbed up. He saw Mercy, Nellie Mae and Kaylee standing off to one side. Naomie was on a portable gurney with an EMT beside her. "Lincoln!" She started struggling to sit the moment she saw him.
He went to her and took her hand, but spoke to the EMT. "How's her leg?"
"She's lucky it didn't hit an artery. But she's stable, and there's an OR waiting for us. They're sending another ambulance for the victim still down there. We're ready to transport now, but she's insisting on staying."
"I have to stay for her, Lincoln."
"No, you have to go."
"But, I can't leave her."
"I'll stay. So will Mercy and Nellie Mae. We'll be here for her. Go, please."
She nodded, and the EMT did as well. "Thank you."
"Sure." Lincoln gave Naomie's hand a squeeze and watched as the firefighters loaded her into the ambulance. He then went to where the others waited.
"Where's Miss Lula?" Kaylee asked. "And Nanette?"
"Nanette?" Nellie Mae asked. "Did you say Nanette?"
Mercy put her hand on Nellie Mae's shoulder. "That's a conversation for later, okay?"
"Yes, of course. How is Lula?"
Lincoln shook his head. "I don't know. She was bitten by a moccasin."
Nellie Mae's hands went straight to cover her mouth, and Mercy gathered Kaylee to her side as Kaylee cried. "Is she dead?"
"They're doing everything they can, Kaylee, but right now, you need to go home, okay? Mercy, the keys are in my truck. Take it and go home. I'm staying and will ride to the hospital with Lula."
"Yes, that's probably best," Mercy agreed. "You will let us know?"
"I promise."
"Come on then," Mercy said. "Let's go ladies."
Lincoln watched them walk away. They'd just passed the firetruck when another ambulance arrived, and they stepped off the old road to let it pass. He turned his attention back to the hole where they were lifting Lula out.
No sooner had she cleared the hole, the fireman had her limp body out of the harness. They quickly transferred her to a spread on the ground and went to work. EMT's from the ambulance joined in.
Three times they used the paddles on her, and three times there was no reaction. Lincoln felt something horrible and dark swelling up inside him. When they stabbed the long needle into her chest, he winced and held his breath.
"We've got a rhythm," the one with the stethoscope in his ears crowed. "Get her loaded up and let's get her in fast."
"I'm going with you," Lincoln said.
No one argued, for which he was grateful because at this point nothing was going to stop him from being by her side. Until she was whole or until she was no more. Either way, he wasn't leaving her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Get away from me!"
Lincoln jumped up from his seat in the emergency waiting room and rushed to the door. There sat Naomie in a wheelchair, glaring at a nurse. "Tell her to leave me alone, or I'm going to run over her, I swear to God."
"She should be in bed," the nurse protested.
"I'm fine. And I'm waiting here for my friend to get out of the ER. End of discussion."
"I'll keep an eye on her," Lincoln promised.
"Well, just make sure she keeps that leg elevated and doesn't try walking just yet."
"Yes, ma'am. I promise to sit on her if she tries to get up."
The nurse smiled and gave in. "Well, all right then. But you call if you need help with her."
"I will. Thank you."
"You're welcome." She smiled at him, glared at Naomie and sashayed away, with a look over her shoulder and a flirty wave to Lincoln.
He gave the nurse a smile then turned his attention to Naomie."Always making trouble, aren't you?"
"Whatever. Hold the door for me. Have you heard anything? They came and talked with me when I was first brought in and asked a bunch of questions and since then no one will tell me anything."
"I haven't gotten any news at all." He held the door for her and then followed as she wheeled across the room and parked her wheelchair beside an empty seat.
Naomie reached over to take his hand once he was seated. "I couldn't be in that room alone. Just sitting and worrying."
"I know, and you can stay right here with me."
She nodded and swiped at her eyes. "I'm scared, Linc."
He squeezed her hand. "So am I."
There. He'd admitted it. Out loud. And he didn't feel one damn bit better for it. The truth was, he was about to lose his shit. "What did the doctors want to know? You said they came to talk to you."
"About what happened. Everything I could remember." She wiped at her eyes again. "It was awful, and she was so brave. She saved me, you know. I could easily have died if she hadn't made that snake bite her instead of me."
"What?"
Naomie told him what happened and he marveled at the courage of the woman in the ER right now, fighting for her life. "She chewed it in half?"
"She did. It was horrible, and I don't know if I could have done it, but she did and she never even let on that the damn thing had bit her. I thought it hit her phone, and it did, with one fang, but the other one got her."
Naomie put her hand over her face and turned away from him, crying. Just then the door to the waiting room opened, and Russell Walker rushed in. "Naomie?"
She looked at him, still sobbing and he hurried to stand behind her wheelchair, drape his arms over her and press the side of his face against hers. "I've got you, I've got you. Let it out."
Lincoln saw the way her hands moved. While she gripped one of his arms in a near white-knuckled hold, her other hand moved up to touch his face. Even someone as inept in love as he could see the emotional bond between them, and he wondered why they didn't act on it.
Clearly, Walker had rushed to her side as soon as he discovered she'd been injured and the way she clung to him was as if he were the one person in the world who could give her comfort and make her feel safe.
Lincoln watched, wondering if he'd ever have the chance to be that man to Lula, the one she clung to for safety and solace. Time passed, Naomie quieted, and Russell dragged a chair over to sit beside her and hold her hand.
"How did you know I was here?" Naomie asked.
"Wiley called. Can you tell me what happened?"
Lincol
n noticed that she was not as emotional this time when she told the story, at least not until she said, "She saved me. Oh, god, what if she dies?"
That brought a fresh wave of tears. Russell put an arm around her, and she leaned into him. Lincoln just sat there with Naomie's question echoing in his mind. What if she dies?
Twenty minutes later he'd reached his limits. If he sat there another minute, he was going to go crazy. Just as he stood the door opened, and a man entered, a physician. "Ms. Duvall's family?"
"Right here," Lincoln replied.
The doctor walked over. "Let's sit."
Lincoln offered the doctor the seat he'd vacated and picked up a spare chair and moved it over beside Russell.
"First, we were able to revive her, and we believe, before there was any damage due to oxygen loss to the brain. Thanks to you, Dr. Taylor, we have her started on a rather strenuous cocktail of antibiotics."
"Because of the snake bite?" Lincoln asked.
"No because of her biting the snake. There are a number of rather nasty infections humans can contract from reptiles. Since we do not have the reptile for testing, we're erring on the side of caution with a broad spectrum."
"And the snake bite?"
"She was very lucky and nearly died. I suspect she might have, had it taken longer to get medical attention. Luckily, once she was revived the EMT's administered medication."
"And now?" Naomie asked. "Is she okay now?"
"I'm—cautiously optimistic."
"Just say it straight out please."
"The next forty-eight hours will tell," he replied. "We will do all we can."
"Is there a specialist in this sort of thing?" Russell asked.
"Yes, Dr. Noelle Drake of Orlando."
"Can you get her here?"
The doctor hesitated. "I—I don't have the authority to authorize such an expense."
"Then give me her number. I'll get her here."
"You will?" Naomie asked.
"I will." He locked gazes with her and once again Lincoln was struck with the depth of connection he sensed between them.
Russell then turned his focus back to the doctor. "How soon can you get me her number?"
"If you'll accompany me to my office, almost immediately."
"Is there anything else you need to tell us about Ms.Duval?"
"No, we will keep you posted."
"Can we see her?" Naomie asked.
"I'm afraid not. I promise we'll keep you apprised of her condition. She's now being moved to critical care on the fourth floor. There's a waiting room there."
"Thank you."
Russell looked at Lincoln. "Can you take Naomie up? I'll meet you there."
"Of course."
Russell took time to give Naomie's hand a squeeze. "I won't be long."
She nodded, and he hurried out with the doctor. "I think we need to call Grady," she said softly.
"Judd?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Charli told me he can walk in the gray place and I'm scared that's where she is. We need someone to tell her we're here and we love her and need her to fight."
Lincoln would never have even considered calling Grady, mainly because this was the first he'd heard of Grady having such an ability. But if it would help Lula, he'd do just about anything.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lula tried not to be afraid as she turned. No matter what direction, the view was the same. An endless sea of gray. No sky, no earth. Just nothing.
"Where am I?"
"With me."
Suddenly Nanette was there beside her. "Oh, honey, what are you doing here? You can go now."
"I don't want to leave you alone. And...and I don't know how to go."
"Maybe I can help."
The sound of the male voice had Lula whirling around. Out of a thin mist, Charli Judd's husband, Grady appeared. Lula's first reaction was alarm and then sadness. If Grady was here...
"I'm not dead, and neither are you. You're in the In-Between. At least that's what I call it, and it's a place I can go. Naomie and Lincoln asked me to come find you."
"Is Naomie okay?"
"She is. She's just worried about you." He then looked at Nanette. "Lincoln has your necklace. Once Lula is out of here she can give it to Nellie Mae and tell her what happened. She'll want you to go home, Nanette. To your mom and dad. They're waiting for you."
"But I don't know how to find them."
"Just look." He knelt down and took her hand. "Right there." He pointed, and she looked in the direction he indicated.
Lula felt her heart swell as Nanette cried out "Mama?"
"Come home with us, baby." The ghostly form of a woman who bore a resemblance to Nellie Mae knelt and opened her arms."
Nanette looked at Lula. "Will you be okay if I go?"
"Absolutely. Go, sweet girl. Go."
"Thank you," Nanette smiled. "Thank you, Miss Lula." With that, she ran.
Lula felt emotion swell inside her as she watched the ghostly reunion. Once Nanette was in her mother's arms, they all waved and then vanished in a flare of light. She looked at Grady. "Now what?"
"Now you decide. Back to the land of the living, or on to the land of the dead."
"Where am I supposed to go?"
"There's no supposed – just what you choose."
"Is it as simple as that?"
"It is. For you, it is."
"Maybe I don't deserve another chance," she said, thinking about the curse her grandmother had put on her.
"Or maybe you've paid your debt."
"How could you know about that?"
"Information is available here."
"Obviously. What else do you know, Grady Judd?"
"I know that Lincoln screwed up. And he knows it. He's holding on by a thread, and that's saying something because he's not a man who's threatened by much."
"He just feels guilty because he broke my heart."
"Did he? Break it, I mean. It seems to me it's quite whole. You went to all this trouble to help Nanette, and you sacrificed your life to save Naomie. That's a pretty good indication of a heart quite capable of love. And maybe forgiveness as well.
"What if that fourth soul you were to save wasn't one that had already passed over into the In-Between? What if it was him?"
"How could it be? What does he need saving from?"
"My guess would be himself. Anyone who knows him understands that he's always been a player, never giving his heart and sure as hell never letting anyone take it. Until you. You walked into his life and took it without even trying, and that night when he saw you kiss Dillon, it hit him. And scared him."
"How could you possibly know all that?"
"You don't think we're alone here, do you? There are a lot of whispers. Besides, you and I are connected. Can't you feel it? You know as much about me as I do you."
"No I don—" She didn't get the last word out before she gasped. She did know him. As well as she knew herself. "Oh my god, you trust me with this?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes." She smiled. "I do."
A flare of light had them both turning at the same time. Lula's ancestress Lalia stood there, and with her was the angel, Joe.
"I saw you," Lula spoke to him. "You came to me when I was trapped in the hole. You kept me from dying, didn't you?"
"Did we?" the man asked. "Annie told me that you wanted to meet me and Miss Lalia was kind enough to accompany me."
"I can see your wings," she pointed out.
"You can see a lot more than you realize, Miss Lula."
"Just as you are blind to things that were never true." Lalia added.
"Like what?"
"The curse. There was never a curse, my dear. Your grandmother never possessed that much power. Her power was in making you believe her lies."
"Oh, my gosh," Lula grabbed Grady's arm. "Do you see?"
"Yes," he smiled. "She has wings."
"You're an angel?" Lula a
sked.
Her ancestress laughed. "There's a little angel in all of us, honey, just some more than others. One day you might just see yourself clearly enough to realize that."
"So why are you here?"
"To tell you that you're not cursed but blessed and that you should share that blessing and continue to help others – the dead and the living."
Lula smiled. "I'll try, I promise."
"Then it's time for you to return with your friend. If that is what you wish."
"Well, there you have it." Grady said. "So, Miss Tallulah Christmas, what will it be?"
"I don't think I'm quite done with living."
"Then you definitely need to come back. Care for an escort?" He offered his hand.
"Are you kidding?" She put her hand in his. "Show me the way, handsome."
Lula blinked and looked around. She felt a little like Dorothy, awakening after her adventure in Oz. Grady sat on one side of the bed, beside her and holding her hand. Lincoln sat on the other side.
"Wow," she said in a raspy voice.
"Wow?" Lincoln asked.
"How often does a woman wake to a sight like this?"
"Glad to see you. On this side," Grady said.
"Thank you." She gave his hand a squeeze. "I owe you."
"Seeing you here is thanks enough." He nodded to Lincoln. "See ya, bud."
"Thank you."
"You bet."
Lula looked at Lincoln. "So, you saved me."
"I think that credit goes to Grady."
"You climbed into the hole for me, Thor."
"I've reclaimed my title?"
"You know, I'd really like to be mad at you. And I was for a good while. It hurt that you thought I'd take up with someone else."
"I didn't really."
"Then why did you leave?"
"Because I don't know how to be in love, how to deal with being jealous or feeling like I want to lock you up so no other man can ever be the recipient of your smile or touch."
She nodded, appreciative of his honesty and acutely aware that she owed him the same. "Can I use your phone?"
"Now?"
"Please."
He handed it to her, and she dialed the number she'd known by heart for over a decade. She put the call on speaker "Hi," she spoke when the call was answered.
