by R. C. Ryan
Archer Stone shrugged. “You can know a man for a lifetime and not really know what goes on in his head.”
Grace hurried over to Lily and Ingrid, cutting their bonds, before trying to lead them outside to safety.
“No.” Ingrid pushed away and hurried to kneel beside her mother. Finding a pulse, she shouted and Lily raced over, followed by Frank, Grace, Nelson, and Yancy.
“Hold on, Nadine.” Ingrid caught her hand. “The police are here. They’ll take you to the clinic.”
“Not…going to make it.” Nadine’s eyes opened, and she stared at her two daughters. “Hurts too bad.”
“Don’t say that. You’re going to live, Nadine.” Lily was crying.
“Don’t call me…” She paused and looked up at Nelson before trying again, marshalling all her energy to say what she needed to say. “A very smart man once said Mother was the most beautiful name in the world. Would you…would you mind calling me Mama just once?”
The two sisters looked at each other in amazement.
Lily started to speak. “But you said—”
Ingrid closed a hand over her little sister’s to stop her. “All right. If that’s what you want, Mama.”
Nadine managed a weak smile as she turned to Lily. “Now you. Please.”
“Mama.” Lily’s lips trembled. “I…love you, Mama.”
“Oh, my sweet girls. I never thought I’d hear that. Look how many years I’ve wasted. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Ingrid touched a hand to Nadine’s cheek. “You’re home now, Mama.”
A medic walked over and began to check her vital signs. She pushed his hand away. “Don’t waste your time, sugar.”
She reached out, grabbing hold of her daughters’ hands, twining her fingers with theirs. “If I could do things over…” Ever so slowly her fingers relaxed their grip and her hands went slack.
The burly medic touched a finger to her neck before glancing at the two grieving sisters. “I’m sorry. She’s gone.”
Ingrid and Lily were joined in their grief by the others who gathered around, forming a circle of love as they continued holding their mother’s hands.
Ingrid left Lily kneeling beside their mother, with Grace watching over her, while she went in search of Luke, who had already been placed on a gurney. One medic was inserting an intravenous tube while the other covered him with a blanket and prepared to take him to a helicopter.
Seeing him, so still and bloody, had tears springing to her eyes. She caught Luke’s hand. “Please don’t die, Luke.”
His eyes opened. He gave her one of those dangerous smiles. “Didn’t you know? Only the good die young.”
“Oh, Luke.” Sobbing, she buried her face in his neck.
“Hey now.” He wrapped his good arm around her. “Are all those tears for me?”
“Some.” She swallowed. “The rest…Nadine…my mother is dead.”
“Oh, baby.” He brushed a hand over her hair, seeking to offer comfort. “She was the one who saved us. You know that, don’t you?”
“No. It was you. You were so brave. So…”
She sniffled against his neck before straightening as the medics made ready to lift his gurney.
“Wait.” He motioned them to move back a pace. “You need to get to the clinic.” Ingrid started to step back, but he caught her hand and held her fast. “If your mother hadn’t come rushing in like a crazed grizzly protecting its cubs, we’d all still be hostage to that madman. Whether she planned it or not, whether accidental or deliberate, she turned out to be a true hero. I want you and Lily to hold on to that thought.”
Fresh tears started falling, and Ingrid didn’t bother to stop them. “Thank you for that, Luke. And for…everything.”
He gave her another smile before calling to the medics, “Okay. Let’s get me out of here.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you at Glacier Ridge. Last one there has to scrub my back.”
Despite her tears, she found herself smiling as the medics carried his gurney to a waiting helicopter and loaded it aboard.
In a whirl of sand and gravel, the copter lifted off and disappeared across the sky.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The state police crime unit was methodical as its members swarmed over the barn and ranch, bagging evidence, photographing anything that could be useful for their files.
After giving video statements, the family was allowed to leave.
A convoy of ranch trucks and police vehicles left the chaotic scene at the Larsen ranch behind as it snaked along the highway and through the town of Glacier Ridge.
Grace and Nessa opted to ride with Ingrid and Lily, patiently encouraging them to open up about all that had happened and offering comfort as the reality of their situation began to sink in, and their grief bubbled to the surface.
“Is Nadine…Mama really dead?” Lily kept asking.
“Yes, honey.” Ingrid had her arm around her little sister’s shoulders, feeling the tremors that rocked her body.
“Is Luke going to die, too?”
Grace closed her eyes against the pain.
Seeing it, Nessa was quick to reassure all of them. “Luke said himself that he’s too tough to die.”
“Nadine…Mama was tough.”
“Yes, she was.” Ingrid gathered her closer.
“But she died.”
The words were muffled against Ingrid’s chest, and she was forced to absorb a sudden jolt at the realization of all that had happened. Even now, she couldn’t quite take it all in.
“Here we are.” Nessa was relieved when their truck pulled up to the emergency entrance of the Glacier Ridge Clinic.
The women climbed from their vehicle and walked into another scene of complete chaos.
The Malloy men were already there, milling about the waiting room, asking endless questions of Agnes, the assistant to the Cross doctors, and demanding admittance to the examining room.
“Gracie Girl.” Frank Malloy hurried over to hug his wife. “She won’t tell us a thing about Luke’s condition, or Mick’s.”
A pretty, dark-haired young woman in a white lab coat said, “Because, until now, she didn’t know.”
“Dr. Cross.”
As she stepped into the outer room, the entire mob of people gathered around her, shouting questions.
“How is Luke? Is he alert?”
“Does he require surgery?”
“What about Mick? Will he recover from that blow to the head?”
She held up a hand and gave a quick shake of the head, sending dark curls dancing around her face. “Luke is being prepared for surgery to remove the bullets. Mick is now awake and alert, but we’ll keep him overnight for observation. I would suggest that, since you’ve all been through a terrible ordeal, you return to your homes and you can have a visit with the patients later.”
When nobody moved, she glanced over their heads until she spotted Colin on the perimeter of the crowd.
He was staring at her in that quiet, thoughtful way she’d come to know. Of the entire Malloy family, he was the only one who was quiet and reserved. Traits she found admirable, especially at a crazy time like this.
Seeing the question in her eyes, he shook his head, causing her lips to curve in the merest hint of a smile. “Or, if you insist on staying, I suppose you could take yourselves off to D & B’s Diner or Clay’s Pig Sty. By the time you’ve eaten, both Luke and Mick should be ready to receive visitors.”
Instead of doing as she’d suggested, they seemed to dig in. Now silent, arms crossed over their chests, faces stern or thoughtful or determined, they stared past her toward the doors leading to the patient rooms.
“Or…” Resigned, she sighed. “Maybe I could have Agnes show you to the surgery waiting room, where I can meet with you postsurgery and fill you in on how Luke’s operation went.”
They moved like a giant swarm toward the doors, and Agnes, the clinic’s receptionist, wisely pushed the button t
o admit them, then led them down the hall and into a comfortable room equipped with TV, Internet connection, and several vending machines, as well as freshly brewed coffee. But one Malloy stayed behind.
“Doctor. Anita.”
Anita paused at the sound of Colin’s voice. “Yes?”
He managed a smile. “Thanks for your kindness.”
She gave a small laugh. “It wasn’t kindness. It was wisdom. I’m not prepared to go to war with a family as intimidating as yours, so I decided to make an executive decision that would please everybody and free me to get on with my surgery.”
He arched a brow. “You’ll be doing the surgery?”
“Does that worry you?”
He shook his head. “I’m glad.” Then he flushed. “I mean, I trust your uncle. Old Dr. Cross has been our doctor for a lifetime.” Colin touched a hand to her shoulder. “But I’m glad you’re taking care of Luke.”
She smiled before stepping back. “I’ll make a complete report to you and your family as soon as the surgery is over.”
While Colin watched, she stepped through the open doors and disappeared along a corridor leading to the sterile inner sanctum of the small-town clinic.
Luke lay in bed, pleasantly sedated, as an IV tube dripped fluids into him and a machine monitored his vitals.
He looked around at the sea of faces staring at him. The Great One in an armchair, with Yancy standing beside him. His grandparents, holding hands. Matt standing directly behind Nessa, his arms around her waist. Reed and Colin and Burke at the foot of the bed, looking somber.
Closest to the bed were Ingrid and Lily. Both of them had stitches at their temples, covered with gauze. Both were gripping his hand, and it seemed to him that their breathing was in sync with his. Each time he breathed in, so did they. Each time he exhaled, they did the same. He struggled for a way to put them at ease.
“Does it hurt?” Lily seemed very worried about his level of pain.
“Not right now, Li’l Bit. They’ve got me on too much happy juice to feel a thing.”
“What’s happy juice?”
“Some kind of painkiller,” Ingrid whispered.
“Oh.”
The Great One glanced around at the others. “Dr. Cross said the bullet in your leg went clear through.”
Luke smiled. “I guess that’s a good thing.”
“I’d say so. And she said the bullet didn’t tear through anything vital, like bone or ligaments, so the healing should go smoothly.”
“So I’ll be able to dance?”
Ingrid seemed surprised by his question. “I don’t see why not.”
He shot her one of those wicked grins. “That’s great. ’Cause I couldn’t dance before this.”
The others laughed. Ingrid continued clutching his hand like a lifeline, until he could no longer feel his fingers.
He glanced around until he caught his grandmother’s eye. “I’m feeling a little sleepy. Must be all this happy juice. Would you mind if I just close my eyes for a while?”
Taking the hint, Grace began herding the others from the room. “We’ll all go back to the ranch, now we know you’re in good hands. But we’ll be back first thing in the morning.” She turned to Ingrid. “I’d feel better if you and Lily would stay at our place. At least until Mick is strong enough to go home. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
Very gently she eased the little girl away from Luke’s side, took her hand, and led her toward the door.
Before Ingrid could respond, Luke said, “As long as Lily’s in good hands, maybe you could stay in town for a while. I think I could persuade Dr. Anita to get you a tray. Maybe even a bed.”
She was shaking her head. “I couldn’t—”
Burke stepped up beside her. “I was thinking I’d hang out in town. Maybe grab a beer and a sandwich at the Pig Sty before heading back. If you’d like a visit, I could drive you back later.”
Luke shot him a look of gratitude.
Ingrid nodded. “I guess…as long as you’re staying, and I’m not making extra work for anybody…” She turned to Luke. “You’re sure I won’t be in the way? You have to be exhausted.”
“I’ll sleep better knowing you’re here.”
She turned to Burke. “All right. It looks like I’ll be coming back with you later.” She hurried to the door to kiss her little sister. “Will you be okay with Gram Gracie?”
Lily nodded and tightened her grip on Grace’s hand.
As the room emptied out, Ingrid returned to Luke’s bedside and took his hand in hers. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?”
In answer, he drew her down for a slow, leisurely kiss. “That’s all I needed.” He kissed her again, lingering over her lips until her smile returned. “Now I know I’m going to be fine.”
The lights in Luke’s room had been dimmed. Agnes had wheeled a recliner into the room and positioned it beside Luke’s bed so that Ingrid could lie beside him without disturbing the tubes and wires leading to the monitor.
Both of them had been covered with warming blankets, to fight any lingering shock to their systems.
Snug, warm, content, they lay holding hands.
Luke turned his head to study Ingrid’s face. “Feel like talking about Nadine?”
“No. It’s all too fresh.”
“Yeah. I get it. But whenever you feel like talking, I’ll be here to listen.”
“Thanks. Luke?”
“Hmm?”
“Did we really live through this?”
“I guess we did. Although”—he chuckled—“the way I’m feeling right now, maybe I’ve died and gone to heaven.” He pretended to pinch himself. “Let’s see. There’s not a sound in this place, except for that annoying monitor. No drunken gunman. No blood. And I’m lying beside the most beautiful woman in the world, who could very well be my angel.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm before closing her fingers around it. “Let’s sleep on it, and figure things out in the morning.”
Long after he’d fallen asleep, Ingrid lay with her hand in his, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest and thinking it was the most glorious thing she’d ever seen.
If they weren’t in heaven, this was the closest thing to it. Lily was safe and secure in the loving circle of the Malloy family.
Mick was awake and alert, and Dr. Anita had assured her that he could be discharged in the morning, as long as he agreed to return in a week for another X-ray.
Nadine…Mama…had been the catalyst to saving all of them.
How could Nadine have been attracted to a monster like Lon Wardell?
Attracted?
A poor choice of words. Nadine hadn’t been so much attracted as addicted. She hadn’t been able to stay away from his type. Hard-drinking. Hard-living. A loser.
But she’d redeemed herself by one unselfish act of love.
Love.
An image of Luke, charming, laughing, ducking her head beneath the water of the creek as they swam naked together, played through her mind, easing her pain, soothing her spirit. That man had a way of making her forget every hardship she’d ever endured. He was fun, funny, irreverent, fearless.
And here she was, after surviving impossible terror, calmly lying beside the man she loved.
The man she loved.
Were there any sweeter words in the world?
At last, exhausted beyond belief, she gave in to the need to sleep.
Hours later, when Burke stopped by to see if Ingrid was ready to leave for the ranch, he found Ingrid and Luke sound asleep, each wearing matching smiles.
With a nod of approval, he silently let himself out.
Chapter Thirty
A convoy of ranch trucks moved slowly along the ridge of the meadow, abloom with wildflowers.
When they came to the small gravesite, the Malloy family stepped out. Wearing somber black pants and string ties, the men lifted a simple pine box from the back of Ingrid’s battered truck.
Sheriff
Graystoke was there, offering an apology that his deputy wouldn’t make it, since one of them had to handle the duties back in town.
Bull Hammond rode up on the back of his dappled mare, his face dripping with sweat, his cheeks red from the sun. He dismounted and yanked off his hat before mopping his face with a handkerchief.
The Reverend Townsend from Glacier Ridge Church stood beside the open grave, flanked by Mick, Ingrid, and Lily.
The men removed their best Sunday hats and bowed their heads as the minister spoke the words over the casket.
“We will be judged, not only by the way we choose to live, but by how well we love. No greater love is there than this: that a man would lay down his life for another. This day we send our sister Nadine to her eternal rest. May she sleep in the knowledge that her generous action resulted in the safe return from certain death of those she loved.”
As Mick and Burke lowered the casket into the ground, Ingrid picked up a handful of dirt and scattered it on the lid. Lily, clutching a handful of wildflowers she’d picked, dropped them and watched as they fluttered down to cover the top of the box.
The others stood back respectfully while sand was shoveled and the grave was mounded with fresh earth. Then, with a word to the minister, and hugs to Ingrid and Lily, they walked to their trucks, giving the two sisters a chance to say their private good-byes.
When they finally turned away from the grave, Luke caught their hands and walked between them to Ingrid’s truck. He helped them settle inside before taking the wheel.
“That was a nice service.”
Ingrid nodded. “I’m grateful that Rev. Townsend would come all this way. He suggested a funeral in town, but I knew that wasn’t something Nadine…Mama would have wanted. Besides, the only ones who will grieve her loss are right here.”
Luke squeezed her hand. “Yancy’s preparing a lunch.”
She looked over. “We’re driving to your ranch?”
He shook his head. “Yancy and the Great One are at your place.”
“Poor Yancy. I bet he can’t find any of the utensils he needs.”
