Glory Falls

by Janine Rosche

  As he slid down the decline, the child’s cries grew louder. A painful, throat-scratching scream he’d only experienced in his home in the days after Ella drowned. The child was in agony. Thomas looked around for anything he could secure the car to, but there was nothing. No trees, no guardrail, and the Bronco was too far away. There was a boulder on the bank, but it was too sunken in the ground to make a good anchor without digging. If the child was gravely injured from the crash or the water had already reached him, he wouldn’t have time for that.

  The first deep step into the river sent a thousand needles into his leg. The car shifted, lurching forward a yard and tilting so that its driver’s side dug deeper into the water. The scream from inside the car stopped, then restarted even louder and shriller. The water reached Thomas’s knees, then his thighs. The cold paralyzed his lungs. When he rounded the back bumper, he stepped in a hole and stumbled. Water clawed the waistband of his jeans before he could get back to his feet. The current grabbed hold of him and thrust him against the back door. Inside, a baby’s face contorted as it gasped for breath. River water splashed into his car seat. Thomas wouldn’t have much time. He tried the door. Locked. Not that he could wrench it open with the current pressing against it anyway.

  A woman in the driver’s seat silently watched the water swirl up over her waist and the deflated airbag, while she pulled at her door handle again and again. When she turned her head to Thomas, her pupils displayed shock. Still, she mouthed, My baby.

  Thomas pulled the flashlight from his soaked back pocket. He reared back and hit the butt of it against the outer edge of the rear driver-side window. Nothing. He repeated the action, but the force wasn’t concentrated enough.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Blue take her first tentative step into the river.

  “Stay back, Blue!”

  She held up a stone about the size of a book, but it had a point on one side. “Use this.” The water licked at her calves, and she gasped but didn’t stop moving deeper into the river.

  “Watch the—”

  Blue fell in the same hole but didn’t correct fast enough. She plunged up to her neck then, carried by the current, slammed into the rear of the car. Thomas caught her, yanking her up on her feet. Terror filled her eyes, and her lips trembled, but she still held the stone. Thomas used it first on the back window, shattering it on the third strike. Blue reached through the opening. Deftly, as only a mother could, she unfastened the car seat straps and removed the child from the car. Blue pressed the infant against her chest. She and Thomas made eye contact once more, and then she began wading carefully toward the shore.

  Thomas was able to break through the front driver’s window quickly. “Ma’am, you need to help me here.”

  A siren sounded in the distance. Val’s ambulance. She’d be here soon.

  The car shifted again. It released from whatever had been holding it to its place. The back end moved first, pulling the car into a one-hundred-eighty-degree spin, toward the center of the river. Thomas hooked his wrist around the steering wheel, the only thing keeping him from being washed downriver now.

  After traveling a dozen yards or so, the car wedged once again. Thomas was able to plant his foot against a large boulder. If the car lurched, he’d be pinned between it and the rock that now aided him. A goner for sure.

  Thomas had to move. Placing his upper body inside the car, he heaved the woman up. She was small, but the material from the airbag practically netted her lower body to her seat. And his fingers were too frozen to be of any use. “You’ve gotta kick your legs.”

  She didn’t listen.

  “Your baby needs you. Kick hard.”

  That did it. The woman fought, and finally he was able to pull her free from the car.

  He led her to the shore, and they stumbled up the hill to the road where the ambulance was coming to a stop. Val jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran to Thomas. Together they helped the woman into the back of Rescue One.

  Val did a quick appraisal. “Was there anyone else in the car?”

  “A baby. Blue has her—” Thomas looked around. His muscles ached with movement, and his skin burned. “Somewhere.”

  “We’re going to work on her. Find that baby.” Val looked him up and down. “Then, you need to get warm ASAP. Rescue Two is on its way.”

  Thomas climbed out of the ambulance, giving room for Renner, Val’s partner, to work. Now, where was the baby?

  His Bronco remained where he’d parked it, the exhaust creating a cloud that rose past the falling snowflakes. Thomas moved to it as quickly as his frostbitten feet allowed. So cold. He opened his driver’s side door.

  “Get in.” Blue was in the back seat of the Bronco, cradling the softly weeping child. They were swaddled in one of the blankets Thomas kept in the back for emergencies such as this.

  “How is he?” he asked, hopping in and pulling the door closed. Even though the heat was on full blast, it did nothing with these wet clothes clinging to his skin.

  “He’s warming up. I took off his clothes and diaper. Was th-that the right thing to do?” Her pupils were sluggish. She was hypothermic, and he would be soon if he wasn’t already. Her clothes lay in a heap on the floorboard. She adjusted the blanket to cover more of her shoulders as he looked her over. She’d been smart, removing the cold, wet clothes.

  “Yes, but he’ll need medical attention and a warm IV as soon as possible. Us, too.” Thomas followed her lead, removing his shoes, socks, coat, and T-shirt. He glared down at the frosty jeans trapping the cold against his skin. In any other circumstance, he might worry about modesty. Right now, hypothermia was a bigger concern.

  “There’s an-nother blanket.” She nodded to the quilt on the bench seat between them. She turned her shoulders away from him, toward the window, and hummed “You Are My Sunshine” to the child while he struggled to unbutton and remove his jeans with frozen fingers.

  Eventually, he discarded the jeans and wrapped the fleece around himself.

  “How’s his mom?” she asked.

  His mind fogged, but the image of the mother in Val’s care remained clear. “Rough shape.”

  When Blue shivered, Thomas pulled her and the bundled child against him. He rested his cheek against her forehead. He needed to tell her how proud he was of her for the way she charged into that river to help. He wanted to tell her how angry he was because she’d put her life in danger. But he was too cold for that. He’d rather hold her.

  He pressed his quivering lips against her crown to still them. With his hand, he swept the frozen ends of her hair off her neck, then continued to caress the skin at her nape, urging his sense of touch to return to his fingertips.

  Wait. Was this wrong? He couldn’t think straight. Wasn’t mental confusion a symptom of hypothermia? What stage? All his training seemed to have washed downriver to die alongside Ella. Innocent Ella.

  “It was all my fault. I’m sorry about the water, Blue. I’m sorry about the r-river.”

  “Why are you sorry? You saved them.”

  “Not soon e . . . enough.”

  Another siren grew close.

  “Thomas, you’re worrying me. We need to get you and the baby into an ambulance.”

  He dipped his head, grazing his nose over Blue’s temple, down past her cheekbone, until he could feel her hot breath on his lips. Why didn’t he ever kiss her? In high school, it was all he could think about. Why had he let her go away without him? She was his Blue, and he was her Thomas. Always.

  “Thomas . . .” His whispered name warmed him in a way no medical intervention could.

  In his muddled mind, he searched for ways to make her say his name again.

  “Thomas, stop. You’re confused. I’m not Val.”

  Val?

  The passenger door of the Bronco opened. His girlfriend stood in the opening, and her jaw went slack
.

  Thomas scooted away from Blue, and his shivering returned with a vengeance.

  It took a moment, but Val seemed to shake off the scene. “I’ll take the baby now.”

  “Thank goodness,” Blue said. “He’s scared and cold, but I think he’s okay.”

  “Gotcha. I’ll check him out while we take mom to the hospital.”

  “Thomas is confused . . . and still doing the hero thing. That’s all that was.”

  Val looked Thomas up and down. It didn’t take long, since he felt about two inches tall. “Hypothermia. Get him to Rescue Two. They’ll help you both.” Val removed her coat, wrapped the baby in it, then turned to go.

  “Val, wait,” Thomas said.

  She glanced back at him. “Time for being a hero is over. I’ll check on you later.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  What was he supposed to say to Val? Thomas searched the ceiling of the hospital room for an answer, but none came, even after his treatment for frostbite and hypothermia and a good night’s sleep. But one thing was for sure. He’d hurt someone he cared about once again.

  His phone buzzed on the bedside table.

  Spencer: You should’ve waited for help. Strike two, Beck. One more stunt, and you’re out. I’m not playing.

  As Thomas flipped his phone facedown, the door to his room swung open and revealed Cassie’s small but mighty form wearing a power suit if he’d ever seen one. She propped her hand on her hip and tilted her head. “You know there are better ways to get me to visit, right?”

  Thomas sat up on the bed. “Hey, Cass. Who called you?”

  “Robbie. He told me you’d been brought up to Bozeman and would need a ride home.” She stood at the end of his bed and set a gym bag on his legs. “He also said you were naked and would need clothes.”

  “For the record, I wasn’t naked. I had a blanket.” Thomas unzipped the bag to reveal dress slacks, a button-down white shirt, and oxfords. “Where’d you get these?”

  “Just this guy I know.”

  “Cass . . .”

  “Tommy . . .” Cassie gave a tilted grin. “If there’s something to share, I’ll let you know, but for now, consider me married to my work.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “So?”

  “What?”

  “You want to tell me why I’m sitting on your hospital bed right now?”

  “A mere precaution.”

  Her scowl sliced him in two.

  “It was a routine river rescue, only I was in the water too long.”

  “Without proper equipment and without support. It was foolish, and you put Blue at risk.”

  Thomas didn’t want to think about Blue right now. Flashes of memory swirled with dreams he’d awakened from last night, all of which pooled guilt within him.

  “Listen. I didn’t say anything when you joined the squad, right? But if you keep going rogue like this, you and your entire squad will get an earful from me. Now get dressed because I’ve got a busy day.”

  * * *

  * * *

  Ryann slid one of the River’s Edge café plates in front of Blue. Although she usually loved pumpkin pie after a proper Thanksgiving meal, she’d requested warm apple pie, not à la mode. It had been three days since the rescue in the river, and her body temperature still hadn’t seemed to catch up. Even with her layers upon layers of clothing, she scooted closer to the wood-burning stove, only to see Thomas’s eyes widen. The hero acted like she’d be ablaze any moment and, as a result, was watching for any rogue spark.

  Why else would he be looking at her for the thousandth time since the meal began? Meanwhile, Val stared at Thomas, staring at Blue. Strangely, she didn’t look upset. Not like how Blue felt when she’d seen Hunter gawking at his new costar who’d lured him from Blue’s bed and into hers. Still, Blue felt guilty.

  Robbie nudged Keira, who had eaten two full plates of dinner and finished off Robbie’s pie. Blue had seen her eat hardly anything since mid-September, and every time Blue saw her, Keira had looked like she was one long blink from a nap. But here, ten weeks later, the second trimester must have begun. Extra energy and extra appetite. Blue remembered it fondly.

  As far as she knew, they hadn’t announced the pregnancy to anyone in the group, though Thomas had eyed the couple enough to make Blue wonder if he’d figured it out. Keira’s belly was also expanding more and more each day. If they didn’t say something soon, people would start assuming she’d swallowed Robbie’s old football helmet.

  Robbie stood. “Thanks to Shane for this amazing meal. I’m glad you took your hands off my sister long enough to make it. I also want to thank Thomas and Blue for not becoming Madison River Popsicles on Monday. We’d miss you a bit if you weren’t here. Both of you.” Robbie pinned his focus on Blue and nodded. “But there’s something else I’m crazy thankful for. Come May, Anabelle is going to be a big sister.”

  The group cheered and clapped. The guys, displaying chauvinism at its finest, high-fived Robbie and congratulated him on his role in the pregnancy. All except Thomas. His eyes flickered to Blue again, his expression full of concern. Perhaps he thought this exciting news would somehow cause her pain. As if no one in her ten-mile radius should ever dare have a child again because it might remind Blue of Ella. Blue displayed a big grin, urging him to relax. His long blink spoke understanding. He rose from his chair and congratulated Robbie and Keira.

  After a bit more explanation, Blue learned she’d been right. They were fourteen weeks in, and Keira was finally feeling better after a rough first trimester.

  Shane and Ryann whispered back and forth to each other.

  “Please don’t tell me you guys have an announcement, too,” Robbie said in their direction.

  “Nope, just making plans.”

  “Ew. I hope those plans aren’t for tonight.”

  “Oh, Robbie,” Ryann said, rolling her eyes. “I’d think a father of two would grow up already.”

  “Never,” Robbie said with a grin. He hugged Keira tight to him. “Look at all that God’s done for us, Kat.”

  An ache dug into Blue’s chest. Oh, to be held like that. And to have that faith again. Neither one seemed possible anytime soon.

  Blue willed herself not to look at Thomas, but she could feel his gaze on her all the same.

  * * *

  * * *

  Later that night, Thomas lifted a bite of cherry pie on his fork, but he couldn’t find the desire to put it in his mouth. He lowered it to the plate, then wiped his mouth with his napkin.

  Val, sitting across from him at her dinette table, simply mashed her piece of pie with her fork tines. She’d been quiet throughout the Thanksgiving meal with their friends earlier. More quiet than usual. Now, on their dessert date at her apartment, words had been nonexistent.

  They still hadn’t spoken about what Val had seen in the Bronco. How could he explain that he’d only been trying to get Blue and the child warm? Thomas poked at the pie crust. No. It was more than that. He’d needed to be close to Blue after seeing her chin deep in that water. Needed to feel she’d made it out alive.

  Then today, when he’d seen Robbie and Keira celebrating the life they’d created, he’d thought of Blue, not Val. That was when he knew what had to be done.

  Thomas opened his mouth to speak, but Val beat him to it.

  “We need to talk about our relationship.” Val combed her fingers through her hair again and again. “The other day when I found you and Blue—”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “—I felt nothing.”

  Oh.

  “Isn’t that strange? My boyfriend had his arms around another woman pretty intimately after a traumatic experience, and all I could think was, ‘I’m glad they have each other.’ I don’t know why.”

  Thomas’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. If there were words to say, he couldn’t f
ind them.

  “It got me thinking. What if we’re standing in each other’s way? What if God has this amazing life planned for you, but instead, you and I are just sitting at this table moving pie around, so we don’t hurt each other’s feelings?”

  “I do care for you.”

  “And I care for you. Which is why I’m hoping we can remain friends.” The smile she offered could light up a forest at midnight, but it couldn’t touch his darkness.

  He was great at friendships. Terrible at relationships. Why did he even try? “Of course. Still up for the movie?”

  “How about you set it up? I’ll wash our plates.”

  While Val set to scraping their uneaten pie into the trash, there was a knock at her door.

  “Want me to get it?”

  Val nodded.

  Thomas stepped to the door and opened it. A man stood poised to knock again. When he saw Thomas, he leaned back to check the apartment number.

  “Is, uh, Valor here?”

  “Valor?” Thomas repeated.

  “Yeah. Valor Haviland?”

  “Wes?” Val stepped around Thomas. “What are you doing here?”

  The man blinked several times. “Can I come in?”

  “Sure,” Val said. She didn’t look especially happy to see the guy, whoever he was. Wes. Thomas put the name in his mental search engine, but no results appeared. “Thomas, meet Wesley Stalling. He and I went to school together. He’s a family friend.”

  “Can I speak to Valor alone?” Wesley asked.

  Thomas turned an eye to Val, who nodded, then excused himself to her spare bedroom. The room wasn’t decorated. Although she’d lived in Montana for more than a year, there were still a few small boxes stacked in the corner. Thomas peeked inside the one on top. Office equipment, mugs, and books had been strewn together as if she’d packed up her Colorado life in a hurry. A life he knew little about.

  Guilt washed over Thomas. He’d been too busy wallowing in his shame and helping revive Blue’s career to realize the mystery his girlfriend was.