'Til Death (A Rebel Ridge Novel)

by Sharon Sala

  “Oh, my God, I had no idea.”

  “We’re already halfway down the mountain. We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Jake said, and hung up, then yelled at Avery and Cyrus, who were still searching the woods.

  “Boys! Someone already found her and took her to the hospital. Let’s go,” he said, then leaned down and hugged Dolly close. “Honey, you need to climb into the car now. We’re gonna go see Meg, and you need to have faith that she’s going to be all right.”

  It was the calmness in Jake’s voice that brought Dolly out of the mind-numbing panic. She got back in the car, swiping tears as Jake kissed her cheek and then closed the door.

  Even though Meg’s car appeared to be a total loss, Cyrus had the sense to take the keys out of the ignition, turn off the lights and push the door as closed as it would go. Then he jumped the ditch and followed his brother to the Suburban. When Jake put the car into gear, the tires spun on the snow before they caught traction.

  Cyrus leaned forward from the backseat as Jake headed down the mountain.

  “Dad, remember Meg said she left Honey in the house? I took her car keys. If her house key is on it, when you get to her driveway let me and Avery out, and we’ll stay there and tend to Honey and her stuff until you and Dolly get back.”

  “Let me see it,” Dolly said, and when he handed her the ring, she quickly pointed out the door key. “It’s this one,” she said, and gave it back.

  “That’s a good idea, son,” Jake said, then gave Dolly’s arm a quick pat. “Help me watch for the turnoff, Dolly. It’s hard to tell where I’m at.”

  “Look for the big black mailbox,” she said.

  Less than a mile later they saw it. Jake paused long enough to let his sons out of the car. They waved with their flashlights as they crossed in front of the car and trudged off into the darkness.

  Dolly shook her head. “She was so close to being home when this happened.” Then she began crying all over again as Jake stepped on the gas.

  “I know, sugar, I know. I’m just sick all of this is happening to our girl, but we need to trust in the good Lord that she’s gonna be all right.”

  Dolly wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “You’re right, Jake. I don’t know what I’d be doing now without you.”

  * * *

  Linc went with them when they moved Meg from the E.R. to a bed in the hospital. She had an IV in one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other that automatically tightened every fifteen minutes to take a reading. The nurse who came in to get Meg settled eyed him curiously as he stood watch but didn’t question him. She left, telling him to call the nurses’ station if Meg woke up.

  Linc almost panicked, knowing that they’d just given Meg’s care over to technology, and then guessed the same thing had most likely happened to him when he was electrocuted. It was daunting to realize how fast a life could cease to exist.

  A small light was on overhead, but it might as well have been a spotlight, because she was all he saw. He pulled a chair next to her bed, then proceeded to map the changes the years had put on her face. Despite the bruises and swelling, it was obvious she’d grown into a beautiful woman. Since the only knowledge he had of her was from their past, he couldn’t help but wonder, what made her laugh now, and what music made her cry? What did she do with her days, and how did she pass her nights? Aunt Tildy said she’d given up on men, and it hurt his heart to think he’d had a part in turning this woman into a loner.

  So he sat, waiting for her to wake up, with a thousand questions running through his head. When she woke, would she know him, and if she did, would she reject him?

  * * *

  Something was beeping nearby. It must be the alarm. Time to get up. But when Meg opened her eyes and tried to get up, a pain shot through her body so fast that she gasped. Then she saw the IV needle in her arm and realized she was in a hospital. Flashes of blowing snow and a large buck frozen in the oncoming headlights of her car slid through her mind—and just like that, she remembered the wreck. But how had she gotten here?

  Her head was throbbing as she looked toward the window. It pounded even harder when she saw the stranger standing there, looking out. The massive span of his shoulders, and the fact he was so tall his head was higher than the window, reminded her of the furry giant she’d seen at the wreck. She realized it must have been him.

  “You’re not Bigfoot.”

  Linc was startled by her voice. He’d wondered what her first words to him might be, but this definitely wasn’t what he’d expected. He took his hands out of his pockets and turned around.

  “Not in the critter sense. How do you feel?”

  “My head hurts. My chest hurts. Did I break anything?”

  “You have a few stitches in your head, a concussion and a couple of bruised ribs. The only thing that broke is your car.”

  She frowned. “The snow...there was a deer. I swerved to keep from hitting it.”

  He’d wondered what had caused her to run off the road.

  “Did you pull me out of the car?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you. You probably saved my life.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Her frown deepened. That voice was tugging at her memory.

  “Do I know you?” she asked.

  Linc sighed. Here it comes. He’d never dreaded an introduction more.

  “You used to,” he said softly, and walked out of the shadows and into the light.

  Meg blinked.

  “Have I changed that much?” he asked.

  Her heart stopped, then picked up an irregular beat so fast it left her breathless.

  “Lincoln?”

  “Yes.”

  She reached for his hand, clasping it fiercely, and as she did, she felt the strength and the calluses.

  “You’re the one who moved onto your grandpa’s place. It was you who told Sheriff Marlow about Prince White, wasn’t it?”

  He shrugged. “It seems like I came home just at the right time.”

  She was almost afraid to ask. “Are you here to stay?” She watched an odd expression move across his face before he nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m staying.”

  There wasn’t time to think about why that felt like good news. There were other crowding questions.

  “Why did you come home now, after all these years?”

  He sat down in the chair beside her bed.

  “I got tired of running from something I didn’t do. I came home to find out who killed my dad and clear my name.”

  “But how are you going to do that? It’s been so long.”

  “I’ll figure it out as I go.”

  She couldn’t quit staring. It was surreal to be talking to him like this when she’d thought she would never see him again.

  “Why didn’t you let anyone know you were back?”

  “I intended to, sooner or later. I’m trying to remodel the old bomb shelter on Grandpa’s place to winter in until I can rebuild the house. I plan to start my investigation after I get the place finished.”

  Meg’s head was beginning to throb. She felt herself losing focus, but she didn’t want to pass out with so many unanswered questions hanging between them.

  “What was happening to me messed that up, didn’t it?”

  “Things change, sometimes for the better,” he said.

  “Just for the record, I never thought you did it.”

  It was more than he’d hoped for, yet the best thing she could have said, and he still felt the need to apologize.

  “Aunt Tildy told me some about what’s gone on with you. I’m so sorry the men you cared for let you down.”

  Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. It was surely from the pain and the shock of the wreck, but it was the first time anyone had ever acknowledged how the actions of others had impacted her life. Twice, at a very young age, she’d been ostracized by her friends because of an association with someone else. Feeling emotional over a man she hadn’t seen in eight
een years was not only ridiculous but totally unlike her. And yet she was crying and couldn’t stop.

  Linc saw the tears. “Oh, Meg, don’t cry. I’m so sorry.”

  She closed her eyes, unwilling for him to see how vulnerable he made her feel. She’d known a boy, but she didn’t know this man, and even though he’d saved her life, trusting him wasn’t wise.

  He started talking fast, hoping to calm her down. “I know me being here is the last thing you needed. I would have already left, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone. The hospital called your brother Ryal. I’m sure your family is on the way.”

  She squeezed his hand, because she understood, but she couldn’t talk.

  His fingers curled around her wrist. “Don’t cry, Meg. Damn it, don’t cry.”

  The pain in his voice hurt her heart, but before she could say anything more, the nurse came back.

  “Oh good, you’re awake. Your family is on the way up. Is there anything I can get for you?” she asked.

  Meg wouldn’t turn loose of his hand. “Would it be possible to have something for pain?

  “I’ll check and be right back,” the nurse said.

  Linc looked around for his coat. “I’d better be leaving.”

  Meg held on even tighter. “But they’ll want to thank you.”

  He gently pulled out of her grasp, then brushed a tear off her cheek. “No, they won’t, Meggie. Trust me. No, they won’t.”

  She choked on a sob.

  He started to say more, then shook his head and slipped out of the room. Unwilling to meet her family coming out of the elevator, he ducked into the stairwell and headed down.

  Seven

  Just like that, Linc was gone again. Meg didn’t want her family to see her crying and have to explain what was wrong, so she wiped away her tears and made herself calm. It was none too soon. Within moments her mother opened the door and quietly slipped inside, followed by Jake and her brother Ryal.

  She took a slow, shaky breath and then made herself smile. It was as halfhearted as the tone of her voice.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Oh, honey, what have you done to yourself?” Dolly said as she hurried to the bedside.

  “A few more stitches, a couple of bruised ribs. Nothing is broken.”

  Ryal stopped at the foot of the bed and gently patted the covers over her foot.

  “Hey, sister...what happened?”

  “There was a deer in the road. I didn’t see it until I was almost on it. I swerved and wound up in the trees.”

  Jake shook his head. “I can’t tell you how many times that’s nearly happened to me. One of the hazards of living in the mountains, for sure. Really glad to see you awake and talking.”

  “We thought...” Dolly stopped, shook her head and blew her nose, unable to voice her fears.

  “Who found you and brought you here?” Ryal asked.

  Meg surprised herself by hedging. “I came to at the wreck long enough to see a huge furry shape moving in front of the headlights. I thought it was Bigfoot and then passed out again. I don’t remember the drive here, only waking up in this room.”

  It wasn’t a lie, she’d just omitted a few things—like the fact that the Bigfoot had been in her room when she opened her eyes.

  Jake chuckled. “Bigfoot, you say? That’s a good one.”

  Dolly cupped Meg’s cheek and then brushed a lock of hair away from her forehead.

  “I’m grateful, whoever it was,” she said.

  “Me, too,” Meg said, and then looked away.

  Ryal frowned. He knew his sister, and for whatever reason, she’d just told a lie. Something was going on.

  Meg saw Ryal’s expression. Damn. She’d never been able to fool her brothers about anything. Okay, he was suspicious. Big deal. He was going to have to stay that way. Twice now Linc had intervened on her behalf. The least she could do was not give him away. A change of subject was in order.

  “I have a favor to ask. I think they’ll let me out tomorrow once they’re sure my concussion isn’t an issue, but I left Honey in the house. Someone needs to go let her out,” she said.

  Jake touched her shoulder. “We’re way ahead of you, girl. Cyrus and Avery are already there. They’re taking care of everything. You don’t worry yourself, okay?”

  Meg sighed with relief. “Tell them I really appreciate it.”

  “You can tell them yourself when you go home,” Dolly said, then looked at the time. “You need to rest. Ryal isn’t going to stay, but Jake and I will be just down the hall in the visitors’ waiting room.”

  “I’m sorry. It seems like I’ve been nothing but trouble lately.”

  “And none of it your fault,” Ryal said. “Do you need anything?”

  “No. I hurt, but as Granny Foster used to say, ‘this, too, shall pass.’”

  Dolly leaned over and kissed Meg on the cheek. “I’m so grateful you’re okay. Try to sleep. I love you.”

  “I love you guys, too,” Meg said, and then closed her eyes.

  She heard footsteps leaving, the door closing, and then she opened her eyes. Ryal was still standing at the foot of the bed.

  “What’s the secret?”

  Meg frowned, then winced from the pain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Whatever,” he said. “But just so you know, I don’t believe you.”

  “Just so you know, I don’t care,” Meg muttered.

  The nurse came in with a syringe of pain meds, shot it into Meg’s IV and gave Ryal a look, which he interpreted as take yourself out of the room now, which he did. He knew Beth would be worried about Meg’s condition and planned to call her before starting home.

  It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that Meg breathed easy. The hall outside her room was quiet. Her anxiety was slowly dissipating as the pain meds kicked in. The last thing she thought about was the look on Linc’s face when he’d stepped out of the shadows. It wasn’t unlike the look she’d seen on that deer’s face right before she swerved—both of them afraid of what was about to happen.

  * * *

  While Meg slept and his mother and stepfather stood watch, Ryal did some snooping. He went down to E.R. to ask the admitting nurse the name of the person who’d brought his sister to the hospital and got a name he hadn’t expected.

  So Lincoln Fox was back. They should have figured it out when they heard that someone had moved onto the old Fox property. He wanted to be pissed that Meg was protecting the man, but until he knew all the facts, he would reserve judgment. For now, it was enough that Fox had been the person who’d given a name to her stalker and rescued her from the wreck.

  * * *

  The doctors released Meg to her family before noon the next day. Her ribs were sore, her head hurt and, with her car a shambles, she was going to be afoot. But for now her mom and Jake were taking care of things. After they left the hospital they stopped at a supermarket in Mount Sterling to stock up on groceries, leaving Meg alone in the car.

  The snowfall had not been as heavy here and was already beginning to melt, turning the streets to slush. She watched kids throwing snowballs and cars spinning out on the slick spots. A police cruiser went by with flashing lights, followed shortly by an ambulance and the fire department. Without knowing what was going on, she still said a quick prayer. But for the presence of Lincoln Fox last night, she would have been in similar need.

  She’d done nothing but think about him after he’d slipped out of her room. Her heart ached, but from old memories. Seeing him again had resurrected all the old pain—of how much she’d loved him, and how desperate she’d been when they’d taken him away. She’d never understood how their friends had written him off as bad news, believing the worst of a boy who’d never done anything wrong. Having him for such a close neighbor could be a recipe for more heartache, but one thing was for certain: she would be talking to him again.

  * * *

  Last week’s early snowfall had melted away, leaving the earth soft a
nd wet, which made digging the footing for the last of Linc’s construction a lot easier. Every day was a rush to get as much done as possible while there was still daylight. The satellite dish had been installed, and at night he caught up with his construction crews back in Dallas by phone or by Skype, and dealt with the hitches as competently as if he’d been right there on-site. When he slept, he wrestled with the old demons that slipped into his dreams, leaving him an emotional wreck by morning. It didn’t help knowing Meg was his nearest neighbor, but his thoughts of her were on constant rewind—remembering the day he’d first seen her as someone other than just the tallest girl in class.

  * * *

  Boone’s Gap High School was competing in the state high school track meet in Louisville, and Linc was on his way to the concession stand when he heard them announce the next race—the girls’ fifty-yard dash. He was hungry, but the race wouldn’t last long, so he stopped to watch.

  The starter’s pistol went off, and the runners flew off their marks. They were running pretty much neck and neck until they passed the halfway point. All of a sudden one tall, long-legged girl separated herself from the pack as if she’d just shifted into high gear. Of course he knew her, but for some reason he’d never really looked at her before. He caught himself holding his breath as she passed him, running yards ahead of the others. He was stunned by the power in her stride. When she crossed the finish line her arms were over her head in a gesture of jubilation, and when she turned around and waved to her cheering teammates, the beauty of her smile stopped his heart.

  He asked her out within a week and never looked back. For the next two years Meg Walker was his girl and everyone knew it. The first time they’d made love had been in the back of his daddy’s pickup truck under the stars on Rebel Ridge. After that they’d made love whenever they got the chance, and when their senior year rolled around they were making plans for what came after high school with all the innocence of youth. When Lincoln’s world burned down around him, it burned all their dreams, as well.

  * * *

  As days passed, being back where his world had crashed was resurrecting far too many bad memories for Linc. He struggled daily to control his emotions. He was hammering a nail with more force than necessary when his focus was suddenly shifted by a phone call. When he saw caller ID, he dropped the hammer to answer.