She knew from experience, it wouldn't be long until Kelly started bellyaching about her feet hurting, so she enjoyed the peace and quiet while she had it. Their hiking adventures always started and ended the same way, with Kelly fighting tooth and nail over doing it and then thanking Jenny when it was over because it helped her feel better. Hiking was the best remedy Jenny knew of for clearing her head and rejuvenating her spirits, and that was especially important today since the coming week was going to be jam-packed with work and double shifts.
The trail was deserted except for one other person they passed on their way up, and when they reached the halfway point, they stopped for a few minutes to catch their breath. Jenny took two bottles of water from her backpack and handed one to Kelly, who gulped it down in a matter of seconds.
"Thank God we're almost there. My feet are killing me," Kelly whined.
Jenny smirked as she pushed against one of the tall pine trees on the trail and did some lunges to stretch her calf muscles. "You sound like an old woman. Why is it you can be on your feet at work for twenty-four hours and never complain, but as soon as I mention hiking, you curl into a fetal position?"
Kelly wiped the sweat from her brow and grinned. "Because there are cute guys at the hospital. I love you, but you're not my type."
Jenny reached for her hand. "You're not my type either, so we're even. Now, let's get a move on. We're almost there."
They steadily wound their way up the mountainside, stopping only to admire some wildflowers they discovered along the way and once when Kelly swore she heard what sounded like a bear growling but was actually the low rumble of a plane flying overhead. When they reached Jenny's favorite spot on the trail, she pumped her fists in the air like a marathon runner crossing the finish line. "Woohoo! We made it! See, that wasn't so bad."
Kelly gave her a sinister look that made her laugh as they veered off the trail to a clearing in the middle of a grove of oak trees. Jenny had been there countless times, with and without Kelly, and it was the most beautiful spot she'd discovered during her many hiking trips. The trees were tall and created a canopy that blocked the sun's blinding rays, and while Jenny searched through her backpack for a blanket, Kelly grabbed her knees and took some deep breaths.
"We should do this more often to whip you into shape," Jenny teased.
Kelly was too winded to argue with her, and when Jenny spread the blanket on the ground, she collapsed on top of it before Jenny could get it unfolded evenly.
"Okay, I think I deserve my prize now," Kelly announced.
Jenny stretched out on her back and propped her upper body on her elbows and crossed her ankles. "Hold on. Let's take a breather first before we eat."
Kelly turned over on her left side to face her. "Aha, so it has something to do with food. You do know the way to my heart. If you'd told me that earlier, I probably wouldn't have complained so much."
Jenny cocked a brow. "Yes, you would have."
They were silent for a bit, and Jenny sighed contentedly as she turned her face to the sky and closed her eyes. It was so serene there among the birds chirping and the cool breeze blowing through the trees. She wished they could stay there forever in their little secluded spot away from the long work shifts, the cranky patients, and the even crankier doctors.
"Jenny, do you ever wonder if there's someone special out there you're destined to be with?" Kelly asked.
Jenny pondered her question a bit before answering. "I'll admit, sometimes I do start doubting there's such a thing as true love or love at first sight. Part of me feels like if I was meant to settle down, I would've found the right person by now, but the romantic in me holds onto the hope that my Mr. Right is still out there somewhere. What about you?"
Kelly shrugged. "I don't know. The last time I thought true love could be a real thing was when I met David, and we both know how that turned out."
Yes, she did. Kelly's relationship status bounced all over the place, much like her own, but the two long years she’d spent with her ex, David, were by far the worst. "Not every man is a cheating, manipulative jerk. Some great guy will come along who will treat you right, Kel. I just know it."
Her reply made Kelly smile. Jenny was just thankful those two years were behind them both because she couldn't bear to see her best friend hurting. She'd warned her about David from the very beginning, but love could blind a person sometimes, and this was one of those situations where Kelly had to learn on her own. Unfortunately, bad experiences made for excellent teachers.
"What qualities would your Mr. Right have?" Kelly asked.
Jenny laid her head on the blanket and laced her fingers together over her stomach. "Hmm. Good question. He would have to be caring, humble, passionate, adventurous, and love Mexican food."
Kelly grinned. "What would he look like?"
Jenny shrugged. "That doesn't really matter to me. I mean, good looks certainly don't hurt, of course, but being kind and compassionate—that’s what makes a man desirable in my opinion."
Just talking about it made her heart beat a little faster. In her twenty-eight years, she'd learned a valuable lesson when it came to relationships and that was good looks didn't make a great boyfriend, and she wouldn't make that mistake again either. The older she got, the more she appreciated a man who was decent and treated her the way a woman should be treated. She doubted she would ever find a man fitting that description in Lake Arrowhead, but stranger things had happened.
"I like those qualities too," Kelly replied. "Another big plus for me would be a man who loves to cook. Now that is sexy."
Jenny laughed. "Agreed. Speaking of food, let's eat."
They sat upright, and Jenny reached for her backpack. She'd brought two ham and cheese sandwiches, some chips, two cans of soda, and Kelly's favorite cherry and macadamia cookies that were only available at the deli across the street from the hospital where they worked. As soon as she took them out of her backpack, Kelly clapped her hands excitedly.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Those do make the hike worth it. Thank you!"
Jenny opened her soda and took a sip before removing her sandwich from the Ziploc bag.
"I’ve been meaning to ask you, have you heard from that classmate of yours from a couple of weeks ago? The woman who has MS? I can't remember her name," Kelly asked, before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Jenny frowned. "It's Aubrey, and I haven't seen or heard from her since she was in the hospital. She was discharged while I was off work, so I don't know what's become of her. She's been on my mind a lot, though."
Kelly nodded solemnly as she opened her bag of chips. "I know. Cases like that have a way of sticking with you, especially when it's someone so young and someone you know."
They ate in silence for a few minutes, but it was a comfortable silence that gave Jenny the opportunity to collect her thoughts. Her mind turned to Aubrey and the other people she'd met in her line of work who were faced with what some people might call insurmountable obstacles. A person's will and determination were mighty forces to be reckoned with, though, and anything was possible because she'd witnessed numerous people overcome such odds.
"Are you working the fourth floor Monday?" Kelly asked.
Jenny gobbled up the last bite of her sandwich. "I told Cameron in trauma that I would take her shift in the emergency room so she could attend her daughter's program at school."
Kelly wadded up her empty chips bag and threw it in the plastic bag Jenny brought their food in. "I work the evening shift on the fourth floor. Maybe I'll see you before you get off work and we can go to the cafeteria for some coffee."
Jenny took another sip of her soda. "Sounds like a plan to me. One good thing about working in the ER is it's usually busier and the time goes by faster."
Kelly wiped her mouth with her napkin. "Don't forget the cute paramedics from the ambulance service."
Jenny grinned. "Oh, yes. Them, too, of course."
She heard a rumble of thunder in the distance as they
placed the remainder of their garbage in the plastic bag before she stuffed it inside her backpack. "I think that's our signal to head back down the mountain."
Kelly rolled over onto her back and pouted. "And I was just getting comfortable. Can't we stay here a little while longer?"
Jenny glanced up at the trees when the wind picked up and made the branches sway. "I'm afraid not. The rain will be here soon. Let's get going."
Kelly got up and helped Jenny fold the blanket so she could put it inside her backpack, and then they were on the move again. Going downhill wasn't near as strenuous as climbing uphill, but they did have to watch their footing so they wouldn't trip and fall. Even though she wasn't able to see the sky through the cover of the trees, Jenny could tell the rain was getting closer by the way the wind increased. When they reached the trail marker at the bottom of the mountain, it started sprinkling, and they made it to Jenny's SUV just as the storm clouds opened up and the rain began to pour.
"Well, that wasn't too terribly bad," Kelly said. "Thank you for inviting me. I actually do feel better."
Jenny snickered. "Imagine that."
Kelly playfully nudged her side as Jenny turned the keys in the ignition, backed out of the parking lot, and headed home.
Chapter 5
Clay
He definitely wasn't in Oregon anymore.
Clay never thought he'd miss Mike's jokes, but as he drove the ambulance around the city with his new partner, Ken, the following Monday, he found himself longing for Mike's incessant chatter. He could probably count on one hand how many words Ken said since they were paired together, and it wasn't because he was rude or anything. He was actually a nice guy, but he was less than a month from retiring, and so he was basically just biding his time until then.
He passed several places he recognized from his youth, and his thoughts drifted back to a simpler time when he was in high school and the only thing he had to worry about was graduating and who he would ask to prom. It felt strange being home again because it really wasn't the "home" he remembered and loved, the one that included his parents. The other people and places were the same, but the kinship he felt with Lake Arrowhead had died along with his mom and dad.
"Dispatch to 22."
Finally, a break in the monotony! Clay picked up the receiver on the CB and held it to his mouth. "This is 22. Go ahead, dispatch."
The emergency dispatcher called them to a wreck located four miles south involving two vehicles, and when Clay turned on the sirens and headed that way, the adrenaline coursed through his veins for the first time in days. It was the first major scene he was called to since his arrival in California, and he couldn't be more excited. This was what he lived for.
The wreck happened on the outskirts of the city on a remote road he hadn't traveled in many years. Three police patrol cars were already on the scene, along with a couple of trucks he didn't recognize—more than likely people passing by who stopped to help. He parked the ambulance, and Ken jumped out of the passenger seat and walked to the back as Clay followed. It was the fastest he'd seen Ken move since they were introduced, and it was a nice change from his usual ho-hum demeanor.
The next hour flew by in a flurry of activity. One of the cars involved in the accident was several yards off the road, and the left front end of it was wrapped around a large pine tree. The lone male driver's left leg was crushed beneath the dashboard, and the fire department was called to cut him free with the Jaws of Life. The female driver in the other vehicle was unharmed, except for some minor cuts and scrapes on her arms and legs.
Clay crawled through the passenger side of the car to reach the man who was trapped inside, while Ken stood beside the door and waited to hand him any supplies he might need. More emergency personnel arrived on scene within a matter of minutes, and while they waited on the fire department to arrive, Clay went to work.
"Sir, can you hear me?" he asked the driver, who was fading in and out of consciousness. "Can you tell me your name?"
He assessed the situation and checked for external injuries, noting the driver had a deep laceration on his forehead and there were cuts from the seat belt on his neck but no constriction to his airway. He appeared to be around his mid- to late-forties, and Clay also spotted a gold wedding band on his left hand.
"F-Frank. Frank Hobbs," the man replied.
Clay checked his pulse, which was very weak. "Frank, my name is Clay, and I'm here to help you. I need you to remain as still as you possibly can, okay? The fire department will be here soon to get you out." As if on cue, he heard sirens in the distance. "Here they come. Hold on."
He asked him some questions to keep him alert, and as the firemen surrounded the vehicle, he pressed a bandage to Frank's forehead to try and control the bleeding. While the firemen prepared to extract Frank with the Jaws of Life, Clay stabilized his head and neck with a C-collar. A couple of times when he was conscious, the pain made him cry out and try to move, but Clay was able to talk him down and keep him immobile.
"You'll need to exit the vehicle while we extricate the driver," one of the firemen said.
Clay shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. Do what you have to do."
The fireman seemed perturbed, but he honestly didn't care because there was no way he was leaving his patient. Clay covered Frank's eyes to shield him from the sparks as the fireman cut through the vehicle with the Jaws of Life, and he kept his own eyes closed throughout the process. He placed his other hand on Frank's wrist to keep a check on his pulse. "You're doing great, Frank. We'll have you out of here soon. Stay with me."
His pulse continued to weaken, and Clay did his best to keep him awake. When Frank was finally cut loose from the mangled wreckage, he and Ken assisted the firemen with loading and strapping him onto a backboard and carefully carrying him to the gurney in the ambulance. He remained in the back with Frank while Ken hopped in the driver's seat and radioed Lake Arrowhead General Hospital to let them know they were incoming with a patient. Clay was tending to Frank's wounded left leg when he started groaning and struggled against his restraints.
"S-Sandra," he murmured.
Clay put an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose and coaxed him to breathe deeply to keep him calm. "Sandra? Is that your wife?"
He could barely hear him over the sirens as Ken sped toward the hospital, but Frank was able to nod.
"I'll find your wife as soon as we get you to the hospital. You have my word. I know you're in a lot of pain right now, but I need you to try and relax. Take some more deep breaths for me."
Frank closed his eyes and did as he asked while Clay retrieved a needle and the other supplies he needed to start a central line in his arm. Thankfully, he was able to accomplish it on the first try. It seemed to take much longer, but only eight minutes passed before Ken turned into the emergency entrance at Lake Arrowhead General Hospital and parked under the portico. When he sprinted to the back and opened the double doors, Clay was amazed at the number of medical personnel who were there, ready and waiting to help.
He and Ken pulled the gurney from the ambulance, and Clay relayed Frank's information and vitals as they hurriedly rolled him into the emergency room. His heart fell to his feet when Frank's blood pressure plummeted and he struggled to breathe—two possible signs of internal injuries. The doctors and nurses took over when they got him behind a curtain in the major trauma area, and Clay stood by on pins and needles, wanting desperately to jump in and help. When X-rays revealed a broken rib had caused a large puncture wound in his right lung, he was immediately prepped for surgery.
Before he was wheeled away, Clay got close enough to let him know he would get his wife there as soon as he could and to offer some words of encouragement. He had no idea if he heard him or not, but he hoped for the best. When the double doors closed behind them on their way to the operating room, the ER was suddenly quiet except for the occasional beeping of a blood pressure monitor in one of the observation units.
One of the nurses was bu
sy collecting Frank's personal belongings that were taken from his pants pockets, and he went to her when he noticed Frank's wallet and cell phone among the items. "He told me in the ambulance that his wife's name is Sandra. Can you please find her and let her know what's going on?"
Frank's cell phone was password protected, but the nurse found an emergency contact number on a card inside his wallet. Clay walked with her to the nurses’ station and remained by her side while she made the call. He could've simply walked away once his work was done, but that wasn't the way he operated. He told Frank Hobbs he would make sure his wife knew what was going on, and right now, that was his top priority.
When the nurse hung up the phone, she turned to him and smiled. "That was Mrs. Hobbs. She's on her way."
Clay thanked her, and as soon as she left, he leaned against the counter and tried to steady his nerves. It normally took him a few minutes to come down from an adrenaline rush, and this time was no different. It excited him to be in the thick of things again and doing what he loved. As far as he was concerned, there was no greater feeling than helping someone in need.
"I'm impressed," Ken said. "You handled yourself really well out there. I haven't had a partner hustle like that in a long time. Well done."
He patted Clay on the back, and he was so stunned over Ken carrying on a conversation with him, he didn't know what to say at first. "Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll do the paperwork if you want to go back to the ambulance. I'd like to wait around a bit and talk to Mrs. Hobbs if you don't mind."
Ken shook his head. "Not at all. I'll be outside when you get ready."
He left for the exit, and Clay talked to a couple of the doctors and started filling out the necessary papers so they could be on their way. He was almost finished when the double doors burst open and Mrs. Hobbs ran inside and grabbed the first nurse she saw. Clay recognized her from the picture Frank had of her on his cell phone screen.
Falling In Love: A Sweet Traveling Romance Novel (All Roads Lead To Love Book 2) Page 3
