Playing for Keeps (Honky Tonk Angels Book 5)

by Ciana Stone

  *****

  As the men worked to set up the cranes and get bulldozers positioned, Cody stepped away from the crowd. She’d not admit it to anyone, but she was scared. They called out to Riggs five minutes ago and hadn’t gotten a response. She didn’t know if she could handle finding him dead and being confined beneath that rig. And losing her shit could get her killed.

  She knew she was doing the right thing, but damn if she couldn’t use a hug right about now.

  As if to answer that thought, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Cody whirled around and gaped in surprise.

  “Joe?”

  “Yessum.” He smiled at her.

  “I haven’t seen you since you saved Annie’s son the night the tornado hit the bar.”

  “Been a mite busy.”

  “Yeah, you were there with Callie weren’t you?”

  “No ma’am. But some friends were.”

  “Friends?” Cody’s gaze moved momentarily to the rig, then back to Joe. “You mean?”

  “I do indeed.”

  “Are you here to save him? Riggs, I mean?”

  “More like lend a helping hand.”

  “You going under that rig with me, Joe?”

  “Yessum. In a manner of speaking.” He took her hand in his hand and kissed her forehead. “You’re a good soul, Cody Sweet, and a brave one.”

  “And stupid? Is this going to work?”

  “Child, you can do whatever you set your mind to. Just like your mama and daddy taught you. Everything you want is in reach. You just have to stretch out your hand and take hold of it.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “Most assuredly.”

  “Well, I hope you’re right. I—” She stopped as she heard her name being yelled. It was Hannah. “Hannah! Hannah!” Cody waved both arms. When Hannah spotted her, Cody turned toward Joe. Only Joe was gone.

  “Oh my god!” Hannah nearly tackled her. “Oh my god.”

  “I’m okay, Hannah.”

  “Oh thank god.” Hannah stepped back but kept a grip on Cody’s arms. “You can’t do this. You can’t.”

  “I have to.”

  “No you don’t. Someone else can do—”

  “There isn’t anyone else.”

  Hannah shook her head. “There has to be.”

  “There isn’t.” Cody softened her voice. “I’ll be okay, Hannah and I do have to do this. If I don’t, Riggs could die.”

  “And he’s the one.”

  Cody smiled. “I thought you didn’t believe me?”

  “I don’t. I mean I didn’t. Oh hell, I don’t know, Cody. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “It won’t.”

  “You promise?”

  “I do.” Cody saw Bronson headed her way and gave Hannah a quick hug. “I have to go. See you soon.”

  She hurried away before Hannah had a chance to say more. Bronson took her arm and led her to the other side of the rig. They had this ear-piece communication set for her, a first-aid kit and a case with two jacks. Bronson quickly explained to her how to set the jacks, and then an EMT told her what to look for when she reached Jaxon. He’d be on the communication channel and would talk her through whatever she needed.

  She listened, nodded her understanding

  “Are you ready?” Bronson asked.

  She sucked in a breath and answered, “As I’ll get. Let’s do it.”

  He looked around and yelled loudly. “Are we set?”

  After the yells of “ready” and “all set”, the entire site went silent.

  “Okay, let’s make this happen people,” Bronson yelled, then said to Cody, “Have at it, girl.”

  She nodded, slung the medical kit around her body so that it rested on her back, grabbed the case with the jacks, and knelt to peer into the tangle of metal that was the rig. Somewhere under there was Riggs.

  It was time to find him.

  *****

  Hannah was waiting with Cade, Roxie, and Cooper when she saw her mother and dad working their way through the crowd.

  “Where is she?” Stella asked the moment she and Billy reached them.

  “I tried to stop her, Mama.” Hannah mentally kicked herself the moment the words were out of her mouth. This wasn’t about what she had or hadn’t done. It was about her sister, under that rig, trying to save a man’s life. “She’s trying to help them save Jaxon Riggs.”

  Stella looked at Billy, then at Cooper. “And you just let her do that?”

  “It wasn’t our decision Mrs. Sweet,” he said. “But yes, we did. We didn’t have anyone else small enough to reach Riggs and the EMTs needed to know his condition before we tried to move the rig.”

  “If anything happens to her—”

  Stella was cut off by the arrival of Herbert Pursell and another man, someone Hannah had never seen before

  “Cooper,” the man with Herbert said.

  Cooper turned and Hannah saw the shock on his face before he even spoke. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

  “We’re here to help, son.” Lucas gestured to Herbert. “We heard what happened and we have two cranes in route.”

  “We have two onsite we’re setting up.”

  “Two more could make the difference,” Herbert said.

  “I—” Cooper looked at his father, at Hannah, then at Wes, who was hurrying toward them. “Wes, our—”

  “What are you doing here?” Wes demanded of Herbert.

  “They’re here to help,” Hannah said. She saw the hurt on Herbert Pursell’s face and the anxiety on Lucas Quinlan’s face. Neither might have been a good father to their sons, but both were there with good intentions. “They’re trying to help, Coop. Let them. Please.”

  Cooper looked at her, then put his hand on Wes’ shoulder. “She’s right Wes.”

  Wes’ lips were pressed together in a tight line and his brows drew down into a scowl. For a few moments, Hannah thought he was going to refuse the help. Then he nodded. “What’ve you got to offer?”

  “Two cranes just a few minutes out,” Herbert said. At a tap on his shoulder from Lucas, he looked behind them. “Here they are.”

  “Let’s get ‘em into place,” Wes said and gestured to his father and Lucas. “Bronson and Jasper are in charge. Come on.”

  Cooper looked at Hannah. “I have to go with them.”

  “Can we…” She hesitated, but after a look at her mother, continued. “Can we go with you? We won’t get in the way but Cody’s under there and—”

  “It’s fine. Come on.” Cooper took her hand and led them to the command post that had been hastily erected.

  Bronson was standing at table that had a radio unit sitting on it along with hand drawn plans. Jasper was talking to the crane operators and the crew. Cooper led Hannah and her family over to Bronson. “I said they could wait here.”

  Bronson looked around. “Could someone grab us some folding chairs from the trailer?”

  Hannah watched as everyone went back to the task at hand. Time was of the essence and everyone there was focused on a common goal: get Jaxon Riggs and Cody out alive.

  *****

  Cody was short of breath and more than a little afraid. There was barely room to crawl under the twisted pile of metal. The light on her helmet helped her see, but seeing did nothing to ease her fear.

  Please god, let me find him. She kept inching forward, turning her head from side to side. She looked to the right, turned her head back to the front, then froze and looked again. What was that?

  When she realized she was seeing Riggs, trapped under a large metal rail, her heart started hammering. She crawled as fast as she could. When she reached his side, she released the case with the jacks.

  His eyes were closed and along with what looked like a heavy metal beam across his chest, a metal rod had impaled his left leg.

  Cody put her hand on his face. “Riggs? Can you hear me? Riggs. Wake up.”

  She was beginning to think he wasn’t going to wake when his
eyelids fluttered, then opened. “Well damn, I must be dead.”

  “What would make you say a terrible thing like that?” Cody was too scared to be teased.

  “Because there’s an angel with me.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Been called that a time or two. Same must be true for you. What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Saving your ass.”

  “And why would you want to do that?”

  Cody got what he was doing. Taking her mind off their predicament to ease her fear. It was working. At least a little. She tried to smile. “Well, maybe I have plans for you, Riggs.”

  “Does it involve being naked? I like being naked. And I know I’d like to get you naked. So if it—”

  “Would you please shut up?” She activated her headset. “I need to talk to the EMT.”

  Riggs fell silent and she called out. “Matt? Bronson? Is anyone there? I found him.”

  She could hear the cheers as Bronson’s voice came over the earpiece. “Thank god. He’s alive?”

  “Yes. Bronson, is Matt still there?”

  “Yes. He’s right here.”

  “Matt?” she asked.

  “Cody?” he answered. “It’s Matt Gates. What do you see?”

  “There’s a big piece of metal on his chest that has him pinned, but it doesn’t look like it’s crushing him. And there’s a piece of metal that’s coming down vertically from the rig and it’s piercing into his left leg.”

  “Is there a lot of blood?”

  “His pants are wet, but it’s not gushing.”

  “Good, that means it didn’t hit an artery.”

  “Cody?” Bronson’s voice cut in. “Can you tell me anything more about the metal that’s through his leg?”

  “Well, it’s about as big around as two of my thumbs and it goes up above us, but I can’t tell to where.”

  “Can you feel beneath his leg and see if it’s going all the way through?” The EMT Matt asked.

  “Hold on.” She scooted on her belly and eased her hand under his leg. “I don’t feel anything.”

  “That’s good,” Matt said. “Real good.”

  “So what do I do?” she asked.

  There was a long silence, so long it scared her. “Hello? Bronson? Matt?”

  “We’re here, Cody,” Bronson said. “I need to talk to Riggs. Can you hold your comm unit where he can hear me?”

  “Yeah, hold on.” She scooted back up close to Riggs’ head. “Bronson wants to talk to you.”

  “Put him on.”

  “Bronson? Can you hear us?” she asked as she held the unit between her and Riggs.

  “Yeah. I hear you. Riggs? You hanging in there?”

  “I am.”

  “What can you tell me?”

  Cody noticed the way Riggs’ gaze locked with hers as he told Bronson the status of things from where they were. It hasn’t occurred to her that she would be in much danger. Now she was fully aware of just how dangerous the situation was. Without thinking, she felt for Riggs’ hand.

  His grip was strong. He finished speaking; Bronson told Cody to do as Riggs directed and to radio in when it was done.

  “Okay.” She put the earpiece back on and looked at Riggs. “What do I do?”

  His hand tightened on hers. “First you make me a promise.”

  “What?”

  “That as soon as we’re out of this, I get a kiss.”

  “You…are you crazy?”

  “Been called that a time or two.”

  “Riggs—”

  “A kiss.”

  “Okay a kiss. Now what do I do?”

  He gave her a smile, then started instructing her on where to place the jacks. The goal was to provide as much stability around them as possible. It took longer than she’d imagined and when it was done, she was sweaty and breathing hard.

  She got on the radio. “Bronson?”

  “Right here.”

  “All of the jacks are set up.”

  “Okay, now, Matt has instructions for you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Matt came on the radio. “Cody? Listen, when they start to lift the rig, it’s probably going to pull on that rod that’s in Riggs’ leg. We’re going to depend on you to watch it. If it looks like it’s pulling clean out we’re good, but if it starts to lift his leg like the rod is hooked or bent, you have to let us know right away so we can stop.”

  “I will.”

  “Okay, so are you ready?”

  She looked at Riggs. “Are we ready?”

  “Born that way, sugar.”

  She couldn’t believe him. Either he was trying to make her feel better or he really was crazy. Regardless it was time.

  “We’re ready,” she said into the microphone.

  “Okay, here we go.”

  Cody heard the roar of engines as the operators started the cranes and bulldozers. She listened to Bronson yelling orders. It sounded like he was on a bullhorn. There were clanks and bangs, men yelling as everyone set about trying to get firm locks on the rig.

  “It won’t be long.” Riggs’ voice had her cutting him a look. “Just keep thinking about that kiss, sugar.”

  “You think we’ll make it?” She didn’t want to ask, but she had to. She needed someone to tell her they would.

  “Yep. Give me your hand, Cody. Just hold on.”

  She gripped his hand and waited, tensing and jumping at the shrieks and groans of metal all around them. Her heart was beating so loud and so fast, she wondered if Riggs could hear it. It seemed awfully loud in her ears.

  His hand tightened on hers a split second before a loud grinding metallic groan sounded directly above them. The tangle of metal over their heads lifted about six inches.

  Cody’s eyes shot to the rod in Riggs’ leg. It hadn’t budged. She followed it up, trying to see its origination point but the light from her helmet didn’t have enough range. The rig groaned again. This time when it lifted, the rod did as well.

  Riggs’ yell had her nearly jumping out of her skin. The rod pulled all the way out of his leg. She fumbled for the med kit and spilled its contents all over the ground. With shaking hands, she snatched up gauze and put it over the hole in his leg, pressing her hand on top of it.

  Another groan and the metal bar across Riggs’ chest lifted. “Move! Move!” She kept one hand on his leg and tugged on his arm with the other. “Get out from beneath it!”

  Riggs wiggled until he was free from beneath the bar and then lay back, his chest heaving and his face pale and sweaty. Cody screamed into the radio. “Bronson? Can’t you go any faster?”

  “We’re going as fast as—” His voice cut off, but she could hear others. They were screaming about losing something.

  No sooner had she heard that, the rig jerked and she saw it coming down. She heard Riggs say, “Oh hell,” and suddenly time seemed to go into slow motion. Riggs nodded as he looked beside her and her eyes followed the direction of his gaze.

  There was Joe. He was on his knees, his hands braced up against the rig as if he were holding it to keep it from falling. Riggs dove on top of Cody, shielding her with his body.

  “We’re going to die,” she said.

  “No, we’re going to make it.”

  “If we do I’ll owe you more than a kiss.”

  “Yeah?” She could hear the humor in his voice and marveled that he could find any at a time like this. “Does it involve being naked?”

  Something happened in that instant. Cody realized that she might die in the next few seconds. There was nothing she could do to stop whatever was going to happen next. Everything was out of her control.

  Everything but her own attitude. A million things went through her head and most of them focused on the same thing. How lucky she was. She might not have found happily ever after, but she’d been loved her entire life.

  And in this moment, if it was in fact her final one, she’d seen a man throw himself over her to try and protect her, sacr
ifice his own safety for hers.

  “It damn sure involves being naked. Repeatedly,” she answered.

  “That’s my girl,” Riggs whispered in her ear. “Hang on sugar. Here we go.”

  Cody squeezed her eyes shut tight and clung to him as the metal around them shrieked and groaned like a giant beast in its death throes. It seemed to go on forever—them trapped in this hell of darkness, noise and fear.

  And then there was light. She opened her eyes. She could see light. The rig was lifting away on one side. Shouts from the people bolstered her hopes. Maybe they had a chance after all.

  Then someone yelled, “Oh shit!” and before she knew it, the light disappeared and she fell into darkness.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cody sat straight up with a scream, fighting at the blanket that covered her. For a few moments she had no clue where she was. In her mind, she was trapped with Riggs.

  When a nurse, a woman she’d gone to high school with, ran into the room, Cody realized where she was.

  “Hey, hold on!” The nurse, Sandy, ran over to Cody’s bed. “You’re okay, honey. You’re in the county hospital.”

  “Riggs?” Cody grabbed Sandy’s hand. “Where’s Riggs?”

  “Riggs?”

  “Jaxon Riggs? He was in the accident with me. Where is he?”

  “Oh. He’s in room two-ten just down the—”

  Cody didn’t give her time to finish her sentence before she was yanking out her IV, climbing off the bed and heading for the door. She yanked it open and collided with Hannah.

  “Whoa!” Hannah grabbed Cody by the arm. “Where’re you going?”

  “I have to see Riggs!”

  “He’s going to be fine. And you’re supposed to be in bed.”

  “I don’t need to be in bed. I’m okay.”

  “I know you are, but—well you gave us a scare, Cody.”

  Cody let Hannah steer her back into the room. The nurse, Sandy, smiled at Hannah. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “My clothes!” Cody yelled. “And someone to sign me out.”

  “Cody, get back in the bed.” Hannah gave her a gentle shove. “Please.”