The Girl with the Broken Heart

by Lurlene McDaniel

  Unless…

  He straightened and took off running. In the middle of the pasture he saw Oro standing, Kenzie in a heap on the ground. “Kenzie!” Austin cursed his stupidity and rushed to her side. Kneeling, he turned her flat and saw she was unconscious. He felt the side of her neck and found an irregular pulse. Her cheeks looked blotchy, and when he placed his hand on her forehead, her skin felt bone dry. No perspiration. Hyperthermia! He scooped her up in his arms and ran to the back door of the Taylors’ house, kicked hard with his boot.

  Jim opened the door, took one look, and shouted, “What happened?”

  “Call 911! Where’s your bathroom?”

  Jim led the way, stabbing numbers into his cell phone. Martha followed Austin. “What can I do?”

  In the bathroom, Austin placed Kenzie in the tub, lowered the stopper, ripped off her boots, and turned the cold water full blast. He snatched a nearby towel and elevated and cushioned Kenzie’s head on the back of the tub. Over his shoulder, he barked, “Bring me ice. Lots of ice.”

  “EMT’s on the way,” Jim said from the doorway.

  Austin willed the water to rise faster and lifted Kenzie’s tee, knowing that clothing could act as insulation and that her body needed to cool down quickly. Martha returned with a dishpan full of ice cubes. Austin dumped the pan into the water, swirled the floating ice along Kenzie’s torso, tossed the pan to Martha. “Again.” When the water was to Kenzie’s shoulders, he shut off the tap, rubbed her wrists, poured another pan of ice into the cold water, watched her skin redden. He heard the wail of a siren, and minutes later, a man and woman shoved into the bathroom. “We’ve got it, buddy,” the man said in Austin’s ear. “We’ll take over.”

  Reluctantly, Austin stood, backed into the hallway beside Jim and Martha, giving the EMT crew room to work. In no time, Kenzie was hooked to an IV, strapped to a portable gurney, rolled out, and lifted into the emergency vehicle.

  Austin wanted to crawl in with her, but the male medic stopped him. “You’ll have to come separately, sir. We’ll take her to Windemere General’s ER, but please calm down before you get on the road.” The medic waited a beat, then added, “My name’s Cole Langston and I’ll take good care of her.”

  Before the door closed, Austin gripped Cole’s arm. “Stop! She…Her name is Kenzie Caine and she has a heart problem. Tell the ER doctors.”

  “I’ll radio it in on the way.” Cole hesitated a second, looked Austin in the eye. “You did all the right things. Likely saved her life.”

  Sick to his stomach, Austin watched the EMS unit pull away, siren screaming. My fault. He should have gone after the horse and then examined the trailer hitch. His legs went rubbery. He was calculating how long it might take him to unhook the horse trailer and race to the hospital, when Jim came up behind him and put his hand on Austin’s shoulder.

  “You all right?”

  “I need to go!” He leaned over the hitch.

  Jim’s grip tightened. “Martha and I’ve been talking, and we have an idea about how we can help. Let us load the horse and I’ll drive the trailer to Bellmeade. You can take Martha’s car to the hospital, and she’ll follow me to Bellmeade in my old pickup. Once we get Oro settled, we’ll come to the hospital for Martha’s car.”

  Austin’s overwrought brain fumbled with Jim’s plan. “That…that sounds good. Yeah, real good.”

  “All right, then. Martha’s inside changing clothes, and here are her car keys. Car’s in the garage.”

  “I’ll call Jon and let him know what’s going on,” Austin said, clutching the keys in his palm. “He’ll meet you up at the front next to the old red barn and take it from there. And thank you. Really, thank you for your help.”

  “Leave the car door unlocked and the keys under the driver’s-side floor mat. And let us know how she’s doing whenever you know something,” Jim called as Austin ran to the garage.

  Austin crammed his big body into the compact car and took off. He floored the accelerator as soon as the Taylor house was in his rearview mirror. He reminded himself that one thing he could do very well was drive. A skill finely sharpened in another life. Martha’s car was small but surprisingly agile and fast. On the way, he made two calls. He pulled the phone from his shirt pocket and told robo-voice to dial Jon Mercer. When Jon answered, Austin quickly filled him in.

  “We’ll take care of the horses. You stay with Kenzie.”

  When he reached town, he was forced to slow. He swung into the hospital parking lot, found an open space, and stopped. One more call. He straightened his leg to wiggle the second cell phone from his jeans. With a single touch, he scrolled to Caller 1, and with his heart pounding, he dialed.

  * * *

  —

  Inside the EMS van, a paramedic called Kenzie’s name. She struggled to focus, but her eyelids felt gluey, her mind groggy. “Kenzie,” the medic said. “My name’s Cole. Can you hear me?” She wanted to respond, but couldn’t…too tired.

  Cole adjusted the blanket over her and the oxygen cannula in her nostrils as he spoke in clear, simple sentences. “We’re almost at the hospital, and the ER nurses will get those wet clothes off you. The people you were with are coming behind us.”

  Why were her clothes wet? She fumbled back to the last thing she did remember. Oro. Heat. Feeling sick, dizzy. The ground rising to meet her. She closed her eyes, let herself drift on the cushion of the moving vehicle, flying through time and space like a wingless bird.

  * * *

  —

  Austin paced the waiting area in the ER, not a generous space. He kept seeing Kenzie lying in a heap on the ground in the pasture, still holding the lead rope, Oro calmly grazing beside her. When he’d asked whether he could go into triage and stay with Kenzie, a nurse had asked if he was a relative. He’d said no, and she told him, “Not at this time. Maybe once we have her checked over. I’ll let you know.” Waiting was excruciating.

  The double doors of the ER slid open and Jon and Ciana came in with a blast of outside heat. “Any news?” Ciana asked, looking distraught.

  “Nothing yet.”

  “Sorry, man,” Jon said. “I called her father, and he’s on his way. The Taylors delivered Oro and we left Clyde and Scooter to handle stalling Oro and caring for your and Kenzie’s horses.”

  “What happened?” Ciana asked. Austin recounted the afternoon events, including his own responsibility for letting her retrieve Oro when he should have known better. “How could you have known she’d collapse?”

  “I should have considered the heat. And her heart. I knew, just didn’t think. She seems so strong. I…I forgot, she isn’t.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought of either one myself. Bringing a horse in from pasture and loading into a trailer isn’t strenuous. Especially a horse as tame as Oro. No need to beat yourself up about this. She’s safe now and in good hands.” Ciana held out a small denim bag. “Martha gave me Kenzie’s purse from the SUV.”

  Austin stared at Kenzie’s floppy shoulder bag but didn’t reach for it. “Would you…could you hold on to it? I…I don’t think I’m…”

  “No problem.” She patted his arm. “Austin, this isn’t your fault. Why don’t you sit down?”

  “Can’t.” He started to pace.

  “Buy you a cup of coffee?” Jon wanted to know.

  “No.” The door swished open. Austin glanced over and locked gazes with Avery Caine. Avery charged toward him, the man’s expression a mix of fear and fury. Austin rolled his shoulders, shook out his arms, and stood his ground, bracing himself for the coming confrontation.

  * * *

  —

  The beeping sound lured Kenzie awake. She lay on her back in a hospital bed, saw thin cable wires, knew they were attached to pads on her chest, followed the lines to machinery to her left, saw a heart monitor, an IV stand. From the right of the bed, she heard the
harsh whispers of men’s voices, heard one growl, “This should have never happened!”

  She turned her head, saw her father and Austin in front of the room’s window, each backlit by a red washed sunset sky. “Daddy?”

  Both men turned. Her father rushed to her bedside, dropped to his knees, lifted and kissed her hand. “Kenzie, my honey girl! Oh, baby. You scared me! Are you all right, sweetie? How do you feel?”

  Tears swelled in her eyes, and instantly she was the same scared little girl in a hospital bed years ago, her daddy at her side. “Is Mama here?”

  Avery cleared his throat. “No, no…I thought it best to check on you first, before, you know, telling her anything.”

  Kenzie quickly returned to the present, where she was twenty-one, not four. “Good. Good.” He eased onto the mattress, still holding her hand. She nibbled on her lower lip. “I feel…spacy, like I can’t wake up all the way.”

  “The doctors in ER sedated you and ran a line up your femoral artery to take a look-see at your heart. And good news, your heart looks fine.”

  She’d had the procedure done before. A small camera threaded up the artery on the inside of her thigh and into her heart to provide a view of problems or damage to the organ. She was relieved to hear the report. Her gaze shifted to Austin, leaning against the windowsill, arms crossed, expression stony. “What happened to me?”

  “You got overheated when you went to get Oro. I found you, called 911.” His voice sounded devoid of emotion.

  “Heatstroke,” Avery snapped. “Shouldn’t have happened.”

  “I…I remember an ambulance.” Images filtered through the fog in her mind. The paramedic leaning over her, IVs and oxygen, the ER doctor and nurses, the bustle and chatter between them. She was stripped of her clothing, splayed on a rolling gurney that took her to different rooms for tests. She zeroed in on Avery. “Don’t worry Mama with this. Let’s keep it between us.”

  “Not sure I can make that promise, honey. I’m making arrangements for an ambulance to take you to Vanderbilt.”

  “What?” She dragged her hand from his. “No. Don’t you do that!” The beeping from the heart monitor accelerated, and she forced herself to calm down. “I mean it, Daddy. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Your doctors are in Nashville. They know your history. Please, Kenzie, be reasonable. You’re my child!”

  “No, Daddy. Stop it. I’m not a child. I’m an adult, and I make my own choices.” With effort, she scooted up in the bed to prove to him she was strong. “Who’s my doctor here?” No answer. She reached for the call button on the bed rail.

  “Sanchez,” Austin said from across the room. “She’s the heart specialist on your case, and I was told one of the best in the Southeast.”

  “Thank you,” Kenzie responded.

  Avery glared at him. “Stay out of this.”

  Austin looked down, softly smiling to himself. He knew that giving her the doctor’s name would appease and settle her. This was her fight, and headstrong Kenzie wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want to do.

  “You stay out of it,” Kenzie snapped at her father, in control of her faculties by now. She’d have climbed out of bed if she thought her legs would hold her and if she weren’t hooked to so many medical devices. Besides, her thigh was sore from the procedure.

  “Kenzie, honey, please be reasonable. I don’t want to argue. I only want the best for you. I want you safe.” He shot Austin an accusatory glare.

  “I don’t want a fight either, Dad.” She sagged. “But this is my life. Please let me live it.” Avery stared down at the floor, his jaw working, grinding his teeth. “I at least want to talk to Dr. Sanchez and get her input. I also want to return to Bellmeade and finish my job with the horses. Two are up for adoption. I want to find new owners for them.”

  “Honey, slow down. The horses—” Her glare stopped his words. Avery pinched the bridge of his nose, blew out the breath he was holding. “I’ll back off the ambulance to Vanderbilt and wait for this local doctor’s report.”

  She knew it wasn’t easy for Avery to cede control, so she gave his arm a squeeze. “If the horses aren’t adopted out in time, I’ll come for a visit before the start of the semester. I…I miss home.” Tears filled her eyes.

  Avery took his time before saying, “Don’t leave this hospital until this doctor here gives you a clean bill of health. Understand?” She nodded, childlike. Avery stood. “And I’ll hold you to coming home before going off to Vandy. It’ll do your mother a world of good to spend time with you. We’ve both missed you.”

  A compromise. A rare thing for her father to offer, but the look of sorrow on his face tore into her heart. “As soon as Dr. Sanchez releases me, I’ll return to Bellmeade.” Her gaze sought Austin’s. The red sky had been replaced by a sky streaked with pale pink fading into the blue of coming night. “Will you handle the horses until I get there?”

  “Yes, we’re a team. I have your car keys, and when you’re released, I’ll pick you up.”

  “I’ll pick you up.” Avery gave Austin a challenging glare.

  Kenzie intervened. “No need for you to make a second trip, Dad. Stay with Mom.” Since getting out of bed and leaving the room wasn’t an option, Kenzie slid down under the covers and yawned. “If the two of you will excuse me, I’m tired.” She rolled onto her side, signaling to both men it was time for them to leave. Austin offered a quick nod and walked out. Avery settled into a chair. “I’m staying until you fall asleep.”

  She didn’t argue, but instead closed her eyes and replayed the night of the wedding in her mind: the sense of joy she’d felt in Austin’s arms, the feel of her hand in his, and his chin resting against her forehead. She was going to miss him so….

  Ciana showed up the next afternoon as Kenzie was signing paperwork in her room to be released. “Your driver is here.”

  “I thought Austin was coming.”

  “Our farrier showed up to shoe your horses, so Austin asked me to come. Disappointed?”

  Yes. “No, no…I don’t want to inconvenience you, that’s all.”

  “I consider it a lovely break from my daily grind. And if I were you, I’d be disappointed seeing me instead of him.” Ciana held out a gym bag. “I brought you a change of clothes too.”

  Kenzie dressed in the bathroom and reemerged just as a nurse pushed a wheelchair into the room. Good old hospital policy. “All set?” the orderly asked.

  * * *

  —

  Once they were on the road, Ciana asked, “So, your doctor said it’s all right to go back to work? Any restrictions?”

  Kenzie had seen Sanchez that morning, and the cardiologist had told her several things, some that didn’t need to be shared. “I can work, but she warned me to stay out of the sun in the heat of the day and to hydrate constantly. Basics I already know but forgot to follow. My bad. She said I was fortunate that someone took quick action.”

  “Austin…yes, while we waited in the ER for news about you, he told us. Impressive that he knew how to handle hyperthermia.” Ciana flashed a smile. “The important thing is that you’re safe. By the way, I think we have a man and his wife seriously interested in Sparkle. He owns a Tennessee walker and wants her to have one so they can ride together. Much more fun than riding bicycles. They’re driving in next week to take a trail ride on Sparkle.”

  The news was surprising. “I just posted Sparkle’s and Blue’s profiles!”

  “The Internet isn’t the only way news travels, you know.”

  Summer had flown, and Kenzie was struck with a wave of nostalgia. “Sparkle’s a good horse. She needs a good home.”

  Ciana parked at the front barn, alongside Avery’s luxury car. “Why’s my dad here?”

  “No idea.”

  Kenzie hurried to the bungalow, tossed her things inside, and took the path to the stable. She neared t
he pass-through opening and heard Avery growl, “And you didn’t think it was important to tell me about the car break-in?”

  Her stomach grabbed.

  She heard Austin reply, “Kenzie asked me not to, so I didn’t. I’ve handled it. She’s in no danger.”

  “You handled it? Since when do you handle anything without my knowledge and permission? I pay you to keep her safe, not to keep secrets from me!”

  Her audible gasp made both men turn to see her standing in the doorway. She marched inside, glaring at her father. “What do you mean you pay him? Jon Mercer hired him to help me with the horses.”

  Like prizefighters at the sound of the bell signaling the end of a round, Austin and Avery stepped away from each other, with Avery coming to Kenzie and Austin stepping into the background. “Jon did hire him.” Avery looked uncomfortable. “But…but I also pay Boyd to make sure you’re safe and secure on the job—and he assured me you would be. He’s been working with you, honey, but also protecting you.”

  Her gaze flew to Austin. “Is that true?” Austin gave a firm nod that felt like a slap to her face.

  Again, she looked to her father. “Why would you think I needed someone to protect me?”

  “Because you did! When I heard about your car—and, by the way, I heard about it from a casual run-in at the country club with our mutual insurance agent”—he shot Austin a scowl—“I knew I’d made the right decision to pay Boyd.”

  She didn’t dare mention her suspicions that the damage might have been done by Billy Hixson. “It was a crime of opportunity in a parking lot.”

  “I had to consider your heart problem, too, honey.” Again, Avery glanced at Austin. “I was told this guy was trained in CPR, that he could handle a medical emergency if you had one. You did, and he aided you. I’m grateful.”