“Well, then, why not just back up part of the way, say to the inn?” Madison asked.
“From there we can call for help,” Daniel added, with a sense of purpose in his expression.
Mike began putting the engine in reverse.” Good luck telling the passengers. I’ll be up here working on the engine.”
“Two cars and two of us,” Daniel said. “Let’s see if we can do this without inciting panic.”
“Good luck,” she said, over her shoulder.
When she stepped back into the car, she was bombarded with questions. She held up her hand and calmly made her announcement.
“Here’s the situation,” she began. “There has been a rock slide below us. It’s too large for us to clear out, so we’re going to back up to the inn that we passed a little ways back - you may remember it, and from there we can get you out of here. In the meantime, everyone gets a free trip to the concession stand.”
She was surprised when they clapped. She had expected them to be upset and worried. She smiled as they jumped up to head toward the concession car.
A few minutes later, Daniel came through, looking at her questioningly.
“They’re getting a free trip to the concession stand.”
He seemed to consider this. “Good idea,” he said. “Want to go clue in my car?”
When she stepped into his car, she immediately saw why he sent her to tell them. The atmosphere was grumbly. However, after she made her announcement, the mood improved considerably and they began to line up to take her up on her offer.
After going back to her car, Daniel came to stand next to her. “That was a nice touch,” he said.
“It did work surprisingly well,” she said. “How serious is the situation?
“Unless we can get someone to helicopter them out, they may be there until the track can be cleared.”
“How long do you think that could take?”
“It depends, but my best guess is that it could take days.”
“This is gonna cost the railroad some money.”
“They can cover it.”
“I’m sure they can,” she agreed, as the train began to slowly back up.
Madison, Daniel, and Mike waited until everyone had been given a room at the inn before they went up to the desk for their rooms. Fortunately, there were only fifteen guests on today’s train.
“I’m sorry, there aren’t any rooms left,” the harried clerk informed them.
“Not even one?” Daniel asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, not even one.”
“I can sleep on the train,” Mike suggested.
“No way,” Daniel told him. “It’s too cold. And you have to consider your arthritis.”
“You can use my room tonight,” the clerk offered. “I have to be here at the desk anyway. And the other two of you can sleep here in the lobby.”
“Madison,” Mike said, “you take the room.”
“No way,” Madison answered. “You take the bed. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch.”
“My arthritis isn’t that bad,” he grumbled, shooting a glance at Daniel.
“We don’t want it to get that bad,” Madison said, quietly.
“Alright. I can’t fight the will of a pretty woman.”
After most of the tourists had found their way to their rooms and scattered about the property, Madison and Daniel collapsed on the sofa that would serve as one of their beds that night.
“So, what’s word on the helicopters?” Madison asked.
“They can send one out tomorrow to start rescuing people, but today they have nothing available.”
“Good thing it’s not an emergency.”
“They could get a medical helicopter for that. I guess since we’re all safe, they didn’t see a need to rush.”
“They’re supposed to all be on vacation anyway.”
“Some people are on a schedule even when they’re on a vacation.”
“Hey,” Madison said, sitting up suddenly. “What about Rover?”
“He’ll be ok. If I’m away from home for more than a day, my neighbor will come over and walk him for me.”
“That must be nice,” Madison said, wistfully, feeling that tug of loneliness once again. She rubbed her fingers together.
“Are you cold?”
“A little.”
“Do you want some hot chocolate? I’ll go see if I can find some.”
“That would be nice.”
A few minutes later, Daniel came back with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. “Success,” he said.
“Looks good,” she said, taking one mug and wrapping her hands around it.
He sat down next to her, their arms barely touching. “I like it here,” he said. “No televisions, no radios, no loud music from cars.”
“It is peaceful,” she agreed. “Though for some reason, it seems a little quiet.”
“A city girl,” he surmised.
“Could be,” she nodded.
“But you don’t mind?”
“No, I don’t mind. At least not for awhile.”
“I think it’s starting to snow,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“It just sounds different when it snows.”
“Let’s go see,” she suggested.
They went to the front window and, sure enough, there were snowflakes falling. It was absolutely serene.
“I think I’d like to build a cabin right over there at the foot of that mountain,” Daniel said, pointing toward the mountains.
“That would be nice if you could get satellite, a cell phone, and high-speed Internet.”
“Yep, it’s official,” he said. “You’re a city girl.”
“Do you mind?” she asked, with a half-smile.
“Nope. Not as long as you don’t mind that I like it peaceful and quiet.”
“I don’t mind. Like I said, I like it for awhile. Not just on an everyday basis.”
“I feel the same way about the city, I guess. I’ve just never spent all that much time in one.”
“Hey, there’s Amy,” Madison said, “I haven’t seen her since we disembarked.”
Amy’s hair was still wet from her shower and she had a box under one arm and a six-pack of beer under the other.
“If you guys need to take a shower,” she offered, “you can use ours.”
“Are you trying to tell us something,” Daniel asked.
“Actually, yes.”
“We don’t have anything clean to wear,” Madison said.
“Trust me,” Amy said, sitting down in a chair across from them. “Even if you have to put your dirty clothes back on, it’s worth it to take a shower and get all those ashes off your skin. Besides, you don’t want to fall asleep with this stuff on you.”
“That’s probably a good point. I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Madison said.
Amy tossed her the key, an old-fashioned key. “It’s room 204,” she said. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks,” Madison said, and left with no further hesitation.
“So, how’s it going with you two?” Amy asked Daniel.
He gave her a quizzical look, considered his options, and said, “I think it’s going pretty well.”
She looked a little smug. “I thought so.”
“What made you think that?” he asked.
“You two just looked like you were made for each other.”
“Could be,” he couldn’t resist saying, a small smile playing on his lips.
Madison stood in the shower, reveling in the hot water. This had to be one of the best showers she had ever taken. She wondered, just a little, about what Amy and Daniel were doing downstairs. They had known each other for quite a while and Amy was a cute, bouncy blonde. The kind of girl men seemed to be naturally attracted to.
It didn’t matter, anyway, Madison decided. Once she found out who she was, she would doubtless have to go back to her life and none of this would matter. She bristled at that thought, not sure wh
ere it came from. She didn’t intend to ever go back to where ever she came from anyway, because this is where she belonged. This is who she was now.
Reluctantly turning off the water, she toweled off and stepped out of the shower. Even more reluctantly, she put on her dirty uniform. There was a stack of complimentary toiletries from the hotel and she did the best she could, considering.
She put her shoes back on and went back downstairs. Amy had her feet up, all comfortable in the chair. Daniel was stretched out on the sofa drinking a beer.
“There she is,” he said. “Now it’s my turn.”
As she handed him the key, their eyes met and they shared an intimate moment, a time when she even forgot that Amy was in the world, much less sitting there watching them.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, his voice a little hoarse.
“I’ll be here,” she said with a little smile.
“So, how are things going?” Amy asked.
“Things are going good. Thanks for loaning us the shower.”
“Absolutely no problem,” she assured her. “And,” placing a box on the coffee table. “I found entertainment.”
“What is it?’
“Scrabble.”
“Awesome.”
“You play?
“I love Scrabble.” She wasn’t quite sure how she knew this, but she did.
“Great. As soon as Daniel gets back, we’ll play. Want a beer?”
“I don’t really get into beer. I’ll be back in a few. I’m going to see if they have any cokes.”
By the time Madison had located a coke, Daniel was back. His hair was still wet, and his face was clean-shaven. She felt a little tug in her heart at the sight of him.
They took their letters and Madison went first. “Digits,” she spelled.
“Gee thanks,” Daniel said, studying his words, “stem,” he said.
Amy quickly spelled money.
Madison studied the board - studied her letters. “Trial.”
“I don’t have any good letters,” Daniel announced. He added an a between trial and money to make lay.
“Good one,” Madison said.
“I have nothing but vowels.”
After Amy played train, Madison played aorta. “We kind of have a theme going.”
“How do you get a theme out of those words?”
“It’s medical. It would take a lot of money to have a stem cell trial to regenerate digits.”
“Digits?” Amy asked.
“Yeah, you know, fingers.”
“Oh. Yuck.”
“Not so bad. We can do just about anything with stem cells,” she said, and paused with the tile bag in her hand. Stunned by what she just said. How would she know that? Why would she know that?
Amy ignored her and continued to study her tiles. Daniel stared at her. “Well, that’s interesting,” he said.
“Yes, it is,” Madison said, absently. This had to mean something. She wasn’t sure just what it meant yet, but she was sure it meant something.
They finished out the game, Daniel coming from behind to win by twenty points, and Madison losing. She had been distracted ever since her comment about stem cells and hadn’t bothered to try much.
“Are you okay?” Amy asked her at one point.
“I’m just tired,” she had answered, with a genuine yawn.
After picking up their game pieces, Amy offered to leave the game for them. They both quickly declined.
After she left, Daniel scooted over to sit next to her. “What is it?” he asked. “Have you remembered something?”
“No, but I just keep saying things that I know I know, but I don’t know how I know. It’s very unnerving.”
The desk clerk stopped by to hand them blankets and pillows and asked if they needed anything. “Is it okay with you if I go ahead and dim the lights?” he asked.
“I don’t mind,” Daniel said.
“Please go ahead,” Madison said.
She snuggled beneath what turned out to be a down blanket and closed her eyes - squeezed them shut tightly. The overhead lights went off and it was dark - much darker than she had expected.
She heard Daniel shifting his position.
How was she supposed to go to sleep with him just a few feet across from her?
“Madison?” he called in a sexy, sleepy voice.
Now for sure she would never sleep. “Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
She didn’t say anything at first. She just savored those words spoken in that sleepy, masculine voice. “I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be at this moment either.”
He chuckled. “That does a lot for my ego.”
“But you know it’s true,” she said.
“Madison?” he called again, this time he sounded a little bit more awake.
“What?”
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
“Ok,” she said, thinking he would want her to get up and get something for him. She did not want to move. “You can ask, but I’m not moving.” She didn’t think she could.
“Can I have a good-night kiss?”
Her entire body sprang to life. Oh my. A goodnight kiss! That was something she hadn’t seen coming. It was something she wanted more than anything. She wanted it so much, she didn’t know how to respond. “A what?”
“A kiss goodnight. It’s just a little thing to ask.”
“Little?” Her brain had frozen - locked down.
“I guess it could be a big thing if you wanted, but I was thinking it could be a little thing. And I’ll come over there.”
She didn’t answer. Couldn’t. She was trembling beneath her blanket.
“Madison,” this time his voice came in her ear. He was kneeling next to her. He stroked her cheek. She swallowed and licked her lips.
Then his lips touched hers and it was as though they became fused. Like magnets. He moved his lips against hers and her head sank back into the pillow at the same time she was straining to get closer to him.
They kissed. And they kissed. His hands were in her hair. On her face.
It must have been about half an hour later, or could have been an hour later, that he pulled back. “Oh my God, Madison,” he murmured.
“How can this be, Daniel?”
Then his lips were back on hers. It was like they couldn’t stop kissing.
Finally, he stretched out alongside her on the oversized couch. “Should we sleep?” he asked.
“We should,” she said, but her lips fused back onto his.
They fell asleep kissing - both of them exhausted.
When they woke, the lights were shining in their eyes and the desk clerk was standing next to their couch, staring at them. “I suppose you found the accommodations to your satisfaction,” he said.
They looked at each other and both of them looked like kittens that had been drinking milk.
The desk clerk shook his head and walked away, “Never mind.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Daniel asked.
“He’s been in the woods too long,” Madison said.
“So have I,” Daniel said, and kissed her again.
Madison pulled back a little when she heard footsteps. It was then that she realized they had somehow ended up both of them under her blanket and their bodies were entwined together.
“Daniel, there are people.”
“So?”
“So, we’re supposed to be the ones in charge.”
He looked at her blankly. “Ok,” he agreed begrudgingly. “But I don’t want to stop.”
“Neither do I,” she said, “but I think that’s a good sign.”
He smiled wickedly. “What did I tell you? We’re a match made in Heaven.”
“Sir?” a young boy came up to them.
“Yes, what is it?” Daniel said, sitting up, instantly alert. Once again, Madison was in awe that he could change tracks so suddenly and completely.
“It’s my dad,” he said, the f
ear in his voice evident.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He was out jogging this morning and tripped. It’s his arm. It’s broken or something.”
“Where is he?” Daniel asked.
Madison was already standing up, “take me to him.” Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that she had acted instinctively. She had changed tracks just as quickly, maybe more quickly than Daniel had.
She followed him out the back door. The cold air hit her in the face, bringing her wide awake.
The man was sitting on the cold ground, his arm in his hands. Tears were leaking from the corners of his eyes.
“Let me see,” Madison demanded.
His arm was limp, hanging loose from the elbow.
“I can fix it,” she said.
“I think I need a doctor,” the man said.
“My name is Madison. What is your name?”
“Henry. I think it’s broken.”
“It’s dislocated, Henry, but I can fix it.”
“How?”
“I’ve been trained.”
“She can help you, Henry,” Daniel assured the man.
Madison looked up at him with thanks in her eyes. She knew he was taking a leap of faith in her. He didn’t really know that she could help Henry. But he was willing to stand behind her on her word.
She examined his arm, then going on instinct, popped it back into place. When she heard it pop, she closed her eyes, hoping, against hope that she hadn’t made it worse.
“You did it,” Henry said, now able to move his arm.
She exhaled a sigh of relief.
Daniel held his hand out to her and she took it, allowing him to pull her up. He hugged her, nestling her head against his chest. “You did it,” he whispered.
Henry and his son went inside. Daniel sat on the back steps and pulled her into his lap. “You’re a nurse or a paramedic, or something like that.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just knew what to do.”
“You are amazing,” he said, and he kissed her.
“I heard what you did!” Amy said, bouncing outside in a whirlwind, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were all over each other.
Madison and Daniel pulled away. “It was nothing,” she said.
“You reset his dislocated arm. That’s like totally awesome.”
Pretend You'll Stay (Winter Kisses Book 2) Page 10
