Chocolate Kisses and Love Filled Wishes: Kissing Bridge Mountain - Book 3

by Linda West

  Kacey watched them for a moment, but then the TV caught her attention. The news cut in showing footage of the blizzard conditions in the northeast, and then switched back to the normal programming. Suddenly a familiar face came onto the screen.

  It was Tanner.

  At the X-games event, live in Burlington, Vermont.

  Kacey was agape. He must have zoomed all the way there in his Mustang! With all that had happened, Kacey had forgotten all about the X-games being so close by.

  Tanner obviously had not. He was beginning to remind her of some cockroach that was impossible to get rid of—popping up in all kinds of unexpected places.

  Kacey felt a million feelings flood through her at once.

  Suddenly, the TV showed a shot of Brody—getting sprayed with Champagne and laden with first-place medals on the winners’ podium.

  Kacey felt a twinge in her heart as she watched “98.” Of course, he was flanked by super models clinging onto him. Kacey felt jealous of each and every one of them. A voluptuous brunette grabbed his face and forced a deep, long lip lock on him. Kacey felt her heart flip over. She turned away from the TV—so as not to watch—but listened as the crowd cheered madly.

  Kacey didn’t know if she could hold back the tears. It had all been too much. Now Brody was so close, and yet still so far from her. She wanted to burst.

  Dodie noticed Kacey’s pain and her heart hurt for her. She, of all people, knew what it was like to have your heart broken. She came over and sat by Kacey and took her hand. Their looks at each other spoke all they felt with no words. The roar of the crowd from the TV drew them back. Kacey watched reluctantly.

  The stupid brunette was still lip locked with her ‘98.’ Ugh!!! Eventually Brody broke free from the supermodel and held up his medal for the press, grinning from ear to ear.

  The camera zoomed in on the X-games Gold Medal around his neck before shooting back to the host of the games. With him was Tanner, beaming. Kacey couldn’t believe she had ever found him attractive.

  He looked so smug and egocentric, Kacey wanted to retch. The host continued, “Now for an inside exclusive by Director and Activist, Tanner Williams.”

  Suddenly, out rolled the inglorious footage of Kacey that Tanner had shot of her at the hospital—onto the big screen.

  Tanner’s voiceover told the grim tale of America’s sweetheart, Kacey Anderson, paralyzed, and her brother, Brad, fiancé of supermodel, Summer Landers, lost in a blizzard.”

  The town folk had all quieted now and were staring up at the TV, showing video of Kacey at the hospital—earlier in her wheelchair—with snow pelting down, upon her pretty, bruised face. It was awful.

  Perhaps the worst thing about it was Tanner’s shallow commentary, which profiled her as a victim of climate change! He seemed to care nothing for Kacey or Brad’s plight at all, except as it was useful to his platform.

  Angry grumblings came from the gathered group at the bakery.

  The TV cameras pulled back to show Tanner standing with the host looking intense.

  “Kissing Bridge is running out of hope as the weather worsens,” Tanner said dramatically. “Join the fight against climate change NOW!”

  The bakery crowd was dead silent.

  “Disgusting!” Aunt Carol finally declared loudly for all to hear, as she thrust a cup of hot cocoa in Kacey’s hand.

  “Darned if I ever sell that varmint another scone!”

  The group cheered in agreement.

  Aunt Carol bent down and whispered in Kacey’s ear.

  “I put a little something extra in that one for you, Sweetheart. Looks like you could use it.”

  Chapter 23

  It was a brisk morning. The weather had actually worsened. People were calling it the worst blizzard in living memory. At least it gave credence to Tanner’s documentary about the worsening weather conditions.

  The bakery was still steeped in chaos, as the search for Brad continued. Kacey sat at a table in the wheelchair, with a cover quilt over her legs. She still had a little way to go before her legs felt better, but she was optimistic about her future. She bit into a slice of shoofly pie, praying for Brad.

  She looked up at the door to watch the old group return from their search, their faces downcast, while the next batch headed out, determined that they would be the ones to find the beloved pilot of Kissing Bridge.

  That was when she saw Brody.

  He was standing at the door looking uncertain when she noticed him. He was surrounded by men bustling in and out and the commotion of the search.

  “Brody!” Kacey called out, her heart suddenly full.

  Their eyes locked full of emotion.

  Brody ran to her and placed his hands on her legs, ever-so -gently. “I heard what happened,” he said—his eyes flooded with concern—real tears cascading down onto his hands. “I am so sorry. I should never have let you leave.”

  Brody touched the wheelchair and looked up at Kacey. The look on his face told her all she had hoped was true. He still cared about her, even if it was because he thought she was a cripple. She caught hold of his hand and tried to explain.

  “It’s not—”

  Brody stopped her.

  “I saw the news, Babe. I know what’s up. I’m prepared to deal with whatever comes with you.”

  Kacey caught her breath.

  He still thought the worst.

  “Kacey, I know I needed time, but I never meant to hurt you. You hurt me too. You lied to me. I thought we were a team.” He took a deep breath and looked at the wheelchair.

  Kacey braced herself.

  “I’m sorry Brody. You were right. I should have trusted you enough to share with you what was really going on with me. Now look what I’ve gone and done.”

  She shook her head. “I’m so stupid. I don’t blame you for not wanting to be with me.”

  “What?!” Brody cocked his head and grabbed one of the wheels on her chair and spun it. “Is that why you think I came here—to breakup with you?”

  Now the entire bakery was staring in their direction.

  Kacey swallowed hard. “Well, I...I don’t want to hold you back Brody. Things are different.”

  Brody searched her eyes then gently cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Kacey.”

  Kacey was stunned.

  Those three words! He had finally said them!

  He’d never spoken so openly, so passionately. Kacey was incredulous.

  “You…you love me?”

  Brody looked up at her. “Of course I love you, Babe. You’re my Kacey.”

  He hugged her gently and she couldn’t help but bursting into tears.

  “I thought you were breaking up with me. Oh, Brody, I love you too!”

  The bakery crowd, really unable to not witness the whole event—looked at each other and then deciding applause was in order—broke into uproarious clapping and hooting.

  Brady looked around the room and broke into his signature cocky sideways grin. “I let you go for too long already, Kacey. Whatever the future brings now, it’s you and me, Babe. I’ll roll you around and carry you like a backpack if I have to!”

  Kacey caught her breath. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

  She wanted to thank God.

  Right then, Brody dropped to his knees.

  With that, he pulled out a big marquis-cut diamond ring with little diamonds all along the sides. It looked like a diamond snowboard. “I had it specially made.” He smiled sheepishly.

  Kacey stared at the ring.

  The whole time she had thought Brody didn’t love her, and he had just been attempting the biggest jump of his life!

  The leap into a lifetime commitment.

  She tried to jump up and hug him, but then winced back into the chair in visible pain.

  “Yes, oh yes, Brody, of course!”

  He hugged her tenderly.

  “I’m afraid I don’t want to hurt you by squeezing so hard.”

  She looked at him
deeply, the love shining in his eyes.

  “Oh, you’re not going to hurt me, 98! I’m going to get better. All of me is going to get better.”

  Brody looked at her legs covered by the wool blanket. She stuck her stockings out and wiggled her toes and feet.

  “I’m going to walk! This chair is only temporary until my hip heals. Heck, I’m going to snowboard. With this bionic hip I might even be better!”

  Brody looked confused.

  “You. . .you mean you’re not paralyzed like Tanner said, you’re all right? I mean . . . You’re going to be okay?”

  She grabbed his face and kissed him with the biggest smile she had ever worn.

  “Yes, Sweetheart!”

  Brody’s smile spread from ear to ear and he jumped up with a hoot and holler.

  “Gosh darn, I’m getting married!”

  A cheer went up in the bakery. That was the best news the townspeople had heard all day.

  Chapter 24

  The odds for Brad being found alive were looking slim. The blizzard had continued to get worse and no government help was coming.

  The town’s men were exhausted after days of relentless searching with no sight of Brad. The rescue groups were all huddled together on this gloomy full moon night in the Lander’s bakery and hope was running out. If they didn’t find Brad soon, he wouldn’t survive. Between the freezing conditions and the lack of food and water, no one could make it out alive.

  Jason was leading the rescue group. After days of finding nothing, he had been going over and over in his head trying to guess what might have happened and what he might have missed. He knew about planes, and he knew about survival. Being a marine had taught him that with a strong mind and strong body, you could overcome even the toughest obstacles. It had been three and a half days since Brad’s plane went down.

  Jason’s best guess was Brad was trying to avoid the heavy winds coming in from the west side, and tried to circle around the south side of the mountain to avoid the oncoming storm. He must have gotten caught, the storm front must have moved in to quickly. Between the blizzard winds and the snow falling heavily, the logistics of finding Brad was becoming tougher and tougher. The likelihood that he had taken the route, Jason surmised, meant his plane may have landed on the most southern severe drop side of Eagle’s Peak.

  It was so dangerous, they couldn’t get any emergency equipment in there in normal conditions, let alone the blizzard ones currently happening. They had tried to get Jason’s plane in but it had almost become another disaster with Jason having to abort the mission and barely making it back to home base.

  Some mountaineers in the group had tried to repel down the mountain but the blizzard hadn’t abated and they couldn’t see further than a foot ahead of them. Fearing they would have more casualties, they too had had to return back.

  A sense of hopelessness hung in the air, as the men refreshed themselves and warmed up by the fire. Finally, Jason stood up and declared, “I’m going to take a skidoo down the back of the south side and see what I can find.”

  He pointed to one of the mountaineers. “Duke said he was sure he saw a shot of red in the white drifts down below, and we all know nothing in nature is red in the winter.”

  The crowd nodded. That was just good sense.

  “So I’m going to head in that direction and I’m hoping you’ll all pray for me.”

  With that there was a dead silence, until Mrs. Anderson stood up.

  She faced her son defiantly, hands on her hips.

  “I will have none of it! I will not have you risk your life, Jason Anderson! It’s enough I have one son to worry about. We all know its suicide to attempt to go down that vertical slope on the south side with a skidoo.”

  The crowd bowed their heads to her. It was true. She had been the only one bold enough to say it. Taking a skidoo down that slope was a death wish.

  “I could go on my snowboard. ” Brody blurted out.

  Everyone turned and looked at the new-comer like he was nuts.

  Go down the back hill of the mountain?

  On a snowboard?

  It was crazy.

  Then they remembered.

  He was Brody Jenkins.

  He had done crazy before to the tune of three Gold Medals.

  Even so, it was still life-risking.

  The crowd erupted in chatter over what to do.

  Brody stood up. “I’ll go. I can get down that mountain where no other vehicle can. You said it yourself, you can’t get in by air, you can’t get in a snow vehicle—but I can get there on my snowboard.”

  The townspeople looked at him aghast.

  But he was right. He might be their last chance.

  As much as Kacey wanted to keep him away from the danger, she believed in him.

  And she needed her big brother.

  Brody insisted. “Look, I know you all don’t know me, personally. But I’m not going to let someone die because I didn’t try.”

  The bakery crowd looked at him in silence not knowing what to say.

  It wasn’t as if they had many options.

  “So,” Brody continued. “I’m going to try.”

  Kacey’s voice trembled. When she spoke up.

  “Brody…I know if anyone can do it, you can.”

  She turned to her brother Jason.

  “Let him try, Jason.”

  Jason looked Brody up and down then called him over to the table where they had maps out with likely spots the plane went down. He briefed Brody on what they knew.

  “We usually go this pattern,” he said, tracing his finger on the table, “and if he got caught in a weather pattern, it would be right here. It’s the only place we haven’t been able to get a crew to, and with the wind, we can’t get a plane or helicopter in there either.”

  “I got it,” Brody said.

  “We need to find him. We don’t have any time left to wait for the government emergency help.”

  ********************************

  As first light dawned, Brody stepped onto his snowboard, strapped with a backpack of food, water, blankets and an extra snowboard on his back. He took the lift up to the top of Eagle’s Peak and made his way to the southern backside of the mountain that was a sheer drop off.

  No riders were ever allowed on this side of the mountain. From here, it was straight down to certain death. Thanks be to God, the blizzard had subsided for the time being, and it looked like Brody had a lucky window of visibility.

  Brody looked down the steep vertical slope slicked with ice. Taking deep breaths and praying, Brody secured his straps. He tried to psych himself up. It was just another run. Just another pro course with its own challenges. Don’t think about it—just make it happen.

  Jason had taken the ride up the lift with him and now stood peering down the ledge of the mountain with him. He encouraged him with some last words.

  “Just look for the red. The plane is bright red, even if the tip is out of the snow, you will see it. We’re all praying for you, Brody.”

  Brody nodded.

  “You’re our last hope.”

  Jason patted him on the back, not sure how to convey how much he felt. “…And thank you.”

  With that, Brody nodded, and then pushed off hard and headed down the perilous mountaintop in the blizzard, in search of Brad.

  At first, Brody had some semblance of control. He zig-zagged back and forth down the vertical incline in an attempt to keep his speed down while he searched below for Brad’s plane.

  As he continued down the hill, it got steeper and steeper. He began to move faster and faster unable to slow himself down. Brody held his breath, realizing he was losing his ability to swerve. Soon it was a free for all, and he was shooting straight down the mountainside at a dizzying speed.

  Brody looked for a flat edge to maneuver toward, but nothing was in sight. He was racing straight down the side now, in a pure vertical drop. Suddenly he started to lose hold onto the board. It started to slip out from u
nderneath him. He grabbed hold of it, just as he was suddenly sent flying off the side of the cliff in a complete free fall without a landing in site.

  Sailing over a sea of white snow.