A Highland Christmas (The Shadows Series Book 5)

by Juliette Duncan

  Looking at him with a serious expression, she nodded. “Okay, but come back quickly.”

  “I will, sweetheart. Thank you.” He hugged her and then helped her climb over the centre console into the back. Aislin reached out and lifted her onto the seat beside her that Joel had just vacated. Joel, Caleb, Shawn and Brendan had already jumped out and were sprinting to the truck. Daniel quickly reversed the bus away from the wreck, switched on the warning lights, and then followed them, pulling his beanie over his ears as a blast of icy wind hit him.

  Approaching the truck, which lay on its side, Daniel wondered what they would find. Many years ago, when he and Lizzy had just met, he was an orderly at a hospital and had seen many traffic accident victims wheeled in with various degrees of injury, and he and Caleb had both taken emergency first-aid courses as part of their jobs at the community, but even with all that preparation and training, dread filled him. He prayed the driver had survived, but held little hope as the cab had almost completely crumpled when it hit the stone wall bordering the road.

  As more people stopped at the accident, the potential danger grew. Steam hissed from the engine, and there was every possibility the truck could burst into flames any second. It was too dangerous for any of them to go inside, but Caleb and Brendan had already scaled the crumpled side and were on top. A sinking feeling, like being swept out to sea in an ebbing tide, flowed through him.

  He took a moment to catch his breath as he reached Joel and Shawn who were holding people back on the other side of the truck. “Has anybody called emergency services?”

  “Someone drove back to that town we just passed to make the call,” Joel replied.

  Daniel ran his hand over his beanie. “It’ll be at least half an hour before any services can get here, if not longer. Do we know if the driver’s okay?”

  “Not yet. They just got up there.” Joel glanced to the top of the cab where Caleb and Brendan had been moments earlier, but were no longer in sight.

  “I’ll go and help.” As Daniel moved closer to the truck, Joel grabbed him.

  “It’s too dangerous, stay here. They’ll call if they need help.”

  Daniel paused. Joel was right. What if the truck exploded? Caleb and Brendan were risking their lives up there. He prayed for their safety and returned to stand with the others. At least there wasn’t another vehicle involved. He looked at the road and scratched his head. How had it happened? Must have been speed. But why would a local carrier, who knew the road and the conditions, speed along here, especially with visibility so low? Crazy.

  A bang made them all jump. Daniel’s heart thudded. Oh God, please keep Caleb safe. What would he say to Caitlin and the girls if Caleb didn’t make it home? No, that wasn’t going to happen. He rushed forward and started climbing. “Caleb, get out of there. It’s not safe.”

  “He’s alive, Danny. We’ve got to get him out.” Caleb’s voice was desperate.

  Daniel bit his lip and continued climbing as another bang split the air. “I’m coming up.” He clambered up the wrecked metal, grabbing hold of whatever he could until he reached the top and then peered in through the smashed window.

  “Danny, help us get him out. Grab his head and shoulders and we’ll support his body.” Caleb’s face, smeared with blood, wore determination like Daniel had never seen.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” Daniel manoeuvered himself into a better position. As Caleb and Brendan carefully lifted the man up, he bore the weight of the man’s upper torso until his whole body was clear. Daniel yelled down to where everyone stood. “Joel, Shawn, come and help.”

  The two men raced over and took the weight of the man from Daniel as Caleb and Brendan clambered out of the smashed-up cab. They laid him onto a patch of grass beside the loch moments before the truck exploded.

  Daniel gazed in awe at the fireball and thanked God for His perfect timing before returning his focus to the man. His face paled. He knew him. Fraser McAdams. He lived in Fort William and his wife, Niamh, was due to give birth any day. That’s why he was speeding. Fraser must have gotten word she was ready to deliver. “Okay, let’s have some room. Is there a doctor here?”

  Everyone in the gathered crowd looked at each other, but no one came forward. “What about a nurse?” Still no one stepped up. Daniel met Caleb’s gaze. “Looks like it’s you and me.”

  “We can do this.” Caleb knelt down on the opposite side of the man and lowered his face. “Fraser, can you hear me?”

  Fraser moaned.

  “Where does it hurt?”

  Fraser groaned louder.

  Caleb glanced up at Daniel, the muscles in his neck taut. “We need to check his airways.”

  Daniel carefully tilted Fraser’s head back, opened his mouth and peered inside. “Clear.”

  “We need to make him comfortable and stop that bleed.” Caleb raised Fraser’s bloodied shirt and gagged. He lowered the shirt and then looked at the crowd. “Has anyone got a towel?” His voice was desperate as he held his hands tightly over the oozing wound.

  “I have,” someone called out. “I’ll get it.”

  Moments later, the person handed Daniel a towel which he folded quickly into a pad and carefully slipped under Caleb’s hands to stanch the bleeding. Daniel kept pressure on the wound and prayed. Fraser couldn’t bleed to death. Niamh would be devastated. Minutes ticked by until sirens sounded in the distance. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.

  A fire engine and an ambulance arrived at the same time, followed closely by a tow truck. The paramedics took over but praised Daniel and Caleb for their swift actions which most likely saved Fraser’s life. They lifted him onto a stretcher and into the ambulance and whisked him off to the hospital. The fire fighters took another twenty minutes to fully extinguish the blaze, and it took two tow trucks almost an hour to right the wrecked vehicle and get it onto one of them before the road was re-opened.

  Almost two hours after their trip was interrupted, the men headed back to the bus to re-join Aislin, Alana and the children, who were huddled together with blankets wrapped around them watching the proceedings from a safe distance.

  Clare ran towards Daniel. When she stopped, she looked up at him, her eyes big, round and full of concern. “Will the man be okay, Daddy?”

  His heart melted. Bending down, he rested one knee on the ground to level his face with hers. “Yes, sweetheart. The doctors will fix him and make him better.”

  “Can we ask God to help, too?”

  “That’s a great idea. Shall we do that now?”

  Clare nodded, thumb in mouth.

  “Would you like to pray?”

  “Okay.” As Clare bowed her head, Daniel placed his hand on her shoulder to steady himself and then bowed his head, too. Clare’s little voice was so sweet. “Dear God, please help the man get better before Christmas so he can be home with his family when Santa comes. Thank you that Daddy was able to help him. Amen.”

  Daniel added his own request. “And dear God, please be with the man’s wife as she brings their new little baby into the world.”

  Clare’s head shot up. “Are they getting a baby for Christmas?”

  Daniel laughed. “You could say that.”

  “Can we get a baby for Christmas, too?”

  “Not this year, sweetheart.”

  “Next year?”

  “Maybe.” Standing, he ruffled her hair and took her hand. “We need to go home now. Mummy will be wondering where we are.”

  “Okay.” She smiled sweetly as they walked back to the others.

  “Would you like me to drive?” Shawn asked as Daniel approached.

  “That would be super, thanks.” Clapping him on the back, Daniel gave him a grateful smile.

  Brendan joined Shawn in the front, while Daniel joined the children in the back. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but everyone seemed closer. Maybe witnessing such a terrible accident had made them appreciate their own lives and family more than before. Whatever it was, he felt blessed to be sur
rounded by his family, and thanked God for bringing them all together.

  Chapter 4

  When the bus pulled up outside the main building, Lizzy dashed outside with Caitlin right behind her. They’d heard about the accident near the castle on the news and figured Daniel and Caleb and the others had been caught up in it. Everyone back at the community had been relieved it was a truck, and not a bus that had crashed, and then immediately Lizzy and Caitlin felt guilty. When they heard the injured man was Fraser McAdams, they felt even worse. His wife, Niamh, belonged to their Wednesday Bible study group, and they’d heard she was in the early stages of labour. They’d all gathered together and prayed for both her and Fraser, and had been waiting eagerly for Daniel and Caleb to return with the rest of the family.

  As Daniel climbed out of the side door of the bus with Clare’s arms wrapped around his neck, Lizzy’s heart filled with gratitude—it could so easily have been them. She quickly closed the gap between them and threw her arms around Daniel. He reeked of smoke, grease and dried blood, but she didn’t care. She held him close and pushed back the tears stinging her eyes. “Thank God you’re all safe. We were so worried.” She leaned into his chest before pulling back and looking into his eyes. “Will Fraser be all right?”

  “We prayed for him, Mummy.” Clare reached out and twiddled a strand of Lizzy’s hair.

  “That’s wonderful, Clare. I’m sure God will look after him.”

  “And Daddy said they’re getting a baby for Christmas!”

  Lizzy fought the urge to laugh. “Yes, they are getting a baby for Christmas. Let’s pray Fraser will be home before it comes.”

  “Is Santa bringing it?”

  Lizzy gently shook her head as she touched Clare’s cheek. “Not really, but let’s talk about that later, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  She and Daniel had debated about whether to tell the children the truth about Santa or not, but hadn’t been able to agree. He couldn’t see the harm in letting the children find out in their own time, but Lizzy wanted to tell them, and moments like this just confirmed to her they should.

  Daniel kissed the top of her head and then eased himself from her arms. “Everyone’s okay, love, that’s the main thing. And we’ve got guests to think of now.”

  He was right. They could have this conversation later. She smiled into his eyes and then turned to greet the family. After everyone hugged and kissed, she and Daniel led them inside and introduced her parents to the family from Ireland. Grace and Brianna hugged their brothers and sisters, and then everyone sat down for a cup of tea and a chat.

  Lizzy kept an amused eye on Brianna and Andrew. Brianna sat on the couch beside Aislin and Alana, but every now and then she shot a coy glance at Andrew, who was talking with Ryan, Brendan, Shawn and Daniel. And every now and then, Andrew shot a glance at her, but their eyes never met. Maybe they needed a little help after all. She’d sit them together tonight at dinner.

  After everyone had finished their tea, Caitlin and Lizzy took the new arrivals upstairs and settled them into their rooms. Lizzy wondered how Brendan and Shawn would cope living so close to everyone, but then, these accommodations would be luxury compared to a jail cell, and Shawn would be used to bunking down with others, so she quickly put her concerns to rest.

  She excused herself after a while. Daniel had taken the children to their rooms, and although he was more than capable of looking after them, she wanted to make sure they were all okay after witnessing the accident. “Feel free to take a wander around, have a rest, whatever you like. Dinner will be at six in the main dining area. Call out if you need anything before then.”

  “We’ll be fine, Lizzy. We’re all big people and can look after ourselves.” Grace said, lifting her gaze from the magazine she’d been flicking through as she sat on one of the couches in front of the fire. She leaned against Ryan with her long legs elegantly crossed on the coffee table.

  Lizzy laughed. Grace would never have done that in her fancy apartment. How far she’d come to be so relaxed. “I know, I’m sorry. We just want everyone to have a nice time.”

  “And we will. Off you go and look after your family.” Grace dismissed her with a wave of her hand and a playful grin.

  “Thank you.” Lizzy chuckled as she headed down the hallway with a plate of freshly baked gingerbread men to where the laughter and giggles of happy children, and Daniel, spilled out of the room next to her parents. Hopefully putting them so close wasn’t a mistake.

  Brianna was sharing a room with Alana and Quinn. That morning, when she’d arrived with Grace and Ryan, Lizzy had asked if she minded staying in her old room, the room she’d shared with Susan and Maggie when she’d arrived at Elim Community as a suicidal drug addict more than two years ago. The room hadn’t changed a bit. It was still as cozy and lovely as it had been on the day she first saw it, and the view of the mountains, still shrouded in mist, took her breath away. Living in the city, she missed the mountains—she’d never thought she would, but there was something special about them… calming, yet at the same time, awe-inspiring. Brianna had already unpacked, and now she sat on the chair with Quinn on her lap while Alana unpacked.

  She hardly knew Alana. When all the siblings had been separated after Mam died, Brianna and Grace, ages ten and twelve, were sent to Londonderry to stay with Aunt Hilda, but Aislin and Alana, the two youngest girls, stayed in Belfast with another aunt and uncle. Now, more than twenty years later, they were both adults. Brianna looked at her younger sister and saw a lifetime of sadness in her eyes. Working with rape victims every day, Brianna had come to know a lot about the human heart, and how if someone said they were okay, often their eyes told a different story. Alana may not have been raped, but she was hurting, and Brianna’s heart wept for her. Maybe God had put them together so she could share God’s love with Alana, just like Rosemary had shared His love with her not that not long ago in this very room.

  Brianna pulled Quinn closer. Holding him made her think of her own little son who’d died when he was only two months old. Even after all this time, she still felt the pain of loss, but it wasn’t as fresh anymore. God had healed the bitterness and hurt she’d carried for many years, but if she wanted Alana to feel comfortable with her, Brianna had to earn her trust, and as painful as it might be, sharing the part of her life that Alana would relate to might help.

  “Quinn’s a beautiful little boy. You must be proud of him.” Brianna’s smile shifted from him to Alana.

  Alana looked up from her suitcase, her face splitting into a wide grin. “He’s the best thing that’s happened in my life.”

  “I had a son…” Brianna’s smile slipped as she took a slow breath.

  Alana angled her head, her forehead creasing. “I didn’t know that. What happened to him?”

  Brianna’s tears were just below the surface as the memory of her beautiful little boy returned. “Aedan died of pneumonia when he was two months old.”

  Alana sat on the bed and lifted her gaze. “I’m sorry. That must have been horrible.”

  “It was a long time ago, but yes, it was.” Brianna closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the last time she held Aedan, just moments before he died.

  “Were you …” Alana’s voice trailed away.

  Brianna grimaced. “Raped?” She mouthed the word so Quinn wouldn’t hear it.

  Alana nodded, her eyes wide.

  “How did you know?”

  Alana shrugged and looked down at her hands, fidgeting with them. “I kind of guessed, you working at that Rape Centre and all.” She looked up, her eyes sad.

  Brianna released a deep sigh. “It was all such a long time ago, and I try not to think about it much, although it’s hard not to, considering where I work.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Quinn.” Alana reached out and squeezed Quinn’s hand, her eyes moistening.

  “What happened to his father?” It was a risk asking, but if Alana didn’t want to talk, that was fine.

&nb
sp; She lowered her gaze and picked at her nails. “He left when I was seven months pregnant. He said being a father scared him.” She raised her head. “Being a mother scared me to bits, but I didn’t have a choice. I thought he was excited about having a baby. He was at the beginning. We’d been together for a long time. I obviously didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.”

  “Where is he now?”

  Tears filled Alana’s eyes. “Living with some chick on the other side of the city.”

  Brianna quickly moved beside Alana and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. Quinn wriggled onto the floor and stood in front of his mother, looking up at her with enlarged eyes.

  Alana reached out, and sitting him on her lap, pulled him close. “I love you, Quinny. Mummy’s okay. Don’t worry.” As she rocked him and kissed the top of his dark, wavy hair, her voice choked.

  Brianna prayed silently for them as she held Alana tight. Dear Lord, please help me show Your love to Alana and Quinn. She’s hurting so much. Please help her open her heart to You this Christmas, dear Lord, and give her new life full of hope and peace. Please bless her, dear Lord. Brianna wiped her eyes, and straightening, she rubbed Alana’s back and put on a happy face. “Come on, I’ll help you unpack, and then maybe we can take a walk now the fog’s lifted.”

  Alana brushed her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Shortly after, dressed in warm coats and walking boots, Brianna, Alana and Quinn headed outside. The top of Ben Nevis was still covered in low-lying clouds, but the sky had cleared to a pale blue, and the sun, although low on the horizon, shone weakly on Loch Linnhe, drawing them to the water’s edge. Several row boats, tied securely to the jetty, bobbed up and down in the gentle waves, making a splashing noise.

  Quinn’s face lit up. “Can we go for a ride?”

  “It’s a bit too cold, Quinny. Maybe tomorrow,” Alana replied.

  Quinn’s little face fell and his bottom lip protruded in a pout. “I’m not cold.”