by Rae B. Lake
“We have the very best steak here. I know the chef takes extra time with the marinade. Is that how you like it?”
She hadn’t even gotten to Frances’ order yet.
“I am sure whatever the chef does will be just fine.” Don’t flip out, don’t flip out, don’t flip out. I chanted to myself. I didn’t want to embarrass Frances. She would be around these people a lot more than I would, and the last thing I wanted to do was to make her uncomfortable.
“Ok, well.” Frances stood up from her seat. I could see the anger on her face, and just as I was about to defend myself, she cleared a small section on the table, leaned over, grabbed me by my collar and smashed her lips against mine. The lust in the kiss was almost tangible, and so was the feeling of possession. I slammed my hand down on the table when she pulled away slightly and bit down on my lip all for the waitress to see. Soon it would be a full-on show because if she didn’t stop, I was going to bend her over this table and have my way with her.
She let go and just sat back, “I’ll have the same as him, please.” She picked up the unopened menu and handed it back to the stunned and embarrassed waitress, while several other patrons gasped and whispered loudly about our relationship status.
I guess that problem was solved.
I waited for the woman to walk away to see if Frances would chew me out for not putting the waitress in her place; instead, she just leaned forward to talk to me. “I am starving. I don’t think I’ve eaten anything since breakfast.”
“Wait a minute. You’ve got nothing to say about what just happened,” I asked her.
“No, why would I. I was sitting right here and saw you weren’t trying to play into her game, and you also were trying not to be disrespectful to her or me. I was just tired of waiting for her to get the hint. I wanted to help.” She gave me a big smile, “Besides if I don’t shock and awe someone at least once a day, I get cranky.”
She didn’t have to worry about that because, every day I was with her, I was in awe of her. She was nothing like I was used to, and I was so glad.
The waitress brought back our dinner and was a perfect server from that moment out. Instead of Frances shooting her dirty looks, she was very friendly with the woman. By the time we were ready to leave, they had exchanged numbers so they could meet up for coffee and discuss the next season of Supernatural.
“I’m so sleepy. That steak was delicious.”
“Yeah, your new bosom buddy was right.” I teased her.
“Oh, Flor isn’t so bad. Besides, she knows you’re mine now, so if she comes for you again, it’ll be a full-on catfight. Reow.” She put up a mock claw and laughed until she saw the look on my face. “What’s wrong? Carson? Are you mad?” She stopped in front of me.
I moved in close to her, so she had to tilt her head to keep eye contact with me. “Am I yours, Baby?”
Her lips curled up, “Well, you know someone’s gotta tame the beast.” She reached up and wrapped her around my neck.
“Tame? Oh, no, you just set him free. You want me? I’m all yours.” I bent down and kissed her hard. It didn’t even matter we were in the middle of the street or that there were people who were watching us. I wanted this woman, desperately.
“Carson. Home. Now.” She pleaded between kisses.
I didn’t want to stop kissing her to start walking. Finally, I stopped, and we took a few steps before I bent down to kiss her again. I couldn’t get enough.
We made it to the bend in the road that led to my house, and of course, I needed to kiss her again.
She giggled as I turned her around and bent down to her mouth, “Carson, we’ll never make it if you keep stopping.”
“Stop tempting me then,” I growled as I leaned in further to nip at her neck.
“How am tempting you?” She pulled away from me.
“You’re breathing, let’s start with that. The way your full lips slightly part, how your breasts rise with each breath.” My eyes trailed down her body slowly, “Yeah, see, temptation.” I pulled her back to me as she broke out in laughter.
The beautiful sound was drowned out by the horrible sound of panic and fear as it exploded behind me. A loud screeching followed by the sound of torquing metal hitting the earth.
I couldn’t even tell Frances to move out of the way. I simply grabbed her and wrapped my body around as much hers as I could, hoping my sheer bulk would be enough to soften the impact. I knew it was going to hurt, and I just prayed we’d survive it. I closed my eyes and waited for fate to do what it would.
It was three seconds before the hideous sound of metal being distorted stopped screeching through the air. I opened my eyes and looked behind me. The car had rolled to a stop no more than four feet away from us; it was a miracle.
“Oh my God!” Frances shook with shock and fear in my arms.
“Get over there. We have to move back.” I pulled her, knowing the car could ignite at any second. I could see the dark smoke already begin to billow from the front end of the car.
“Oh, are you ok? Jesus Christ.” Frances tried to examine me while I dragged her to the other side of the street as quickly as I could.
“I’m fine, Baby,” I looked back to the car for a second, I have to help them. No one has gotten out of the car yet.” Before I even finished the sentence, Frances gripped my shirt in a death grip, to keep me from moving.
“No! It’s on fire. You can’t!”
I peeled her hand off me, “Frances, they’re still in there, and could be alive. I have to try to help them. I’ll be back, I promise. I promise.” I eased her hand from my shirt and raised it to my lips and kissed it quickly before I turned and ran back to the car.
I gasped in fear. I didn’t know what I expected, but if I had to rank what I saw, this would be one of the worst case scenarios.
It was a woman, and I could see she was trapped. But in the back were three kids, one in a booster seat, one sitting on his own, and a baby still strapped in its car seat.
I had to get the kids out first. I tried to open the side door, but it was locked. I didn’t want to break the window, fearful I’d cover the baby in the broken glass. I came back around to the front seat where the mother was. She stirred as I tried to activate the locking mechanism through the open window.
“Oh… ohh.”
“Hey lady, I need you to wake up! Can you talk to me? You have to help me.”
She blinked a few times and then started to scream as she realized what was happening.
“Hey! Stop screaming. I’m going to help you, but I need you to unlock the doors so I can get the kids.”
She stopped screaming as the tears started streaming down her face. “Ooookkk,” She slurred. She reached to the side and pushed the button, I could hear the mechanism clicking, but the door still wouldn’t open.
“What are their names? Try to wake them up I have to break the window.” I turned and looked for something to break the glass as the woman screamed for her kids in a panic.
“Mom!” the oldest boy screamed from the back. “Mom!”
“It’s ok, Bryce! I’m right here! This man is going to help us, ok! Just do what he says. Wake up your sisters.” She tried to turn around, but she couldn’t move in the position she was in.
“Hey, Bryce. Cover your eyes and try to put a hand over your little sister's eyes, ok. I’m going to break the window.”
The kid nodded and then put a hand over his eyes and then a hand over his sister, who was still unconscious in the booster seat next to him. I used a piece of the car that had broken off to strike the glass. After the first hit, the girl in the middle woke up and started screaming, I could hear the boy, Bryce, and the mother trying to calm her down, but I couldn’t stop. The smoke was getting darker, and even though I couldn’t see the flames, I could feel the heat that was now coming from under the car.
Finally, on the third blow, the window gave, and I was able to reach in and use my strength to pry the door free from the lock.
“You ok kid?” I asked the scared boy.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My sisters. I gotta get my sisters.” He tried to reach for his sister, but I knew I had to get him out, just in case. I pulled him free of the car.
“Go to the side of the road, and let that lady look at you. She’s a doctor.” I looked over the roof of the car for the first time, and I could see a crowd was forming, but everyone was too scared to come over and help. “Frances!” I called out and pushed the boy in her direction.
“Go on, baby, Momma’s coming.” The woman screamed from where she was still trapped.
Next, I worked on the girl in the booster seat. She was easier to release from her restraint. I picked up the whole seat and hustled around the car, by the time I got to the other side, a woman was rushing over to me to take the kid.
A loud whoosh of air came from behind me, and the woman in the car started screaming. I turned to see the entire crumpled front end of the car up in flames.
“Carson! Come back!” Frances screamed from where she was on the side of the road. I couldn’t look at her. I knew if I did, I’d be tempted to run away. I couldn’t leave them in there, not while I could still help.
I ran to the mother’s door, “No, get the baby!” I ran to the other side of the car, and I could see the car seat was still intact, but it was pushed into the back seat. I could hear the muffled sounds of a baby, which gave me hope. I tugged at the door, and again, I couldn’t get the door open. The heat was becoming intense, and I could feel my lungs screaming for more oxygen. I was already at the limit of what I could take, but I knew I had to keep trying. I knew I would keep trying forcing myself through the burn in my lungs and the sting in my eyes until my body completely gave up on me.
I broke the window the same way I had on the other side of the vehicle, and with everything I had, I broke the hardened plastic of the car seat. I roared as my adrenaline pumped through my body, and the sound of the baby crying permeated the air as the buffer was torn away. I did my best to release the harness straps, rushing get her out without harming her.
Luckily, it seemed like the car seat did its job, there wasn’ t a scratch on her. I turned, and another woman ran over and took the baby from me. When I looked up I could see a larger crowd, all of them were pointing and upset, but I couldn’t hear them, all I could hear were the flames coming from the car. Now it was time to free the woman from the front; the car would blow any second. She’d already passed out again, but I prayed I wasn’t too late.
I could see that the door was pushed in, I pulled on the door and it groaned but didn’t move. I pulled again with everything I had, but it still didn’t move.
“Fuck! Come on!” I screamed and tried again.
The woman moaned but didn’t open her eyes. I coughed as the smoke created a thick cloud around me.
I grabbed onto the door again, and another set of hands joined mine.
“We gotta move!” I couldn’t see the face, but I remembered the voice. It belonged to the man who thought he could buy my home. Callan, I think it was.
“On three!” I said, and braced myself to pull hard, “One, two, three!”
Both of us screamed in exertion, and thankfully we were able to get the door pried open.
“Can you see where she’s trapped?”
“Nah, man. I can’t see shit.” I shielded my eyes with my hands and tried to see through the smoke. I pulled on the top of the seatbelt, and it broke easily. I put my hands under her arms and tugged. The top half of her body moved, but the bottom half was stuck on something.
“Carson, we got to go!” He yelled behind me.
“Here, hold her! I almost got her!” I passed off the upper part of her body to him and leaned down into the intense heat, holding my breath so I wouldn’t breathe in the toxic smoke pouring out of engine directly into my face. I reached down and tugged on her foot until it came free. “Pull!” I yelled at him as I moved out of the car quickly. He heaved, and I grabbed onto her legs to get her free of the wreck. Within seconds she was free, and we were running with the woman dangling between the both of us.
“Oh my God! Is she alright?”
“They saved her!”
“Thank God.”
Now I was away from the car I could hear the commotion I hadn’t heard before.
“Carson!” Frances screamed for me and ran to where I’d dropped to the ground after I’d helped Callan put the woman down. I was so exhausted and felt like every drop of moisture had been sucked out of my body.
“Drink this right now.” She shoved a bottle of water in my face.
“So bossy,” I said, but there was no force behind my words. I was wiped out. I grabbed the bottle and drained it.
“Good work.” Callan stood up from the beside me and clapped me hard on the shoulder and nodded before he walked back over to his woman.
“What the hell are you trying to prove, huh?” Frances yelled at me as she handed me another bottle of water, which I quickly downed.
“Sorry, Baby. I needed to make it a date you’d never forget.” I looked at her and winked.
She rolled her eyes and dropped down to kiss me. “I can’t stand you. Are you ok? How is your breathing?”
“I’m ok, just tired.”
“I have to help these people. If you feel funny in any way, just let me know.”
“You got it, Doc.”
She grabbed me by my chin, “I’m serious, Carson, don’t play around.”
I nodded.
She kissed me before she rushed back over to the family involved in the accident. After my heart had calmed a little more, I stood up and looked to see if there was anything else I could do. Fortunately, by then, the fire trucks had already arrived and were at work. Honestly, as much as I wanted to keep on assisting, there was nothing more my body was going to allow me to do. I was absolutely done.
I watched as the professionals doused the large flames on the car and worked on the woman who’d been trapped in the driver’s seat. Several women were taking care of the children, and the rest of the crowd were simply bystanders.
I watched Frances bouncing from the woman back to the EMTs. I walked over to her slowly to see if she wanted me to do anything.
“Hey! Hey, wait!” The driver of the car reached for me. Her voice was hoarse from all the smoke and crying.
“Yes, ma’am?” I turned and walked over to her, bending to get closer to her.
She looked at me and wrapped her arm around my neck and pulled me down into her, “Thank you, thank you so much. You saved my babies and me. Thank you.”
When I separated from her, I looked into her eyes and could see the absolute gratitude. It was overwhelming. “Of course. I’m happy you’re ok.” I moved away from her so the EMTs could continue preparing to take her to the hospital.
“Frances, is everything ok? You need me to do anything?”
She ran her hand through her tussled hair, “It’s a fucking shit show, Falls Village has to rely on out-of-town ambulances and hospitals because we don’t have a one here. So they are talking about transporting all of them to different hospitals. I am trying to make sure they don’t get separated from each other.”
“That’s ridiculous. You want me to do anything?”
“No, but listen, I’m going to have to handle this. Date night is cut short.” She looked at me with absolute resolve.
“I know, Baby, get to work. There’ll always be the next date.” I smiled at her. She reached up and pulled my face down to hers. “My hero.” She whispered as she kissed me quickly before turning and running back to the kids.
I looked at the four people that I’d hauled out of those flames and felt a sense of purpose and happiness. It was a feeling I was positive money couldn’t buy. I stretched, took a deep breath, and continued walking to my lonely castle. My steps were lighter than they’d ever been before.
Chapter Twelve
I called Frances a few times just to make sure everything was ok. She assured me it
was, one of the kids were going to have to stay overnight because of smoke inhalation. The mother was in surgery because her leg was broken, and it needed to be set, but that was the extent of the injuries. Those who could get to the hospital had all come to help with the children until the mom was able to be released from the hospital. It was a complete success story.
“What happened anyway? There was no other car. Why’d they crash? Did you find out?”
Frances laughed through the line, “Well, according to the young man, his little sister has a very intense obsession with thumper. So when a rabbit darted into the road, she screamed, and mom lost control of the car. That’s the last thing he remembered. At least the rabbit got away.”
“Are you serious?”
“Quite serious, for something so dramatic to happen because they saw a rabbit.
I chuckled, “Tell me about it. Well, don’t work yourself to death over there. Remember, you need to eat and sleep too.”
“Now who’s being bossy?” She sighed, and I heard someone call Dr. Hoffman over the PA system where she was. “Well, I got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be there.”
She hung up, and I was able to get right to sleep. The only difference was instead of the fitful sleep I had when I’d saved Abi; this time, I slept like a baby. I knew the outcome, and I knew everyone was ok. I knew I’d really helped that family, and it felt good.
I was warm, and I could feel the sun beaming through the window. I tried to turn to shield my face away from the window, but my legs were caught on something. I turned my head, something feathery tickled my face, and a soft kiss pressed against my neck.
