One Last Risk (Oak Grove Series Book 1)

by Stopper, Nancy

  Station One. Funny since it was the only firehouse in town. Equipped with one fire engine and one ambulance, the station served Oak Grove and the surrounding rural areas. Volunteers filled most of the positions, with the station maintaining only a small full-time fire and EMS crew. She bet no one else in town knew as much about the stations as she did, but she’d researched the details of the local fire response before making an offer on her home. She couldn’t bear another delay like the one that had killed Alex.

  Two brass bells mounted on the front of the fire station clanged and reality broke into her train of thought. The firefighters and paramedics milling around the front of the station scrambled into the open doors, shouting commands as they did. In no time, the fire engine and ambulance screeched out of their bays and turned onto Main Street, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Sarah held her breath, tension squeezing her chest.

  She was unable to wrench her eyes away until the vehicles rushed out of sight. A deafening silence replaced the clamor of bells and engines. Was someone else living through the horror that struck her family just two years ago? Would another family lose a loved one to a fire?

  A strangled huff sounded from across the street, and she turned to see Lucas standing on the sidewalk in front of Mug ’n Muffin, his head lowered and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

  LUCAS STOOD, FROZEN in place, watching his fellow firefighters and paramedics racing to an emergency. He ached to be on the engine with them. His heart raced and his feet had moved toward the station on their own when the bells rang. But he wasn’t welcome on the engine. Not right now. The captain shouldn’t have taken him off the crew. They needed him... and he needed them. He clenched his muscles, forcing his body to stay put when every cell yearned to follow after the vehicles.

  After the last strains of the sirens faded on the air, he glanced into the park. Sarah had been sitting on that bench, staring across the street, since she’d walked out of the coffee shop. As he talked to Emma, he’d kept his gaze pinned on Sarah. A mixture of concern and longing shone on her face. What could be going through her mind that left her with such a troubled look?

  Their initial conversation was too short. Maybe now after she’d had a few minutes to relax, she’d be up to spending some time with him. They didn’t have to drink coffee, he’d be happy just to sit beside her on the bench. But before he could head across the street, she hustled in the opposite direction, his opportunity to redeem after his rocky introduction lost.

  Where was the smooth, suave Lucas that the ladies in town called Oak Grove’s Most Eligible Bachelor? Could he have sounded more like a dork? That Lucas must have stayed outside, and Awkward Lucas had entered the coffee shop alone.

  He couldn’t pull his eyes from her the entire time he’d been in the shop. She’d worn a pair of tight-fitting jeans that perfectly showcased her round hips. As his eyes traveled up her body, they landed on the bright red sweater that hugged her breasts. Her blonde hair hung straight and long down her back. He hadn’t meant to, but he’d stared so long he’d nearly embarrassed himself. Acted no better than a horny teenager drooling over the cute girl across the classroom. She’d smiled when their gazes had locked, but happiness didn’t reach her eyes. Sadness permeated her look, the swirl of emotions drawing him in and he couldn’t look away.

  When he’d touched her, the air between them sizzled. He’d felt it and he was certain she had, too. At least he’d regrouped in the end and had gotten her name before she left. If his brain hadn’t been scrambled from the mere sight of her, he’d have gotten her number. Considering how quickly she ran out of the shop, he’d probably scared her off.

  She was clearly new in town. No way had she lived here long and he not have met her. Now, he just needed to find a way to run into her again. Smiling at the challenge he had ahead of him, he headed to his brother Joey’s bar, looking forward to a cold beer and a hot plate of nachos.

  Chapter Three

  “BYE, MOMMY.” LILY yelled and waved as Sarah backed toward her car.

  Sarah didn’t want to leave Lily here with Jessica with Sarah back at home, ninety minutes away. It was too soon. She’d just adjusted to leaving Lily at preschool for a few hours. The long list of tasks she had waiting for her could wait.

  But Lily needed the freedom, and Sarah needed the time alone. Raising her daughter as a single mother was incredibly rewarding but at the same time, exhausting. Luckily, her family was still not that far away and weekends between cousins were only a drive away. So, Sarah plastered a smile on her face and waved back at Lily.

  A few large drops of rain landed on Sarah’s head. What she wouldn’t give for a few minutes’ peace and an uneventful drive back home. Was that too much to ask? She looked up and cursed. The rain didn’t faze her sister and nephew, who stood beside Lily on Jessica’s porch. Well, she couldn’t do anything about the weather, and she certainly wouldn’t get anything done if she didn’t get home first. As the drops quickened, she dashed into the car.

  Lily, Jessica, and Nicky darted into the house as Sarah backed out of the driveway. With a final, hesitant wave to the trio through the glass door, Sarah pulled away for the ninety-minute drive back to Oak Grove.

  The deep plunking sound of huge rain drops hitting the roof echoed through Sarah’s car. She focused on the windshield and squinted her eyes. The glass filled with water faster than her wipers, even at their highest speed, could swipe it away. Her stomach tightened and her heart raced. She probably should have just stayed at Jessica’s, but she’d never really be able to start a new life for her and Lily if she couldn’t leave her daughter for a simple overnight sleepover.

  She gripped the steering wheel tighter, pain radiating through her knuckles. Damn, she could barely see the hood of the car, much less the road in front of her. She sat forward in her chair, her muscles in her cheeks throbbing from her constant tensing. Because she had to drive so slow, the sun was going down and she likely wouldn’t make it home before the sky nightfall. She couldn’t have picked a worse night to drive the route from Philly to Oak Grove.

  If she thought the interstate was bad, the winding road leading back into Oak Grove was so much worse. Her stomach clenched and she swiped at the sweat that dotted her forehead. Was there anything else she could add to the stress of the drive home?

  Thank God Lily was with Jessica. Those words ran through her mind over and over, the one comforting thought swirling in a sea of frightening ones. The lengthy list of things she hoped to accomplish this weekend forgotten, her only goal now was to reach her new home safely.

  She turned the knob on the air conditioner and a huge blast of cold air smacked her in the face… but the thickening sheen on the window didn’t clear. Her jaw ached from gritting her teeth as she eased off the gas pedal. She eyed the shoulder… maybe she could pull off and wait out the storm.

  A slight movement in her peripheral vision startled her and she jumped in her seat, her eyes shifting to the side of the road. She shrieked, jerked the wheel to the left, and slammed both feet on the brake. The car skidded out of control toward the deer directly in front of her.

  She released the brake and slammed the gear shift down, trusting the lower gear would slow the car. Maybe she could gain a little traction. The tires slipped and then gripped the surface, the car straightened, and she finally regained control, stopping just short of the animal.

  The deer stood in the middle of the road, her tongue sticking out of her mouth, her aloof look saying what’s your problem? Their eyes remained locked on each other for a moment, after which, the deer ambled the remaining distance across the road. Two fawns ran onto the road, spindly legs flailing as they hustled behind their mother.

  At least she didn’t wreck the car or hurt the doe and its babies. The same couldn’t be said for the inside of the car where her purse had tipped over and strewn its contents throughout the car. She could drive home and clean it up later, but with the storm still raging outside her window, she wanted to keep
her cell phone handy. At least she could grab that before she went on her way. But not until she moved from the middle of the road.

  She could climb out and walk around, but she’d get soaked. Could she reach her phone without leaving the safety of her vehicle? Well, it was worth a shot. She stretched over the console of the car and the tips of her fingers skimmed the strap of her purse. She withdrew a second and caught her breath and then stretched again, finally grasping the handle and pulling the bag onto the passenger seat. Damn, that shouldn’t have been so hard. Finally, her hands stopped shaking enough to collect the few loose items she could reach.

  After she shoved the other items back into her purse, she pressed the speed dial button on her phone.

  “Sarah! What’s wrong?”

  Thank God her sister answered. Her voice always calmed Sarah’s nerves. “Nothing’s wrong.” Her voice wobbled and she gritted her teeth. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, you usually text me, so when your name popped up on my display, I got worried. Are you home yet?”

  “Not quite… almost.” She sure wouldn’t get any closer until she calmed her racing heart and her hands stopped shaking.

  “Are you driving?” Concern laced Jessica’s voice.

  She drew in a deep breath, knowing she could count on Jessica’s rational thinking to calm Sarah’s overly excitable nerves. “No. I pulled over. I almost hit a mother deer and her two little ones. I stopped the car just in time.”

  “Oh, thank goodness. You had me scared for a moment.” Jessica paused. What was she thinking? If she encouraged Sarah to come back to Philly, she wasn’t sure she could resist. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I am. It just rattled me a little.”

  “I’m sure it did.” Sarah opened her mouth to say something when Jessica’s voice echoed through her ear. “So… why don’t you tell me more about that sexy man you met at the coffee shop?”

  Sarah groaned. “I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned him. You’re like a freaking dog with a bone. There’s not much to tell. I stared. I made a fool of myself. I left.”

  “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

  Only Sarah acting like an awkward teenager in front of the most handsome man she’d ever seen. Lucas’s face filled Sarah’s mind, his piercing eyes staring back at her, eyes sizzling with awareness as they trailed up her body. She imagined laying her head on his broad chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her cheek. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him in close, peppering kisses along his neck, up to his ear, around to… “Dammit, Jessica!”

  “Better now?” Her sister’s chuckle rang through the phone.

  She could always count on Jessica. “Yes, thank you. I’m glad I called. Give Lily a kiss for me. I’m going to head home now.”

  “Text me when you get home. You know I’ll worry.”

  All of her life, Jessica had always worried enough for the both of them. Tonight was no different. “Yes, I know you will, Mom.”

  Jessica laughed again and Sarah pressed End before placing her phone in the console, wanting it nearby for the rest of her trip home. Thank God Lily’s safe.

  After one more cleansing breath, she convinced herself she could finish the drive home. Seat belt fastened—check. Hands on the steering wheel—check.

  Sarah checked behind her but found only the dark road behind her. Not one car had passed the entire time she’d talked to Jessica. At least no one else was out in this mess. She slowly pulled her sedan out into the road, starting out at a much slower pace.

  Rain continued to pound her car and her muscles burned from the tight grip she had on the steering wheel. Only a few more minutes and she’d be safely tucked into her new cottage and then it wouldn’t matter if the storm raged outside. As she approached the first traffic light on the outskirts of town, she took her foot off the gas and prepared to stop. She didn’t expect many cars to cross her path at this late hour, but she slowed anyway. All she needed was another deer to dart in front of her.

  When the light turned green, she turned her head left and then right before heading into the intersection. Suddenly, bright white lights filled the car, blinding her. Deafening sounds of crushing metal filled the air, and her body slammed against the door. She screamed… her car spun out of control… the airbag deployed, smacking into her face and upper body and slamming her back against the seat. Intense pain shot up her arms and across her chest.

  Lily’s beautiful face flashed through her mind just before her car slammed into a tree.

  Chapter Four

  LUCAS STARED AT the television, the blonde in the sit-com reminding him of Sarah—her hair hanging down her back, the gentle look in her eye. Despite camping out in Emma’s shop for the past few days, he hadn’t seen Sarah again. Not since he’d made a fool of himself the first day he met her. He’d drunk more coffee recently than he had in years, his butt forming a permanent indention in the cushion of the chair by the window. But nothing. Emma had eyed him several times, likely suspicious about the amount of time he’d spent in her shop. No matter. One way or another, he’d find out more about the intriguing woman that had plagued his dreams.

  Clanging bells rang through the fire house, reverberating through Lucas’s body. He leapt from the couch, focusing on the signal telling him the type of call. The dispatcher’s voice announced a multi-vehicle accident. With the storm raging outside, it was no wonder. Focus, Bennett. If he wanted to be reinstated at the end of his suspension, he needed to kick ass and take names on EMS duty. He’d show the captain, and everyone, that he deserved back on the engine.

  With Stacey hot on his heels, he ran toward the ambulance bay. When the dispatcher directed them to Old Mill Road, a dark two-lane road on the way into town, dread settled in his gut. That intersection had been witness to more fatal accidents than any other in the area. People drove way too fast and ignored the signal and often innocent drivers were the victims.

  He jumped into the passenger seat of the ambulance as Stacey started the motor. Pulling out behind the fire engine, they turned down Main Street toward the scene of the accident. After he shoved the tails of his white uniform shirt into his navy work pants, he grabbed his waterproof jacket from the hook behind his head and wrenched it over his head. It wouldn’t provide much protection against the deluge of rain coming down, but it was better than nothing. Sweat broke out on his lip with each mile they drew closer to the scene. The rush he got on the way to a scene wasn’t the same as if he were on the engine, but it still fed his need to help. A little.

  Rain pellets flew into the windshield as they raced through town, flashes of lightning filling the dark night sky in intervals as thunder rumbled through the air. This was a bad one. Stacey’s hands gripped the wheel tighter and Lucas grabbed the handle over his head as the ambulance slipped on the wet road surface. If an experienced driver like Stacey couldn’t maintain contact with the road, a less-experienced driver had no chance.

  Finally, they pulled up to the intersection. The fire engine parked across both lanes of the highway, blocking the traffic in that direction, while Stacey maneuvered across the side road. His friend Sawyer’s sheriff’s cruiser was already on the scene.

  A blue pickup truck hung on the edge of the road, tires half off, facing against the flow of traffic. Its front end was crunched and steam rose from under the hood. The rain still poured down, reflecting off the one headlight that still functioned. Two feet swung below the open driver’s door. Sawyer stood in the doorway, his flashlight shining on the driver’s face.

  Lucas grimaced at the silver four-door sedan crunched against a tree on the opposite side of the road.

  Damn.

  The passenger door was crumpled and caved in. There was no movement inside the vehicle.

  Damn. Damn.

  “I’ve got the car, Stacey. Check in with Sawyer and the driver of the truck. See if there are any other passengers over there.”

  “Got it!”

  Lucas leapt out of the truck and
pulled up his hood in a futile attempt to keep at least some of the rain off his face. His heavy, rubber-soled shoes gripped the wet road surface as he sprinted toward the car. He approached the driver’s door cautiously and knocked on the back window. “Hello. Emergency Medical Services. We’re here to help you.”

  He pressed his face against the glass, his hand shielding his eyes. A woman with long blond hair was slumped over the steering wheel.

  He knocked on the window again. “Ma’am? Ma’am? I’m Lucas Bennett with the Oak Grove Fire Department. We’re here to help you. Ma’am.”

  Nothing.

  The deployed airbag fluttered underneath the woman’s head and his heart sank. That usually meant face and upper body injuries. That also explained why she didn’t answer—she was likely unconscious. His eyes darted to the front end of the car; it was crumpled almost all the way back to the interior compartment. This couldn’t be good. They’d need a backboard and C-collar to protect against spinal injuries after an impact that severe.

  He looked back into the car.

  “Ma’am. I’m going to try to open the door. The car may shake; don’t worry. The door may be jammed. If it is, I’ll have to jerk it open.” He typically narrated his actions while he worked. It put the victims at ease, especially after feeling so out of control during an accident. And it helped him focus on one task at a time when sometimes the enormity of what he faced was overwhelming.

  He grabbed the handle and pulled. The door opened slightly. Thank God—he wouldn’t have to break the glass. After pulling several times, the door finally swung open. Not far, though. The edge of the metal dug into the grass and mud beside the car. It opened just wide enough for him to step in and lean down, putting his face near the occupant.