by Leah Brooke
She had to be all right.
As the minutes dragged on, terror for her gripped him by the throat, nearly choking him. “Where the hell is she? It’s pitch black, and we’re in the middle of a blizzard. What if the snow’s already covered her? She’s got to be freezing.”
It had already been over an hour since her accident, and there was no sign of her.
“Just tree after fucking tree, and everything’s covered with snow.” Hearing the desperation in his voice, Beau swallowed heavily as he realized that he would upset Charity’s father, and forced himself to remain silent.
Garrett looked like he’d aged five years since he’d heard the news, and Beau didn’t want to scare him even more.
“Look. Oh, my God! Is that her? Look to the left! It’s her! It’s Charity’s car.” Hope’s voice, filled with relief and excitement, came over the radio, making Beau stiffen and slam on the brakes, his heart pounding nearly out of his chest when he saw the faint glow of flashing lights.
“I see it!” Thinking at first that it was a fire, Beau stopped breathing, dimly aware of Garrett answering Hope on the radio.
Ace’s voice followed as he brought his truck to a stop. “Shine your lights to the left. Over there by that tree.”
Beau struggled to see through the snow, his door already open as he threw his SUV into park. Holding his breath, he scrambled out of the truck and raced toward the faint glow, which he realized with no small amount of relief, to be her flashers reflected in the snow. Moving faster, he tried to figure out why the glow seemed to be coming from such an odd angle. As soon as the other floodlights pointed in that direction, he realized why when he saw what appeared to be the underside of her car.
“Christ, her car flipped!” Boone’s voice came from Beau’s left and slightly behind him, the horror in it matching his own.
Beau raced across the uneven and snowy ground toward Charity’s car, whipping his head from side to side in search of her.
When he didn’t find her, the fear that she’d been hurt and unable to get out of the car threatened to strangle him.
He was the first one there, skidding to his knees in front of the windshield. “Charity!” Brushing away the snow, he screamed her name again, his heart in his throat.
Hardly daring to breathe, he shone his light in the window, his gut clenching in fear.
Huddled in a ball with her eyes closed, she lay unmoving. White. Fragile. So small and defenseless.
Hurt.
Please, God! No!
She blinked, holding her hand up against the light, her movements slow and sluggish.
Moving the light from her eyes, Beau swallowed heavily, dizzy with relief. Filled with a sense of urgency, he jumped to his feet and began throwing aside tree branches that stood in his way. “Don’t move, baby. I’m gonna get you out of there.”
Blocking out the sounds of the voices and barked orders around him, Beau made his way around the base of the tree she’d crashed in to, thinking about nothing but getting to her.
Holding her.
By the time he’d made it around and climbed up onto the passenger side of her car, his friends had surrounded the car, throwing away more branches. He knew they’d all have looks of concern on their faces, but he didn’t take the time to look.
Lucas knelt in the deep snow near the windshield, talking to Charity. “Don’t move, Charity. You just stay put and let us do all the work. Where does it hurt, honey?”
Ace came running toward them, handing a crowbar up to Beau, his face, all hard lines and concern. “No ambulance for at least an hour. I told them we could handle this on our own. Lucas, Devlin, Caleb and I all know first aid and have kits in our trucks. Jake, can you and the others get them for us?”
“We packed an emergency kit with extra supplies,” Lucas yelled over his shoulder. “And somebody put out some flares!”
Using one of the branches of the tree for support, Beau pulled at the car door, but couldn’t open it. He pushed several inches of snow from it and fought to get the crowbar into the small crack. Little by little, he managed to bend the metal door, cursing the entire time.
Caleb hoisted himself up and appeared beside him with another crowbar. Between the two of them, they managed to pop the door open enough to get their hands inside.
Curling his fingers around the metal, Beau started to pull, cursing when Caleb yelled for him to stop and shoved his hands away.
“What? Move, damn it.” Impatient, Beau brushed him off and reached for the door again. “Get outta my way.”
Caleb handed him a pair of thick work gloves. “Use these. If you cut all your fingers off, you’re going to be no use to her.”
Beau grabbed the gloves from Caleb, nodding once in thanks, the fear in his throat making it impossible to speak.
Every second seemed to last forever in his quest to get to her.
He couldn’t stand the thought of her getting colder by the moment, or being in pain any longer than necessary.
He shoved his hands into the gloves and reached for the door again, pulling with every ounce of strength he possessed.
“Need any help up there?” Jake’s voice came from behind him.
Relieved that the door gave way, Beau repositioned himself and shoved for all he was worth, desperate to get to his woman. Fury and fear fueled him, and with a hard jerk, the door of the car broke free.
As the door hit the ground, Caleb yelled down to Jake. “Uh, not with that.”
Beau didn’t even glance at the detached door as he turned to Caleb, or thought anything of it, focused on getting to Charity. “Shine your light in here. I don’t want to step on her.” With all the lights being shined inside, Beau could see a little of the interior of the car, but not enough.
He was just too damned big, and her car was so fucking small. One slip and he could fall on her and hurt her even more.
Lowering himself into the car, he felt another surge of panic at the sight of blood on Charity’s white face as she turned to him. “Baby? Where are you hurt? I’m coming in for you.” He struggled to keep the fear out of his voice, and inject into it a confidence he hoped would relieve her fear.
Charity smiled weakly. “You don’t fit. You’re always saying my car’s too little for you.”
Scared at the shakiness in her voice, and worried that she’d gone into shock, Beau fought his panic and smiled back, careful to keep his tone calm. “I’ll fit.”
Standing on the console, Beau eased his way into the car, forcing another smile, while searching for any sign of more injuries. “See? Tell me where you’re hurt so we can get you the hell out of here without hurting you any more.”
Charity groaned, a sound that tightened the already-tight knot in his stomach. “Shoulder and arm a little, I think. So cold. My hip hurt before, but it doesn’t anymore. I think I hit my head. There’s some blood there.” The nonchalance in her voice worried him even more. “My feet. Wet and cold, and now they hurt. Forgot my boots.”
Standing with one leg behind her seat, and the other braced on the console, Beau reached around her and under her legs to ease the seat back. “I know, baby. I’m gonna get you out of here and we’ll get you nice and warm. You hurt anywhere else?”
He couldn’t wait to have her in his arms.
He ran his hands over her, searching for broken bones and using the flashlight handed down to him to search for any more signs of blood. Hiding a wince at the bleeding at her temple, he felt around her head until he found a huge knot.
“Where’s she hurt?” Ace’s voice came from the other side of the windshield.
Because the other men remained quiet, all of their attention apparently focused on what was going on inside the car, Beau didn’t have to raise his voice much.
“Big knot on the left side of the head, but not much bleeding, probably because of the cold. She said her hip hurt before, but not now, probably because of the cold, too. She says her left shoulder and arm hurt—not sure if they’re broken o
r not. Said her feet are wet and cold.”
He just hoped like hell she didn’t have frostbite.
Turning her head, Charity smiled at him. “I knew you’d come with Ace.”
Now that he’d checked her out, he struggled out of his shearling coat, wishing he’d thought to take it off before he crawled into the confines of her tiny car. “Of course I came. I’ll always be there when you need me, cher.” Covering her with the coat, he tucked it around her the best he could without hurting her, and dropped a quick kiss on her icy lips. “Always.”
Lucas tapped on the windshield. “You got enough room to get her out?”
Beau shook his head. “Not much room at all, but I can do it.” He’d do whatever it took.
Ace squatted next to Lucas. “I think it’ll be easier on her if we bring her out the windshield. We’ll pry it out. Clay, get some blankets in there.”
Ace met Beau’s gaze, a hundred messages passing between them at their shared horror. “Cover yourselves in case the glass shatters. It’s already cracked in several places.”
A blanket fell from above, hitting his shoulder. Beau wrapped it around Charity making sure to cover her face. “Throw me another one.”
Making a cocoon for them with the blankets Clay threw down, Beau continued to run his hands over her, still looking for injuries and hoping to warm her up some. He half listened to the voices surrounding them, and the sounds of the men trying to pop the windshield out in one piece.
When he attempted to tuck the blanket more firmly around her, Charity moaned. “God, I’m so cold. Beau, I’m sorry about earlier.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. We’ll talk later, and I’ll apologize all you want. Just a few more minutes and we’ll get you out of here and get you nice and warm.” Reaching under the front of her seat again, he reclined the seat as far as it would go, holding her and easing her back. With one foot planted behind her seat and kneeling on the console, he tried his best to surround her without hurting her, wincing when she reached out with her left arm to touch him and moaned.
“Your shoulder, baby?” The blankets surrounding them blocked out the light and kept him from seeing her face.
“Yeah. I thought about trying to get out, but my shoulder hurt. Figured it would be better to stay inside. Didn’t want to be out there in the wind.” Her words seemed more slurred than before, alarming Beau.
Lucas had just finished prying the window free. “That was smart, honey. It gave you some shelter, and made it easier for us to find you.”
Beau cuddled her as best he could, hoping to warm her. Over the sounds of the windshield being lifted and tossed aside, he kept talking, hoping to keep her awake. “I’m gonna have to make sure you have a blanket and flashlight in your car from now on, huh?”
Charity’s soft laugh ended in a groan. “They’re in the trunk.”
Ace pulled the blanket from their faces, studying Charity’s features. “We’re ready now.” He glanced at Beau. “Can you hand her out to us? We’ll check her over here before we start for the hospital. We’ll wrap that shoulder and splint that arm just in case. There’s no point in letting her hurt any more than she does.”
Nodding, Beau focused on Charity’s face as he lowered the blanket and slid his hands under her. “Be real still. I’m gonna move slow. If anything hurts, tell me.”
It seemed to take forever, but between him, Lucas, and Ace, they eased her out through the windshield and onto a blanket they had waiting for her.
Beau forced his way out, feeling helpless as he watched Ace splint her arm and bandage her shoulder while Lucas dealt with the gash on her head.
With a lethal-looking knife, Caleb sliced her pants at the hip and checked for injuries. “It looks like she got slammed hard against the door. There are no lacerations, and I don’t think anything’s broken, but she’s gonna be black and blue.”
Devlin checked her eyes. “She’s probably got a concussion.” While Ace kept up a running conversation with Charity, Devlin pressed at her stomach. Turning his head, he spoke to Beau in a low voice over his shoulder. “I don’t think she’s got any internal bleeding, but I can’t be sure. As soon as Ace has that arm stabilized, we’ve got to get her to the hospital. Want me to drive your truck?”
Beau nodded. “Thanks.” His arms ached to hold her.
Once they finished, Ace got to his feet. “She’s all yours.”
“She certainly is.” Bending, Beau gathered her in his arms, cradling her against his chest as he painstakingly made his way across the snow-covered ground.
Someone threw a blanket across his shoulders, and with Clay steadying him on one side and Ace on the other, they made their way across the deep snow to his SUV.
Gathering blankets, first aid kits, and tools, the others made their way back to their vehicles, each pausing to see Charity and say something to her.
Hope walked next to him in front of her husband. “Jeez, Charity. All this for carpet?” Despite her teasing, Beau could see Hope’s concern. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears and she kept trying to touch Charity, pulling her hand back at the last second, as if afraid to hurt her.
The atmosphere had lightened quite a bit since finding her, but tensions remained high due to the storm that showed no signs of letting up.
Amid low conversation, it was decided that Garrett and Drew would go to the hospital with Ace, while Hope rode with Beau and Charity in Beau’s truck, with Devlin at the wheel.
Everyone else would go back to Desire and their families, and would check in with Linc and Rafe to see if they needed help since the two Desire deputies would be working around the clock through the storm.
Beau listened with half an ear as they talked about plowing, his attention focused on the woman in his arms. He bent over her the best he could to protect her from the wind, grimacing at how badly she shivered.
When they got to his SUV, he got into the back seat to give Charity more room, while Hope, talking nonstop to her sister, slid into the front passenger seat next to Devlin.
Hope reached back to touch Charity’s hand. “The dads are going to ride in with Ace. They’re probably on the phone with Mom already. You gave everybody quite a scare.”
Charity cuddled closer to Beau as he slipped off her wet sneakers and socks and rubbed her icy feet with the blanket. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to. So cold.”
Listening to Hope and Charity talk, Beau shared a look with Devlin in the rearview mirror. “At least I had a chance to hook the plow to the front. We should make it to the hospital okay.”
Devlin grinned. “We’ll be fine. I already told Ace that I’d take the lead. We’ll get there faster. Hang on, Charity. We’ll get you to the hospital before you know it.” He shared another look with Beau. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. Just do your best to get her warm. I’ve got the heat on high.”
Looking down at Charity in his arms, Beau could see the bruises starting on her temple, and thanked God she was alive. Bending over her, he touched his lips to the bruising. “I may never let you out of my sight again.”
With a weak smile, Charity let her eyes flutter close, her voice so low he had to strain to hear her. “I knew you would come. I knew Ace and Hope would come looking for me, but I knew you would come, too. Even though you were mad at me, I knew you would come. I’m sorry. I’ve been acting stupid. I can’t live without you.”
Despite the weariness in her voice, something inside Beau settled. “You won’t ever have to live without me. I need you too much. You’re mine, Charity, and you’re staying that way.”
Chapter Six
He could have lost her tonight.
The thought kept playing over and over in his head, torturing him.
After spending hours in the bustling emergency room, Charity had finally been taken to a private room, one that he’d arranged for when he’d filled out the paperwork and taken responsibility for the bill.
Garrett had objected, but once Beau made it clear that he blamed himsel
f for the accident and that he had every intention of talking Charity into marrying him, he’d backed off.
Accidents and heart attacks from the storm seemed to be rampant, but thankfully, the floor where they’d taken Charity was much quieter.
She looked so tired. So frail.
It seemed to take forever, but the nurses finally finished settling her for the night.
Beau sat in a dark corner in her room, his arms aching to hold her, wincing every time Charity did. Thankful that they’d given her pain medicine, he watched her, meeting her gaze several times as her eyelids seemed to get heavier and heavier.
Once the nurse realized that no one would be leaving until everyone had a chance to see Charity and assure themselves that she was all right, she allowed everyone in for a few minutes before hustling them out.
Beau wouldn’t budge.
He could have lost her tonight.
He couldn’t stop shaking.
Charity’s injuries, although not serious, scared him more than he wanted her to see.
She had a cracked collarbone, a cracked sternum, a seriously bruised hip and arm, and a minor concussion, along with several cuts on her face from her broken window.
Her eyes looked too big for her pale face, and she looked exhausted. She seemed determined to thank everyone for finding her, smiling when Ace bent to kiss her head. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine how you felt—hearing the crash, but then nothing else. Did you find my cell phone?”
“Didn’t look for it. Dillon and Ryder already have your car.”
Charity looked toward the window, trying to hide a wince at the movement, and dropped it back on the pillow. “Isn’t it still snowing?”
Ace straightened, putting an arm around his wife, silently encouraging her to lean on him. “It sure is. They didn’t want to leave your car out there, though. I heard they had a bunch of help, with the snowplow leading the way.”
Charity laughed softly, wincing again. “I can just imagine. I’m so sorry to put everyone to so much trouble.” Her voice slurred, probably a result of the pain medication they’d given her, and exhaustion.
