She was hot, she was sweaty, and she was tired.
She swallowed a groan as she took another step and stumbled on a rock, her feet hitting the barked trail with a thud.
“Isn’t this great?” Jeremy cried, increasing the distance between them. “Come on, slowpokes.”
Hannah grimaced as she stepped off the trail, resting against a round boulder beneath a tall pine, drawing in a tired sigh. It was getting hard to breathe, physically and emotionally.
She definitely had a fever, and to add to that, Tanner was making no attempt to hide the fact that he had been staring at her for the past few minutes as he hiked behind her.
Remaining aloof, when he was so close, was near to impossible.
She inhaled sharply when he dropped down beside her and his long leg brushed against hers. Dressed in a pair of old jeans and a red checkered shirt, he took her breath away.
“That boy’s got enough steam to run Three Mile Island,” he said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her heart was thumping against her ribs. “We’ll give him a minute or two to explore by himself.”
Tanner opened one of the water bottles and offered it to her. She drank and thanked him, mentally settling her heart back to a steady rhythm.
He looked up at the clouds and capped the bottle. “Looks like you were right.” His expression became grim. “Storm’s brewing. We better head back.”
She lifted her gaze to the sky, trying to ignore the attractive male beside her. She hadn’t noticed the rolling gray clouds until now. The trees rustled and the birds seemed to disappear. It was going to rain.
Irritation filled her, and she glared back at Tanner. “And where are the raincoats, may I ask?”
The grin he shot her curled her toes. “Are you always right?”
“Usually.” She grabbed the bottle on the ground, uncapped it, taking another sip. Her throat felt like fire. She would be glad to get home.
“What are your plans after this summer?”
His question surprised her. “I finished my engineering degree last month. I’m looking for a job with Reach Medicals. They’re hiring in the fall. My mom loves it here in Clearbrook Valley. I do too. The mountains. The clean air. The wildlife. Well, it has so many positives...”
She shrugged and the water bottle slipped from her fingers, hitting the trail. They both reached for it at the same time. Tanner’s hand accidentally gripped hers. Her heart gave a sudden jolt when his fingers closed on her wrist, and he pulled her hand to his lips.
“Hannah.” Her name floated in the air like silk against skin. She didn’t know how it happened, but the next second she was locked in his arms, her chest against his.
His hands brushed through her hair, and he tipped her head back, pressing his mouth to hers. The kiss was surprisingly gentle, a soft caress, sending her emotions whirling like a wild summer breeze. She heard him groan, and her senses reeled.
Tanner Clearbrook had her wrapped around his finger like a soft piece of taffy, ready to be molded and form.
A clap of thunder broke the spell, and they both pulled back. He touched her cheek with his thumb and smiled. “I think I should be rounding up my son. He shouldn’t be far. You’ve been terrific with Jeremy. He’s been talking to me about his mom, and I think it’s all because of you.”
She blinked, feeling her heart sink. Did he kiss her because he was thanking her? Was the kiss another payment of sorts, just like the last one in his car when she had opened her heart to him. Stupid Hannah. Really stupid.
A slow steady rain fell from the sky. With another finger, Tanner gently wiped a raindrop from her forehead. “We’ll finish this later.”
She frowned. “Listen, if you think—”
“Daaaaaaad!”
Jeremy’s high-pitched scream brought them both to their feet.
“Wait here!” Tanner cursed beneath his breath and shot in the direction of his son’s cry.
Hannah watched in fear as he disappeared beyond the trees. There was no way she was waiting for them. Jeremy sounded hurt.
She took a step, but swayed, balancing her body against the boulder. She was too sick to be running. A squeezing dread twisted her stomach as she thought about Jeremy.
Please, God. Let him be all right.
The heavens rumbled above her and she squinted past the fat raindrops slapping her face. No, she was going forward. Jeremy needed her. Taking a fortifying breath, she grabbed the backpack with the first-aid kit and started up the hill, her chest aching with each puff.
A minute later, she froze at the sight of Tanner jogging toward her, holding Jeremy’s limp body in his arms. Panic like the kind she experienced the day she had lost her husband welled in her throat, making it hard to breathe. The boy’s face was white and his arm was bleeding. She felt her own face drain of color.
“Jeremy,” she said in a cracked voice, touching the boy’s head. Tanner’s jaw clenched when his son looked up, his eight-year-old eyes flashing with pain.
“I think it’s broken,” Jeremy said. “I’m sorry I ruined our day.”
Hannah stroked his head, her heart in her throat. “It’s all right, pumpkin. I’ll make you two gingerbreads tomorrow.”
He nodded and tried to smile while tears streamed down his face. “Okay.”
Another roll of thunder pierced the sky, and Jeremy buried his head in his dad’s arms. The rain fell with a vengeance. Tanner glanced at Hannah. His face was tight with strain. “I don’t think he’s going to let you clean it right now. We have to get down the mountain.”
His eyes narrowed on her face, as if he was finally noticing her pallor. “We’ll have to make a run for it. Can you make it?”
Hannah didn’t know if she could run the distance back to the truck, but she nodded. She realized then that Tanner Clearbrook was different than Nick. Her husband’s words banged against her brain. Kids are a burden, Hannah. A yoke around a man’s neck.
But Jeremy wasn’t a burden to Tanner. The child was a joy, his love, his life, and she envied Tanner for that.
“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “You go on ahead and I’ll catch up.”
Tanner frowned. “I hate to leave you, but he might go into shock. The cell phone signal’s just about nothing way out here.”
Hannah touched his shoulder, pushing him toward the trail. “I’m fine.” She lied. “Hurry up. I’ll be right behind you.”
Tanner grimaced as his gray eyes swept over her body. “Just stay behind me. Follow the trail if you lose me and you can’t get lost.”
Hannah nodded. She could no longer deny that she was beginning to fall in love with the handsome millionaire.
It was crazy, she knew, but she couldn’t fight her heart any more than she could fight the pounding rain. She gathered the back packs and trudged down the hill, praying that Jeremy would be all right.
Wind slapped hard against her face and she fought to breathe. Her lungs felt as if they would burst, but she continued on. Tanner was becoming a mere outline in the sheets of rain striking the earth.
A branch broke above Hannah, hitting her legs before she could stop. She fell to the ground, letting out a gasp of despair. She raised her head from the mud, no longer able to see Tanner’s moving form. Her muscles screamed from fatigue as she tried to call for help.
“Tanner!” But her shout for aid was drowned out by the wind.
She pushed her hands against the muddy trail and tried to stand. Her knees buckled. Two warm tears slid down her cheek, and she dropped her head against her chest, exhausted.
Darkness blanketed the sky. Thunder rumbled above her like the roar of a lion. Pine trees swayed in the blowing wind.
She fought against the fatigue spreading throughout her body, but she wouldn’t give up. Jeremy needed her.
She gave one last push and fell back against the trail in agony. She bit her lip as her lashes swept against cold, wet cheeks. No matter how hard she tried, she felt herself tumbling further and further into darkness and w
ondered vaguely if this was how it felt to die.
CHAPTER EIGHT
By the time Tanner reached his truck, the parking lot had become a shallow pond. Hard sheets of rain pummeled his back as he carefully placed Jeremy inside the vehicle. Branches and debris flew in the air like leaves in autumn.
“Dad, where’s Hannah?” Tears, mingled with rain, streaked down Jeremy’s cheeks.
Tanner fumbled for his cell phone. He had good reception. “She’ll be here any minute, partner.”
Tanner punched in the numbers and called for an ambulance. He would have driven to the hospital himself, but Hannah was still out in the storm. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach as he peeled off his soaked shirt and stared past the rain-spattered windshield.
Where the hell was she?
Lightning boomed about fifty yards away, shaking the ground.
Jeremy shivered. “I’m scared, Dad. My arm really hurts.”
Tanner grimaced. “I’d give you something for the pain, but I don’t know if that would be wise.” He took a quick look at Jeremy’s arm. No bones sticking out, but the arm definitely looked broken. “Your Uncle Rafe would have my head if I didn’t do the right thing, you know.”
Jeremy turned his head toward the glove box and blinked back tears. “Yeah, he doesn’t like you pretending to be a doctor.”
“Think I’ll have to do a little doctoring though.” Tanner took out a pocketknife and cut off Jeremy’s shirt where his arm was bleeding. He cleaned the two-inch cut with an antiseptic wipe from the glove box, then covered his son with a dry blanket from beneath the seat.
“Will Uncle Rafe be at the emergency room when I get there?”
“Don’t know.” Tanner gave a swift glance outside. A sense of dread swept through him. Where are you, Hannah?
Jeremy raised his head and tried to look out the window. “I don’t see her. Are you sure she knows we went to the truck?” His voice was almost to the point of hysterical.
Tanner lightly brushed his hand through Jeremy’s hair. “Sure. Hannah knows everything, doesn’t she?”
But the thought of Hannah getting lost made Tanner’s stomach clench. He recalled her pale face when she’d rested on the boulder. She seemed more than just tired. A wave of guilt stirred his conscience. The kiss had made him forget about everything until Jeremy had yelled, then his focus had immediately turned toward his son.
He stared at the trail, knowing there was only one way down. He gritted his teeth. Even in the rain, she couldn’t miss the path.
“Dad? Is she coming?”
Tanner frowned at the sound of panic in Jeremy’s voice. The boy’s lips were white with pain. “Hannah’s a smart lady, partner. She knows we came straight to the truck. I’m just a faster runner than she is.”
“Oh.” Jeremy blinked, then closed his eyes, letting Tanner stroke his forehead.
“That’s it. Just relax. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Jeremy seemed to buy his story, but as the minutes past, Tanner’s fear for Hannah grew. He debated whether to leave his son and look for her, but decided against it. Jeremy needed him.
Maybe she had taken cover under a tree. A dumb thing with the lightning, but somehow he hoped that was the case and not something else.
Suddenly the winds began to howl louder, bending trees to the ground as if they were made of rubber. Jeremy whimpered. Small bits of hail banged against the truck, and Tanner’s heart raced with fear. Come on, baby. Where are you?
Tanner held Jeremy’s good hand in a tight grip, knowing it would be at least five more minutes before the ambulance arrived. Feeling helpless, Tanner stared past the window into the raging storm. What if she’d fallen and been knocked unconscious?
Panic stuck deep in his throat. He’d pushed her too far. She wasn’t used to hiking.
“Jeremy, I’m going to have to ask you to be very brave. Can you do that for your old dad?”
Jeremy opened his eyes wide and let out a strangled sob. “Hannah’s lost, isn’t she? I love her, Dad. I love her almost as much as I love you. About ninety-nine percent.”
Tanner swallowed hard. “I know, partner. Don’t worry, I’ll find her. Here’s the cell phone.”
He gave his son a few short instructions and told him that help would be there in a matter of minutes. Throwing on a yellow raincoat that Hannah had packed, he kissed Jeremy on the forehead and reached for the door.
“Dad?”
Tanner turned. “Yeah?”
“She’s never gonna let you forget that you left those raincoats in the truck,” Jeremy announced with a shaky smile.
Tanner’s lips curved upward. “We’ll eat all her gingerbread and ask for more, then she’ll forget all about the raincoats.”
Jeremy closed his eyes, fighting back the pain. “Yeah, she’ll like that.”
Tanner’s expression turned serious as he grabbed a bright red poncho for Hannah. “Have to go. I can hear the sirens. You tell them where I went. I’ll be back with Hannah before you know it.”
“Okay.”
“Hang on, partner.”
Tanner opened the truck door and gave his son one last look, then bolted out of the truck, raising his hand to shield his eyes against the pounding storm. His chest tightened with dread at the thought of Hannah hurt or missing.
A wave of rain slammed into his face as he dove against the winds and followed the trail.
“Hannah!” He yelled her name over and over. The sky answered with a clap of thunder, jolting his legs to move faster.
“Hannah!”
There was nothing but the cry of the storm, beating against his body. His shoes, drenched with mud and leaves, sunk into the barked trail. Loose branches brushed against his ankles and thighs, making it harder to run.
Thoughts of a mountain lion dragging Hannah’s limp body into the bushes invaded his sanity. Though there hadn’t been a sighting here in quite a while, his mind began to race with all the possibilities. Could Hannah have wandered off the trail?
“Hannah!” His cry was thrown back into his face by the wind. Frustration filled him. He was less than ten yards from where he’d last seen her, and then he froze. A dark form lay huddled on the edge of the trail. His heart seemed to stop.
“Hannah!” Her name exploded off his lips.
He was beside her in the matter of seconds. “Hannah, can you hear me, honey?”
He pressed her limp body against his, shielding her from the storm. He threw the raincoat over her and swept her into his arms. Kissing her face, he brushed his hand across her forehead and swore. She was hot. Too hot. Her body was soaked to the skin and she wasn’t responding. The thought of Julie’s death immediately flooded his brain. Noooo!
He ran down the mountain with her body pressed close to his chest. “You’re not going to die on me, Hannah. You hear me?”
He shot over the trail like a bullet, vividly recalling a pair of long dark lashes sweeping across a set of pale green eyes. He wondered if her body was as fragile as she looked. He prayed it wasn’t.
Oh, God, he prayed. Please not again. Not again!
The rain began to let up as he neared the end of the trail. He dropped his gaze and noted a faint color rising to her cheeks. “Hannah, honey, can you hear me?”
Her lids fluttered open. “I’m sorry, Nick,” she said in a low, muted voice. “I’m sorry.”
Nick?
Tanner felt as if she’d slapped him. Stifling a curse, he finally made it to the parking lot. The paramedics were already there, placing Jeremy inside the ambulance. Tanner handed Hannah to the paramedics and stood there, speechless as they took her limp body and closed the doors.
He didn’t know how long it took them to get to the hospital. His head was spinning with regrets. He followed in the truck. The blasting sirens sounded more like his heart beating outside his chest.
Jeremy seemed as if he would be all right, but would Hannah? Would he? He cared for her more than he wanted to admit. He rea
lized that it was her love for his son that had tipped the scales from her being a tutor to a possible mother for his child. But could he do it again? Could he marry the lady and still keep his heart in tact?
Who was he kidding? She could die tonight, and it would be Julie’s death all over again.
Gritting his teeth, he turned his truck into the hospital parking lot. He stared at the ambulance pulling under the canopy and recalled Hannah’s last words to him.
He hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
Who the hell was Nick?
CHAPTER NINE
Tanner walked into the small cubicle inside the emergency room where Jeremy’s arm was being cast. Beige curtains draped the perimeter of the area. His son sat on the bed, his small body wrapped in a blue hospital gown with dinosaurs spotted throughout. A nurse stood beside Jeremy, taking his blood pressure.
Tanner was grateful it was only a broken bone and nothing else. “How’s that pitching arm of yours, partner?”
Jeremy looked up and smiled, showing off his cast. “Look! Uncle Rafe had them make it purple.” His small brows rose in surprise, taking in Tanner’s scrubs. “Hey, you look like Uncle Rafe. A real doctor, Dad.”
Tanner palmed his hand against his new green shirt and pants. “Yep, playing doctor today. Now, let’s see that arm of yours.”
He strolled past the nurse and inspected Jeremy’s cast. It was amazing how swiftly kids bounced back from an injury. The boy’s eyes were still red from crying, but his disposition seemed much better. “Looks as purple as your uncle’s underwear.”
The nurse beside Jeremy gave an amused snicker. Jeremy blushed and began to giggle. Tanner’s mouth twitched in amusement. He was relieved to see that the incident hadn’t doused his son’s spirit.
Jeremy had been given some pain medication, but other than that he acted as if his cast were a badge of courage, and he seemed to be treating the entire day like a grand adventure.
Hannah was a different story. The memory of her hunched form on that trail made Tanner’s blood run cold. Although Rafe assured him Hannah was going to live, Tanner still felt a pang of guilt for bringing her up that mountain.
Almost Midnight (sweet contemporary romance) (Colorado Clearbrooks) Page 9
