The Promise He Made

by Linda Style

  “Maybe not.”

  “And if they’re not on the maps, the roads are probably really rough.”

  She frowned. “I realize that. Actually, you should check them out because sometimes the smaller ones have a richer history and would be good for some of your tours.”

  He smiled. “You’re an excellent saleswoman. If you ever need a job, give me a call.”

  She tried to smile but her forehead furrowed instead, and that told him she was really worried.

  “When do we leave?”

  He shouldn’t have made a joke. But she looked so cute and so sincere, and he’d just wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her.

  “As soon as I’m done with the other tour. Let’s say, two-thirty.”

  Her eyes got big again. She pursed her lips. “Thank you, Cole. I really appreciate it.” And then she turned and left.

  Cole drew in a big breath and watched her drive away. She really appreciated it. That might’ve made him feel good if he wasn’t the reason Ryan had run off in the first place. After everyone had left the other day, Ryan had called Cole on his cell and told him they were going to get what they wanted: he’d not be around anymore to bother anyone again.

  Cole hadn’t taken the bait and simply said, fine. That it was about time Serena had a normal life. Ryan had gone totally quiet, didn’t say another word, and then the phone had clicked in Cole’s ear. Ever since, he’d wondered if what he’d said might’ve been the proverbial final straw for Ryan.

  “THIS IS IT,” SERENA SAID, eyeing the road before them. From what she could tell on the map, they were approximately halfway to the old Buzzard Mine. So far the road hadn’t been too bad, but she could see where the paved road stopped ahead.

  Cole pointed to a sign to their left: Ungraded Road. High-clearance Vehicles Only. Enter at Your Own Risk. “Hope it’s not too bad,” he said sympathetically. His smile cheered her. Up until this moment she’d been unsure if he planned to continue to help her. She’d thought he might give up and turn back.

  Gravel crunched under the wide tires as they continued on. The road soon became an obstacle course, with deep ruts formed by water runoff from the mountains. Cole concentrated on maneuvering the vehicle around the debris and the occasional boulder that had fallen onto the road from above.

  Jostled from side to side, Serena gripped the safety handles. Every muscle in her body tensed as she anticipated each jolt.

  The vehicle lurched, and Serena flew upward, then slammed down into the seat. The loud crunch of metal against rock came from underneath and the vehicle thudded to a stop in a cloud of dust. They glanced at each other and then at the road in front of them.

  “What the hell?” Cole said, still looking around. He stepped on the gas, but the vehicle didn’t move.

  “It felt like we hit something.”

  He didn’t answer but threw the gearshift into Reverse and gave the engine some juice. Still nothing.

  “Yeah.” Cole cursed. He opened his door to get out, and Serena followed suit. Her door scraped on something and when she stepped down, the ground under her foot yielded. “Oh, crap.” She grabbed the door and caught herself. Hoping to see what was going on, she edged away from the car. “Good grief. We’re in a hole.”

  “No kidding.” Cole pushed his hat to the back of his head and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. He thought for a second, then stalked over to where she stood. “We’re wedged in on one side.” He pointed toward the back. “The seat extension kept us from dropping. If we’d been in a shorter vehicle, we’d have dropped deeper and been unable to get out.” He gazed at her.

  “That’s creepy.” She touched a hand to her throat. “It’s probably one of those sinkholes where the water runs underground and eventually the soil above collapsed. I’ve heard of entire homes being swallowed up that way.”

  He continued to gaze at her.

  “Really,” she assured him. “There was a fissure like this under a major road in Scottsdale not that long ago. One day the asphalt simply split open and a couple of cars dropped in.”

  “Well, then we’re fortunate it’s only big enough for the tires.” He glanced around at the craggy mountains surrounding them, then strode across the road in front of the car, stopped, gingerly kicked the ground, then straddled another rut. “Can you get that flashlight in the back?” he requested, and when she brought it, he got down on his knees and checked under the car.

  “Can’t see anything.”

  With the sun scorching her bare shoulders, Serena felt sweat run down the inside of her arms. Damn. She was probably sunburned already. She untied her shirt from around her waist, put it on and then pulled out her cell phone.

  “Forget it. You won’t get any reception with all the mountains around. Wait until we’re in a clearing.”

  She tried the phone anyway, but discovered he was right. She pushed back her bangs and leaned against the driver’s door. “So what now? Should we send up smoke signals?”

  He grinned at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  He pointed to her head, so she glanced in the side mirror. Her hair was even frizzier than normal and her ponytail was lodged on the side of her head.

  Cole smiled. “I can’t believe you still look like a teenager.” He reached out to touch her face.

  She stepped back.

  “Dirt,” he said. “You’ve got dirt on your face.”

  He reached again, only this time she didn’t move as he brushed his fingers across her cheek. In those few seconds, a host of memories flooded back. Her heart pounded crazily. “Uh…Okay. I think we’d better figure out how to get out of here.”

  An hour later, they stopped by a large boulder on the shady side of the mountain, energy sapped. They’d walked at least a mile farther down the road to see if they could spot any signs of life. But the road just went on and on, winding through the foothills.

  Nothing had appeared familiar to Serena, and by the time they returned to the Jeep, it was late afternoon, and the temperature had peaked. They still had a few hours before sunset, but once the sun dropped below the mountain, it would be dark, and unless there was a full moon, nothing was darker than the desert at night. Cole, she was certain, wouldn’t be foolish enough to travel these roads in the dead of night. They’d be stuck out here.

  Cole sat down, leaned back, pushed his hat down over his face and said, “Might as well rest a minute.”

  She sat down, too, wrapped her arms around her legs and laid her head on her knees. During the ride, she’d wanted more than anything to ask Cole about the accident. When she’d visited him in jail, he’d had little memory of what happened before or right after the accident. Mostly, she wanted to know why he’d stayed at the party. What was so compelling that he couldn’t have said no? But every time she thought about asking, she realized how pointless it was.

  No one could turn back the hands of time. And even if she could somehow manage to get beyond the accident, there was the baby. If she knew nothing else, she knew that Cole would never forgive her for keeping his son from him.

  To even think in that direction was stupid.

  But for just a few moments, she wanted to savor the fantasy.

  Her gaze drifted to Cole again. His arms were crossed over his chest, one leg was stretched out and the other was bent at the knee. Just looking at him, his muscular body, the curve of his chin, his sensual mouth, brought memories of desperate young love and nights of exploratory passion.

  She tore her eyes away and glanced at the mountains where spheroidal rocks like giant bowling balls balanced precariously one atop the other. One big wind and they could come tumbling down. A metaphor for her life right about now. She hadn’t felt so unsettled since returning to Spirit Creek five years earlier. But everything would revert to normal once she found Ryan and went back home. It would. It had to.

  As she sat there studying the rocks and scrubby trees, an idea hit. She scrambled to her feet, ran back to the Jeep and pulle
d out the flashlight, then went to the front of the vehicle and peered at the tires on the side of the vehicle that was in the hole. It just might work.

  Excited, she picked up a rock and tossed it into the hole behind the tire. Then she found a few more rocks and tossed them in.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  She turned. Cole had walked up behind her. Smiling, she brushed at the hair hanging in her face with her forearm.

  “I have an idea.”

  “Well, until I figure out a plan, you should be saving your energy.”

  She waved at the truck. “But I have an idea how to get us out.”

  His eyes widened skeptically. “An idea.”

  “Yes. We fill up the hole with rocks, find something flat to put under the tires, and drive out.”

  He scratched his head. “Something flat, huh?” He swiveled, squinting as he searched the landscape. “Where are we going to find something flat?”

  Her gaze followed his. “Hmm. Good point.” Her excitement faded just a bit. “Well, we’ve got to do something. Maybe if we start filling the hole, we’ll think of a solution. At the very least, if we fill the hole, maybe we can push the Jeep out.”

  He blinked, his expression blank.

  “Unless you have another idea.”

  After another long moment, he rubbed his chin again and said, “Rocks, huh? I guess the idea’s worth a try.”

  She couldn’t help smiling. “Well, let’s get started then.” She swept past him, climbing higher on the mountainside, and began rolling rocks toward him. “I’ll roll—you chuck.”

  Night descended quickly, and when the hole was close to being filled, Cole said, “Even if we get the Jeep out, we’ll have to stay put for the night and head back in the morning. These roads are rough enough even when you can see.”

  Bringing a shoulder up this time to wipe the sweat off her face, Serena nodded. “Okay. Whatever.”

  Cole watched Serena, admiring her stamina. Her hair hung in frizzy curls around her sunburned face, her body was covered with dust, her shirt was drenched with sweat, yet she looked adorable.

  “Okay,” she said. “I’ve got another idea.”

  He crossed his arms. “I’m all ears.”

  “See those paloverde trees? There are a lot of dead branches on the ground underneath.”

  He thumbed his hat back. “Yeah. What about ’em?”

  “Now that the rocks are bracing the tires, we could bind some of those dead branches and stuff them under the tires to give us traction to get out.”

  Gazing at them, he said, “You know, that’s a good idea. I have some rope and bungee cords in the back.”

  Together they collected the largest branches they could find, lined them up lengthwise, wove the rope through the strips and used a bungee cord to secure them. When they finished, the thing resembled a makeshift raft. If they’d been stranded on a desert island, they could’ve floated away.

  Within the hour, they’d jacked the car up and wedged branches under the front and back tires to form a short bridge.

  “Okay, it’s now or never,” Cole said, holding up crossed fingers. He opened the door and eased onto the seat, careful not to make any moves that might shift things around. He stuck the key into the ignition and switched on the engine.

  The vehicle was hotter than an inferno, and sweat ran down his arms and even his legs. His hatband was soaked, as was his T-shirt. He offered up a small prayer to any deity who might want to smile on him, then he shifted into gear, rocked forward, shifted and rocked back, using the same motion he employed when stuck in the snow in Chicago.

  A rock clunked underneath, and the truck shifted sideways. He stomped on the gas. The Jeep jerked forward, upward and sideways. He floored the accelerator until the truck lurched ahead to rest on flat ground.

  Relief flooded him. Serena ran up, beaming. He got out, and without thinking, he picked her up and swung her around with him.

  Her hair tickled his face as she hugged him back, her body hot and sweaty against his. When she raised her smiling face to his, he felt an urgent need to kiss her. So he did. Her mouth was more tender than he remembered, her body more voluptuous. Slowly, he slid his hand from her shoulder to the curve of her waist, pulling her closer as he let her inch down until her feet touched the ground.

  The pressure created an erotic sensation that nearly undid him. He deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking the sweetness of her mouth, a mouth that he remembered so well. When her arms came up around his neck, he forgot everything. And when she melted into him—he couldn’t tell if his heart was pounding like a jackhammer or hers.

  Damn. He wanted her as he’d never wanted anyone. And she seemed to want him just as much. His breathing was ragged as he eased his lips from hers and brought his mouth to her ear.

  He held her tight, not wanting to ever let go, but then he felt her push, just enough to break the embrace. Though reluctant, he set her away from him. “Sorry,” he said. “I guess I got a little overexcited.” He shoved a hand through his hair and cleared his throat, no clue what to say next.

  “Right. I, um…I don’t know how that happened, either.”

  He did. Because he realized right then that all these years he’d been lying to himself. He’d convinced himself he didn’t care about her. Didn’t care that she’d gone off and married someone else while he rotted in jail.

  But he did care. More than he’d ever imagined.

  “Yeah. Me, too,” he said. “Funny what the heat can do to a person.” He turned to get back into the Jeep. “We better decide what to do next.”

  Serena retreated a step, then walked to the passenger side. He stared straight ahead, but in his peripheral vision he saw her touch her lips with her fingers.

  God, he felt like an idiot. One minute he wanted her and the next, he wanted to get as far away as possible.

  When would he learn that what he wanted didn’t matter to anyone but him?

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  SERENA GLANCED AT THE quickly shifting sky, which had gone from cobalt to twilight gray in the blink of an eye. On the horizon, layers of crimson, sky-blue pink and purple backlit the distant mountain ranges. They’d only traveled a short distance when Cole stopped the truck in the middle of the road, got out his flashlight, opened the map and laid it over the steering wheel.

  “What’re you looking for?”

  Cole turned his gaze to the sky. “We can’t go much farther before it gets totally dark, so I’m looking for an alternative to sleeping under the stars tonight.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  After taking off his hat, he glanced at her, then returned her eyes to the map. A lock of hair hung over his forehead, and he reminded her of the boy she used to know. Her heart warmed at the endearing image. If only…

  The thought was ridiculous. He wasn’t that boy, and she wasn’t the girl she’d been, either. Too much had happened to ever repair. “Is there another choice?” she asked absently. All she could think of was the kiss. The way they’d come together so naturally, as if the past hadn’t happened.

  “Yes. Miner’s Gulch. I’ve been there a couple of times, but approaching it from the other direction. There might be a way to reach it through this pass. The road has been closed for a long time, but we might be able to get through within an hour or so.”

  She leaned toward him, craning to see the map without making any physical contact. The place didn’t look far, but distance didn’t mean much when mountains were involved.

  “What’s the worst thing that can happen? We sleep here or somewhere in between. In the morning we’ll continue to the mine.”

  “Okay, I’m game.” Good thing tomorrow was Sunday and the café would be closed.

  “Yeah, I need a phone to let my mother know, or she’ll be worried.” That said, he cranked the steering wheel to the right and took off down a tiny road.

  The road ahead was no bumpier than the one they’d been on; in fact, some places were le
ss rugged.

  By the time the sun had disappeared, they’d rumbled into Miner’s Gulch. “I was here once when I was a kid, and it looks the same now as it did then.” A few lights were on at the general store, which she remembered was the original building from the gold-rush days.

  “Twenty-five permanent residents. I did some research for a tour.” He pulled up in front of the store.

  The place was rustic—wood and adobe, with a tin roof—and she imagined it appeared exactly as it had at the turn of the century. They both got out and climbed the creaky wooden steps to go inside.

  The interior was just as rustic as the outside, and jam-packed with books, T-shirts and souvenirs of every type. There was also snack food, a smattering of silver-and-turquoise jewelry, a cooler full of soda and another full of ice cream. A small bank of post-office slots flanked a desk with a sign on the front that read Post Office. And above her head a plethora of Old West antiques hung from the ceiling. A huge white dog padded silently around them as if watching them.

  A bearded man who looked to be in his early fifties stood behind a glass case filled with jewelry and knickknacks. Smiling, Cole walked over and said something, and they shook hands. When they’d finished talking, Cole waved her over. “This is Serena Matlock. She runs the Cosmic Bean in Spirit Creek.”

  Serena shook the man’s hand.

  “I’m Michael,” he said.

  “We were out looking for one of the old mines and got stuck in a hole,” Cole said. “When we finally freed our vehicle, it was too late to head back, so we’re hoping there’s someplace in Miner’s Gulch to stay.”

  “We get a lot of backpackers out here. So we renovated the old bunk room above the saloon across the street. That’s all there is, but you’re welcome to stay,” Michael said. “No one else is there right now.”

  Cole looked at Serena. “Sounds good to me.”

  He motioned for Cole to accompany him, and they went into another room behind some curtains. Serena busied herself looking at the jewelry, and when Cole returned, he handed her a key. “We can eat at the saloon,” he said.