“Kurt’s in that room. We’ve got to get him out,” Jerrod shouted to the chief as he ran past.
Nodding, the chief directed the men, shouting orders, watching as they worked the lock and additional metal barrier which held Kurt captive. Skye stood back as the paramedics worked on their reluctant patients, Janie’s and Cassie’s attention fixed on the back of the building. Cassie reached over, touching Janie’s cut and bruised arm.
“They’ll get him out.” Cassie’s voice, rough and raw, barely reached a whisper.
Her eyes burning with tears, a nod was all Janie could offer in response. Swiping at her dirt-streaked face, she squirmed, trying to move out of the grasp of the paramedic.
“You need to stay here, ma’am. They’ll get him out.” The woman’s soothing voice and gentle touch as she checked Janie’s injuries had her settling back, even as the lump in her stomach turned into an icy knot.
“Got him!”
Janie heard the man’s shout a moment before he emerged from the building, a limp form in his arms, clothing black and charred. Without a word, the two paramedics began working on an unconscious Kurt, not taking the time to acknowledge the emergency vehicle pulling to a stop next to them.
“What have we got?” the driver shouted, opening the back doors.
“Kurt Dobson. Unconscious…”
The woman’s voice drifted into the distance, every motion seeming to slow as Janie focused on Kurt, repeating a silent prayer over and over. Jolting at a hand on her shoulder, she glanced up, eyes heavy with despair.
“I’ll drive you and Cassie to the hospital, unless you want to wait for another ambulance.” Skye crouched next to Janie.
“I’ll go with Kurt.”
“Ma’am, it would be best to follow us.” The paramedic’s eyes narrowed in sympathy. “There isn’t much room. We’ll take good care of him. You have my word.”
******
Fire Mountain
“You boys go on home. No use sticking ‘round here, listening to me gripe.” Seth’s mood had deteriorated through the afternoon as one test after another came back normal. He saw no reason to stay another night, not hesitating to tell the doctor his opinion. If he hadn’t been through recent prostate surgery, the doctor might have been more inclined to go along with Seth’s wishes.
“Tired of us already, Pops?” Troy smiled, setting aside the magazine he’d been rifling through.
“Hell no. I’m tired of this room, the food, and not getting any rest. Now, get out of here and let me have some peace.”
“Guess we don’t have a choice.” Matt leaned over and brushed a kiss on Seth’s forehead. “We’ll be back by seven tomorrow morning.”
“And bring me some clothes. I’m not leaving in this flimsy thing.” Seth scowled as he lifted the thin cotton gown.
“Will do. Try to sleep, Pops.” Matt glanced over his shoulder once more before walking down the almost empty corridor with Troy. “Other than telling us what it isn’t, the tests haven’t given us any clues as to what happened the other night.”
“The doctor said it could be indigestion or pleurisy. All we can do is keep an eye on him.” Troy slipped his hands in his pockets. “I talked to my advisor and he’ll let me finish my last two classes online. All I’ll need to do is drive back down to take the final and collect my stuff.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“I’m more than ready to get out of school and move back home. Other than Pops insisting, I had no reason to get my masters. I’m just checking a box for him.” He also knew how much his presence would mean to Matt. His new job had him traveling considerably more than he’d anticipated. And now with Cassie back in his life, he’d be going to Cold Creek more often.
“Hold on a sec.” Matt pulled the phone from his pocket, noticing Skye’s number. “Hey, Skye. What’s up?”
“There’s been a fire, Matt…”
Coming to a halt, he turned to face Troy, his eyes already signaling his fear.
“Tell me.”
“Kurt got caught in a building. When Janie ran inside to find him, Cassie followed, and—”
“I’m on my way.”
“Matt, wait. Let me finish.” Skye stared at the phone, which signaled an ended call. She punched in his number again, getting his voicemail. “Matt, she’s in the hospital, but will be okay. They’ll probably let her go home tonight. Anyway, call me back.”
Ignoring the incoming call from Skye, Matt ran to his truck, explaining to Troy as he dialed Heath’s number.
“I already heard,” Heath answered before Matt could say anything. “Get yourself to the airport. The plane leaves in half an hour.”
Heading toward the airport, Matt’s mind went on autopilot. “Heath has the pilot going through preflight. You’ll have to explain to Pops. Don’t tell him about the fire until I know what happened. Tell him it’s for work.” Matt gripped the wheel, trying to stay five miles per hour over the speed limit. A ticket wouldn’t help anything.
“No problem. You take care of Cassie. I’ll handle Pops.” Troy studied his brother, seeing his hands trembling, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. “Maybe you should try calling the hospital before the plane takes off. Get more details.”
“Here.” Matt handed Troy his phone. “Skye left a message. Tell me what she said.”
Troy listened, relaying the message to Matt. “Sounds like Cassie will be fine,” he commented, sliding a little in his seat as Matt made a hard left turn into the airport.
Matt’s death grip on the wheel loosened at the news. It didn’t change the fact he’d be going to Cold Creek with Heath. Pulling to a stop, he jumped out.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about Pops. I’ve got it handled. Call me when you know more.”
******
Heath filled Matt in on what he’d learned from Skye. He’d called Rafe, then Kade, who would notify everyone else, telling them not to worry. Cassie didn’t need a houseful of MacLarens and Sinclairs showing up at her door.
Matt stared out the window, refusing refreshments and ignoring Heath’s questioning glances. He didn’t need to go into details about Cassie and him now. Instead, he thought of what a fool he’d been to not come right out and tell her he loved her, wanted her as his wife. Matt closed his eyes, resting his head against the seat, wondering why it had taken a scare like this to bring him to his senses, force him to see what mattered most.
Feeling a slight jolt as the plane touched down, Matt drew in a deep breath. Once he made certain Cassie was okay, he’d lay it all out, explain how he felt, and close this gap between them once and for all. No more missteps. No more taking it slow. No more being a fool as Pops had accused. He loved her and would make it his life’s mission to be sure Cassie knew it.
******
“We’re still here, Heath. Do you know where the hospital is?” Skye gave him directions. Neither Cassie nor Janie had been released. Most of the emergency room resources were focused on Kurt and the victims of a highway accident involving a big rig. She paced, knowing both Cassie and Janie would be fine, but needing to see them to confirm it for herself.
When the entry doors slid open, she dashed into her uncle’s open arms.
“Any word?” Heath asked as he dropped his arms and stepped back.
“Nothing. I know they have their hands full with Kurt and a highway accident, but I can’t see why no one can give me any information. I told the nurse both of them were my cousins.” Her tired eyes and grim smile told of her frustration and worry.
“Let me check with them.”
Skye stood close to Matt as Heath spoke with a lady behind the desk. “She is going to be fine, Matt. I was with both of them from the time they brought them out of the building. They rode with me here, not in an ambulance. It should be a routine check, making sure there’s no smoke damage, then they’ll be able to leave.”
Matt nodded, seeing Heath pull somethin
g from his wallet and handing it to the lady. A few minutes later, he turned around, signaling for them to follow.
“I swear, Uncle Heath can accomplish darn near anything,” Skye said, lines of worry etched on her face.
Following Heath through a door, Matt passed several glass enclosed rooms before coming to a stop in front of one of the last ones. Inside, Cassie and Janie sat on the exam table talking to a young man.
Staring at Cassie through the open door, her face and arms dotted with cuts, her hair a tangled mess, Matt scolded himself again for not making his love clear when they were in Seattle. She never should’ve boarded the plane with the doubts he created. As always, Cassie had expressed her feelings without a hint of hesitancy, while he’d kept his under tight control. She deserved better, but she loved him, and he’d be a fool to deny his love any longer.
Looking up, Cassie smiled when she spotted her father. Then her gaze moved to the man standing beside him. “Matt,” she whispered. Sliding to the floor, she covered the distance in a few steps, throwing herself into his arms. “Oh, Matt. It was awful. Janie ran inside to find Kurt, and I followed, and…” Her composure faltered as his strength engulfed her. Matt stroked her hair as she melted into quiet sobs.
“I know, baby,” he whispered against her ear. “You’re going to be fine. I’m here.” Holding her until the sobs turned to quiet sniffles, he lifted her chin. “I love you, Cassie, and I’m here for you.”
Instead of the radiant smile he expected, she dissolved into sobs, gripping him as if she never intended to let him go. Matt glanced toward Heath, whose shrug told him he was on his own.
So focused on each other, they didn’t notice another man slip past them and into the room, closing the door.
Skye watched through the glass as he spoke to Janie, her face crumbling, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Please, God. Don’t let it be Kurt,” she prayed, getting Cassie’s attention.
“I have to go to Janie.” She broke from Matt’s embrace, using the gown to wipe the dampness from her face, then turned. Walking into the room, she slipped an arm around Janie, kissing her forehead. “Is this about Kurt Dobson?”
The doctor glanced at her. “Are you a relative of Mr. Dobson’s?”
“She’s my closest friend, and a friend of Kurt’s,” Janie stuttered. “You can talk in front of her.”
“As I told Mr. Dobson’s fiancée, his injuries are serious. He has significant smoke damage to his lungs and throat, and burns over both legs and part of his back. It will be a long, slow, and quite painful recovery.” The doctor glanced at the chart before finishing. “He has requested no visitors, specifically mentioning Miss Bonds. I’m sorry.”
Cassie tightened her arm around Janie, anger sweeping through her. “I know he’s in pain and probably not thinking straight, but does he know Janie saved his life? Does he know that without her, he’d still be inside that burning building?” Her voice rose, the pain in Janie’s face more than she could bear. “Does he know she risked her life and almost died trying to save him?”
Sympathy showed in the doctor’s eyes and voice. “I’m sorry, but those are his wishes.”
“That’s hogwash,” Cassie said, looking up to see Matt step up beside her.
“Cassie, please,” Janie breathed out through her sobs. “It’s not the doctor’s fault. Kurt just needs time. Right, Doctor?”
“I wish I knew, Miss Bonds. In his case, I certainly hope time heals him. And I do hope he changes his mind about seeing you. Sometimes those we love are the perfect medicine.” He reached into a pocket, pulling out a card, making a notation on the back. “Call this woman. She’s a miracle worker when it comes to situations like this one.”
Janie watched him go, staring at the name on the card. “What am I going to do, Cassie?” The stricken look on her face broke Cassie’s heart.
“I don’t know, but it’s going to work out. I promise you.”
******
“You’re under arrest for the attempted murder of Mr. Kurt Dobson.”
“But he’s not who I wanted!” the woman screamed, her face contorted in anger, craziness in her eyes. “He’s not—”
“Ma’am, anything you say…” The officer pulled her arms behind her, continuing to inform her of her rights, ignoring her rants about getting the wrong man.
A dozen feet away, Jerrod watched the scene, listening to his ex-wife rant about how she wanted him dead, not Kurt. The woman he’d fallen in love with in high school and married a few years later had sunk into mental illness in her late twenties. He’d done everything the doctors suggested, using all the insurance available, spending every dime, borrowing on their home, then losing everything to bankruptcy. He’d still be with her if she hadn’t, in one of her more lucid moments, filed for divorce. They’d fought over it until he had no more fight left.
It had been three years since the divorce became final. Three years of nothing from her…until the fires. It took until the sixth one for him to start piecing it all together, yet he still couldn’t bring himself to accept it. The first clue had been her following him around town. He hadn’t even known she’d returned to Cold Creek from Denver, where she’d somehow gotten a job in one of the marijuana dispensaries.
When he saw her watching his apartment from across the street, he planned to confront her, but the fire investigations took up almost twenty hours a day of his time. Thinking of the last two fires, before the one tonight, sent chills through him. He’d found a ring and a metal box of pictures at the scene of the second-to-last fire. His heart sank as he studied them. Although charred, images of his ex-wife and him couldn’t be ignored. Tagging them as evidence, he mentioned his findings to Kurt earlier in the week, taking what he had to his fire chief. If the police chief hadn’t been called away, they would’ve met with him today, a few hours before the fire that almost killed Kurt. A fire meant for him.
“Who do you think you’re looking at?” she yelled.
Jerrod looked up, realizing she’d directed her tirade at him. She didn’t even recognize him. He already knew the outcome. She’d plead insanity, be institutionalized, and two young men and his good friend would be the consequences of her incapacitated state. In time, she’d be forgotten and so would the crimes…by everyone except him and Kurt.
******
“Do you feel like taking a walk?” Matt sat beside Cassie, holding her hand and watching television as Janie puttered around in the kitchen. It had been five days since the fire, and Kurt still refused to let Janie near him.
Matt had stayed, working out of the Cold Creek office a few hours each day, then returning to the girls’ apartment. Cassie would be going back to work tomorrow, Janie the following Monday, although Heath had told them to take two weeks off. Both needed to get their minds back on something productive, and Janie needed to focus on anything other than Kurt.
“Can we drive to the river and walk toward the campground?” Cassie’s eyes brightened at the idea.
Standing, he drew her up. “Perfect.”
“We’re going for a walk. Do you want anything from the store?” Cassie grabbed her purse, hating the blank look on Janie’s face. She wished she could do something to fix the break with Kurt. Janie had only told Cassie about Kurt’s proposal, asking her to keep it quiet. They’d planned to announce it to their friends during a dinner at his place. A dinner that now may never happen. Still, Janie refused to take off the ring, saying if Kurt wanted it back, he could damn well ask for it.
“No, I’m good.” Janie continued reorganizing shelves she’d worked on the day before. At least she kept herself busy.
The drive took ten minutes. The path meandered along the river, going inland for several yards, then back again, ending at an open meadow surrounded by campsites. Few were being used, which gave them a sense of privacy.
Settling an arm around her shoulders, Matt guided her toward a beautiful place on the river. “Someday, I’d like to camp at this exact spot. Maybe bring fishing poles an
d teach our kids to fish. Teach them how to—”
“Wait. Teach our kids to what?” Her eyes grew wide. It was the first time he’d spoken of their future.
“Fish. You know, toss a line in the water, pull out a fish.” He smiled. “Of course, to do that, we need to have some kids first. And to do that…” He reached into his pocket and dropped to one knee, “…we should probably get married.”
Cassie’s gasp, hand flying to her mouth, was all he needed.
“I love you, Cass. I have since we were in high school and I’ve never stopped. You’re all I want. Always. There’s no way I’ll ever get over you if you say no. So please, say yes. Marry me.”
As her head bobbed up and down, he took her left hand, sliding the ring on her finger. When he stood, she jumped into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he laughed, twirling her in a circle, then setting her down. “You know, I’ve never seen you cry as much as you have the last week. I hope today’s tears mean something good.”
Pulling back, she looked into his face. “These are the best tears ever. I love you, Matt. I always will.”
Epilogue
MacLaren Ranch, Fire Mountain
“I warned you. You should’ve done what Dana and I did.” Mitch MacLaren looked across the sprawling front lawn, where the men played football most Sundays, and winced at the number of people who’d come to witness and celebrate Cassie and Matt’s marriage. “Saying your vows in front of a couple hundred people…whew.”
Matt shrugged. “This is what Cassie wanted. Who am I to say no?” He looked toward a group of women, his wife included. Most were part of his new family and he couldn’t be happier. Seeing Janie standing apart, doing her best to hide the pain of Kurt’s rejection, he felt a strange urge to knock some sense into the man. Too bad he still occupied a bed in the acute care section of the hospital.
“Guess I’d better ask Dana to dance.” Mitch finished his drink, setting the empty glass on a table. “I’ll never hear the end of it if she doesn’t get at least a couple in before we leave.”
No Getting Over You Page 20
