She got up, thinking a walk would help settle down the next football star in her stomach, although waddling might be a more appropriate word for what she had been doing the last few weeks. With Christmas and Keanu’s best friend Hal’s reception fast approaching, Cammie really wished their little guy would decide to make his appearance sooner rather than later. Her due date had passed over a week ago, and she’d long since stopped seeing her feet. A sigh escaped her as she ran a hand through her long red hair.
“What was that deep sigh for?”
A scream ripped from her throat. “Keanu, when did you get home?” She’d been so lost in her own musings, she’d failed to hear him come in through the garage. Her pet wolf LeeLee came in behind him, rubbing against his legs like he was her person, instead of Cammie’s, the traitor.
Keanu smiled, his big arms coming around to hold her. “Is our little man giving you a hard time?”
If he had what felt like a ten-pound being in his body, he wouldn’t call him a little anything. “I think he’s practicing for the Super Bowl.”
Pride lit her husband’s gorgeous brown eyes. “Why don’t you go lie on the couch, and I’ll rub your feet?”
More than anything she wanted to, but he’d been on duty for the last twenty-four hours, and even if he’d gotten some rest at the firehouse, she knew he needed to sleep in their bed. “How about if we go to bed and you hold me?”
Before she knew what he’d planned, she found herself swept up in his arms and being carried down the hall. Any protest she might have made evaporated beneath his lips claiming hers. God, the man still took her breath away, melting her heart into a puddle of mush without even trying.
He stood her next to their big king-sized bed, taking the time to pull the covers back. “Get in while I take a quick shower.”
She climbed in, watching the flex and play of muscles as he pulled the T-shirt over his head, tossing it into the hamper before heading into the master bath. Lord, the man was still the best-looking thing she’d ever seen. He looked back at her over his shoulder, smiling when he caught her watching him strip.
When Cammie woke, she found herself alone, Keanu’s side of the bed cold, letting her know he’d been gone for some time. She rolled out of bed, the need to use the bathroom always paramount this late in her pregnancy. “Alright, little guy, I hear you.” Waddling to the ensuite, Cammie hoped Keanu was making breakfast. Another thing she found as of late was the constant hunger.
A sad sigh escaped as she realized her husband wasn’t home, but the sweet note he’d left lifted her spirits. He’d been called into the fire station, something she was very accustomed to. After filling her stomach and knowing Keanu wouldn’t be back for hours, staying home alone didn’t appeal.
It took very little time to shower and dress before she was climbing into her jeep. A smile broke free as she thought of the envy Keanu still had every time he drove it. Of course, he had a big jacked-up pickup now, a much needed thing where they lived up in the mountains. Backing out of the garage, she was surprised at the amount of snow that had fallen since she’d gone to sleep. She wondered if she should stay home but then pushed the thought aside. Her vehicle was four-wheel drive and had huge tires; she’d been driving up and down the mountain roads for years.
The first curve came into view as more flakes began to come down, making it harder for her to see. She slowed to a snail’s pace, easing around the bend. The drop off the side was one she didn’t want to find herself falling down. Finally taking a deep breath when she made it around the curve, Cammie squinted, barely able to see the road now.
A sharp pain hit her abdomen, making her jerk the wheel to the side, the vehicle sliding close to the edge of the road. “Shit,” she swore.
With panic racing through her blood, lending her strength to straighten the tires out and bring herself back onto the road, she slowed even more. Another pain struck her stomach, only this time, she was prepared and breathed through it. Contractions. She was having contractions, she was sure of it. By her calculations, they were coming every four or five minutes, lasting a little over two minutes each. “Oh, God, I can’t have my baby on the side of the road by myself.”
As she fought the slick roads, her phone rang. She cursed herself for not plugging it into her car charger, at least then she could’ve answered through the hands-free device. The next bend was coming up, she knew from her daily drives up and down. Her knuckles were white from the death grip she had on the steering wheel.
Another sharp contraction hit just as the chevron signs came into view. She tried to pull off the road, wanting to wait the pain out before attempting to make the extremely steep turn. Crying out when she was unable to stop, her foot slipped, accidentally sliding off the brake, hitting the gas and making the jeep accelerate at an alarming speed, causing it to slide from side to side. She jerked the wheel in the opposite direction, letting off the gas but couldn’t stop the uncontrolled vehicle from spinning. Cammie watched in horror as the jeep spun closer to the edge, hitting the guardrails and bouncing off, before spinning in a complete circle. The seatbelt bit into her large belly as her vehicle struck the side again with more force, breaking through the barrier. She screamed for Keanu and prayed for their unborn child as the jeep tumbled down the side of the hill. Snow-covered trees slowed the decent but sent painful jarring through her. She swore she heard a wolf’s howl just as darkness shrouded her vision.
* * * *
Keanu tried calling Cammie again, his mind conjuring up all kinds of unwanted scenarios as to why she wasn’t answering. She’d looked like an angel when he’d climbed out of bed earlier, and he was loathed to awaken her, leaving her was hard on any given day, but knowing she could go into labor at any time scared him like nothing else ever had.
“Why don’t you head on home, Keanu,” Brick Taylor, the fire chief, offered.
When he’d come back to McKinley Landing, he’d thought it was for a short stint, until he’d met his soulmate, Cammie Masters, now Cammie Raine. Just the thought of his wife had his inner fire surging to the front. He was a fire elemental, one of the few in existence that he knew of. A sense of alarm, some internal knowledge beat at him as he tried calling his wife again. He’d expected her to call him once she woke from her nap, knowing these last few weeks of her pregnancy was taking a toll on her, making sleep harder for the both of them.
He shrugged his shoulders. “I think I’ll take you up on that. Cammie’s not answering and that’s not like her. Something’s not right. I can feel it.” He rubbed his chest, wishing he was more like his friend and fellow SmokeJumper Brax McKay.
Turning to pick up what was left of the mess on the table, he was pulled up short by Brick’s big hand. “Go on, I’ll take care of this. You take care of our girl Cammie.”
Real affection showed in the chief’s eyes when he said Keanu’s wife’s name. Cammie was a firefighter, too, only she was off on maternity leave. They’d not decided if she would go back to work after their little one was born. He smiled as he thought of his use of little one and how she would growl at him, reminding Keanu more of her father each time she did so.
God, he needed to get home and reassure himself she was fine. “Thanks, Brick. I appreciate it.” Keanu raced from the breakroom, not stopping to grab anything except his coat and keys, making sure his cell was in his pocket. As he climbed into his pickup, he popped the cell into the holster, making sure the hands-free device was set, alarmed at the amount of snow that had come down since they’d come in from the last call.
His first thought was maybe the cell towers were having problems and that was why he couldn’t get through, but then, as he drove steadily up the mountain, his gut clenched at the image of the bars showing he had full service.
Visibility became so dim, he was at a damn near crawl, and he cursed the fact they’d bought the property so far up in the hills. However, they’d had fond memories of the place, from when Keanu had saved a twelve-year-
old Cammie who’d climbed up a tree, only to get stuck and couldn’t get down. If he wasn’t scared to death of what could be keeping his wife from answering, the memory would’ve normally brought a smile to him. Now, the thought of his wife in another perilous position had him sick to his stomach.
The normally twenty-minute drive took almost forty, and Keanu swore he was going to have gray hair by the time he pulled into their drive. As he pressed the garage door opener, his heart nearly stopped at the empty spot where Cammie’s jeep should’ve been. Without thought, he dialed her cell again, getting her voicemail immediately. Next, he called her parents. The ringing grated on his nerves.
“Hi, Keanu, are you calling to tell me my grandson is finally on his way?” Dyani Hakun laughed.
Putting his truck in reverse, Keanu spoke through the knot in his throat. “I don’t know where she is. I was hoping you did.” If Cammie’s mother hadn’t heard from her, then Keanu knew something was seriously wrong.
“What do you mean?” Alarm resonated in Dyani’s voice.
He explained as quickly as he could while heading back down the mountainside, the roads slicker going down than they seemed going up. He worried for Cammie and their unborn child’s safety, hoping she’d gone into town for groceries and left her phone at home, even though he knew that wasn’t like his wife at all.
“Was LeeLee at the house, Keanu?” Rasmund’s gruff voice came over the line.
It shocked Keanu to hear Cammie’s father ask about the pet wolf, but he shook his head then answered. “No, as a matter of fact, she usually comes out when the garage door opens, but I didn’t see her. Of course, I sort of freaked not seeing Cammie’s rig where it should’ve been.”
He came to the first bend, keeping both hands on the wheel while he scanned for tire tracks, finding it useless with all the snow that kept falling. “Shit. I can’t even see the tracks from where I’d just come up.”
“What’s that, son?” Rasmund asked.
“I thought I’d be able to track her vehicle through the tracks in the snow, but I just noticed from all the snow falling, my tracks from just minutes ago are already gone.” He felt like slamming his fist against the wheel.
Rasmund and Dyani both sighed. He could hear them speaking quietly but kept his eyes on the road.
“Listen, I’ll let you know if I find her, and you do the same. Maybe call around town.” Keanu thought it best to keep Cammie’s mother busy.
“We will find her. She and our grandson will be fine.” Rasmund’s confidence was evident.
Keanu thanked them and then called his grandfather. Being a shaman and having an eagle for a spirit guide, he hoped the elder could help.
“Hello, grandson. How are you?” Alo Raine answered on the first ring.
With very little words, he explained what he knew.
Silence stretched while he waited for his grandfather to say something.
“I will send out some help. Watch for the eagles and wolves.”
His truck slid on an icy patch, making him sweat and curse. “Wolves? Are they friend or foe?”
“Time will tell, but time is not your friend.”
He hated when Alo got all cryptic; it made him twitchy. The heat inside the vehicle rose at his increase in anger, and he had to concentrate to dial it back. “Thank you. I’ll do my best.” He’d do better than that; he’d risk his own life if that was what it came to.
Just as he was about to take the next steep curve, he noticed the bent and twisted guardrails, broken like a vehicle had barreled through. There was a terrible ache in the vicinity of his chest. Dread filled his soul, and a small moan escaped him. Fear for his wife and child almost paralyzed him. He forced his muscles to remember to work, easing the truck to the side in case another vehicle came by. They had to be alive, but the drop over the edge was riddled with trees and went on for hundreds of feet.
He grabbed his emergency pack out of the backseat and then thought of rushing down the edge. With his mind still functioning, he grabbed his cell, calling the fire department. As he waited, he made sure the emergency kit had everything he needed.
“How’s our girl.” Brick asked.
“I think her vehicle went off the side of the mountain. I’m not a hundred percent positive it was her, but there were clear signs someone had gone over the edge, and I can guarantee it wasn’t like that when I went in this morning.”
The sound of the alarms in the background let Keanu know Brick was taking the situation seriously. “I’ll have a crew up there as quick as possible. Wait by your vehicle.”
Keanu snorted. “I’ll leave my vehicle on the side, but there is no way I’ll be waiting for anyone. It took me over forty minutes to get home, Brick. Just send help, and make sure they’re prepared for anything.” He hung up as he heard his own voice crack. Cammie would do all in her power to protect herself and their child, but... he cut off the thought of anything bad happening to them.
Chapter Two
Two things became very clear to Cammie as she blinked and snow was all she could see. One, she was in big trouble, and two, she was in full-blown labor. Although the second might be the same as the first. She was laying on her side, with her beloved vehicle having finally stopped its decent down the mountain, thanks to several trees slowing them, before they came to an abrupt halt. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but knowing she must’ve lost consciousness alarmed her along with the lack of movement from her baby. She tried to sit up. Pain unlike anything she’d felt before hit her low in the stomach as wetness flowed from between her legs.
“Oh, no, baby, you can’t come yet. Not here.” Cammie cried, afraid to reach and feel for herself, she tried to look down to make sure it was water and not blood. The sound of a howl seemed too close to the vehicle for her comfort. She unsnapped her seatbelt, pushing the deflated airbag out of her way while she attempted to locate her purse, without moving too much. They’d gone down the hill front first, until hitting a few trees that made them flip a couple times, before landing with the driver’s side leaning against several sturdy-looking trunks. Cammie assumed her purse and its belongings were scattered all over the jeep.
She wasn’t sure how she would get out, and if she did, how she’d get back up or down. If she tried to turn the jeep back on, she worried the exhaust pipes were blocked and feared she would poison herself. Tears of hopelessness and pain slid down her cheeks as another contraction hit her.
“Help me, please.” She begged, knowing nobody could hear her. Deciding she needed to know if she was bleeding or if it was her water, she reached down, happy to see no red stains on her fingers. “Oh, my God. I’m happy I peed myself.” Her teeth began to chatter from the cold. The thought of freezing to death didn’t appeal. She decided she’d start the vehicle and let it run in short increments. She slapped the steering wheel when it wouldn’t start, pulling the keys out at the last minute. Another pain had her bending over as much as the cramped space allowed, breathing through the pain, she waited until it subsided then worked her way to the back of the vehicle where an emergency pack should be.
Almost giddy with excitement to find it still strapped into the netting, Cammie fumbled inside and pulled out the wool blanket, wrapping it around herself. She hit the key fob to unlock the back door, braced her feet on the third-row seats and prayed they didn’t pop down as she pushed to open the rear door. Cold and snow flew in, blasting her in the face like a full-blown blizzard.
“Holy shit, it’s cold.” Once she had the door completely open, she could see they’d landed on a large section of flat ground surrounded by trees. She couldn’t spot the road above, climbing out wasn’t going to be easy in her current condition. She wished she could’ve found her phone, but with the cold permeating the vehicle and the pains coming closer, getting out and getting help seemed the wiser thing. Once outside, she looked around for something to start a fire, wishing her husband was there with his super powers. Just then, a howl r
ent the air, one she was familiar with. “LeeLee,” she yelled, dropping to her knees when more agony hit her.
A large form came loping out of the trees, but Cammie couldn’t stem the pain ripping across her lower abdomen. The pain ebbed, and her hand instinctually went to her stomach. LeeLee came toward her, shaking off the snow from her fur.
“Oh, girl, I’m so glad to see you. I need you to go find Keanu. Take this to him.” Cammie jerked the scarf from her neck and tried to wrap it around her pet. As LeeLee shook her head and stepped out of reach, another pain hit. “Dang it, listen to me. Go find Keanu,” she said through gritted teeth, panting and sweating. She swore the animal shook her head, then she moved in closer, rubbing her furry body against Cammie as if she realized how to help. Warmth from her body infused Cammie’s. She didn’t know how she could be freezing yet sweating at the same time.
Shivering, she leaned into the wolf’s body. “What am I going to do, LeeLee? I think I’m going to have my baby in a snowbank.”
The sound of another howl had LeeLee’s body tensing, her ears lying flat against her head. Cammie found herself being herded back into the jeep by a very protective pet, her growls warning the other animal to stay away.
“Come, LeeLee.” She tugged on the collar around the wolf’s neck. They both backed into the vehicle, the sound of something large racing through the trees made her wish she had a weapon.
A large red wolf she thought was her father in shifted form came to a stop feet from them, his breath creating clouds of smoke. His head tilted to the side, and as he prowled closer, Cammie inched back farther. This wolf was even bigger than Rasmund, which was saying a lot. The words of the childhood fairy tale about what big teeth you have popped into her mind, only the big beast didn’t seem threatening. Her entire being was one big ball of aches and pains, the largest one was trying to come out regardless of where they were.
LeeLee growled at the new wolf, who growled back, and then, the red wolf slowly became a large man. A large, naked man standing in the falling snow.
Romancing the Sweet Side Page 5