He hung up and turned to find Moses coming into the room. “Work?” the doctor asked.
“Always. How’s Merry?”
“Taking a hot bath and eating something, I was told. I’m giving her time to settle before going in to check her out.”
Gage went to the window and looked out onto the front of the house and to the winding driveway. The gates weren’t visible from the house, but he knew what was there. The media had heard about the crash, specifically, his involvement, and that he’d had a mysterious woman passenger he’d picked up in Pueblo. “Are they still set up there?”
“Yes. After Mallory left and got a ways down the road, she called and said that there were three crews and that another was joining them. A couple of reporters stopped her as she was going out, and yelled questions at her. Asked her name and wanted to know if she was the last-minute passenger added to the flight.” Gage winced. Part of his reason for not heading to the hospital had been the reporters camped out there. “They’re like vultures,” he groused, turning back to Moses.
“I’ll give them what they want, and get rid of them. There’s no story beyond the survival angle. It’s a human interest piece at most.” He grimaced when he flexed his shoulders under the navy flannel shirt he was wearing with his fresh boots and jeans.
“You’re not going to throw Merry to the sharks or vultures, are you?”
That stopped him dead.
“No, he’s not,” a female voice replied. His mother had just come into the room and she crossed to him, flicking a glance at Moses. “No one is being thrown to the sharks, least of all that girl in the guest room. Can you imagine if they found out you two were there together? They’d be insatiable.” She came closer to Gage. “What do you think would happen then? Your lives would probably become nightmares with all that attention from the press.”
None of that was going to happen on his watch, especially to Merry and her kids. The sooner he dealt with the reporters, the faster he could get on with his life, and Merry with hers, and the kids would be spared any disruption of their routines. The notion of those innocent children being harassed as part of this story turned his stomach.
Merry was so protective of the kids that she had boarded a plane she was terrified of flying in, and spent days struggling to survive on a mountain in freezing weather. And all because she’d been desperate to get back to the center.
He looked at his friend. “You’re on their radar, too, Moses. They’re already at the hospital. They’ll be rabidly following any connection to the crash, so you’d better keep your guard up, unless you want your fifteen minutes of fame?”
“I don’t have the time,” he muttered.
“I just told Merry that Moses hadn’t told the kids about the crash, because he hadn’t known Merry was on that plane. No one around here knew it or knows it, except the men on the helicopter.”
It made sense to Gage. Whoever had tipped off the press about him having a female passenger wouldn’t have known it was Merry and wouldn’t have known her name, either. What was on record on the original flight plan was that he’d been on board alone. He hadn’t the time to change it, although it might help them out now. If they played their cards right, Merry wouldn’t have to be any more involved publicly for the moment.
“All we’ll have to do is keep Merry’s identity to ourselves, at least until this blows over,” Moses chimed in.
“Exactly,” Gage said, happy they were all on the same page.
Lark started for the door. “That’s settled then. I’ll go down and talk to your dad. He’s out with Lester and Patrick. He can tell them about our plan.” She looked back at Moses. “You talk to Mallory right away and let her know?”
Moses nodded and his mother walked out of the room. Gage saw the frown on Moses’ face.
“Oh, shoot,” Moses said. “I was supposed to call her anyway.” He pulled out his cell and punched in numbers fast, then exhaled as he put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Mal, it’s me. Where are you?”
He visibly relaxed as he told Gage, “Just getting to town now.” Then he went back to Mallory, quickly explaining what they were doing. “Thanks, love, I—” He glanced at Gage, and Gage couldn’t help stop chuckling. “Call me, and I’ll come and get you for the Carsons’ steak dinner.” Moses hung up. “She’s in complete agreement,” he said.
“Love? Is that what I heard?” Gage repeated, unable to resist teasing his friend about how close he and Mallory had become. Willie G.’s niece had been Moses’ first love in high school, then Mallory had found Henry Sanchez, setting off a whirlwind courtship and eventual marriage. Moses had licked his wounds and gone on, never marrying, only dating occasionally, but two years ago, Henry had died suddenly. After another two years of allowing Mallory some space, Moses had decided that he wouldn’t lose her again. It seemed his plan was working.
“So?” Moses countered.
“So, nothing. I just commented. I think you’re very lucky to get a second chance,” he said and meant it.
Moses’ face turned somber. “I do too,” he said, then asked, “Do you want me to tell Merry what’s going on?”
Gage shook his head. “No, I’ll do it. I owe her that much.” He started for the door. “And I should do it before handling the reporters at the gates.”
“Are you sure about doing that interview? You’re up to it?”
“It’ll be much better to give them what they want, and then they’ll fold up their tents and slip off into the night. It’ll be worse trying to wait them out.”
Moses conceded, “It sounds like a plan, I guess. My plan is to go into town, check on my patients and get back before you’ve eaten all those steaks.” He studied Gage. “You know, on second thought, I could take Merry with me now and get it over with.”
“And if they follow you? They already have to know you’re my doctor. That’s pretty much known anywhere in town.”
“Well, it’s your call, or, more accurately, Merry’s.”
Moses was right—he had no right to make decisions for her. But he wanted to be the one to speak to her about all this. They’d discuss the situation, he’d say what he needed to say and she could decide what she wanted to do. “I’ll tell her what we think, and see how she wants to play it out.”
“I’ll be with your parents and Jack downstairs for fifteen minutes. Let me know by then if I’m going to have a passenger on the way back.”
Gage nodded and Moses headed to the door to leave. When his hand touched the handle, Gage stopped him. “And Moses?” The man he’d been friends with since what seemed like forever, turned to him. “Thank you,” Gage said simply.
Neither man had to define what that “thank you” was for. Moses smiled and shrugged. “You’d do the same for me,” he said, then left the room.
Gage raked his fingers through his still shower dampened hair as he headed from his bedroom to Merry’s room. Outside her door, he listened for a minute, trying to hear movement, or maybe the sound of the shower still going. But it was silent. He rapped on the closed door with his knuckles and waited, but nothing happened. He knocked again. Nothing.
He started to leave when he heard a soft thud, then Merry called out, “Yes?”
“It’s me, Gage.”
There was the sound of movement, then soft footsteps coming to the door. The barrier swung back and Merry stood in front of him. His breath caught in his chest at the sight of her. Her hair was back in a ponytail, with tendrils already being freed to brush her forehead and cheeks. A simple chambray shirt and jeans, looked great on her. And the green eyes were sleep heavy, their long lashes shading any expression in them.
She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. “I’m sorry. I sat down and just fell asleep. I didn’t mean to.”
He knew then that it might have been smarter to let Moses explain things to h
er. No, not just smart, but wise. But it was too late to back out now, since he was already standing at her door.
What was he doing? She survived an ordeal with him. They were friends. He hoped they always would be, and he’d see her again whenever he visited Wolf Lake. He’d want to see her, and who knew? Maybe, just maybe, they could be close. Why not?
“We need to talk,” he said.
She moved back to let him in, then he watched her sit on the edge of the bed. She yawned again, her fingertips pressed to her parted lips as she looked up at him. “Please, sit down,” she said, patting the spot next to her on the bed. “Tell me what you want.”
He hesitated, thinking that what he wanted right then, could never be said between them, at least nothing as blunt as, “Don’t leave.” Slowly he sank down beside her, but kept some distance between them.
* * *
MERRY SAT BY GAGE, wondering why he looked so good to her in a navy flannel shirt, jeans and boots. Not the Western boots he’d ruined in the snow, but another pair with silver toe tips and some tooling on the side. She couldn’t make it out, but she thought it might be the initials of his business. A new dressing on his wound was starkly white against his dark skin, and his hair was combed straight back, showing the strong angles of his handsome face.
Fine lines at the corners of his eyes gathered when he narrowed them to look at her. “So, how are you doing?” he finally asked.
“Fine. I’m just anxious to head back to my house.”
He was silent for so long, she started to feel uneasy, but then he said, “I need to explain something. And get your decision, then let Moses know.” He glanced at his wristwatch. We’ve got fifteen minutes to talk it over.”
She was confused. “What is it?”
“There’s a contingent from the press outside, waiting to find out what happened on the plane.”
She’d never thought of that, but Gage was a highly successful businessman and the Carsons were well known in the state. “They want your story?”
He nodded, ran a hand over his face, flinching when he nudged at the bandage. “It seems that way.” There was a pause that didn’t feel right to her, then she understood. “Your story too, if they discover you were on that mountaintop with me.”
Her jaw nearly hit the floor. “Me? Oh, no, no, just forget all about that,” she replied in a hurry. “Besides, your mom said that no one knew I was there until we were found.”
“That is true. No one else knows you were there except a handful of people we trust to keep quiet. But there’s a chance reporters will stumble on something, and Moses and I both agree that you shouldn’t be dragged into whatever problems that could cause.” He was so serious, studying her with dark as night eyes. “I can deal with it, and Moses could if he had to. But what about you...and the kids?”
“I could take the heat, but I sure don’t want to,” she said. “I mean, that’s the last thing I want. I want to get back to the kids.”
“And what about those kids of yours?”
She felt her heart sink. The kids. She had one horrific moment when she thought of microphones pushed in their faces, questions shouted at them. She said they wouldn’t understand her disappearing and not keeping her promise, but she knew that they also wouldn’t understand adults going after them relentlessly to get their “angle” on some stupid story. “Oh, no,” she breathed. “That can’t happen. It can’t.”
She hadn’t been aware that she was shaking, until she felt Gage put his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, they never have to be involved. We just have to get past it without anyone being the wiser. Then there’s no reason for them to go anywhere near the center, or you.” He cleared his throat. “The worse that’s going to happen is Moses might get some of the fallout because of our friendship and him being my doctor. But he can handle it, and he won’t let them get into the hospital, where they could cause any problems.”
She knew that was true, but how would she get back to her kids? As if Gage had read her mind, he spoke up. “Moses says he can smuggle you out of here when he leaves.”
She laughed at that, just a bit this side of hysteria. “All covert and top secret, huh?”
“If you want to do it, he’s...”
A knock on the door stopped Gage and Merry turned to see the doctor stride into the room. “It’s all off,” he said. “At least until you talk to the hoards at the gate.”
Gage stood. “What happened?”
“Just talked to Mallory again, who, by the way, is pretty put out. Once she got to the inn, two reporters came barging in, wanting a story about her relationship to you, to the Carsons, and demanding to find out what happened on that plane. She told them to leave.”
“Oh, man,” Gage said. “That’s pretty bad.”
Merry looked anxiously from one man to the other. “They’ll follow us, won’t they?” she asked Moses.
“I’m pretty sure they’ll try, and since I’m no stunt driver, the odds of me losing them between here and town, are slim to none.” He frowned at her. “I’m coming back for the steak dinner, so perhaps when it’s dark, we could try to get past them then.”
“I’m going to give them everything I can apart from Merry’s involvement and maybe that will get them off our backs,” Gage said. “Or, at the very least, distract them so you can slip past without being the center of anyone’s attention.” His intense gaze shifted to her. “What do you want to do—try to make your escape now, or when Moses leaves later? Or do you have any other ideas of how to handle this?”
She wanted to shout, “I just want to go home!” but stopped and fought the urge to get in Moses’ car and take her chances. The chances, she reminded herself, weren’t just hers.
“I can’t go. I can’t risk possibly involving the kids in this,” she said in a voice that, despite her attempts to steady it, broke more than once. “I think I should wait until after Gage speaks to the reporters.”
Gage hunkered down in front of her, his hands on his knees. “Are you sure?”
She nodded slowly. “If or when they find out who I am, they’ll know everything—what I do, where I do it, and about the children. It’s what you said, they’ll go after the kids.” She narrowed her eyes. “Look at what they’re doing to Mallory, for Pete’s sake.”
“She’s right, Gage. They’re going to follow Merry until they get something.”
Gage turned to look up at the doctor, then stood. “That’s why I need to get down there and give them a few details.” Merry met his gaze again. “Once I speak with them, I’m sure things will calm down.”
Merry hoped against hope he was right. Things had gone from bad to worse. “How did they even know about the crash so fast?”
“I’m not sure,” Gage replied.
Flattening her lips, Merry felt her anger building. “Those reporters at the inn, if they’re still hanging around outside, bothering Mallory and her guests....that’s got to be against the law,” she said. “You can’t just do that to people.”
Gage snapped his fingers as he turned back to Moses. “That’s it!”
“What is?” her friend asked. “Stalking. Merry’s right—it’s illegal, totally illegal. I think one of us needs to call John and let him know what’s happened at Mallory’s. He could do something, I’m sure, at least in town.”
“John?” Merry asked, looking from one man to the other.
“John Longbow, the chief of police.”
“Oh, right. Do you think he could stop all of this?”
“Not the reporters at the gates because they aren’t on private property, or trying to break in. Freedom of the press in action and all that, but it can’t hurt to get some help for Mallory.”
Moses said quickly, “I’ll go and call him.” He addressed Merry. “If you’re not going with me, I’m leaving, but I’ll be back shor
tly and maybe then I can give you a checkup just to make sure things are okay.”
She nodded, barely covering a deep yawn. She’d never felt so tired in her life. Gage came closer and bent down again in front of her. “You need to rest. I know I woke you, so why don’t you go back to what you were doing, and I’ll see what I can do to dull the Fifth Estate’s need for a story.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, “and good luck.”
He reached out and clasped her hands resting in her lap. “It’ll be a breeze, trust me.” He squeezed her hands tenderly before drawing back. “There’s no big story here at all, and they’ll figure it out and that will be the end of it. They’ll be heading in droves for the last train out of Dodge.”
“What?”
“A figure of speech. You know, like the old Westerns where the bad guy takes the last train out of Dodge when he knows he’s beaten, and if he stays, he’s not going to do well with the hero?”
“Old movies again,” she murmured.
“I told you, I’m a person who can’t sleep much, so old movies serve a purpose. They help me pass the time, and they give me things to say to others—trivia, interesting little tidbits of...” He shrugged. “Trivia.” He smiled at her, flashing his dimple.
She found a smile easy to come by right then. “You have a lot to offer, besides a bit of trivia,” she teased.
He touched her chin with the tip of his finger. “You look so much better,” he said almost on a whisper.
She felt some heat in her cheeks. “I feel better, but so darn tired.”
“Do what I said, rest up.” He stood, then motioned her back onto the pillows. “You’ll be able to see your kids soon, I promise.”
She did as he said, scooting back toward the pillows against the white wooden headboard. Sinking into them, she sighed, and covered yet another yawn. “When things settle down, Gage, I’ll keep my side of the bet. I’ll even get you a stamped receipt from the instructor to prove to you that I keep my word.”
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