by Misty Malone
This time Garrett heard her response, too, and looked toward the ledge. He smiled as a thought crossed his mind. “Mindy, this is Garrett. We’re at the top of the cliff. I can’t hear you very well, but if you’re in the cave I showed you, if you have your gun with you, shoot one shot.” He watched and listened carefully, and was ecstatic when they all clearly heard the shot.
“Hang on, honey. We’ll be there as soon as we can.” He quickly showed the sheriff the ledge that was down just a ways from them, and explained there was a cave behind it. “I always got to it from the side over there, but we’ll have to go down quite a ways to where it’s not as steep, and then double back.”
“Let’s go,” Sheriff Drolan said. “Lead the way.” He had one of his deputies radio for an EMS. “Tell them we need a canyon rescue so they have all the equipment they’ll need.” Garrett and the sheriff ran a ways along the cliff, to a spot where it was still steep, but not impossible to descend. They worked carefully and slowly, but as quickly as they felt they could, as they made their way down several feet, then started moving sideways toward the cave.
“Honey, we’re on our way,” Garrett yelled. “I’ll keep yelling out, letting you know where we are. Are you okay, sweetheart?”
They heard a response, but it was garbled and they couldn’t make it out. “We’re hurrying,” Garrett yelled back in response. He kept yelling every few minutes as they worked their way closer to her.
Finally, he was able to make out her response, and he had to grin. His precious little lady’s response was, “Be careful. Don’t hurry too much and get hurt.”
“Isn’t that my line?” Garrett asked as they neared the cave.
He heard her chuckle, and it was music to his ears. “Not this time,” she said in response.
A couple minutes later Garrett and the sheriff reached the ledge. Garrett reached in tentatively. “Are you okay? Can I pull you out?”
He hadn’t even finished his question before she lunged forward, into his arms. She clung tight, and he knew she was scared. He held her, and talked softly, trying to reassure her. “You’re okay now, honey. I’ve got you. I’ve got a ton of questions as to what happened, but right now all I care about is you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“My ankle I think might be sprained. There’s a cut on it, but it’s not bad. They’ll probably want to put a few stitches in it, but I’ve been holding it closed and the blood’s clotted, at least until I start moving again. The ankle is swollen, but I don’t feel any broken bones, so I think it’s just sprained. Other than that, I’m fine.”
“That is so good to hear. I love you, baby.” He kissed her before gently moving her ankle so he could get his arms around her and help her out of the cave and onto the ledge, where he held her in his arms.
The sheriff yelled up to the deputies that had gathered at the top, watching. “Call Garrett’s foreman, Wyatt. Tell him we found her and she’s okay. I’m sure he’ll want to let the rest of them know. Someone go to the road and meet the ambulance and direct them back here. Let me know when they’re on the ranch.”
“Will do,” the deputy yelled down.
The sheriff looked back to Mindy. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“It feels good just to get out of there and stretch my arms and legs out a little,” she said. She turned to look into Garrett’s eyes. “I’m so glad you showed me that cave, though. It saved my life.”
He stiffened at her words, but he recovered quickly, for her sake. “You’re okay now. I’ve got you.” He saw her looking at Sheriff Drolan, and apologized. “I’m sorry, honey. I was so worried about you, I forgot. This is Sheriff Matt Drolan. He and his men have been helping search for you.”
“Thank you, Sheriff. It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you. I have a rescue team on their way to help get you out of here. Do you feel up to telling us what happened? Is there a chance anyone else is around that we need to be watching for?”
She explained what happened, and that when she realized it was a meth lab she tried to go back to the barn to tell Garrett, but they heard her start the four wheeler and chased her. Both men were surprised to hear she rolled over the cliff, hoping to hit the ledge, which she did, luckily, and was able to hide in the cave. She told them what she’d heard the men saying before they left.
“I noticed your cast is cracked,” Garrett said. “Was that from hitting the ledge?”
“I think so. My arm doesn’t hurt, so I think it’s okay. I didn’t hit my head and never lost consciousness, so I don’t have to worry about that. I think it’s just my ankle, which I hurt when I rolled off the four wheeler. I really don’t think it’s broken, though, and I was able to get the blood to clot by applying pressure and holding the cut closed, so I’m okay.”
Her voice turned quiet. “All in all, I’m very lucky. If you wouldn’t have shown me that cave I don’t know what I would have done. I knew this was a risky plan, but at least it was a plan, something to give me hope. They were on motorcycles and were gaining on me, so with them shooting, I didn’t think I stood much of a chance that way.”
Garrett pulled her in tight to him, holding her against him. “I’m glad you hit the ledge and are okay. That was good thinking on your part.”
The sheriff agreed. “Garrett said you were a very smart young lady, and if anyone could find a way out of a fix it would be you. He was right. That was a very good plan, but I agree; you were also very lucky.”
“I certainly was. I knew this ledge was fairly good size, but still, if I wouldn’t have hit it, I would have gone down a long way.”
Garrett was still holding her tight, not at all ready to let go of her yet. “How did you judge where to roll over the cliff?”
“When we were sitting at the mouth of this cave I remembered seeing that big sprawling tree over there,” she said pointing across to the other bank. “I tried to remember how far away it was, and hoped for the best. Part of it was actually determined by them. I waited until they shot again, and when I heard the bullet zip past me I fell, hoping it would look like it hit me. Then they saw the blood from my ankle hitting the rock, and they assumed they’d shot me. That was actually lucky, because they assumed then that I was either already dead, or would be before anyone found me.”
Garrett squeezed her a little tighter. “You’re right; that wasn’t a safe plan, but I agree, it was better than what you were facing. That was good thinking, but I’m glad it’s over and turned out as good as it did.”
“Me, too,” the sheriff said. “But wow, what a story. Are you up to a few questions?”
“Sure, as long as Garrett’s got his arms around me.”
Garrett leaned down and kissed the top of her head and gave her an extra little squeeze.
The sheriff smiled at the obvious love these two had for each other. “You said you recognized it as a meth lab. How do you know that?”
She told the sheriff about the conference she’d gone to, where they got to smell it as it was cooking. “That’s a distinctive odor that I’m sure I’ll never forget,” she assured him.
“And you’re sure that’s what it was?”
“Positive.”
“Did you see these men, or can you identify them in any way?”
“I don’t think so. I only saw their backs. I took a picture of the lab they had set up, but their backs were facing the camera, or I wouldn’t have taken the chance.”
Both men’s eyes grew. The sheriff shook his head. “You took a picture of it?”
“I did, but after I was down here I heard the men talking. They found my phone, but they said it was broken. That’s a shame, although I’m not sure how helpful the picture would have been, anyway. It didn’t show their faces.”
“We have the phone,” the sheriff said, “and even though it’s broken, I’ll have our lab check the pictures. They may be able to retrieve them. We have a couple guys who are true computer geniuses. They can at least try. Is there one picture?”
/> “There’s two, but all it shows is the lab. The men are standing at the hood of their truck, looking at something. Their backs are to the camera. Otherwise I never would have taken the picture.”
“I’m glad to hear you wouldn’t have taken a picture if they were facing you,” Garrett said.
“I remembered I told you I’d try hard to be safer. After I took the pictures I quietly went back to the four wheeler. They never saw me until they heard me start it up. I thought about pushing it until it was further away, but with my arm in a cast I didn’t think I’d be able to push it. I guess I should have tried.”
“You were in a tough spot,” Garrett said. “Considering everything that happened, I’m proud of you. I was a little upset at first when I heard you got close enough to see what was going on and take pictures, but I have to stop and put myself in your shoes. You were following an unusual odor, and I’m sure you never expected—”
“I never, ever expected anything like that at all. I saw a little movement out of the corner of my eye, and that’s why I stopped. Then when I smelled something, I thought I better check it out. I never thought of there being people over there because I thought this was pretty much the middle of your ranch. If it was close to your property line, maybe, but isn’t this like the middle of your land?”
“Yes, it is,” Garrett confirmed.
“It is odd that someone would venture this far onto someone else’s land to do this,” the sheriff said.
“There’s a lane off of the side road that leads clear back here, so I guess it was pretty easy for them to get back here, but we’ve never had any trouble with people coming back here before.”
“Or at least not that you know of,” the sheriff said. “You may want to put a gate up. It won’t necessarily stop them, but it might at least slow them down, or make them consider it a little harder.”
“After this, I’ll be sure to take your advice, Sheriff.”
A deputy let the sheriff know the ambulance had arrived at the ranch. He was leading them back and should be there in just a few minutes.
“Good,” Garrett said. “We’ll get you out of here and to the hospital, again.”
The sheriff looked over at him. “Again?”
“We had a rescue squad out here six weeks ago. She’d slipped going down to look at the creek not too far from here. It was the same creek, in fact. They had to pull her up in a basket. We went with it, holding the basket out so it didn’t bang into the hill.”
Mindy’s eyes widened. “Seriously? That’s how you guys got me up? I had no idea.”
Garrett chuckled a little. “That’s because you slept through it.” He turned to the sheriff. “She had a concussion and was unconscious. It’s also why she has the cast on her arm. She broke it in the fall.”
The sheriff shook his head in disbelief. “I think if I were you I’d stay away from this creek, for a while at least.”
“I think when we get you home this time I’m going to keep you right beside me so I’ll know you’re okay. We have a wedding Saturday and I plan to have you there, all in one piece.”
“That sounds wonderful to me, Garrett.” She leaned against him again, but bolted back up. “Wait a minute. I won’t have to stay in the hospital again, will I?”
“I can’t answer that, honey. We’ll have to wait and see what they say about your ankle.”
“It’s not broken, I’m sure. Garrett, I don’t want to have to stay there overnight again.”
“Let’s not worry until we hear what the doctors say. You’ve been through enough today to last you a good little while. If they want you to stay, I’ll stay with you.”
“You’d do that?”
“I did six weeks ago when we rescued you, and I’ll do it again. I really don’t want to let you out of my sight this close to making you my wife.”
The rescue squad arrived then, and their conversation was put on hold.
Chapter Eighteen
Garrett was happy to see Shawn and Bill, the two paramedics who were the main ones involved in her last rescue. It took almost an hour, but they successfully got her, and Garrett and the sheriff, back up on level ground. Once again, he thanked them profusely for their help. They got her loaded into the ambulance, and like the last time, they let Garrett ride in the ambulance with her.
She fared much better at the hospital this time. The emergency room called Dr. Belding, who she’d been seeing for her broken arm, and he came to check her arm and ankle. X-rays of the arm showed the original break had healed, and apparently landing on the ledge hadn’t hurt it any, so he took the cast off. Just as she had insisted, her ankle wasn’t broken. It was twisted and she would have to use crutches for a few days, but it wouldn’t require an overnight stay as long as she could assure him she would use the crutches and stay off of it for at least a few days.
“I can give you a couple days,” she said, “but I have too much to do between now and Saturday to promise that.”
“It’ll take at least a few days before it will be stable enough to put full weight on it,” the doctor argued.
“But we’re getting married on Saturday. I really don’t want to have to hobble down the aisle on crutches.”
Dr. Belding looked over at Garrett, who nodded. The doctor held his hand out to him. “Congratulations, both of you.”
He was thinking, when Garrett offered a compromise. “I know how important this is to her, Doctor, but as her future husband, I’m very concerned about her health. If I can keep her off her ankle completely until Saturday, is it possible it will be healed enough by then for her to walk down the aisle? Then I can keep her off of it again afterward.”
The doctor turned to Garrett. “If you keep her off of it until the wedding, if it feels okay to put her weight on it, she should be okay to walk down the aisle without the crutches.” Mindy was ecstatic, momentarily. “But afterwards I think she needs to use the crutches again for another two or three days, and then she can gradually start putting more weight on her ankle and using the crutches less and less, as long as it’s not sore.”
Mindy was still sitting on the side of the bed, and she started to argue. Garrett stepped in front of her, holding her shoulders with his hands. “I know you don’t like hearing that, honey, but it could be a lot worse. Please don’t argue with me on this, because this involves the safety of the lady I love more than life itself and am about to marry. I’m glad you don’t have to stay in the hospital tonight, and I’m glad to hear you’ll probably be able to walk down the aisle without the crutches. I’m especially glad you’re here. A few hours ago you were missing, and I was scared out of my mind that something had happened to you and our special day wouldn’t even take place.”
Dr. Belding and the two nurses who were in the cubicle with them in the emergency room were suddenly quiet, as was Mindy. One glance at his eyes told her how sincere he was, and she was sure the other three in the room saw it, too. Tears came to her eyes quickly, and she blinked, trying to fight them off. He pulled her in against his chest for a hug. He rubbed her back, and whispered, with his mouth next to her ear. “I love you, Mindy.”
Her arms were around him, as she nodded. “I love you, too, Garrett. Thank you for pointing out to me what’s important. Considering everything that happened to me today, you’re right, I’m lucky to be here at all, let alone well enough to walk down the aisle on my own to marry the man I love.”
* * *
The first thing Garrett did when he got home was to carry Mindy into the living room, setting her down on the couch. Then he made sure everyone knew how important it was that she stay off her ankle. It was obvious to everyone how serious he was about that, and they all vowed to help him make sure her ankle had every opportunity to heal by Saturday.
He carried her downstairs every morning, and people came to her to do the work they’d planned on doing. She spent Tuesday with her wedding planner, Elsie, Sheila and Maria, going over plans for decorations and making some of them. Wednesday,
Sheila and Maria were there to help make more of the decorations, but Sheila brought along Nanci, the wife of another ranch hand, who said she was good at decorating and would love to help. Mindy gladly accepted the help, and by Wednesday evening they all felt they had enough decorations and were ready to start putting them in place.
Thursday and Friday she’d planned on decorating the church and ranch. After breakfast on Thursday, Garrett carried her to Sheila’s car. Maria, Sheila and Nanci all assured Garrett they would make sure she got into the church and back safely, and he reluctantly went to work, after giving Mindy a kiss. “Be careful on those crutches, honey. We only have three days to go before our wedding. I don’t want anything else happening before then.”
“Neither do I, Garrett. I’ll be careful, I promise.” She kissed him, and he waved as they drove out the lane.
Wyatt came up to him and slapped him on the back. “She’ll be fine, Garrett. You’ve got to quit worrying so much about her.”
“I know, Wyatt, but I can’t help it. She’s given me two major scares in the last six weeks now. I can’t help but worry.”
“I hear you, buddy, but I think she’s being much more careful these days.”
“She is,” he agreed, “and I’m glad. Maybe I’ll be able to relax once she’s my wife. I hope so.”
“Me, too,” Wyatt said with a grin. “Maybe I’ll get a little work out of you then.”
Garrett started to argue, even though he knew his foreman was kidding with him, but as he thought back over the last couple days, he thought better. “I guess I haven’t exactly been focused on the ranch, have I?”
“No, you haven’t, boss, but we all understand. Besides, isn’t that part of the reason you have a foreman; so I can jump in there when you need a little help?”
“I guess so,” Garrett said. “And I thank you for doing just that.” Wyatt just nodded as the two of them headed out to the barn.