“Oh, they’re gone.” Karli sighed and pushed out her lower lip.
“They don’t stay in one place very long.” Kind of like you, Steve wanted to add, but figured that, even though he wasn’t, Molly might think he was criticizing her daughter.
Karli returned to arranging her stones, and Molly leaned her head against the tree trunk. Except for the roar of the river, silence reigned.
Steve cast Molly a glance. Sunlight filtering through the overhead leaves shot copper highlights through her hair and gave a glow to her cheeks. His chest tightened. “Penny,” he said, needing to break the silence.
She turned, her brow furrowed. “What?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Penny. You know, a penny for your thoughts.”
“Oh. Well, I was thinking how peaceful it is here. On the ranch.” She made a sweeping gesture.
Her wistful expression struck a chord inside Steve. “I agree. Being here makes me think about my house in Westchester. It’s not on a ranch, but I have enough acreage for a small orchard, and a stream runs through the property.”
Her eyebrows rose. She folded her legs to her chest and clasped her hands around her knees. “What’s the house like?”
For a moment, he closed his eyes and pictured the house. “Two stories. Wood with fieldstone trim. A peaked roof, mullioned windows, stone patios…”
“Sounds nice.” She glanced down and picked a piece of tree bark from her shirt. “Buck and I were saving money for our own place,” she added in a low tone.
Sensing the subject was painful, yet encouraged because she’d brought it up, he asked, “What kind of house did you want?”
She tilted her head. “One with a porch across the front, like Jackson’s, with a swing hanging from the ceiling. Two stories, maybe three, with a big playroom for Karli. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, darlin’?” She turned her head in Karli’s direction.
Steve leaned forward, expecting to see Karli playing with her stones.
Karli was gone. All that remained were a row of stones and a pile of those yet to be placed.
Molly gasped and jumped up. “Karli!”
Alarm fueled his moves. Steve scrambled to his feet, his gaze sweeping the area. The child was nowhere in sight. “She can’t have gone far.”
Molly twisted her fingers together. “You don’t know her. Karli!”
Steve cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Karli! Karli! Where are you?”
“I don’t see her anywhere.” All the color had drained from Molly’s face, leaving her complexion a stark white.
“She wouldn’t go down to the river, would she?” Steve gestured toward the riverbank. “You told her to stay away.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t mind well. Oh, this is terrible!”
“We’ll hunt for her. You take that direction.” He pointed toward the woods. “And I’ll go look by the river.”
“Okay. Whoever finds her first, hollers really loudly.” She picked up her hat and put it on, giving the brim a firm tug.
“You bet. And don’t worry, Molly. We’ll find her!”
****
Molly ran across the clearing, shouting Karli’s name over and over.
No answer. Fear clutched her insides like a vise. She stopped and pressed a hand to her abdomen. Calm, keep calm. She can’t be far away.
She headed toward a path leading into the woods. Under other circumstances a refreshing escape from the hot sun, the forest today oozed eerie shadows and hidden dangers, from fallen trees to boulders blocking the path.
A noise in the underbrush captured her attention. Karli? No, two squirrels scrambling up a tree trunk. Probably the same two they’d seen before.
Molly made her way through the woods with no sign of Karli. Maybe she’d fallen and hurt herself. Maybe she’d…been kidnapped.
No, that was ridiculous. Her imagination was really running away with her now. Yet, her heart knocked against her ribcage, and sweat poured off her forehead. Where was her daughter? Where was Karli?
A horrifying thought popped into her mind—Karli had disobeyed and gone to the river, after all. Molly spun around to retrace her steps.
And almost bumped into Karli.
“Mommy?”
Relief weakened her stance, and Molly dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around her daughter. “Oh, Karli, you’re safe. You’re okay. Aren’t you?” She tipped up Karli’s chin and studied her face. Dirt streaked her cheeks and her forehead. Molly clasped Karli’s hands. They too were gritty with dirt.
“I fell down.”
“Did you hurt yourself?”
Karli shook her head. “Nuh uh.”
“Where’ve you been? Why did you run away?”
“I went to find the squirrels.”
Molly pressed her lips together. “I figured as much. But why didn’t you tell me you were going off?”
Karli shrugged and lowered her eyelids. “I don’t know.”
A sigh escaped Molly’s lips. “You scared me, Karli. And Steve, too. You need to tell me when you want to leave my side. You know that. Now, promise me you’ll tell me next time.” They’d been over and over this, but Molly had to keep trying.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I promise.”
“Good.” Molly rose and clasped Karli’s hand. “Come on. We need to find Steve. He’s looking for you, too.”
They hurried back to the clearing, Molly shouting Steve’s name along the way. He didn’t answer, but when the river came into view, she spotted him standing atop a boulder at the water’s edge, under the low-hanging branches of a willow tree. Hands on his hips, he studied the water rushing by.
“Steve!” She cupped a hand beside her mouth. “I found her.”
Steve looked around. With a grin and a wave, he started toward them. He’d taken only a couple steps when his left foot hit a dip in the rock. He lurched forward then teetered backward toward the water. He swayed back and forth, arms flailing.
“Steve, be careful!” Molly pressed a hand to her chest.
He lifted his arm to grasp a willow branch, but a sudden gust of wind blew the branch out of his reach. He teetered backward again then disappeared over the side of the rock. A loud splash resounded through the air.
Molly’s gut clenched. The river ran fast. She hoped he could swim, and that he hadn’t hit anything on the way down. She turned to Karli. “I’ve got to help Steve. You stay right here and don’t move. Not one step. You hear?”
“But I want to help, too.”
“No, it’s too dangerous.” Molly put an edge into her voice and pointed straight down at the ground. “You can help by staying here.”
Karli tucked her chin into her chest. “Yes, Mommy.”
Molly ran past the boulder to the river’s edge. Steve was bobbing around in the water. Relief swept over her. At least, the current hadn’t carried him downstream. Still, even though only a few yards from the bank, he was too far away to grasp her outstretched arm.
“Can you swim? Can you make it to shore?” she shouted over the water’s roar.
“C-can’t swim now…I hit my arm.” His face contorted with pain.
Molly searched the area for something to use to haul him ashore. Her gaze landed on a fallen willow branch. Although it was thin and fragile-looking, she prayed the wood was sturdy enough to do the job.
Steve paddled with one arm toward the shore, but he wasn’t making much headway against the strong current.
“Here!” Gripping one end of the branch in both hands, she flung it toward him, as though she were casting a fishing line. She held her breath then blew it out in exasperation when the branch fell short. She inched closer to the water, dipping her boots into the river and stepping gingerly. The bank was slick and muddy, and she could easily lose her footing.
“Hurry, Mommy! Help Steve!” Karli called.
Molly glanced over her shoulder. “I will, honey. Don’t worry. Just stay where you are.” She turned back to Steve in time to see him grab o
nto the branch. “Hold on!” Molly shouted as she tugged on her end. She walked backward, but with each step, her boots sank into the mud. Easing out one foot then another, she finally found a dry patch of ground that held her weight. With steady pressure, she tugged hand-over-hand on the branch, pulling him closer and closer to shore.
“My feet hit bottom!” he called.
“Good, but be careful. The bottom’s muddy. Try to float until you get to shore.”
At last, she pulled him onto the riverbank.
He lay there spewing water as he panted and gasped for breath. He held his right arm tight against his chest, cupping the elbow with his other hand.
Molly bit her lip and gazed downward, emotions tromping through her like a herd of elephants. Even though he was safe, he was obviously injured. Oh, this was awful…all her fault…they never should have come…
She knelt beside him. “We gotta get you back to the house. Your arm…”
He looked up with a weak smile. “Yeah. But…give me…a minute…Karli?”
“I found her in the woods. She’s okay.”
“Mommy, can I move now?” Karli’s plaintive voice drifted across the clearing.
“Stay there a couple more minutes, honey.” Arm extended to keep Karli in place, Molly’s gaze flashed between her daughter and Steve.
“I can get up now, if you give me a hand.” Steve reached out with his left hand.
Molly grasped his arm and pulled him to his feet, helping him away from the muddy bank and onto firmer ground. Clothes plastered to his body, and water dripping from his hair, he was one sodden mess. “We need to get you back to the house and into some dry clothes,” she said, keeping a tight hold on him in case he should fall. “But your arm. Is it broken?”
He slowly turned his wrist from side to side, scrunching up his face. “Ow. Hurts like hell, but, no, I don’t think it’s broken. Otherwise, I couldn’t move it.” He looked around. “Hey, Karli, there you are!”
Keeping his injured arm tight against his chest, he broke away from Molly and stumbled over to Karli. “Your mom and I were worried about you.”
Lower lip trembling, she looked up from under her hat. “Mommy’s mad ‘cause I ran away. Are you mad, too?”
“No, I’m not mad. I’m glad you’re okay, but it’s important to do what your mom says. She wants you to be safe. So do I.”
“I’m sorry.” Karli opened her arms for a hug.
Steve slipped his uninjured arm around Karli’s shoulders long enough for a light hug then drew back. “More hugs later, honey, or you’ll get all wet.”
Touched by Steve and Karli’s reunion but concerned about Steve’s injury, Molly joined them. “Can you get on your horse, Steve? Maybe Karli and I should go back and send someone for you.”
Steve stuck out his chin. “I’ll make it back. I’ve still got one good arm that’ll get me onto the horse.”
“You’ll need to see a doctor, to be sure nothing’s broken.”
He grinned. “Mike and Rose are coming today. I bet he won’t mind turning their visit into a house call.”
Chapter Seven
Molly held herself rigid in her chair while Mike examined Steve’s forearm and wrist. The two men were seated on the leather sofa in the Phillips’ living room. Jackson and Sara sat on the room’s second sofa, while Rose occupied Jackson’s favorite recliner. A pillow tucked into the small of her back pushed her rounded tummy into prominence. Karli and Ryan were in the kitchen under Anna Gabraldi’s watchful eye. Sounds of their voices occasionally drifted into the room.
Mike released Steve’s arm and sat back. “Looks like a sprained wrist.”
Molly exhaled and let her shoulders sag. Worry about Steve’s injury had kept her stomach churning all during the ride home from the river.
“Good to hear.” Steve gazed down at his arm with a look of relief. “I hoped that would be the verdict.”
Mike shook his head and held up a warning hand. “Not so fast, buddy. That’s what I think it is. You need to have your arm x-rayed to be sure. For now, an elastic wrap will hold it firm.”
“Where’s the nearest place to do that?”
Mike reached into the black doctor’s bag sitting at his feet and removed a plastic-wrapped bandage. “Valley General, in Red Rock.”
Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “The hospital?”
With a nod, Mike peeled off the bandage’s casing.
“Okay, if you say so. I’ll stop by on my way to the hotel. After dinner.”
Mike furrowed his brows as he wrapped the bandage around Steve’s arm. “You’d better go now. And not by yourself.”
“I’ve still got one good arm.” Steve waved his left arm. “I can drive myself.”
“Not a good idea.” Mike set his jaw. “You get into any trouble, you’ll want both hands on the wheel. And, since we don’t know the extent of your injury for sure, using your arm could make it worse. No, going alone is not worth the risk.”
Jackson stood and approached the two men. “Listen to the doc, Steve. One of us can take you in.”
“I will,” Molly heard herself say, and then turned to Sara. “Would you mind watching Karli?”
“Of course not.” Sara nodded. “She’ll be fine with us.”
Steve turned and frowned at Molly. “You don’t have to drive me.”
“Like Mike says, somebody has to.” Molly rose from her chair. “And, since your accident was my fault, that driver should be me.”
Steve shook his head. “How could it be your fault? I was the clumsy one.”
Molly hugged her arms and paced in a circle. “I wasn’t watching Karli like I should’ve. I know she wanders. Her behavior was nothing new.”
“But I didn’t have to climb up on that rock.”
Why was the man being so stubborn? “You were helping me to find her.”
Steve’s chest expanded with a deep breath. “Yeah, I was. And she’s okay. That’s the important thing. Don’t put yourself on a guilt trip.”
Jackson raised both hands. “Time out, you two. Steve’s injury is nobody’s fault.”
“It was an accident.” Rose rubbed slow circles on her stomach. “And, Steve, you’d better take my husband’s advice.”
“Nobody knows that better than my wife.” A twinkle lit Mike’s eyes as he flashed Rose a smile.
Molly wagged a finger at Steve. “See? You’re outnumbered. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Okay,” he said with a slight shrug. “I give in.”
“And don’t worry about missing dinner,” Sara said. “We’ll keep everything warm for you.”
****
Steve had told Molly not to put herself on a guilt trip, but all during the drive to Red Rock, underneath the surface of their small talk, that was exactly what she did. She wished she’d never agreed to extend their horseback ride to the river in the first place. Sure, Karli’s wandering was a problem, but keeping her safe was Molly’s responsibility, and today she’d failed. Today had shown her she couldn’t let down her guard, even for a minute.
The trip into town, one Molly had made hundreds of times with practiced ease, today seemed extra long and laborious. Finally, they reached Valley General. As Molly turned the car into the driveway leading to the Emergency Room, and the five-story hospital loomed into view above the trees, Steve and his injury were all but forgotten as memories flooded her mind like a river overrunning its banks.
She hadn’t been to the hospital since the day Buck was brought in after his rodeo accident. When she volunteered to drive Steve today, she hadn’t thought that being here again might affect her. Her throat tightened and her hands shook as she pulled into a parking place. If only she could jump from the car and run far, far away.
Sensing Steve’s gaze, she gritted her teeth and straightened her spine. She could do this.
A few moments later, as she and Steve stepped through the ER’s glass doors and into the admittance area, her thoughts jumped back again to that horrible
day two years ago. The waiting. The agony. The spark of hope so cruelly snuffed out when the verdict was announced—dead on arrival.
She hadn’t even had a chance to say good-bye. Tears flooded Molly’s eyes, and her steps faltered.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Steve’s voice carved a path into her thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She swiped away the tears and offered him a wobbly grin. “Do you need my help filling out the forms?” She nodded at the semi-circular desk where a receptionist worked at a computer.
“Thanks, but I’m sure I can manage to write with my left hand. I’ll holler if I need you.”
“I’ll wait over there.” With relief, Molly turned her steps to the row of green-upholstered chairs against one wall.
Steve had barely completed the admittance forms when a nurse appeared and guided him through the doors leading to the examination rooms. Molly was glad for the prompt treatment. Otherwise, he might have sat beside her and inquired more about her emotional state.
The ER was quiet today, and she was the only person occupying the green chairs. She stared out the window, her thoughts tumbling through her mind. That this hospital was also where Karli was born occurred to her. Maybe dwelling on that happy occasion instead of the sad time when Buck was here would help.
Shifting her focus worked for a few minutes, but no way could she think of her daughter’s birth without picturing Buck, too, and then the reminder that he wasn’t here now to watch his daughter grow up plunged her into sadness again.
After half an hour, everything—battling her thoughts, worrying about Steve, the waiting—grated on her nerves. She pushed to the edge of her seat, ready to ask the receptionist to check on his status.
Just then, he came through the door.
Rather than the cast she expected, his arm was in a sling and wrapped in an elastic bandage.
“Yep, it’s a sprain,” he confirmed when he reached her side. “Should heal in a couple of weeks.”
Thoroughly in the present now, Molly pressed a hand to her chest. “I’m glad it’s not broken. A sprain’s bad enough.”
“Me, too. But even a sprain throws off my schedule. The doc here was as firm as Mike about not using my arm while it heals. Definitely no driving, he said.” Steve tunneled his free hand through his hair. “I’ll have to figure out some other way to get to the meetings I’ve set up with prospective clients in Denver.”
Marrying Molly Page 8