by Sawyer Belle
Desperately, he crawled toward her and reached her just as she snapped the clip up into the gun. He smacked the weapon out of her hand as she made to raise it. It slid across the floor to the other side of the room as he brought his arm around again to strike her across the cheek. Her head hit the side of the mattress, but was quickly yanked back when he pulled her hair back until her cheek was beside his mouth.
“How can you shoot the man you love?” he hissed through angry pants.
“I can’t,” she winced against his grip on her hair and the pain she felt all over. “That’s why I was aiming for you.”
“Stop it!” he yelled, yanking on her hair again. “You love me!”
“Rick!” Brent’s voice called out to him. He released Mackenna and they both turned to find him standing shakily on the other side of the room, aiming his gun at Rick. His left arm hung limp at his side while tiny rivulets of blood dripped from his fingers onto the floor. Sweat dampened his brow as heavy and painful breaths made his shoulders rise and fall. “Enough. It’s over.”
Rick slowly stood, his own gun still clutched in his hand.
“Mackenna,” Brent said, his eyes never leaving Rick’s. “Get behind me.”
She tore the tape from her ankles and went to stand behind Brent. Rick stood alone beside the bed. Slowly, he raised his hands by his ears, the gun still in his hand.
“What are you going to do?” he sneered. “Kill me?”
“No,” Brent answered. “I’m going to make sure you stay put until the police get here.”
Mackenna felt weak and lightheaded. She leaned against Brent for support and relished the sound of his beating heart. She heard her name being called by Rick, and his voice was strained with emotion. She didn’t look at him. She tried not to hear him as he spoke.
“I just can’t be without you,” Rick said as tears streamed down his face. “There’s no life for me unless you’re in it. I just wanted to love you.”
At that, she peered around Brent’s raised arm.
“You don’t hurt the people you love, Rick,” she said gently. “What you did here tonight is not love. You need help.”
His eyes drooped on the outside corners and filled with fresh tears that she would deny his love again. Three loud bangs on the front door announced the arrival of the police. The officers on the other side shouted for the door to be opened to them. Nobody moved. Rick’s eyes bore into Mackenna’s with a deep sadness and regret.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered painfully and swiftly put the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.
Mackenna eyes went wide as she watched his body crumble to the floor in slow-motion. She froze. She did not look or hear as the police knocked down her front door and ordered Brent to his knees and disarmed. She did not hear as she was asked if she was all right. She no longer tasted the blood in her mouth. She almost forgot to breathe. Only Brent’s calm voice eventually broke through her trance and she finally turned only to fall faint in his arms.
Sirens wailed at a distance so far that it sounded like a chorus of mewling cats. Mackenna’s eyelids felt as if they were pinned down by weighty stones even though bright light was piercing them. She tried to turn away from the glare but her entire head felt too heavy to move. Voices flew around her, at first scuttling like windborne whispers, but growing louder until she recognized Brent’s voice.
“Please,” he begged. “She’s pregnant.”
The words echoed through her head in a fading ripple until she once again descended into blackness.
Her first thought upon waking was that her fingers felt warm and sweaty and that her head throbbed at her left temple like some angry creature was trying to pound its way out. Her lower back felt like a red-hot porcupine had burrowed down into it. She winced and felt the warmth tighten around her fingers. Her eyes opened to the flushed and fearful face of Brent. He leaned anxiously forward and brought her hand to his lips in a kiss.
“Are you okay?” he asked, desperately. “How are you feeling?”
“My head…” was all she could manage.
“You have a mild concussion, and a couple of slipped discs in your back.”
Her eyes went wide at his declaration but before she could respond she saw his left arm bound in a sling and she gasped. “Your arm!”
“It’s fine,” he reassured quickly. “The bullet went clean through my shoulder. It should heal with no problem.”
She sagged in relief against the pillows of the hospital bed while her free hand went to her belly. She stared down at it, trying to feel whether there was still a heartbeat there. Fear crowded her throat, but she needed to know. Her eyes were heavy and full of tears as she looked at Brent, hoping he would reassure her. He moved his hand to cover hers on her belly, his own eyes filling in response. Hope died inside of her.
“I don’t know, Mackenna,” he said in a choked whisper. “The doctor should be in any minute to check. They were more worried about you first.”
She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded solemnly, ushering her tears back. She would not grieve until she was told she needed to. Her fingers began softly stroking her belly as if she could will life to thrive there with her love.
Brent watched her caress her belly and prayed that their child still lived. Mackenna’s head was wrapped with a bandage to stem the flow of blood opened by Rick’s fists. Even still, half of her face was already purple. Her lips were scabbed and swollen red. He felt like a failure. His nostrils flared and he pinched his lips together to stifle the slight trembling that had begun.
“I’m so sorry, Mackenna,” he breathed and her eyes shot to his. “Forgive me, please.”
“What’s this?” she rushed, cupping his face in her hands. “You’ve done nothing that needs forgiving.” He pressed his forehead gently to hers as she quietly shushed him. “You saved us,” she whispered.
“But what if I didn’t save both of you?” his face twisted in torturous fear and her eyes creased in sadness. She couldn’t allow herself to think that way.
“I love you,” she said softly, running her thumbs over his cheeks in comfort. “No matter what.”
The door opened behind Brent and they both turned as the doctor entered.
Chapter 43
The man was as tall as he was thin with a long, pointed nose and a smattering of dark freckles on both cheeks. He folded his arms across his chest and rocked back and forth from one foot to the other as he spoke with a wide smile and a pleasant voice. Mackenna wanted to bash his face in. Why was he standing there talking about physical therapy and dizziness instead of checking on her baby?
“Doctor,” she said harshly, interrupting his flow of medical advice. “I need to know about my baby.”
“Oh, yeah!” he said, throwing his arms in the air as if he’d forgotten that she was supposed to be pregnant. He moved to a nearby counter and grabbed a handheld, square monitor with what looked to be a tiny microphone attached to it. He squirted a light pink gel on the tip of it and made his way back to Mackenna, asking her to pull her shirt up for him. When her belly was bared, he warned with a grin.
“This is gonna be a little cold.”
She bit back her rude retort and held her breath as he moved the wand around her belly. All that greeted them was a crinkly static. The doctor stared off into space with pursed and determined lips as he applied more gel and searched a wider area. Mackenna felt the tears gathering behind her eyes at the silence and she held onto Brent’s good hand as she shut her eyes and prayed.
The doctor sighed in defeat with a sad shake of his head just before the wand moved across an area where a tiny hiccup thumped against it. He pressed deeper in the area until he was finally met with what sounded like a deep whoosh against the monitor. He moved a little to the left and the whooshes sped up. He continued to inch closer to the sound until a strong and repeated thud paced through the otherwise quiet room.
Mackenna’s eyes flew open and looked pleadingly up at the doctor. Hi
s face broke into a wide grin.
“There it is,” he announced. “Strong and steady as it should be.”
Finally, she allowed herself to breathe and was only able to suck in two large gulps before she lost herself in sobs and tears. Brent’s arms flew around her neck as they cried into each other’s embrace, spilling all of the fear and anxiety that gathered. Mackenna soon found that she was smiling as salty tears dripped onto her swollen lips. Her sobs turned to laughter until Brent followed suit. In that moment, she felt no pain anywhere in her body. She felt only relief and joy, love and thankfulness.
The doctor silently slipped out of the room.
Brent shifted his arm in the sling until he found a more comfortable position. Mackenna snuggled closer to his other side. They relaxed against her mother’s soft sofa cushions and let the fire warm their bodies. The investigation uncovered that Rick had been sleeping in her parents’ shed since she’d moved back home after college. They found a trove of trinkets and belongings of hers that he had gathered. They found an entire ring of keys that he kept for her parents’ home, her apartment in Reno, the apartment she and Brent had shared, as well as keys to each of their vehicles.
They were also introduced to Rick’s parents, which was a shock to Mackenna, since he had told her early on in their relationship that his parents were dead. They lived respectable lives in Reno and spoke to Mackenna of Rick’s troubled teenage years. He had been in and out of juvenile detention for everything from theft to drugs.
They had been so pleased when he decided to go to college, hoping that he was growing out of his bad habits. They soon discovered that he’d been paying students to complete homework and tests for him, and they’d kicked him out of their house, hoping that being on his own would help him grow up. He had never spoken to them again.
They claimed that he had always been extremely emotional and impulsive, feeling each wrong done to him in the depth of his soul while turning a blind eye to his own accountability. He had been witty and clever and had an unmatched mind for remembering details. They believed him full of potential, but also unstable enough that it could be used for good or bad. In the end, they were full of sorrow and regret, blaming their own failure as parents for his death.
Brent’s gunshot wound was healing quickly and without complaint though it jarred him to think how close he had been to death that night. He stared at the yellow booties he had just given to Mackenna. She smiled softly as she fit one tiny sock onto the tip of her finger.
Her facial bruises and cuts were healing nicely, but the back pain lingered. They had chosen not to go back to living in the apartment and were staying with her parents until they decided their future. The events of the past month had put everything into perspective for Mackenna, and there was no doubt whatsoever what mattered most to her.
“Thank God the baby is all right,” she said with relief.
Brent ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her head. “Thank God we’re all okay.”
“If Rick were a better shot,” she began and then shook her head against the implication.
“He was a good shot,” Brent said. “I dropped these little things on the ground. He shot just as I bent to pick them up. If he would have shot a second earlier, he would have gotten my heart, not my shoulder.”
Mackenna shuddered and moved closer to him.
“I think someone was watching out for you,” she said and he smiled softly, imagining his mother playing guardian angel.
“I’m glad it’s over,” she continued sadly. “I’m sorry that he had to die, but I’m glad that we don’t have to worry anymore.”
He kissed the top of her head and let her warmth spread through his body. They sat quietly for several long moments, savoring the peace enveloping them.
“Let’s go back to Montana,” she said almost in a whisper.
“Montana?” he echoed, surprised. “What about California and vet school?”
She sighed and then sat up to face him.
“All of my life I’ve been rushing, rushing to finish high school, rushing through college, rushing to get my life started. Now that I have you and the baby, I don’t want to rush anymore. Vet school will always be there, but these moments may not be. There are plenty of vet schools in Montana, when the time is right. The only thing that matters to me is you and our child. I know how much you love your home.”
He lost himself in her eyes, and when he thought of everything she’d given him, everything she meant to him, he felt no love or longing for Montana. The only placed he felt pulled to was her side. He held her face gently in his free hand, massaging her temple with his thumb.
“My home is wherever you are, Mackenna,” he answered. “Besides, I see Montana every day. Right here in your big sky eyes.”
Epilogue
Sass whickered as Mackenna planted a kiss on the soft spot in between her nostrils and scratched beneath her chin. Bev and Grant McCrae leaned on the wooden beam of the round corral fence and smiled as Mackenna began leading the horse around in a slow walk. The petite four-year-old on the horse’s bare back squealed as she clutched two tiny fistfuls of mane.
“Not too tight,” Mackenna warned gently. “You don’t want to hurt Sass.”
“Mommy, when can I ride Sass across the meadow like you?”
“Oh, you’re going to have to get a little bigger before that, honey.”
The child frowned and brushed a branch of thick, white-blonde curls back over her shoulder. “You always let me ride Buddy by myself,” she argued. “Everyone says I’m good with him.”
“And you are,” her mother answered. “But Sass is special. She needs to be handled differently. Don’t worry. Sass will be around for a long time yet. When you’re older, she’ll be waiting for you.”
“Well, I am almost five,” she bargained and Mackenna laughed.
“Don’t be in such a hurry to grow up, Alora,” she said. “It’s already happening too fast.”
The child forgot her next protest as her attention was called toward the approaching couple. She sat up taller, her bright blue eyes sparkling as she waved frantically and split her face in a happy grin.
“Uncle Ty! Uncle Ty! Look! I’m riding Sass!”
Ty and Leslie laughed as they flanked Bev and Grant on the fence.
“You sure are, Little Pearl,” Ty answered. “Doing a mighty fine job, too!”
Every adult there knew without a doubt that little Alora was hopelessly smitten with Ty. Though she’d been around him since she was born, sometime during the previous year she’d developed a child’s crush and had eyes for no one else if he was around. At first, this had stirred a tiny jealousy in Brent, but Mackenna reassured him that she would always be daddy’s little girl. Of course, Ty took advantage of every opportunity to tease Brent about it.
As twin beams of light crested the hill of road and pierced the falling dusk around the Slanted S, Mackenna turned with a bright smile. She felt a sudden twinge in her back and she leaned her weight back to stretch it out and used her free hand to massage the area until it subsided. When the SUV pulled right up to the round corral and Helen and David Sorenson stepped out of the passenger seats, Alora squealed.
“Grandma Helen! Papa David!”
Without a thought or care she leapt from the back of Sass right into Ty’s arms, springing open to catch her before she hit the fence. All women present gasped and Mackenna placed a hand over her heart to control the pounding.
“Good God, girl! You are going to give me a heart attack!”
Alora sprinted toward her grandparents and jumped right into Helen’s embrace. David grabbed the girl next and spun her around with a grunting bear hug.
“Did you bring me anything?” Alora asked expectantly.
David feigned a disappointed frown. “What kind of a question is that?” he barked playfully, but Alora didn’t budge. Her smile widened and her eyes narrowed in a way that told her grandfather that she knew he was teasing. So, he gave in and
tossed her in the air, catching her as she squealed.
“Of course we did,” he exclaimed. “But you’ll only get it if you’ve been a good girl helping out your mama.”
“I have,” she reassured, nodding erratically before turning to face her mother. “Haven’t I, Mommy?”
Mackenna crossed her arms and leaned against the fence while Sass rested her head on her shoulder.
“I don’t know,” she drawled. “What was that about jumping off of Sass like that?”
Alora frowned. “I was just excited.”
“I know, but you remember my rules, right?”
She nodded solemnly and apologized.
“Okay,” Mackenna chirped. “I guess you can have your present then.” The child’s face lit up. “As long as you run inside and wash up for dinner first.”
“Okay!” Alora called and leapt from her Papa’s arms and bolted for the house.
“Hey! What about me?” Brent called, emerging from the driver's side of the vehicle and Alora slid to a stop.
“Sorry, Daddy,” she said with a laugh as she ran to him and let him scoop her up in his arms. They hugged and rubbed the tips of their noses together and Mackenna smiled at this common show of affection they shared. He released her back to the ground and sent her toward the house.
Mackenna removed Sass’s halter and left the corral just as Brent made his way to her side and looped an arm around her, planting a soft kiss on her lips.
“How was the photo shoot?” she asked.
“Good. I’m glad the Division decided to do this segment on fly fishing. I think I got some really nice action shots. How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she answered. “Just tired, and my back is bothering me.”
“Want me to carry you?” he asked and she chuckled.
“I’m way too heavy for you,” she said.