The call came in at eight-thirty p.m. There was a broken down red coupe along old highway 98 in the Broken Falls Canyon. When he heard the license plate number, his heart began to race. It was Vanessa’s car. She drove that route back to the city because even though it was more remote, it cut thirty-five minutes off the drive. The officer making the report via the radio said no one was inside the vehicle, but the hood was left open and the emergency flashers were on. The officer described a BMW GS motorcycle parked nearby also with no visible driver in the area.
Bodie listened to the scanner while dialing Vanessa. Then he heard about Treasure’s motorcycle parked close by. Vanessa didn’t answer. He tried to reach Treasure again and had the same results. Bodie called the sheriff’s office next as he tied his boots. Seconds later, with his gear thrown in the truck, he hot-footed it down the road.
Bodie was transferred to the officer on scene in Broken Falls Canyon. He reported Vanessa and Treasure’s descriptions and expressed his concern over the abandoned vehicles. He was speaking with the patrol officer while heading toward Old Highway 98 when Treasure’s campfire was spotted.
The description of their exact location left no doubt in Bodie’s mind a helicopter would be the only option for the rescue. What chilled Bodie to his core wasn’t only the knowledge Treasure and Vanessa were unresponsive to the officer’s calls from the opposite side of the river, but they were only meters upriver from the Broken Falls for which the canyon is named. If they had gone over, they wouldn’t have survived. It was that simple and that unimaginable. Broken Falls was a thirty-foot drop over shelves of broken granite that ended in a narrow chute and would be certain death for anyone.
Bodie left radio communication open with the officer on scene and called his commanding officer from Wilderness School. Bodie explained the emergency and under two hours later they picked him up at a local fire station. He called in a favor which was something he had never done before. He was beyond grateful to know someone who ranked high enough to get him a ride inside the helicopter. Response time had been optimal, but even so, the wait for the helicopter and crew had been excruciating. The mental and emotional discipline needed to remain level-headed was the most trying experience of his life. While he prepared for the helicopter’s arrival, he had to be talked out of putting a kayak in the water and paddling straight to Treasure and Vanessa. The time it took to organize and execute a swift water rescue was approximately the same as a rescue by air. The danger of the class five river, high water, and nighttime visibility kept his feet on the ground until the chopper arrived.
Less than a day after his first rescue with the new certifications under his belt, all Bodie wanted was to whisk Treasure out of the hospital and spend a night with her enfolded in his arms. He wanted to wake up next to her, make love, and see what kind of morning person she was. He pictured her with tousled hair and sexy as hell. She would be a tad feisty until she drank coffee. Maybe, he imagined her morning habits imperfectly. Maybe, Treasure woke up and worked out, went for a run, or drank health shakes. There were so many things he had yet to discover about her. Her accident on the river, and the subsequent visit to the hospital, was somehow his fault. She wouldn’t have met Vanessa in the first place if it wasn’t for him.
Vanessa woke up in the helicopter, dazed and panic stricken. Her grip on his hand and the fear in her eyes captured his sense of responsibility and wouldn’t let go. She begged him to stay with her. She couldn’t stop asking the nurses and doctors if her baby was okay. To call her reactions to her head injury disturbing was putting it mildly. Vanessa’s disoriented rambling was difficult to comprehend. Bodie took it upon himself to act as her guardian and caretaker until she settled down and became more aware of her situation. By some miracle, her baby appeared to be doing fine. Bodie remained by her side through the tests and x-rays. He pieced together some of what happened in the canyon because Vanessa kept repeating the words, “Treasure saved my life.”
Only after the doctor showed Vanessa the ultrasound was she convinced her unborn child was healthy. Vanessa finally fell asleep and his mother arrived at the hospital to take his place by her side. Talking, updating, phone calls, and filling out the incident report kept him busy for hours. Bodie finally grabbed his chance to see Treasure, but she was sleeping. She had not woken up once since he arrived.
“You’re okay and that’s what matters.” He reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. Even the lightest touch made him paranoid he would wake her. He could only imagine the level of exhaustion she must be experiencing. “Vanessa told me what you did. You could have died. You both could have died.” He whispered, or maybe he only said the words inside his head. “I wish you wouldn’t take these risks. You’re out of control, you know that? I can’t lose you, Treasure. We haven’t even started our relationship — and I want a relationship with you. I’m falling in love with you. My timing is wrong, but, shit, every time I think we’ll get a minute alone, something interrupts me from telling you how much I want you in my life. Not as my paramedic partner, but as my girlfriend. I’m telling you this now, but I’m going to tell you again when you’re awake. If you have any feelings for me, stop throwing yourself into life threatening situations. That’s my thing and you’re not allowed. Or, you have to start training with me. I mean it, Treasure Hope. You’re not allowed to rescue anyone else without me by your side.”
Bodie sat in the chair by the bed and leaned his forehead on the bedrail. He listened to her breathing and contemplated everything he told her. This was the second time she risked her life to save someone. It seemed ironic he had all the training in search and rescue. He was the one who kayaked, rock climbed, practiced swift water rescue, and repelling, and she was the one saving lives with little to no thought about her own. Treasure scared the holy hell out of him and it only served to make him want to protect her more. There was no logic behind his feelings for Treasure. She elicited feelings so intense he had nothing to compare them to. She scared and excited him.
Bodie rested in the chair, falling in and out of sleep. Eventually, he heard voices outside the door and stood up. Earlier, he called Denny to tell him what happened. He knew Treasure’s friend would come see her. Bodie bent over and placed a light kiss on her shoulder. He had to find food and sleep. If Denny would sit with her, he could take a quick break and she wouldn’t be alone if she woke up.
“I’ll be back, Treasure Hope,” he whispered and left the room.
* * *
Bodie shook hands with Denny. “She’s asleep.”
Treasure’s friend, Melanie, hugged him tight. “I can’t believe this is happening.” She gazed into Bodie’s eyes. “I saw you on the news. It’s a miracle they lived. The river is running so high.”
Bodie nodded his agreement with Melanie. “It’ll take more than an overflowing river to remove Treasure from this world.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Denny said.
“I’m sure you’re right, but I wish she wouldn’t test the limits,” Melanie said.
“You and me both,” Bodie said. “I’m glad you’re here. She’s been asleep all day. Can you sit with her while I take care of a couple things?”
“Yeah, of course. Take your time,” Melanie said. “And I don’t know how to thank you for getting her out of Broken Falls Canyon. Saying it doesn’t feel like enough, but I’ll say it anyway: thank you a million times and more.”
Melanie hugged him a second time and the two entered Treasure’s room. Thanks weren’t needed, but he didn’t say so. He would have done anything in his power to find and save Treasure.
* * *
He shouldn’t have left the room. Why did the universe seem to have a vendetta against him and Treasure being together? Surely, that had to be the case. Bodie found a coffee vendor and a bite to eat and ended up running into reporters. After an interview, which was supposed to be short and sweet, but took forty minutes, he was bombarded by his mother and the S.N.A.F.U.s that always accompanied
her. Carolyn insisted Bodie contact Vanessa’s family. They were Vanessa’s only living relatives and it was important they be informed of the current emergency. What should have been a couple of phone calls to her aunt and uncle turned into three calls with long-winded out-of-state relatives.
Bodie hurried down the hall, anxious to find Treasure awake. When he entered the room, she was gone. He spun around, swung the door open, and went straight to the nurses’ station where they informed him Treasure and her friends left a half hour earlier. The answer to his earlier question was a big fat resounding, yes. The universe conspired to keep them apart. He was certain of it.
Sixteen
“TREASURE, you’re more like him than you realize.” Mrs. Pinelli stirred minestrone soup in a huge stainless steel pot.
Treasure sat at the nearby dining table, watching her neighbor do what she loved most: cook. Fragrant steam rose from the stove, filling the house with scents of basil, oregano, garlic, and tomatoes. The scent of the fresh bread Mrs. Pinelli pulled out of the oven made her mouth water. “I don’t see the similarities. I do miss him. I think it’s why I hate coming back here. It hurts.”
“He was so proud of the woman you were becoming.”
“You’re only saying that to make me feel better.” Treasure shifted in the chair and lowered her ankle which had been resting on the chair opposite her.
When Mrs. Pinelli knocked on the door and offered to bring Treasure soup and bread, she practically begged to come over rather than stare at the walls for one more minute. She’d been home from the hospital for less than twenty-four hours and the feeling of being cooped inside the apartment made her anxious. She needed to use a phone. Treasure wanted to call work and her building manager. Since her phone had been in the pocket of her jacket, it died a watery death. Without a phone, she inconveniently had no internet service for her laptop. She wasn’t allowed to drive and couldn’t resolve either of these problems. Mrs. Pinelli handed her the crutches, grabbed her laptop, and told her to come over and make herself at home. Treasure tottered next door and joined the Pinellis for lunch. Her thoughtful neighbor was another reminder of the things she dismissed as unimportant when she walked away from Granite Lake.
“See, right there.” Lucia pointed her long spoon at Treasure.
“What?” Treasure asked, not following the change in conversation.
“You are an authentic person like Morton. Your father never pretended to be anything other than himself. You’re the same, Treasure. When you’re ready to share your thoughts, you speak your mind. You’re down to earth and precisely who you were born to be. You get the trait from him. Your mother was not like that at all. Those who knew her said she was too flighty. Always dreaming about where she wanted to go next, and how every other place was better than here.”
Treasure felt a tiny ache in her chest at the mention of her mother, even though her heart was already sore from thinking about her dad so often over the last couple of days. “You talked to him about me?”
“Of course, we did. We shared many dinners together after you moved away. He missed you something terrible. Morton would come over and talk football, and then sit at the table and tell us how you were doing in the city.”
“Why didn’t he tell me? I didn’t think he cared about what I did. He was always quiet when I came to visit. He never said anything about my job, or how hard I worked to pay for school.”
“That’s another thing the two of you share. You are incapable of expressing your feelings to the ones you love. I’ve watched you two interact for years. It’s no wonder you hardly spoke to each other. It’s as if the deeper your feelings, the quieter your mouth.” Mrs. Pinelli shook her head as if dispelling the sadness which had suddenly entered the kitchen.
“You’re right. I’d like to change, but it’s hard. I wish I…” she couldn’t finish the sentiment because she was on the verge of tears. Her father missed her, and he had been proud of her accomplishments… and he never told her.
Mrs. Pinelli walked over to Treasure and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “It is hard, Treasure. No one would say it’s easy, but change is necessary if you are going to grow. You can do it. Look how far you’ve already come from the girl who left this town.”
Treasure closed her eyes and willed the tears away. “Thank you for telling me about my dad.”
“You needed to hear the truth. He loved you very much.”
Lucia Pinelli shuffled back to the stove and started ladling soup from the pot.
Treasure turned to her laptop and hit the power button to let it start up while she ate lunch. Inside, she silently cried over her father not being there when she needed him. She thought about how his advice to keep the lighter and pocket knife in her jacket saved her life and how she would do anything to talk with him once more. The screensaver on the monitor came on and she realized it was a picture of her dad’s favorite motorcycle. The black and silver ‘75 BMW R90 S. A lightness like warm weightless clouds surrounded her. She suddenly smelled Brut cologne mixed with a tinge of exhaust fumes. The room smelled like her father, which made no sense at all, considering the potent aromas of minestrone soup and bread permeating the room. She felt instantly better from the inside out, and somehow knew her dad was with her, making everything better. Even if only temporarily.
She ate with Lucia and Mr. Pinelli, and afterward set about the task of finding out about her apartment and checking in at work. By the time she finished the phone calls, checking emails, and internet surfing, exhaustion settled in and her ankle throbbed.
Treasure thanked Lucia and hobbled back to the apartment. Of course, Lucia walked with her and stocked her refrigerator with leftover soup, and a container packed with spaghetti and meatballs, and a surprise third container filled with homemade cannolis.
“Oh, my goodness, you did not just sneak cannolis into my house,” Treasure said as she limped over to the kitchen counter in search of her pain medicine.
“Who, me?” Lucia said innocently. “I would never do such a terrible thing.”
“Right. And I would never enjoy such a wonderful treat.”
“I’ll be back to check on you later. You come over if you need anything. All right?”
What could Treasure say? If she refused, Mrs. Pinelli would return in an hour to check up on her. She made an agreeable sound and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ll only bug you if I need to use your phone again.”
“Bug me anytime. I like having you next door again. Makes me feel useful.”
Treasure laughed. “You’re the best neighbor a girl can have, even if it means I’m going to gain ten pounds.”
“You could use it. You’re too skinny,” Lucia said and left Treasure alone with the cannolis.
* * *
The distinct rumble of a Harley with straight pipes woke Treasure from a dreamless sleep. It sounded close, too close. She sat up on the couch and peered out the front window. The temptation to flop back over and ignore him, and the world, appealed to her inner hermit. Scratch that, she thought. That’s something her father would do. Had done. Many times. He would be hung over after binge drinking and he would lock the door and brood for days. Treasure’s whining or some friend would eventually force him to participate in life again. As much as Morton had been on her mind lately, she knew this part of her personality wasn’t like his. If the inclination was strong, then she would change it. She wouldn’t treat Denny the way Morton treated her. Not when Denny had done so much for her for no other reason than being a decent guy. She could change. It’s how a person grew. That’s what Lucia said. Treasure survived major life changes before and she would do it again.
“Come in,” she yelled after she heard the rattle of the shop door.
Treasure ran her hands down her sides in an attempt to smooth her rumpled shirt. She leaned toward the crutches.
Denny ambled into her apartment. “Don’t get up. What’s the deal anyway? You’re always on the couch. There are two bedrooms in t
his place.” He stood on the opposite side of the coffee table and stared at Treasure in her nest of blankets and pillows.
Treasure glanced across the single floor apartment at the bedroom doors. “I can’t sleep in Dad’s room. It’s too weird. And the other room is more or less a storage closet.” The truth was, after she moved out, she vowed to never sleep in her old room again. Too many ghosts and haunting memories.
“All right, well, how you feeling? You look like shit.”
“Gee, thanks. Have a seat. Then tell me why you’re harassing a weak, injured, apparently dog turd looking girl.” She gestured to the armchair at the end of the couch.
“Even when you’re down in the dumps, you’re a thousand times better looking than Pops.”
“Well, I guess that’s saying something.” Treasure considered old Floyd with his oxygen tubes and his wrinkled face where a lifetime of cigarette smoke had carved channels and grooves akin to the canyon lands. Floyd’s face had character and it wasn’t a flaw in her opinion.
Instead of sitting with her, he wandered into the kitchen. “You got a beer in here or what?”
“You can have all the beer you want if you start the coffee pot first,” she said.
“Sounds like a deal in my favor.”
Denny reached in the fridge, pulled out a bottle of beer, and opened it before setting to work on the coffee maker. Treasure listened as Denny filled her in on Floyd’s recovery. His health had improved considerably and he had been released from the hospital the day Treasure was admitted.
Chasing Treasure: Granite Lake Romance Page 16