by Diana Palmer
Sterling reeled out the rope at a slow, steady pace. Judd suppressed the need to yell down to Tracy and ask if she was okay.
“I’m almost there,” she called out. “Slow. Slower,” she directed. Her voice seemed miles away rather than fifty feet down.
He tested the tension on the line. She wasn’t at the bottom.
“I see him,” she cried, excitement in her voice. “Stop.”
“Stop,” he said to Sterling, although the detective had already stopped cranking. They could hear Tracy clearly.
From one side, he heard Jimmy’s mother sobbing.
“A bit more,” Tracy directed. “Let me down another foot. Do it slowly.”
They fed the line out inch by inch.
“Hold,” she called up.
Judd heard a different note in her voice. Something was wrong. He bent closer over the hole. His heart stopped. From far below, he could hear the tinkling sound of falling rock…a trickle of sound that sent a chill of fear into his soul.
“The ground is starting to go,” he said tersely. “Get ready to haul her out of there.” He called softly down the shaft. “Get ready, Trace. We’re bringing you up.”
She didn’t answer.
“Trace?” he called again. The sounds from below grew more ominous. “Get her out of there,” he ordered.
“No, wait,” Tracy protested. “Judd, not yet…I’m almost…”
They heard a deep, low rumble, then a shock wave shook the ground under them.
“Jimmy!” his mother cried. “Oh, my God, Jimmy.”
“Pull,” Judd shouted at Sterling. He moved to the winch and put his hands beside the deputy’s. Together they worked furiously, winching the rope out of the hole as dirt caved in on the shaft that had provided fresh air to the mine long ago.
The earth around the mouth of the hole started falling in, tiny landslides that sounded as loud as thunder in the hearts of the people who watched.
No one spoke.
Another quake rumbled under their feet. Jimmy’s mother cried out once more and buried her face against the Scout master. Tears streamed down his own face as he silently watched.
“Stop,” the engineer warned, kneeling as close as he dared to the hole. He peered inside.
Instant silence prevailed.
“The walls are going,” he said. “There’s nothing we can do.”
Tracy hung suspended, the blood rushing to her head as she swayed in her upside-down position. The world was collapsing all around her. Judd, she thought, and was filled with love and pity for him.
She knew then that she would never willingly leave him, no matter what he said. Maybe he wouldn’t trust her again with his heart, but he needed her as much as she needed him. She realized that now. Together they were complete. Apart…life was nothing. It was the simple truth.
Rocks and dirt flew past her, pummeling her body as they fell into an endless darkness her light couldn’t reach. Sometimes she couldn’t tell if she were going upward or falling with the collapsing earth. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid.
Because Judd was above her, taking care of her.
When their upward progress really did stop, she held on, waiting, knowing they were in safe hands…Judd’s hands…his big, wonderful, tender hands.
When they didn’t move for a minute, she grew a little worried. She didn’t know how much longer she could hang on. Her shoulders were burning against the harness as she clung to consciousness.
The rocks stopped falling. The silence seemed to scream all around her. She breathed deeply. “Hold on,” she tried to say. “Just hold on. Judd will get—”
The earth gave another rumble, a low growl of rage. The sides of the air shaft buckled against her and sent her swaying, banging from side to side. Then she was trapped as the ground started pressing against her, harder and harder.
What was going on? Why weren’t they pulling her out?
She couldn’t free her hand to jerk on the rope. But her feet could move. With all her might, she yanked her toes down and bent her knees at the same time.
Pull. Now.
She sent the thought to Judd, unable to speak as the earth shifted and lurched, filling her mouth, eyes and nose with debris as it fell into the eternity of darkness.
Got to hold on. Judd, help.
She felt a gigantic heaving. It was the end, she thought, and regretted all the things she hadn’t told Judd…like how very much she loved him. Oh, love, my love, my dearest love, she repeated as the suffocating dust filled her lungs.
Thirteen
“Trace!” Judd shouted. He grasped the rope, using every ounce of muscle he had to get Tracy free of the landslide. There was a second’s resistance, then the rope began to move. He prayed it wouldn’t break under the strain.
Behind him, Sterling winched in the slack, following his lead on the amount of tension to maintain. Judd pulled steadily, working hand over hand as the rope emerged from the dust cloud that rose from the collapsing air shaft. He stepped back when the edge where he was standing began to fall in.
Across from him, Jimmy’s mother was screaming hysterically. Kane Hunter, who’d come out with the trauma team when Jimmy had been reported found, hurried over to her.
The roar increased. Judd couldn’t tell if the sound was coming from the earth or from the frantic pounding of his heart. Oh, God, not Trace, he prayed. He couldn’t bear to lose her a second time.
A foot appeared in the dust. Another. He reached for them, grabbing Tracy’s ankles and yanking her out and to the side, away from the danger. The mining engineer helped him haul her to safety. A shout went up from those watching the drama.
Tears stung his eyes when he saw what had surprised the others gathered around the rim of the shaft. Tracy, unconscious, held on to Jimmy’s ankles with a death grip. She’d brought the boy out with her.
“God, what a woman,” Sterling said in admiration.
Judd dropped to his knees beside her.
Kane was already there. “Stay back,” he ordered everyone. He freed her hands from the boy, then he and the paramedics got to work. First he did a Heimlich maneuver on her, while someone else did the same on Jimmy.
Dust puffed out from Tracy’s mouth. She dragged in a breath of air, then was racked by coughs as her body tried to get rid of the debris she’d inhaled.
In a minute Jimmy, too, was coughing helplessly. Everyone cheered as if the two had won an Olympic event.
Oxygen masks were clamped over their faces. Their vital signs were checked, then both of them were loaded into the ambulance for the trip to the hospital. Jimmy had a broken arm to be set. Both of them would have to be watched for a few days, Kane explained, in case of complications.
Judd wanted to go to the hospital with Tracy, but he had other duties. “This area has to be secured and warnings posted about the danger of possible cave-ins.” He looked at Dugin Kincaid, who owned the ranch now.
Mary Jo Kincaid touched Judd’s arm. “Duggie said there used to be a sapphire mine somewhere on the old Baxter ranch. I understand they’re used in medical research now and are quite valuable.” She gave him a melting smile. “Wouldn’t it be exciting if this was it…that something good came of a near tragedy?”
“It isn’t.” A member of the search team spoke up. Judd saw it was Rafe Rawlings. “Homer Gilmore has prospected this area. This was an old copper mine. It never produced anything worthwhile,” the young cop explained.
Mary Jo looked disappointed. Judd frowned impatiently.
“I can finish up here,” Sterling said. “Why don’t you go on to the hospital? You might get your cast looked at while you’re there,” he advised with a puckish grin.
Judd gave him a grateful glance. “Thanks.” He headed for his truck, but when a pain raced up his leg, he looked down. The cast had cracked from the pressure he’d exerted while pulling Tracy out, and had split nearly in two. He’d probably broken his leg again. It was a small price to pay, he thought, in exchange for two lives
.
At the emergency department of the hospital, Judd found Tracy had already been taken to a room. She was in the shower. Kane took one look at him, shook his head and gestured toward the X-ray lab with his head.
“Let’s get that leg taken care of, then you can see her. In fact, I’ll put you both in the same room.”
“I don’t need to stay in the hospital,” Judd growled.
“Tracy will want you close during the night. You may as well be comfortable.”
After getting cleaned up and having a fresh cast put on his leg, Judd was taken to Tracy’s room in a wheelchair in spite of his protests.
“Judd!” she exclaimed. “Are you all right? Where are you hurt?” She had to stop her anxious questions when a cough overtook her.
Light rushed into his heart, making him feel warm and new. He got out of the wheelchair and went to her, needing to hold her. Not giving a damn if the hospital gown hiked up and showed his behind to the nurses, he bent over and took her in his arms.
“I love you,” he murmured, for her ears alone.
The nurses giggled and hurriedly left the room.
Tracy looked stunned. She touched his face. He noted her hand trembled. Her expression was a little wary, her smile wobbly.
He’d done that to her, he realized. Maybe she’d never been sure of his love. He hadn’t mentioned it. He’d thought deeds were enough—marrying her, building the house, making love. He saw that he’d been wrong. She needed the words.
“I love you with everything in me. I always have. Someday I hope you’ll believe that.” He kissed her gently, briefly, aware of the oxygen tube clipped to her nose. There were so many things to say, so many things he’d like to do with her.
“Judd,” she said in wonder. Her voice was hoarse from the coughing. It hurt him that she’d been hurt.
“You were right. There’s something special between us. Love, that’s what it is. God, Trace,” he whispered. “I thought I would die. To lose you again after just finding you…”
“Shh,” she said. “I know. Oh, love, I know.”
After that, he lay on her bed and held her close, content to have her warm and safe beside him. He watched her become drowsy.
Just before she fell asleep, her eyes widened. “Oh, Judd, the most wonderful thing! I found the skull. It’s in my knapsack on your desk. Can you start a check of the dental records right away?” She gazed at him earnestly before she started coughing.
Judd threw back his head and laughed. “I love you, you bone-crazy woman. I love you,” he repeated, more softly this time.
Jimmy went home the second day, but Tracy developed pneumonia and spent five days in the hospital. Judd visited her each morning at six. He brought lunch each day at noon. He had dinner with her each night at five, then a snack at nine before he went home.
Her father came to visit. Lily Mae Wheeler invited him to her house for a home-cooked meal. Tracy giggled, then coughed for five minutes when her father, looking slightly dazed, and Lily Mae, smugly pleased, showed up for visiting hours the third evening of her hospital stay.
Tracy wondered if she should warn her parent that Lily Mae had designs on him, but decided against it. As Winona had noted, the widow wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to a person.
Winona sneaked a jar of blackberry wine and another of chamomile tea up to her. Tracy’s cough improved right away. Even Kane was impressed.
On Thursday, Judd took her home. He held her arm possessively as he guided her into the house, dragging his crutches in his left hand and limping on the new cast, which was covered with signatures of friends who’d visited him and Tracy that week. Jimmy’s careful scrawl was included.
Once she was in bed, he served the supper Lily Mae had prepared and left in the oven. He’d already put out the word, through Sterling and Jessica for the townsfolk and Jackson and Maggie for the Cheyenne, that he didn’t want company on their first night home.
“This is delicious,” Tracy said, scooping up every bite as if they hadn’t been swamped with wonderful homemade treats all week.
Every patient in the hospital had had fresh fry bread and honey for dessert that week, not to mention candy, cakes, cookies, fried chicken, sausage biscuits and everything else that Tracy had ever mentioned being fond of. She was the heroine of the hour with the news media and had received an award from the governor.
But now it was his moment, and he wanted no interruptions.
Judd removed the trays from the room and returned to sit on the bed beside her. He took her hand and cleared his throat.
“Do you know what next Tuesday is?” he asked, feeling almost reverent about the occasion.
“Yes,” she answered, but said no more.
“Our wedding anniversary.”
A flicker of emotion passed over her face and was gone before he could read it. She looked away. “Yes.”
He cleared his throat again. He’d sort of told her they would be married the other time; this time he wanted to do it right.
“Trace. Tracy Roper Hensley,” he said, starting over in formal tones. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife again?”
Her smile, tremulous and beautiful, bloomed on her face. “I’d like that very much,” she said solemnly. “Oh, Judd, I’d like that very, very much.”
He reached for her then, unable to stop himself. The kiss was meant to be gentle, a reaffirmation of his love, his commitment to her, this woman of his heart, but she was having none of that.
As in their first wild coming together, she tugged at him, demanding passion, wanting him with the same hunger he felt for her. He went dizzy with the pure joy of it.
“Ah, Trace,” he whispered, savoring her taste, the sweet enchantment of her skin as he kissed her throat, sucked at her plump nipples, making them hard under his tongue.
He moved down to her waist and circled her belly button with his tongue, then delved into that sensitive dimple. He heard her gasp, and her hands roamed restlessly through his hair. He found the wonderful delight of her womanhood, that tiny nub that brought such pleasure to her and such joy to him.
He chuckled as she writhed under his ministrations, knowing he was driving her mad. He found great happiness in the task, loving the scent and taste, the texture and heat of her body as he showed her his love in every way he could.
When she cried out and went still, he waited, barely touching her with his tongue, until she moved again. He rose and moved between her thighs.
“No,” she said weakly.
He paused. To his surprise, she pushed him down on the mattress of the queen-size bed that they’d shared in married bliss so long ago. Her gaze filled with love, she bent over him and gave him the same pleasure he’d given to her. He closed his eyes as love and happiness too strong to contain burst over him.
“Now, my love,” she said when he could take no more. She moved over him and took him into her. It felt like coming home.
He placed his hands at her waist and guided her, smiling when she arched back and climaxed again. The passion flowed like a river between them. He caught the current and went with the flow.
Tracy woke to the step-thump of Judd approaching her side of the bed. He had a tray in his hands. The Sunday paper was under his arm.
“You’re spoiling me,” she scolded, looking at eggs fixed just the way she liked them and English muffins toasted to perfection.
“Not for long.” He grinned. “Monday I’ll expect you back on the job. You still haven’t identified those bones.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Slave driver. Haven’t the men been working on it this week?”
“Yes. I thought you might feel up to helping out. No match was found in the records of the two dentists who have been in town for thirty years and still have an office, but we found a box of records in storage from another dentist. Old Doc Webster was the only dentist in town for years. He was eighty before he retired.”
“Oh, good. And yes, I’d love to look throu
gh his records.”
They chatted about the case while they ate their meal. “What about your job?” he asked later. “You have a dig—”
“I’ll cancel it.”
“No, you can’t do that. You’ve worked too hard to get where you are to give it up. I’ll just have to be patient—”
“If you’ll be patient now, I’d explain it to you,” she told him. “My father and I have been trying to arrange our schedules so we can write some books together. I’d like to do that. I’d also like to continue to be a consultant to the FBI. They usually have all the bones assembled when I’m called in on a case. At my prices, they usually can’t afford to have me digging around in the dirt. As for the dig, there are plenty of people who can fill in for me.”
Judd laughed, then became solemn. “I want you to be happy. If you want to go on digs, then you should.”
She kissed him. “Thank you, my love.”
After he cleaned up the dishes, he read the funny papers to her. He paused once when he looked up and saw the tears she couldn’t hide.
“Would you like me to stop?” he asked, fighting his own memories of Sundays with her and Thadd.
She shook her head.
He finished, then refilled their cups from the insulated pitcher he’d brought in and placed on the lamp table. “By the way,” he said casually, “Kane did our blood tests while we were in the hospital. The mayor volunteered to perform the ceremony.
“Oh?” she assumed an air of casual interest.
“He’ll probably insist on making a production of it in the middle of town on the courthouse steps with all the TV and radio stations in attendance. I thought Tuesday. What do you think?”
“Tuesday,” she repeated. “That’s our anniversary.”
“Yeah, that way we won’t have to remember two dates,” he explained with great practicality. Then he grinned.
Tracy held the door for Judd while he maneuvered through on his crutches. She helped him into his chair and laid the crutches close by so he could reach them easily. Then she hurried into the conference room, leaving the door open.