Smoky Mountain Sweethearts

by Cheryl Harper

  And after three trips back and forth to her own house for ingredients, Regina sighed with satisfaction as she bent to look in the oven window. “Lasagna. Sam’s favorite.” She straightened and checked the phone she’d had clutched in her hand. “Any reason you wanted to learn how to make Sam’s favorite meal in the whole world?”

  Avery folded the dish towel she’d been using to dry the dishes her mother had washed. “Are you kidding? Lasagna is everyone’s favorite.” She met her mother’s stare and then snatched the cheese grater from her hand. “Did you even know you had one of these?” she asked as she opened the single drawer where her mother shoved all her cooking utensils. Another drawer held her flatware. The rest? Office supplies.

  “Did you have to empty out an office to make a space for me?” Avery asked, amazed all over again at how self-absorbed she’d been. She’d missed her mother’s business and it was right here under her nose.

  Regina’s phone rang as her mother said, “It was no burden. I do like to paint.”

  It was silly the things they’d never said to each other to make sure no one had to carry any extra burden.

  “Ash? Is that you?” Regina eased down into a kitchen chair, her hands shaking as she propped an elbow on the table. “What have you found?”

  Whatever Ash said, it was good news because Regina smiled at her and her mother before covering her eyes with one hand.

  “I’ve been so worried. Are you hurt? What’s wrong with your voice?” Regina listened intently. “The hospital? But you’re okay?”

  The line on her forehead deepened as she bent forward, intent on whatever Ash or Sam or whoever it was on the line was saying. Avery bent closer, desperate to know who was speaking and what the news was. If it was Sam and he’d had them all worried over nothing, she was going to use this as the perfect example to prove her argument. Colorado or Tennessee, she wasn’t the right woman for him. No way was she going to spend the rest of her life on pins and needles like this for him to land on his feet, the proverbial cat with all the lives.

  Then she realized, no matter who the right woman might be, Avery would never be able to stop worrying about Sam Blackburn. Not anymore, not since he’d helped put her back together. For better or worse, they were connected.

  Her stomach hurt so badly that she might also never eat lasagna again.

  Janet Abernathy mouthed silently, “Can you drive us to the hospital?”

  Avery immediately nodded yes, although the thought of walking into an ER again made the hard knot in her stomach roll. Definitely no lasagna for her.

  At the reminder that they had something baking, Avery pulled open the oven door and slipped two pot holders around the casserole dish. Regina had barked orders for almost an hour, but the final cook on this was going to have to come later. Her mother silently opened the refrigerator, and they’d gotten the pan inside when Regina ended the call and stood up so quickly her chair tipped over and landed with a crash.

  Then she bent to pick it up at the same time Avery’s mom did and they narrowly avoided another crash.

  “Ladies,” Avery said. “Forget the chair. I’ve got the keys. Are we headed to the hospital or the ranger station or Sam’s apartment?” It didn’t matter. She knew the way and it was clear that backing out of driving them to the hospital would be a bad idea.

  You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. Your mother will understand. So will Sam’s mother.

  But would Sam? That was harder to answer. He might understand. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t feel the hurt.

  If she was in the hospital, she’d want a visit from Sam. In fact, he might be the only one to convince her that she’d be okay.

  Giving him that much importance was a horrible mistake. He was leaving. And even if he stayed, this wouldn’t be the last time he needed an ER. She was in so much trouble.

  “Everyone load up.” Avery made a sweeping motion with her hands. “We’ll come back to this.”

  When Regina moved to leave the kitchen without her purse, Avery snatched it off the table and followed her mother through the small hallway to the front door.

  No one said anything as Avery made the short trip into Sweetwater. Regina was staring hard at her hands. Her mother was staring hard at Regina while she patted her back with enough force that Avery could hear the thumps in the front seat.

  Avery didn’t know whether to call attention to it. The silence was so tight with tension that the smallest sound or out-of-the-ordinary event could shatter it like a mirror, calling down years of bad luck on them all.

  She braked easily in the ER’s portico. “Go ahead. I’ll find a parking spot.”

  Regina was out of the car before she even finished speaking, but her mother stuck her head between the seats. “You coming in?”

  That was the question, wasn’t it?

  And the answer was she’d slowly go insane the longer she sat outside without the answers. Avery grimly nodded. “Yes, ma’am, as soon as I find a parking spot.”

  Her mother squeezed her shoulder. “You don’t have to do it, you know. I can call you soon as I know something else. He’ll understand.” Her mother’s concern was clear in her eyes. She didn’t want Avery to do anything that would bring back the pain or set back her recovery.

  And Avery could understand that. She’d scared them both for long enough. She could do this. “I’ll be in soon.”

  Her mother swallowed whatever she’d intended to say and slid out the other side of the SUV. Avery was pulling into a parking spot as a reserve SUV roared up and somehow managed to brake on a dime without squeaking or rocking. A tall guy with dark hair jumped out of the driver’s side, and Avery slowly slid out of her mother’s car. This was it. This would determine how much she could handle. If Sam was in one piece, she was strong enough to do this. But if he wasn’t...

  The dark-haired ranger trotted inside, and a small team followed him back out the sliding glass doors. She lost track of Sam in the surge of people, but when everyone dispersed, he was stretched out on a gurney, and Ash had stepped back on the sidewalk.

  The crowd moved sedately back inside the hospital, which Avery took as a good sign. He wasn’t in critical condition or they’d be running. She’d seen that often enough. Pushing the code-blue button had given her a firsthand view of how quickly doctors and nurses responded to life-and-death calls. Whatever was wrong with Sam, they could fix it. And they had the time they needed.

  She didn’t realize how hard she was struggling to breathe until the big guy turned to ask, “Do you need help, miss? I can call for a wheelchair.” He didn’t hesitate. It was clear Ash Kingfisher was a man of action, especially in a crisis. How lucky they were that he hadn’t waited for more information before heading up to the weather station.

  The thought of Sam waiting, suffering, while his team battled a flame that might be a threat to all of them hurt. Avery winced at the pain in her stomach but waved a hand.

  “No, I’m okay, but I was worried that Sam was in bad shape. Is he all right?” Avery asked before she brought one hand up to chew on her fingernail.

  “You must be Avery.” Ash Kingfisher offered her his hand to shake. “Sam mentioned you shared that bad habit.” He shrugged. “And that you were back in town.”

  Avery tried not to give too much credence to Ash’s words. Sam had talked about her, no doubt as the thorn in his side.

  She wanted to ask so many questions that they tumbled in her brain and only one made it to the top. “Is he...okay? Really?” She cleared her throat. “His mother didn’t say anything about what happened.”

  Ash gently touched her, his hand a reassuring weight in the center of her back, and some of the fear eased. “He’s got a concussion and broken ribs. Considering what might have happened, though, he’s already ahead of the game.” Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders. �
�Can I get you a chair? Should we go inside?”

  Avery inhaled slowly and held the breath before she forced herself to mindfully exhale. “The hospital portion of this evening really isn’t helping me, but...” She repeated the breathing exercise. Ash was watching her so closely that Avery started to feel sorry for him. He was a man who had no idea what to do to help her but was incapable of leaving her there while she was shaky on her feet.

  “Let’s go inside.” Avery could do this. “I can’t go home without seeing him for myself.”

  Ash nodded. “And he wants to see you, I have no doubt.”

  Avery studied his face, even more questions bubbling up.

  Ash cleared his throat. “I mean, I’m guessing.” Then he held out one hand. “A guy like Sam, one who doesn’t hesitate, has got to have some reason to waver on a decision he’s already made his mind up to go for.”

  “He’s wavering?” Avery asked softly. “On heading out to Colorado? Did he get a job offer?” And had he turned it down? Why did that fill her with such a giddy wave of joy? He shouldn’t have to quit his dreams because of her...and whatever they might have someday if she ever decided she was ready for something new.

  “I’ll let him answer that, but he’s anxious. Haven’t ever seen that.” Ash ran a hand down his nape. “Smart man’s gotta figure there’s something that changed in the meantime. Only one thing I can think of.”

  Avery squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to be the thing that derailed his life. She’d been there and had been afraid she was never going to find her way back.

  With a flash, Avery got mad about it, too.

  Why would a man ask her to change her life so drastically? How could Robert have made it so easy for her to give up what she’d been working toward?

  And how in the world could she convince Sam to go for what he wanted? She refused to be that person for Sam, the one who changed the course he’d set.

  Friends. They were friends. They could be friends while he was in Colorado. That would give her time to get her head on straight.

  All she had to do was march into the hospital, take a page from Sam’s own book and give him enough grief that he convinced her he was fine.

  “Listen, Ash,” Avery said as she wrapped her hand around his forearm, “I’m going in there. I have a long, complicated history with hospitals. I need you to get me to Sam. You can do that, right?”

  The corners of his mouth twitched but Ash nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for giving me a job. That’s what I needed.”

  Avery sighed. “Okay, I’ll continue to give you jobs. Together, the two of us will make it through this. Feed Courage, Ash.”

  “You’ve got a deal,” Ash said quietly and motioned her toward the door.

  The smell hit her first. There must have been some general supplier who had a bargain on cleaning products, because the Sweetwater hospital smelled like all the places she’d spent months in with Robert. Her stomach lurched and Ash squeezed her hand where it rested against his.

  “You can do this,” he said. “This place is not that one.”

  Avery nodded wildly in the hopes that the nausea would be swept away. She waited patiently while Ash asked for directions to Sam and his family. At first, she wasn’t sure the nurse running the information desk would let them through. There were laws against sharing that info, but Ash flashed her what Avery was certain was a rare smile. The nurse fluttered until he tapped the reserve badge, and then she motioned him on.

  Avery breathed slowly through her mouth. “Did I tell you I’ve met your sister? She’s amazing.”

  Ash didn’t glance her way, but he snorted. “Yeah, if I had a quarter for every time I’ve heard that in this lifetime.” He cursed as he lurched. “Sorry, leg gives me trouble.” They stopped and Ash stretched his leg. “Winter is one of those people everyone thinks is awesome. If they knew how mean she is before her coffee, they might change their opinion.”

  Avery gave him a quiet chuckle. He needed it. Some of the grimness faded. Then, as some of the devil in her kicked up, she leaned forward to say, “I tried to set Sam up with Winter. She’s that awesome.”

  Ash whistled. “Yeah, I know how well that went over. If she was the last woman on earth, Sam still wouldn’t go out with her, not if I was alive and kicking.” He straightened. “Sam’s the kind of friend who doesn’t let anything derail a friendship. That makes him rare.”

  Not even a kiss that Avery had shut down?

  Avery considered that as Ash took her arm again. He was absolutely right. No matter how long they were separated, she and Sam would always settle into the familiar patterns. He could go a thousand miles away. His next visit home might be a year in the future, but when he walked over to the fence separating his home from hers, Avery would meet him there and the conversation would resume like it had never ended.

  Sam might have wanted more. There might be a distance they couldn’t bridge, but if she needed Sam, he would be there for her, kiss or no.

  As they got closer to the curtained areas of the emergency room, Avery could see a crowd around one bed. Her mother and Regina were huddled together at the end of the hallway, hands clasped. Sam’s ugly cursing made everyone gasp, but the doctor, in a completely matter-of-fact tone, said, “We know he’s alive and kicking. Let’s get an X-ray to confirm the fracture.”

  Avery stopped behind his mother. “How is he?”

  Regina wiped a hand under both eyes. “No burns. That’s what I was afraid of. Concussion. Possible broken ribs.”

  The garbled sounds coming from the curtained area were concerning until Regina added, “And some smoke inhalation has roughed up his throat. Makes him sound like he’s been a smoker since before I was born.” Regina laughed, a gurgle like the tears were there, waiting for something to set them loose. The three of them watched them wheel the bed out to take him for X-rays.

  “Ms. Blackburn, you’re his mother, right?” The handsome doctor with salt-and-pepper curls shook Regina’s hand. If the situation had been different, Avery would have called it a meet-cute because the two of them might as well have been the bride and groom on top of the cake, complete with lovesick expressions. “Your son, he’s a lucky guy, but we’re going to get him put back together. He’s in some pain now, but he’s stable. As soon as we know the extent of the damage, we’ll give him a painkiller. He’s young and strong, in good shape. I don’t expect this will keep him down for long.”

  Regina patted his arm. “Thank you, Doctor. When will I be able to take him home?”

  “We’re going to keep him here for observation. I don’t expect to see any new developments, because he is so healthy.” The doctor squeezed Regina’s shoulder. “You can check on him and head home. He’ll be out of it, ready for some rest, as soon as we get him settled.”

  Avery noted Sam’s mother nodding and wondered if she’d leave him alone in the hospital. How could she walk away with Sam lying there in an empty room?

  Before Avery could shoulder her way into the conversation, a weird urge she couldn’t even understand, Sam was being wheeled inside.

  The doctor stepped back. “You guys keep the patient occupied. I’ll return as quickly as possible.” He stopped once to glance over his shoulder at their group and then he hurried away.

  Regina’s gaze followed him until he stepped through the swinging doors.

  Avery wasn’t sure what was going on until Janet murmured, “In the most unexpected places.”

  “Don’t you start with me. My son has been injured.” Regina tipped her chin up.

  “And who was making kissy faces about me and Michael Pace in front of my poor heartbroken daughter?” Janet snapped.

  “Ladies.” Sam’s croak stopped them in their tracks. “No fighting over men I can’t intimidate now.”

  Regina hurried over to his bed and too
k his hand between hers. “You lied to me. On the phone. I’ll never trust you again.”

  Sam winced. “No shaking. Please.”

  Regina immediately froze, her mouth twisted. “I’m so sorry, baby.” She tried to let go of his hand but Sam squeezed hers tightly.

  “I’m okay, Mom.” He tried to shift and winced again. “Soon as I get a pill, I’m going to be out of this world. Possibly literally.”

  “Bad jokes. Must mean he’s going to pull through.” Ash stood at the end of the bed, his feet braced and arms crossed as if he was ready for any problem.

  Sam raised his right arm to point at him. “My hero. Right there. How’d you know?”

  Ash shook his head. “No matter what you think, we aren’t psychically connected. There was a big fire, lots of smoke. Couldn’t get anyone to answer. What else was I supposed to do?”

  “Wait. But you didn’t. And I’m glad.” Sam wrapped an arm over his ribs. “Really.”

  Ash grunted. “Part of the job. I better get back to it.” He held his hands out. “Ladies, if there’s nothing else I can do to help, I’m going to head back to the mountain.”

  “Of course. There’s still a fire to put out.” Regina eased around the bed and wrapped her arms around Ash’s neck. After an awkward pause, he returned her hug.

  “Well, I don’t put out fires. I’m headed back to base. The incident commander will update me.” Ash’s cheeks had a bit of color, as if he was embarrassed by the attention. “I only leave my office for the easy rescues.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart,” Sam growled. “I owe you.”

  Ash nodded. “Don’t you forget it.” Then he turned on a heel and marched back out through the double doors. Avery was sorry he was leaving. While Ash was there, their group had been a collection of family and friends. Now? She wasn’t sure whether she still counted as one because the other was in jeopardy.