Heidi Vanlandingham - Lucie: Bride of Tennessee (American Mail-Order Bride 16)

by Heidi Vanlandingham

  She felt along her coat and winced when her fingers touched the cut. She wiped her bloody fingertips on her dress, wishing she’d taken a few seconds to kick out the broken window glass. All she could think about, though, was finding Stella.

  Slowly, she rose on unsteady legs. Tilting sideways, she pressed her hand against the wall as she looked around the basement. The space smelled old and musty, probably from the flood waters that had almost destroyed this part of Chattanooga. She slowly moved toward the back of the basement, not liking how the floor above dipped down near the middle. She walked faster. “Stella!” Her voice sounded airy and thin in the darkness.

  “Lucie! I’m back here!”

  “I’m coming!” She hurried forward, trying not to trip over the piles of dirt covering the floor. “I’m almost there, Stella. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. Lucie, I’m scared.”

  To her ears, Stella sounded so small. She made her way to the back of the basement and found herself staring at a pile of debris from the floor above, which blocked the doorway. She set the lantern down and began pulling away the broken floorboards until she could crawl through. Reaching down, she grabbed the dim lantern and crawled into the room.

  “Lucie?”

  Stella stood in the middle of the room. She was covered in dirt and her eyes were huge. Lucie could see the dark streaks on her pale cheeks from tears and fear in Stella’s wide eyes. “Oh Stella.” She fell to her scraped knees, uncaring of the pain, and pulled the little girl’s quivering body against her and held her tight. “I’m here, honey. You’re going to be okay.” She ran her hands over tangled curls, knowing she was reassuring herself, not just Stella. “How about we get out of here?”

  “I can’t find the kitten! We can’t leave her here—she’ll die!” the little girl wailed.

  There was an ominous creak from above then the house groaned. “Honey, we need to hurry!”

  Before they could move, the house let out another loud groan, then collapsed on top of them.

  * * *

  Sebastian set the glass of bourbon on the countertop without tasting it. He was miserable. Not only had he been too cowardly to face Lucie, but for the first time he hadn’t been home to kiss Stella goodnight.

  He’d sat at the bar, morosely nursing his drink alone…until Sheriff Gurley and Doc Brown had sauntered in. That had been almost two hours ago, and since then he’d had to listen to one lecture after another about how wonderful Lucie was, and how could he treat her like that.

  He didn’t need these two blowhards telling him how badly he’d messed up. Now he just had to figure out how to apologize. What words could he use to explain how he felt, other than fear? Lucie was everything his first wife hadn’t been; loving and caring. She filled their house with love and had made it a home. So why was he acting like such a jerk?

  He rubbed the pressure in his chest with the heel of his hand. He had to just face the fact that he was a coward. He was scared of his growing feelings for Lucie. He stared at the golden liquid, and with a loud sigh, raised it to his lips.

  “Sebastian!”

  He whirled around to see Alex and his mother run into the room. His mother’s face crumbled when her gaze met his. She stopped several feet away, sobbing behind the back of her hand. John immediately went to her, pulling her into his chest and patting her back.

  Alex’s eyes bulged, wide-eyed and filled with terror. He gasped and wheezed until he leaned forward, his hands clasping his trembling knees. “Stella…Stella got trapped…Lucie’s already there.”

  Sebastian froze. He heard the words, but he couldn’t breathe through the stricture in his throat. Pain roared through his head, and without another thought he raced through the door with Alex close behind. He didn’t stop to ask John or Doc to help; his only thought was getting to his daughter and Lucie before it was too late.

  He grabbed the hobbles around the horse’s legs and scrambled into the carriage with Alex close behind. Doc and John scrambled into the back. Slapping the reins, they took off. “Where are they, Alex?”

  Alex grabbed the seat as the carriage careened around the street corner. “In the abandoned house by the school!”

  They made it there in record time. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the dilapidated house as it bent inward at an awkward angle. Overwhelming fear seared Sebastian’s heart as a band of pain circled his chest. Pulse racing, he jumped down from the carriage and ran toward the small window Alex pointed to. Dropping to his knees, he prayed to see his daughter’s sweet smile. He almost felt her tiny hands rub against his cheeks as he stared into the darkness. He pulled out the glass, noticing the bright red droplets of blood.

  He breathed in a shaky breath and hollered, “Lucie! Stella!” In the loud silence, he heard the trickle of dirt or pebbles falling to the ground. In the waning light of the late afternoon, he could barely see the interior. But what he saw terrified him.

  The back section of the ground floor had collapsed, and he could see up into the interior of the house. The exterior wall facing him had a large crack through it, like one-half of an X. The plaster was gone, and the lathes had snapped in two pieces along the gash. He was thankful that the frame and front part of the house were still standing, but he didn’t like the oppressive air filling the space around him.

  When Alex crowded in, trying to see, Sebastian pushed him back and into Doc’s strong hold. “Stay with Doc, Alex. I’m going inside, and I can’t worry about you getting hurt.” He cupped his hands over the boy’s cold cheeks. “I’ll find them—both of them. I promise.”

  From the corners of his eyes, he caught John’s knowing gaze. “Get me a lantern. There’s one in the box on my carriage.” He didn’t wait to see if John followed his command, he simply turned and kicked out the window frame so he could squeeze his broad shoulders through the small opening.

  Landing with a dull thud on a pile of dirt, he squinted into the darkness, listening for any sounds other than the ominous creaking of the structure still standing above them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Sebastian! Grab hold!” John handed him the small black lantern through the window, giving out a pale light.

  He breathed in a shaky breath, coughing from the dust still floating in the air. Holding the lantern out in front of him, he could see a massive pile of debris spilling from the back half of the house to his right. By some miracle, there was a small path. To his left, he made out parts of the walls from some of the interior rooms hanging at odd angles, and all around him, dirt trickled like a light rain.

  He closed his eyes, and for the first time in many years, prayed. He opened his heart and let go of all the resentment and fear he’d allowed to clutter his life, pleading that he would find his daughter and his wife safe.

  Lucie’s beautiful eyes filled his mind. Her rich laugh. Her sweet lips. “I can’t lose you now, sweetheart,” he whispered as he carefully picked his way through the dirt and debris.

  Fearful that even sound might bring more down on them, he hesitated, then called out their names. “Lucie! Stella!” From the back of the house he thought he heard a small cry. He moved faster, climbing over several pieces of broken furniture.

  “Papa!”

  He stopped, holding deathly still as he heard his daughter’s voice somewhere in front of him. “Stella! I’m here! Where are you?”

  “I’m scared, papa! It’s hard to breathe!”

  “I know sweetie. Is Lucie with you?”

  “She’s stuck under a pile of dirt, and I can’t wake her up. Papa. I’m really scared!”

  “I know Stella, but I need you to be brave right now.” He pulled in a shaky breath, willing his mind to focus as he glanced around the small space. Somehow he had to get to them without causing another cave-in. He hung the lantern on a broken timber.

  “I heard Stella’s voice, but where’s Lucie?” John said in a loud whisper as he came up behind him.

  “Stella says she’s unconscious, possibly trapped under
the dirt.”

  John glanced around the dirt-filled space and shook his head. “I don’t see a way to get them out, do you?”

  Panic filled him. His stomach felt as if someone had yanked it out and replaced it with a large rock. The thought of losing either of them sent a crippling fear through his body. Lucie had changed his life. She’d changed him. He no longer wanted to be just a father—he wanted to be a husband. Lucie’s husband. He stared unseeing at the obstacle between them, and felt a sense of rightness sweep over him. Through him. He had fallen in love with her.

  With a renewed determination, he carefully began crawling over the pile, sliding to the ground as the house shook, unleashing another downpour of debris. He teetered and fell back into John, who held him up. John picked up the lantern and held it above their heads.

  Where the floor-to-ceiling wall of dirt had been, there was now a small crawlspace near the ceiling.

  Sebastian scrambled, not really caring how much dirt he was kicking back on John as he slipped and slid his way to the top of the pile. John, right behind him, reached into the hole with the lantern.

  Sitting in the middle of the small space was Stella, cradling Lucie’s head in her lap. When the light appeared, she squinted against the sudden brightness. Blinking a couple of times, she looked up and smiled. “Papa!”

  Sebastian looked down at Lucie, praying that she was still alive, and crawled through the hole headfirst, managing to find a handhold on the other side. Carefully, he folded his body through until he could get his feet beneath him and slowly made his way from one piece of lodged debris to another, trying not to make the dirt fall any more than it already was.

  He pulled his daughter to him, kissing her head. His eyes filled with tears, thanking God she was alive. Pulling himself away from her, he pressed his fingers against Lucie’s neck to feel for a pulse. She moaned. Saying another quick thanks, he pressed his palm against the small cut on her forehead then turned back to Stella.

  “I’m going to hold her head while you crawl out from underneath her.” She did as she was told, and he gently laid Lucie’s head on the ground then picked his daughter up. “Now, I’m going to lift you up to Sheriff Gurley so he can get you out of here.”

  She held his cheeks with her small hands, frowning at him. “But what about Lucie, Papa? We can’t leave her here.”

  He kissed her nose. “I’m not going to leave her. We need her too much, don’t we?”

  She nodded. “I want her to be my mama.”

  For the second time, his eyes filled with tears. “I want her to be your mama too. Now, let’s get you both out of here.” He lifted his daughter over his head while John reached for her, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her through the opening. Sebastian heard her slide down the pile with a squeal.

  He listened while John told her to follow the path—that Alex and Doc Brown were waiting for her at the window. Waiting in the blackness for John to reappear with the lantern, he didn’t dare pull Lucie out from underneath the dirt. Not until he got a closer look at the wall on top of her.

  Yellow light flooded the space, and she moaned again. “Stella?”

  He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Shhh. Stella’s safe. She’s with Alex and Doc Brown outside.”

  Her brows drew together in a slight frown, but she didn’t open her eyes. “Sebastian?”

  “I’m here, darling. We’re going to get you out soon.”

  “I can’t feel my legs.”

  Fear speared his heart when he heard her softly whispered words. Her head tilted sideways. His palm cradled her dirty cheek as he leaned closer, brushing his lips over hers. “Lucie?” She didn’t answer. He looked down where her legs disappeared under the wall of debris.

  The house shifted above them, sending down a fine sprinkling of dirt from above. “John, we have to hurry!” He immediately saw why she hadn’t been able to pull herself out. Her legs were wedged underneath a dresser. He glanced around the space, looking for anything he could use to help support the piece of furniture so he could dig her out.

  Near the far wall lay several logs. He grabbed two logs, larger than her legs, and knelt in front of the mangled dresser. Carefully, so he didn’t move too much dirt on either side of her, he worked the logs underneath the broken pieces of wood. Once he had both logs in place, he slowly pulled her out.

  “Sebastian, found this hanging on a wall!”

  He glanced up to see John holding a rope.

  “Tie it under her arms, and I can pull her out. You’re gonna have to help maneuver her through the opening so she doesn’t fall through and bring the entire thing down on me too,” John instructed.

  Grabbing the rope, Sebastian secured it around Lucie then threw the other end back up to John. Working together, they managed to pull her through to the other side without too much dirt falling. Using the debris as a ladder, he crawled up the mound and through the hole to the other side. Holding Lucie tightly against his chest, he carried her through the basement. John crawled back through the window, and they repeated the procedure until she was safely outside.

  Sitting outside on the grass, Sebastian didn’t want to let her go, not even for Doc Brown to look her over. He compromised instead, letting him inspect her legs while he sat with her in his lap. Alex kneeled beside them, shoulders slumped forward, his sister’s hand tightly clasped in his. Martha hovered in the background, clutched against John’s chest, worry etched on her face. The sheriff held Stella in his other arm, her head resting against his neck.

  Doc opened his mouth to speak, and the house caved in on itself at that moment, sending a huge plume of dust into the early evening sky. “Hmmm. Well, that was a little close for comfort.” He patted the side of Lucie’s leg and stood. “She’s going to be just fine. Gave her toes a good pinching, and she jerked. I believe she just needs a bit of rest and pampering.” Beady eyes peered down at Sebastian. “Think you can handle that, son?”

  Sebastian’s thumb rubbed the curve of Lucie’s cheek. He dropped his gaze to her open eyes as she stared up at him. “I don’t think I will have any problems taking care of her.”

  “Good. I’m going on home. The missus will think something’s happened to me if I’m not there in time for supper.”

  “Sissy?”

  Lucie squeezed Alex’s hand. Squirming in Sebastian’s lap, she tried to sit up. With one swift motion, he propped her against his chest, refusing to let her go for even an instant as he listened to her soft, lilting voice as she reassured her brother that she was going to be all right.

  “Papa, can we go home now?” Stella asked.

  A soft, muffled mewling filled the silence and Stella’s pulled a small white kitten from her coat pocket. He smiled at his daughter’s tired, dirt-streaked face. “Yes, pumpkin, I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

  Once they were all home, he changed Lucie into her nightgown and threw her filthy, torn dress on the floor. He’d throw it away later. With a warm cloth, he washed off the dirt while his mother took care of Alex and Stella. He placed another pillow behind her back, then took the pins out of her hair and watched the long braid slide over her chest.

  He picked up the hairbrush from her nightstand and gently unbraided her hair, running his fingers through the silky strands. “I love your hair down.” He brushed out the tangles along with a few pieces of grass, noting with satisfaction her soft purr each time he ran the brush over her scalp.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful. He dropped the brush at her side and wrapped his hands around her head, his palms cradling her face. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers and moaned.

  “Sebastian?” she whispered against his lips, the warm air caressing.

  “I’m so sorry. I am a stupid, stupid man.” He sat back and picked up her hand, threading his fingers through hers, the wedding band pressing into the tender webbing of his hand. “I’m sorry for not coming home last night. I couldn’t handle my emotions, my feelings for you…and
, well, I panicked.”

  She smiled. “You have feelings for me?”

  “More than that. I love you with everything I am, Lucie McCord. You are the other half of my heart. If you’re agreeable, I would like to amend my marriage agreement.” He leaned forward and kissed her sweet lips. “I want you as my wife in every sense of the word. I want to have children with you. Grow old with you.”

  Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded, throwing her arms around his neck and holding his head against hers. “I love you so much! My answer is yes, Sebastian McCord. I want more than anything to be your wife and Stella’s mother.”

  Epilogue

  Lucie stared down at the sleeping baby cradled in her arms. “Riley Garrett McCord,” she whispered, not wanting to wake him. She glanced at her husband, his eyes overflowing with love as he stared at his son.

  “He’s perfect,” Sebastian whispered and met her gaze. Lifting himself up on one elbow, he leaned forward her and brushed his thumb across her lips, gently kissing her. “I love you.”

  Her heart beat wildly in her chest. She thought back to that fateful decision she’d made almost a year ago. Becoming a mail-order bride had terrified her, and it had been the best decision she’d ever made.

  “I love you too.” She turned her face back down to her son’s, his little mouth puckered in his sleep. The door snicked softly, and two beaming faces appeared in the widening crack.

  Smiling, she nodded and put a finger to her lips as they hurried to the side of the bed and looked at the new addition to their family.

  “I’m an uncle!” Alex laughed then froze as Riley squirmed in her arms. “I’m really an uncle!” he said in a loud whisper.

  “That’s nothing. I’m a big sister.” Stella stuck out her tongue at Alex and giggled as she ran out of the room with him chasing close behind.