Texas Girl Grit

by Shelley Stringer

  “Scott!”

  Liam’s voice echoed, bouncing off the limestone surrounding us.

  “Liam!” I screamed, right before we hit the icy cold water, Scott’s arms wrapped around me and Masen.

  It felt as if we’d never quit sinking. Scott was a heavy weight, tugging me down. The helplessness I felt was overwhelming, my arms useless to swim as they were trapped under Scott’s embrace. I couldn’t fight against his hold with them wrapped around Masen. It didn’t take long for the water’s temperature to wreak havoc on my system. My body hurt – a tremendous pain as if thousands of knives were thrust into me, the sting of the cold overpowering any other sensation. I couldn’t feel Masen in my arms any longer. My lungs, burning and full to the point of bursting, began to fail. I gulped in icy water as I kicked my legs and fought to break free.

  My mind was on fire, the direct opposite of my body. My sweet Masen was going to drown in my arms.

  * * *

  Tana

  Sean slammed the truck into park as Aaron threw the door open in front of them. Gun drawn, Liam rounded the front and tore down the path in front of Scott’s vehicle.

  “Round that way, take the path leading down to the well. We’ll take the top route to the diving rock above,” Aaron shouted to Liam and Sean.

  Colton paused and then called to Sunni, “Stay here with the trucks.” Sunni nodded, climbing back in to the cab, out of the sleet and rain.

  Tana trailed behind the men. She’d instinctively grabbed quilts off the end of Kelly’s sofa as they left the farmhouse, and she struggled with the bundle in her arms. Her eyes filled with tears, knowing fighting the elements and cold was the least of their worries for Masen and Kelly. She prayed silently they weren’t too late.

  Shouts ahead in the distance hurried her pace.

  “Scott!” Liam’s voice rang out. They’d found them, thank God.

  “Liam!”

  Kelly’s scream was desperate and heart-wrenching, right before Tana heard the splash of water.

  “Get them!” Sean yelled, then another splash. When the horrific scene unfolded before her as she broke through the mesquites and rock formations, she dropped the blankets on the ground and fell to her knees, helplessly watching.

  Aaron leapt off the rock outcropping above, hitting the water feet-first. Kelly and the baby were nowhere to be seen.

  Liam and Sean had crossed a wooden plank to a stone wall beside the well. Sean blocked his hand across Liam’s chest.

  “Stay out of the water, man, or we’ll be back in ICU with you,” Sean growled, diving in.

  Minutes were hours. How long could a man hold his breath in the icy water? It wasn’t enough Tana was worried for her best friend. Now, Sean…the man she’d finally admitted to herself she could fall in love with, had disappeared into the watery depths of the mythic well. Her heart raced painfully in her chest, watching Liam struggle to restrain himself from diving in after Sean.

  She waited breathlessly, watching for any sign from Liam there was life below the water’s surface.

  Liam dropped to sit on the ledge and leaned into the water.

  Sean broke the surface, gasping for breath with a lifeless Kelly in his arms. With a massive show of strength, Liam pulled Kelly from the water and Sean’s grasp and rose with her. Cradling her to his body, he barreled down the wooden plank toward Tana. She pulled at the folded quilts in her lap, ready to envelope her friend as Liam dropped to his knees.

  Liam checked frantically for a pulse.

  “I’ve got him!” Sean yelled, drawing her attention over Liam’s shoulder. Sean raced across the makeshift bridge, cradling Masen to his chest, with Colton directly behind him. “Don’t stop, get them to the truck! Address the hypothermia first. We have to get the wet clothes off them and wrap them in the blankets!”

  Liam stood up, Kelly still in his arms. Tana grabbed the other quilt and ran after them with Sean close on her heels.

  “Aaron and Bud?” she asked as they ran.

  “Dealing with Scott. They’re fine, they’ll follow.”

  They piled back into the running trucks. Sean placed Masen in Tana’s lap and helped her pull his clothes off. Jerking her coat open, she unbuttoned her blouse and placed his naked body against her chest, wrapping in her coat again. Sean kissed her on top of her head as he wrapped them both in the quilt and then jumped in the driver’s seat beside her.

  She turned to look at Liam. He had Kelly’s sweater dress and boots off and was wrapping her in the other quilt with Colt’s help, his hand wrapped around her neck as he rubbed her chest and arms vigorously.

  “Pulse?”

  “We got her,” Colt answered and swung Liam’s door closed.

  “Go!” Liam barked, still rubbing Kelly furiously as he cradled her.

  “Stay with me, Baby. We’ve got you,” he murmured, pulling her wet hair away from her face. “I love you, Baby. I’m not losing you now, after everything we’ve been through. Stay with me.”

  Tana unwrapped the heavy scarf from the neck of her coat and handed it back to Liam. “Wrap it around her head, get her head warm.”

  He nodded thankfully to her, seeming relived to be doing something for her.

  Tana knew Masen was okay when he coughed water and began to fuss. His tiny body was frigid against hers. She shifted between cupping his hands and his feet in her hands to warm them. He was ice against her warm skin.

  The frozen landscape flew, Sean pushing his truck to the limit for the treacherous conditions the roads were in. With his emergency flashers on, what traffic there was out on the roads parted for them. When she turned to check behind, she could see Aaron’s vehicle and Colton’s truck, and what appeared to be a highway patrol riding along beside them, their lights on. Aaron or Colton must have called ahead to warn them of the situation.

  “How’s he doing?” Sean asked, tucking the blanket around Masen’s head and feeling his forehead.

  “He’s moving, expressing water. That’s good, right?” Tana asked shakily.

  “Yeah, Baby. You’re doing fine,” he assured her, swiping her cheek with his thumb as he looked back to the road. Slowing, he made a crazy turn on the highway the opposite way from Austin.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, puzzled.

  “Nearest trauma center is San Marcos, twenty minutes, tops. Austin will be an hour. They might not have an hour,” he murmured, looking in his rearview mirror. She nodded, checking behind them again. Then a highway patrol car pulled ahead, their lights and sirens blazing through the haze of sleet.

  They made it to San Marcos in twelve minutes, a full team of doctors and trauma nurses meeting them at the emergency room doors.

  * * *

  Tana

  They were a strange-looking crew, camped out in the hall of the hospital. Colton, Aaron, Bud and Sean had changed as many of their wet clothes as they could, using scrubs and a couple of western shirts Colton carried in the sleeper on his truck for rodeos. Even in pearl-snap shirts and scrub bottoms, they were still hot, and the female nurses noticed, appearing more and more frequently in the hallway leading to the ER. Tana was bone weary, the cold and adrenalin rush she’d experienced more than once that afternoon taking its toll. Using Sean’s lap as a pillow on the floor, she lifted her head to listen when she heard Liam’s voice.

  “How are they, Doc?”

  They all pushed to their feet as a prematurely white-haired doctor met him at the end of the corridor. “Of most concern is their core temperature and aspiration of water. Your wife and son are both mildly hypothermic, but in this case, hypothermia probably aided in saving them both from drowning, slowing their heart rate. You said they were both submerged less than five minutes, and it’s a good sign they resuscitated rapidly. I’m admitting them for observation. We’ll keep them overnight and monitor their heart and lung function. If they remain symptom free after four hours, they can be released in the morning.”

  Liam’s shoulders relaxed as he ran his hands through
his hair. He turned back to the doctor.

  “Can I go in and see her?”

  The doctor smiled. “Sure. You two have been in the news quite a bit lately. I’m aware you’ve been through a tough few months, and I’m sure you want to stay with her. I’ll have one of the nurses bring a foldout to put in her room for you. I’ve also asked that your son’s crib be moved into the room as well. There will be a nurse with him constantly – they will be well-cared for.”

  “Yeah, thanks Doc. Thanks.” He turned back to Sean. “Man…there are no words,” he choked, grabbing Sean and pulling him into the one-armed man-hug thing.

  “Your heart--my heart,” Sean answered, releasing Liam and then pulling Tana close.

  Sean’s jeans were still damp and clingy. Tana didn’t care.

  “Y’all should go, change clothes. Get warm. I’ll call you,” Liam began.

  Tana shook her head and then tilted it back to look up at Sean. “I’d like to stay, at least until they’ve made it the four hours. And I need to see her,” she said, her voice shaking a bit on the last.

  “Sure, Baby. We’ll stay,” Sean answered, kissing her on the forehead. Comforted, she turned back to Liam.

  “Go ahead,” she urged. “You need some time with her. You both have some making up to do. I’ll come back in a bit, after I get some hot coffee down these guys,” she said, tilting her head toward Colton and Sunni, Aaron, and Bud.

  Nodding once, Liam hurried down the corridor after the doctor.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kelly

  I was toasty warm. An hour ago, I never thought I’d be able to get warm enough. I’d never been so cold, shivering hard it made my muscles sore. The shivering and the crash after an adrenalin high had me feeling almost paralyzed – even my eyelids. I was almost catatonic. I lay motionless, enjoying the warmth. After a bit, I began to take in my surroundings. My brain was finally beginning to work again.

  I ran over memories of the scene in the emergency room. Bright lights, doctor’s prodding and probing, drawing blood, running tests. They’d checked my lungs, and X-rayed both me and Masen. I was frantic to hold him the minute I’d stopped shaking violently, but the nurse had assured me he was warm, safe and sleeping. I hadn’t seen Liam since they’d pulled me from his arms and placed me on a gurney, whisking me through the automatic doors in the ER. The last I’d heard, he was protesting being made to go around to the waiting area.

  Liam had come for me. Somehow, he’d been alerted to our being in danger, or he’d finally come to me after my stupid silence in response to his calls and texts. I didn’t care what the reason was. I was glad he’d come for us. He’d saved our lives.

  I closed my eyes, prayed a prayer of thanks, and promised God if he’d give me one more chance with Liam, I wouldn’t let anything come between us. Not a madman, not politics, not misunderstandings…not blackmail or sex tapes. God had placed Liam in my life, and I was going to be the best wife I could be.

  The “whoosh” of the door opening made my eyes snap open.

  Liam stood there, his eyes roaming over my body. As my own eyes followed him, he moved slowly toward me.

  “How’re you feeling?” he asked, his voice deep with emotion. He reached under the blankets and grabbed my hand, but sweetly left them clasped together underneath, not wanting to bring my own out into the cold air.

  “Warmer,” I answered, smiling up at him.

  “I want to pull you up and wrap you in my arms so much, it hurts to hold back,” he said, his eyes once more traveling down my blanket-covered body and then up again. “I mean…it is physically painful to hold myself from you,” he finished, his eyes closing as he shook his head.

  “I’m okay, I promise. I’m not a china doll; I won’t break.”

  Still wary, he released my hand and sank down close against my side, leaning across me to plant his hands one on either side of my shoulders.

  I tilted my head up, hoping for a kiss.

  He complied at once, dropping his lips to cover mine. It was the softest, sweetest kiss he’d ever given me. After caressing my lips with his, he pulled away a bit to look at me, then leaned in again and placed a kiss on my forehead.

  “I’ve missed you,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

  “Shhh. I know. I’ve missed you too,” he murmured, resting his forehead sweetly against mine.

  “I’m sorry for leaving, for messing up again,” I began, the sobs bubbling up and testing my raw throat.

  “Hey, now…stop. You have nothing to be sorry for. Shhh,” he soothed me when the tears began to flow. “I’m taking all the blame this time. You were trying to protect me, when I should have been the one protecting you. But we’ll sort it all later, Baby. We’ve got all the time in the world. Just know I love you, and I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here with you, yeah?” he urged, his eyes sparkling.

  I nodded, swallowing back the tears. “Yeah, I love you too.”

  He nestled his face into my neck, placing his weight and his warmth on top of my upper body. He was warm. He was heaven.

  “Our little Marley Belle is fine,” he murmured.

  “I know. I can feel her turning summersaults.”

  He reached down and covered my tummy, grinning at me as she backed up my words. “I’ve missed out on feeling her move,” he murmured, bringing a fresh rush of tears to my eyes. “Don’t, Baby. Shhh,,” he said, brushing the wetness from my cheeks. “Just rest.”

  I tried to push up, panicked. “Jen! Scott said he hurt Jen!”

  Liam held me tighter, his voice deeper as he tried to calm me. “Baby, she’s going to be fine. Sunni and Colt found her, before we came for you. She’s got a bad concussion, a broken arm and some broken ribs, but she’ll mend. I’ll take you to see her when we get back to Austin,” he assured me. “She was frantic with worry about you when she finally woke. She’d known, when Scott attacked her when she pressed him about the phone calls to Tex that you were in danger.”

  “Is someone with her?”

  “Yeah. Sunni is going back to be with her, and her mom is there. She’ll be fine.”

  I relaxed then, and with Liam’s arms around me, exhaustion finally took over, the weight of the whole ordeal pulling me down into a deep, restful sleep. I woke twice during the night, once when Masen cried out. As soon as I pushed up to check, a nurse had him in her arms, taking a seat in the rocker beside his crib.

  “I’ve got him, Mrs. Covington. He’s good,” she said, assuring me with a warm smile. I nodded and lay back down, turning to check beside me. Liam sat on the edge of the cot they’d brought in for him, his arms folded on the bed beside me. His head was turned toward me, his breathing even. Masen’s cries hadn’t disturbed his sleep. I started to shake him awake and urge him to lay down, then thought better of it, knowing he needed his rest. The nurse spoke up from across the room.

  “He’s been reluctant to leave your bedside. We’ve tried to get him to lie down,” she said.

  I felt his love and devotion at once, her words comforting me. I swept the hair from his forehead and placed a gentle kiss there, then moved back to my pillows and found sleep once again.

  The second time I woke, I found Liam lying beside me, his arms around me, cradling me to his chest. I turned my head to find him silently watching me.

  His brow furrowed. “Did I wake you, Baby?”

  I reached to smooth the frown lines from his forehead. “No. Are you supposed to be up here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  He sighed and reached to cup his hand behind my head and tucked it back into his neck. “Probably not. The nurse over there frowned at me, but didn’t try to stop me. So, I figure I’m good. Besides,” he said, squeezing me, “you were shivering again. I needed to hold you.”

  I nodded, snuggled into his warmth and immediately fell back to sleep in his arms.

  The early morning hours found nurses taking our vitals and more blood samples. Liam woke and left the room to make some phone calls. The nurse wh
o’d stayed by Masen’s side during the night placed him in my arms.

  “Thought you might want to feed him this morning, Mrs. Covington,” she said as she moved my bed table over me. My food and Masen’s had been placed on a tray. While I waited for Liam to return, I feed him baby food and fruit between bites of my own eggs and oatmeal. When Liam returned before we were finished, I pushed the tray away.

  My mind clearer this morning, I was full of questions about my ordeal. I vaguely remembered thinking we were dying, and desperately trying to breathe as I sucked my lungs full of icy water. I remembered trying to hold Masen as my frozen arms failed to feel him, while Scott pulled us down into the icy depths.

  Then my next coherent memory was Liam’s arms. But his clothes hadn’t been damp when he’d come to me after the hospital staff placed me in a room.

  As Liam pulled a chair closer me, I turned to him.

  “Baby, let me have him and you can finish your breakfast.”

  Masen had begun to squirm in my arms, his usual exuberance returning upon seeing his daddy for the first time in weeks. I’d been relieved to finally feel him in my arms this morning and I was reluctant to give him over. I’d thought I would never hold his warm body against mine again.

  Once he had Masen secured, he sank down in the chair at my bedside.

  “God, how I’ve missed you, little buddy,” he said, snuggling Masen to his neck. Masen immediately stilled, warm and safe in his favorite place in the world…on Liam’s shoulder.

  “I’m sorry,” I began, choking up once again, thinking I’d taken Masen away from him for even a day.

  Liam shook his head and smiled sadly at me. “I told you, no more

  ‘I’m sorry.’”

  “So, who pulled us from the well?” I asked, taking a drink of orange juice to retain my composure. The partial meal had refreshed me, making me feel stronger.

  “Sean. He and Aaron jumped in immediately when we got there and heard you scream. Sean said he grabbed you and pulled you free as Aaron struggled with Scott. He surfaced with you, I pulled you out of the water, and he went back for Masen as I ran you to the truck.