Tiger nodded and slid from the seat, making his way to Josh’s room.
Cole turned to Jensen, who’d been the EMT on duty. He hadn’t seen him since they’d left Pine Acres after the whole kissing scene Jensen had walked in on. “Thanks for taking care of him. They must have both been pretty scared.”
Jensen nodded. “Of course. Yeah, once we got to them and did a preliminary examination, we were relieved they were stable and didn’t have visible injuries.” He paused. “You saw, though, how just getting to them—it took a lot of time.” He paused, as if chewing on a thought. “Seb mentioned a Crisis Response Team and he dropped your name in with it.”
Super. “I just told him the town needs a better plan.”
“You’re right, we do. This was only a snapshot of what could happen. We could have reached Josh a lot faster if it didn’t take so long to mobilize.” Jensen shook his head. “And we need better equipment. We pulled him out with another sled and toboggan. But if he’d had a head injury or internal injuries, we would’ve had no way to airlift him out of there.”
“All true,” Seb added.
“If Tiger hadn’t called with the general area where they were, we could have been searching for them for hours—well after dark and temperatures dropping. Exposure over that many hours…” Darek didn’t finish.
He didn’t have to. Even without critical injuries, the two boys couldn’t have survived that long in temperatures below freezing.
Cole’s phone buzzed. Nathan. He’d already called twice and left voicemails asking for a callback.
“Sorry, I need to grab this.”
Cole stepped away and lifted the phone to his ear.
“Hello?”
“I think I’ve got a buyer for your house.”
It took a moment for Cole to catch up. A buyer?
For his house. Right. “That’s great news.”
A pause. “It doesn’t sound like great news. It sounds like I just told you that your cancer tests just came back positive. What’s going on?”
Cole paused. “Sorry. I’m at the hospital. Megan’s son, Josh, got into a snowmobile accident.”
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah. Likely just a sprained wrist. But it could have been worse.” And he didn’t know why, but all the worse things kept jangling around in his head.
They did need a better emergency response team in Deep Haven.
“Thanks for the update, Nathan.”
“I’ll keep you posted,” Nathan said and hung up.
Megan came down the hall. “They’ll be releasing him soon. The X-rays came back clear.”
He didn’t know why, but he reached out and pulled her close.
By the time Josh was released and Cole helped Megan get him home, up the stairs, and into bed, it was near midnight. Cole tucked the blanket around Josh and followed Megan out of the bedroom, turning off the bedroom light and pulling the door closed.
She sank onto the couch, pulled the afghan blanket around herself.
“He’s so lucky.” She swiped a tear away. “When Tiger told me they’d hit a culvert and Josh went flying… He’s lucky he had his helmet on. Lucky he didn’t hit a tree. And lucky, too, it’s only a sprain.” She laughed, nothing of humor in it. “I keep saying lucky, which is kind of funny since I don’t believe in luck. God watched out for him today.”
And she finally fell apart. The brave facade she’d put on unraveled and suddenly she was sobbing. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.”
“You didn’t. You won’t.” He wrapped his arms around her and she curled into him, holding on to his T-shirt and letting out little huffs of breath.
“It feels like it’s my fault. I know he asked to go—but I wanted to have the time too.”
Time…with him. She didn’t say it. Didn’t have to. Because that was exactly what he’d wanted too. And when he’d found out Josh was safe and let the relief pour out of him—well, shoot, his own eyes were burning.
He cleared his throat, and she picked then to lean away. He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Do they think he will be healed in time for the tournament?”
“I hope so. I think we’ll know more over the next few days. For now, he has to keep the brace on.” She wrinkled her nose. “We never got our pizza.”
“No. That’s okay. I forgot I was hungry.”
“Me too.” She looked at him, a solemnness in her eyes. “Thank you for being there tonight. For being here.”
“Of course.”
He let his fingers glide through the silky lock of hair that had fallen over his hand.
She smiled. “Do you remember the time we rode on the Evergreen Lodge Fourth of July float?”
“As I recall, it was more of an Evergreen truck and flatbed trailer.” He’d been so proud to be included. An outsider, invited into the fold.
“Of course. That constitutes a bona fide float in this town. With hay bales and balloons. Candy to throw,” she added. “And we got so burned.”
The memory reached in, wrapping its tender grip around his heart.
“Not only sunburned, but I remember having our fill of watermelon, and someone—” He gave her a squeeze. “Someone trying to rig the water fight.”
She shrugged half-heartedly. “I didn’t see anywhere in the rules that we couldn’t ask to join the fire crew’s team. They could have said no.”
She looked up at him, her eyes luminous, the furrow gone. Instead, she bore a softness and smile that could stop him in his tracks. Wow. She could take his breath away.
“That’s the kind of life I want to give Josh.”
“The sunburn?” He gave her a smile, pressing away the niggling memory of David’s last call with him. Get that house sold fast, man. We’ve got plans.
“No, Ranger.” She gave him a light jab in the ribs. “Community. You know, a hometown. That feeling of family.”
The words had the full effect of reaching straight into his soul, destroying all his protective barriers. Because he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be than right here, with her in his arms, especially as she leaned against him again, her breaths growing heavy, and Josh, asleep in his room. With, yeah, that feeling of family.
The smell of chocolate chip cookies still permeated the air. This little apartment was so much more a home than he’d had in years. Reluctance held him there for another twenty minutes, until propriety required him to slide out from under her and ease her back against the cushions. He tugged the afghan up and wrapped it around her before pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
He locked the door on his way out, pulling it closed as quietly as he could.
Darkness filled his own house. Not even the new light fixtures seemed to brighten the room enough. He shivered, turned the heat up, and sat down on the couch.
He looked at his phone. He had text messages from Darek, Jensen, Casper, and Seb. In the two weeks since his arrival, Megan had helped weave people into his life. Because not a single message was asking about what he could do for them in regard to the team. No. These were personal. Either expressing gratitude that he’d been there for Megan or following up to see how Josh and Megan were doing since they’d left the hospital. Because, somehow, he’d become part of their world. Someone who belonged. Like a hometown boy.
And now, with Nathan’s call, he was going to leave it all behind.
Clearly, church was the last place Megan was supposed to be today. First of all, she wasn’t paying attention. Second of all, even though she sat in her usual third row pew and Pastor Dan was speaking, she’d heard barely a word of what he was saying. She’d only caught snippets. Like, When we are weak, He is strong. But the reality was her brain wasn’t on the sermon. It was scrolling through the list of friends she could contact.
Because after last night, the only thing that mattered was to find a new place to live. And sitting in the pew wasn’t going to help her. As terrifying as the experience had been with Josh, she’d leaned on Cole. Relied on him
to hold her together. To be there for her. With direction and comfort. Spilling her heart. A solid rock she could cling to.
Yikes.
She needed to extricate herself from his life. He’d gotten way too far into her heart. That kiss at Pine Acres had tangled up her brains and she needed to remember Deep Haven was her home. And he. Was. Leaving. The last thing she needed to do was prolong the agony. She needed to get out of his life as soon as possible.
At least she had these two hours of safety. Time to regroup. Because she’d been setting herself and Josh up for absolute, catastrophic heartbreak. It was time to put a cease and desist on everything related to her current landlord and business assistant.
A jab in her ribs jerked her upright. “Stand,” Josh demanded.
Megan realized everyone around her was standing, several members offering up prayer requests as the service neared its end.
A frail voice spoke from the second pew. Edith Draper, asking for praise and thanksgiving. Her driveway had been cleared for her during the snowstorm.
Ivy nudged her. “Wasn’t it Cole who did that?”
“Shh. Don’t talk about him.” Of course it had been Cole. Ranger. Hero. Snow shoveler extraordinaire. And, she couldn’t forget, wedding coordinator.
He was the last person she should be thinking about. Especially during church. Especially the way she remembered him from last night, the steel of his chest beneath his snug T-shirt. The beat of his heart in her ear. His concern for Josh. The way she fell asleep against him. He felt like…home.
Oh boy.
Now everyone was bowing their heads in prayer. Guilt crawled into the pew beside her and wedged itself into the tiny space between her and Josh.
She’d had no business leaning on Cole all night, letting him be her emotional rock.
The congregation sat.
Ivy leaned toward Megan and whispered in her ear. “Did you know Cole was coming?”
“He’s here?”
“Sitting down in the back.” Ivy nodded toward the back of the sanctuary.
Megan tried not to look. Tried not to let her casual hair flip and glance over her shoulder look exactly obvious.
Lovely. And there he was, clean-shaven and wearing a dark green button-up under his leather jacket. Seated on the edge of the back pew like he was ready for a helicopter to drop in and extract him before things got too dangerous. Yeah, she might need one of those extractions herself.
Maybe he hadn’t seen her. She could duck out the side door.
“Is it hot in here?” She tugged at the collar of her blouse.
“No.” Ivy looked at her with narrowed eyes. “It’s February. What’s wrong with you?”
“I don’t want him to see me.” She slid down against the pew, putting Ivy into a blocking position between her and Cole. “Why did he have to pick today to have his come-to-Jesus moment?”
“Are you serious? Isn’t that a good thing?”
Darek leaned forward from the other side of Ivy and gave Megan the same look he might give Tiger for goofing around during the service.
The music began for the final song and Megan flipped through her hymnal.
“‘My hope is built on nothing less—’” She lowered her voice more and leaned closer to Ivy. “Because. I mean, I want him in church, just not in this church and this service. I need some distance.” Because she couldn’t think straight when he was in the same room. “As soon as everyone gets up to leave, I’m going to grab Josh and go out the side door.”
“‘But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.’” Ivy shook her head and put her lips to Megan’s ear. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting? The last time I saw you with him, he was helping you.”
“‘All other ground is sinking sand.’” Megan let out a long breath and whispered, “No. Not at all. Nothing has changed for him. He’s still leaving, I’m still staying.” She closed her eyes, lowered her voice even more. “I can’t risk Josh’s heart too.”
Darek leveled a look at her and lifted his hymnal, his strong baritone rising over their whispers. “‘In ev’ry high and stormy gale—’”
“Is this about that kiss?” Ivy’s eyes grew round, the light of realization spreading across her face. “There’s been more than one, hasn’t there?”
“No!”
Ivy put her fingers over her mouth and gasped. “I thought he was looking at you like he might break into a million pieces last night at the hospital.”
Megan closed her eyes. “Stop. He was not and there hasn’t been. But that’s exactly why I need to get out of here.”
Josh bent forward to look at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Shh,” she said to Josh. “Nothing.”
“‘When all around my soul gives way—’” She turned back to Ivy. “Maybe he won’t even know I’m here.”
She let that bolster her voice, singing out the final chorus and finding peace in the blending of voices around her.
“‘On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.’”
See? It was a sure sign. Jesus was her rock. Her only rock.
The song ended and Pastor Dan moved back to the podium. “Before you all dismiss, I do want to recognize we have Josh Carter and Tiger Christiansen with us today. Both of them are doing well after their snowmobile accident. I know the families appreciated all your prayers last night. Can you boys please stand so we can pray for you before we go?”
Megan slid back against the pew, her cover blown. She wanted to squirm in her seat as much as Josh, who’d taken to playing with the Velcro on his wrist brace.
A soft murmur buzzed through the congregation. Megan looked around. All eyes turned toward their pew. Pastor Dan held up a hand to quiet the packed sanctuary. “We’ll continue to pray for Josh’s sprain to heal quickly.” He winked at Josh. “We don’t want that to keep you from the tournament games.”
Pastor Dan closed the service with a prayer, and Megan turned to Josh.
“Hey—let’s head out of here quickly, okay?”
“I’m not ready to leave. I want to see my friends.” Josh looked up at her from under his long dark lashes.
Megan squeezed Ivy’s hand. “If Darek asks about the chit-chat, tell him it was prayer support. Best-friend counseling.” She smiled and shrugged. “He has sisters. He’ll understand.” Megan turned to grab Josh’s hand. He was gone. “Where did—”
Ivy nodded toward the back of the sanctuary. “You’d better hurry. Cole has a fan.”
Megan followed Ivy’s line of sight to where Josh was weaving his way through the conversations on a clear mission in Cole’s direction. “Oh, no! Now what am I going to do?”
Josh reached Cole, threw his arms around him, and Cole leaned in, wrapped Josh in a hug that made the boy look positively tiny.
Ivy placed a hand on her arm and gave her a consolatory look. “Looks like there’s no escape. I gotta run—I need to grab Joy from children’s church.”
Megan nodded and watched Ivy retreat.
Great. Left alone. She ducked out into the hallway, still slowed by her sore ankle. At some point, Josh would finish his little man-chat with Cole and he’d look for her. And she’d give him the mom eye. The one he knew meant You’d better get your britches over here right now or there’s going to be trouble.
“Megan! I was hoping to run into you today.” Evelyn Hunsaker placed a hand on Megan’s arm, as if holding her in place, her sturdy form an anchor.
“Oh?”
“Yes. I was going through the Sunday school curriculum for spring. I need to line up teachers for the nine- and ten-year-old class.”
Megan knew exactly where this was going. Because everyone knew she couldn’t say no. At least it gave her a place to hide out and wait for Cole to leave. Eventually Josh would get bored and search for her.
Evelyn droned on and Megan tried to nod politely at the appropriate junctures and pauses. Sure, she could make time to teach. Yes, she�
�d love to get copies of the materials in advance. Design crafts? Um…
“I’d love to,” Megan heard herself say.
“Excellent!” Evelyn released her grip on Megan, as though now that she’d secured exactly what she wanted, the conversation was over. And Megan had added far too much to her packed calendar. She watched Evelyn’s round figure retreat, already trying to figure out how to say no, after the fact.
“Good morning.” Cole’s warm tenor jolted Megan.
She turned. And if she thought he looked good in the pew from afar, she’d forgotten the way the man smelled. Clean and freshly showered, and up close, his blue eyes swept her voice from her throat. “Oh,” she croaked. “Hi.”
“How are you?” He studied her, his brow raised and head tilted.
“Good. Doing good.” She licked her lips. “And, Josh. Josh is doing good.”
“Good.”
“Yep. Everything’s good.” She looked past him, hoping to see some great reason to excuse herself from the conversation and save her mushy brain.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll see you at home.” His forehead scrunched up and he pursed his lips together.
“Home?”
“Yeah—we’re supposed to hammer out a few details for the wedding of the century, remember?” He rubbed his chin.
Oh. “I’m not sure I can do that today.” She’d buried that calendar item somewhere between falling asleep in his arms and waking up to reality. “I don’t think I have time.” She needed to put some serious distance between the two of them.
Because she could not, would not fall asleep in his magnificent arms again.
He gave her a look. “We don’t have that much time left. Today’s as good a day as any, right?”
Despite the screaming in her brain, she relented. “Okay. Fine. I have to run a couple errands with Josh first.
“Sounds good. Just come by the house when you get back.”
“Okay.” She could keep it all business.
He walked away, out the church door. Just like he’d do in a few weeks. Right out of her life. She probably needed to write that down somewhere for her mouth to remember next time it started babbling agreements.
Still the One Page 15