Colorado Christmas (19 page)

T
HE SUN WAS SETTING
when the whistle sounded, telling the rescuers they could resume the search. Every minute she’d waited had felt like an hour to Becky.

Television crews from Denver and the major news networks were broadcasting from their vans.

She heard one of the reporters saying to camera, “With every minute that passes, the hope of getting any more victims out alive decreases. Rescuers fear the last two victims are now dead.”

Becky turned to Luke and said, “Get me out of here before I do something I might regret.”

More rescuers came down to rest and change shifts. One told her about Will making contact with Nicolas. She found comfort in his words. Nicolas was alive, but buried deep, and Will had worked furiously to free him. “We couldn’t drag him away from there, Judge McBride,” he said. “When I got to the safety zone, I looked back and saw Will throw his avalanche beacon down the hole to your son.” The man shook his head in wonder. “And then the slope went.”

T
EN MINUTES LATER,
Matt gave her the news she’d been waiting for. “They’ve found Nick! Once they’ve checked the extent of his injuries—”

“Injuries?”

“Nothing too serious,” he hastened to assure her. “But they won’t move a patient until they’re sure he’s stable. Once that’s done, he’ll be down here in no time.”

Heart in her throat, she asked, “And Will? He gave up his beacon to Nicolas.”

Matt nodded and said, “Becky, there were a lot of rescuers watching when the slope went. They’d get a bearing on where Will might have ended up. It’s not an exact science, but it’s a help.”

“Why can’t you go up there and search?” she asked. “I know he’d want you there…in case…”

“Don’t!”
Matt warned, obviously guessing where her thoughts were heading. “I want to, believe me. But right now, I have to stay here. It’s my job.”

I
T WAS NEARLY DARK
when Matt came back with further news. “Nick’s out and he’s fine, apart from bruises and a dislocated shoulder.”

Overwhelmed with relief, Becky and Sarah hugged each other. “Then he’ll be here soon?” Sarah asked.

“I’m afraid not.”

“What?”
the two women asked at once.

“He’s refusing to come down until they get Will out!”

Becky couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up inside her. “That damn stubborn pair!”

“They are, aren’t they?” Matt agreed, unable to hide his smile.

“But won’t Nicolas be cold?”

“I doubt he’s worrying about his own comfort. The paramedics will have made sure he isn’t hypothermic. He’s in the heated cabin of one of the snow-grooming machines. They’ve been providing shelter for the rescuers when they need to take a break.”

“Are…are they close to finding Will?”

He shook his head. “I wish I had the answer to that. When they do finally bring them down, they’ll both be taken to the hospital.”

“Hospital?” Becky wanted them safe at home with her.

“It’s standard procedure,” Matt explained. “They’ll be thoroughly examined for internal injuries before they’re released.”

A
S DAY TURNED TO NIGHT,
every nerve in Becky’s body wanted to scream as she realized there was probably no hope for Will now. She wanted to rail against the injustice of it. Will was a true hero. He’d sacrificed his life for another. For her son. She fought the grief threatening to overwhelm her.

“I can’t stand this anymore,” Matt said, his lips a tight line. “I’m going up there.”

Becky’s heart filled with hope. “The two most important people in the world to me are there, Matt. Please bring them back safely,” she said, her voice choked with emotion and gratitude.

With a quick salute, he jumped onto a snowmobile and roared off.

She hugged herself against the cold. Matt would find Will and bring him back, she told herself. He wouldn’t come down from the mountain until he did.

Jack joined her, linking his hand with hers. “I don’t pray much these days, Becky, but if you’d like, I’ll pray with you,” he said.

She gazed into his deep blue eyes, so different from his brothers’, and wondered again why he’d left the seminary.

She nodded, and they prayed silently together.
Please, God, keep Will safe.

D
ARKNESS FELL,
but the base area was flooded with light. To distract herself Becky put all her energy into seeing that Miss Patterson was comfortable. The elderly woman had refused to go home until she knew Will was safe.
Talk about stubborn!
Becky thought as she fetched more coffee.

“There’s someone coming down!” Jack cried.

Becky raced outside. Sure enough, several snowmobiles, followed by a snow-grooming machine, were moving slowly down the mountain.

They were either taking care to transport patients carefully over the snow—or driving slowly out of respect for the…Becky shook her head to clear it of negative thoughts and approached the supervisor who’d taken over from Matt. “What’s going on?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. Our communications cut out a few minutes ago and we haven’t been able to restore them.”

She forced herself to be patient, to wait and to hope. Sarah came to stand beside her, clasping her frozen hand as they waited for the slow procession to make its way down to them.

The wait seemed interminable as she peered through the darkness, trying to see who was on the lead snowmobile.

The radio crackled back to life and the operator gave a shout. “They’re okay! They’re both okay!”

Sarah and Becky turned to each other with a cry of triumph, hugging each other tightly as tears streamed down their cheeks.

“I have to go to him,” Becky said. From the moment she’d heard they were coming down, she’d wanted to run up the slope to meet the small convoy. And now she did, surprised that her feet felt so light. The leading snowmobile broke from the ranks and charged toward her.

Matt was driving, his face split in a huge grin as he pulled
up a few yards from her. His passenger eased himself off the seat behind him and stood unsteadily.

“Will!” she cried and closed the distance between them. He grunted as she flung her arms around him and held him close. “I’m so happy to see you!” she said and kissed his cold cheek.

“Where’s Nicolas?” she asked, looking back at the slope.

“Telling the snow groomer how to drive his truck.” He chuckled softly. “That kid has a lot of his mother in him!”

Becky grinned at his teasing remark and hugged him once more, just to be sure he was real. “I love you!” she cried.

He grunted again and brought her against him.

“Are you okay?” she asked, then drew back to look into his eyes. “You keep grunting.”

“Broken ribs,” he groaned and took in a ragged breath. In the light from the other rescue vehicles she could see that he was wincing with pain. “Say that again,” he murmured.

“Are you all right?”

“The part before that.”

“I love you.”

His dark eyes bored into her. “Do you really?”

“Oh, yes!” she cried and kissed him. “Forever!”

He gave her a dimpled grin and said, “Then let’s get our little guy and go home.”

T
HEY ARRIVED BACK
at Becky’s house several hours later, after having their injuries attended to at the emergency room. Will had resisted going to the hospital, claiming he wanted to go home and maybe sleep for three days straight instead. But as soon as Becky heard the words
lung puncture
and
life threatening
when the paramedic mentioned the possible complications of broken ribs, she’d insisted he go to the hospital along with Nicolas.

Becky rode in one ambulance with Nicolas. Matt rode with Will in another. She fussed over her son and asked why he hadn’t come down the mountain as soon as they got him out.
“I was sick with fear and worry, and all I wanted to do was hold you in my arms,” she told him.

But Nicolas, with wisdom greater than his years, said, “If Will hadn’t stayed, if he hadn’t given me his beacon, they might never have found me again. I owe him my life, Mom. He stayed so I wouldn’t be alone and I stayed so he wouldn’t be alone, either. He’s my buddy. And buddies stick together.” Tears brightened his eyes and Becky had to wipe her cheeks for what seemed the hundredth time that day.

Will was a true hero.
Her
hero. She’d tell him that every day of their lives.

In spite of his dislocated shoulder, Nicolas had said he still wanted to sleep over at the ranch. The family had decided against attending Midnight Mass. After the day’s events, both Will and Nicolas needed sleep. They’d go to mass the following day instead. The family had much to be thankful for this Christmas.

“He’ll be fine, Becky,” Sarah assured her. “He’s been so excited about waking up on Christmas morning with Luke’s girls.” She covered her ears and laughed. “Can you imagine the noise?”

As he climbed into Luke’s vehicle, he looked back and, ever the considerate child, asked, “Are you sure you won’t be lonely, Mom? I could stay if you want.”

Becky shook her head. “I’ll be fine, sweetie. I’m going to wait up for Santa to come down the chimney.”

His eyes opened wide, then narrowed briefly. “Grown-ups wait for Santa?”

“Sure they do,” Will joined in, placing his hand on the back of Becky’s neck.

Nicolas gazed at his hero. “See you tomorrow. Don’t be late!”

Luke honked as he drove off and Will turned to her. “I hope I’m allowed to sleep over at your place.”

She laughed and looped her arms around his neck, careful of his broken ribs. “I’m not sure
sleep
is what you had planned, but…okay,” she teased, taking his hand to lead him up her front path.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you,” Becky murmured as she combed her fingers through Will’s dark hair later that night. They’d made love—cautiously—swept up by the day’s events and their insatiable need for each other.

A secret smile curved her lips.
Cooling it
hadn’t stood a chance!

“Good,” Will panted, trying to catch his breath. “Because I
know
I’ll never get enough of you.”

Emboldened, she pressed a kiss to his bandaged chest, then his throat, then his lips.

They kissed for long moments until Will pulled his mouth from hers and said, “We need to talk.”

Becky expelled her breath with a whoosh. “That sounds ominous.”

“Only if you think my asking you to marry me is ominous.”

Becky couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. Unable to speak, she shook her head.

“No? You don’t want to marry me?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, you don’t want to marry me?”

“Oh, you annoying man!”

Will grinned, and she felt his teasing humor clear down to her toes. “What am I going to do with you, Will O’Malley?”

“I could suggest a number of things, several of them X-rated.”

“Stop that!” she said, swatting his shoulder.

He lifted her hands and kissed each palm in turn, sending delicious shivers of anticipation pulsing through her.

“Will you marry me, Judge McBride? Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life in this town? Dealing with pesky pigs and sometimes annoying defendants? Having more children and living to a very old age? With me?”

“Yes! Yes, to all of it! Especially the growing old together part. I
really
like that.”

“And the bit about having more children?”

“A whole passel of ’em!” she agreed, and Will laughed at her mountain slang.

“Do you think Nick will mind?”

“Are you kidding? He’d
love
brothers and sisters!”

“No, about us getting married.”

“I can’t believe you’re even asking that. Nicolas
adores
you. Worships you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to my son—and to me.”

He rewarded Becky with one of his smiles, then murmured in her ear, sending shivers of erotic pleasure vibrating through her, “Let’s get started on that passel of kids right now.”

A
FTER ALLOWING
W
ILL
to sleep as long as he needed, Becky served him breakfast in bed. It was only coffee and croissants from the local bakery, but sharing them would become a tradition, she decided as she picked up a special Christmas Day edition of the paper and scanned the avalanche story.

Still too raw to deal with it, she turned the page and let out a whoop of delight. Will leaned over to see what had her so amused. Dugald, who was curled up at the foot of the bed, pricked up his ears.

She pointed to a photograph of Edna Carmichael and Frank Farquar announcing their engagement. It included a brief story of how they’d dated many years ago and recently—thanks to joint efforts to save an integral part of their town’s history—rekindled their love. It closed with a statement that Louella had given her snort of approval to the match.

“Only in Spruce Lake!” Becky said. “What a wonderful, uplifting story.”

“We could have a double wedding. I’m sure Lou would love to be our bridesmaid.”

“Don’t even think about it!” She laughed, then said, “We should get dressed. The children will be waiting for us so they can open their gifts.”

As if on cue, the phone rang.

“Mom?” Nicolas said, bringing Becky back to earth. “Where
are
you? We want to open our gifts. And you wouldn’t believe it—Santa
knew
I was sleeping over at Sasha’s. He’s left all my presents here!”

Becky smiled at the excitement in his voice. “I told you Santa’s magical, sweetie. I’m getting dressed now. See you soon. Oh, and Merry Christmas!”

She hung up the phone and said, “He’s very impressed that Santa knew where he was staying last night.”

Will grinned. “Santa will know where he’s staying for the rest of his life, if I have anything to say about it.”

Sudden tears brimmed in Becky’s eyes.

Will wrapped his arms around her, asking, “Did I say something wrong?”

She placed her hand over his strongly beating heart and said, “No, you said everything right.” She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “It’s been a very emotional twenty-four hours for me. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost either of you in the aval—”

Her words were interrupted by Will kissing her. When he finally drew away, he whispered, “Let’s not talk about it again, okay? At least not for a long, long time.”

She nodded, stroking his cheek. “I love you, Will, and I don’t ever want to be parted from you.”

“Ditto!” He kissed the tip of her nose. “We’d better get moving. Miss Patterson will be waiting for her ride. Mom invited her to spend Christmas with us.”

“T
HERE YOU ARE!”
four children chimed as they entered the living room at Two Elk.

“We’ve been waiting forever ’n’ ever,” Celeste told her uncle, a frown creasing her brow.

He hoisted her onto his hip, wincing at the effort. “Merry Christmas, cupcake,” he said and nuzzled her neck, causing her to burst into squeals of laughter.

When he set her back on her feet, his other nieces and Nick demanded equal attention, and from then on, the morning was an endless round of gift opening and exclamations of surprise.

W
HEN THE LAST GIFT
had been opened—a saddle for Daisy—Will brought Becky to stand beside the Christmas tree with him.

He cleared his throat and said, “I have an announcement to make.”

Becky smiled as eleven pairs of eyes widened.

“This wonderful woman—” he raised Becky’s hand to his lips “—has consented to marry me—”

“Hallelujah!” Matt cried and leaped to his feet. He grabbed Becky in a bear hug. “Welcome to the family, Becky,” he said, then turned to Will and shook his hand, saying, “It’s about time, little brother!”

“Hey! We’ve only known each other a few weeks!” Will protested with a laugh.

“More than long enough!” his father yelled above the commotion of screaming children as he came to offer his congratulations.

Surrounded by
family,
Becky dabbed at her eyes and hugged Nicolas to her as he said, “Mom, this is the best Christmas present in the world!”