Forever in Love (Montana Brides) (26 page)

Matthew met her at the door and strapped her bag onto the first aid kit. He revved the four-wheeler as she hopped on the back. “You ready?” he yelled over the noise of the engine.

Amy nodded and snapped her visor into place. She pulled herself against Matthew and they roared across the ranch, blasting their way through ice and snow to find his brother.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Amy watched the glow of Paul’s headlights ignite the pine trees around his truck like flaming beacons. The four-wheeler slowed and she loosened her grip on Matthew’s waist. Paul opened the door of his truck and came around to meet them.
 

Amy flipped her visor up, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“I can’t go any further. Alex Green was helping with the decorations when Sean told us Nathan was late getting home. They’ve headed up the mountain on four-wheelers with a trailer in case Nathan can’t make it down.” He reached across and gave Amy a hug. “Thanks for coming.”
 

The fear in his eyes caught at Amy’s heart. “Have you heard from them since they left?”

Paul shook his head. “No cell phone coverage. They’ve got flares, so if you see one go off head straight toward it. There’s a plateau about half-way up the mountain that Nathan likes visiting. Damn kid nearly gave me a heart attack the first time he went missing. I just hope he went there this afternoon.”

“We’ll find him, dad. Let’s go, Amy.” Matthew maneuvered around the pickup, then followed the track up the side of the mountain. “Watch out for the flare,” Matthew yelled. “I’ll follow Sean’s trail.”

They worked their way along the track, heading closer to the trees when there was no way around the snowdrifts blocking their path. The higher they climbed, the thicker the snow fell and the more worried Amy became. They hadn’t seen Sean or Alex. She didn’t even know if they were on the right path or if they’d veered off toward another trail on one of the detours they’d had to make.
 

She glanced up at the sky. Angry steel-grey clouds blocked what was left of the late afternoon sun, casting menacing shadows over the mountain. And then she saw it. A flash of orange high above them. A flickering tail of light followed the main burst, arcing across the sky until the clouds swallowed it whole.

Amy tapped Matthew’s shoulder, pointing to the right. He nodded and turned around, dodging dead branches and fallen trees that blocked their way.

They skidded to a stop at the top of a ridge. Two four-wheelers were parked under the trees, the trailer on one of them covered in fresh snow. Chan stood quietly under another tree, watching their arrival with big, brown, sorrowful eyes.

Matthew took his helmet off, looking for any sign of Alex or Sean. He pulled a green woolen hat out of his jacket pocket. “There’s a spare hat on the back of the bike if you didn’t bring yours. Let’s go.”

Amy helped him unclip her bag and the box of first aid gear. They trudged toward Sean’s four-wheeler, pulling their feet through at least six inches of snow. The light from Matthew’s flashlight danced through the trees, picking out a man running toward them.

“Over this way,” Sean yelled. “Amy? Thank God you’re here.”

She heard the urgency in his voice, the relief and the worry. “How’s Nathan?”

“It looks as though Chan bucked him clean off his back further down the ridge. He hit his head when he went down and thinks he lost consciousness for a while. He’s as sore as hell, but still growling at me so he can’t be that bad. I’ll help Matthew with the boxes, you go and see Nathan.”

Sean passed her his flashlight and she hurried toward a beam of light at the bottom of a steep bank. She looked either side of the drop, trying to find an another way down.

“It’s the safest way we could find. Slide down on your backside,” Sean said from behind her. “It flattens out at the bottom so you won’t keep going. Just dig your heels in to slow yourself down otherwise you could end up on top of Nathan.”

And that was
so
not going to happen, Amy thought. Nathan wouldn’t have the pleasure of any part of her body lying on top of him, ever again. After she got him home he’d be lucky if she even kissed him she was so angry. He’d gone out riding. On his own, for cripes sake. At the beginning of winter when most sane people knew how fast the weather could change.

She sat on the ground and pushed off. Fresh snow sprayed either side of her feet as she slid down the bank. By tomorrow morning the snow would be iced solid, a death trap for anyone stupid enough to try what she was doing now.
 

A beam of light followed her progress down the bank. She skidded to a halt not far from a pair of legs covered in brown ski pants.
 

“You must be Amy.”

She blinked at the deep voice, wiping snow out of her eyes so she could see who was talking to her. A face handsome enough to make a single woman swoon smiled down at her. “Alex?”
 

“That’s me.” He held out his hand and pulled her upright. “Nathan’s over there.” He nodded toward a clump of trees.

Alex kept hold of her hand as they moved along the ridge. Amy tried tugging her fingers free but he wasn’t letting go.
 

“About fifteen feet away there’s a forty foot drop to the next level. I’m not letting you go until we get off this ridge.”

Amy spun her flashlight past Alex. A great big hole of yawning nothingness absorbed the beam of light.

“You wouldn’t have gone over the top,” he assured her with confidence, reading her mind. “I’ve wrestled bulls that are ten times bigger than you and lived to tell the tale. No one in their right mind would want me on the rodeo circuit if I couldn’t catch you.”

Amy blinked a few times to adjust her thinking away from bulls and rodeo circuits and back to Nathan lying in the snow. “Thank you...I think.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am. Here’s our man of the moment.”

Amy kept the direct beam of her flashlight away from Nathan’s face. Sean and Alex had wrapped a silver survival blanket around him, keeping some of the bone crushing cold off his body. A tall pine tree had stopped his fall and given him shelter from the worst of the snow. She knelt beside him, listening to his shallow breathing. The side of his riding helmet had shattered during his fall. His nose was a bloody mess and he’d split his bottom lip open.
 

“Hi, Nathan. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll get you back home in no time.” Relief flickered in his eyes. “Where does it hurt the most?”

“Shoulder,” he whispered. “Glad...here.”

A rush of tears stung Amy’s eyes. “I’m glad I’m here too.” She took a deep breath and looked back at Alex. “Did you or Sean move him?”

“No, but I think he must have moved at some stage. There’s a pool of blood beside his head.”

Amy glanced down, frowning at the red stained snow. “Do you know where you are, Nathan?”

“Ranch,” he muttered.

“I know it must hurt to speak, but try your best. Do you know what day of the week it is?”

Nathan frowned, mulling over the question before answering. “Wednesday.”

“That’s good. Do you know what happened?”

“Fell...horse.”

Matthew and Sean put the first aid kits beside her and she moved to the top of Nathan’s head. She pulled her gloves off and felt the bite of cold air against her skin. “Nathan, I’m going to put my hands either side of your neck to keep it still. Matthew, can you see if there’s a neck brace in your parent’s first aid kit?”

“Sure.” He lifted the lid off and rummaged around. “I’ve found one. Where do you want it?”
 

Amy glanced at the plastic and velcro brace. “Undo the straps and open it out so that the two halves can slip around Nathan’s neck. I’m going to keep my hands where they are. Sean, I want you to slowly take off Nathan’s helmet so that Matthew can put the brace on as soon as the helmet’s off.”

“No problem.”

“Nathan, I want you to stay as still as you can until we get the brace on. Are you ready, Sean?”

Sean knelt by his brother’s shoulder and slowly unbuckled the chin strap, pulling the helmet back toward Amy.
 

“That’s it. Not too fast. We need that neck brace now, Matthew.”

Sean moved away, and Matthew knelt beside his brother.

With the brace secure, Amy crawled across to her medical bag, twisting the combination lock until the clasp flicked open. She reached inside and pulled out a small flashlight. When she got back to Nathan, he’d closed his eyes.
 

“I want you to open your eyes for me, Nathan. That’s it.” She moved the torch left and right, checking to see if his pupils responded to the thin beam of light. “Alex, can you come a little closer with your flashlight? I need to have a good look at Nathan’s head.”

Alex stood behind her. Apart from the mother of all bumps where his helmet had shattered, there didn’t appear to be any open wounds on his skull. “Okay, Nathan. Now it’s time to check the rest of your body.”

He started to smile, but ended up moaning as soon as his mouth moved.

“You’ve cut your bottom lip. That’s why it hurts. Matthew, while I’m doing this, can you see if there’s something we can use as a stretcher?”

“Already got it covered. Dad bought a foldaway stretcher years ago when Sally fell off her horse. We tied it to the back of the trailer before we left. I’ll go and get it.”
 

Sean followed Matthew, their flashlights darting across the snow as they walked toward the bank.
 

Amy pushed back the survival blanket and unzipped Nathan’s jacket.
 

“He’s wearing a rib and chest protector,” Alex said from beside her.

She nodded and undid the velcro fastenings, moving her hands over Nathan’s chest, paying close attention to his left shoulder when he let out a groan of pain. She moved further down his body, checking for broken bones and any other injuries.
 

As soon as she’d finished she wrapped the survival blanket around him and stood up, moving across to her medical kit. “You’re doing great, Nathan. I’m going to give you an injection to take some of the pain away.”
 

Nathan grunted a reply and within a few seconds she had everything she needed. “You’re going to feel a small pinprick on the top of your right hand.” Amy worked quickly, inserting a small plastic tube into Nathan’s vein and taping it in place. “Well done. We’re half way there.” She injected morphine into the line and sat back on her heels, waiting for the drug to take effect. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.”

“That’s good. The pain relief should last until we get to the hospital. But if you start to feel sore let me know and I’ll give you something to help.”
 

Alex paced backward and forward, every few minutes flicking his flashlight toward the bank. “I’m going to see what’s taking Sean and Matthew so long. Will you be okay?”

“We’ll be fine,” Amy said. “All I need is some light.”
 

Alex looked through the first aid kit and pulled out another flashlight. He switched it on and handed it to Amy. “Yell if you need me.”

Amy left the light on the ground, shining it toward Nathan’s head. She held his hand, watching Alex disappear into the night. Nathan squeezed her fingers and she rubbed the side of his hand, trying to comfort him, to let him know that everything would be alright. Reaching inside her jacket pocket, she pulled out a tissue, wiping her eyes and nose. He didn’t need to see her falling apart. He’d already been through enough in the last few hours without having to cope with her crazy emotions.

He squeezed her fingers again and made a grunting sound.

She let go of his hand and crouched beside his head. “What is it?”

“Be...okay.”
 

Amy blinked hard, trying to wash away the tears gathering in her eyes. Nathan’s gaze bound her to him with the same strength that had kept him alive. The same courage that had made him never give up on her, to always see the best in what they could be together.
 

“Everything will be okay,” she whispered. Leaning forward, she gently kissed the top of his head.
 

Nathan sighed. He stared into her eyes with a trust so deep that it left Amy breathless. She didn’t deserve the kind of love his gaze promised, the kind of life he was telling her they could have.

“Love you...”

Amy froze. Fear and something new kept her gaze locked on Nathan. The wind dropped to a low murmur, caressing the mountain with ice cold fingers of air. It was as if the whole world was waiting for her to come to a decision;
to step into the kind of life she’d once dreamed about or leave it behind forever.
 

She thought about her grandmother’s wedding rings, sparkling in the old velvet box. Her grandfather had given them to his wife as a symbol of his love, his commitment to a better life together.
 
But that love had turned sour, contaminating his relationship with his wife and his daughter. It had left Amy with a mom that didn’t want either of her daughters and a sister that she loved more than anyone in the world.

Except Nathan.
 

After a lifetime of hiding her heart from the world she knew that she loved him. She’d been so worried about her past that she’d forgotten she had a future. A future that would always include him.
 

Amy took a deep shuddering breath. If Sean and Alex hadn’t found Nathan he could have died on the mountain. There wouldn’t have been a second chance at love or happiness. Their life together would have been over before it began.

The sound of Matthew and Sean’s voices drifted across the snow.
 

Amy wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. “I love you too,” she whispered.
 

Nathan’s eyes filled with tears. “’bout time.”

She leaned forward and softly touched his jaw. “Are you telling me I’m a slow learner, cowboy?”

The corner of his mouth tilted into a smile. “Just right.”

The trunk of the pine tree lit up as flashlights swiveled toward them.