Impossible (3 page)

Remarkable, and in this case, for me, incredibly lucky.

Sweet merciful Jesus
. Thank you, God.

This was still bad, but this was a bad I could handle. Ducking my head back inside, I realized that the window still had shards of glass at the edges, and if I tried to drag Max through it I’d end up doing more damage.

Okay, I had to use my brain here. I needed to call for help now that the immediate doom of the tornado was gone. It would probably take awhile for emergency responders to get here because they would be swamped with the outbreak, but I could at least call and then proceed to help in the smartest way possible.

As I started to back myself back out of the car to go get my phone, I heard Tony croak, “Roni?”

God, he didn’t sound good. “I’m here Tony. I’m gonna help you guys, but I need to go call for help first, okay? Just hang in there. I don’t want to hurt you more than you already are,” I said, trying to keep my tone light and comforting.

I looked back at Max one more time and realized I couldn’t leave him like this. He was slumped awkwardly on his neck, and I didn’t want to leave him that way, even for a couple of minutes because it might make things worse.

After spending mere seconds thinking about the best way to go about clearing a path, I used my foot to knock the rest of the glass off of what would have been the top edge of the window. I considered using some sort of clothing or blanket to soften the edge even more, but all I had was my shirt. That wasn’t happening; I had never been
that
nice. Max would have to live with a few scratches.

I shoved my arms under his armpits, braced myself on my knees, and pulled with all I had. He was a big guy and I was a little girl, but I slowly made progress, inch by painful inch. When I finally got him all the way out, I laid him flat on his back on the road, felt his pulse, and checked his breathing. From what I could tell, he at least had a pulse and was successfully moving air in and out of his lungs. Good enough for now.

I ran back to my Tahoe, flung open the door, and dug frantically for my phone. Dialing 9-1-1, I put the phone to my ear and listened to the responders greeting. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“This is Veronica Russo. I’m just outside of Cullman, on a dirt road off of Route 117.”

I struggled to find an accurate description for exactly where I was, as this road was unnamed, so I just moved on.

“I have two injured adult males, one unconscious, other injuries unknown, but possibly severe.”

“Veronica, can you give me a more exact location?” the responder asked, her voice calm and businesslike. It was a little disconcerting since I was feeling anything but calm, but I guess they did this shit everyday.

Shit. I didn’t know how to describe where we were. “Can you track my cell phone GPS, or my car has OnStar. Can you use that?”

I actually couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of that before. This was the reason it was there. But my brain felt sluggish.

“Yes, ma’am. Just activate it for me by pushing the button.”

I climbed up, reached inside, and pushed the button, only to see blood starting to coat all of my stuff. What the hell?

My head started to spin, and I knew I was about to pass out. It seems, something had hit me in the head a little harder than I realized.

Just before I lost consciousness, I spoke into the phone. “Yeah, uh, you better add one adult female to the list of injured.”

I heard her question, “Veronica?” in my ear, but I had no answer. I was already out, my vision of the inside of my car replaced with blackness, my open laptop a makeshift pillow for my face.

If my blood ruined my computer, I was going to be seriously freaking pissed.

Chapter 3

My eyes flew open immediately when I drew in my first conscious breath. The smell of antiseptic was distinct and panic inducing, as my mind raced back to last time I had smelled this very familiar smell. Arguably, I smelled it every night in my nightmares, but this was different. It was real.

My fingers curled into the sheets and around to my palms so hard that my fists started to turn white from the pressure, and my ears focused to the point that I could almost feel the effort they were putting in. Listening, waiting. When I didn’t hear
that
sound, the tension in my hands eased, and I started to breathe again.

Forcing my mind to venture back into rational thought, I figured out the reason I was there.

Tornado. Getting caught in a bad spot. Helping Max and Tony. I had passed out.

Apparently, I had done a really good job of it since I had been out the whole time that it took the paramedics to arrive, work on us, transport us, the hospital staff work on us, and be alone in a room before I woke up.

“Hey there, Sweetie. You’re awake!”

At least, I
was
alone. I didn’t know if I could handle a perky nurse right now. Ughhh. I already had a headache from the actual shit that had hit me in the head. I didn’t need more figurative shit pounding me like a hammer.

When I looked out the window, I could have sworn the sun was coming up instead of going down. I guess I had been there overnight.

Peppy Mc-Nurse-ing-staff kept on chirping, “Let me just check all of your vitals quick!”

I rolled my eyes, which she caught. Patting my arm, she did her best to pacify me. “Don’t worry, I’ll be done in a jiffy!”

As she worked the blood pressure cuff around my arm, I worked to keep myself from saying something bitchy. What would a normal person ask in this situation?

Oh. Yeah. Max and Tony.

“What about the guys I came in with? Are they both alright?”

She smiled sweetly and gentled her voice. Though, it didn’t fully lose its chirpy quality. “Yeah, hun. They’re gonna be ok. I mean, they’re a little banged up, but fine. Good thing you were there to call for help though.”

Well, that was good. I genuinely didn’t want any harm to come to either of them.

I guess she took my face relaxing to mean more than it did. “Would you like me to see if you can go visit them?”

No. Absolutely not. I just wanted to get out of here and get back on the road.

“No. I just want to go.” When she looked at me harder, I added one more word for her benefit. “Thanks.”

She kept staring at me like she knew me. Like she knew that I wasn’t such a bitch; that I was covering what was really underneath.

“Are you sure, hun?” she questioned again.

So what if she was right? I was getting really freaking tired of everyone reading me like this. Three years of fooling everyone I came in contact with and all of a sudden people could see right though me. What the hell?

Well, I was going to burst her pretty little bubble. The bitch was coming out, like the Hulk bursting out of his clothes.

“Just get me the damn papers, so I can get out of here. I’ve obviously been sewn up and fixed, meaning your job is done, so let’s cut the crap.”

Her face jerked back, startled that I could put so much venom in my voice when she’d been nothing but nice to me. She didn’t understand, but being nice to me was usually the stimulus for my inner bitch. I was actually surprised I hadn’t been meaner to CJ, but I figured it was because he was still young. As much as I’d like my nastiness to be equal opportunity, it wasn’t.

My hand went to my forehead so that I could lightly touch the cause of this fun little jaunt to the hospital. I knew I’d been sewn up because I could feel the stitches pulling in my forehead. I’d have to make a trip back to the hospital somewhere, because I wasn’t staying in Alabama, to get them out too. Not to mention, they weren’t very comfortable. Every time I pulled my face into a scowl it hurt.

Bummer. That was my favorite facial expression.

Whatever. Just as long as I got out of here now. I was this (cue forefinger and thumb held just a scant distance apart) close to really freaking out.

Peppy Longstocking may know that I was covering something, but she had no idea how ugly it really was. And if I stayed in this hospital much longer, it was liable to explode everywhere. The sights and smells made the memories come, and the memories made it too hard to ignore my pain. Who knows what I would leave in my wake if I lost my hold on control.

They sure as hell wouldn’t be letting me go on my merry way, chasing storms all over the south and midwest, that’s for sure.

As she continued to peruse me, no doubt trying to figure out the puzzle that was me, the look on her face said that she didn’t like the way I was talking to her, but it wouldn’t stop her from doing my bidding. Especially when what I wanted her to do would make it so that she wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore.

Losing some of her pep and adding a little righteous indignation, she said, “I’ll be back with the papers.”

I shot her a sarcastic smile and a “Thanks” to match.

********

Several highway-eating hours later, I was back to business as usual.

Getting my car back had been a freaking nightmare.

When the nurse came back with my papers a couple of hours after she left the room, my patience had run out. I threw on my clothes and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. I didn’t bother to stop and see Max and Tony, and I didn’t ask about them either. I figured asking the first time had shown too much of my compassion as it was, and I didn’t want anyone else to start bothering me again.

I hadn’t even thought about where my car would be, being that no one in our party had been anywhere near coherent when they brought us to the hospital. Turns out that they sent it to police impound when there was no indication of me having any next of kin or anyone they could contact to take care of it. So, I called a taxi to take me to the police lot, paid money to get my stupid car back, and then got on the road.

I was pissed that I had to pay, but they charge you no matter what the reason it ends up there, and I just wanted to get back to my life of solitude and forced ignorance. Therefore, I didn’t make a fuss.

After driving the nearly 700 miles it was from the impound lot to Huntsford, Kansas straight through, I needed some food and to rest. The weather was set to be bad in this area again and when I picked a place to start, I hadn’t been able to stop myself from heading for Huntsford. It was like I wasn’t in control of my own actions, and I really freaking hated it.

Pulling into a parking spot in front of ‘The Dip and Shake’, which was apparently the main restaurant in this little, rural town, I shut the car off, took a deep breath, and jumped out, slamming my door a little bit harder than usual. I knew coming here was probably a bad idea, and the tension in my body was evidence of that.

I walked quickly to the door, and as I opened it, I felt the blast of the air conditioning glide over my skin. I shivered minutely from the quick shift from the muggy, hot, storm-inviting air of outside to the cool crisp air of the restaurant, and felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

A perky young girl with golden blonde hair bounced her way over to me, and wasted no time grabbing a menu and taking me to a table. She was happy, but she didn’t push it on me. And she didn’t even ask me if I was by myself, let alone rub it in. She just smiled warmly, laid the menu on the table, and moved back to the front of the restaurant after murmuring softly, “Jenelle will be over to take your order.”

And
she didn’t mention the angry stitched cut on my forehead.

I immediately liked her.

Maybe she could sense the tension rolling off of me, maybe she could tell I didn’t like to be bothered, or maybe this is just how she was naturally. Whatever the case, she was my favorite person I’d come in contact with recently.

Just as I had that thought, the bell over the door dinged. Normally, I would keep my head down and stick to my own business, but for some reason my head came up to see the newest patron. My eyes immediately widened and my heart sped up.

CJ was here.

And he wasn’t alone.

Shit. Freaking. Dizzle.

I honestly hadn’t had a genuine reaction to someone like this in the last few years other than him. My body reacted to his presence, and I was a little rusty, but I’m pretty sure that reaction was excitement.

As he cleared the doorway and stepped to the side, I took in the man behind him, and my heart tripped over itself in my chest. Like someone had kicked out a foot right in its path, it stumbled and fell flat on its face.

Oh my God.

I knew CJ had good genes. I did. I knew the moment I met him. But seeing his father in the flesh, it felt like I had had no idea. He was absolutely freaking beautiful.

So. Attractive.

It was as if the attractiveness radiated off of him with so much force that you wouldn’t even have to see him to know. Seriously. Blind nuns would find him attractive.

His jeans were tight, but not in a creepy way. They were tight in a way that they just hinted at how perfect everything underneath must be. They were a dark wash, but they were faded in all the right places, and you could tell it was from wear. He had on a belt with a huge buckle on it, much like the one CJ wore, but bigger, and he had a baby blue t-shirt that fit to his chest and arms. His frame was tall and lean, but loaded with muscle. You could tell he was in absolute peak physical condition. His skin was a golden tan, a perfect glow formed from hours spent in the sun, and his hair was a shade back from black, just like his son. I couldn’t see his eyes yet, but I’d seen the ones that came from them, and I knew they had to be spectacular.

My body was confused, fighting with my brain for the first time in years. It wanted to be near him, desperately, but my brain knew it wasn’t a good idea. My brain hoped and wished that CJ didn’t notice me, while my body cried out that it wanted attention from the older version of him at his side.

Thankfully, my brain won the fight, and I ducked my head quickly, focusing my eyes on the table.

Unfortunately, my little blonde friend was intent on ruining my positive opinion of her, as she led them right to the booth across from me and placed their menus on the table.

Crap.

Ducking under the table was out of the question, and it was too late anyway.

“Roni?”

Digging my fingernails into my palms under the table, I forced my eyes up and looked right into CJ’s.

“Hey CJ,” I said casually, like I saw the kid every day. Much more casually than I was feeling.

“I’ll be damned. Didn’t know that I’d ever see you again,” he murmured, his voiced laced with something that sounded an awful lot like hope and wonder.

The beautiful man with him stood behind him and kept his mouth shut, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t eyeing our conversation curiously.

I tried to keep my voice even, my answer meant to be teasing. “Yeah, well, I go where the-”

“Action is. Yeah, I know,” he cut me off.

Okay. I guess he had paid attention to my parting line last time. And if his tone was anything to go by, he was perhaps a little bitter about how quickly I had departed.

Before I could say anything else, his father pushed into the conversation, and he had a concerned look on his face. “What happened to your head?”

Not even waiting for me to answer, he turned his face to CJ. “She have that when you met her?”

CJ shook his head and answered immediately, “No, sir.”

Squatting down so that his butt rested just above his heels, he got close and lifted his hand to my face, just barely running his thumb over the stitches in my forehead. This close, I could see his eyes for what they were...freaking magnificent. Not to mention, I could feel the heat radiating off of his smooth, freshly shaven chin, and practically taste the perfectness of his plump rosy lips. His face was a perfect combination of young and worn with experience. Laugh lines surrounded his eyes, a dark sun-induced tan coated his skin, and his entire face held an aura that you could tell meant he didn’t spend much time doing anything other than enjoying life.

Realizing what was happening, after a brief hiatus from consciousness brought on by his uninvited invasion of space, I jerked back and worked my face into a small scowl.

I would have liked it to have been bigger, but my stitches were impeding me.

“Excuse me!” I snapped.

He moved back, but he did it slowly and he didn’t go far. “Sorry, Roni.”

He didn’t look sorry at all, and I was shaken from the close encounter, so I asked a stupid question. “How do you know my name?”

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk, and the area between my legs spasmed.

Good
God
, there had been no life down there for three years, and a smirk,
just a smirk
, from this man had me freaking spasming.

“Well, for one thing, CJ just said it.”

I got the feeling it was more than that, not to mention, he had said ‘for one thing’. “And?”

“And...he’s mentioned you.”

At that news, I jerked my head back and shot a glare right into CJ’s eyes. He raised his hands defensively and worked quickly to take the heat off of himself by moving the conversation forward.

“You probably already guessed, but this is my dad. Coleman Cade. The original.”

Putting on my big girl panties, wanting nothing more than to get this over with, I tried my hand at being polite for once. “Nice to meet you, Coleman.”

For some reason, that brought a full out smile to both of their faces. While the image of the two of them smiling right there next to each other was mind-blowing, I got the feeling that I was the only one not in on the joke, and that effectively put the kibosh on my polite mood.

“And what exactly is so amusing about that, boys?” I snarked.

CJ was a fraction of a second away from filling me in, I could tell, but Coleman put a stop to it with a raise of his hand and minute shake of his head. “Absolutely nothin’, Roni. The pleasure is all mine.”