"Wow!" Theresa said, feeling a sense of wonder and exhilaration as the ground fell quickly away.
"I told you it was great." Theresa heard Kelsey's voice come over the headset. She turned and smiled at her. Kelsey gave her a thumbs up.
Looking down at the diminishing ground, Theresa saw the square fields, delineated like a giant puzzle, fitting together to make a natural mosaic of the land. Some of the fields were in cultivation, the white cotton ready for pulling, bright green winter wheat shimmering in the breeze. Some fields were left to go back to nature. In between were pastures of bare mesquite trees and prickly pear cactus.
Suddenly, the planed jerked, the engine sputtered, then died.
"Oh, hell," Tyler said as he tried to stabilize the aircraft. "Get those headsets off!" He jerked his own from his head.
Theresa fumbled with hers, glancing back at Kelsey, who was doing the same. The little girl's blue eyes dilated wide with fear. Theresa reached back and grabbed her hand for comfort, as she braced herself for the impact.
The plane dropped fast. Confusion and fear clutched at Theresa's guts. Tyler tried desperately to hold the plane steady. He looked at her and Theresa knew there was nothing he could do. The ground rushed toward them. Theresa heard Kelsey scream. Or maybe it was herself. She couldn't be sure of anything. Only stark terror. Time stood still for a moment. Then everything went black . . .
CHAPTER TWELVE
Austin jumped in his truck, stabbed the key into the ignition, and revved the engine. He tore across the field in the direction of the crash. He had watched Tyler take off in the distance, anger and frustration boiling his gut, because he knew Theresa was on board. He realized his feelings were unreasonable. He couldn't let himself have a relationship with her. He knew he was being petty when he didn't want Kelsey to have a relationship with Theresa, either.
When the plane dropped from the sky moments after liftoff, Austin's stomach plummeted along with it. His heart stopped beating. Tyler and Kelsey were on board that plane. Theresa, too. He loved his brother, and his daughter even more. If anything happened to Kelsey, he would die. He couldn't lose her like he'd lost Deborah. He couldn't lose Theresa, either. He wouldn't think about that now.
His heart hitched in his constricted chest and slowly began pounding in his head, the minutes oozing by as the truck bumped over rows of cotton. Austin finally reached the side road along the field and the going smoothed out somewhat.
When the plane came into sight, he couldn't breathe. His head reeled and his stomach lurched as he stared at the crumpled heap of metal that had been a sleek aircraft just this morning. Stomping on the brakes, Austin slammed out of the truck and ran to the plane. He heard crying and thanked God when he recognized Kelsey's voice.
"Kels! I'm coming, sweetheart." He climbed onto the tilted plane and wrenched open the door.
He would never forget the sight that met his eyes as long as he lived. Kelsey lay sprawled on top of two inert bodies. Her forehead was bleeding, her eyes dazed with shock.
"Daddy? I can't move. I'm stuck." She reached her arms toward Austin.
"Grab hold of my neck while I pull you out."
Gently he lifted his daughter and held her close as she clung to him. He climbed down and gently set her on the ground, quickly skimming his hands over her body, checking to see how badly she was injured.
"Oh, Daddy," she said, wincing at his touch, "I think . . . I think Miss Rogers . . . and Uncle Tyler . . ." She buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
Austin felt like sobbing himself.
If Theresa were
. . . He couldn't put the thought into words. She
couldn't
be. And neither could Tyler. Please God, let them be all right.
"Hold this to stop the bleeding," Austin said, placing his handkerchief against her forehead. "You stay put while I see about the others."
Climbing back onto the plane, he peered in through the doorway. Theresa lay on top of Tyler, who was lying perfectly still at the bottom of the aircraft. For a moment, Austin didn't know whether he should try to move either of them. There wasn't a hospital around for eighty miles. Cameron had his medical clinic in town, of course, but this required more equipment and medical assistance than his brother provided.
Luckily, Salt Fork had an emergency ambulance service. Austin quickly pulled out his cell phone and called 911, giving the information and location. Switching his phone off, he lowered himself into the cockpit and braced his legs on either side of Theresa.
Seeing her lying there, so still and motionless sucker punched him in the gut. He reached down and touched her neck with trembling fingers, searching for a pulse. It took a minute before he felt the reassuring beat.
She was still alive.
Theresa's eyes fluttered open. She lifted her head and glanced around until she focused hazily on Austin's face. She took a deep breath. "Kelsey?" she asked, her voice weak.
"She's fine."
"Thank God!" Her head fell back. She closed her eyes. "And Tyler?"
"I don't know yet," Austin said. "You're lying on top of him."
She tried to move and lift her body, raising forward.
He pushed her back. "Be still. I don't know how badly you're hurt."
"You need to see about Tyler," she whispered.
"I will as soon as I can. Let me think a minute how to go about this."
Austin examined her position as well as Tyler's. He decided not to wait for help; he'd risk pulling her free from the wreckage himself.
"Okay, I'm going to move you," he said. "Do you think you can hold on to my neck?"
Theresa nodded and raised her arms to him. Austin's stomach clenched at the sight. After all they'd been through, she trusted him to help her. He wanted to help her. And protect her, take care of her.
Forever.
He took a deep breath. He couldn't think about that. Later, when things were calmer, he knew he had some serious thinking to do. For now, he had to make sure Theresa, Tyler, and Kelsey were safe.
Gathering Theresa in his arms, he carefully climbed to the ground. Something melted in his chest when she rested her head against his shoulder.
"I love you," she said, her voice low, her warm breath brushing his neck. "I understand that you can't love me back. Just . . . wanted you . . . to know."
Austin felt her arms drop from around his neck. Her body went limp as she fainted. He hugged her close before setting her next to Kelsey.
"Is she alive?" Kelsey stared at her teacher with frightened eyes.
"Yes, she's alive. I think she'll be okay," he said. He hoped he wasn't lying to his daughter. He didn't really know if Theresa was okay. She could have serious internal injuries.
Running back to the plane, he checked Tyler's situation. He didn't like what he saw. His brother was lying at an awkward angle with his legs trapped under the twisted metal of the control panel. Austin checked for a pulse, relieved to find a faint steady beat under his questing fingers.
"Come on, Ty," he said, as he braced himself over the still body. "Goddamnit, don't you dare die on me!" He gripped one of his brother's shoulders, wanting to shake him awake. But that might do more harm than good.
Glancing at the pale face, so much like his own, Austin blew out a sigh of relief when a ghost of a smile creased Tyler's lips.
"You don't have to curse me. I'm not going anywhere," Tyler whispered, keeping his eyes closed. "Doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere for a long time." A spasm of pain crossed his face. "Everything hurts like hell. How long before I get free?"
"Not long," Austin said, giving Tyler's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "I hear the ambulance coming. They'll have you out as quickly as possible."
"Good." Tyler heaved a shuddered breath. "Kels and the teacher okay?"
"Yeah. You're all going to be fine," Austin said, and he prayed that it would be true.
****
In the emergency room at the Stamford Hospital, Austin waited with Kelsey until the doctor examined her. She had suffered minor cuts and abrasions that were quickly attended to. After the doctor released her, Austin guided Kelsey through the stark white corridors toward the waiting room, where they met the rest of the family. Dallas and Gillian had driven Ruth to the hospital as soon as they heard the news. Cameron and Jessie had left the baby with Sarah Sue and rushed over as well. Cameron had consulted with the doctors; there was no news to report. Tyler had been in surgery all afternoon.
"What can be taking so long?" Ruth asked, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
"He crushed both his legs, Ma," Dallas said. "It'll take time for the doctors to patch him up."
Ruth sniffed and twisted her handkerchief. "Thank goodness, Kelsey is all right!" She hugged her granddaughter fiercely to her bosom. "I hope Miss Rogers will be okay."
"Me, too, Grams. Me, too," said Kelsey.
Dabbing her eyes again, Ruth blew her nose. "I called the sheriff's office. They'll get hold of the principal at the school and he'll call Miss Rogers' parents to let them know what happened."
"Good. That's good," Austin said. "Thanks."
Ruth smiled and patted his cheek.
Pacing back and forth across the waiting room, Austin's mind refused to function. Conversation hummed around him, but the words didn't register. Thank God, Kelsey hadn't been seriously injured. And he knew Tyler would come out of this. He always did. His youngest brother always seemed to land on his feet. Although, he had never been this banged up before.
"I'm going to check on Theresa," he said, heading toward the door.
Kelsey hopped up. "Can I go with you?"
Austin looked back over his shoulder. He loved his daughter dearly, but he needed to see Theresa alone. "Let me check on her first, see how she's doing, then you can come in a little while."
"Please, Dad. She's
my
friend."
Dallas's new wife, Gillian stepped into the breach. "Stay with me and Grams for a little bit longer. The doctor told you to rest, didn't he? Your dad will come get you when he's made sure Miss Rogers is able to see you."
Kelsey nodded and sat back down.
Austin caught Gillian's eye. She smiled and waved him out of the room.
As he walked down the hallway to Theresa's room, Austin finally acknowledged how worried he was about her. If she were seriously hurt . . . He didn't want anything to happen to her. Not now. Not ever.
The dimly lit hospital room was deathly quiet, the silence broken only by the monotonous beeping of the heart monitor. Sitting on the edge of a hard vinyl chair, Austin rested his elbows on his knees, gripped his hands between his thighs and closed his eyes.
God, he hated hospitals. The smell of antiseptic filled his nostrils. Smothering him, making him almost gag. He would never forget. Never. In a flash, time rewound itself. He was back beside Deborah's bed. In this same hospital. Watching her die. Knowing she was leaving him forever.
Alone. Lonely. Lonesome.
A shudder passed through his body. He took a deep breath. It was time to say goodbye to his young wife. Tuck his love for her in a safe corner of his heart and move on. He knew now, without a doubt, that it was past time. He was lucky. He'd been given a second chance. And like a fool, he had almost thrown it away.
Glancing at the bed where Theresa lay, Austin knew his luck might not hold. It might be slipping away from him yet again. Theresa had not regained consciousness since she'd fainted in his arms earlier this morning.
He rose from the chair and stared down at the motionless figure resting on the crisp linen sheets. Her face was pale, an angry bruise forming on one of her cheeks. Plastic tubes ran from both of her arms to two hanging bags containing plasma and antibiotics. Wires hooked Theresa to the monitors tracking her vital signs and heart rate.
She wasn't in critical condition, no serious internal injuries, the doctors said. Two broken ribs and a concussion. Why wouldn't she wake up?
A sound at the door made Austin turn around. Dallas stood there watching him. His older brother was always watching.
"Tyler make it okay?" Austin asked, looking back at Theresa.
"He's out of surgery. Finally. Doctor said he'll need a lot of rehabilitation and physical therapy. But he should be up and about before we know it. Cameron's talking to the doctor now."
"That's good," Austin said.
Dallas walked to the foot of the bed. "You love her, don't you?"
Austin looked up and met his brother's eyes. He heaved another sigh. "Yeah, I love her."
"It isn't a sin or a crime."
"I know. It took me a while, and I've finally figured it out." Austin raked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't want to love her. But . . . I can't help it."