“
You said to make it big, so I did!”
“
Lucky for us, the wind is not blowing in this direction,” Jake said.
“
I’m sure this bugs you, since you’re a firefighter.”
“
Yeah, well, I don’t generally condone arson, but desperate times call for desperate measures.”
My head ached with every single breath. I pulled myself up and sniffled, determined not to give up. “I’ve gotta get their attention, Jake. It’s the only way.”
Everything was so dry that the fire quickly blazed up the towering trees in a burst of flames.
I winced, my head reeling. Doubling over, I said, “I think we took it to the next level.”
I waited, every muscle in my body tense. This
acrid smell assaulted my nostrils, making me gag, and it was a struggle to keep from puking.
The strong aroma of scorched pine, like a hundred of those car air fresheners burning at once, left a bitter taste in my mouth. The fire blazed high into the sky, sending tree after tree toppling to the ground. The forest was illuminated by a sea of flames and roared like a freight train.
Trees crackled and snapped as they were devoured by the inferno of impenetrable heat rising all around us.
The dense smoke, sizzling crackles, and blinding heat made my heart race something fierce.
“
If this place goes up in flames, we’ll be burned alive,” I whispered. My eyes stung from the black smoke.
“
Relax. The wind is blowing up the mountain,” he said. “I mean, I guess it could shift, but it’s best not to think about that.” Jake grabbed my arm. “C’mon. We need to find shelter.”
We were both in horrible condition, but we somehow managed to stumble over to a ledge. Biting my lip through more sharp pain, I crawled under it, and we waited.
“
They’ll come,” he assured me through the crackling flames, his voice thin and raspy. “I’m not strong enough to hike, but I sure can—”
“
Hail a helicopter,” I finished.
Jake squeezed my hand lightly, his skin damp and hot as fire. My heartbeat quickened, and dread suddenly overwhelmed me. I wanted to stay positive, but I feared our plan might not work. I clenched my teeth as a sick feeling nestled in the pit of my stomach, and I sucked in a deep breath as the fire crackled through the branches.
Jake looked into my eyes—my terrified, desperate eyes—and touched my shoulder. “I love you.”
I squeezed his hand. “I love you too.”
“
If this is the end, I want you to know, I’d do it all over again, just to spend time with you. I’ve got no regrets except that I left you.”
A tear ran down my face. “No, Jake! Don’t you dare die on me, not after all we’ve been through. I love you, and I don’t care what anyone says.” I listened to the crackling howl as the blinding, intense heat made it hard to breathe. I listened for the engine of a plane or the whirring of a helicopter, but there was nothing—nothing but the ground-shuddering roars.
“
I’ll never forget how your eyes lit up the first time I ever asked you out,” Jake whispered.
“
I was so nervous.”
He coughed. “I couldn’t believe you said yes.”
I looped my fingers in his. “Why not? You were the most gorgeous guy in school.”
“
Well, you were the rich girl, and I was broke and a troublemaker. I’d been suspended more than once, and I was always sent to Saturday school and detention.”
“
I’ve never cared about your money or lack thereof. I didn’t care about your track record either. I saw past all that.”
“
I know,” he said faintly. “You were amazing.”
I smiled and kissed his lips.
We held hands, hoping and praying that someone, anyone would see us. More than anything, I just wanted Jake to hold me in his strong arms. I had longed for that moment. I had imagined how beautiful our homecoming would be, picturing every single detail from his smile to his comforting embrace. I was so in love with Jake, and I realized I always had been. I felt confident that somehow we’d make it through this, so we could be together forever again.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at the leaping, licking flames. I kept a firm grip on Jake’s hand. The fire grew hotter, and I could feel the heat on my face. I gritted my teeth, mentally slapping myself for my own stupidity
. I guess it wasn’t such a smart idea to light the trees in the gorge where we’re trapped.
We had come so close to escaping the nightmare, but now it looked as if it would never end—at least not the way we’d hoped. “If we don’t get outta this gorge, Jake…” I paused, not even wanting to consider the possibility. Then I
squeezed my eyes shut, wondering if things could possibly get any worse.
Chapter 19
The stench of smoke drifted all around us. When the fire burned out and nobody had come, we both feared the worst.
“
The fire’s gone…and no one came,” I said. Jake’s eyes rolled back, and I began to cry, choked by the deepest, darkest emotion I’d ever felt. “I’m so sorry, Jake. I love you. Please know I tried my best.” A tear slipped down my face. “If only my best was good enough.”
Wails erupted from deep inside my soul. I was wracked with uncontrollable sobbing. I couldn’t bear to live my life without Jake. He was my world, my life. I began to shake and tremble, and grief washed over me as if I was caught in a hurricane. I would never get over losing him, and I gritted my teeth as bitter tears flowed down my face.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar
hum
in the distance. “Wait…is that a chopper?” I asked, a spark of hope lighting up in my eyes.
“They saw the fire after all, Jake! They’re coming back for us! Jake, baby, we’re gonna make it. Just hold on!” I listened intently and heard a booming noise that made my heart leap in my chest. “We’re saved,” I whispered.
Jake’s beautiful eyes fluttered open. “I knew we would be.”
“
You’re awake!”
“
I guess I passed out. Didn’t mean to scare ya.”
“
Don’t move, Jake. Help is coming.”
I jerked my gaze up. As the helicopter came closer, I waved and flailed my arms. I screamed and shouted, refusing to let the opportunity pass me by. I wondered if they saw me, and when I pushed wet strands of sweaty hair from my eyes, I saw that my hopes and prayers had been answered: The helicopter was coming in our direction. I pressed my palm against my chest as my heart pounded in my throat. “They’ve seen us,” I said, squealing in joy. I stumbled into what was left of the vegetation, barely able to contain the sudden burst of happiness inside me.
A gust of wind hit my face as a roaring helicopter swooped in and hovered in midair by the clearing. It was the most beautiful sight imaginable: two men running toward me with a stretcher.
I touched Jake’s face. “We’ve just got our miracle.” I stood and brushed my hair behind my ears, but the wind blew it around again and again. Taking a few steps forward, I was overcome with emotion, and tears began to swell in my eyes once again. I wiped my face with a trembling hand as the ranger introduced himself. I told him about the general and the tent and about poor Albie, our gentle tour guide.
Jake handed the ranger the general’s wallet, and the ranger promised to alert the proper authorities.
“
Everything’s gonna be okay,” the ranger said, gently patting my shoulder.
I believed
him, and another tear
streamed down my cheek. “Thank you, sir. We can’t thank you enough.”
The ranger tilted his head to the side, regarding me. “You’re lucky we were even over here. Thought we had another runaway forest fire.”
I cleared my throat, raising my gaze to the man who’d come to rescue us. “Thank you,” I whispered as he gave me a much-needed drink of water from a silver canteen. Moaning, I doubled over as another wave of pain tore across my ribs. It hurt every time I breathed. As the men helped me onto the stretcher, I caught Jake’s smile.
“
We did it,” he said victoriously.
I couldn’t stop grinning, in spite of how badly I was hurting.
As we got closer to the chopper, the wind felt good against my sweaty face, whipping against my skin like on my favorite rollercoaster.
In spite of his own injuries, Jake selflessly held my hand and gave me words of encouragement on the ride back to the hospital. He was the bravest man I knew.
After the medic gave me a shot, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The sharp smell of disinfectant made me gag. I was lying in bed, in a blue hospital gown with no back. Everything around me was so white and sterile and clean. The place was dimly lit, but I could make out the furniture in the small room, a bedside table and a vinyl mauve chair. On the large window were curtains that matched the chair, there was a telephone on the dresser, and I spotted a small bathroom in the corner.
A nurse with her gray hair pulled into a tight, perfect bun walked in. She was wearing spotless white scrubs and had a friendly smile on her face. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“
Like somebody’s been pounding my head with a hammer.” My throat was dry, and I found it hard to swallow.
“
You sprained your ankle and broke a couple ribs up there.”
“
Guess I was lucky I didn’t kill myself trying to climb up that wall.”
“
You’re a very lucky young lady.”
The nurse held a glass of water to my lips, and I took a sip through the straw.
“
Everything’s going to be okay now, honey,” she said. “You’re doing fine, and your fella’s gonna come out of it too.”
“
What?” I said, shaking my head, not grasping the meaning of her words. “Jake? Is he okay?”
“
He’s alive,” she informed me, “and the doctors are taking good care of him.”
I let out the biggest sigh of relief I could muster.
“
He has slipped back into a coma, but they’re confident he’ll be all right.”
My heart lurched. “What!? Where is he? I need to see him.”
“
Right now, what you need is rest,” she said.
I started climbing out of bed. “No, I need to see him.”
She touched my shoulder. “Honey, you can see him later.”
I shook my head. “We’ve been through too much together. I’m gonna go see him, come hell or high water.”
She backed up. “I’ll have to inform the doctor.”
“
What room is he in?”
She shot me a look and wouldn’t say a word.
“
I love him,” I said. “I just need five minutes. Please?” I begged.
She stared at me with her bright green eyes, as if evaluating my mental state. “Five minutes,” she finally said, then led me out the door to his room.
He looked like he was sleeping. His face was so pale, and his dark locks were glued to his forehead. I kissed his cheek and assured him that everything was going to be okay. A mesh of wires flowed from his body and was connected to beeping machines.
I looked up at the nurse. “Are they sure he’s gonna be okay?”
“
There were complications with the surgery, a blood clot, but listen, sweetie. I’m not authorized to discuss personal details of his case. I can tell you that his family has been informed of his condition.”
I slowly nodded. “I understand. I know about HIPAA and all that, but can I just have a minute alone with him?”
“
Sure, honey.”
I cupped Jake’s face, and tears ran down my cheeks. “Don’t you dare die on me. You’ve gotta wake up. We’ve got so much to live for. We can’t lose each other again, not after all this. Fate brought us back together, Jake, and I don’t think it’s so cruel that it’d only tear you away from me again.” I squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry about how mean I was to you when we first got back together. I was just so…I felt hurt and rejected. I understand that you were young and carefree all those years ago. We were just kids. It was all my fault. I never shoulda talked you into getting married before you were ready. We could have waited. We shoulda just gone off to college and had fun first. If anyone is to blame, Jake, it’s me.”