Runaway Love (10 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Genie pressed her hands to her face as the snow enveloped her.  The huge, white wave picked her up and spun her wildly, wrapping itself around her.  She imagined it turning her into a giant snowball. 

The idea should have amused her.

It didn't.

Particularly when she hit a rock with bone-jarring force on her shoulders, spinning her around 180 degrees.

Then, abruptly, everything stopped.  

She held her breath and lay still in the oppressive silence. 

When she was sure that the avalanche had run its course, she released her breath.  She fought off the beginnings of panic and focused her mind.

Taking stock of her situation in the darkness, she was surprised to discover that she had a considerable amount of snow-free space.  She traced the rock at her back with her hand.  It formed a partial arc over her head, providing her with a small cavern about an arm's length to each side and in front of her face.

True, she had to arch her back uncomfortably to sit, or she could lie curved in the foetal position but, at least, she could still breathe and she had room to move.   .

“Somebody up there must like me.” 

On the down side, she couldn't see anything.  There was a total absence of light.

Genie leaned forward, tracing the overhanging rock to its edge.  She stared hopefully up at where she believed the sky should be.  While she recognized the sun wasn't very strong yet, surely light should have penetrated the snow somewhere.  

“It can't be that thick.”

The pit of her stomach created a fear knot without invitation.  The total darkness began to nibble away at her confidence.  She took a deep defensive breath.  “Steady on Hamilton,” she asserted as she expelled the air.  “You've been in worse fixes than this.” 

The fact that she couldn't call one to mind didn't help. 

Even her recent hold up and wild car chase seemed to pale by comparison.     

“Can't be that bad.  It's only snow.”

All she had to do was dig herself out. 

She undulated her straightened fingers into the snow, straight up from the overhanging edge of the rock.  They passed through with some resistance, the coolness of the snow soothing her torn finger tips.

“C'mon 'out',” she muttered through clenched teeth, “where are you?

Disappointment welled up inside her.  With her arm at its fullest extent, she still sensed the coolness of the snow at her fingertips. 

And still no light.

Still no sign of the sun. 

“Perhaps my arm isn't long enough.”   She wriggled her body around to try to extend her reach. 

Still no fresh air.

Still no sunlight.

She slapped at the snow before her face. 

In her imagination, the wall of snow appeared to come to life and slowly close in on her - like in one of those horror movies where the heroine is about to be crushed by an ever-shrinking room.  The villain is crackling his evil laughter in the background.  Then, Prince Charming appears in the form of Leonardo di Caprio and rescues her at the last second. 

“No Prince Charming for me - LdC, or otherwise.”

Then, a glimmer of as hope flashed briefly.  “Lorenzo, perhaps?” 

As quickly as the hope appeared, it evaporated.  She tightened her lips in disappointment.  “He doesn't even know I'm here.”

The tendrils of panic returned and wrapped themselves around her stomach.  “It's down to me.  I've got to do it by myself.” 

She set her jaw.  “I can do it.  I'll dig my way out.”

Genie clawed at the snow in front of her to provide a space to work.  She scooped out handful after handful and piled it around her body.  As the hole in front of her grew larger, her impatience grew in direct proportion to her fear and her digging became increasingly frenzied.

Her wild exertion and her fears drove her lungs into a series of short, hard pumps.  Within seconds, the snow ceiling she had dug through began to undulate like an ocean swell.

“Stop!”

She forced herself to take deep slow breaths until the effects of hyperventilation dissolved.  But, even when she managed to regain control, experienced an odd shortage of breath.  She had to work harder to supply her lungs. 

“I'm running out of air,” she whispered and then immediately clamped her mouth shut to prevent any more precious air escaping.

Realizing that over-exertion would limit her 'air' time dramatically, she tried to relax and
rest for a while.  Lying down, with her legs stretched out into her newly dug space, she narrowed her eyes and stared malevolently into the darkness.  “Sun,” she said through gritted teeth.  “Give me a clue.”

Nothing changed.

It still all looked the same.

Dark.

Oppressive.

Frightening. 

“I'm going to die here,” she whispered, “and no one's ever going to find my body.” 

Chapter Seventeen

Domino's intermittent barking at the gate finally broke Lorenzo's resolve.  Releasing a heavy sigh, joined his canine friend at the gate. 

“I have a lot of work to do, Amico.  Why all this?”  

Lorenzo peered through the gate at the snow-covered hills and trees.  “There's still nothing out there,” he said.

Domino barked and scratched the ground at the foot of the gate.

Lorenzo leaned down to pat Domino's substantial back when he saw the footprints.  Small footprints.  Genie-sized footprints - and they led away from the farm.

He stared intently at the path and the surrounding trees. “

Is she out there, Domino?  Is that what’s bothering you?”  He looked up at Genie's bedroom window.  S
he's never been up this early.

Domino whined and continued with his attempts to burrow under the gate.

“That’s what it is, boy, isn’t it,” he said.  “You’re put out because she left you behind.”

Should he go after her?  Domino certainly wanted to.  “Maybe we should go and find her, eh, Domino?” She can't have got far.  Where can she go?  The pass is still blocked.  He and Domino could soon find her.

But, what if she wanted to be on her own?

“It’ll be a short trip, ragazzo.” He smiled as he envisaged her frustration at finding the blocked pass.  She’d probably kick the snow in temper.  

The look on her face when she returned will be a picture. 

“I'll be calm, and even ask her if she enjoyed her little outing.”  He laughed and nodded to confirm his plan.  “She'll be angry.  She'll probably kick me in temper, too.”

He patted Domino again.  “She'll be all right, Amico,” he said.  “Anyone who can battle through a snowstorm can manage a bit of cold.”

Best to leave her alone with her thoughts.

Still chuckling, he made his way to the barn again.  “Andiamo Domino,” he called.  “She'll be back soon.  Let's go to work.”

Domino didn't release his concentration on the gate for one second.

Lorenzo shook his head.  Silly dog.  Can't do without his new lady friend even for a few hours.  “Stay here if you want to,” he said.  “Tell her hello from me when you see her.   “I've got things to do.”

Domino didn't move.  His vigil at the gate was intense and singular.

Chapter Eighteen

The thought of dying spurred Genie into a flurry of renewed activity.  She set her jaw and resumed her digging.  No way was an outsized snowball going to defeat her.

“It's only snow, after all.” 

Soon, however - and Genie didn't know how much time had passed - exhaustion and the difficulty to breathe took command.   Her pounding heart reverberated from the walls of her icy cavern.  She reached up to make a few more weak grabs at her escape route, then stopped and allowed her hands to fall onto her stomach.   

“Rest for a bit,” she said.

The heat from her exertions and the spreading inner warmth encouraged her to relax.  Her private cavern no longer felt cold.  Even her feet didn't sting anymore.  

“Must be all that digging,” she said sleepily as her eyelids began to droop. “Start again in a minute.” 

Perhaps a nap first.  That might help. 

Something inside her told her she mustn't sleep.  But he desperately wanted to.  Her body was relaxed, pleasantly warm, and her eyes simply didn't want to remain open. 

“Just for a little while,” she whispered.  “Until I get my strength back.”

  She drifted down into a dark, warm world.  A calm and peaceful world. 

At least it was calm and peaceful until the dreams started.

Her mind ran a kaleidoscope of images.  Scenes from the past - her parents, friends, hopeful suitors flashed by like a “This is Your Life” show on steroids.  Even Domino was here with his infernal snuffling.

Why do I have to dream about Domino of all things?  What about Lorenzo?  Even if he was like all the rest.  Lorenzo before...Lorenzo the Magnificent.

She nestled her body into her snowy bed with his image slowly forming in her dream. 

But, Domino's snuffling drove him away. 

“Go away, you nuisance,” she slurred dreamily.  “I want Lorenzo.”

“Genie.” 

He's back.  “I hear you Lorenzo,” she whispered.  She frowned, struggling to hold on to his image.  But Domino's infernal snuffling kept dragging him away before it properly formed. “Call him away Lorenzo,” she said, “so I can see you.  I want to see you.”

“Attento, Domino.”

She smiled.  He was here, with her, in her envelope of snow to help her dig her way out.  They'd do it together.

“Genie.”

Somehow his voice seemed more distant than before.  It even echoed, bouncing around in her snow cocoon.

“Lorenzo.”  Her mind reached out to try to pull him back.  “Don't go.  Don't leave me.”

Then, she realized.  Lorenzo wasn't leaving.  She was.  She was too weak to stop herself from tumbling deeper into her warm dark world as quickly as the snow that had fallen on her.  

Chapter Nineteen

A bright light penetrated Genie's closed eyelids.

Her heart felt as though it was falling through space.  Could this be it?  They say you see a bright light when you're on your way to the 'other side' - wherever that may be. 

Wait.

Wasn't it supposed to be at the end of a tunnel too?   She couldn't see a tunnel.  This light enveloped her.  Perhaps she was already there - all the way through to the other side.

“I don't want to be 'there' yet.  I'm too young.”  She thought she whispered but her voice echoed in her head.

Perhaps it isn't that kind of light?

Think, Hamilton.  What other light could it be?

The snow. 

Maybe it's melting?

She felt a balloon of excitement in her chest.  That must be it.

“I'm going to be free,” she whispered.  “Snow, snow, go away--”

“Genie.”

There's Lorenzo back again.  But he sounds so far away. 

Come Lorenzo, help me dig my way out.

She wanted to open her eyes to see him, but she was afraid. 

What if she was mistaken? 

What if the bright light was 'the other side' and Lorenzo was only a dream?

“Genie.”

There he is again.  He sounds closer this time.

“Wake up, Genie.”

Wake up?  I'm not asleep.

“You're safe now, Genie.”

Safe?  How safe? 

Should she take his word for it?  How could she be safe if Lorenzo was only in her dream?  Don't tell me that if it isn't true, Lorenzo.  I couldn't bear it.

“Come, Genie.  Open your eyes.”

That's easy for you to say.

“Try, Genie.  Everything is alright now.”

She sighed.  After a brief internal struggle, she climbed over the knot of fear in her stomach and forced open her eyes.

The overwhelming intensity of the light slammed into her retina and whited out her surroundings.  She blinked rapidly several times to re-set her eyesight.

A shadowy human shape loomed over her.  “You're safe now,” it said again.

Lorenzo.  He was here? 

As she focused on the silhouette, it began to harden at the edges and the shadow lightened sufficiently that she could make out detail.

“Lorenzo,” she whispered. 

“Si.  It is me.”

“What..?  How..?”  She could see the detail in his face now.  It was Lorenzo.

“You're home now,” he said.

“Home?”  Genie blinked some more, and with the clearing vision, other senses came into play.  No longer was she lying in a snow cocoon.  This cocoon was different.  The mattress beneath comforted her and the cosy quilt moulded itself warmly to her body.

She was home. 

It was her room. 

Her familiar room. 

The room she had stolen away from.

“Pinch me, Lorenzo,” she said, her voice shaking with a mixture of fear and anticipation.  “I want this to be real.”

Lorenzo's hand gently touched her shoulder.  It was enough.  Nevertheless, she freed one arm from the quilt and rested her fingers on his hand to be doubly sure.  It was real.  Lorenzo was real. 

She was safe. 

“How did I..?  What happened?”

He gave her a gentle pat on her shoulder and withdrew his hand.  “Don't worry about it now.”

“How could you know where I was?  How was that possible?”

“So many questions.”  He delivered a deep sigh of resignation.

  “But, how did you find me?” 

“It was Domino.  He found you.”

“Domino?”

As if on cue, Genie felt a cold, wet nudge on her elbow.

She rolled her head to her right and saw Domino in his usual position - seated on the floor, with his chin resting on the bed.

“He sensed you were in trouble,” Lorenzo said.  “Wouldn't let me rest until I listened to him.”

Domino's big brown eyes fixed on Genie with depth of focus that implied he dare not look away in case she attempted to do something stupid again.

“He sensed where you were almost the instant we arrived at the avalanche site and started to dig.”

Genie stretched out her hand and rested it on the top of Domino's head.  His body vibrated from the force of his wagging tail, augmented by a series of short snuffles.

“I haven't been very friendly to him since I've been here, Lorenzo.  He must have sensed it.  I'm surprised he even gave me the time of day, let alone come to rescue me.”

“I told you, dogs decide to whom to give their affection,” Lorenzo said.  “They don't attach any strings.”

“If only people could be like that.”

“It is possible.” He sat down on the foot of the bed.  “But you must remove your strings too.”

Genie chuckled.  “You're quite a philosopher, Lorenzo Calderone.”

She shared Domino's open pleasure at the attention she gave him. 

“You see this, Lorenzo?  After a lifetime of steering clear of dogs, I'm making friends with one - a big one at that.  I can't believe it.”

“Domino has been working on that since you came here.”

“But, dogs and me...”

“You just have to get to know them, that's all.”

“Getting dug out of a snowy grave helps.”

She shuddered as images of her dark cocoon emerged in her mind. 

Domino broke her reverie with one of his special nose nudges.

“All right, Dom.  I know you're here,” she said, turning back to him and patting him on his head.  “And you are a clever, clever boy.”

“You're going to spoil him with all that attention.”

“I'm thinking,” Genie said, looking up at Lorenzo, “I can't imagine that I rode back here on Domino's back.  You had to carry me, I guess.”

He shrugged and made a mischievous grin.  “There isn't much of you,”

“Thanks very much.”  Genie pictured Lorenzo carrying her through the snow.  She sensed the touch of their bodies and that rippling thing started again.

“I don't know what to say.” She shook her head.  “I've been a real nuisance to you, haven't I?”

“No, Genie.   Don't be silly.  On the contrary...” He let his words tail off, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Genie wanted to ask, “On the contrary what...?”  But before she could, Lorenzo dived in.

“Everything's fine.” He stood up.  “Domino and I haven't had so much excitement since we found a stray hiding out in our barn a few weeks ago.”

“So now I'm a stray.”

“Absolutely.  That's why I took you in and gave you a bowl of milk.”

“Milk?  Would that be from Gloria or Beatrice?”

“Naturalmente, from Gloria.  She is your cow after all.”

Genie laughed.  “So, because I've milked her a couple of times, I win her as a prize, do I?”

“Certo.” He stood up.  “But, now, I think, you'd prefer a nice hot cup of tea.”

“Tea's wonderful, Lorenzo but, I have to tell you I'm starving.”

“Of course.  I have not been able to make you eat.”  He waggled his forefinger at her.  “You are a very stubborn girl.”

She frowned. “What do you mean, make me eat?”

“You wouldn't wake up.  I've been trying for two days to get you to--”

“Two days.”  The shock almost charged her body enough to sit up.  Almost.  “I've been here for two days?”

“You were so long waking up, I thought I would have to nurse you for the rest of my life.”

“Two days.  I can't believe it.”  She looked at the finger tips on her free hand. “No wonder these have healed so well.  Two days.”

She turned to Domino and started to rub behind his ear.  Lorenzo had done all that - after everything?

That blessed magazine.  What if he had read it?  It was so old it must have been published right after the Ark bumped into Mount Ararat.  Even if he had read it, the chances are he'd long forgotten it. 

And even if he did remember; even if he knew all about her, so what?   One day, she'd walk away from here.  Oh, there'd be regrets on both sides, she was sure.  But, what he knew about her would come to naught.

Nevertheless, still he and his doting dog came running after her. 

Saved her life. 

Nursed her back to life.

Unless he thought that doing all that would--Stop it!  Let it go.  Accept things the way they are right now.  He'd pulled her out of her icy tomb - saved her life - and that was that.

“Now is the time to rest,” Lorenzo ordered.  He turned towards the door.  “I'll bring you a cup of tea and then--”

“And something to eat.   I'm starving.”

“So you said.”  He gave a heavy, very audible sigh on the way to the door.  “She's going to start making demands now, Domino.  We should have left her in the snow drift.  Andiamo, Boy.”

“You leave Domino out of this,” Genie said.  “He can stay here and share my breakfast. 

Genie gazed wistfully at Lorenzo as he closed the door behind him.   Oh, how she wished she could really be sure about him.  Beautiful Lorenzo.  She hated letting her almost phobic caution - her fear - build a wall between them.  And even if the wall came down; even if their friendship caught fire to become something else, still she could never be sure.

Besides that, she couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life on a farm.  Neither could she see Lorenzo getting a kick out of London's bright lights and high social events.  They just weren't right for each other.

Wait.  Wait.  Wait.  What was going on in her head? 

“Hey Dom, I've just tested the idea of being married to your Dad.”  She brushed her forefinger down the bridge of his snout.  “You could be the Best Man - or Best Dog, in your case.”

She rolled her head back and closed her eyes. 

“Put your fantasies away, Hamilton.  When all is said and done, eventually, Lorenzo and I will have to go our separate ways.” 

That was not going to be easy.  If she let her feelings take charge, leaving him might be impossible.

Then she'd be in a different kind of trap - a farmer's wife trap.

No thanks.

No.  Leaving was best. 

Leaving him on a high note, with them both thinking well of each other, was best. 

Best.

She gave a determined single nod to seal the contract.