panic, and my heart fills with joy at the sound of Josh’s voice. I turn to see him pushing his way through the crowd, his eyes wild with fear. “Where the fuck is she?”
“Josh!” He wraps his arms around me and I burrow into his chest. For the first time since waking up, I feel safe at last.
CHAPTER
Five
JOSH
“ ’Lo?” My voice is groggy as I answer my phone and check the time: 2:09 in the middle of the damn night. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Ty. I need you in town now, man.” I can hear rain and voices around him. I immediately jump from bed, pull on my jeans and a shirt, and pull my shit together. “We’re gonna need your generator and lights too.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask again, my voice hard and awake.
“I heard a loud boom about two minutes ago and came running outside to find a tree lying across Cara’s roof.” My heart stops as I pause in tying my boots. “The power’s out and it’s black out here, man.”
“Have you called 911?”
“Of course, and they’re on their way, but—”
“Is Cara still in there?” I close my eyes and pray that he says no, that she’s right there next to him. Please, God, let her be okay.
“Yeah, she’s not out here yet. Jesus, man.” I hear the fear and the shock in his voice and it spurs me into action. I grab my jacket and keys and run out to my truck.
“I’ll be there in fifteen.” I end the call and immediately dial Louie, our head ranch hand, and instruct him to call the other guys, grab the lights and generator, and come to town.
There’s no way in fucking hell I’m wasting time gathering that shit when I need to get to Cara. Now.
Jesus, what if she’s hurt?
I punch the accelerator on the way down the long driveway, swerving around fallen tree limbs and other debris thrown around by the windstorm. Once on the highway I punch it hard, driving much faster than is safe, especially in this weather, but I don’t care. I have only one thought in my head: get to Carolina.
Ten minutes later my phone rings again.
“Ty!” I bark.
“She’s out and she’s okay. Shaken up, but not hurt.”
I close my eyes with relief. The knot I didn’t even know was there loosens in my chest, allowing me to take a deep breath.
“Have the paramedics looked at her?”
“She’s getting checked out now. How far out are you?”
“I’m almost there. Louie and the other guys are bringing the equipment.”
“Thanks, man.”
I hang up and toss the phone on the seat beside me, relieved to see the edges of town in my headlights. People and official vehicles and barricades at both ends of the block stop me as I approach Cara’s street, so I jump out of the truck and run. The crowd in the street is surprisingly thick and full of movement and flashing lights and confusion, and the more I have to search for her, the more panicked I become.
“Where is she?” I yell, and push neighbors aside, frantically searching the crowd. “Where the fuck is she?”
“Josh!”
I see her now, not far from the ambulance with Ty; his arms are around her as though he’s holding her up. Her beautiful hair is covered in white, and she’s wearing nothing more than a black tank top and yoga pants. She flings a thin hospital blanket off her shoulders and pulls out of Ty’s arms to run to me. I wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“She’s covered in insulation, man. Be careful.”
I watch Ty’s serious face over Cara’s head and nod gravely. I want to bury my face in her hair and breathe her in, but I won’t do her any good if I’m in the hospital from inhaling fiberglass, so I just run my hands up and down her back, soothing her.
“A tree fell on my house,” she mutters, her voice thin and flat.
“I see, honey.” My calm voice masks the fear coursing through me. Holy fuck, the tree practically sliced her house in two.
I could have lost her, and I just found her.
“It fell on my house,” she repeats, and I look down to find
“Josh!” He wraps his arms around me and I burrow into his chest. For the first time since waking up, I feel safe at last.
CHAPTER
Five
JOSH
“ ’Lo?” My voice is groggy as I answer my phone and check the time: 2:09 in the middle of the damn night. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Ty. I need you in town now, man.” I can hear rain and voices around him. I immediately jump from bed, pull on my jeans and a shirt, and pull my shit together. “We’re gonna need your generator and lights too.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask again, my voice hard and awake.
“I heard a loud boom about two minutes ago and came running outside to find a tree lying across Cara’s roof.” My heart stops as I pause in tying my boots. “The power’s out and it’s black out here, man.”
“Have you called 911?”
“Of course, and they’re on their way, but—”
“Is Cara still in there?” I close my eyes and pray that he says no, that she’s right there next to him. Please, God, let her be okay.
“Yeah, she’s not out here yet. Jesus, man.” I hear the fear and the shock in his voice and it spurs me into action. I grab my jacket and keys and run out to my truck.
“I’ll be there in fifteen.” I end the call and immediately dial Louie, our head ranch hand, and instruct him to call the other guys, grab the lights and generator, and come to town.
There’s no way in fucking hell I’m wasting time gathering that shit when I need to get to Cara. Now.
Jesus, what if she’s hurt?
I punch the accelerator on the way down the long driveway, swerving around fallen tree limbs and other debris thrown around by the windstorm. Once on the highway I punch it hard, driving much faster than is safe, especially in this weather, but I don’t care. I have only one thought in my head: get to Carolina.
Ten minutes later my phone rings again.
“Ty!” I bark.
“She’s out and she’s okay. Shaken up, but not hurt.”
I close my eyes with relief. The knot I didn’t even know was there loosens in my chest, allowing me to take a deep breath.
“Have the paramedics looked at her?”
“She’s getting checked out now. How far out are you?”
“I’m almost there. Louie and the other guys are bringing the equipment.”
“Thanks, man.”
I hang up and toss the phone on the seat beside me, relieved to see the edges of town in my headlights. People and official vehicles and barricades at both ends of the block stop me as I approach Cara’s street, so I jump out of the truck and run. The crowd in the street is surprisingly thick and full of movement and flashing lights and confusion, and the more I have to search for her, the more panicked I become.
“Where is she?” I yell, and push neighbors aside, frantically searching the crowd. “Where the fuck is she?”
“Josh!”
I see her now, not far from the ambulance with Ty; his arms are around her as though he’s holding her up. Her beautiful hair is covered in white, and she’s wearing nothing more than a black tank top and yoga pants. She flings a thin hospital blanket off her shoulders and pulls out of Ty’s arms to run to me. I wrap my arms around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“She’s covered in insulation, man. Be careful.”
I watch Ty’s serious face over Cara’s head and nod gravely. I want to bury my face in her hair and breathe her in, but I won’t do her any good if I’m in the hospital from inhaling fiberglass, so I just run my hands up and down her back, soothing her.
“A tree fell on my house,” she mutters, her voice thin and flat.
“I see, honey.” My calm voice masks the fear coursing through me. Holy fuck, the tree practically sliced her house in two.
I could have lost her, and I just found her.
“It fell on my house,” she repeats, and I look down to find
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