Baby Stetson (Love and Music in Texas #1) (35 page)

“We’ll figure it out, honey. Just stay calm, stay awake. The storm ravished areas were pretty clustered together, so that along with the information you gave us should at least be able to narrow it down some.” Avery heard typing. “What’s your name?”

“Avery Callimer. I live in Harmony’s Echo. I was trying to get back home after a trip when-” Avery’s voice broke. She fought to keep her eyelids open. “I’m leaning up on a black Cobalt,” she babbled. Anything that would help, right?

“Okay, Avery. We’re got plenty of search parties looking around these areas for survivors. I don’t know how long it will take to get to you. The number on your phone isn’t showing up. Do you have a number we can reach you at in case we get disconnected?”

“My phone is dead. I don’t know this number. I found it in the glove box.”

The woman swore under her breath. “We’ll get help for you soon, Avery. Just hang in there with me, okay?”

Avery’s teeth chattered as light raindrops fell. “I’ll try.” She was cold. So cold. She had a jacket in the suitcase, if only she could get up and reach it. Avery’s legs were so weak, she wasn’t sure that was possible. “I’m so cold.”

*****

Lucas stood with Avery’s friends and family as the chaos continued. Fire engines and ambulances and local police were parked in the inn’s lot, checking everyone out for injuries. Lucas had to have explained probably four or five times the dire situation with Avery, and how they needed to locate her right away. By the fifth time, he might have gotten through.

Standing by one of the police cars, he heard something come through the scanner that caught his attention. He heard someone mention the name Avery. Lucas waved the cop over, who’d gone to talk to Jameson. As he approached, Lucas pointed to the car. “I heard the name Avery over the scanner!”
Please, let someone have found her. Found her alive.

The officer spoke back and forth with the dispatcher. Lucas couldn’t tell everything they’d said, but he thought they might have a vague location where Avery may be. When the cop got out of the car and looked at Lucas, his heart leaped to his throat. “Where is she? Is it her?”

The cop held up a hand. “9-1-1 got a call about ten minutes ago from a woman named Avery. She doesn’t know her exact location, but she gave the dispatcher enough information for a general idea. We’re getting a search party together right now to comb the area.”

“I’m going with,” Lucas declared defiantly. Nothing, not even the law, would keep him from getting to Avery.

“As am I,” Jameson stated from beside Lucas. When had he come over here? It didn’t matter. Lucas was glad for reinforcements from someone he at least kind of knew. The most surprising voice that spoke up next came from Paula.

“I’d like to help, too,” she said almost too softly to hear.

The cop looked like he wanted to argue, and opened his mouth to say something until his partner spoke up for him. “Let them come. Frankly, if we have volunteers, we shouldn’t turn them down.”

“But who knows what kind of damage there is. Liabilities-”

“I think we’re all adults,” Lucas stated. “We know what we are getting into. Let us help. We care a great deal about Avery.”

“Fine. We need to get going now. I hear there’s another line of storms on the horizon. We can’t be putting everyone at major risk, so our window of opportunity is small right now.”

Lucas went to talk to the Callimers and Belinda. He’d never forget the united front Avery’s birth mother and adopted mother held. Both gave him a stern warning.

“Bring our daughter back to us.”

They didn’t have to ask twice.

Two hours later, Avery still hadn’t been found. The search party ended up being about thirty five people. Most split up into groups of three. Jameson and Lucas went together. Debris crunched beneath his feet as Lucas swung his flashlight beam every direction, hoping for a sign. He yelled out her name. Rain fell in steady patterns, but at least it wasn’t the severe drenching type. In fact, Lucas couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen a lightning bolt. In terms of the storm, the worst may have been far behind them. Now it was time for clean up efforts and searching for the missing.

The one slight consolation was that they said Rodney was dead. That had to have come from Avery when she called, but Lucas wouldn’t believe it until he saw that bastard’s cold body for himself. If he actually was alive, someone would have to hold Lucas back, because he planned to beat the crap out of that bastard for what he did to Avery. Double crossing jerk.

At times, Lucas felt no better than the man. He’d lied and broken her trust, too.

But you didn’t kidnap her with some agenda.

No, that much was for sure. But he’d played Avery. Something he cursed himself for every moment.

“Lucas. Look.” Jameson pointed his light about fifteen yards ahead. Debris. A very large pile of it. And it looked like a vehicle nearby.

“It’s worth looking into. If not, maybe we’ll find someone else in need of help,” Lucas said and made a run for it. The closer he got, the more he hoped. “Avery! Avery, are you here?”

Jameson followed close behind, calling out for Avery.

Lucas’s breath caught when he saw a body, half of it covered with boards and branches. Without hesitance, he cast the flashlight beam over the body, a sinking feeling crept into his abdomen. “Jameson, that’s Rodney’s body.” The son of a bitch really was dead. Which meant Avery could be near by.

“Avery! Oh, Avery! I found her! Lucas, she’s right here!”

Lucas whirled around to where Jameson’s voice came from. He rushed through the rubble, tripping once and landing face first in the mud. Bleh! He rushed to his feet quickly, spitting out the nasty taste of dirt. When he got to Jameson, he finally saw her. Avery, crumpled up in a heap on the wet ground right next to a car, her purse and a cell phone less than a foot away.

“She’s breathing, she has a pulse. Avery’s alive!” Jameson yelled. “She’s bleeding bad from her wrist, though.”

Lucas sank to his knees beside her, gathering Avery in his arms. “Avery, sweetheart. Wake up. You’re safe. We’ve got you.” She didn’t open her eyes. Blood caked her face and her arm. She was muddy, but damn it, she was alive!

Jameson pulled out the walkie that had been given to him and called it in. “We’ve got her. She’s alive, but unconscious! Hurry, she’s lost quite a bit of blood.” Jameson described the area.

Back up was on it’s way.

Lucas shouldn’t have moved her, but he couldn’t go another second without holding her in his arms. Jameson tapped his shoulder. Lucas tore his eyes away from Avery. Jameson held out his jacket and gestured at her. Understanding, Lucas nodded and helped Jameson to cover her. Poor thing was soaking wet.

“I’m going to stand on the other side of the car and make sure they can find us,” Jameson said softly. Lucas felt bad for the guy. He had a history with Avery and then here came Lucas, moving into her life and changing it. Lucas wouldn’t blame Jameson for wanting to kick his ass, even if he had no claim on Avery anymore. Jameson was still a close friend, someone important to her, and being a damn good sport about all of this. Not many would take this as well as Jameson. Lucas admired and respected him for that. Later, he just might have to tell him.

Lucas had no idea how much time passed while he held Avery, softly begging for her to wake up and talk to him. In the distance, sirens wailed. He heard shouting from not too far away. Help was coming.

“I love you so much, Avery. I will spend forever making it up to you, and if you’ll let me, I’ll be that man you deserve. Just wake up. Open those beautiful eyes and look at me,” Lucas begged, staring down at her unmoving form and waiting.

“Sir, you’ll need to move over so we can treat her,” a paramedic told Lucas gently, coming up with some of the others. Lucas nodded and lowered Avery carefully on the ground. He never wanted to let her go ever again, but he knew they could do things he couldn’t and right now Avery needed the medical attention. Lucas moved back, his gaze setting one more time on Avery, then reached for his phone. The Callimers, Belinda, and the others would be waiting for word about her. The least he could do right now was fill them in.

“Are you all right?” Jameson asked. The blue and red lights from the emergency vehicles lit up the night. Lucas was a muddy mess, wet, and scared out of his mind, but he nodded.

“It’s been a crazy past few days. Gives me a lot of perspective, that’s for sure,” Lucas said, looking back at where the paramedics tended to Avery.

A hand clapped on his shoulder. Lucas looked back at Jameson, who smiled. “That Avery, she’s a fighter. She’ll make it out of this just fine.”

“I just don’t know if she’ll forgive me for the stupid shit I’ve done,” Lucas muttered. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, especially to Jameson, but there it was.

“She will,” Jameson replied softly. “She forgave me. Even though her feelings changed, it tore her up inside. It hurt her far worse than it did me when she told me she didn’t feel the same, but she said she forgave me. I love that woman, and always will, but I know now she loves you, Lucas. I don’t know what you did, but it can’t be bad enough that Avery wouldn’t forgive you. She doesn’t hold grudges.”

“That means a lot, coming from you,” Lucas admitted. They never got to finish the conversation. The other members of the search party, including Paula, all rushed over.

“Is she okay?” Paula’s concern was touching. The entire time she’d been here, the woman hadn’t been nice to Avery. This was the first time she ever showed something other than jealousy. “She’s going to make it, right?” The woman looked over at where her sister lay, back to Lucas and Jameson. “That man- he’s-?”

“He’s dead.” Lucas pointed to where the body lay. If he weren’t, Lucas would have already killed him! If it weren’t for the storm, what would have happened? No, he didn’t even want to think of the possibilities. All that mattered was that Avery had been found, she was getting help and while they didn’t have answers, Rodney- or whoever the hell that man was-, couldn’t hurt Avery anymore. “Don’t look. It’s not a pretty sight.”

In fact, someone should cover the body.

“I shouldn’t have been so horrible to her. It’s not her fault she was abandoned. I was such a bitch. I need the chance to get to know her.” Paula sobbed. She flung herself in Lucas’s arms, wailing.

Well, this was awkward. Lucas patted her back and let the woman cry.

“Paula, I need to call your parents. Let them know Avery’s been found.” Lucas gently pushed her off him. She sniffed and nodded, taking a few steps back. Lucas reached for his phone. He dialed the inn, hoping one of the Callimers would answer.

Mr. Callimer answered on the second ring. Lucas filled him in on the situation as the paramedics loaded Avery up on a stretcher. Lucas ran toward them, asking which hospital they were taking Avery to. He repeated the information to her father, then they hung up the phone. “Please, is there room for me? I need to be with her.” Lucas looked at Avery unmoving on the stretcher.

One shook his head, giving Lucas a sympathetic look. “Sir, there’s no room. I’m really sorry.”

Lucas swore. He watched helplessly as they got Avery into the ambulance, closed the doors and drove away, taking with them the only good thing Lucas had in his life.

“Lucas, come on. We’ll get to the hospital, though I think the police have a few questions about Rodney.” Jameson and Paula stood behind him. They both looked as lost and helpless as Lucas felt.

Not that he had many answers, but Lucas waited for the cops to begin their investigating.

After what seemed like forever, the cops stopped asking Lucas questions, and let him go with Jameson to the hospital. Once Avery woke and was feeling up to it, they’d be talking to her, too. It was neverending. The ride to the hospital was a quiet, tense one.

They found Avery’s family immediately. Laura had come as well. Mrs. Callimer folded Lucas into a bear hug, sobbing on his shoulder. “Thank you for finding her!” Lucas met Mr. Callimer’s stare and he nodded as if to say “You’re all right, son. Thank you.”

“I wasn’t going to stop until she was found,” Lucas responded. “Jameson and I planned to comb every inch of the surrounding areas until we got to her.” Mrs. Callimer let him go. Lucas searched the room. “Where’s-?”

“I’m right here, Lucas.” He turned. Belinda stood behind him, still wearing her wig and hat as not to be discovered by anyone that might recognize her. “She’s okay? Really okay?”

“Not out of the woods yet, but alive. Um,” Lucas started. How did he tell her this? “The police might need you to identify the body. No one has any idea who he is. The man carried Rodney’s information, but-”

Belinda nodded, staring at the floor. “If I can help shed some light on the man’s identity, I’ll do it.”

A doctor entered the room, holding a clipboard and looking utterly exhausted. The emergency room, hell, the hospital itself had to be in overload tonight, tending to all the injuries and casualties from the tornadoes that ripped through the area. Tired eyes searched the faces of everyone in the room. “I’m looking for family of Avery Callimer?”

Mr. and Mrs. Callimer stood. “That’s us. All of us.” Mr. Callimer pointed to Lucas, Belinda, Jameson, Laura, and Paula. “We’re Avery’s family.”

The man informed them of Avery’s condition, everything they had done so far for her.

Not everyone could go see Avery at once. The Callimers went first, and Lucas accompanied Belinda to the morgue to identify the body.

What a night. Full of surprises, emotion, and tears, this had to be the longest night ever. Time dragged on and on. Avery wasn’t even awake yet, but at least she was safe, warm and surrounded by love. Despite that, Lucas still didn’t feel right until he could be by her side. He needed to see for himself that she was getting better. And not until she opened her eyes would he feel fully satisfied that she was okay. Lucas learned a long time ago to never fully get his hopes up. He’d never been so scared. Not since his parents’ death had he ever been so afraid. He never wanted to feel the pain of losing someone again, and the emotional shut down began then. Even though his mother and father hardly paid attention to him, and Lucas had to fend for himself, they had been the only family he ever had. Then there had been Sam. Lucas should have attempted to help that troubled kid find a better life. He’d messed that up too.