Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts Trilogy #1) (16 page)

"Well, since I can see for myself he's in one piece, I'm going to run home and change while he's in the shower." She told her friends. "Is there anything I can pick up while I'm out? Sandwich stuff? Drinks?" 

"I brought cold cuts and cheese, some bread," Kari told her. 

"And I have chips and cookies," Bethany added. 

"I'll stop and grab sodas then." She gathered up her coat and purse, stopped to look at her friends, and walked over to hug them again. "In case I haven't said it before, you guys are the best." She pulled her keys out of her purse. "I'll be back soon." 

* * * 

Twenty minutes later, Lynn was once again walking through Bethany's front door. This time much calmer than before, but still worried for those miners still unaccounted for. She juggled the bags that held the two liter bottles of soda she had bought as she opened the door and got inside out of the cold. 

As she closed the door, she noticed that others had arrived in her absence. Carter's friends Anthony and Michael sat on the couch, talking in quiet undertones. Another friend, Jeremy, sat alone in the armchair, nursing a cup of coffee and staring at the television.  

"Hi, guys." The men lifted their heads and returned her greeting. 

"Hi, Lynn. Hey, let me give you a hand with those." Michael stood and relieved her of some of her load. 

"Thanks. They were cutting off circulation." She looked up at him as they started towards the kitchen. "Any news?" 

Michael nodded silently and stopped before they went through the kitchen door. 

"Word is that they've identified the two guys caught in the collapse. But they haven't released the names." 

"So there were only two? I mean, two is more than there should have been, but last I had heard they weren't sure." 

"Yeah, two. And I don't have a good feeling about this," he confessed as he went through the door leading to the kitchen. 

"None of us do."  

They were setting up the food and drinks according to Bethany's instructions when Carter came into the room. He stopped halfway  through the door, a serious look on his face. 

"Hey, they're breaking news on the collapse." With that, he disappeared back into the living room, the others in the kitchen following behind him. Walking into the living room, Lynn went to stand by Carter, who was sitting on the arm of the couch next to Michael. 

"We have breaking news on the story we've been following  throughout the day," the anchor began. "Earlier this afternoon, there was a collapse at the Three Rivers mine. As we first reported, there are miners trapped among the rubble of that collapse. We now have the names of those miners." 

Lynn reached over and put her hand on Carter's shoulder, while he put his arm around her waist. 

"The trapped miners have been identified as J.B. Montgomery and Kyle Murray. J.B. Montgomery is a miner with seven years’ experience..." 

The rest of the anchor’s words were just a buzz in a room that had gone silent. Carter's grip on Lynn's waist was almost painful, but she was barely aware of it. Kyle, a person considered a friend by every man in this room, was trapped under rock and coal, very possibly alone. 

"Oh, my God," Bethany whispered as she looked around her living room. Stunned faces were all she saw. 

Lynn looked down at Carter, who sat stone still. She rubbed his back, said his name. He looked up at her, almost childlike. She took his face in her hands before wrapping him in a hug. 

"I can't believe it," he whispered. "He wasn't even supposed to be there. He was working a shift for someone else." 

"Oh, Carter." 

He held onto her as if she were a lifeline, pressing his head to her stomach as he brought his other arm around her. All she could do was hold him, reassure him she was there for him. He leaned back from the hug, arms still around her waist, before clearing his throat. 

"Guys," he said, addressing his co-workers and friends. "I think...we should call Kyle’s parents, see how they're doing. Go over there if it's needed." At the nods of agreement from all around, Carter left the room to make the call. Lynn sat in the place he'd vacated. 

"He's an only child." This quiet statement came from Michael, who sat beside her. 

"I'm sorry?" 

"Kyle," he clarified, looking at her. "He's an only child." 

"His poor parents," she replied, as the tears burned again. "They must be out of their minds right now." 

Michael nodded and stared at the coffee table in front of him as he mindlessly drank from the glass he held. 

"Michael?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Can I ask something, without coming across as clueless or insensitive?" 

"Sure." 

"What are the chances of Kyle making it out alive?" 

"Honestly?" he asked. At her nod, he replied, "Not great. It all depends on where he is in the tunnel, how much rock, etc." His thumb swiped back and forth at the condensation on his glass. "We always hope, though." 

Nodding, she patted his shoulder, and stood as she watched Carter come back into the room. All eyes turned to him as he spoke. 

"They're hanging on." His tone was grim. "They're praying for a good outcome, but they haven't gotten word yet.  Mrs. Murray said someone would call me as soon as they get any news." 

The tension from worry hung in the air as the guys all nodded at Carter's words. Bethany felt helpless, and reminded of her own loss, as she spoke to the room. 

"We're all worried," she began. "But it could be awhile before we hear anything. I've got food in the kitchen for anyone who wants to eat. There's also a pot of fresh coffee. And you guys are more than welcome to take turns using the bed in the guest room if you need to sleep." 

"Thanks, Bethany, but I don't think any of us can sleep until we know what's going on for sure." 

"I understand. I'm going to check on my girls, but please, help yourselves to something to eat." With that, Bethany stood and disappeared once again down the hall, leaving everyone else to sit in stunned silence. 

An hour passed, then two, and there was still no word on the fates of Kyle and the other miner. The tension was mounting among the men. The chances of their friend being found alive were slim, and got slimmer as more time slipped by, but they still hoped for the best. The longer they went without news, the more that hope dimmed. 

Everyone was passing the time the best they could. The guys were in a half-hearted game of poker. They weren't betting, but using the cards to distract themselves. Bethany and Kari cooked, or served food, trying to get the guys to eat. Lynn was out of place in both areas at the moment, so she opted to go find Kristin and Harper. 

Lynn had always been fond of Bethany's girls, though she'd seen them sporadically throughout their young lives. But Bethany had sent photos and short videos, and Lynn had always sent birthday and Christmas gifts, talked to them on the phone. She hoped she could find the words to say now when the day's events reminded them of the worst moments in their short lives. They'd been young when their dad had died, but they weren't unaffected. 

Lynn peeked around the doorway to Harper's room and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Two pretty girls with blondish brown hair and hazel eyes, curled up on Harper's pretty canopy bed, still watching movies. Lynn found it heartwarming that though Harper was now almost a teenager in middle school, she was still willing to spend this time with her little sister. 

"Hey ladies," she murmured. "Can I come in?" 

"Hey, Aunt Lynn," Harper responded, using the honorary term they'd always known her by. "Yeah, come on in." 

"How are you girls doing?" Lynn asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

"Okay, I guess." Kristin shrugged. 

"I know that what happened today reminds you of your dad," Lynn confessed, as she brushed the girl's hair back from her face. "It's okay to talk about it if you need to." 

"We know. We don't want to make Mom any sadder," Harper's statement was punctuated by sad wide eyes.

"Well, if you can't talk to her, talk to me. I tell you what, let's turn off the television, pick a game, and we'll all talk while we play. And even if we don't talk, the game will help pass the time." 

The girls agreed and went downstairs to pick out a game. Moments later, they returned with a deck of Uno cards. 

"I love Uno!" Lynn exclaimed. "You guys better prepare to be crushed." 

The girls laughed half-heartedly as they all piled up on the bed again, sitting in a circle and dealing the cards. They played a few rounds, but as they sat studying their current hand, Kristin's small voice cut the air. 

"Aunt Lynn?" 

"Yeah, honey?" 

"Are those guys going to die?" 

"Oh, baby." She laid down her cards and reached over to fold the child into a hug. "Honestly? I don't know. I hope not." 

"Is this what happened with Daddy?" Harper questioned. 

Lynn sat, unsure of how to answer. She didn't want to lie to them, but she didn't want to affect the memories they had of their late father. 

"What did your mother tell you happened with your dad?" she asked finally. 

"She said that there was an accident, and that Daddy had to go to Heaven." 

"She's right. Listen, when an accident like this happens, it's sad. For someone who's hurt or dies, for the families of those people. And it's okay to be sad. Even if you're remembering your dad, it's okay. And your mom wants you to know about your dad, so don't worry about making her sadder. Okay?" The girls nodded solemnly. 

"You know," Lynn started. "I have all kinds of stories about your mom and dad. And pictures too. Maybe sometime you guys can come over to my house, and I'll tell you the stores while we look at them. I can even make you copies of some of the pictures so you can have them." 

"Really?" Harper looked up at her with tears in her eyes, hopeful. 

"Really. We'll talk to your mom about setting it up." 

"Can we talk to her now?"  

"I'll tell you what." She handed Harper her cards and climbed off the bed. "There's several people downstairs, and your mom's cooking. And I think she wants you guys to stay back here. I'll talk to her, but we may not decide anything today. Okay?" 

The girls nodded once again, and Lynn made her way back down the hall. When she reached the living room, she saw everyone was where she had left them. She looked over at Carter, who was studying his hand of cards. He folded, and as he saw her standing there, got up to go over to her. He was within a couple feet and just reaching out for her when his phone rang. The sound echoed through the room, and everyone became still. Bethany and Kari came out from the kitchen as Carter looked down at his phone, read the caller I.D. Looking into Lynn's eyes, she saw the anguish that lurked there.

“It’s Mrs. Murray.”

10

All eyes were on Carter as the phone rang again. No one moved, or even spoke, as they watched Carter's face for clues about what was happening with Kyle. The only sounds in the room as they waited was the collective sound of everyone breathing, and the ticking of the grandfather clock, loudly sounding off the seconds as they creeped by. 

"Hello?" Carter answered the phone, his eyes locked with Lynn's. She studied his eyes, saw the trepidation and fear he had that he was about to hear the worst. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched Carter listened to Mrs. Murray speak. Lynn reached out and took Carter's other hand, holding it while he took whatever news was coming. When his grip tightened, and she saw his eyes close and heard his breath hitch, she could tell the outcome without him having to say a word. 

"Yes, ma'am, I'll take care of it." Carter told Kyle's mother hoarsely, eyes still closed. "I'll be by later on this evening. Is someone there with you in the meantime?" He waited as she answered. "Good. I'll see you in a little while." He closed the phone and, taking a ragged breath, turned to the others in the room. 

"They found Kyle." His voice faltered over the words. "He didn't make it." Still holding her hand, Carter turned back to Lynn.  

"He's gone," he whispered, just before Lynn pulled him into a fierce hug. They stood there, clinging to each other, for what seemed like hours. Hot tears slid down Lynn’s cheeks, her heart breaking for Carter. She felt tears fall onto her shoulder as Carter had allowed a few of his own to escape. A man he had known most of his life, had been friends with since childhood, was dead. 

Carter took a deep breath as he released her and once again turned to the other men in the room.  

"We should go over to Mrs. Murray's and pay our respects, even if it's for a few minutes. I'm heading over there anyway. I promised I would take care of Kyle's locker at work so they wouldn't have to. So they wouldn't have to rely on a stranger doing it for them." 

"Hey, man. I'll go with you." Anthony he stood and walked over, looking at Carter as he clasped a hand on his shoulder. "It will be hard enough, and you shouldn't have to do it alone." 

"Thanks, man. Appreciate it." To the rest of the guys, he asked, "Let's meet back here in an hour, and head over as a group?" With nods of agreement all around, he turned back to Lynn. 

"I’m not sure how late I'll be."   

"It's okay." She sniffed, swiped her hands over her face. "I'll be here when you come back from getting Kyle's things, and I'll just head home then." 

Carter nodded, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before looking over at Anthony. His friend nodded, and in silent agreement, they went out the door together, piled into Carter's truck, and headed back to the mine that had just claimed their friend's life. 

* * *
 

Carter and Anthony rode in silence for the first few moments on the road. Sorrow hung in the air like leaves on a tree in late spring, thick and full. Carter drove with one hand on the wheel, his left elbow propped up by the window, his hand rubbing his forehead. Anthony slouched in the passenger seat, one arm resting on the center console, the other laid in his lap as he texted his girlfriend to tell her what was going on and that he'd see her in a little while. 

After hitting the send button, Anthony stuffed his phone in the deep pocket of his heavy coat and looked over at Carter. His pal seemed to be on auto pilot, lost in thought and grief. 

"Hey, man. How are you holding up?" 

"Honestly? I'm kind of numb right show. Like it hasn't hit me yet." Carter pulled up to the stop light and looked over at Anthony. "Can he really be gone? It doesn't seem like it." 

"Know what you mean." Anthony's gaze slid out his window, and back to Carter again. "I've only been friends with him for a few years, and it hurts. But you, having grown up with him, and dealing with it? Can’t imagine. Not trying to get all touchy feely with you, Carter, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you." 

"Yeah," Carter replied. The light turned green, and he put the truck in motion once more. "It means more than I can say you're coming with me to do this. Kyle's mom asked, and I couldn't say no. But I'm not sure I would have been able to do it on my own. That doesn't sound very manly, but there it is." 

"It's okay. I'm not feeling very manly about the whole thing either." 

The two rode in silence again for a while longer until the sight of the mine's main gate came into view. When he brought the truck to a stop at the guard shack, Carter rolled down his window. 

"Hey, Darrell." Carter greeted the long time security guard who sat at his post. 

"Hey, Carter. Helluva thing, huh?" 

"Yeah, helluva thing." Carter nodded once. "Listen, are they letting anybody into the wash house?" 

"Well, most of the place has been shut down, but you're cleared. Kyle's family has already called to inform us you were coming, and the shift supervisor okayed it." 

"Thanks, buddy. We shouldn't be long." With a small wave, Carter rolled his window back up as he drove on through the gate to the parking area. The twin sounds of the truck doors slamming shut echoed in the empty parking lot. Each man took a deep, bolstering breath before entering the building that held the wash house, where the lockers for the miners were kept. They followed the familiar path down desolate hallways and entered the wash house, stopping just inside the doorway.  

On a normal day, the room would be bustling with sounds and activity of miners getting ready for their shift, or of those coming off of one. The chatter, the clang of metal hitting metal as locker doors slammed shut, occasional bursts of laughter as men joked with one another. But now, the room sat quiet and still. Several rows of steel gray lockers, each with a bench secured in front of them, filled the room. The lockers, old and banged up, each bore a plate of the name of the miner who claimed it. Rails above them to allow the men to hang dirty uniforms. Some of the metal boxes had locks hanging from the handles while other were free to be opened by anyone. Though the area was often cleaned, the entire room, from lockers to benches to floor, had the fine film of coal dust on it. 

Anthony reached up and patted Carter on the shoulder, telling him without a word it had to be done. Carter looked to Anthony, who nodded, and the two wound their way around the room to get to the locker with Kyle's name on it. Neither said a word as they considered the locker before them. Though a lock had always been there before, it seemed the supervisor had cut it off, knowing that Carter was coming to retrieve the locker's contents. Just seeing his friend's name on the door, Carter became overwhelmed and sat with a thud on the bench in front of the locker. Anthony, in understanding, sat next to him. Bracing his elbows on his knees, Carter hung his head, clasped his hands together. He sat this way, in complete stillness, for several minutes before speaking. 

"This shouldn't have happened to Kyle. Not to anyone, but especially not to Kyle." He stated, before turning sad eyes to look at his friend. "Do you know why he was working today?" 

"No, I hadn't talked to him in a couple of days." 

"The guy he was working for today? He asked Kyle to swap with him because it’s the second anniversary of the day this guy and his girlfriend started dating. And he wanted to spend the day with her so he could propose. Kyle told me about it, got a kick out of the story." 

"Sounds just like him." 

"Yeah, it does." Carter looked at the floor between his shoes again. "Where do we go from here, Anthony? Kyle was too young to die this way, all because he was doing something nice for a friend and was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It doesn't seem fair." 

"It's not fair. But then, things like this aren’t. We pick up and carry on the best we can, Carter." 

Carter nodded, then braced his hands on his knees before he stood again. He closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and reached out to slide the locker handle up to open it. The squeaking of the door’s hinges filled the room, sounding louder than it should have. Carter and Anthony stood side by side, studying the inside of the locker. 

All of Kyle's spare gear was stored neatly in the narrow metal closet. A pair of clean gray uniforms hung on the short rod, their neon green reflective tape shining in the light. A pair of dirty, scuffed steel toed boots sat underneath them. The wide leather belt, complete with a gas detector and a self-rescuer used as emergency oxygen, sat curled next to the boots on the floor of the locker. On the top shelf sat Kyle's second red safety helmet, scratched, scraped and covered in stickers, with its headlamp point out towards the room. Next to it, a pair of beaten, worn gloves and an extra set of safety glasses. None of this was out of the ordinary; every miner had the same contents in his locker. It was what was on the door made Carter's heart stutter. 

Photographs, half a dozen of them, had been taped to the inside of the locker door. Pictures of a smiling Kyle with his arms wrapped around his parents, and another with the girl he'd just started seeing. But one picture stood out among them. A photo taken the night of the last bonfire showed Carter standing next to Kyle, with Anthony, Michael, and Jeremy on either side of them. Some of them had their arms slung around each other's shoulders, and they were all grinning and toasting the camera with their beer bottles. 

With a shaking hand, Carter reached up and pulled on the photo until the tape gave way and the print was free from the metal surface. As he stared down into the smiling face of his friend, frozen in time, Carter felt the news sinking in. And realized that the person in the photograph next him was gone forever. 

* * *
 

When Carter came back to Bethany's, and left again with the guys to head over to the Murray's, Lynn made good on her promise and went home. Once she got there, though, she couldn't seem to settle. She made a halfhearted attempt at cleaning, but the most she could muster enthusiasm for was a load of laundry. She tried reading a new release by one of her favorite writers, a book that Bethany had gotten for her from the library. The words all ran together when her concentration wavered, and when she realized she'd read the same sentence three times, she snapped the book closed in frustration and tossed it aside. Channel surfing just added to her aggravation.  

On a sigh, she clicked the television off and tossed the remote down on the couch beside her. Lynn snatched up a pillow and hugged it as she sat in the silence, going over the events of the day in her mind. How could a day that had begun so bright and promising end in such dark tragedy?  

She wondered how Carter was doing, now that he was home, and alone in an empty house. He'd texted her earlier to tell her he'd made it safe, but had offered nothing else of the visit to the Murray house. Lynn worried about how he may handle the grief, the loss. Carter and Kyle had been friends since grade school. They'd grown up together in every sense possible. With the suddenness of today's events, coping would be difficult. Carter wasn't the sort to find comfort in a bottle, or worse, but he tended to keep things inside instead of reaching out to those around him.  

At a glance at the clock, Lynn saw that while it was dark outside, it was still early enough to drop in on him for a while. She hoped that he wouldn't take her stopping by as an intrusion. The decision made, she put on her coat, grabbed her purse, and scooped up her keys. Within minutes, Lynn was on the road, driving the hills and curves between her house and Carter's. She hadn't called, or even texted, to tell him she was coming. She hadn't wanted to take the chance that he'd refuse her company. Maybe it was a bigger risk just showing up on his doorstep, but at least it would be harder for him to refuse her in person.  

Her car's headlights illuminated the empty road ahead of her. She didn't bother to turn on the radio. Tonight she preferred the silence. The drive to Carter's house was short, and Lynn soon pulled alongside his truck in the drive. Reaching up to cut the engine, she studied the house as she stepped from the vehicle. A single light burned in what was the living room. She made her way up the porch steps, knocked on the door. A shadow passed in front of the window just before the door opened to reveal a bare-footed Carter, looking tired and defeated. 

“Lynn? What are you doing here?” Carter stepped back, opening the door wider to allow her to pass into the house. As the door clicked to a close, she turned to him. 

“I didn't want you to be alone tonight. And truthfully, I don't want to be alone tonight either.”  

Carter stood, hand still on the door, and watched Lynn as she spoke. She seemed anxious, like she might overstep an invisible boundary by dropping by unannounced. Wanting to put her at ease, and appreciating the thought behind her coming to see him, he walked to her and drew her into his arms. He heard her purse hit the floor as she dropped it to grab hold of him with both hands. Neither said a word as they continued to hold each other. He drew strength and comfort from her embrace, in the knowing she cared enough to come to him. Carter ran a hand over her hair before pressing a kiss to her temple and pulling back so he could see her face.