the only source of safety in the world. Racking sobs tore from deep inside her, making her whole body jerk. She buried her face against his chest and gave in to them. Within minutes her hot tears had melded his shirt to his skin.
"That's it, honey, cry it all out." With one arm wrapped around her, his other hand cupping the back of her head, he held her close and rocked her, murmuring a steady stream of soft reassurances.
They remained that way for several minutes, until at last Erin quieted.
She drew a shuddering breath and sniffed, then pulled back. Meeting Max's concerned look, she swiped at her wet cheeks with her fingertips and attempted a smile, but her lips were quivering so badly that she couldn't manage it. "I... I..." Emotion squeezed her throat, choking off her words. Her chin wobbled as a freshet of tears spurted, and she almost started crying again.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Max staved off the crying jag by hauling her bodily from the car.
Erin wobbled on legs that felt like rubber, but when Max attempted to pick her up she stopped him. "No, please. I can walk. Really."
"All right. But here, lean on me." He looped his arm around her waist and clamped her against his side, and Erin clung to his reassuring bulk as he half carried her around the big silver car to the passenger side.
He eased her down onto the seat but left her turned sideways with her feet still on the ground. Then he squatted on his haunches before her in the wedge of space created by the open door. As he withdrew a first-aid box from beneath the seat and snapped it open, Erin sighed and slumped sideways against the seat. The cool mountain air stirred her hair and feathered over her wet cheeks in an icy caress.
"This is going to hurt," Max warned a second before he swabbed her arm with alcohol.
Erin flinched, but she really didn't mind the small sting, or the greater one that followed when he daubed the cut with iodine. The minor discomfort was reassuring proof that she was still alive.
Alive. The word seeped through her like a benediction, and she grew limp. Weakly, she laid her cheek against the soft velour and gazed over Max's shoulder while he bandaged her arm.
Gradually though, as the nightmare receded, an awareness of their surroundings crept over her, banishing the sweet feeling of relief.
The Continental sat diagonally across the road at a protective angle in front of the mangled Chevy, its headlights bouncing off the wall of rock and casting a yellow glow several yards in all directions. Muscle by muscle, Erin's body grew tense, her eyes widening. She straightened and stared down the road in fascinated horror.
They had come to a stop not more than thirty feet from the hairpin curve.
A clammy coldness gripped her. She began to shake. Erin drew a deep breath and tucked her free arm tightly around her rib cage, but the violent tremors continued, and her teeth began to chatter.
Max's head jerked up. "What—" He stopped when he saw her stricken look. Following the direction of her gaze, he glanced over his shoulder and frowned.
"Don't think about it. It's over." He snapped the first-aid kit closed and shoved it back under the seat.
He stood and, with brisk efficiency, swung her legs into the car, then stripped off his jacket and tucked it around her. Erin tried to protest, but he wouldn't listen.
"Hush, now. You've had a shock, and you need this more than I do." Reaching across her, he flicked on the heater. As he pulled back he paused and stared at her chalky face. Slowly, he ran the backs of his knuckles over her cheek and smiled. "Now then, you sit tight. I'll only be a minute."
Before Erin could reply he backed out of the car and slammed the door.
In moments he returned. "I put the keys in your purse," he told her, tossing the leather bag and her suitcase into the back seat.
The silver car was caved in all along the driver's side, and it took several hard yanks to get the door open. When he finally succeeded and
"That's it, honey, cry it all out." With one arm wrapped around her, his other hand cupping the back of her head, he held her close and rocked her, murmuring a steady stream of soft reassurances.
They remained that way for several minutes, until at last Erin quieted.
She drew a shuddering breath and sniffed, then pulled back. Meeting Max's concerned look, she swiped at her wet cheeks with her fingertips and attempted a smile, but her lips were quivering so badly that she couldn't manage it. "I... I..." Emotion squeezed her throat, choking off her words. Her chin wobbled as a freshet of tears spurted, and she almost started crying again.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Max staved off the crying jag by hauling her bodily from the car.
Erin wobbled on legs that felt like rubber, but when Max attempted to pick her up she stopped him. "No, please. I can walk. Really."
"All right. But here, lean on me." He looped his arm around her waist and clamped her against his side, and Erin clung to his reassuring bulk as he half carried her around the big silver car to the passenger side.
He eased her down onto the seat but left her turned sideways with her feet still on the ground. Then he squatted on his haunches before her in the wedge of space created by the open door. As he withdrew a first-aid box from beneath the seat and snapped it open, Erin sighed and slumped sideways against the seat. The cool mountain air stirred her hair and feathered over her wet cheeks in an icy caress.
"This is going to hurt," Max warned a second before he swabbed her arm with alcohol.
Erin flinched, but she really didn't mind the small sting, or the greater one that followed when he daubed the cut with iodine. The minor discomfort was reassuring proof that she was still alive.
Alive. The word seeped through her like a benediction, and she grew limp. Weakly, she laid her cheek against the soft velour and gazed over Max's shoulder while he bandaged her arm.
Gradually though, as the nightmare receded, an awareness of their surroundings crept over her, banishing the sweet feeling of relief.
The Continental sat diagonally across the road at a protective angle in front of the mangled Chevy, its headlights bouncing off the wall of rock and casting a yellow glow several yards in all directions. Muscle by muscle, Erin's body grew tense, her eyes widening. She straightened and stared down the road in fascinated horror.
They had come to a stop not more than thirty feet from the hairpin curve.
A clammy coldness gripped her. She began to shake. Erin drew a deep breath and tucked her free arm tightly around her rib cage, but the violent tremors continued, and her teeth began to chatter.
Max's head jerked up. "What—" He stopped when he saw her stricken look. Following the direction of her gaze, he glanced over his shoulder and frowned.
"Don't think about it. It's over." He snapped the first-aid kit closed and shoved it back under the seat.
He stood and, with brisk efficiency, swung her legs into the car, then stripped off his jacket and tucked it around her. Erin tried to protest, but he wouldn't listen.
"Hush, now. You've had a shock, and you need this more than I do." Reaching across her, he flicked on the heater. As he pulled back he paused and stared at her chalky face. Slowly, he ran the backs of his knuckles over her cheek and smiled. "Now then, you sit tight. I'll only be a minute."
Before Erin could reply he backed out of the car and slammed the door.
In moments he returned. "I put the keys in your purse," he told her, tossing the leather bag and her suitcase into the back seat.
The silver car was caved in all along the driver's side, and it took several hard yanks to get the door open. When he finally succeeded and
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