in dirt and dust, looking like he was
about to burst into tears. April tried to run past him to get to Cade, who she
knew was the injured person, but he stopped her.
“Honey,
you don’t want to see anything until…”
April
put her hands on her mouth. Now she could see that the entire left wall of the
barn had collapsed in on itself.
“It’s
Cade, isn’t it?”
“Honey,
he’s getting the best help, so you just stay here because more of that barn
could topple at any minute.”
“He’s
right, honey, you stay here,” said her father, catching up with her.
She
couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, and once again that persistence thing
kicked in and she took off toward Cade.
“Honey,
it’s not safe, don’t go any farther,” called her dad.
She
wasn’t listening because she had to get to Cade and help out in any way she
could.
When
she arrived at the edge of the barn, two paramedics knelt around someone that
she knew was Cade. She’d recognize the brown leather cowboy boots anywhere. She
walked over to the area, but one spotted her, stood and held her back.
“Miss,
just stay here so we can do our job.”
“Is
he going to be okay?”
April
glanced over. He wasn’t going to be okay because now she could see that he
wasn’t moving and his face was covered in blood.
“I
have to see him, please, let me see him.”
“Miss. Let us do our
job.”
No
one was getting in the way of her and Cade ever again. She pushed a paramedic
to one side and ran over to where Cade lay, still and looking like he’d been
beaten with a baseball bat.
“Miss,
we’re taking him to the hospital so you need to clear the way,” said the
paramedic who held an IV drip up above Cade’s body.
“I’m
coming with him.”
“I’m
sorry, but only family can…”
“I
am family. I’m his fiancée.”
He’d
asked her to marry him, she just hadn’t accepted yet so technically it wasn’t a
lie.
“Okay,
but you have to let us do our job.”
She
stood back, so wanting to hold his hand as they loaded him onto a gurney, but
knew she might be hurting more than helping him. Her dad walked over to her as they wheeled
Cade toward the waiting ambulance.
“They’re
going to let me ride with Cade…me being his fiancée and family.”
He
winked at her before hugging her. “Stay strong and I’ll ride behind because
you’ll need someone at the hospital to wait with you.”
She
kissed his cheek and then got onto the ambulance and sat by Cade’s side.
“Can
I hold his hand?”
They
looked at one another and then one nodded to her.
She
scooted over and put his hand between hers. It was so cold and bloody. She
didn’t think she could even feel a pulse in his wrist.
She
brought it up to her mouth and kissed it, tasting awful metallic tinge, but she
didn’t care. She’d let him down once, and she hadn’t thought about it until now,
but making him wait for them to get married was like letting him down a second
time. There definitely wouldn’t be a third time.
“Cade,
I love you.”
“When’s
the wedding?” asked the paramedic.
“In
the fall,” said April without giving it any thought.
It
wasn’t a lie because if Cade pulled through this they were going to be married
in September, even if she had to push back starting law school. Cade was all
she wanted now.
Chapter Ten
Cade
didn’t remember much other than the pain in his leg and April’s voice talking
to him. Telling him that she loved him, which was the best news he’d heard all
day. However, the icing on the cake had been hearing her tell someone she was
his fiancée and that the wedding was in the fall.
He
liked the sound of both those things. It was what he’d clung onto when they
told him they were taking him into surgery. Images of their wedding danced in
his mind as the anesthesia took effect and closed down his
thoughts.
Now
he was awake and his first waking thought was of April. He managed to open his
eyes, seeing an
about to burst into tears. April tried to run past him to get to Cade, who she
knew was the injured person, but he stopped her.
“Honey,
you don’t want to see anything until…”
April
put her hands on her mouth. Now she could see that the entire left wall of the
barn had collapsed in on itself.
“It’s
Cade, isn’t it?”
“Honey,
he’s getting the best help, so you just stay here because more of that barn
could topple at any minute.”
“He’s
right, honey, you stay here,” said her father, catching up with her.
She
couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, and once again that persistence thing
kicked in and she took off toward Cade.
“Honey,
it’s not safe, don’t go any farther,” called her dad.
She
wasn’t listening because she had to get to Cade and help out in any way she
could.
When
she arrived at the edge of the barn, two paramedics knelt around someone that
she knew was Cade. She’d recognize the brown leather cowboy boots anywhere. She
walked over to the area, but one spotted her, stood and held her back.
“Miss,
just stay here so we can do our job.”
“Is
he going to be okay?”
April
glanced over. He wasn’t going to be okay because now she could see that he
wasn’t moving and his face was covered in blood.
“I
have to see him, please, let me see him.”
“Miss. Let us do our
job.”
No
one was getting in the way of her and Cade ever again. She pushed a paramedic
to one side and ran over to where Cade lay, still and looking like he’d been
beaten with a baseball bat.
“Miss,
we’re taking him to the hospital so you need to clear the way,” said the
paramedic who held an IV drip up above Cade’s body.
“I’m
coming with him.”
“I’m
sorry, but only family can…”
“I
am family. I’m his fiancée.”
He’d
asked her to marry him, she just hadn’t accepted yet so technically it wasn’t a
lie.
“Okay,
but you have to let us do our job.”
She
stood back, so wanting to hold his hand as they loaded him onto a gurney, but
knew she might be hurting more than helping him. Her dad walked over to her as they wheeled
Cade toward the waiting ambulance.
“They’re
going to let me ride with Cade…me being his fiancée and family.”
He
winked at her before hugging her. “Stay strong and I’ll ride behind because
you’ll need someone at the hospital to wait with you.”
She
kissed his cheek and then got onto the ambulance and sat by Cade’s side.
“Can
I hold his hand?”
They
looked at one another and then one nodded to her.
She
scooted over and put his hand between hers. It was so cold and bloody. She
didn’t think she could even feel a pulse in his wrist.
She
brought it up to her mouth and kissed it, tasting awful metallic tinge, but she
didn’t care. She’d let him down once, and she hadn’t thought about it until now,
but making him wait for them to get married was like letting him down a second
time. There definitely wouldn’t be a third time.
“Cade,
I love you.”
“When’s
the wedding?” asked the paramedic.
“In
the fall,” said April without giving it any thought.
It
wasn’t a lie because if Cade pulled through this they were going to be married
in September, even if she had to push back starting law school. Cade was all
she wanted now.
Chapter Ten
Cade
didn’t remember much other than the pain in his leg and April’s voice talking
to him. Telling him that she loved him, which was the best news he’d heard all
day. However, the icing on the cake had been hearing her tell someone she was
his fiancée and that the wedding was in the fall.
He
liked the sound of both those things. It was what he’d clung onto when they
told him they were taking him into surgery. Images of their wedding danced in
his mind as the anesthesia took effect and closed down his
thoughts.
Now
he was awake and his first waking thought was of April. He managed to open his
eyes, seeing an
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