ASHE
* * *
When Sam’s cell rang, I’d expected it to be Natalie, to say they’d decided to spend the night in Bozeman, or were late returning because they’d had too much fun shopping.
“It’s Cricket,” he said, frowning as he answered the call.
A second later, I hadn’t expected the look on Sam’s face, or the way he’d stood up, knocked his chair over. We were at the diner on Main Street with Jamison and Boone and as Sam reacted, Jamison’s cell rang. He knew it wasn’t going to be good and put the phone to his ear. “Kitten,” he murmured, glancing at Boone.
Sam looked to me and Boone as he hung up. “A tire blew. Cricket said they’re all fine, but they’re up on Culver Pass.”
Shit. That pass was infamous for accidents. Bad ones where cars have slid through the guardrail and over the steep edge. The incline was enough where if something went over, it kept going until it hit bottom, hundreds of feet below. Brakes had gone out on the west side of the pass enough where a runaway truck lane had been built.
The SUV they’d driven was big and had the latest safety features, but ice or snow, a runaway tanker truck or even an animal cutting across the road in front of them might be too much for it.
“Why isn’t Natalie calling us?” I asked. Grabbing my phone, I called her, but she didn’t answer.
Boone pulled out his wallet, tossed a bunch of money on the table without even counting it. We were out the door within seconds, Jamison still on the phone. All I could think about was Natalie and why she wasn’t picking up. I was reassured Cricket said they were all fine, but I doubted I’d be satisfied with that answer until I saw Natalie—all of them—myself. At least hear her voice.
Sam fished out his keys. All four of us climbed into his big truck and he pulled out into traffic. It was almost impossible to go only twenty-five through town when I wanted him to floor it.
Shit. Shit!
Natalie’s smile, the feel of her skin, the sound of her laughter filled my head. I loved her. We’d only just found her and I wanted her forever, not have her taken away from me within a week.
The other women, too. If something happened to them—
I turned off the radio so we could listen to Jamison’s side of the conversation and so I could try Natalie again. He’d gotten confirmation that no one was hurt, the babies were perfectly fine. That had eased all our minds, but I could only imagine how Riley and Cord were panicking, but Penny had said they were talking with Kady, too. The tire blew on a turn and the car stopped on the wrong side of the road. A passerby had stopped to help, had put his hazards on and laid out flares.
“Ask Penny why Natalie’s not answering her phone.”
After a few seconds, Jamison said, “She’s out of the SUV talking with a guy who stopped to help.”
The panic that was like a vise around my heart loosened just a little. Just having him talk with Penny made me feel a little better. She was fine. Scared, but unhurt. Locke was fine. She was our connection right now since Natalie was busy and the other women were most likely talking with their men. She’d tell us if something changed, if any one of the women or Cecily somehow became injured. Sometimes a wound became apparent after the adrenaline wore off.
Mine hadn’t. I wouldn’t feel better until I saw all of them, had Natalie in my arms. Hell, I wouldn’t feel better until I had her home, naked, so I could look over every inch of her. Then fuck her. Hard, so I knew she was with me, well. Fucking whole.
I tried her cell one more time, then tossed mine on the center console.
I glanced at Sam, knew he was thinking the same thing, that we wanted to hear her voice, to just be there, but I didn’t want to distract him. His jaw was clenched, his grip tight on the steering wheel.
Once we were past town limits, Sam gunned the engine. We knew the sheriffs in town and from what we heard via Penny, they were on the way as well. Archer, especially, since he was working today.
Jamison passed the phone to Boone. As an ER doctor, he asked pointed questions about seatbelts, bruises, loss of consciousness, airbags and other things I’d never considered. But since he’d waited until after Jamison talked, I had to guess it was more for his peace of mind than lifesaving. But then I remembered that Cricket was a nurse. She was smart and had a level head on her shoulders. She wouldn’t have been calling Sam if she had to give first aid.
It took only twenty minutes to get to the women, not thirty like it should. We pulled onto the shoulder and I hopped out before the car was in park. There were two state patrol cars as well as a sheriff’s SUV, which I assumed was Archer’s. Red and blue lights flashed. There was a lot of manpower for a blown tire, but we were on the curvy pass and I had to assume it was going to snow harder up here as soon as the sun went down and the temperature dropped. No one wanted another accident.
The SUV was just as Cricket had said, facing the wrong way and on the wrong side of the road. I could see the blown tire from a distance. The back end was smashed in as if it had scraped along the guardrail.
Then I saw Natalie talking with A
rcher. My heart lurched, then settled. Fuck yes. There she was.
I all but ran to her, Sam a few steps behind since he’d had to turn off the truck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jamison heading toward the SUV. Penny flung open the door and jumped into his arms. Boone went past them and leaned into the truck, most likely to check on Locke.
Natalie turned, saw us, and walked toward us. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks pale and her chin lifted. But as soon as we got within ten feet, it started to wobble.
Hell.