Sweet Home Colorado (The O'Malley Men) (10 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Unfortunately, the evening didn’t end as well as it
started.

Soon after inviting him up for coffee, Grace had Jack’s shirt
half-off and was reaching for his belt buckle when her cell phone rang.

She was tempted to ignore it, but something niggled, so she
glanced at the screen. It was Sally. She held up a finger to Jack and
answered.

“Grace?” the other woman practically screeched.

“Yes, it’s me, Sally. What’s wrong?”

“It’s Aaron, my youngest. He’s having an asthma attack and
nothing’s working! Please, please help me! I called 9-1-1, but they’re in Silver
Springs and you’re much closer!”

Sally’s panic was palpable. Grace needed to calm her down.

“Iå’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said, then put the phone
to her chest and asked Jack, “Can you take me to Harper’s Corner? Sally thinks
her son is having an asthma attack.”

She returned her attention to the mother. “Just stay on the
line, Sally, if that makes you feel better.”

Moments later, Jack had Betsy in gear, and they peeled out of
the parking lot and headed out of town toward the community of Harper’s Corner.
“I’m going to call the ambulance back on Jack’s phone, Sally. If the asthma
protocols aren’t working, then it sounds like Aaron’s had an allergic reaction
to something and I need to make sure they have an EpiPen. As soon as I’m done
with them, I’ll be right back. We’ll be there as soon as we can. In the
meantime, elevate his legs and cover him with a blanket.”

She called 9-1-1. After quickly explaining the situation to
dispatch, she was put through to the ambulance, told them where she was going
and checked that they had an EpiPen.

“Thank goodness you were there, Jack,” she said as she waited
for Sally to come back to her phone.

“Grace?”

“The ambulance is on it’s way,” she assured the panicked
mother. “And we’ll be there in...” She glanced across at Jack to get his input
on how long it would take. “Two minutes,” she reported as Jack held up two
fingers. “Just hang in there, honey.”

* * *

J
ACK
GLANCED
ACROSS
at Grace as he heard her
voice break on the last few words. Tears filled her eyes. “I’m so scared, Jack,”
she confessed. “This little boy could die!”

Jack pressed Betsy’s accelerator to the floor, willing
everything from his aged truck. He was already driving way over the speed limit,
but it wouldn’t hurt to get as much as Betsy could give.

She didn’t handle so well on the turns as they sped toward
Harper’s Corner, but Grace didn’t protest as—in spite of wearing a seat belt—she
was flung from one side of the bench seat to the other.

“What street?” Jack demanded as they neared the tiny settlement
of Harper’s Corner. It was in the opposite direction from Silver Springs and the
hospital and ambulance center, so it was understandable that Sally had called
Grace for help. The ambulance would be at least another five minutes away.

“Pine. Third house on the right. Her husband is waiting outside
so we won’t miss it.”

Jack tore past the twenty-five-mile-an-hour sign as they
arrived at Harper’s Corner and quickly located Pine Street. Shifting Betsy down,
her gears shrieking at the harsh treatment, Jack took the corner onto Pine too
fast. But Betsy was up to it and recovered.

“There!” Grace said, spotting Sally’s husband waving to
them.

The man was whiter than a ghost as he opened Grace’s door
almost before the truck had come to a standstill. She leaped out and followed
him inside the house.

“Good girl,” Jack muttered, patting Betsy’s dash and cutting
the engine. He sat still for a few minutes, catching his breath. He’d thought
Betsy might rattle apart on some of those corners, but she’d made it. She’d
proven herself yet again.

Since the child’s father had disappeared into the house with
Grace, there was no one to meet the ambulance, so he flicked on Betsy’s hazard
lights, found his flashlight in the glove box and got out.

* * *

S
ALLY
’
S
FACE
WAS
streaked with tears as she sat
on the floor of the living room holding her child against her. Dex held his
son’s legs elevated as Grace had instructed.

Fortunately, Grace had managed to regain her composure by the
time she knelt in front of Sally to check the boy’s vitals.

Aaron was displaying all the outward symptoms of a severe
asthma attack. Pale, sweaty face, blue lips, nostrils flaring and wheezing as he
fought for his breath and then tried to exhale it. His pulse was rapid and he
was almost unconscious.

“Nothing was working!” Sally wailed, and Grace knew she was
talking about the bronchodilators prescribed for asthmatics. “Why wouldn’t they
work?”

Grace could only shake her head and say, “You did everything
right, Sally. I think he’s had an allergic reaction. Does he have any food
allergies?”

Sally said no, and Grace gently turned the child over and
lifted his pajama top, running her hands over his back, feeling for any bites.
As she reached his shoulder, she felt something rough caught in the fabric. She
grasped it and brought out a bee.

“I think we’ve found our culprit,” Grace said, as she searched
for the wound, found it and removed the stinger. Unless the ambulance arrived
soon, Aaron’s life was in grave danger.

Sally wrung her hands, saying, “I wish I’d never had that
stupid dream of raising my kids outside the confines of town!”

“Don’t go blaming yourself,” Grace said, trying to keep the
panic from her voice as she continued to monitor the child.

“Is he going to die?” Sally asked, her own voice almost a
whisper.

“Not if I can help it,” Grace said.

Then Aaron stopped breathing.

* * *

O
UTSIDE
, J
ACK
COULD
hear the wail of the ambulance. He ran to the
end of the street, swinging his flashlight to attract their attention. Spotting
him, the ambulance screamed through town and turned into Pine Street.

It pulled up behind Betsy, her hazard lights still flashing.
Two paramedics leaped out and grabbed medical kits from the rear. The noise had
woken several neighbors who now crowded around, curious.

“This way!” Jack shouted to the paramedics as he led them
through the front gate. Grace was on her knees giving the boy mouth-to-mouth.
The mother and father were clinging to each other, crying.

One of the paramedics knelt on the floor beside Grace and
opened his kit.

“EpiPen?” Grace gasped between breaths. One of the paramedics
handed it to her, she released the blue safety cap and plunged it into the
child’s thigh, watching for any change in Aaron’s condition. Then she moved
aside so the paramedics could fit an oxygen mask on his face.

Aaron moaned and his eyes flickered open.

* * *

“Y
OU
LOOK
EXHAUSTED
,” Jack said as he pulled up at Grace’s
apartment.

“I am.” She rubbed her eyes and smiled across at him. “It’s
been quite a night.”

“You were amazing.”

“No more amazing than you and Betsy giving your all.”

“And you’re way too modest.”

Grace shrugged. “Anyone with training could’ve saved Aaron,”
she said, wanting to downplay the situation.

“I’ll take you upstairs.” Jack cut the ignition and, with a
hand under Grace’s elbow, walked up the steps with her.

In their haste they’d both forgotten to lock the door—not that
it mattered. Break-ins were rare in Spruce Lake.

“Home, sweet home,” Grace muttered as she walked inside and
turned to Jack, ready to thank him for all his help.

But he took her in his arms and kissed her, sending warmth
through her body. She lifted her hands to rest on his shoulders, then slid them
down his back, loving the feel of hard muscle beneath his shirt.

Jack kissed her long and hard, then drew back. “Good night,
Grace,” he said, releasing her abruptly. “Sleep tight.” And before she could
protest, he was gone.

Head spinning, confused by Jack’s hasty departure, Grace
staggered into her bedroom. Dog-tired, she tumbled onto the bed, scrunched a
pillow beneath her head and was asleep within moments.

Chapter Fifteen

Grace didn’t stir until nearly noon. Feeling
half-doped, she flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling, allowing the
events of the previous night to play in her head.

She’d promised Sally she’d look in on Aaron today. A mother’s
love for and devotion to her child was a wondrous thing. Aaron couldn’t have a
better mom and she needed to tell Sally that. The poor woman blamed herself that
Aaron’s medications hadn’t worked, but none of it was her fault.

Grace reached for her purse where she’d dropped it by the bed
and drew out the photo of her daughter. Maybe it was time to write and ask for a
more recent shot. Trying to guess what Amelia looked like now was tearing Grace
apart. Maybe being so close to Jack had Grace thinking of her more often,
wondering which of them she took after.

She might have come to Spruce Lake on an impulse, but now that
she was here, she was determined to make up for not keeping in better touch with
Aunt Missy while she was alive. She’d confided in Missy about her pregnancy and
the old lady had been delighted that Grace had named her daughter Amelia, after
her. And not once had she passed judgment on Grace’s decision to give the baby
away.

The house was now her daughter’s legacy. Missy would enjoy the
irony that it was Amelia’s parents who were bringing it back to life
together.

Shaking away her thoughts, Grace replaced the photo, then
undressed and stepped into the shower.

After putting on denim shorts, a camisole top and a chambray
shirt, with the buttons undone, she scooped her hair into a ponytail and set to
work cleaning her tiny apartment.

It didn’t take more than half an hour. She sat on her sofa and
looked around. What to do now? The weekend stretched in front of her, long and
lonely. She could always lie down and catch a few more z’s, she supposed, but
then she wouldn’t sleep tonight. What she really needed was caffeine.

As if he had read her mind, she heard a knock, followed by
Jack’s voice calling through her door. “Wake up, sleepyhead, I’ve got
coffee.”

When Grace opened the door, her heart skipped a beat.

Jack stood there smiling, more masculine and desirable than
ever. He held two take-out cups. She grinned and stood back to let him enter.
“What’s up?”

“Wanted to see how you were doing. And to invite you for a
picnic.”

“To check out the wildflowers on the mountains?” she asked, and
took a sip of coffee, enjoying the caffeine rush. Spending time in nature was
something she planned on doing a lot of here. So far she’d only managed to smell
the flowers spilling out of the many planter boxes in town.

“I thought you might like to come to my cabin.”

Now that was an invitation she couldn’t refuse. “Sure! Let me
get a blanket. I saw one stored in the closet.”

“No need, I’ve got everything at my place.”

“Can I bring anything else?”

“Nope, just you and your coffee.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Grace said, grabbing her purse and
keys.

As Jack drove down Main Street, she called Sally.

“Oh, Grace! I don’t know what we would have done without you
last night,” she said. “I’m sure we would have lost our little boy!”

“How is he this morning?” Grace asked.

“Aaron’s fine. He’s still in the hospital under observation,
and while he’s there, Dex and I are checking houses to rent in Silver Springs.
We’re determined to move as close to the hospital as possible. I couldn’t go
through last night again.

“Jack’s given us a few rental leads. I’m starting to feel like
we’re a part of the community, and I really like that feeling.”

“I’m glad to hear it, Sally. If you need anything, or have any
concerns, just give me a call and I’ll be right over.”

“Thank you! I don’t know what I’d do without you, Grace.”

Embarrassed by the heartfelt praise, Grace said, “You
concentrate on finding somewhere that’ll suit your family, okay?”

“Sure. Have a great picnic with Jack!”

Grace had said her goodbyes before she realized that Sally
already knew about Jack’s agenda for the day.

“Everything all right?” he asked, turning at a fork in the road
that Grace knew led to a valley farther from town than Two Elk.

“Fine. She told me to have a great picnic.”

Jack grinned. “I have a confession. The picnic wasn’t all my
idea.”

“Really?” Grace said with a chuckle.

“Sally called earlier today asking if I knew of any rental
properties in Silver Springs, since she and Dex decided they need to live closer
to the hospital. She suggested I take you on a picnic.”

“So
none
of this was your idea?”
Grace teased.

“The coffee was. And the location of the picnic.”

Grace sat back and took in the scenery as the valley unfolded.
“Fair enough,” she said, and sipped her coffee. “You seem to have a lot of
contacts around this area.”

Jack tilted his head in acknowledgment. “Happens when you’ve
lived somewhere pretty much all your life.”

Grace pondered that remark. How different her upbringing had
been from Jack’s. He’d had the stability of a large, close-knit family and a
beautiful home on a ranch, while her small family—if you could call it that—had
drifted from one state to the next, never putting down roots for long. And
although she’d spent the past dozen years living in Boston, it still didn’t
really feel like
home
to Grace.

She straightened, startled at the realization.

“What’s up?” Jack asked.

She glanced across at him. He looked so comfortable, one arm
draped casually over Betsy’s steering wheel, the other resting on the window
frame. The wind ruffled his hair, and he looked relaxed, at home. Safe.

Something clawed at Grace, deep inside. She felt the urge to
curl up at Jack’s side. Have him wrap an arm around her, draw her closer. Tell
her he’d never let her go.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

Grace snapped out of her reverie. Had Jack just called her
sweetheart?
Was that an endearment she wanted to
hear? Or not?

Jack turned off the road and onto a dirt track, then pulled
over.

“Are we here?” Grace asked, looking at the pine forest around
them.

“No. But you seem a bit spaced out. What’s wrong?”

The concern in his voice touched her in the place where longing
resided—the longing she tried so hard to repress.

No one was ever concerned about her. She was concerned about
others,
cared
about others, cared
for
others! Grace’s job, her life, wasn’t a two-way
street. She rarely took anything for herself. No time out, no life, no love. Yet
here was Jack, causing those longings to surface and demand attention.

“Grace?”

She unfastened her seat belt and scooted across the seat to
snuggle up to him. “Hold me. Just hold me, Jack,” she said, unable to articulate
anything more than that.

Silently, Jack complied, tucking her shoulder beneath his arm
and wrapping the other protectively around her.

Grace closed her eyes and drew in a slow breath, then let it
out. For the first time in too many years, she felt truly at peace.

They sat like that for long minutes, Jack holding her,
imparting his strength and his warmth. He stroked her hair. “What’s up?” he
finally asked again.

“Just feeling sorry for myself and in need of a hug.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Grace eased out of Jack’s embrace and looked up at him. She
wouldn’t burden him with her secrets, the things she’d kept to herself all her
life. Particularly the secret involving him. “Not at the moment.” She fixed her
gaze on the windscreen. “Thanks for the offer, though.”

Grace could feel his eyes on her before he started Betsy up and
they continued along the dirt road. Eventually the forest thinned and they
crossed a creek.

As Betsy heaved from side to side on the rough bridge over
river stones, Grace said, “You sure like to take a girl to interesting
places.”

“Only special girls,” Jack said quietly.

“How many special girls?” she asked, unable to stop
herself.

“Just one.”

Wistfully, she asked, “What was her name?”

“Grace.”

“You mean me?”

“I don’t see any other Grace, do you?”

“I...thought you would’ve brought a lot of girls out here.”

“Why would you think that?”

Flustered, she said, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Jack, you’re the
most eligible bachelor in Spruce Lake!”

“Excuse me?”

Grace’s attention was diverted by the small cabin that came
into view. “Is this your house?” she asked, sitting forward. “It’s
adorable!”

* * *

D
ISTRACTED
, J
ACK
COULD
only smile. Confronted by his simple abode, a renovated
miner’s shack, Grace seemed enchanted.

“I don’t know that it qualifies as a house, but yes, it’s what
I call home. One of these days, I’m going to build something more substantial on
this lot, but for now, it works for me.”

“One of these days?” Grace said. “One of these days when you
marry and have children?”

He cut the engine and looked across at her. “That’s the plan,
yes.”

Her light brown eyes clouded and she turned away. “Whoever
marries you, Jack, will be a very lucky woman.”

The comment sliced right through Jack’s heart. Grace didn’t
think she’d be that woman.

Resolved that somehow, some way, he would change her mind, Jack
helped her out the driver’s side.

“It was a burned-out shell when I got it. I had some of the
guys labor on this whenever we had a break between contracts. It was quite an
eye-opener for them to work on such a wreck, especially since one of them had
been arrested for arson.”

“Did he spend time in jail for it?”

“No, Kyle was only fourteen at the time, but he went to juvie.
A contact back in L.A. recommended him to me when he got out. It was a good
project for him to understand the damage caused by arson, even though no one was
living here at the time.” He opened the door and let Grace in ahead of him. “No
one worked harder on this project than that kid. It was as if he needed to atone
for his sins. He slept under the stars and worked from dawn till late every day.
He learned a lot about carpentry—and himself.”

Grace wondered if she could ever atone for her own sins. There
were so many. How she’d even start to make amends for keeping her secret from
Jack, she had no idea.

“Where is he now?”

“He’s an apprentice plumber with one of the contractors I use.
You might meet him at Adam’s house tomorrow.”

At her frown, he explained. “In spite of Adam’s assurances that
Carly wants to stay in town, I’d like to get their place at least weather-tight
before winter. I was hoping you’d like to come along. Kyle and a couple of the
guys will be there. For some strange reason they enjoy spending some of their
weekends with my family.”

Grace laughed at that. “Who
wouldn’t
want to spend time with your family? They’re wonderful. And
so is this,” Grace said, indicating the cabin. “You’re not going to demolish it
when you build the bigger house, are you?”

“Nope. I’ll keep it for guests. Maybe emergency housing for
kids in need.” He shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. Not much point,
since I can’t find anyone to marry me.”

Jack lifted a hand to her cheek. “Actually, I
have
found her. Unfortunately, she doesn’t want to
marry me.”

“What do you want from me, Jack?”

“I want you to marry me.”

“That’s a very strange way to ask.”

“Would it help if I got down on one knee?”

“No.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“Can we make a pact to forget about talk of marriage and just
enjoy ourselves today?”

“Okay. But I want you to know it’s never far from my
thoughts.”

“Jack, I’m sorry, but I didn’t come back to Spruce Lake to get
into a relationship. I left Boston to get away from one.”

“And you succeeded. Come and live here. Marry me.”

Grace walked farther into the cabin, then turned to him. “I
wish I hadn’t messed everything up, Jack. I was so ambitious, so desperate to
get away from my parents and the unhappy memories of my childhood. I needed to
show them I was better than them, that I would never want for money or respect.”
She gestured helplessly and Jack’s heart went out to her. “If I could take it
all back, start my life over, I’d do things so differently.”

Moved—and a little puzzled—by her revelation, he opened the
fridge and pulled out sandwich fixings.

“I don’t feel hungry now, if you don’t mind, Jack.”

He faltered. Maybe he was part of the bad memories she wanted
to escape.

“Should I take you back to town?”

“No, I want to be with you, but please, can we not talk about
us?”

“Okay,” he said, relieved, and desperate not to upset her
further. “How about if we make these sandwiches and take them on a hike? The
view from the mountain is spectacular. You’ll have an appetite by the time we
climb up there.”

“I could be dead by the time we climb up there! Remember, I was
at sea level less than a week ago. I haven’t adapted to the altitude yet.”

“Then I’ll piggyback you to the top.”

Grace laughed and Jack reveled in the sound of it. “Watch out!
I may take you up on it.”

Jack shrugged and smiled. “I have strong shoulders.”

He noticed the way Grace’s eyes shifted from his face to his
shoulders, and turned back to the fridge to hide his reaction to her.

“Are you making the sandwiches
in
the fridge? You’ve had your head buried in there long enough.”

He grabbed mustard and mayo and closed the door with his foot.
You’d think at thirty he’d be able to control his baser urges, but no, whenever
Grace was near, he was aroused!