Predestined: Nathan McCoy's Story (Hell Yeah! Book 37) Read online

  “He did. How’s everyone else?”

  “Oh, good. Nothing too exciting. Storm Connelly called the other day to talk to Joseph and I answered the phone. He mentioned something about you and the sister…”

  “What did he say?” Yes, this was his family, but Nathan felt a bit shocked Storm would talk about their situation.

  “Oh, nothing really. He said you took care of her during the blizzard.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  “I’m sorry, Nathan. I shouldn’t say anything.”

  “Cady, it’s okay. What is it?”

  “Well, during the brief exchange, I kept seeing you and this beautiful girl together.”

  “She’s my Romy, Cady. Clare is Romy, the girl I dreamed about.”

  “I thought so. Reading you is difficult, just like you have trouble reading me. There’s something about the similarity of our gifts that clouds our vision.”

  “What else did you see?” Nathan was desperate for any insight into Romy’s mindset he could get.

  “A sadness. There is something keeping you apart, is it not?”

  “Yes, and I don’t know what it is. We were together, for a brief wonderful time – but she ended it. She told me it wasn’t meant to be. And I know that’s not true.”

  “Of course, what I am receiving comes from Storm. Not from Romy. What I sense, however, is an intense sadness. Whatever is driving the wedge between you is not an absence of feeling…it’s fear.”

  “Fear?” Nathan didn’t know what to think. “Fear of what?”

  “This I don’t know. Our conversation was so brief…but when I saw you with her, I realized then why everything else had taken place. The restlessness you felt here at home and the dream haunting your nights – those things were drawing you to the place where you would meet your destiny.”

  “Cady, I thought the same thing. When Romy and I were together, it was unspeakably wonderful. Everything felt so right. Then…once the storm was over, another storm rose to take its place. Without explaining, she pushed me away and I have been so lost. I don’t know what to do to fix things.”

  “Patience, Nathan. I can’t tell you what lies ahead. The vision I see is of a valley in shadow and I’m looking toward the rising of the sun. At this point, I can only see a faint glow, but I sense a dawning on the horizon. Be strong. Have faith. Your future is predestined.”

  “I pray you’re right.”

  “I am. Take care, Nathan. And if you need to talk, I’m always here.”

  Once the call ended, Nathan returned to his chores. The busier he kept, the less time he had to think. The harder he worked, the more exhausted he became. Sleep was a blessed escape.

  After the glimpse of Romy in the driveway, he didn’t see her at all for the rest of the week. She wasn’t at home, he checked. While he was there, he cut more wood and left it near the door so she wouldn’t have to carry it so far.

  When he spoke with her brothers, they didn’t mention her – and he didn’t ask. Something was different about their demeanor, and he couldn’t help but wonder if they’d changed their mind about him and his not giving up on their sister. Usually, he welcomed not being able to read someone, but this troubled him. It was as if a curtain was drawn between him and any knowledge of Romy. Nathan didn’t know what this meant, but he couldn’t help but worry.

  Clare gripped the strap of her bag with both hands. Flying didn’t usually bother her. This trip, however, proved to be bumpy – in more ways than one. She knew her brothers suspected something, and she felt a bit guilty not being honest with them. However, she didn’t want to get their hopes up if all of this proved futile. Yet here she was on her way home and what she’d learned was both hopeful and disconcerting.

  Glancing out the window, she gazed fondly at the hills of home. Landing at the Telluride Regional Airport gave her a stunning view of the land she’d come to call her own. As the wheels of the small jet touched down, she heard several relieved sighs. Their approach over the mountains had been turbulent. Once before when this happened, she’d felt unconcerned. After all, going out in a plane crash or going out from heart failure – what was the difference? Now, her feelings were a little different. Suddenly, she felt as if she might have something to live for.

  Nathan.

  As the jet taxied down the runway, Clare’s mind returned to her doctor’s visit. Dr. Shepherd’s first order of business was to give her a piece of his mind. He’d been very frank, telling Clare he almost refused to give her an appointment. She’d walked away from his care, not even allowing him to monitor her condition. In fact, she’d ignored his calls and left no forwarding address. The doctor she was using in Telluride merely treated her symptoms, not the underlying cause. To say he was angry at her was putting it mildly. Clare humbly endured his lectures. She submitted to a battery of tests – but the end result had been worth it. Dr. Shepherd explained to her how recent findings gave them a new avenue of treatment.

  When the flight attendant opened the door and passengers began to file out, she stepped into line with them. She debated what she would tell her brothers. They were under the impression she’d returned to New York to visit a childhood friend. If they’d known she was visiting the doctor, they would’ve insisted on accompanying her. In years past, they’d turned the world upside down trying to find a miracle cure for her. The restrictive cardiomyopathy she suffered from would certainly require one. Due to a genetic flaw, her liver produced a rogue protein called transthyretin. This protein built up in her heart causing the walls to thicken and become rigid. This was one of the few conditions that negated the possibility of a heart transplant. The failure rate was considered to be far too high. Recently, however, research suggested new techniques to improve the chances of transplant success. According to Dr. Shepherd, she could be a candidate for the procedure. He’d referred her to a heart transplant center for evaluation. If she was approved, they’d go from there. Because there was no guarantee, Clare was still at odds with herself over whether or not to raise her brothers hopes when the outcome lay so precariously in the lap of the gods.

  And she certainly wouldn’t tell Nathan. Not unless the miracle occurred.

  Once her feet stood on solid ground, Clare slowly made her way to the parking lot. She was ready to go home – and wait.

  …Nathan gripped the steering wheel. The trailer he was pulling was weighed down by several tons of fertilizer and grass seed. He wasn’t used to the steep grades the truck had to climb on the narrow mountain roads.

  While he was in town, he visited the art gallery where he’d first purchased a piece of Romy’s work. Today, he’d added to his collection. If he couldn’t have her, he could at least have something she’d created with her own hands.

  Changing gears, he moved over to the shoulder. The load he was pulling forced him to just creep along. As he drove, Nathan admired the beauty all around him. Majestic mountains lay on every side, making him feel small in the big scheme of things.

  Suddenly, the squeal of brakes tore through the air. Nathan glanced in the rearview mirror but saw nothing. Then, he realized he was looking in the wrong direction. Ahead of him and coming his way was an eighteen-wheeler, barreling down the mountain right into his path. He didn’t even have time to panic. All Nathan could do was bear to the right and hug the rocks – hoping to high heaven the driver of the big truck could bring it under control.

  The next few seconds stretched out like a lifetime, giving Nathan ample opportunity for regrets. He wasn’t ready to die. As the unforeseeable events began to unfold – his heart and mind was full of Romy.

  …Clare headed out of Telluride, her eye on the sky. Clouds were moving in, and she didn’t want to be caught out on the road in a storm. As she drove, she wondered what Nathan was doing. Did he miss her? She hadn’t talked to him since the day he told her he loved her. He didn’t realize this, but if she lived it would be because of him. She longed for a chance to tell him how she felt. Yet, she wouldn’t do that u
nless she was sure she had a future to offer him.

  A few miles into her journey, Clare noticed the traffic was backing up. What was going on? As she inched along, it became apparent there’d been an accident. She could see a large truck had gone off the road and up one of the runaway ramps built into the side of the mountain. An ambulance was parked on the shoulder tending to several people who’d wrecked their vehicles trying to avoid the crash and get out of harm’s way.

  Traveling a little further, the congestion dissipated. Still, she moved slowly unnerved by the thought of what happened. She’d never found herself in the path of one of the trucks, but she’d seen scary videos of them careening out of control.

  Clare was just about to give her car some gas when she saw skid marks on the side of the road leading over a deep ravine. They looked fresh. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she was still able to see cars and trucks pulled over on the side of the road. Clare couldn’t help but wonder if someone else was in trouble that the rescue workers had missed. Feeling compelled, she found a safe place to pull over. She’d take a quick look, if only to ease her mind. She couldn’t bear to think of someone alone and hurt.

  Keeping her eye on traffic, Clare waited until it was safe before she eased from the vehicle. With slow, deliberate steps she moved off the shoulder far enough to peer down the embankment. What she saw made her gasp. A truck and trailer lay on its side – but what made her cry out in alarm was the Estancia logo on the trailer. This was someone from her own ranch. Rushing back to her car, she found her phone and called 9-1-1. Once she reported the accident, Clare couldn’t stop herself from attempting to get closer. She tried to fight the uneasy feeling, but every step she took closer to the overturned truck made her panic rise. Cursing her heels, she kicked them off and took the last few steps at a barefoot run. “Hello! Are you okay?”

  There was no answer.

  Peering through the broken and cracked windshield, Clare’s fears were confirmed. Nathan lay inside, blood running down his face. “No, please no.” Even worse, she could smell something burning and a steady stream of smoke began to rise from the engine. To compound her horror, she noticed the load on the trailer was mainly fertilizer. She didn’t pretend to understand chemistry, but she’d read enough to know that fertilizer was highly combustible. “Nathan!”

  With one last look at the road, she prayed for someone to come quickly. Regardless, she wasn’t about to wait for help. With adrenaline building in her veins, she climbed on top of the truck and began to tug on the door. She prayed it wasn’t locked – but it was. What was she going to do? Looking frantically around, she saw a rock she could handle. Climbing down, she rushed over to grab it, then struggled to climb back up to the top. Raising the rock, she crashed it into the glass over and over again. As she did, tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t allow this to happen. Not to Nathan.

  Ignoring the rising column of smoke, she hit the glass repeatedly until it finally gave way. Not caring for cuts and bruises, she lowered herself through the broken window and down to Nathan. “We’ve got to get you out of here, baby.” As her hands fumbled with the seat belt, she kissed him on the side of the face. “Come on, I love you. I love you more than life itself. Wake up, I can’t do this by myself. We’ve got to get you out of here.”

  …Deep in a dream-like fog, Nathan heard Romy speaking to him. He didn’t know what she was saying, but he fought his way to go to her. Struggling to open his eyes, he groaned at the agony in his head. “Romy?”

  “Nathan! Nathan! Please, help me. I love you. We’ve got to go.”

  A sweet kiss to his lips brought Nathan to awareness. “Romy! My God, what happened?”

  “You ran off the road. Turned over. The engine’s on fire. Come on.” She tugged at his hand. “Please!”

  Taking in their predicament, Nathan struggled to pull himself together. “Yea, let’s get out of here.” As he worked to stand up, he noticed the blood on Romy’s face and hands. “You’re hurt.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Holding on to the jagged frame of the window, she began to climb out. Below, Nathan worked to help her.

  “Be careful.”

  “Just hurry, Nathan. We don’t have a second to waste.” Clare wished she was stronger. Her heart was pounding. She felt so dizzy and weak. Again and again, she offered up whispered prayers. Now was not the time to pass out. She needed to stay strong for Nathan. He couldn’t save himself and her. No, this was her turn to rescue him.

  Once she was out of the truck, she reached in to give him a hand. “Come on, I’ve got you.”

  He accepted her hand to steady, but he used his own strength to hoist himself up. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

  “Saving your ass, cowboy. This whole rig’s about to explode.”

  In a microsecond, Nathan finally understood the problem. And when he did, his whole body and soul froze at the danger. “Fuck.”

  “Yea, fuck.” She agreed. “Now come on. Let’s move!” Jumping down, her heart pounded, her breath came in harsh pants. Holding up her hand, she begged him. “Please, Nathan. Be okay. Please.”

  Taking her hand, he jumped to the ground, his eyes going to the flames of fire crawling their way to the bags of fertilizer. “Oh, hell no.” Desperate terror fueling his muscles, he swept Romy up into his arms and began climbing the hill.

  “Put me down. I can walk.”

  “Hush. You’re mine. I protect what’s mine.” With determined steps, he forged his way up the hill to the road. Just as an ambulance was pulling up, the ammonia nitrite in the fertilizer ignited and a fireball rose into the sky. Hearing the explosion, Nathan took them to the ground, covering her body with his own.

  Chapter 14

  “No, I’m not going to the hospital. I’m fine. Just take care of Romy!” Nathan pushed aside the hands trying to help him. “Where is she?”

  From a few feet away, Clare winced as the EMT cleaned and bandaged a rather deep cut on her arm. “I’m here, Nathan. I’m okay.”

  Following her voice, he came to her. Weak in the knees, he squatted at her feet. “Are you all right?”

  “Her heart rate’s elevated, but the cuts and bruises are superficial for the most part.”

  “See, I told you I was okay.” She took a moment to let her eyes rove over him. “You almost bought the farm, McCoy.”

  “Yea, I would have – if it weren’t for you.” He gazed at her tenderly. “Was my mind playing tricks on me or did I hear you make some type of declaration back there?”

  Clare didn’t blink an eye. “I’m pretty sure you have a concussion.”

  He didn’t get a chance to say more before the medics released them. “Okay, if you two refuse to be checked out in a hospital…you’re free to go.”

  Nathan glanced down at the remains of the ranch truck and trailer. “I think my ride is toast.”

  “Good thing you’ve got me.”

  “Yea, good thing I’ve got you.” He put a protective hand to her back as they walked the dozen yards or so to where her vehicle was parked.

  Before she could protest, he went around to the driver’s side to open her door. Once she was seated, he shut it, then went around to climb in himself.

  After both doors were shut tight, Clare couldn’t even lift her hand to start the engine. Weak with relief and winded from the ordeal, she leaned her head on the steering wheel. “My God, when I think what could’ve happened.”

  “Yea.” Nathan put a hand to the back of her neck, pushing aside her hair to caress the soft skin. “I’d say you coming along at that moment was fortuitous.”

  “You think?” she muttered dryly.

  “More than that, I think it was meant to be. Fate. Destiny. Shall I go on?”

  Clare realized what he was doing, and she was finding it hard to contradict him. “No. I’d say we were luckier than most. That’s all.”

  “Do you want me to drive?”

  “No.” She raised her head and put her foot on the brake, pushing
the start button. “I got it. Let’s go home.”

  “Yea, let’s go home.” Even when she sat up straight, he kept his hand right where he’d put it. To his relief, she made no effort to push it away. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “You saved yourself. I just woke you up.”

  “You know that’s not true.”

  She shrugged, lifting a shoulder to dislodge his hand, then giving up when he refused to move. “Like I said at the scene, let’s just call it even.”

  “Even-Steven. Now, where have you been?”

  “Nosy, aren’t we?”

  “Interested. Concerned.”

  “I’ve been to New York.”

  “Why?”

  “Business.”

  “Art business?”

  “No. No more questions.”

  “Why?”

  “Nathan…” She shivered at his nearness.

  “Cold?”

  “Yea, a little.” Best he didn’t know how much he affected her. “Turn up some heat.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He did this with his free hand as he massaged the tight muscles of her neck with his other. “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “Yea, I bet. Better than being toast.”

  “Yea, that too. But it’s not the only reason. I missed you.”

  Clare felt a lump rising in her throat. She’d missed him too. So much. “Nathan…”

  “I know, but things are different now. Are you familiar with the Chinese proverb that once you save a life, you’re responsible for that person forever?”

  “No.” Actually, she was.

  “Well, I’m responsible for you and now you’re responsible for me. We’ve become inseparable.”

  “I don’t think that’s how it works.”

  “I do.” His hand slid around her neck to caress her cheek. “I think we should celebrate by going on that date you owe me.”

  Clare thought of a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t – and one big reason why she should.