Her tears falling in earnest now, Liv followed, stumbling over the uneven ground, dropping to her knees every other step. When she reached the top, she sagged to the ground beside Abe on the shoulder of the road. Abe? Please tell me youre okay. Please.
With his eyes still closed, he moaned. Then he lifted his eyelids and opened his mouth. Im okay, he muttered. But I think my legs broken.
Oh, jeez, Abe. She laughed, albeit shakily. A leg we can get fixed. Im just glad youre alive.
Take a lot more than a tree to do me in. Abe grabbed her arm. Im sorry, Liv. If its messed up, I wont be able to take care of the place until its healed.
Oh, for Petes sake, Abe. Working for me is the last thing you should be worrying about. Ill manage fine on my own. She rested her hand on her foremans shoulder, amazed that the man could worry about her when his face was gray with pain. Whats more important is getting you to a hospital. She glanced around, looking for the man whod pulled Abe from the wreckage.
He stood on the pavement, waving at a passing truck.
The truck slowed to a stop, and her rescuer rounded to the drivers door and spoke with the man behind the wheel. The driver pulled to the side of the road, got out and hurried down to where Liv waited with Abe.
Jonah? That you? Abe glanced up, shading his eyes from the sun.
Yup. Jonah dropped to his haunches beside Abe. Howd you end up in a ditch?
Abe shook his head and winced. A man on a four-wheeler darted out in front of me. I swerved to miss him. He nodded toward Liv. You remember Olivia Dawson?
Jonah squinted, staring across Abe to Liv. I remember a much smaller version of the Dawson girl. He held out his hand. Sorry to hear about your fathers accident.
Liv took the mans hand, stunned that they were making introductions when Abe was in pain. Thank you. Seems accidents are going around. Liv stared from Abe to Jonahs vehicle above. Think between the three of us we could get Abe up to your truck? He wont admit it, but Ill bet hes hurting pretty badly.
Its just a little sore, Abe countered and then grimaced.
Liv snorted. Liar.
We can get him up there, the stranger said.
Yes, we can, Jonah agreed. But should we? I could drive back to town and notify the fire department. They could have an ambulance out here in no time.
I dont need an ambulance to get me to town. Abe tried to get up. The movement made him cry out and his face turn white. He sagged back against the ground.
If you dont want an ambulance, then youll have to put up with us jostling you around getting you up the hill, the stranger said.
Better than being paraded through Grizzly Pass in the back of an ambulance. Abe gritted his teeth. Everyone knows ambulances are for sick folk.
Or injured people, Liv said. And you have a major injury.
Probably just a bruise. Give me a minute and Ill be up and running circles around all of you. Abe caught Livs stare and sighed. Okay, okay. I could use a hand getting up the hill.
The stranger shot a glance at Jonah. Lets do this.
Jonah looped one of Abes arms around his neck, bent and slid an arm beneath one of Abes legs.
The stranger stepped between Liv and Abe, draped one of Abes arms over his shoulder and glanced across at Jonah. On three. He slipped his hand beneath Abe.
Jonah nodded. One. Two. Three.
They straightened as one.
Abe squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, all of the color draining from his face.
Liv wanted to help, but knew shed only get in the way. The best thing she could do at that point was to open the truck door before they got there with Abe. She raced up the steep hill, her feet sliding in the gravel. When she reached the top, she flung open the door to the backseat of the truck cab and turned back to watch Abes progression.
The two men struggled up the hill, being as careful as they could while slipping on loose pebbles.
Livs glance took in her fathers old farm truck, the front wrapped around the tree. Smoke filled the cab and flames shot up from the engine compartment. She was surprised either one of them had lived. If Abe hadnt slammed on his brakes as quickly as he had, the outcome would have been much worse.
Her gaze caught a glimpse of another vehicle on the other side of the truck. A four-wheeler was parked a few feet away.
Anger surged inside Liv. She almost said something to the stranger about how hed nearly killed two people because of his carelessness. One look at Abes face made Liv bite down hard on her tongue to keep from yelling at the man whod nearly caused a fatal accident. Once Abe was taken care of, shed have words with the man.
Jonah and the stranger made it to the top of the ravine.
The four-wheeler driver nodded to the other man. Ill take it from here.
Are you sure? Jonah asked, frowning. Hes pretty much a deadweight.
Jonah was right. With all the jostling, Abe had completely passed out. Liv studied the stranger. As muscular as he was, he couldnt possibly lift Abe by himself.
Ive got him. The stranger lifted Abe into his arms and slid him onto the backseat of the truck.
Despite her anger at the mans driving skills, Liv recognized sheer, brute strength in the mans arms and broad shoulders. That he could lift a full-size man by himself said a lot about his physical abilities.
But it didnt excuse him from making them crash. She quelled her admiration and focused on getting Abe to a medical facility. If the stranger stuck around after they got Abe situated, Liv would tell him exactly what she thought of him.
Chapter Two
Hawkeye couldnt follow through on his pursuit of the other guy on the ATV. Not after the fleeing man caused the farm-truck driver to crash his vehicle into a tree. Hed had to stop to render assistance and pull the older man out of the cab before the engine caught fire, or he and the woman might have died.
Ill follow on my four-wheeler, Hawkeye offered.
No need, the woman said. We can take it from here.
Hawkeye frowned. Though young and pretty, the auburn-haired Miss Dawsons jaw was set. Her brows drew together over deep-green eyes as she climbed into the back of the cab next to the injured truck driver.
Hawkeye wanted to argue, but he didnt. She was mad at him for something. Then he realized shed probably only seen one ATV fly out into the road. Hawkeye had been far enough behind the other guy, he hadnt emerged onto the highway until the truck had already gone off the road.
The Dawson woman wouldnt have seen that there were two ATVs. He smiled and turned away, understanding why she was angry, but not feeling the need to explain himself.
He watched as the truck took off. Then he climbed onto his four-wheeler and followed the group back to Grizzly Pass and the only medical facility in a fifty-mile radius.
The clinic was a block from the Blue Moose TavernHawkeyes temporary boss had set up offices in the apartment above the bar. As Hawkeye passed the Blue Moose, Garner stepped out onto the landing and waved at Hawkeye, a perplexed frown pulling his brows low.