Destiny's Bridge Read online

  They’d made it over halfway across before Lex instinctively looked upstream and saw a large object rumbling right for them. Without conscious thought, Lex turned her body so that she could protect her passenger from what appeared to be part of a barn. Taking a direct hit to the chest, Lex nearly passed out from the pain. She managed somehow to hang onto the rope, only to feel frantic arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Loosening one hand from the rope that had become their lifeline, Lex tried to pry the convulsive limbs from her throat before she was choked to death, while keeping a tenuous hold with her other hand. "Stop," she shouted. "Don’t choke me!" Coming to her senses, the frightened woman quickly released her death grip on her savior.

  Ten minutes later, Lex pulled them both up onto the muddy creek bank. Exhausted and trembling, she untied the rope from around them and turned slightly, allowing her passenger to slip from her back. Her strength depleted, Lex collapsed on elbows and knees to the soggy ground and rested her head on her forearms. When she heard another sound mixed in with the thunder and rain, she lifted her head and saw that the other woman was on her knees with her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth and crying.

  "Oh, God!" Amanda’s eyes searched desperately from side to side as she attempted to get her bearings. "What happened?"

  Lex attempted to push herself up but the sudden pain in her chest caused her to drop back to her knees. "Damn." She twisted her head to look at the woman beside her. "Hey, are you okay?" Lex struggled into a sitting position, grunting from the pain. She laid a muddy hand upon the distraught woman’s shoulder. "Shhh. Everything’s okay now." Bracing her right arm across her chest, Lex slowly rose to her feet and offered her other hand to the woman. "Let’s get out of this damned rain."

  Amanda glanced up and made eye contact with her rescuer. "Okay." Lex pulled her to her feet but this obviously made Amanda dizzy, and she fell forward.

  "Take it easy there." Lex caught her, but the movement brought another sharp pain to her chest. She silently cursed the debris that had injured her. She wrapped her left arm around the other woman, while she tried to keep her own balance. The two of them trudged slowly through the mud back to the Jeep.

  Once they had settled in the Jeep, Lex handed her brown duster to the trembling woman. "Here. This should help ward off the cold ’til we get back to the house."

  Amanda shyly accepted the offer. "Thanks. But what about you?" She snuggled under the oversized coat, relieved to be less frozen. "Ah. Much better."

  "Don’t worry about me." Lex wiped the wet hair out of her eyes again. "It’s not that far." She leaned over and dug into one of the pockets of the coat and pulled out a dark blue bandanna. "Here, try this." She applied a steady pressure to the bleeding wound on the woman's temple. "I promise it’s clean."

  Amanda took hold of the bandanna. "Thanks." She tried to think of something to say. "Thank you for saving my life." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don’t…I just…" She took a deep breath. "I’m sorry. Reaction, I guess. I want to thank you, but I don’t even know your name."

  "Lex. And you’re welcome." Lex turned the key in the ignition, and the Jeep sputtered to life. The incessant rain pounded a loud beat upon its hard top.

  "My name’s Amanda." She dabbed at her injury, wincing when she pressed a little too hard. "I can’t believe this happened. If you hadn’t come along when you did—" Amanda choked tearfully on her words as she realized how narrowly she had missed being killed.

  Lex reached for the gearshift, which caused a sharp pain in her chest. She tried to, but couldn't, suppress a groan as she put the vehicle in gear.

  Concerned, Amanda placed her free hand on Lex’s wrist. "What is it? What’s the matter?"

  "Nothing. Just a little sore." The Jeep lurched as it went down what was left of the road.

  Amanda turned slightly in her seat so she could observe the woman beside her. "Uh-huh. If you say so."

  Lex gave her a raised eyebrow in response. Diverting the subject away from herself, she posed the question that had been bothering her since she’d first spotted Amanda’s car. "What in the hell were you doing driving around country roads on a nasty day like this?" Lex braced herself as the Jeep hit a deep rut in the road. "And why were you driving across my bridge?"

  "Your bridge?" Amanda was silent for a long moment. Then she giggled.

  "What?"

  Amanda laughed harder. "Sorry, but I just got the funniest picture in my head."

  Lex just glowered at her. "C’mon, let’s hear it."

  "No, really, it’s not important." Amanda shifted her position and tried to look as if she had completely dismissed the thought that she had found so funny, until another giggle pried its way out of her mouth.

  That earned her another glare from the driver of the Jeep.

  "Okay." Amanda wiped the tears from her eyes. "I just had this mental picture of you as a troll, waiting for the Three Billy Goats Gruff." She wheezed, trying unsuccessfully to contain her laughter.

  "Cute, real cute." But Lex was relieved. The head injury couldn’t be too bad if the woman beside her was able to make jokes.

  They drove along the muddy road in silence. Amanda had apparently worn herself down with the giggling fit, and was now quietly curled up in the passenger’s seat. The thunderstorm still raged, making the darkened sky appear like late evening instead of late afternoon.

  While Lex maneuvered the Jeep along the slippery road, Amanda took the opportunity to study the woman beside her. The glow of the dash lights flickered across Lex’s face, highlighting her features. Amanda could clearly see the pain and exhaustion on her rescuer’s face. Her own head was still aching, and she felt a little bit sick to her stomach. Before she could open her mouth to speak, Lex turned the steering wheel sharply to the right.

  "Hang on!" The Jeep slid sideways in the mud as Lex desperately tried to avoid a tree lying across the road. The left front tire hit a large branch, causing the Jeep to tilt dangerously to the right as it skidded to a stop.

  "Dammit!" Lex shoved the Jeep into a lower gear. A high-pitched whine answered her as the tires spun helplessly in the mixture of mud and water and leaves. She laid her head against the steering wheel and closed her eyes. "Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed." Lex raised her head and looked over at Amanda who had one hand braced on the dash and the other with a death grip on the door. "Sorry. I guess I’m not real good at this rescue business." She looked out through the rain-spattered windshield. "Look, the house isn’t that much farther, maybe a mile or so at the most. Hard to tell how long it will take in this weather, though. Feel up to a little walk?"

  "Sure." Amanda looked down at the muddy black sneakers on her feet. "Don’t think my shoes could get any wetter, anyway." She silently thanked her grandmother for insisting that she dress casually for work, instead of wearing the dress and heels she had originally picked out.

  Lex ran her hand through her hair as she thought about what to do next. "We’ll cut through the woods. It’ll shave some distance off the trip. Not to mention that this road is obviously too much of a mess to get very far." She fished into the back seat to grab a large flashlight and her battered cowboy hat. After Lex crammed the hat on her head, she reached for her door. "Let me go around and make sure your side is clear before you try to get out." She pocketed the keys and opened the door, easing herself out.

  Thunder and lightning blasted their way across the sky. Lex slipped in the mud three times on her way around the rear of the Jeep. Every slip brought renewed agony to her chest. Once she arrived at the passenger side of the Jeep, she was thankful to see it relatively clear of debris. She opened the door and offered her hand to Amanda. "Careful, it's kinda slippery out here."

  Amanda accepted the proffered hand and joined Lex on the side of the road. "Thanks." She slipped out of the coat and tried to hand it to Lex. "Here. You’re only wearing a tee shirt, at least I’ve got a long-sleeved shirt on."

  Lex studied how the other woman was dress
ed. Her black jeans were pasted to her body by the rain and mud, and her long-sleeved silk shirt didn’t look very warm. She shook her head and pushed the coat back into Amanda’s hands. "No, you wear it. I’m pretty warm-natured, anyway." Lex waited until Amanda had the coat back on and then led her away from the dark road. As they walked into a copse of trees, she asked about Amanda’s head wound.

  Amanda pulled the coat tighter around her body and considered the question seriously. "Not too bad. Aches a little." She peered through the rain and gloom, and without realizing what she was doing, gripped Lex's hand. "Is this safe? Walking through all these trees during a thunderstorm?"

  "Safer than the road. There’s probably a lot of washed out places, and it would be nearly impossible to walk on all the mud there." Another flash of lightning and rumble of thunder interrupted her. She felt the grip on her hand tighten. "Hey, it’s okay. We’ll be back to the house before long. It’s just a little rain."

  Amanda sheepishly loosened her grip on the other woman’s hand, but made no move to let go. "Sorry. I’ve never really liked storms." The hand holding hers tightened.

  "No problem. I think the worst is over for now. That last blast sounded pretty far away."

  They reached the top of a slight rise, and Amanda saw that the trees gave way to open fields. "Is your home much farther?"

  "Not too much. In no time at all, we’ll be in front of a nice, warm fire." She met the slightly foggy eyes peering at her. "Unless you’d rather take a break for a few minutes. You’re not looking too good."

  Amanda thought about waving off her rescuer's concern, but then noticed Lex had become increasingly pale and drawn herself. "The thought of getting out of this rain is tempting, but I’m afraid if I don’t rest for a few minutes I’ll fall flat on my face." She didn’t miss the fleeting look of relief that passed over the other woman’s features.

  "Yeah, you’re probably right. We might as well take advantage of these trees for a short break. The rest of our walk will be out in the open, and the rain doesn’t seem like it’ll be slowing down any time soon." Lex released Amanda's hand and dropped to the ground, then sagged against an old oak tree.

  Amanda sank down beside her and mimicked her posture. "I never knew how wonderful sitting in the mud could be." She flicked a blob of mud off her knee. "I know this stuff is supposed to be good for your complexion, but I think I’ll just take my chances without it." She wrapped the oversized coat tightly around herself. "Are you sure you’re warm enough? I feel really bad that I’m hogging your coat."

  Lex waved off her concern. "No, really. I’m fine. I only had it with me because Martha threatens to whack me with a wooden spoon when I leave it at home." She also didn’t want to try to slip her arms into the coat, dreading the pain it would bring to her chest.

  Amanda was about to continue this line of questioning when she heard what Lex had said. "A spoon? Who’s Martha?" She hazarded a guess. "Your mother?"

  "Nah, more like my nanny." Lex looked pensive for a moment. "She’s actually our housekeeper, but she’s just about the only mother I’ve ever known. And believe me, she can sure swing a mean spoon." She playfully added, "I learned not to get on her wrong side when I was just a kid, something that I still can appreciate all these years later."

  "Remind me to be on my best behavior then." Amanda patted Lex's knee. "Maybe I should give you this coat back. I’d hate to get you into trouble."

  "I’d probably get into more trouble if I brought you home without it. ’Sides, I think she’ll be okay. Just be prepared to be clucked over big time."

  Amanda nodded and quietly studied her companion’s condition. The longer they sat there, the worse Lex looked, her pain evident in her voice. "Hey, maybe we should get started again." The temperature felt as if it was beginning to drop even lower, and she noticed Lex unsuccessfully trying to repress a shudder.

  Lex was grateful when Amanda rose and offered her a hand. I can’t stay out here too much longer. I’m going to pass out from the pain if I start shivering again. With Amanda’s assistance, she slowly and carefully climbed back to her feet.

  As the minutes passed, the duo slogged through the mud in silence, each lost in her thoughts. Lex was moving slower in deference to the sharp stabbing pain in her chest, and it was getting harder for her to breathe normally. She spared a glance at her companion. Amanda was moving fairly well, although she kept tripping over the long coat she had wrapped around her body.

  Amanda kept a close eye on Lex also. She could see that the other woman’s breathing was more ragged with every step she took, and that her pace continued to slow by the minute. Afraid Lex would soon be too weak to continue, Amanda purposely stumbled and then halted.

  Lex paused and studied Amanda with concern, she asked, "What’s the matter? Is your headache getting worse?"

  Amanda gazed up innocently. "I hate to bother you, but do you think I could hold onto you? It seems like I’m having a bit of a balance problem."

  Not fooled at all, Lex was too tired and hurting too badly to call her on it. "Sure." She carefully raised one arm and draped it around Amanda’s shoulders.

  Amanda eased her body under Lex’s arm, wrapping one arm around her waist. She couldn’t restrain her amusement at the difference in their heights.

  "What?" Lex couldn't see anything particularly funny about their situation.

  Amanda peeked up from her position under Lex’s arm. "You’re quite a bit taller than me. I feel like a little kid next to you."

  "Well," Lex drawled, "in that coat, you kinda look like one, too." She leaned even more on Amanda.

  Feeling the pressure, Amanda congratulated herself. There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Amanda could tell that Lex’s voice was weakening, and it had an exhausted, raspy quality to it. That doesn’t sound good at all. I hope we have some way to get her to a doctor once we’re back to her house.

  The open field they came upon was carpeted with a thick winter rye. It was too dark for Amanda to see much, but it was still more pleasant to struggle through the rye than the mud they had waded in earlier. She estimated that close to two hours had passed since she had crashed into the creek, and if the sun had been shining, it would be close to dusk by now. Her head still ached, although it was more like a dull throb at the moment. She continued to support Lex's weight, amazed that neither one of them had collapsed. Through the infrequent flashes of lightning, Amanda was able to see just how exhausted her companion was. Something nagged at the back of her mind, though. What was she doing out in this weather? And just how did she get hurt? Guess I could just ask. Amanda cleared her throat. "Lex?"

  Lex flinched slightly. Damn. Almost dozed off there. "Yeah?"

  Amanda tightened her grip. "You haven’t told me why you were out in this nasty weather. Or do you usually hang around raging creeks waiting to rescue women who happen to float by?" She felt Lex attempt to stifle a laugh.

  "No, not usually." Lex was thankful for the distraction. "I was repairing a break in the fence when I saw that tree smash into the bridge." She gave a slight shrug. "Then, when I saw your car fall in, I really didn’t even think." She looked down at the woman snuggled close to her side and smiled. "Right place, right time, I guess."

  Amanda looked up in surprise. "You jumped into a creek feeling the way you do?"

  "No. I was okay then. A little tired from chopping up a tree and digging a few post holes, but okay."

  "All right. Then what happened? And don’t try to tell me you’re fine." Amanda tightened her grip. "You’re about to fall over, I can tell." The look she gave the rancher dared Lex to argue with her. Amanda wasn’t real sure where this sudden protective streak for a virtual stranger came from, but at this point, she really didn’t give a damn. Lex has risked her life for her, and she was determined to get her back home safely.

  Lex looked down at the grass they were walking through. "Ah, well. When I was pulling us across the creek, right before you came to, I sort of got hit by some debris." She s
uddenly stopped, due to the arm wrapped around her.

  "Debris? What kind of debris? Where did it hit you?"

  Lightning flashed, giving Lex a clear view of the deep concern etched on the face below her. Although it deeply touched her, she didn’t want to go into any more detail at the moment. So, Lex turned to start walking again. She twisted wrong and collapsed to her knees in pain, black spots swimming in her vision. "Damn."

  Amanda followed her to the ground, landing beside Lex on her knees. "What’s wrong?" She put her arms around the woman and tried to offer some comfort.

  Lex leaned forward with her left arm wrapped tightly around her chest and face hidden by the cowboy hat. Amanda pulled the battered hat away and allowed Lex to rest her forehead on her shoulder. "Just give me a minute," Lex gasped, trying to remain conscious.

  "Rest for a few minutes, okay?" Amanda eased herself down and pulled Lex onto her back so that she lay against her. She repositioned her arms around Lex and offered the exhausted woman her strength.

  "No, I’m all right. We’re almost to the house." Lex tried in vain to get back up, but she couldn’t seem to gather the energy needed. It felt so good to be held. The thought raced through her head that she wouldn’t mind being hit with the broad side of a barn everyday, if Amanda would be there to hold her afterwards.

  Amanda tightened her hold on the rancher and tried another tactic. "Well, if we’re that close, then a short break can’t hurt now, can it?" She looked up and tried to see the house in the distance. Unfortunately, between the oncoming darkness and the driving rain, she could barely see a few feet ahead. "Look, if you’ll just point me in the right direction, I’ll go and get some help." She glanced back down at Lex, whose eyes were closed. "Lex?" Amanda used her hand to brush the rain from Lex's face and was relieved to see the woman’s eyes finally open.

  "Sorry. Guess I must've moved the wrong way." Lex inhaled cautiously. The shallow breath wasn’t too painful, so she breathed more deeply.