Whatever it Takes (Healing Hearts book 3) Read online

  Quinn

  The journey to Marble Falls took forever, with numerous stops along the way. I was always nervous when we stopped, half expecting Evan to show up and haul me back home. He would have no idea where I’d gone, but I couldn’t help looking over my shoulder. I guess I would be looking over my shoulder for a while. I couldn’t ever imagine feeling safe again.

  My banged-up face had gotten me some sympathetic looks on the bus ride. Evan had hit me hard enough to blacken my eye and bruise my cheek. My lip was also swollen from where it had split. I looked a mess. My side was still painful from where he’d thrown me against the dresser. I wondered if I’d bruised a rib, on top of the broken ones I’d suffered previously. It was painful to breathe on occasion, and I had to remember to carry my backpack on the opposite shoulder, or else the pain created waves of nausea and a cold sweat would break out sporadically along my neck. Sitting at the back of the Greyhound bus, I downed painkillers to dull the stabbing pain in my side. Keeping myself to myself, I read one of the books I’d managed to bring along with me.

  As I stepped off the bus in Marble Falls, I looked around. The paranoid recesses of my mind had my eyes flitting up and down the street, searching for Evan. I blinked into the fading sunlight and shook my head. He wasn’t here. Of course, he wasn’t. It was just a small southern town, hundreds of miles from Westwood.

  The stop was in the center of the town where stores and places to eat lined the street I was on. It was late afternoon and some of the stores had already closed. Gingerly slipping my backpack over my shoulder, I walked up the sidewalk to a coffee shop, desperate for a decent cup of coffee. My body ached from spending over two days on the bus, and to say that I was tired would have been an understatement. Sitting in the back of the coffee shop, I slipped my hands around the hot mug of coffee. Bringing it to my lips, I took a sip. Now that I was here, I had no idea what I was going to do. I placed my mug on the table in front of me and dug in my backpack for my wallet, quickly counting the money I had left. There was just under a hundred dollars. I needed a job, and fast.

  Making my way back to the counter, I asked the girl serving if they were looking to take anyone on. She looked at my bruised face and disheveled appearance and shook her head.

  “There are plenty of bars you could try,” she replied, looking me up and down again.

  “I’m not old enough to work in a bar, but thanks anyway.” She shrugged and moved to serve the person behind me. Sighing, I made my way back to the booth I had been sitting in and finished my coffee. I didn’t have enough money for a motel. What little bit I had left I needed to keep for food. Thinking of food made my stomach rumble. As I left the coffee shop, I noticed a grocery store across the road. Heading inside, I trawled the aisles looking for something that would fill me up but would still be good to eat tomorrow. Deciding on crackers, sliced cheese, and a large bottle of water, I made my way to the cashier.

  “You okay there, honey?” the cashier asked me as I placed my items on the belt. She smiled sympathetically as my eyes met hers. I gave her a small nod of the head before I self-consciously touched my hand to my bruised cheek. “Well, I hope whoever did that to you is getting what they deserve.” Her eyes dropped to where my hand was.

  “I think he’ll get what’s coming to him.” I blinked away the vision of the two men barging into the house, shouting for Evan and demanding the money that he owed them. I was pulled back to the present as I felt the cashier's hand come over mine, squeezing it tightly. My eyes filled with tears and I took a deep breath, fighting with myself to stop them from falling.

  “Good. That’s four dollars, eighty cents, honey.” I pulled out the cash and handed it over.

  “There aren’t any jobs open here are there?” I asked as I bagged up my stuff. She shook her head.

  “Not at the moment, sweetie. Claire Parker was in here just yesterday though putting an ad up for a domestic assistant. She runs a ranch just outside town. Some of their employees live on the ranch, so that might be an option if you’re looking for a place to stay.” She smiled kindly, and I let out a small laugh.

  “Is it that obvious?” I glanced down at my crumpled clothes, knowing that I looked a mess.

  “A little. The ad is on the bulletin board by the door. Her number should be on there.”

  “Oh, I don’t have a phone,” I told her, dejected.

  “You could head over there? It’s the Wild Oak Ranch. The number 3 bus takes you within a mile of the ranch, and the stop is just outside of here. The driver will be able to tell you where to get off.” My eyes dropped to her name badge.

  “Thank you, Bonnie. I’m really grateful.”

  “Anytime, honey. I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for.”

  I smiled as I picked up my shopping and made my way outside and over to the bus stop. According to the schedule, the next and final bus of the day was at 7 p.m. Glancing at my wristwatch, I felt a tear slide down my cheek. The watch had been my mom’s. She had given it to me just before she’d died. Looking at it made my heart hurt, and I wished she was still here. Sighing, I shook my head and wiped the tear away.

  It was just before 6 p.m., so I had some time to kill before the bus arrived. The light was fading, and I knew it would be dark soon. I contemplated waiting until morning to visit the ranch, but it wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go.

  Sitting on a bench a little way up the sidewalk from the bus stop, I made myself some crackers and cheese, eating them while I waited. After I’d eaten, I pulled a small compact and hairbrush out of my bag. I did the best I could to make myself look a little better. I couldn’t do anything about the bruises and the split lip, but I brushed my hair, securing it in a hair tie to keep it off my face.

  After watching the world go by for a while, the number 3 bus arrived, and I got on. I asked the driver to let me know when I needed to get off. He smiled kindly and nodded his head. Taking a seat, I wondered if everyone in this small town was as nice as the people I’d already encountered. I could only hope Claire Parker was as nice.

  After a short ride, the bus came to a halt, and the driver turned in his seat. “Your stop, darlin’,” he called out in a Southern drawl, motioning with his head for me to get off.

  Gathering my bag, I walked to the door. “Thank you,” I told him gratefully as I stepped off the bus.

  “If you walk straight down that road, you’ll come to the Wild Oak Ranch.” I turned to see where he was pointing. Nodding, I thanked him again and began to walk away from the bus. “Be careful, darlin’,” he called from behind me and I turned and gave him a small wave. As the bus pulled away, the road fell dark and I swallowed nervously. Maybe this hadn’t been such a great idea. Maybe I should have waited until morning. Not having that option now, I walked quickly down the dark road. I’d been walking for about ten minutes when I felt the first spots of rain on my face. Glancing at the darkening sky, I could see heavy clouds had rolled in and the sky looked a strange color. It looked like a storm was coming. Great. Just what I needed. I walked faster as the rain began to fall, and as I rounded a corner, I saw a sign for the ranch. Breathing a sigh of relief, I headed up the oak-tree-lined driveway.

  The rain was coming down heavier now and I was soaked to the skin. The water ran down my nose and dripped off the end. I looked down at my wet clothes. There was no way I could knock on a prospective employer's door looking like this. I needed to find somewhere to shelter so I could dry off. As I made my way to the end of the driveway, a large house came in to view. I stopped and stared. The house was beautiful. There was a large wraparound porch with steps up to the door, and a porch swing that sat off to the left. The lights were on and I could see people moving around inside. I quickly shrank back, not wanting to be seen by anyone. Tearing my eyes away, I glanced around looking for somewhere I could shelter from the rain. Noticing a large barn off to the left, I darted my eyes back to the house. Convinced no one had spotted me, I ran toward the door.

  Once inside
, I was grateful to see there was no one in here, no people anyway. There were stalls on either side of the barn and horses poked their heads over the half-doors, looking to see who had disturbed them. Some of the horses seemed quite agitated, obviously not happy with the weather outside. I was inclined to agree with them. Walking through the barn, I came across an empty stall and went inside. Throwing my bag in the corner, I sat down carefully on the straw that covered the floor, my bruised ribs screaming in protest. I was exhausted but needed to get out of my wet clothes. Reaching for my bag, I was surprised to find that everything inside was thankfully still dry. Pulling out a change of clothes, I got changed awkwardly, wincing at the pain in my side. Drying my hair off as best I could, I lay down and closed my eyes.

  Ten minutes later and I was still awake. The rain, from what I could tell, had stopped, but a storm had set in and thunder rumbled in the air. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my tired body. I couldn’t believe this was how my life was playing out. How had I gone from a happy, carefree teenager, to someone sleeping on the floor of a barn, hundreds of miles from home? I let out a sigh. I guess I didn’t have a home anymore, or a family. Now I needed to build a new life for myself and I wondered if I could do that here, or whether I would always need to be running. Pulling my knees up to my chest I wrapped my arms around my legs and slowly drifted off to sleep.

  Brody

  “Another beer, anyone?” Josh asked, jumping up off the couch. A chorus of “yeses” sounded around the room. I heard him chuckle as he left the den and headed for the kitchen.

  “The Cowboys need to get their shit together. They’re going to lose this game if they don’t start playing like a goddamn team,” I grumbled, watching as the Broncos scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

  “Have a little faith, Son,” my dad said. “It’s only the first quarter.” I nodded, my eyes drawn to the window where I watched a flash of lightning light up the night sky.

  “Storms getting worse,” I said, my head gesturing toward the window.

  My dad nodded. “There’ll be some tidying up to do around the place tomorrow if it carries on.” I was about to reply when Josh came flying into the room, the door banging against the wall.

  “What the…” I began, but Josh cut me off.

  “The stables are on fire,” he exclaimed, his eyes wide.

  I leapt from my seat, along with Dad and Mason, and rushed out of the den, meeting Mom and Libby in the hallway.

  “Did someone say the stables are on fire?” my mom asked, her face a picture of panic.

  “Yes,” Dad replied. “Stay here and call 911,” he instructed as he pushed past them toward the front door.

  “Savannah’s in the stables. She went to check on the horses!” my mom cried.

  “No!” Josh shouted, the agony evident in his voice.

  We all rushed outside, and I reeled backward as I saw the stables engulfed in flames. Josh ran full pelt toward the burning building. Taking a deep breath, I followed him. I could vaguely hear Libby on her phone speaking to the emergency services, her voice getting swallowed by the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. Reaching the stable doors, Josh didn’t hesitate as he flung them open and rushed inside. The flames were toward the back of the building, but they were spreading, and quickly. Flames licked the walls and engulfed the roof, the straw and wood of the building quickly igniting.

  The smoke was thick as I entered the stables and my eyes immediately began to sting. Water gushed from them as I desperately tried to see anything in front of me. My lungs were burning and screaming for air already. I lifted the neck of my t-shirt up and over my mouth. Narrowing my eyes, I tried to find Josh in the chaos. My eyes darted left and right, and as I passed each stall I flicked the latch, allowing the horse inside to escape.

  “Savannah,” I shouted, my words swallowed by the creaking and groaning of the building. I had no idea how far into the stables I’d gotten, or where Josh was, but I knew I had to keep moving forward. I passed a stall with the door already open and I glanced inside. I could barely see my hand in front of my face, but something made me look again, and I moved closer toward the stall. Suddenly, a body curled up on the floor became visible through the smoke. Dropping the t-shirt from my face I ran inside and kneeled down, scooping the person into my arms. As her head fell against my shoulder, I realized it wasn’t Savannah from the long blonde hair that fell over her face. As I stumbled out of the stall, I saw Josh coming toward me, the relief evident on his face as he saw me holding who he thought was Sav.

  “It’s not her, Josh,” I choked out, my stomach clenching as I saw the look of devastation form on his face.

  “I can’t find her, Brody! Where is she?”

  “Maybe she got out?” I said weakly, hoping and praying I was right.

  He shook his head. “I’m not leaving until I find her.” He gestured with his head to the girl in my arms. “Go. Get her out.”

  I stared at him, torn about leaving him in this hell but knowing I needed to get this girl to safety. “I’ll be back,” I promised, turning and making my way toward what I hoped was the way out. Just as the entrance came into view I heard the beams above my head groan and creak before they crashed to the ground just behind me, the roof collapsing in on itself. Spinning around, I could just about make out Josh’s lifeless body under a mangle of burning wood.

  “Josh!” I shouted, listening for a reply from him. When I got none, I rushed outside, knowing I needed to get him some help. Surely the emergency services were here by now? It felt like I had been inside the burning building for hours. Stumbling through the stable doors I saw Mason rushing toward me.

  “Brody, where’s Josh?” I gestured with my head to the stable entrance.

  “He’s inside… on the floor. I couldn’t move him, part of the roof collapsed,” I choked out, coughing and wheezing from the smoke. My lungs were desperately trying to drag in some fresh air.

  “No!” a voice cried, and I looked up to see Savannah dropping to her knees, my mom with her arm wrapped around her. Thank God, she was safe. The relief I felt knowing she wasn’t trapped in the stables was overwhelming. I watched Mason and my dad rush toward the flames and silently prayed everyone got out safely.

  Two paramedics appeared in front of me, one immediately taking the girl from my arms and rushing with her to a waiting ambulance. I felt someone put their hand on my back and tearing my eyes away from the man who held the girl, I looked up to meet worried eyes.

  “Let’s get you checked over,” the emergency worker said.

  I glanced back to the door of the barn, desperately hoping to see some sign of life, but I saw none. Damn, I wanted to go back in and find Josh, tell him that Savannah was safe.

  “I can see what you’re thinking, but the fire crew will help your friends,” he told me, obviously seeing my apprehension at leaving. I sighed and nodded, knowing he was right. My lungs felt like they were burning from the inside out, and I noticed for the first time my hand was bleeding. Dragging my tired body over to the ambulance I sat down heavily on the tailgate. An oxygen mask was placed over my mouth and nose and a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. “Take some deep breaths, you should start to feel better once the oxygen gets into your lungs.” I nodded, looking across to the other ambulance where I could see two paramedics working on the girl.

  “Is she going to be okay?” I lifted my mask to ask the question. The paramedic brushed my hand away and replaced the mask.

  “You need to leave that on,” he scolded, placing a clip on my index finger. “This measures your oxygen levels.” He gestured to the clip. “If the reading is okay, then the mask can come off. It’s unlikely though after where you’ve just been.” He jotted down some notes before his eyes met mine. “Do you know how long she was in there?” I shook my head. “What’s her name?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before,” I muttered from behind the mask. “Is she going to be okay?”

  “They are doing
everything they can for her. She’s in good hands. You can ride to the hospital with her if you want?” I nodded, needing to know she was going to be alright. After a few minutes breathing the oxygen, I began to feel better. My chest was still tight, but I was no longer wheezing.

  I heard shouting coming from over by the stables and I jumped to my feet, pulling the mask off my face. Mason, Dad, and a member of the fire department had found Josh, and they were carrying him out to waiting paramedics. As I made my way toward them I saw the fire crew using hoses in an attempt to put out the flames. I hung back watching the paramedics do their job. Mason and my dad staggered over to me and I led them to the ambulance where they were given oxygen and looked over.

  Savannah’s anguished cries as she watched the paramedics work on Josh could be heard echoing around the open space. As they loaded Josh into one of the ambulances, I saw my mom wrap her arms around Savannah and pull her into an embrace. A hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to see the paramedic who had treated me.

  “We’re ready to go.”

  I nodded and pulled my gaze from Savannah, knowing that I would speak to her at the hospital. Following the paramedic, I climbed into the back of the ambulance, sitting down on the small fold-down chair. My eyes fell on the girl. “How is she?” I asked the paramedic who was sitting by her head writing up his notes.

  “She’s stable but unconscious,” he replied looking up from his notes. I scooted forward on the seat and gently picked up her hand. Her hand was cold in mine and I rubbed my thumb across the back of her hand.

  “Did those cuts and bruises happen in the fire?” I frowned as I noticed her split lip and bruised cheek. Seeing her properly for the first time since I pulled her from the stables, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Even with the bruises she was stunning, and I found myself wondering what color her eyes were. Shaking my head at my bizarre thoughts, I turned to the paramedic as I waited for him to answer my question.