Something pressed on her eyelids like weights. She opened her eyes
slowly. Her leg was elevated, her chest was constricted and her head
throbbed. A tube was tape to her lips, giving her air. Another tube went
from her arm to a pouch above her.
Someone leaned over her. "How do you feel?" She couldn't remember the face of the voice. She closed her eyes.
Memories flooded her mind and her eyes flew open. She could see Kevin sitting in the chair on the corner. He was calm and collected, as always. Part of her imagined him angry. He didn't look like it. Was she insane?
Kevin stood and walked to her bed. "Are you awake?
she didn't know. Was this some crazy dream?
"I'm so sorry Lucy. I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. Could you find in your heart to forgive me?"
Forgive him for what? She wasn't sure. She tried to nod her head, but she wasn't sure if he noticed.
"The nurse says your getting better and the doctor says the surgery went well."
"Surgery?" her voice barely audible. Had she given consent, she couldn't remember.
"Yeah. They took out some of your stubbornness." He smiled.
"What's really wrong with me?"
"Compound fracture in your leg, damage to the ligaments which was repaired by the surgery, bruised ribs." He sighed, "And a concussion."
A nurse came in. "Just checking your vitals honey. You look great for what you've been through. Before you know it you'll be out of here and in rehab. Anything I can get you?"
Lucy shook her head. Rehab. Surgery. How was she going to pay for all of this? She didn't have enough to pay the expense, and the money she earned from the gallery would never be enough. If she filed with her insurance, it would reveal where she was. She had never felt so trapped.
Tears began forming in her eyes. She head Kevin's voice. "Don't worry Lucy, you'll get better soon."
He didn't know the circumstances. "I need to leave Kevin. Now. I don't have the money to pay for this."
His expression told her nothing. "Don't worry. We'll work something out."
"I should have listened to you. I never should have ridden up there."
"Yep." There was no anger in his voice, he was simply acknowledging the facts. She would never understand him. He had the right to be angry, but he wasn't. "Get some sleep. I'll be back later."
Silently, Lucy watched him leave. Tears began sliding down her cheek. She felt completely terrified.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin couldn't miss the fear in Lucy as he left. She feared something. Surely is wasn't him. He hadn't been that angry. Maybe he had.
Now there was another problem. Ben believed that she had come from a well-to-do family. Why couldn't she get to the money in her family? Did she not have insurance? What about her parents? He had to find some answers.
Normally Kevin wasn't the kind to pry into another's business. But something inside of him sensed Lucy was in trouble. He went into her room and looked through her belongings. He found her credit cards and phone cards and her insurance card. But she claimed she didn't have any.
In her wallet he found a picture of a man. He seemed kind and gentle. Was this her father? He turned it over and it just said 1999. Mr. Camden was the person responsible for her account on insurance. She was 20 years old. Did she live at home with her parents still?
Kevin went downstairs and got on the internet. He searched for the name Eric Camden. His search led him the a church's webpage. The church seemed to be thriving. Her father was a minister, why would Lucy leave and come out to Colorado. How could Lucy need his help?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Relief flooded Lucy as Kevin carried her into the house. She was home, where it was safe. They went into the living room and there was a bed set up by the fireplace. It was a daybed and was covered in pillows. The frame was made from pine and she could smell it. It was freshly built. He'd built it for her.
He laid her down on the bed. "I didn't think your room upstairs was very practical. You won't be climbing stair for awhile. I didn't want you to be stuck in your room alone all day either. It will also be easier for Marta to see you, then she can get you what you need."
"I don't know what to say Kevin." She began to cry. He had built this for her out of his kindness.
"Is it all right?" He pointed at the bed, but she knew he meant all of her.
"Yes, it's wonderful. Thank you Kevin."
"You are welcome."
"Kevin I need to talk to you about something."
He turned. "Is something wrong?"
"The hospital said you paid the bill for me."
"I filed against my insurance."
"But I signed a waiver."
He shrugged. "I have it taken care of. My insurance is to cover accidents that happen on the ranch."
He considered this an accident. She deliberately did something he told her not to do. What could he get from paying her debt? Wariness crept up. What did he want in return?
"Lucy I need to know what's going on."
She looked at him . "I don't know what you're talking about." She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here because I want to be here."
He held her gaze so long she thought she might break and tell him everything. I don't know why I am here. I ran away and my heart told me to stop here. No, she couldn't say that.
He shook his head. "Fine. But maybe you should tell your father what happened."
She instantly looked up and shook her head. He still held her gaze. "Or Jeremy..."
"Jeremy?" her voice broke.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "You talked about him in your delirium. Lucy if you're in trouble-."
"I'm not in any kind of trouble." Only if he found her. But he wouldn't, unless Kevin told people where she was. He wouldn't do that would he? He might, she had to convince him not to.
"I promise I'm not in trouble. I just don't want people to know where I am right now." He scrutinized her. She stared at him, trying to convince him.
He put his head in his hands. "Fine." He stood up to leave. She couldn't meet his gaze. She had lied. She knew it, and so did he.
"Ben called and I told him about the accident. He's coming to see you."
"What? When?"
"Tonight." Kevin went outside.
She turned to the table beside her and saw the Bible lying there. What did Kevin find so appealing in this book. She opened it. There were several pages that were marked with pencil and the top corner was turned in. The Gospel of John. She was apprehensive. She had not read anything from the Bible in a long time. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." She settled into the pillow and pulled the blanket up and continued. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
She felt the same thing she had that day on the mountain. She shuddered and dropped the book on the floor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin loaded the hay into the back of his truck. Where did his responsibility lie. From what he had read about Eric Camden, he was a well respected minister in Buffalo, New York. The man's reputation was obviously well deserved. Lucy was his daughter. Surely he would be worried about her.
But something was wrong. She was afraid to tell him. He couldn't force her to talk to him. She was 20 years old and could make decisions for herself.
But it wasn't Eric that worried him most, it was Jeremy. Just saying his name caused Lucy to panic. It was Jeremy she feared. But who was he?
A/N: Thank you guys for the wonderful reviews. I love reading them.
Someone leaned over her. "How do you feel?" She couldn't remember the face of the voice. She closed her eyes.
Memories flooded her mind and her eyes flew open. She could see Kevin sitting in the chair on the corner. He was calm and collected, as always. Part of her imagined him angry. He didn't look like it. Was she insane?
Kevin stood and walked to her bed. "Are you awake?
she didn't know. Was this some crazy dream?
"I'm so sorry Lucy. I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. Could you find in your heart to forgive me?"
Forgive him for what? She wasn't sure. She tried to nod her head, but she wasn't sure if he noticed.
"The nurse says your getting better and the doctor says the surgery went well."
"Surgery?" her voice barely audible. Had she given consent, she couldn't remember.
"Yeah. They took out some of your stubbornness." He smiled.
"What's really wrong with me?"
"Compound fracture in your leg, damage to the ligaments which was repaired by the surgery, bruised ribs." He sighed, "And a concussion."
A nurse came in. "Just checking your vitals honey. You look great for what you've been through. Before you know it you'll be out of here and in rehab. Anything I can get you?"
Lucy shook her head. Rehab. Surgery. How was she going to pay for all of this? She didn't have enough to pay the expense, and the money she earned from the gallery would never be enough. If she filed with her insurance, it would reveal where she was. She had never felt so trapped.
Tears began forming in her eyes. She head Kevin's voice. "Don't worry Lucy, you'll get better soon."
He didn't know the circumstances. "I need to leave Kevin. Now. I don't have the money to pay for this."
His expression told her nothing. "Don't worry. We'll work something out."
"I should have listened to you. I never should have ridden up there."
"Yep." There was no anger in his voice, he was simply acknowledging the facts. She would never understand him. He had the right to be angry, but he wasn't. "Get some sleep. I'll be back later."
Silently, Lucy watched him leave. Tears began sliding down her cheek. She felt completely terrified.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin couldn't miss the fear in Lucy as he left. She feared something. Surely is wasn't him. He hadn't been that angry. Maybe he had.
Now there was another problem. Ben believed that she had come from a well-to-do family. Why couldn't she get to the money in her family? Did she not have insurance? What about her parents? He had to find some answers.
Normally Kevin wasn't the kind to pry into another's business. But something inside of him sensed Lucy was in trouble. He went into her room and looked through her belongings. He found her credit cards and phone cards and her insurance card. But she claimed she didn't have any.
In her wallet he found a picture of a man. He seemed kind and gentle. Was this her father? He turned it over and it just said 1999. Mr. Camden was the person responsible for her account on insurance. She was 20 years old. Did she live at home with her parents still?
Kevin went downstairs and got on the internet. He searched for the name Eric Camden. His search led him the a church's webpage. The church seemed to be thriving. Her father was a minister, why would Lucy leave and come out to Colorado. How could Lucy need his help?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Relief flooded Lucy as Kevin carried her into the house. She was home, where it was safe. They went into the living room and there was a bed set up by the fireplace. It was a daybed and was covered in pillows. The frame was made from pine and she could smell it. It was freshly built. He'd built it for her.
He laid her down on the bed. "I didn't think your room upstairs was very practical. You won't be climbing stair for awhile. I didn't want you to be stuck in your room alone all day either. It will also be easier for Marta to see you, then she can get you what you need."
"I don't know what to say Kevin." She began to cry. He had built this for her out of his kindness.
"Is it all right?" He pointed at the bed, but she knew he meant all of her.
"Yes, it's wonderful. Thank you Kevin."
"You are welcome."
"Kevin I need to talk to you about something."
He turned. "Is something wrong?"
"The hospital said you paid the bill for me."
"I filed against my insurance."
"But I signed a waiver."
He shrugged. "I have it taken care of. My insurance is to cover accidents that happen on the ranch."
He considered this an accident. She deliberately did something he told her not to do. What could he get from paying her debt? Wariness crept up. What did he want in return?
"Lucy I need to know what's going on."
She looked at him . "I don't know what you're talking about." She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm here because I want to be here."
He held her gaze so long she thought she might break and tell him everything. I don't know why I am here. I ran away and my heart told me to stop here. No, she couldn't say that.
He shook his head. "Fine. But maybe you should tell your father what happened."
She instantly looked up and shook her head. He still held her gaze. "Or Jeremy..."
"Jeremy?" her voice broke.
He sat down on the edge of the bed. "You talked about him in your delirium. Lucy if you're in trouble-."
"I'm not in any kind of trouble." Only if he found her. But he wouldn't, unless Kevin told people where she was. He wouldn't do that would he? He might, she had to convince him not to.
"I promise I'm not in trouble. I just don't want people to know where I am right now." He scrutinized her. She stared at him, trying to convince him.
He put his head in his hands. "Fine." He stood up to leave. She couldn't meet his gaze. She had lied. She knew it, and so did he.
"Ben called and I told him about the accident. He's coming to see you."
"What? When?"
"Tonight." Kevin went outside.
She turned to the table beside her and saw the Bible lying there. What did Kevin find so appealing in this book. She opened it. There were several pages that were marked with pencil and the top corner was turned in. The Gospel of John. She was apprehensive. She had not read anything from the Bible in a long time. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." She settled into the pillow and pulled the blanket up and continued. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
She felt the same thing she had that day on the mountain. She shuddered and dropped the book on the floor.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kevin loaded the hay into the back of his truck. Where did his responsibility lie. From what he had read about Eric Camden, he was a well respected minister in Buffalo, New York. The man's reputation was obviously well deserved. Lucy was his daughter. Surely he would be worried about her.
But something was wrong. She was afraid to tell him. He couldn't force her to talk to him. She was 20 years old and could make decisions for herself.
But it wasn't Eric that worried him most, it was Jeremy. Just saying his name caused Lucy to panic. It was Jeremy she feared. But who was he?
A/N: Thank you guys for the wonderful reviews. I love reading them.