CHAPTER 1
Candy Pruitt sits straight up in her bed screaming and crying Jeremy's name over and over. Her best friend, Biddie Cloom, runs over to comfort her. "Candy!" she says as she shakes Candy to try and calm her down. "Candy, what's wrong?" Other brides come running to see what all the commotion is about.
Opening her eyes and throwing the covers off of her, Candy is near panicking. "It's Jeremy! I heard him calling for me, Biddie! I have to find Jeremy!" She jumps out of bed and runs downstairs, with Biddie right behind her.
"Where are you going?" Biddie is all beside herself with worry for Candy.
"I'm going to Tacoma. That's where Jeremy is suppose to be."
Biddie stops Candy from going outside. "Candy, you can't go to Tacoma by yourself this time of night. Go over to Jason and Joshua's. Tell them what happened and get them to help you."
Candy moves Biddie out of her way. "You're right, Biddie. If Jeremy is in trouble or hurt, his brothers need to be there, too." She runs down to the Bolt cabin not caring how many mud puddles she splashes in. Biddie is right behind her.
Arriving at the cabin, Candy begins banging on the door and shouting, "Jason! Joshua!" over and over until they open the door.
Seeing Candy barefoot in her muddy nightgown, and hearing how upset she is, Jason puts his arm around her shoulders and leads her inside. Candy starts telling them what happened, but they can't understand what she is talking about because she is so emotional. "Now Candy, calm down. Talk slowly," Jason tells her.
"It's Jeremy! He needs help! Please, we have to go to Tacoma!" she cries.
Josh asks, "Candy, how do you know Jeremy needs help?"
"I heard him calling my name. I have to go to him!"
Jason and Josh look at each other and roll their eyes. "You heard Jeremy call your name, did you? Candy, you just had a dream. Jeremy is fine. He'll be back sometime tomorrow," Jason tells her.
"No! You don't understand! I heard him! I know he's hurt. Tomorrow may be too late. Jeremy needs help and he needs it now!" Candy jumps up and heads for the door.
"Candy, where are you going?" Jason grabs her arm.
"Where do you think? I'm going to find Jeremy! If you won't help him, then I'll go by myself."
"Candy, you can't go by yourself," Josh says to her.
"That's all right. I'll go with her," Biddie tells them.
"Look, I'm wasting precious time standing here arguing with you. I'm going and that's not up for debate." Candy gets to the door, turns around, and shakes her head. "What will Jeremy think about his brothers not caring enough to look for him? So much for the Bolt brothers bond." She storms out with Biddie behind her.
When Candy and Biddie have changed into riding clothes and gotten some supplies together, they go to the livery stable for horses. Jason and Josh are already there with two horses saddled and two horses hooked up to the buckboard. "Well, we couldn't very well let you two run off by yourselves, now could we?" Josh chuckles.
"Oh, thank you. I promise you won't regret going. I feel it in my heart that Jeremy is hurt." As Candy and Biddie put their supplies in the buckboard, she asks, "Won't taking the buckboard slow us down?"
Jason places his arm around Candy's shoulders and gives her a quick hug. "Candy, if you are correct and Jeremy is hurt, we'll have to have a way to bring him home. Now, you and Josh take the horses and ride on ahead. Biddie and I will follow in the buckboard."
Candy climbs on her horse and her and Josh ride out while Jason and Biddie follow.
After going a good ways, Josh halts his horse as does Candy. "Joshua, why are you stopping?"
"Cause Candy, we need to slow down a bit. If Jeremy is out here hurt somewhere, we might not see him and ride on by. Keep your eye out for any sign of him." Candy nods and they ride on a little slower.
Dawn begins to break, when they get about half way to Tacoma. Candy protests when Josh stops to rest the horses by the river. "Candy, I know you're in a hurry, but we don't want our horses to give out on us. If he's out here, we'll find him. He's probably in Tacoma eating breakfast right about now. I can hear him laughing at us for making such a fuss."
"I know you and Jason don't believe me. That's okay. But I would rather be out here looking for Jeremy and be wrong, than to be at home when he's out here needing us."
Josh smiles at her. "I hear you, Candy. And you're right. My little brother is a lucky man to have a woman that loves him as much as you do. Come on, let's go."
They climb back up on their horses and set out again. Going several miles down the road, they see Jeremy's horse grazing next to the road. He's dirty, but doesn't seem to be hurt. Candy and Josh look around for any sign of Jeremy. Nothing. Josh takes the reins and takes him with them on to Tacoma. As they come around a bend, they can see that the road appears to be blocked on up ahead by a rock slide. Candy's heart starts beating faster. When they get to the rock slide, they see Jeremy laying there pinned underneath dirt and rocks.
"Oh, dear God! Jeremy!" she shouts as she jumps off her horse and runs to her unconscious fiance'.
Josh runs to Jeremy and they try to wake him up. As Candy cradles Jeremy's head in her arms, Josh begins moving the rocks off Jeremy.
Jeremy slowly opens his eyes and tries to focus. "Hey," he says weakly. He tries to raise his upper body, but is too exhausted.
"Jeremy, please don't try to move. Jason should be here soon with the wagon. Just stay still, okay?" she pleads.
He nods his head. "C-Candy, I love you," he whispers before he passes out again.
"Oh Jeremy, I love you too." She bends down and kisses his lips gently.
When Jason and Biddie arrive, they jump down and run to help. Jason starts helping Josh move the rocks and dirt off of their little brother. Jason looks at Candy with fear in his eyes and asks, "Has he come to yet, Candy?"
"Yes, very briefly. Jason, he has to be all right," she says as she breaks down crying. Biddie kneels beside her and holds her while she cries.
Getting herself under control, she tries talking to Jeremy. Biddie hands Candy a canteen of water. Candy tears off a strip of her petticoat and pours water on it to wipe Jeremy's face with the cool water hoping it will wake him up, but also wiping the dirt and blood from his face. After rinsing out the cloth, she lays it on his forehead.
Finally, enough rocks and dirt are off Jeremy, that they can slide him out onto some blankets. Jeremy slowly wakes up. Candy bends down and gives him a quick hug. Taking his hand and squeezing it she asks, "How do you feel?"
Jeremy looks at everyone gathered around him. Seeing all the concern for him, he moans, "I-I'm all right." When Candy turns her head, with his eyes he signals Jason to get Candy to move away from him.
"Candy, why don't you and Biddie go over to the wagon and make room for Jeremy. Try to put as much padding down as you can for him."
Candy kisses Jeremy's hand. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she tells him.
Jeremy gives her a little smile and faintly says, "I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere."
When the girls leave, Jason and Josh kneel beside him. Tears well up in his eyes as he says, "Jason, Josh. My legs. I c-can't move my legs." He pauses. "Don't tell Candy."
"Jeremy, it's probably because they had so much weight on them. It's like they're asleep or numb. I'm sure the feeling will return soon." Jason swallows hard.
"But what if it doesn't?" Jeremy asks ready to panic.
"Just stay calm, Jeremy. Let's wait and see what Allyn has to say." Jason and Josh give Jeremy a reassuring smile.
Jeremy nods. "Wh-why are you here? How did you know?"
"You're not going to believe this. Candy heard you calling her name. She was like a wild woman trying to convince us that you needed help," Josh chuckles.
"Jeremy, you're a lucky man to have a woman that loves you as much as Candy does," Jason says. As they see the girls returning, he says, "Let's go home." He climbs on the seat of the wagon and moves it as close to Jeremy as he possibly can. Josh helps him lift the blanket that Jeremy is laying on up into the back of the buckboard. Candy climbs in and sits next to Jeremy, holding his hand. Jeremy gives her a nervous smile.
Jason ties Jeremy and Candy's horses to the back of the wagon. He helps Biddie up onto the seat and then climbs up next to her. Taking the reins, he heads for Seattle. Josh rides next to the wagon watching Jeremy closely.
After a while, Candy sees that Jeremy is in tears. "Are you in pain?"
Jeremy squeezes her hand. "No, just tired and nervous, I guess." Candy lays down next to him and lays her her arm over his chest. He puts his arm around her. "They told me you heard me calling for you. I did call your name." He chokes up. "I thought I would probably lay there and die before anyone found me? Tears roll down his cheeks. "Thank you for coming for me. I love you."
"Oh Jeremy, I love you, too." She moves closer and they kiss. "You get some rest. We'll be home soon." She starts to raise up.
"Stay with me, please. I need you to stay close to me."
Laying back down, she kisses his lips gently. "All right, I'll stay as long as you want me too."
They lay looking at each other all the way back to Seattle, afraid to take their eyes off each other as if one of them may disappear.
They have no idea of the news they're going to hear that will tear their lives apart.
