Buch lesen: «Lightning Strikes»
36 hours that changed everything…
As a devastating summer storm rages in Grand Springs, Colorado, the mayor’s life hangs in the balance. A bride flees her own wedding, pursued by mysterious gunmen. A mudslide traps a girl in a cave. And a stranger walks into town with no memory of his name or his past.
In the hospital’s E.R., Doctor Noah Howell has always put others first. But now, in the midst of the chaos, he decides to go for what he’s always wanted—Amanda Jennings.
Book 1 of the 36 Hours series. Don’t miss Book 2: Opposites attract when a mudslide traps Sean and Cassandra in her car in Strange Bedfellows by Kasey Michaels.
Lightning Strikes
Mary Lynn Baxter
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
About the Author
Prologue
The man behind the wheel muttered an expletive. He couldn’t see a damn thing. He’d never in his life seen rain like this, and he wasn’t all that young. More to the point, he’d sure never tried to drive through it. If he didn’t know better, he’d think it was the end of the world. A smirk twisted his lips in his lean face. Hell, for all he knew, maybe it was.
He took in a deep breath, trying to settle his growing apprehension. His plight wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t on a mountain road. But he was. The sensible thing would be to pull over and wait out the torrential downpour. If he knew it would stop soon, he wouldn’t hesitate to do that.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have that guarantee, and even if he did, he doubted he’d actually stop. He had to reach Grand Springs. In fact, he felt a driving urgency he hadn’t experienced in a long time. It had been that phone call he’d received. What could “Her Honor,” the mayor of Grand Springs, Colorado, want? He had no idea, but the frantic note in her voice had gotten to him. Without wasting any time, he’d jumped into his car.
He paused in his thoughts and gripped the steering wheel harder. His worst fear was that he’d hit a puddle of water just right and hydroplane into another car. He glanced in his rearview mirror and both side mirrors. For the moment, it appeared he was the only vehicle on this road high in the Colorado mountains.
Fool or idiot.
He didn’t know which word most aptly described him. It didn’t matter. He was on the road, and he had to deal with the situation as best he could.
At least he had his radio and could keep abreast of the worsening weather, he assured himself. Reaching for the knob, he turned up the volume, only to jump when a mass of static blared back at him. He cursed again, just as the sound came through the speakers clearly.
He listened to the newscaster’s deep voice warn that if this heavy rain continued, a new rainfall record would be set.
“Really…” he muttered, dodging as lightning came at him from every side, convinced it could reach through the glass and wreak a personal vengeance on him.
Frustration gnawed at him as he was forced to slow his car even more. Hell, he was already crawling at a snail’s pace. Surely the rain had to let up. Fate cut him no slack—lightning continued to crackle nearby, followed by the loudest booms of thunder he’d ever heard.
Suddenly, he flinched again in awe of such a horrific twist of nature. But that awe didn’t last long. It turned once more into impatient anger as the rain slashed against his windshield along with the wipers.
Pull over, he told himself savagely. But he didn’t. Inching down the highway, he didn’t know how long he held this pattern, his mind consumed with keeping the car on the road. Then miraculously the rain slackened, and, though he had to squint, he could see a short distance ahead.
Taking advantage of the reprieve, he increased his speed to make up for lost time. His mind raced. What could Olivia want? he asked himself, recalling the desperation coloring her voice. It wasn’t as if…
He never got any further. An odd but unidentifiable sound chopped off his thoughts. Jerking his head to his right, he saw mud barreling down the hillside straight toward him.
“Oh, God, no!” he cried, only his plea for mercy was too late.
Before he could so much as turn the wheel, mud slammed into the side of his vehicle, sending it careering into the guardrail.
He braced himself for the final impact. His head jerked like a flower on a broken stem, and his temple banged against the side of the window. The last thing he remembered was the sickening blackness that swallowed him.
* * *
An ongoing sickening feeling brought him slowly to the surface of wakefulness. His head pounded as if he’d been beaten to a pulp. Glancing around at the car interior and the view through the windshield, he was struck by the fact nothing seemed familiar. He couldn’t remember a damn thing.
Where was he? Who was he?
Stumbling out of the car into the blinding deluge, the man stood for the longest time, hoping that the cold, stinging rain pelting his face would revive his memory. But only a blank hole remained where his memory should have been.
With no idea what to do next, he started walking.
Chapter One
What a horrible night for a wedding. But then, as far as Noah Howell was concerned, there were no good nights for such an event.
He cut his blue eyes toward a window and watched as the rain slapped against the pane, followed by bolts of lightning and mean cracks of thunder. What the hell was going on? Like most cities, Grand Springs had its share of springtime rains, but this was a bit much.
Weather of such a magnitude bred only one thing: trouble. In fact, during storms, people tended to go a little crazy. He ought to know. As a surgeon, he’d spent countless hours patching maimed bodies from accidents of all kinds. Why the hell didn’t folks use common sense and stay home under these conditions?
Noah smiled but with no humor. Who was he to criticize? Hell, he wasn’t home. He was at Squaw Creek Lodge, nestled high in the mountains, ready to walk his sister, Randi, down the aisle. What blew his mind even more was that the ballroom, which had been turned into a makeshift chapel, was filled with people.
Frowning, Noah focused his attention on the guests, who were smiling and chattering with one another as though Mother Nature wasn’t raising hell. He hoped everyone who planned to attend was already there because the weather was worsening. Besides, the zero hour was only minutes away.
Though the lodge was famous for its rustic atmosphere, the wedding area had been spectacularly transformed by the flowers and candles arranged in a simple but classy style.
But no wonder, considering that his mother, Melissa, had great expectations for Randi, who was marrying “up,” as Melissa was fond of bragging. Hal Stuart, the groom, was a city councilman and his mother was the mayor.
No big deal, Noah thought, as far as he was concerned, anyway. City official or not, Hal put his pants on one leg at a time like any other man. Noah smiled, again with no warmth. Too bad his mother didn’t see Hal as an ordinary man. Hell, when he came around, she thought the waters should part.
Noah winced inwardly as another clap of thunder seemed to shake the entire building. If the intensity of the storm continued, the lodge would lose its power. He had best not even think like that—fearing he might jinx the place and the evening.
He frowned at his cell phone. Why hadn’t Vanderbilt Memorial called him? After all, he was the surgeon on call. But he was glad, he quickly assured himself without enthusiasm, only then to berate himself for his sour attitude. Just because weddings weren’t his thing—having been there, done that—didn’t mean he wanted to throw a kink in his sister’s big night.
Thinking of Randi deepened the frown on Noah’s face. He peered at his watch. Hell, where was she? In five minutes they would parade down that carpeted walkway, making a spectacle of themselves. But again, his mother would be basking in her glory.
Maybe his sister had decided not to go through with the ceremony, he thought, first as a joke. Suddenly he paused to give the notion serious consideration.
Just last week, he had been summoned to Melissa’s house to take care of an insignificant problem that certainly could have waited. But he’d gone, anyway, feeling responsible, that feeling having burgeoned since his father’s death a year ago.
Randi happened to have been there, as well. While their mother was on the phone talking to a friend, he had bluntly commented on the pinched look on his sister’s face.
“You sick or something?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on, you know what I mean. More than sick, you look like a whipped pup.”
Her body stiffened. “That’s not nice to say.”
“Whoever said I was nice?” Noah quipped with a careless shrug.
“Me.”
“Thanks,” he said, “but you’re prejudiced.”
“Probably, but you’ve been here for us.” She paused. “When Dad passed away—” Her voice cracked as she seemed to struggle for control. Seconds later, she continued, “You took charge.”
He had, though it hadn’t been easy. His mother thought she was better than others, despite the fact that his folks hadn’t had much monetarily. Noah never figured out where she’d gotten that idea. His daddy had been a common laborer, and had barely earned enough to scrape by. Melissa, on the other hand, had no skills at all and had never worked.
What Noah had accomplished had been through gut-hard work and scholarships. He was damn proud of having made it on his own. And he didn’t mind helping his mother, but she could test his patience. How many times had he told her to climb down off her social ladder? He might as well have been talking to a wall.
When he’d realized his thoughts had wandered, he said, “I wasn’t making fun, sis. I was serious. Is there something going on I should know about? If not with your intended, then with Mother?” He lowered his voice so Melissa wouldn’t hear him, although she was laughing out loud.
Randi sighed, her fingers tunneling through her wild black curls. “While Mother’s definitely driving me up a wall, I’m afraid my problem’s more serious.”
“So you need big brother’s ear, huh?”
“It’s something I should work out for myself.”
Noah’s dark brows came together. “Which means it has something to do with Hal.”
She flushed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Only to me.” Noah paused. “Are you sure you’re not just getting the proverbial last-minute jitters?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her eyes darting to her mother, who was still laughing into her cell phone.
“Look, if you don’t know, then who does?”
Randi pursed her lips. “Things are not always black or white. Besides, if I upset the applecart, Mother would have a conniption fit.”
“So?”
“So, she’d make my life unbearable.” When he would’ve interrupted, she shook her head. “I know. But then, you don’t let her push your buttons.”
“And it’s time you stopped letting her push yours. Stand up for yourself.”
“Like I said, it’s not just Mother.”
“Hell, if you don’t want to marry Hal, then by God, call off the wedding.”
Randi blew out her breath. “It’s not that easy.” Pausing, she tilted her head. “You should know that.”
“Yeah,” he said, “but I don’t claim to be a role model.”
Randi had leaned over then and kissed him on the cheek at the same time she gave him a wan but grateful smile. “Thanks for listening, but it’s too late to back out now. I’m too big a chicken.”
“Nah, you’re just too good for your own good.”
She was, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that. Randi would do what she had to. He couldn’t make decisions for her. Besides, he had more on his own plate than he could digest. And like she’d pointed out, he wasn’t someone who could give advice. Hadn’t he messed up his own life?
Returning to the present, Noah looked up and watched his future brother-in-law walk out of one of the rooms off the adjacent hall.
Hal Stuart was tall with dishwater blond hair and brown eyes. He was handsome and personable, without being charismatic, something Noah thought would’ve been a prerequisite for a public official. But again, what did he know? Nothing, except he didn’t like Hal, which was too bad, since he would soon be a bona fide member of the family.
“Can you believe this weather?” Hal asked.
“Nope.”
“Water’s everywhere. We’ll be damn lucky if we don’t wash away.”
“That’s why we need to get this show on the road.” Noah didn’t bother to hide the impatience in his voice.
“I’m ready.” Hal’s eyes circled the area. “Where’s Randi? And my mother?”
“Beats the hell out of me.”
Hal’s lips thinned. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“Where—” Noah swallowed the remainder of his sentence as Hal disappeared down the hall. “Swell,” he muttered.
“That’s a bad sign, you know.”
At the sound of the whiskey voice, Noah swung around and watched as Pitser Bowman, a banker and president of the hospital board, strode toward him, looking like a drowned rat. Despite his rain gear, his large frame was wet.
Noah was surprised to see him in spite of Hal having friends in high places. Apparently, Pitser was one of those friends.
Noah’s lips twisted. “Are you referring to my talking to myself?”
“It happens in the best of families,” Pitser replied, the spare tire around his waist shaking with his laughter.
“You’re a brave soul to be out in this weather.”
“Crazy’s more like it.” Pitser glanced at his watch. “Since I was running late, I figured I’d sneak in unnoticed.”
“Everyone’s late,” Noah said tightly. “In fact, I’m beginning to—” He broke off, batting the air with his hand, unable to curb his frustration, yet not wanting to bad-mouth his sister for her tardiness.
“Of course, you’re frothing at the mouth to get back to the hospital.”
“Actually, I can’t believe I haven’t been paged.”
“Just give it time.”
Noah nodded. “Glad you came.”
“By the way, the committee’s narrowed the choice of chief of surgery to two.” Pitser leveled his gaze on him.
Noah’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh?”
“You and Malcom Riley.” While Noah grappled for an appropriate response, Pitser grinned. “Better go get my seat.”
Noah closed his gaping mouth but stood transfixed for a moment, his sluggish mind catching up with his out-of-control pulse.
He’d never dreamed he’d be in the running for such a prestigious, responsible and cutthroat position, though that particular job was something he wanted very much. At this point, he would do just about anything to get it.
He couldn’t think about that right now. There would be time after this damn ceremony to mull over what Bowman had said and to plan his strategy. His competitor, Malcom Riley, was a rich, smooth bastard who would stop at nothing to get the position.
It oughta be one helluva good fight, Noah thought, then stared down the aisle at his mother, who stared back at him, a put-out expression on her face.
For once, he thought, Melissa had a right to be put out. Where was his sister and her groom? he wondered, noticing the subtle crook of his mother’s finger.
Seconds later, Noah eased into the chair reserved for the groom’s mother, Olivia, and looked into another pair of blue eyes, bright with anger.
Under less stressful circumstances, Melissa, at sixty-three, would be considered lovely with her tall, slender frame, silver hair and unlined skin. Now, however, that skin looked sallow and pinched.
“What’s going on?” she demanded in a whisper, through clenched teeth.
“Suppose you tell me. You were the last to see Randi.” Noah glanced at his watch. “What, ten minutes ago?”
“And she was ready. Patsy was putting the finishing touches on her hair.”
As Randi’s best friend, Patsy Fuller was going to serve as her only attendant. And now that Patsy had been mentioned, Noah wondered where Hal’s attendant was. Hell, for that matter, where was the entire wedding party?
“So, what do you want me to do?” Noah asked.
“Knock on the door, for God’s sake.” Though Melissa didn’t lift her head, she continued, “See for yourself how fidgety everyone is. Lord knows, the weather’s bad enough without making matters worse. Besides, I wanted everything to be perfect.”
“Mother—”
“Don’t ‘Mother’ me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for your sister. I can’t believe she’d do anything to mess it up.”
“She won’t.” Noah wished he could be that sure. Maybe she was having serious second thoughts about marrying Hal, thoughts that were much more than premarital jitters. But like he’d told her, he could understand, and unlike their mother, he wouldn’t pass judgment.
“See that she doesn’t.”
“How ’bout Hal’s mother? She’s not here.”
“That’s her problem,” Melissa said in her haughtiest tone. “Just because she’s without manners doesn’t mean my daughter has to be.”
Noah curbed his temper. “God, Mother, you’re a piece of work.”
Before she could make a suitable comeback, Noah got up and made his way back up the aisle, conscious of the stares and the smiles thrown his way. He forced himself to be civil.
The makeshift foyer was still deserted. He mouthed an expletive.
That curse, however, was drowned out by another loud clap of thunder, while rain, mingled with hail, sounded like gunshots assaulting the building. Suddenly, the lights outside the candlelit hall went dark.
Another curse left his mouth just as Patsy rounded the corner. For a moment, she stood still, illuminated against the darkness by candlelight, while her eyes scanned the premises with the intensity of radar. Once they landed on him, she dashed toward him, grabbed him around the neck and jerked his head down to her mouth.
“Hey, what—”
“Just listen,” she said tersely.
Moments later, Noah lifted his head and sucked in a harsh breath. Finally, he responded in a low, dead tone, “Thanks, I’ll take care of it.”
Leaving Patsy chewing on her bottom lip and wringing her hands, Noah strode back down the aisle and stopped briefly to speak to his mother, who, with the palm of her hand, smothered a cry.
He then moved to the front of the chapel.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please, may I have your attention.”
While waiting for the chatter to cease, he cut his eyes to his mother, who looked like she’d been kicked in the teeth. She had been, and for once he actually felt sorry for her.
Then, realizing every eye in the room was on him, he cleared his throat and spoke in a clear, steady tone. “I’m sorry, but there’s not going to be a wedding. The bride’s disappeared!”
Chapter Two
She was going to get run over.
That was a fact. The only question was who was going to hit her.
But then, what did she expect when she was standing in the middle of the highway? Cold rain slapped Randi’s face so hard it actually stung like tiny switches. Her top teeth were digging into her lower lip so hard it was bleeding, which kept her from speaking. That wasn’t a problem, however, as she had no one to speak to.
She was alone.
Another sob expanded the knot in her throat at the exact moment she saw the headlights of an oncoming vehicle slicing through the darkness of the rain. Thank God! Someone was brave enough to be out in this godawful weather. But, she cautioned herself between shivers, excited was the last thing she should feel. Only crazies would be on the road on a night like this.
Still, she was thankful another human was in sight, even though a childhood warning jumped to the forefront of her mind: don’t get into a car with strangers. In today’s climate, that warning carried even more weight. But she was not a child, and she had no choice.
Desperation drove her. And fear. And the cold. She couldn’t remember ever being chilled down to the bone the way she was now. The rain, suddenly turning more violent, more than stung. It pierced her skin like sharp icicles.
Without further thought, Randi lifted the front of her long dress and ran toward the vehicle. Despite the fact that it was an eighteen-wheeler, she stepped in front of its headlights and waved one hand frantically over her head.
At first she didn’t think the truck was going to stop. Later, she realized the driver had to swerve to keep from hitting her. Then, a few yards beyond her, the driver slammed on the brakes, but he didn’t stop. His tires spun for the longest time on a highway that was slicker than polished glass.
Once the truck screeched to a halt, Randi, with her dress still hiked, dashed to the door, trying to ignore the fear that hammered inside her. Again, what if whoever was behind that wheel was a rapist? Or worse?
For a second she paused, then, throwing caution to the horrible weather, she reached for the door handle. At the same time, a man leaned over and thrust it open.
“Get in before you drown!”
Though it was difficult in the cumbersome wedding dress, Randi scrambled inside the warm cab. She didn’t know how long she sat there, unable to do anything but shake. Her chest felt as though it was going to burst, and her breath came in short, gasping spurts. Finally, she leaned her head back against the seat and fought off a round of dizziness.
“Sumbitch, lady, you ain’t gonna pass out on me, are you?”
Randi heard the driver’s hoarse voice, edged with an accent she identified as Southern. She also felt his eyes on her, yet she was powerless to respond.
Somehow, though, she had to get a grip. She couldn’t indulge herself any longer. Time was critical. However, she owed him an explanation, and he probably wouldn’t budge until she gave him one. But she had to get the hell out of Grand Springs.
Now.
“Lady, you mind tellin’ me what the hell’s going on?”
“Please, can you just drive?” Randi pleaded through teeth that were banging against one another. She didn’t know whether fear or the bone-numbing cold was the main culprit. But it didn’t matter. Again, all that was important was moving on down the road. How could she make this cowboy understand that?
With the thought uppermost in her mind, she whipped her head around and stared at him. A mean flash of lightning chose that moment to rip across the sky, allowing her to see his features. He was a burly man in his fifties, a cowboy with a hat, jeans and boots. And a wad of tobacco lodged between his lower lip and gums.
Yuck.
Randi twisted her head back around, but not before she saw him reach for the coffee can beside him on the seat and spit into it. A stream of brown juice hit the can with a pinging sound.
Double yuck.
Her stomach rebelled, and for a minute she thought she would be sick. Breathe deeply, Randi told herself, thinking she should be grateful that someone had come along and, without running over her, picked her up.
While she might not chew tobacco, she wouldn’t win any beauty contest, not by a long shot. Even without a mirror, she’d bet her last dollar she resembled someone out of a horror movie. Her hair was hanging in strings around her cheeks. Her face was devoid of makeup, the combined tears and rain having washed it off. And her once-lovely white gown was splattered with mud, making it a candidate for the garbage.
And her shoes—well, they were soggy boats that would barely stay on.
Still, she was safe. Or was she?
“Please, will you just drive, mister.” Her voice continued down its shaky path, although the warmth in the truck had made a dent into her bones, easing the pain there.
“Hell, I was thinking of pulling over until this mess stopped.”
“You can’t do that!” Panic underlined her every word.
Apparently he picked up on that. His tone softened when he said, “Even an old dumb Texas cowboy knows trouble when he sees it. And you’re in trouble, right?”
She would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so serious. Her, in trouble? Of course she was in trouble, she wanted to shout. Even this Texas road warrior couldn’t be in the habit of picking up strange, bedraggled women dressed in mud-soaked wedding gowns.
“Wanna talk about it?” he asked, giving her a quick, sharp look before cutting his eyes back on the road.
“No! Yes! I mean, I just want you to drive.”
“By the way, my name’s Alton Evers.”
She nodded.
“What’s yours.”
“Er, Randi.”
“Okay, Randi, any place in particular you wanna go?”
Again she shook her head. “I’ll go wherever you’re going.”
Alton shoved his hat back and scratched his forehead. “Damn, ain’t that something? Ain’t never had a woman tell me that, especially one who was dressed in a wedding gown.” He chuckled. “Well me, I’m heading to Phoenix.”
Randi’s stomach did another somersault. If she’d had any other alternative, she would’ve bounded out of that truck. But she didn’t. She had to stay put and pray that he would shift gears and drive on.
She waited with bated breath, almost tasting his curiosity. Once they were on their way, she would tell him her story. Now all she could do was plead with him through frightened eyes not to ask any question—just drive. Suddenly, she cringed as another flash of lightning and bolt of thunder jarred the truck.
“Dammit, if my rear didn’t tell me better, I’d say I was back in good ole Texas. You know, we have these kinda storms every spring. They’re worse than this, if you can believe that. Why, lightning’s been known to singe the hair right off a man’s arms, honest to Pete.”
“Please, would you just drive.”
Alton acted as if he wanted to argue with her, but he didn’t. Instead, he shifted into drive and pulled back onto the highway.
“I’m here to tell you,” he said into the silence, leaning over the steering wheel, “we’re gonna be moving slower than molasses running uphill. I ain’t about to wreck my semi or myself for nothin’ or nobody.”
“I understand,” Randi said in a strangled voice. “I just appreciate you picking me up.”
“Ain’t no problem. Glad for the company, especially on a night like tonight.”
Only she didn’t think she’d be good company, Randi thought, wanting to tell him that, but deciding against it. He’d figure that out soon enough.
It was all she could do to keep her fractured mind and body together, yet she felt a sense of relief that at least they were finally putting distance between herself and Grand Springs.
Her blood curdled when she thought of what she had done. Not only had she run out on her wedding and Hal, her husband-to-be, but she had run out on her family, as well.
Hal would be livid, no question about that. Her brother, Noah, bless his soul, would be worried out of his mind. And her mother, Melissa, would be both livid and worried. At this juncture, Randi refused to dwell on their feelings. Anyway, to do so would be wasting good energy, energy that she had to conserve since she had no idea what the future held.
Another shiver ran through her.
“You still cold, miss?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Yeah, right,” he muttered before focusing his attention back onto the treacherous road.
It was bad enough that she’d decided at the last minute she couldn’t go through with the wedding, but…
“You feel like talkin’?”
His rough voice ripped into her thoughts. Her throat constricted again. “Not really.”
“What did your old man do, knock you around?”
“Excuse me?” Randi asked, his question jolting her.
“Did he punch you or what?”
“No…no.”
“So why’d you cut out on him?”
She gave him her full attention. “Look, I appreciate you helping me, and when I can, I’ll compensate you for it, but—”
“You don’t want me askin’ no questions?”
“That’s right,” she said in a small voice.
“No problem.”
If only things were that simple for her. If only she hadn’t overheard that conversation. But she had. She caught her breath and held it, not wanting to think about what had happened next.
Who were those men she’d heard talking? After realizing she’d heard them, they had chased her. She paused, pulling air into her dry lungs. And both had had guns!
Dear Lord, what had she stumbled into?
If the blackout hadn’t occurred when it did, would they have found her and killed her?
Yes.
From the menacing looks on their faces, she was sure she would’ve been dead. But for now, she decided, glancing again at the driver, she was safe.
Thanks to this tobacco-chewing Texas gentleman, she was putting distance between herself and the man she didn’t want to marry and the evil men who for some reason wanted to end her life.
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