Finding Her Courage Page 10

  She really wanted to understand. Ty looked at the sky for a long minute, and she thought maybe he wouldn’t answer. Then his voice came out soft but unwavering.

  “For me, flying’s like therapy. Jon wouldn’t want me to stay grounded. Neither would George. When I fly, I honor everyone who can’t anymore.”

  Camille could almost understand that. Almost.

  Ty looked at her. “Can I ask you something now?” She nodded. “Are you really going back to Chicago after you sell the ranch?”

  It was easy to answer, but not quite as easy as it should’ve been. “I’ll admit Nebraska’s nicer than I’d thought it would be, but Chicago’s my home. My work is there. My house.” The house she’d bought with Wesley. The one she only had two weeks to save, and here she was riding horses. The tension that had begun to ease rebuilt itself.

  Ty’s face tinged with pink. “Well, if we’ve only got a couple weeks left together, what do you think about dinner out one night? As business partners. There’s a restaurant in town that’s got a game room I’m sure Evie would love.”

  A restaurant? It was one thing eating together on the ranch. That was work. And the ice cream had been a business meal. But dinner at a restaurant? That was a date no matter how Ty spun it.

  “Maybe we should go back.” She slowed Honey down.

  Ty slowed his horse, Pepper. “We’re almost to the picnic spot.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We need to get back. Evie’s tired.”

  “Don’t do that.” The irritation in Ty’s voice surprised her.

  “Do what?”

  “Use Evie as an excuse to run from your feelings.”

  Camille’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. You’ve been doing it since day one.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I suggest going to a restaurant, and now it’s Evie’s nap time?” He shook his head.

  “You’re one to talk. What about Mia?”

  Ty blanched. “What about her?”

  “Is she the real reason you were so anxious to beat out Liam for Phoebe’s wedding?”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Mia’s got nothing to do with it.” It was almost convincing. “Anyway, I don’t use her to push people away.”

  If Ty thought Camille was gonna listen to any more of this, he was kidding himself. She gently tugged Honey’s reins to the left, but instead of turning around completely, Honey took two steps off the path.

  “Camille, careful.”

  She shot him an annoyed look. “I think we’ve had enough fun for today, Ty. Thanks.” She tried again to move Honey in the direction she wanted to go, but Honey only moved farther off the path.

  “Camille, you’re twisting the reins wrong. You need to—”

  Honey took three more steps away from the path then let out a whinny that made Camille jump in her saddle. A tan snake with orange splotches was playing games with Honey’s feet. Honey backed up, but the snake slithered after her.

  Ty’s voice was urgent. “Camille, don’t panic. Take Honey’s reins, twist them gently toward me, and get back on the path.” Evie let out a soft cry.

  Camille tried to do what Ty said and steer Honey toward the path, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the snake. That thing in her chest—what was it called? Oh, yeah, her heart—was beating too fast. Instead of twisting the reins, she pulled back on them. Honey reared up, and Camille barely hung on.

  Evie screamed, and that only made things worse. The snake jumped forward, and Honey jumped back. She reared up again, and this time the reins slipped right through Camille’s fingers and her body slipped off the saddle. Her feet searched for ground and only found air. Her arms flailed like something out of a movie. She was flying. And a second later she was crashing.

  * * *

  Ty moved fast. The impulse to panic lay at his feet and was creeping up to his knees. Ocean waves threatened to overtake the prairie grass, and Jon’s faded outline began calling for him.

  Not now.

  Camille was lying on the ground in a heap. He focused on her. There was nothing else, no one else, just her and him and the space between them.

  His feet hit the ground and he pulled Evie off Tess’s back. “Stay here. Don’t move, it’s really important. Understand?”

  Evie was sobbing, but not so much she couldn’t follow what he said. She wiped her eyes and nodded. Ty turned and ran.

  He reached Camille out of breath and sweating. She was on her side, her face hidden from his view. Please, God, let her be okay. The prayer came so easily it surprised him, and then it irritated him. If this was another test, he’d never speak to Him again.

  “Camille?” He rolled her over and she groaned. Blue eyes blinked at him, and a slender hand touched her head.

  “Am I okay?”

  The pressure on Ty’s shoulders lifted. “If you can ask, you probably are.” He cast a glance back at Evie. She was standing where he’d left her. Honey had made her own way back to the path and was keeping guard. Camille started to sit. He pushed her back down. “Don’t move.”

  For the first time since he’d met her, she didn’t argue with him. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “Two.”

  Good. Clear vision and no bump meant no head trauma. It was the rest of her he was worried about.

  A few scrapes on her arms were no big deal, but her leg was another matter. Camille’s left ankle was swelling up. He could see it even under her jeans. He pushed the pant leg up and found a tennis ball where her ankle should have been. He laid two fingers on it, not even pressing, and she winced.

  “You’ll be okay, we just need to get some ice on it.” He said it with confidence, knowing that’s what it took to keep people from getting scared, but his insides were twisting. “I’ll have Emmitt check you over back at the house.”

  She nodded and her eyes shifted from him to Evie. She propped herself up on her elbows and waved, trying to reassure her daughter everything was okay. Evie started running toward them.

  “No!” Camille shouted and tried jumping to her feet. Ty set one hand on her shoulder and pushed her down again. “Evie, stay there.” She stopped running. Camille looked at him. “Where’s the snake?”

  “Gone. It wasn’t dangerous anyway. Just a rat snake.”

  If Camille hadn’t panicked, Honey wouldn’t have panicked either and the snake probably wouldn’t have bothered them. But he didn’t say that out loud; it sounded too much like blame. This wasn’t Camille’s fault. Ty’s gut clenched. The second she’d gotten off the path, he should’ve gone after her.

  “Come on, let’s get you up.” Ty put one arm around her waist and his other under her knees, careful not to jostle her as he lifted her off the ground.

  Honey was chewing on some grass. She looked up when they came over, whinnied lightly, then pressed her muzzle to Camille’s hand, her way of apologizing. Camille wasn’t quite ready for forgiveness.

  Evie grabbed ahold of Camille. She was small, but when she was scared, her muscles turned all bodybuilder. His grip on Camille tightened as they hugged each other. When they let go, he started lifting Camille toward Honey’s saddle. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “No way.”

  “You can’t walk back. We’re over a mile out.”

  Camille’s lips tightened and her resolve deepened. But if he carried her back, he’d end up jostling her more than Honey, and the faster they got back, the faster they could ice that ankle.

  “You can ride with me. I’ll tie Honey’s reins to Pepper’s so she doesn’t stray.”

  Camille’s eyes shifted to the black horse Ty had been riding. “Okay.”

  He gently placed her in the saddle. When she was secure, he turned to Evie. He went to hoist her back up on Tess, but she screamed and wiggled out of his grip like
she was part cat.

  “Evie, sweetie, everything’s okay. We’ve gotta go back.” He stroked Tess’s muzzle, but Evie wouldn’t budge. In the two seconds it had taken for Honey to throw Camille, Evie had decided all horses couldn’t be trusted.

  Camille’s ankle was still swelling, and her face was a little pale. Something had to give. His mind searched for the right thing to say.

  “Evie, your mom’s gonna be all right, but she needs to see a doctor. Emmitt’s like a doctor for the army, but he’s back at the house. We need to get her there.”

  Distrust crept into Evie’s eyes.

  “Honey’s not a bad horse, she just got scared. Just like your mom...er, you...get scared of planes. Only Honey’s scared of snakes.” Evie looked at Honey again, and the distrust flickered out. It was replaced with something else—empathy? She pointed to Tess.

  Ty thought he understood. “Tess is scared of snakes too—most horses are—but I’m right here with you, and so is God. We’ll keep you safe.” His words came out of nowhere, surprising him.

  A Bible verse Jon used to love quoting flashed through his mind. “God says He’s always there with us when we’re lost or scared. ‘For I the Lord thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not. I will help thee.’”

  Evie was staring at him, and he wondered if he’d made a mistake. Did Evie even know about God? He’d never thought to ask Camille. But her hand reached out and took hold of his, and her eyes steeled. She took a step toward Tess.

  He waited a moment to see if she might change her mind, then he lifted her up. Tess stood perfectly still, and Evie reached out and touched her neck, stroking her gently. Ty didn’t have time to overthink what had just happened. He got them moving.

  * * *

  Camille knew Ty was being as gentle as he could, but when he laid her on the couch, the pain in her ankle broke the ten-point scale and jumped all the way to a hundred. At least it cleared the fog from her vision. The only thing that stopped her from crying out was Evie. Her daughter was already scared enough, and there was no way she was adding to it.

  Time for a brave face. This was where expertise and motherhood came together. She’d been using brave faces since Wesley’s death and considered herself a master of disguise.

  Deep breath, big smile. She took Evie’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m fine. It hardly even hurts.” Her smile stretched from ear to ear. Evie blinked, not fooled for a second. Maybe her brave face wasn’t what it used to be.

  Dillon ran over. “What happened?” He was already kneeling down to take a look.

  “Camille got thrown.”

  Alarm hit Dillon’s eyes. “I’ll find Emmitt.” He ran outside.

  Ty grabbed a pillow and propped it under Camille’s head. “Is that okay?” She nodded, and he brushed a strand of hair from her face. The warmth she so often saw in his eyes radiated all the way down to his fingertips. He took her right hand and gave it a squeeze. Evie was standing off to the side, looking terrified.

  “Hey, Evie,” Ty said. “What do you call a sleeping dinosaur? A dino-snore.” Evie did not giggle, but her tears slowed. “Why did the student eat their homework? Because their teacher said it was a piece of cake.”

  Camille groaned and moved her leg without meaning to. Her ankle cried out. She crushed Ty’s hand. He let her. “Are you sure I don’t need a hospital? I mean, can Emmitt handle this?”

  Ty smiled. “Emmitt was 18 Delta.”

  A special forces medic? They were the best in the world. Wesley had always held them in high regard. George too. Any doubts she had vanished.

  The front door flew open. Dillon and Emmitt ran into the room. Emmitt saw Camille on the couch and hurried over. “Ty, out of the way.” It was brisk, but he was probably used to giving orders at critical times.

  Ty immediately made room for him, but he didn’t let go of her hand. Emmitt kneeled down and started examining Camille’s swollen ankle. Two fingers pressed against it. The hiss of air that ran through her teeth was pure reflex. Evie’s tears started up again.

  Emmitt stayed calm. “Evie, I’m gonna make your mommy feel better, but to do that I need your help. Think you can help me?” Evie nodded. “Good. I need you to wrap some ice in a dish towel for me. Make sure the ice doesn’t fall out, okay? It’s real important.” She nodded again, and Emmitt’s eyes shifted to Dillon. “Let her do it, and bring me some orange juice.”

  Dillon didn’t question him. He took Evie’s hand and led her into the kitchen.

  Camille held her breath. “How bad is it?”

  Emmitt offered a reassuring smile. “You’re gonna be fine.”

  Fine? That was the word people used when the kitchen was about to explode and they didn’t want anyone to panic. It was a mom answer.

  More pillows came off the couch and made their way under Camille’s leg, propping it up. “Does it hurt anywhere else?” Emmitt asked.

  “No.”

  He checked her over anyway, making sure. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

  “Surprise me.”

  “Nothing’s broken. It’s just sprained.”

  She could live with that. “So, what’s the bad news?”

  “You’re gonna need crutches. Maybe just a couple days, maybe a week.”

  Crutches? Seriously? She had a six-year-old to take care of and a wedding to finish planning. “No way. Can’t I just ice it?”

  The look on Emmitt’s face was practiced patience. A doctor explaining physics to a third grader. “The ice will bring the swelling down, but it won’t fix things. Only time and rest can do that.” He stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

  Ty’s hand locked around hers. “You’re doing great.”

  Emmitt returned a minute later holding the infamous crutches and a fuzzy purple thing. He set the purple thing aside and leaned the crutches against the wall. They stood sentinel over her.

  Dillon and Evie returned. A large lumpy dish towel was in her daughter’s hands. She held it out to Emmitt, waiting for his approval. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her eyes were still red and watery.

  “That’s perfect, Evie. Good job.” Emmitt placed the towel on Camille’s ankle. He handed her two pills along with the orange juice Dillon had brought in. “They’re anti-inflammatories. Two now, two before bed. It’ll help with the swelling.”

  She swallowed them back and set the orange juice aside. The fuzzy purple thing was back in Emmitt’s hand. He kneeled down to Evie’s level and held it out to her. Camille finally saw the long trunk, and the fuzzy purple thing took shape. Evie loved elephants.

  Emmitt cleared his throat and his cheeks turned pink. “I thought you might like this. Her name is Mrs. Snugglesworth, but I guess you can call her anything you want. She was mine when I was little, and she makes me feel better when I’m scared.”

  The last of Evie’s tears evaporated. One hand reached out and grabbed the elephant, holding it close. She wrapped her arms around Emmitt’s neck, pulling him into a hug.

  Camille was glad Evie’s tears were gone, because hers were just about to start. How could she finish Phoebe’s wedding when she was stuck on crutches? Ty still had hold of her hand and must have tapped into what she was thinking.

  “Don’t worry about Phoebe’s wedding. You can give the orders, and we’ll follow them.” Emmitt and Dillon nodded. “I’ll round everybody up tonight and tell them from now on it’s all hands on deck.”

  Camille’s bottom lip trembled. “But you hate taking orders.”

  Ty grinned. “From you, I don’t mind so much.”

  Dillon cleared his throat. “I’m starving. Why don’t we get some snacks together? Evie, Emmitt, can you help me?” The three of them left the room.

  Ty was still clutching her hand in his. Eyes like a desert sunset looked back at her, and her heart forgot how
to beat. “Maybe that restaurant you mentioned wasn’t such a bad idea. I might be off the crutches by next Saturday.”

  “Saturday is date night,” he said.

  She blushed and fought the urge to pull her hand away. “I don’t date pilots, but I suppose I can be friends with one. Business partners can be friends too, can’t they?”

  “Sure they can.” He squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back.

  Friends. She tried the word on, and it fit nicely. Who couldn’t use another friend in their life?

  Chapter Nine

  Evie held Mrs. Snugglesworth close as they entered the church. Camille spotted Ty waving to them from up front and smoothed down her dress, almost losing one of her crutches in the process. Nikki caught it before it could fall and leaned over. “Why are you so nervous? Ty’s already seen you at your worst.”

  Camille glared at her. “When’s the last time you were in a church?” Nikki shrugged. “Exactly. Let’s make a good first impression.”

  “I’m pretty sure God doesn’t need first impressions. He kind of made us. He already knows what we’re all about.”

  Camille shook her head. “Just be good.”

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

  The entire team at Sky High took up the first three pews. There were three open spots on Ty’s right. They slid in and she almost dropped her crutch again. Why was she so nervous? A checklist of reasons formed in her head.

  One, Ty was already reaching for her hand. Two, Avery was probably definitely absolutely lurking around there somewhere. Three, if anyone could see through all her brave faces and false smiles, it was God. And even though she talked to Him every now and again, it wasn’t quite the same as a face-to-face.

  “Hi,” Ty whispered.

  “Hi.” She squeezed his hand, then let it go, not sure if hand-holding was church appropriate. Or friend appropriate.

  Dillon and Nikki were flashing smiles at each other from across the pew. Maricela and Josh had their heads together. There was just one person missing.