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She was calling him on his behavior. Just like he had her the other day. Lisa Renee was good. She was drawing her line firmly in the sand.
It was time to for him to play his hand.
“Are you going somewhere with Alice?”
She nodded. “And Faye. I’m taking them both for a little dressing up game today.”
“How about some medical supervision?” He hesitated, trying not to make his words sound like a plea, “Just to make sure everyone is safe.”
She didn’t even flicker. Just bent down in line with Alice and smiled at her. “Whaddaya say, Alice? Should we let Dr. Brady come with Faye and us?”
Alice looked up with her smiling eyes. “Only if he buys candy.”
Relief was sweeping over him. “How about some chocolates from Sage’s?”
Alice nodded happily.
He glanced back towards Lisa. “Can you give me five minutes while you pick up Faye? I need to talk to some relatives.”
He could tell for a second she was contemplating saying no. But the talking to relatives line was a hard one to say no to. Even if she wanted to.
Two hours later Adam was lost in a world of white froth and sparkling tiaras. When Lisa said the little girls could try any dress in her shop she literally meant it. And both little girls had fully embraced the concept.
The best thing about it was the way Lisa adapted. She steered little Alice, whose skin was whiter than white due to her condition, into dresses of cream and ivory – even one with pink bows and took snaps of her in every one. Faye seemed to have an obsession with shoes and managed to hike up whatever dress she was wearing at the time in order to try every single pair of shoes in the salon on with it. And Lisa had the patience of a saint. She rehung dress after dress.
He stood behind her as she watched the girls start on the bridesmaid dresses, swishing their skirts from side to side. All day long she’d been happy, but now she looked serious.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Is it the wedding?” He looked around at all the stock in the shop. He might not know anything about wedding dresses or bridesmaid dresses but he hadn’t seen one yet that wasn’t beautiful. He frowned. “Just how bad can the bridesmaid dresses be?”
She bit her lip and walked over to the door of the stockroom, pulling out two dresses covered in plastic.
He shrugged. They were a strange kind of color – one he couldn’t really categorize but apart from that they looked like every other dress, satin with sparkles. He shook his head. “I don’t get it. What’s the big deal? How can these dresses ruin your business?”
Her face crumpled. “That’s just it. I don’t know.” She held out her hands. “Anyone who has ever come here – shopped here – I’ve always been confident that they’ve walked out of here with the best dress possible for them.” She pressed her hand against her chest. “I’ve been sure, absolutely sure, in here.”
He stepped closer. “And this time you’re not?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’ve worked hard for this business. I love Married in Marietta. This is what I want to do.” She looked around her little salon. “This is where I want to be.”
He looked around. This shop was just so Lisa. From the chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, to the velvet and brocade-covered chairs, to the ornate free-standing mirror and old-fashioned cash register on the counter top.
“But who do you want to be with?” he asked softly. His hand rested at the bottom of her spine and she turned towards him.
“Why do you even need to ask that?” Her pale blue eyes fixed on his. For a few seconds he forgot about the children in the room. For a few moments the only person he could think about was her.
Lisa wasn’t anything like his ex. And he could only hope he was nothing like hers. Somehow he needed to hear her say the words out loud. Everything about the way she was looking at him now told him she didn’t have a single doubt about whom she wanted to be with.
There was an edge to her voice now, even though she kept it low. “Do you think I invite everyone into my home – into my bed? Hardly anyone in Marietta knows what really happened between Joe and my sister, but I told you Adam, you. Why do you think I did that?”
She was getting angry with him now. Frustration was building in her and he could see the pulse throbbing at the base of her neck.
“I can help you,” he said quickly. “I can help you with the bridal salon. You don’t need to worry. If things go pear-shaped I can help you out.”
Her brow creased. “What? How?”
He shook his head. “Just know that I can help you. Don’t worry. Don’t worry about the celebrity wedding.”
But his words didn’t help. They seemed to have the opposite effect. She threw up her hands. “But I don’t want your help, Adam. I’ve spent five years building up my business. I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor. This is my place. Mine.”
The screech came out of nowhere, followed quickly by a dull thud. Both of their heads shot around towards the street outside. Adam didn’t hesitate. He was across the shop floor in seconds throwing the door open wide.
There was a shout. Then a scream. Then a noise that chilled him to the bones. A gut-wrenching howl. A woman was on her knees on the street, bending underneath a car that was partly crumpled against a wall.
His stomach flipped over as he glanced at the man behind the wheel who was slumped over the wheel of the car. He had seconds to prioritise and he didn’t hesitate.
He slid underneath the car, sending up a silent prayer about what he was about to find. Even though the sun was splitting the sky outside, under the car was shadowed. He moved gently, pushing aside the obvious signs of a trashed stroller to get to the trapped little figure beyond. He slowed his breathing, keeping calm whilst his fingers felt for a pulse.
The skin was warm, wet and sticky in places and he winced. He moved his fingers, trying to find a pulse – any pulse in the little figure. His brain shut out the peripheral noises. He focused completely on the little person. No noise. Nothing. He couldn’t get into the right position to get what he really wanted. He shifted again, watching for the rise and fall of a little chest.
A large shadow thumped down next to him. “Adam, I’ve called for the ambulance and fire service. Let me know what you need.” Dawson, the deputy sheriff. He’d never been so glad to hear a voice before.
“A flashlight. Get me a flashlight.”
There were a few shouts. Some rumbling around. He slid forward; part of the engine had crumpled making it nearly impossible to find his way between the wall and the child.
Finally – a pulse. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.
His hand moved to the chest as it moved rapidly up and down. The flashlight thumped down next to him and he flicked it on. He pulled back his hand and let out a sigh, moving his sticky hand to his nose. It wasn’t blood. It smelled like orange juice.
Another aroma was drifting around him. One that wasn’t quite so sweet. Gasoline. He could definitely smell gasoline and tendrils of smoke.
Two seconds later there was a shout. “Adam, that car’s about to go. Get out of there!”
Two pairs of hands appeared at the fender, trying to pull and lift the car up. Adam pushed up off the ground, straining his shoulders against the weight above him in an attempt to move the crumpled wreck from the little figure. He couldn’t even contemplate doing anything else. No matter what might come next.
*
Lisa couldn’t believe what had just happened. The noise. The smoke. The screams. Faye and Alice were staring out at the street open-mouthed and she ushered them quickly towards the back of the shop.
And Adam, vanishing without a second thought under the car. Lisa pulled out a pile of Sage’s chocolates and put them on the table. “Don’t eat them all at once,” she said quickly to the girls and
went back to the open door.
People had started to gather on the street. It took a few seconds for rational thoughts to enter her head. She grabbed her phone from her pocket and hit 911, requesting emergency services.
Dawson thudded down the street towards her and automatically bent down under the car. “Who is under there?” he yelled. She might have guessed he would appear. Dawson was never off duty.
“Adam,” she said quickly.
“Who else?” Her brain was scrambled. The woman was still howling in front of the car and she noticed something sticking out from underneath the front fender. Oh no. A little wheel – like the kind you’d find on a stroller.
A wave of nausea rolled over her. “A kid,” she whispered. “I think it’s a kid.”
Someone appeared and put their arm around the woman, murmuring words of comfort and trying to pull her away.
Adam. Adam was under there. Should she help? But what could she do? And there was no way she wanted to leave Faye and Alice unattended.
There was nothing like an accident to attract attention. Some of the reporters covering the celebrity wedding started to appear. Most of them were just talking under their breath.
The sound of sirens in the distance gave her a sense of relief. Help. That’s what was needed. Help.
Dawson started shouting around. Looking for a flashlight. She ran back into the shop and pulled out one from the under the counter. She used it occasionally to find things at the back of the stock cupboard. She grabbed it and rushed outside, throwing it towards Dawson who put his head under the car again.
He was looking worried. Lisa blinked back tears. She had no idea what Adam was dealing with under the car. She hated to think.
Then something hit her. A smell. A smell of petrol. It seemed to hit all the surrounding spectators at once. People started to panic. Particularly when a wisp of white smoke appeared from under the hood.
Dawson yelled, “Get over here,” to a couple of the bystanders. “We need to get this car off the kid and the doc.”
“Get out, Adam,” Lisa shouted. She’d no idea where that had come from. Something was pressing against her chest. Adam was under a car that was leaking fuel and could go on fire at any second. He had to get out. He had to.
