Page 32 of Under an Oklahoma Sky

Chris glanced down. Now that they had the boys stabilized, his voice sounded more in control. The experienced volunteer firefighter in him had replaced the terrified father. “Bucket’s on its way up on your side, Adam. They’ll bring it as close to you as possible.”

Long seconds passed as the aerial arm rose toward them. When the bucket stopped behind and a little below Adam, one of the two firefighters on board opened the side gate. “If you’ve got a good grip on the boy, you can step back. You’ve got about a six-inch drop to the floor.”

With both arms tightly around Toby’s waist, Adam glanced at Matthew and Chris. “Got him?”

The other man tightened his hold. “Yeah. Just no sudden movements. Nice and slow.”

Taking a deep breath, Adam moved his right foot backward until it found the edge of the bucket. A hand at his lower back guided him as he stepped down, bringing Toby with him. Once they were both safely inside, Adam set the boy on his feet and watched as the two firefighters reached out and helped Matthew, then Chris, into the bucket.

One of the two volunteers spoke into his radio. “All secure. Coming down.”

The crowd below erupted into cheers as Toby threw his arms around his father, and a trembling Matthew did the same to Adam. The fire department would have to retrieve the people from the other stranded cars one by one, but compared to this part of the rescue, that would be a piece of cake.

Once the bucket reached the ground, Adam, Chris, and the boys scrambled out. Sage and Ashley rushed to their sons, crying and hugging them as hard as they could. Adam glanced around and saw Evan standing next to Maddie, who was holding Jenna. Tears streamed down the little girl’s face, and he strode over to take her in his arms.

“It’s all right, Little Bird. Matthew’s safe.”

“You thave… thaved him, just like you thaved Ruby Tuethday.” Her arms went around his neck, and she buried her face against him.

As the firefighters worked quickly to get the rest of the riders off the disabled Ferris wheel, people clapped Adam and Chris on the back, commending their bravery and quick response and congratulating them on a successful rescue. Adam set Jenna down, and she ran to hug her brother and mother. It was a tearful but happy reunion.

When Ashley finally released her son, she spun around, zeroed in on Adam, and threw her arms around him. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you. Thank you so much, Adam. I–I could have lost Toby.” She began to sob again.

He smiled and patted her back. “Shh. It’s okay, Ashley. They’re safe and unharmed.”

Pulling back, her teary, apologetic gaze met his. “I’m so sorry I judged you. It was unfair of me.” The corners of her mouth ticked up in a grin. “I’m going to make you a lasagna a week for the next six months.”

Throwing his head back, he let out a hearty chortle, grateful for the release from the gut-wrenching tension still flowing through him. His legs shook from the adrenaline overload and didn’t seem inclined to stop anytime soon. “Not necessary, but who am I to turn down an awesome lasagna? Make me one next week, and we’ll call it even.”

“Deal!”

When she went back to her husband and son, Sage took her place. “Thank you, Adam.”

She wrapped her arms around him, and his response to her embrace was far different from the one he’d had to Ashley’s. Closing his eyes, he inhaled the familiar scent of her citrus shampoo and held her close. After everything that had just happened, having her safe in his arms and Matthew standing only a few feet away affected him more than he could put into words.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then she gave him a final squeeze before pulling away. Her cheeks were flushed, and she kept her gaze pinned to his chest. “I—I think we'd better go home. That was more than enough excitement for the day. Heck, for an entire lifetime.”

“No arguments here, but I better replace Jenna’s balloons on the way back to the car before she realizes they’re missing.”

With a shaky laugh, she hugged him again. “Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter Twelve

Singing along to Miranda Lambert on the radio, Sage drove at the speed limit as she left town. It was twenty minutes before midnight on Saturday, and even though she’d only had two glasses of wine over several hours, she kept a careful watch for deer or coyotes darting into the road. The wooded area began at the edge of town and extended for almost three miles before opening onto farmland again. Then again, it wasn’t unheard of to come across a cow, sheep, or even a horse standing in the middle of the road.

The evening had been fun, with Ashley, Sarah, and Jess all getting together for a girls’ night out, something the four friends hadn’t done in a while. Ashley and Jess had birthdays coming up during the week, so they’d gone to the only real honky-tonk in Rosewood. The American Legion post had a bar, and another spot was a little hole-in-the-wall called The Tavern, but the Sip & Dip had a large dance floor and live music two Saturdays a month. Picnic tables replaced booths, scattered throughout the establishment, and sawdust and peanut shells covered the floor. One of their favorite local bands, Playing Possum, had been there tonight, and they’d all danced up a storm.

Sage had almost begged off. After last week’s nightmare with the Ferris wheel, she’d been having difficulty letting either of her children out of her sight. Matthew had recovered from the frightening ordeal, and so had Toby, but she thought it would be a very long time before either boy dared go on another amusement ride.

And that was fine with her.

While she’d enjoyed being out with her girlfriends, a huge part of her missed sitting on the back porch after dinner with Adam, talking about anything and everything. They’d fallen into a routine, and it was one she felt comfortable with. With school out, the kids could stay up later, so everyone converged on the porch, where the adults enjoyed their evening coffee. Sage and Maddie would chat while working on their knitting. They were part of a group that made blankets for premature babies and cancer patients undergoing treatment at the county hospital. Sage wasn’t as fast as Maddie, who’d taught her how to knit, but at least her finished pieces were on par with her mentor’s.

Meanwhile, Evan and Adam continued their chess game. They were evenly matched and needed about a week to finish each game before they set up for another.

Sometimes the kids had friends over or spent the night at a sleepover. Other times, they found something to do together. Matthew loved bringing out the telescope Mark had given him a few months before he died. Since then, Sage had gotten him a bunch of astronomy books, and he loved finding the constellations in the sky. Jenna usually played nearby with her dolls and other toys, or sometimes sat on Adam’s lap while he studied the chessboard.

Then, long after the children had gone to bed and the older couple retired to their cottage, Sage and Adam would either steal away to his bedroom to make love or stay beneath the stars talking. She hadn’t realized how much she missed having a man to talk to. Sometimes a woman needed her girlfriends, sometimes her parents or siblings, but other times, having a man listen to her… really listen to her fears and dreams… was exactly what she needed. She had been fortunate enough to find another companion who was filling the hole in her heart caused by Mark’s death.