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At last she rolled the truck to a stop not far from the rock they were trying to move. They had to move quickly before another big wave hit.
Thankfully, they were prepared with the tow lines. Even though she wanted to rush out of the truck and up on the rocks to where Lane was trapped, she stayed where she was because this was the only way she could help him.
Once the lines were attached, she was told to slowly pull forward. She pressed lightly on the accelerator until the lines took firm hold. As her father signaled to her to increase the pressure on the accelerator, she tramped harder on the accelerator.
The engine groaned. The truck didn’t move. That was one solid rock.
Her father signaled for her to stop. She didn’t even have to ask. She knew by the look on his face that they hadn’t gotten Lane out.
There was some discussion off to the side, and then her father approached her. “We’re going to have to be more aggressive with this next try. Do you want me to do it?”
She shook her head. Whatever was needed, she’d do it. “Just tell me what you need.”
Her father didn’t argue. “Back up as close to the rock as you can get and then get a running start. Hopefully the momentum will move the rock just enough to free him. It’s very important that once you start pulling on the rock, don’t let up until I signal you.”
He didn’t have to say it, but she knew the stakes were high. If she succeeded in moving the rock, and they didn’t get Lane out before she let up on the pressure, it could sink back against Lane and cause further injuries.
“I’ve got this.” She’d never been more certain about anything in her life.
And so her father signaled for her to back up. She watched him in her mirror. She moved very slowly so as not to bump the rock that was already pressing against Lane.
On her father’s signal, she pressed the accelerator. Sand sprayed as the truck lurched forward. It jerked to a halt as the tow lines took hold. And then she was left wondering if it was enough.
She stared out the driver’s side window at her father, waiting for him to signal to her. He in turn was staring up at the rocks, waiting for a signal from one of the firefighters. The rev of the engine went on and on.
It had to have worked, right? Otherwise they would have had her cut the engine by now.Please let him be free.
Her father gave her the signal she’d been waiting for, and she let off the accelerator. She shoved the gearshift into Park and turned off the engine.
“Did it work?” she called out the window.
Her father signaled for her to join him. “Come see for yourself.”
He didn’t have to invite her twice. She hopped out of the truck and moved over to him just in time to see them load Lane onto a Stokes basket. He gave everyone the thumbs up.
It was the first time since the accident that she took her first easy breath. Lane was safe now. Tears of relief stung the back of her eyes. She blinked repeatedly. She wasn’t going to lose it again.
“Dad, I have to go.”
“I know, sweetie. Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
“Thank you.” She took off to follow Lane as they transferred him up the cliff to the waiting ambulance.
After what they’d gone through, she felt infinitely closer to him. She planned to be there to help him recover, whatever that entailed. They were in this together.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Warmatlast.
Lane couldn’t believe how good the heated blanket felt that the nurse had given him. He didn’t usually sleep with blankets at night, because they made him too hot. But right now, this blanket was the most amazing thing.
Being trapped had given him a lot of time to think. And as the firefighters had worked to free him, he’d realized he’d gotten into that situation because he’d allowed his emotions to rule over his common sense. He hadn’t allowed something like that to happen since he was a kid.
Throughout his youth, his mother had been very emotional. There were very high highs and very low lows. As a kid, it was a lot to keep up with. He hadn’t understood what was going on. As he grew older, he’d tried to get his mother help, but it was so hard to assist someone who didn’t think they needed it.
He’d shut down his emotions in high school. He didn’t want to be like his mother. He didn’t want to end up losing control. And yet being around Jo, that was exactly what had happened.
It couldn’t happen again. And the only way he knew how to stop this thing between them was to put up a wall between them. As hard as it would be, he needed to keep Jo at arm’s length.
