AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I haven’t talked to Carter about anything important other than work in a long time.”
“Don’t you talk about your dreams, your hopes for the future?” asked Mallory.
“Sure, we used to all the time, but I see a future with children. Carter doesn’t, or at least he isn’t ready to share more than the surface things. Short term, you know. I’ll have to think about how to bring up the subject and find out why he says he doesn’t know about kids. But I expect another argument, or rather, he says he needs to leave, and I’m always stuck with my feelings.”
Sharlee introduced a new subject after getting everyone fresh drinks. “It will work out, Becky. I have faith in you two. Now, I’ve got to say, these damn cards are driving Jac mad.”
“Yep, if anyone wanted to get to Jac, that is the way to go,” said Becky. “He hates puzzles.” There was some time spent discussing where the cards came from and things that drove Jac crazy.
When it came time to go, Becky was going to walk home. She was close by, and if Carter was home, arriving in an Uber was a good way to start off on the wrong foot. She was glad they lived close to Kaden and Ivy, although their place didn’t have a grandbuilt-up property and house attached like Ivy’s. But Ivy had a lot more family money than anyone else besides Jac.
The property itself was fairly large and was only about five miles from Jac. Garrett and Callie liked city living and would probably just stay in their nice condo until they decided if they were going to adopt a child or not.
Monroe and Mallory were in town, but they were considering moving closer to the country and the rest of them because Mallory was having their one-and-done baby. She was younger than Monroe, but since Monroe was staring at fifty, they would be more than content with one. Mark and Jessie lived about a mile on the other side of Jac and Sharlee in a house that was an ultra-modern smart home because Mark said he had no time or desire to fix a leaky faucet.
Carter’s place, on the other hand, was an older farmhouse that Carter had made beautiful. He’d enhanced the already impressive character, and it was a showcase of his handiwork. Like his father and uncles, he had worked as a carpenter’s helper, then full carpenter all the years leading up to and through college to pay his way. He enjoyed woodworking for relaxation, and the beautiful furniture he had made so far, were masterpieces. Many would say he was a master furniture maker, and their home showed off many of his creations.
Becky knew that it would cause an outrage if anyone suspected that she was going to walk home, so she slipped out while the rest of her friends were trying to organize themselves to leave. As she took off on the shoveled drive, she headed toward her house and wondered how smart of an idea it was because the cold began to seep into her bones the minute she turned into the frigid wind towards home.
Her gut tightened in uneasiness and a touch of unsettling dread. Regardless that Carter often said never to disregard your gut, Becky ignored her feelings and forged on. She fell into achant of, “It’s not very far. I can easily make it. No more exercise this weekend.” The effect was less than optimal. She was still cold, still a long way away, and beginning to more than regret her choice as another gush of wind swirled around and past her.
Chapter 4
When you drive in a car, you don’t notice the snow and cold the same as when you are on the ground, walking in it. It had obviously snowed and had been plowed in front of Ivy and Kaden’s place. She thought about turning back when the plowed area faded behind her, and Becky found herself trudging through the snow-covered road, but she saw the lights to her house and figured she was halfway or more. Might as well get to her home rather than back to Ivy’s.
The county removed the snow from the more elite houses first and then covered the less affluent areas. They sat smack in the middle, so sometimes they got plowed early, sometimes not. Carter said he was going to buy his own blade and hook it up to his work truck, meaning the truck he used to haul material for his projects. He’d begun to sell a few pieces to make room for creating more.
Becky had said he was grumpy these last weeks, but now, she wouldn’t say anything again. This was getting difficult. She knew she should call Carter, and he was likely going to redden her butt however, it would be worth it. Wouldn’t it? Except, the way he was taking a back seat to their lifestyle these days, rarely pushing the boundaries, maybe nothing but a scolding would happen. And he might not be home yet and didn’t ever need to know. But she’d know.
A huge truck, much like Carter’s, with running lights and big everything, was coming up the road with a plow in front of it. Where did it come from? His truck was around back the last timeshe saw it this morning. And it was covered in snow. Not that he couldn’t have cleared it but was he likely to do that today? No.
It was kind of dark even with her LED flashlight that Carter made her carry everywhere. She could hear his words. “You need a flashlight. I know you have one on your phone, but you'll use up your cell battery for any distance when you could save it for calling.”
Becky had argued with Carter when he went all bossy boyfriend on her, and when he didn’t back down, she’d simply agreed. Now she was glad she did because the truck was leaving the road at the bend. As the truck drew near, the vehicle lights were almost overpowering. She hurried, using her flashlight, and prayed she didn’t misstep. She waved the light and aimed into the cab, but it never slowed down. Finally, she was at the end of their drive.
The monster truck was about to pass her when it took a turn as though going into their drive at an angle. Becky yelled at the truck and waved her light at whoever was driving while she scrambled over the small bank. She slipped and fell into the ditch next to their long drive, unable to control the drop.
She hit the ground hard. She saw the cement drainage pipe just as her head hit it. Nausea, pain, cold, and fear assaulted her senses. Safety, was she safe? She couldn’t think straight, and the darkness was surrounding her, adding to the rising panic.
Becky didn’t know what the weight on her was, but her head pounded so strongly that she decided she must have hit it on the cement with immense force. Her body couldn’t move. Her hands were close to her face as she tried to shield it from the freezing, wet snow being dumped on her. She was bent just enough to create a pocket of space between her and the snow below her. She kept her place, absently thinking it was an air pocket she could use if necessary.
There was no way to be sure, but it seemed that the truck was trying to dump more snow on her, purposely, but that thought was overrun by a fear that was nearly as smothering as the snow now covering her face and entire body. The panic was choking her. She couldn’t breathe.
She could die here. She relaxed as the weight on her body became too heavy to support. She wished more than anything that Carter was there with her, helping her. He would know what to do and how to get to safety.
She could hear his voice in her head.
“Be still, baby girl. Breathe. Let your mind settle on the problem. What is the problem, Bec?”
“The problem? I can’t breathe well. I’m cold. I can’t move. I’m alone.”
She tried to speak aloud, but she couldn’t get her mouth to move. It was too cold, and there was too much snow.
“What is causing your problems?”her mind Carter asked.
“Snow. Snow is all over me.”
“Okay, try to move some part of your body to get the snow away from you.”
