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Dean nodded. “That makes sense. Maybe she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Ben said before he stared off into the woods. “I’m going to call in some guys to help us search this area on the chance that we might find something that points to our shooter. Want to come along?”
Dean nodded again. “I’ll be glad to. I’ll take my guests to the ranch and come on back.”
“Good. There’s not a guide around that knows these mountains like you do,” his friend stated. “I sure am glad you came back home to live. Now, if you’d give up that dude ranch and come work for me, I’d be perfectly happy.”
Dean frowned at that. “My days of being a police officer are over. I loved it until I...” He paused and stared down at the wedding ring he’d never been able to take off. “Well, you know some of what happened. It ruined my life for a time.”
“But you overcame everything.”
Dean sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “Not everything, buddy. There are some people I never will get the chance to make it up to. People who I’ve had to learn to live without. One especially.”
Ben clamped his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “You know I’ve always been glad to listen to you about what happened, but I know there’s a lot you’ve never told me. When you’re ready, I’m willing to hear.”
Dean smiled briefly. “Thanks. I’ll remember that.” Then he took a deep breath. “Now I’d better get these guests home so I can come help you with the search.”
“See you later,” Ben said before he turned and walked to his cruiser.
Dean started to head to where Emmett stood, but noticed the EMTs were about to load the woman in the ambulance and detoured to check on her. He walked over and stopped behind Joe. “How’s she doing?” he asked.
The paramedic glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Still passed out, but she’s going to be fine. If that bullet had been a half inch to the left of that hair clip, we’d be taking her body to the county coroner’s office instead of the hospital.”
“That’s what Ben said. And he said she’s from New York.”
Joe nodded. “Yeah. She’s a long way from home. I wonder what she’s doing in the Smokies all alone.”
Dean frowned. “Maybe she isn’t alone. Did Ben find anything that would tell where she’s staying while she’s here? Maybe a key card from a hotel or a receipt from a cabin rental company?”
“Not that I know of.”
Dean glanced to the far side of the parking lot. Emmett and two of his employees seemed to have everything under control with the horses and guests, but it would be dinnertime soon. They needed to get back to the ranch for the cookout that was planned for the evening. “Well, I’d better get these folks back to my ranch, and you need to get her to the hospital. I hope everything turns out well for her.” He stepped around Joe and was about to leave when he glanced down and saw the woman’s face for the first time.
His eyes opened wide, and a strangled cry came from his throat as a shock like an electrical current raced through his body. His legs wobbled, and he staggered and would have fallen if Joe hadn’t grabbed his arm and steadied him.
“Dean! Are you okay?”
He could hear Joe’s voice, but couldn’t respond. The words Dean tried to say got tangled in his throat, and a strange gurgling emerged. He stared down at the woman, his heart pounding as if he’d just run a marathon.
No! It can’t be.
Joe clasped his arm more tightly and shook him. “Dean! Dean! I asked if you’re all right.”
He bent over and propped his hands on his knees, gulping great breaths of air in an effort to calm his racing pulse. “No, I’m not,” he rasped.
With a strangled cry, he dropped to his knees and touched the bandage that covered the wound on her head. Just a few inches and she’d be dead. And he’d run right past her when he’d rushed into the woods. Why hadn’t he stopped to see if she needed help?
She looked so pale. Blood matted her blond hair, which he gently smoothed back from her eyes. “Gwen,” he crooned. “Can you hear me? It’s Dean.”
Her left hand rested on the sheet that covered her body. He grasped it and rubbed his thumb down her ring finger. He could still feel the indentation at the base where she’d once worn a ring, but it wasn’t there now.
Ben must have seen his reaction, because he dropped down beside him. “Dean, do you know this woman?”
Guilt and sorrow welled up and flooded his soul like a tidal wave. Dean closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Ben, it’s Gwen. It’s my wife.”
TWO (#ulink_3427b984-e875-54cd-ac37-bc59a127d871)
Ben gasped and a shocked look covered his face. “I saw on her driver’s license that her name was Gwen Anderson, but I didn’t think about this being your ex-wife. You know I was in the army when the two of you married, and I never met her. In fact, I don’t think you ever showed me a picture of her.” He stared at Gwen for a moment and exhaled. “So she took back her maiden name?”
Dean swallowed and squeezed her hand tighter. “Yeah. I guess she didn’t want anything to remind her of me.”
Ben dropped his palm on Dean’s shoulder. “Man, I know this is a shock, but don’t let it throw you too badly.”
Before he could answer, Joe interrupted. “We need to get her to the hospital so the doctor can check her over.”
Dean didn’t want to let go of Gwen’s hand. It had been so long since he’d touched her, and once she regained consciousness, she wouldn’t allow him that privilege. But she needed to get to the hospital. With a sigh, he released it and backed away from the gurney so the EMTs could get her inside.
“Okay, but I’m going in the ambulance with her.”
Joe glanced at the other paramedic, who shrugged in agreement. “Okay,” Joe said, “but move out of the way and let us get her loaded. Then you can climb in with her.”
Ben patted Dean on the back. “I need to check on the search my deputies are doing, but I’ll see you at the hospital later.”
He nodded and then motioned to Emmett, who hurried across the lot, a perplexed expression on his face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, boss. Is something wrong?”
Dean bit down on his lip and debated how much he should reveal to his foreman. After a moment he sighed. “Yeah.” He hitched in a breath. “I know the woman who was hurt, and I’m going to the hospital with her. Will you take my horse back to the ranch? I’ll call you when I’m ready to come home, so somebody can come get me.”
Emmett glanced toward the gurney, then back to Dean. “Okay. Anything else?”
“I won’t be there for the guest cookout tonight, so you’ll need to help my grandfather with it. Is that a problem for you?”
“No problem. We can handle it. But how long do you think you’ll be?”
Dean had no idea. He might not be at the hospital long. It all depended on what Gwen had to say when she regained consciousness, whenever that might be. “I’m not sure. I’ll phone and let you know.”
Before Emmett could say anything else, Joe’s voice rang out from the rear of the ambulance. “Dean, if you’re going with us, come on. We’re ready to leave.”
He nodded and climbed into the vehicle. The gurney took up more than half the space inside, and Dean squeezed in beside Gwen as Joe moved to close the ambulance door. When it was secured, he yelled to his partner, “We’re ready to go back here. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather I drive?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got this,” the man called back.
Joe shrugged and tried to control the smile that pulled at his mouth. “Wilson is new, and he’s not used to navigating these mountain roads yet, but he really wants to prove himself. Still, I’m a little concerned about him taking this one. You know how those steep curves can cause a driver to lose control, and there aren’t any guardrails.”
Dean nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard some horror stories about this stretch. But if this guy is going to work around here, he’d better get used to it. No getting around the fact that we live in the mountains.”
Joe chuckled. “You’re right about that.” He picked up the blood-pressure cuff, leaned in and wrapped it around Gwen’s arm. When he’d finished the procedure, he nodded. “Looks good.”
Then he scooted out of the way, leaving Dean access to Gwen again. He took her hand in one of his and stroked his thumb across her knuckles as his other hand brushed her hair back behind her ear. For a few seconds all he did was stare down at her, quenching the longing he’d had to see her again. She hadn’t changed much in the past five years. Her hair wasn’t as long as it used to be, but still felt as silky as when he’d first met her.
Pert was the word he and her friends had used to describe her back then. He wondered if she was still that sassy girl he’d loved or if the years had jaded her as they had him.
Eight years ago she’d been an assistant to the news staff at WLMT radio in Oxford, a town near Nashville. He’d been a police officer then. He remembered so well the night he first saw her. He’d been working on a case involving a serial killer who had chosen Gwen and her friend C.J. as his next victims. Dean had found her at the radio station locked in a closet waiting for the killer who’d left her there as he attempted to dispose of her friend. When he’d opened that door and seen how terrified she was, she had become more than a victim to him.
But it was her strength afterward, her determination not to let her horrible experience wear her down, that had won him over. Her vibrant spirit refused to be dimmed, and it had dazzled him. She had stolen his heart.
They’d been married six months later. And over the next two years, even though it was the last thing he ever would have wanted, he’d succeeded where the killer had failed and crushed some of her bright optimism.
Dean should have known better than to have subjected her to the problems in his life. As much as he’d loved her, he hadn’t been able to keep the demons of his past from destroying the best thing that had ever happened to him. She’d tried to save their marriage, but at the time he couldn’t meet her halfway. Now, for some reason, he’d been given the chance to see her again, and he didn’t know if this was what he wanted or not.
Gwen stirred on the gurney, and Dean tightened his grip on her hand, silently willing her to wake up. The thought had no sooner entered his head than he questioned his decision to get in the ambulance. He had no idea if she would be happy to see him. Probably not. The day their divorce had been finalized, she’d told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want to ever hear from him again. She’d said she was leaving Oxford and that he should never try to find her.
He’d agreed and for the past five years had kept his promise. Now she’d suddenly reappeared, in the last place he would have expected.
As the ambulance sped along the mountain road, he said a prayer of thanks that she’d come through her ordeal alive. Dean wanted to pray that she would be happy to see him when she woke up, but that probably wasn’t going to happen.
Suddenly her eyes blinked open. “Wh-where am I?” she whispered.
Dean released her hand and scooted out of the way so Joe could lean over her.
“Miss Anderson,” he said, “you’re in an ambulance. We’re on our way to the hospital. A doctor has been alerted and is waiting for us. Just relax, and we should be there in a few minutes.”
She closed her eyes. “My head hurts,” she murmured.
“I know. The doc will take care of that when we get to the hospital. Now just lie still.”
She swallowed and looked up at him again. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Joe. I’m one of the EMTs taking care of you.”
Her eyes opened wide and she swallowed hard. Her body trembled as she tried to push herself up from the gurney. “Th-that man...”
Joe put his hands on her shoulders and eased her back down. “Don’t think about that right now. The sheriff will want to talk to you later about what happened. For now, just relax and don’t worry. You’re safe.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
Joe glanced over his shoulder at Dean, who’d been holding his breath in suspense. “There’s somebody here who wants to see you,” the EMT said.
A frown pulled at her forehead. “Who?”
Joe moved out of the way, and Dean eased in next to the gurney. “It’s me, Gwen.”
For a moment she didn’t move, and then a dazed look clouded her eyes. “No,” she gasped. “This can’t be real.”
Dean smiled and covered her hand with his as he leaned closer. “Yes, it’s real, Gwen. I’m here.”
At his touch, her fingers stiffened. Then she pulled her hand free and turned her face away. “No, no, this can’t be happening,” she moaned.
* * *
She had to be dreaming. Dean had been out of her life for five years. How could he be staring down at her in the back of an ambulance? She closed her eyes in hopes of clearing his image from her mind and groaned again.
“Miss Anderson!” The EMT’s voice penetrated the thick fog that seemed to be rolling into her brain, and she glanced up again. Dean no longer hovered over her. Now the young man who’d said his name was Joe was there. “Settle down, Miss Anderson. Don’t get upset.”
She tried to peer past him, to determine if she had really seen Dean’s face or just imagined it, but Joe’s body blocked her view. Her lips felt as if they were made of sandpaper when she licked them. “Dean?” Her voice wobbled as if she was begging the young man to assure her he was the only one with her.
Instead he smiled and nodded. “Yes, Dean’s here. He says he’s your husband. Is that right?”
“Ex-husband. Why is he here?”
Joe glanced over his shoulder and frowned. “I think you might need to answer that.”
The paramedic stepped back from the gurney, and Gwen’s stomach clenched when Dean maneuvered next to where she lay. “It’s really you!” she said weakly. “I thought I was dreaming.”
“No, you weren’t dreaming.”
He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. The muscles in his throat constricted as he swallowed, his gaze raking her face.
He looked the same as he always had, yet different. Healthier. His face wasn’t as bloated, nor was his complexion as red as the last time she’d seen him. His lips quirked up at the corners in a smile she remembered so well.
“I was leading a trail ride when I saw a man about to shoot you. Of course, I didn’t know it was you at first. But he...but he—” Dean’s voice cracked as if the words were lodged in his throat.
Her heart pricked at the way his eyes darkened. “I know. I remember him pointing the gun and firing. How could he have missed? He was so close to me.”
“He didn’t miss,” Dean said. “There was a metal clip holding your hair back. The bullet hit it and bounced off. It saved your life.”
She closed her eyes and shuddered. “I’m alive just because I put it in before I left the motel this morning?” She raised her hand and ran her fingers through her hair. When she didn’t feel the clip, she frowned. “Where is it now?”
“The police took it for evidence.” Dean leaned closer. “Had you ever seen this man before? Had he been following you, or did you just happen across him on the trail?”
She shook her head. “He was wearing a mask, so I can’t be sure, but I don’t think I’ve ever laid eyes on him before I saw him dumping a body in the river. When he spotted me, he chased me back to the parking lot.”
Dean’s eyes grew wide with shock. “Dumping a body?”
“Yes. I took a picture of it, but then dropped my camera when I fell in the parking lot. Did the police find it?”
“No. It wasn’t there.”
She sighed. “That’s too bad. I had a clear angle from where I was standing on the cliff above the stream.”
Dean gasped. “Did this guy see you take the picture? Is that why he followed you?”
“Yes.”
Dean raked his hand through his hair and gritted his teeth. “Gwen, you should have gotten out of there right away. You were married to a police officer long enough to know what happens when someone is witness to a crime.”
She stared at him for a moment, the memory of how scared she’d been as she ran through the forest welling up in her mind. Her nostrils flared, and she tried again to push herself up from the gurney. “I think I learned a lot during that time,” she spit out. “Maybe we should just say I was married to you long enough, and leave it at that.”
Joe reached out and grasped Dean’s shoulder. “Take it easy, man. She doesn’t need to get upset.”
