Home For a Cowboy Christmas(62)

Dwight released her and watched Carlos gently lift her into his arms, carrying her to the stretcher. Dalton helped Dwight get to his feet, and they moved slowly toward Carlos as he tied Emmy so she didn’t slip out. By the time Dwight reached Carlos, they were already hoisting her up.

“You’ve lost a lot of blood,” Dalton told him.

Dwight didn’t take his eyes off Emmy until she had reached the top and was in the others’ hands. The edges of his vision began to darken. He tried to remain conscious, but his body had had enough.





Chapter 30


“There she is.”

Emmy felt as if she were clawing her way out of tar. She heard voices and lots of movement around her. She recognized one voice, but she couldn’t quite place who it was. As she drew closer to consciousness, fear rode her. It was deeply rooted, something telling her that her life was in jeopardy.

“Easy, Emmy. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

The instant she recognized Dalton’s voice, she calmed. Then the memories came rushing back—including losing Dwight. She opened her eyes as tears welled and fell from the outer corners to run across her temples.

Dalton leaned over her, wearing a smile. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever wake.”

“H—” she began, then cleared her throat. “How did you find me?”

“I tracked Orso. He was the guy who came for you. After I dropped you with Dwight, I headed straight back to Denver and waited. I knew Joe would send someone. When he did, I followed him.”

Emmy sniffed, nodding as she looked around the sterile room to realize that she was in a hospital. “You need to go back out there. Dwight was shot.”

“I know,” he said calmly.

More tears came. The hope she’d held onto that Dwight might have survived was dashed. “Oh.”

“No, no,” Dalton said with a grin. “He’s alive. He helped me get you out of the truck.”

Elation filled her. She raised her hands to her face and let the tears flow. Finally, she looked at Dalton. “Where is he? I want to see him.”

“He’s resting. He came out of surgery about an hour ago.”

“Surgery?” she asked, her voice rising. “He was shot, then?”

Dalton nodded. “Orso shot him in the back. Thankfully, it missed his spine and went through and through, but there was a lot of damage. Still, he’s going to make a full recovery.”

Emmy closed her eyes and sighed, her heart bursting with joy.

“What happened?” Dalton asked as he handed her a glass of water with a straw in it. “How did you end up in the ravine?”

Emmy drank deeply before answering. “He wanted to take me back to the house, where there was cell reception. Apparently, Joe wanted to see my execution on FaceTime. It was a stroke of luck that he didn’t kill me immediately. I recalled the ravine and prayed that I remembered how to get there. When I saw it, I floored the gas pedal and sent us over. Tell me you have him in custody.”

“I don’t, actually. But only because he’s dead.”

“That won’t stop Joe from sending someone else.”

Dalton twisted his lips. “No, unfortunately, it won’t. Don’t worry. You’re here under an assumed name. I’ve been in contact with internal affairs, who is doing an investigation into the marshals after I presented evidence.”

“That’s great, but there’s still time before the trial. Do I have to go through this again?”

“I turned over evidence to the DA from Orso’s phone as he was hunting you. The conversations were enough to get Joe and his right hand, Tony, arrested for attempted murder. They’re both being held without bail. And the trial has been moved up.”

Her brows rose. “Really? When?”

“Two days’ time.”

“The judge granted this?”

Dalton nodded, a crooked smile on his lips. “He did when the DA presented all the evidence and proved that your life was in imminent danger.”

Emmy gently touched her head, for the first time realizing there was a dull ache there. She winced when she met a tender spot.

“You sustained a concussion. But other than a few cuts from the glass, you’re in good shape. We worried about your fingers because they were in the water for a bit, but the doctor said you should be fine.”

“I need to see Dwight. Will you take me to him?” she begged.

Dalton winked at her. “Hang tight. I’ll get a nurse to bring a wheelchair.”

Emmy glanced down at her red fingers. She couldn’t believe her gamble had paid off. Excitement and nervousness made her stomach flutter, and her heart beat erratically. It took forever and a day before the nurse arrived with the wheelchair. Once she was seated, Dalton pushed her out of the room and down the hall to an elevator. They went down two floors before the elevator doors opened with a ding. Dalton pushed her down an impossibly long hall and turned left before finally slowing in front of a room.

He stood to the side and opened it. Emmy couldn’t wait for him to push her through. She put her hands on the wheels and rolled herself in. When she saw Dwight lying in the bed asleep, fresh tears came. She didn’t stop until she was by the bed. Then she reached over and took his hand in hers.

She took in the red, abraded patches of skin over his face. He had suffered greatly while in the storm, but he had managed to pull through. He was strong both physically and in spirit, and it showed.