Page 91 of One Sweet Day I Found You

She moved over to one of the low windows so she could gaze into the grand living room for a quick check. Curtains blocked some of the view, but not entirely. Lucky break. Courtney peered inside, shielding her vision with a hand to block the glare.

She scanned the room. Nothing.

She peered further, and finally, she saw her. Courtney gasped. Victoria was lying motionless on her back on the hallway floor that led into the kitchen.

Her heart began to thump in her chest.Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh.

She had to do something. Where was her phone? Of course—this would be the one time she didn’t have it on her. It was still inside her purse in the cottage. She dropped the umbrella and raced back to grab it.

A few moments later, she’d dialed 911 and spoken to the operator. Emergency Services would be there in just a few minutes. Courtney stayed on the line with the female operator as she hurried back to Victoria’s porch to wait for the cry of the siren.

But how were they going to get in? Would they have to break down the door? Break the lock? The operator wanted to know if she had access to the home. She told her she did not.

Ash stood there, still pacing the porch. He knew it wasn’t like Victoria not to answer her door and let her favorite furry companion inside. Courtney picked him up and hugged him close.

Clutching the cat, she sat down on one of the patio chairs, the 911 operator still on the other end of the line.

Nick would want to know what was going on. He only did wilderness rescues, not residential calls, so he probably wouldn’t hear anything about this. Courtney had to let him know. Right now.

She heard the sirens off in the distance.

Nick probably wouldn’t take her call, not the way things went down last night, judging from the way he’d ghosted her last week. Too bad, she thought.I’m calling.

“Listen, I need to call the injured woman’s loved ones, so I need to hang up with you,” she told the operator. The woman noted the vehicle’s GPS coordinates and agreed, telling her the ambulance would be there in four minutes. She advised Courtney to call back immediately if anything changed. Courtney ended the call.

Courtney touched the audio button below Nick’s name in her contacts list. The phone rang once.

He’d be at work, right? He was off yesterday. The weather was lousy. The shop shouldn’t be busy. Two more rings.

Come on, pick up.

Finally, Nick answered, his tone flat. “Hey,” he said.

“Nick, it’s me,” Courtney said. “Victoria—she must’ve fallen. Emergency services are on their way. I’m outside her house, but I’m locked out.”

“Oh, my gosh. I’ll be right there,” he said, and hung up.

Courtney swallowed, staring anxiously at the lake and the rain. How long would it take them to get inside without access to the house? She should’ve told Nick to call Josie. Josie would have a key. Courtney didn’t have her number.Shoot.

Did Nick have a key? She wasn’t sure.

But wait—she hadn’t yet checked the back doors to Victoria’s expansive home. There were two she knew of. One of them might be unlocked. It was worth a shot. Courtney raced around the far side of the house to the back.

She reached the door that opened into the garage and jiggled the handle. It was locked.

The rain was falling harder now. The air felt heavy, humid. Courtney’s back was soaked with sweat and the drenching rain actually felt good on her skin.

She ran to the side door, the one that must’ve led from the basement into the kitchen. Josie used it when she was unloading groceries. Courtney had seen her several times—the door was visible from a side window of the guesthouse.

She jiggled the handle—it was locked. She huffed. Courtney looked around. A small cluster of flowerpots sat at the base of the door.There’s no way.

Oh, why not?She lifted the pots, one by one, and finally, her eyes shot wide—a key!

She tried it in the door and the lock turned.

Courtney opened the door and quickly took the key out, sliding it into her back pocket, then raced inside the basement and up the stairs. At the top, she found her way through the kitchen to the living room hallway, where she knelt down next to Victoria on the floor. Victoria’s eyes were closed.

Her heart racing, Courtney felt Victoria’s forehead and cheeks. She was colder than Courtney, but still, warm. She put two fingers to the artery in her throat. Her pulse was slow, but it was there. Courtney checked her mouth for breathing. Also, good, but the woman was unconscious.

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