Page 45 of The Road Ahead
Then a voice cried out, “We’ve got a pulse!” and there was a flurry of movement around Teresa. I saw Cooper fall backwards onto his haunches and cover his face, and I wanted to go to him so badly, but I couldn’t.
I hadn’t thought much about what would come next, but as soon as I heard an approaching helicopter, I realized it was obvious. Carrying Teresa up the embankment would be too difficult, especially since her condition was so critical. Firefighters were still working to cut Brad out of the car. From what I’d gathered, the footwell was crushed against the rock ledge, pinning his legs. I didn’t know if his condition was serious or not, but given he was still conscious and alert, I hoped it wasn’t. I might not have gotten off to the best start with the guy, but I didn’t wish him any harm, especially since Teresa was trying to make a go of it with him.
The chopper hovered over the area, and we were all forced to shield our faces as sticks and debris were sent flying into the air from the rotors. By the time it was safe to look, Teresa was gone,the chopper disappearing into the night. One of the paramedics helped Cooper to his feet and pulled him in for a quick hug, slapping him on the back. Once he was released, Cooper turned and searched the area, until his eyes fell on me. He staggered over to where we were standing and all but fell against me.
“Will she be okay?” I asked, regretting it as soon as the words left my mouth. She’d suffered massive trauma and her heart had stopped for however long it had been.Okaywasn’t really in the cards.
Cooper just shrugged and held me tighter. “They’re flying her to St Luke’s over in Duluth as that’s the nearest hospital with a trauma center,” he said against my throat. “I gotta go and tell my parents.”
I nodded and hugged him back. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“You’ll come with me?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“Coop,” I said gently, drawing back and cupping his cheek. “OfcourseI’m coming with you. Besides the fact you don’t have a car with you, it’s you and me now, okay? We’re in this together and I’ll be there the whole time.”
He let out a shuddering breath. “It’s just a lot . . .”
“I don’t know much about the people you’ve dated in the past, but nothing is chasing me away. Okay, love? I’m here for you.”
He closed his eyes, and a tear slipped down his cheek. “Alright. Thank you.”
I kissed him gently and then took his hand. “Always, Coop. Always.”
After not seeing my Uncle Emmett and Aunt Cee-Lee since my mom’s funeral, this wasn’t how I had expected our reunion togo. Cooper didn’t have his keys on him, and so we stood on their front doorstep, well after midnight, knocking until they woke. Emmett’s face was pinched in concern as the door swung open, and Cee-Lee appeared behind him a moment later, a frown on her face as she hurriedly tied her dressing gown. Neither had changed much over the years. Emmett was tall and broad like his son, with kind eyes and hair that was more salt than pepper. Cee-Lee was taller than me, with a round face, framed by auburn hair and creased with laugh lines.
“Coop?” my uncle asked, looking between us with sleep-heavy eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Can we come in, Dad?” Cooper asked.
“Of course, of course,” Emmett said, and stood back to give us room to enter. His eyes fell on me and he smiled. “Rio. It’s so good to see you.”
I leaned in to give Emmett a hug and then turned to give Cee-Lee one as well. “Hey, guys,” I said quietly.
My aunt turned to Cooper and then gasped. “Is that blood?” she demanded. “Cooper, are you hurt?”
“It’s not mine, Mom. Please, can we sit? I have to tell you something.”
Cee-Lee’s eyes filled with tears. “Is it Teresa?” she whispered, her lip trembling.
Cooper rubbed her arms. “Mom, let’s go sit down, okay?” he repeated gently.
He led a trembling Cee-Lee through to the living room, with Emmett and me following. My aunt and uncle sat down on the couch, and I took the armchair nearby. Cooper knelt down in front of his parents, taking a hand in each of his. “You’re right, Mom—Teresa has been in an accident,” he said without preamble. “She’s been airlifted to St Luke’s. Her injuries are pretty serious, so you’ll both want to pack a bag and head there tonight so we can be with her.”
“What happened?” Emmett asked in a hoarse voice. His free hand was clamped around his knee, his knuckles white with the tension.
I tensed, unsure how they would take the news. Would they blame me? If it wasn’t for me, Teresa would never have been out on the road tonight. She would never have even considered joining the car club for a cruise otherwise.
Cooper must have sensed my panic as he looked over and gave me a look that was somehow both sympathetic and assuring. He turned back to his parents. “Teresa and Brad joined Rio and me for an event with the car club. They were leaving the spectator point when they were involved in an incident with another car. We’re not entirely sure what happened as yet, but Brad did say the other car was on the wrong side of the road.”
“Brad’s hurt too?” Cee-Lee asked.
“Not as badly as Teresa, but yes. My team told me they were transferring him to the local hospital. He’ll be undergoing surgery soon.”
Uncle Emmett frowned. “But they took Teresa all the way over to St Luke’s? Why?”
“Because they have a much better trauma team,” Cooper explained.
“What sort of injuries does she have?” Cee-Lee asked. “Is she going to be okay?”
