Page 60 of Fairy Tale Husband

“Dusty searched it earlier.”

“It’s a long walk.” Desperation tainted her words. “Maybe they weren’t there, yet. Or maybe they hid from him.”

“Okay,” he said evenly. “I’ll go check the house again.”

She turned around, setting her chin at a defiant angle. “I’m going with you.”

To her surprise, he didn’t argue. Perhaps he knew how desperately she needed to act, to do more than wait, worry, and brew coffee for the search party. “Get coats,” he instructed. “And some blankets. If we find them, they’re going to be half frozen.”

Jake’s broken hand prevented him from driving a stick shift, so Wynne slid behind the steering wheel of the truck. Not wasting any time, she started the engine, ground into first gear and spun out of the driveway. Fifteen minutes later she pulled into the dirt road leading to Lost Trail. Jake leaned forward, peering through the windshield.

“Aw, hell! Floor it, Wynne. Isee a light.”

She stomped on the accelerator, shooting off the end of the driveway and bouncing heedlessly across the lawn. Skidding to a halt outside the mudroom door, she leapt from the truck and raced into the house. The sight that greeted her almost brought her to her knees. Afitful fire crackled in the grate of the wood-burning stove, throwing off a miserly warmth. The boys sat huddled on the kitchen floor in front ofit.

They weren’t moving.

“Buster? Chick?” she called, approaching with leaden feet, afraid of what she’d find. They shifted in response to the sound of her voice and she sent up a silent prayer of relief, until they turned around. She gasped in horror at their pale, blue-tinged complexions.

“Hi, Aunt Wynne,” Buster murmured in an exhausted little voice. “Boy, are we glad to see you.”

She fell on them, hugging them close. “Me, too,” she answered, her voice breaking despite her best efforts. They were cold. So verycold.

“We tried to call, but the phone didn’t work.”

Jake came in then, dropping blankets and coats at their feet and Chick held up his arms. “Uncle Dad,” he whispered, croaking out the first words he’d spoken aloud in a long, long time. “I knew you would gets me.”

It was too much to bear. In the darkest moments of despair, amiracle was born. Wynne bowed her head and burst into tears.

Jake scooped up Chick, his hands trembling uncontrollably, and buried his face in the boy’s silky hair. “Go start the truck and turn the heater on high while I wrap them up,” he ordered tersely. “We need to get them to the hospital as soon as possible.”

“Are they going to be all right?” she questioned anxiously.

“I hope so.” Moving with swift efficiency, he carried Chick from the house. Then he returned for Buster, situating the boys so they were close to the heating vents of the truck. “Let’s go.”

She tried to force the clutch into gear, but stalled the engine. For the first time ever, Jake heard her swear. He caught her hand as she reached for the ignition, his steady, golden gaze holding hers. “Take it easy, honey. Iknow you’re frightened. But it’ll work out. Ipromise.”

“I can’t. Ican’t do it,” she cried. “He’s finally talking and I can’t hold it together long enough—”

“They’re safe,” Jake said calmly. “We just have to get them to a doctor to make sure they aren’t suffering from exposure.”

“We’re safe now, Aunt Wynne,” Buster repeated sleepily. “You don’t have to be scared no more.”

“No more,” Chick confirmed.

“Now slow and easy, just like I taught you,” Jake said. “Remember? First gear is a kiss.”

She nodded, fighting off tears. Taking a deep breath, she turned the key and restarted the truck. This time, she slid smoothly into first.

“Thatta girl. Now a gentle touch.”

Pushing in the clutch, she shifted into second. “How far to the hospital?”

“The closest one is in Two Forks.”

“Jake—”

“Don’t panic. You can do it. Shift into third.”

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