Terri Reed - Buried Mountain Secrets

He gave her a smile that made her heart flutter in a way that left her a bit tongue-tied.

“Honestly, it was my pleasure.” He cleared his throat and then turned to nod to the paramedics. “Let’s get them to the hospital.”

As Maya and Brady were loaded into the ambulance bay, she held Brady’s hand but her gaze stayed on Alex as he moved over to the group of people that had come down the trail with him.

He’d not only rescued her and then protected her, he’d also brought her brother back to her. Alex was a really good man. Her parents would have liked him.

Too bad she wasn’t looking for a really good man in her life. Or any man for that matter. She had more than enough to deal with as it was with Brady and the store. Putting herself out there for more heartache wasn’t an option.

* * *

Alex looked at the group around him. Since he didn’t have grounds to detain them, the most he could hope for was their willing cooperation. “Okay, people. Deputy Chase Fredrick and Deputy Daniel Rawlings—” he gestured to the two deputies “—will take your information. Are you all staying here in town?”

“Yes, sir. The Bristle Hotel,” the man named Greg offered.

Good. He’d know where to find them if it turned out the deceased had met with foul play. Alex searched each face, wondering if one of these people was a murderer and/or Maya’s assailant. He wasn’t ready to reveal more until the area where the deceased man had been found could be processed in the daylight.

Leaving Chase and Daniel in charge of the five hikers, Alex informed his boss of the plan to question the hikers once he had some more information.

Sheriff Ryder nodded his approval. “You’re doing well, son.”

The praise was nice to hear, even if it made him uncomfortable. He’d never received much encouragement from his own father. Which reminded him, Dad was waiting at home with dinner. He unclipped his cell phone from his utility belt and called his father to let him know he had a few more errands to run before he would make it home. He could hear the disappointment in his father’s voice. It couldn’t be helped. Alex’s priority was the job.

“Kaitlyn,” he called to the other deputy, who was now talking with Leslie Quinn and Riley and Trevor Howard.

Kaitlyn extracted herself and hurried over. “What’s up?”

“Would you be willing to take my truck and Truman over to the sheriff’s parking lot? I need to take Maya’s car to her at the hospital and drive her and Brady home.”

“Sure, no problem. But I can just take Truman home with me. I can put him in one of our empty stalls.”

Kaitlyn owned a large stable where several members of the mounted patrol boarded their horses. “That would be awesome. So much better than him being cooped up in the trailer any longer than necessary.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Also, I don’t think Maya and Brady should be alone tonight. Would you be willing to stay with them?” He’d do it but wasn’t sure how that would go over. Better to have the female deputy stand guard over the Gallos.

“Good idea. I’ll pack a bag and head over after I get the horses rubbed down and fed.”

“Thanks, Kaitlyn.” He handed her his keys and headed for Maya’s Jeep. When he opened the door, the scent of cinnamon teased his senses. He smiled as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Maya liked Red Hots. He’d seen boxes of them behind the counter at the store. She was like that spicy candy. Bold, yet not abrasive. Sweet, but not a pushover. She didn’t tolerate guff from anybody and yet she was kind to everyone, if a bit standoffish.

He started up the Jeep and drove to the hospital. Bristle Township, Colorado, was barely considered a town. More of a hamlet or a village with less than a thousand full-time residents. He could walk from one end of Main Street to the other in a matter of minutes. The “downtown area” consisted of two rows of two-story buildings that housed a variety of shops, restaurants and businesses with the Community Christian Church a focal point at the north end.

The county stretched for miles but the town itself was quaint, rustic even, in some ways. That was what had drawn him to apply for the position of deputy for Bristle County to begin with when he’d left Denver. He’d wanted a simpler life in a place where he could belong.

And he would do anything to protect its citizens.

He parked the Jeep in the designated spot for the sheriff. Inside the hospital, he stopped by the front desk to let them know not to tow the Jeep, then he was given directions to Maya and Brady’s whereabouts. He entered the emergency room to find the siblings on side-by-side gurneys with a doctor and nurse hovering over them. Maya’s eyes widened when she saw him, and the small smile of welcome she gave him sent his pulse skittering.

Brady was more exuberant in his greeting. “Deputy Alex!” He waved. “Come over here and see what they’re doing to me.”

His injured ankle had been wrapped and placed in a walking boot.

“That is some fancy footwear there, Brady.”

“They shod my foot. Like a horse,” Brady said with a grin.

Turning to the doctor, Alex asked, “How are these two doing? Will they be released tonight?”

After looking to Maya for permission to share details and receiving an affirmative, the doctor said, “X-rays show no fractures for either of them. Brady will have to wear the boot for a week and follow up with his primary doctor. Maya’s shoulder will be sore for a while. I prescribed some PT. We will have to wait until the swelling goes down before we can do an MRI to see if there are any tears.”

Alex was glad to hear no bones had been broken. The worry that had been churning in his gut lessened.

“As to your other question, yes, they are good to go,” the doctor finished.

“They have both had pain medication.” The nurse handed him a small bag and a large one. “There’s more here. And here are their personal items.”

Alex glanced inside the large bag to see Brady’s backpack, shoe and Maya’s jacket.

The doctor turned to Maya. “Don’t let the pain get out of control, for either you or Brady. Stay on schedule at least for the first twenty-four hours.”

“Yes, sir,” she said.

“Your chariot awaits,” Alex said.

Two nurses appeared with wheelchairs.

“I get to ride a wheelchair,” Brady said, pumping his fist in the air.

Alex was glad to see Brady taking this all in stride. Alex still needed to question the boy to find out if he’d seen the deceased man and he had some questions about the Good Samaritan hikers. But that would have to wait.

After getting Maya and Brady into the Jeep, Alex drove them to their house, a cute little bungalow on a residential street behind the Community Christian Church.

He helped Maya out to the car. “You sure you can walk?”

She slanted him a chiding glance. “I hurt my shoulder.” She gestured to the sling encasing her right arm. “Not my legs.”

“Just checking.” He kind of wished she’d said she wanted him to pick her up again. He had liked holding her far more than he should have and the memory of her in his arms would stay with him for a long time.

However, Brady needed help so Alex scooped the boy up into his arms, carried him inside the house and placed him on the couch in the living room. Alex stepped back and looked around, liking the cozy feel of the Gallo home with its leather couches, bright throw pillows, a warm colorful woolen floor rug covering cherry hardwood floors and a gas fireplace below a flat-screen television.

One wall held bookshelves and framed photographs. His gaze snagged on a picture of the Gallo family when Maya and Brady were younger. His heart ached for the siblings’ loss.