Valerie Hansen - The Wedding Arbor

“If you could just help me push the stupid car, I’ll gladly go away.” She had to shout to be heard above the noise of wind and rain.

“It’s much too dangerous to drive anywhere while the roads and creeks are flooded.”

She made a disgusted face. “So, what do you recommend I do?” Noting the perplexity in Adam’s expression she couldn’t help grinning. “Besides, take a flying leap, I mean.”

He glanced over at the muddy, blue hatchback. “Looks to me like you almost did that, already.”

“I know.” Wide-eyed, she suddenly realized how close she had come to sliding into the rain-swollen gully. “I’ve never driven on anything but smooth pavement before.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

Sara watched him study the car’s hazardous position. “Can we push it?”

“Sure.” He shot her a cynical look. “You put your water wings on, get behind it, and push while I steer.”

“Very funny.” She faced him with her hands on her hips, keeping her stance wide for better balance due to the rising wind. She sure wished she’d worn something more suitable for stomping around in mud and water.

Adam turned away, ignoring her. He scanned the nearby underbrush, then broke a long, bare limb off a fallen tree. Swinging it around he gave Sara a momentary start until he placed it under the stuck rear bumper of her car and got into position to lift with his shoulder.

“You go over to the other side. Open that door so you can get a good hold and push from there,” he ordered.

“My camping gear will get rained on.”

“If it isn’t waterproof you got cheated when you bought it. Do you want my help, or not?”

“I do, I do.” She pressed her hands and inside shoulder to the door frame. “Okay. Ready when you are.”

“Now!” he shouted.

Sara held her breath and strained with all her might.

The tree limb snapped with a loud crack. Adam yelled and his hood fell back. Sara jumped away. She could finally see the dark, thick hair and chiseled features he’d had hidden beneath the yellow slicker. She could also see he’d given up his attempt to help.

“It’s no use,” he shouted. “We can’t do it by hand.”

“Okay. Now what?”

“How should I know? If I had a brain in my head I’d leave you here and go home where it’s warm and dry. But I can’t do that, can I?”

For the first time since they had met, Sara thought beyond the immediate present. If Adam wasn’t going to leave her, then he must intend to keep her with him. That presented a whole new set of problems. Was it safe to go anywhere with a man she’d known for only a few minutes? Could she trust him?

“Go ahead. Leave me here.” Sara put on a brave front. “I’ll just wait till the storm passes.”

“And then what? In case you haven’t noticed, that old wreck of yours is axle-deep in mud.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I have a sleeping bag and plenty of provisions.”

“Where?”

“In the back seat and under the hatchback.”

“How do you propose to reach them without falling off the cliff?”

“Well, I…”

Adam scowled at her. “I thought so. I suppose you’d better come with me then. My conscience won’t let me leave you here. Come on. I’ll take you to my place.”

Sara didn’t move. She insisted she wasn’t afraid. Not really. She just couldn’t make up her mind whether or not it was a good idea to go with him. The safest choice was to continue to decline his neighborly offer, no matter how innocent it was.

He wiped his wet face with a quick pass of one strong hand and pushed his hair off his forehead. “Well?”

“I’m not going with you.”

“Fine. In that case, I think you should know one thing. These hills are riddled with limestone caves. Every once in a while, when the soil gets waterlogged like it is now, the ceiling of one of the caves collapses.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Adam eyed the contents of her car. “Have you got a tour book in there?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Look it up. There’s a big one in southern Missouri. Grand Gulf, I think they call it. A cave roof fell in and created such an impressive canyon they made a state park out of it.”

Sara had been analyzing him as he spoke, trying to accurately judge his truthfulness. After being fooled so completely by Eric, she no longer trusted her intuition. Still…“You’re not kidding, are you?”

“Nope.” He held out his hand. “Well?”

She hesitated, changing her mind repeatedly. Should she? Shouldn’t she? The idea of being warm and dry certainly sounded appealing, even if she was forced to listen to more of the man’s unwarranted criticism while in his company.

Adam shook his head in disgust as another bolt of lightning struck across the wooded valley. “That was too close. I’m not going to stand here and beg while we both freeze to death or become toast.” He reached down and grabbed her wrist.

Sara gasped. “Hey! What…?”

“I’m taking you home with me, lady, and if you scream or pitch a fit I’m going to let go and leave you right here. I’ll be happy to forget my idiotic dog ever led me to you. Got that?”

“Perfectly.” She made a successful grab for the strap of her pack, lurching and stumbling along behind Adam.

The man had a valid point. It was pretty stupid to just stand there and argue. When he’d had time to calm down she’d tell him exactly what she thought of his high-handed tactics.

But I’ll do it politely, if it’s still raining, she added, shivering. Being warm and dry sounded wonderful. She wasn’t about to risk being pitched out into the storm again because she was too outspoken.

“Watching history on television does not prepare a person for this,” Sara shouted. “How in the world did the women cope in long skirts back then?”

“They probably didn’t go brush-busting in the first place.” He lifted her feet off the ground as he pulled her up behind him on a rocky ledge. “We aren’t taking the usual trail. It’s too far that way. The sooner I get out of this blasted weather the better I’ll like it.”

“How much farther is it?” She was breathless.

“Just up this hill and through the little valley beyond.”

Sara didn’t want him to let go of her wrist because she was afraid she might not be able to keep up without help. The ground beneath her ruined sandals was slippery. She’d lost her footing repeatedly. She’d barked her shins and torn her skirt on brambles and briars. Not to mention almost winding up impaled by a deadly-looking tree with thousands of three-inch-long thorns!

“What happened to your dog?” she asked.

“Knowing Samson, he’s bringing up the rear to make sure we both get home okay.”

“Good. I’d hate to have anything bad happen to an animal that likes me so much.”

Adam gave a hard tug and pulled her up beside him. They were balanced on a narrow rock ledge beneath the canopy of a gigantic oak. The leaves didn’t stop all the rain but they did offer a slight respite from the wind-driven torrent.

“Yeah. I don’t understand that,” he said, scowling. “He’s supposed to treat his family like a flock of sheep and be really leery of outsiders.”

“Guess he could tell I was friendly.” Sara looked up into her companion’s deep-blue eyes and wondered for an unguarded instant if she was crazy to have placed all her trust in the rugged-looking, taciturn stranger.

Sensing her uneasiness, Adam softened his expression. “Look, lady. I promise I won’t hurt you. I really am trying to keep you out of danger and get us both back inside before we catch pneumonia.”

“I know.” She gave him a sweet, trusting smile. “If I had to get stuck anywhere, I’m glad it was on your road.”