Page 3 of Finally Home

CHAPTERTWO

CAMI

The setting sun had just fallen behind the tall pine trees that surrounded the outfitter. Cami ran to her truck and Bear followed. The two of them jumped into the cab, and she tore out of the small parking lot, heading down the mountain. West might have been at the top of her lifetime shit list, but she didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. A silent prayer passed her lips that he’d made it past the ridge and was safely on his way back to town, none the wiser of the slide.

Even before she reached the bend in the road, Cami could see where the shelf had given way. She nearly stopped breathing when West’s blue pickup also came into view. He must have swerved and collided with the sliding snow, since his truck sat perpendicular with the road and the front half was buried in snow. As far as she could tell, the slide had happened in front of him, and he’d had to brake hard, causing him to lose control.

She threw her truck into park and jumped from the cab, then ran toward West.

Please be okay.I don’t know what I’ll do if you’re not okay.

A frisson of fear tore through her when she saw West staring blindly ahead, white knuckling the steering wheel.

“West!”

He didn’t move. There was no indication from him he’d heard her at all. That he was even conscious.

Her heart hammered and her hands shook as she jerked open the door. “West, you look at me right now, ya hear me, or I swear to God.”

“Shelby?”

Fuck.Was that his wife’s name? There was no way she was making that phone call. She could picture it now: “Oh, yes, ma’am. Your husband ran into a snowslide and is a little out of it. Oh, and he will be stuck with me on this mountain for at least a few days until the snow can be cleared. Who am I? I’m his ex-girlfriend he left right before joining the air force and meeting you.”

Yeah, that’d go over real well.

Tamping down her annoyance, Cami told Bear to stay outside the truck then climbed in the passenger door and shimmied onto the center console, her legs hanging into the back seat. “No, it’s Cami. Are you okay?”

A groan filled the cab, and West’s body jolted against the seat belt. His eyes shot wide with panic. “Shelby. I need to get to Shelby before it’s too late.”

Cami reached out and grabbed his shoulders, trying to stop his thrashing. “West, it’s okay. You’re okay. We’ll get you to Shelby as soon as we can.”

“No! It’s not okay. We have to help her. Get her out first.” His eyes widened and voice cracked as he pleaded with her. “Please! Oh, baby girl, please just hold on.”

The pain in his voice broke her. She’d never heard West sound so scared. So defeated. She wished she could take it all away.

Cami quickly realized West was stuck in some sort of flashback. She’d seen it before with her dad, who had served in the Gulf War. She reached out and gripped his arm tightly to act as a grounding rod. “West, it’s Cami. Come back to me. No one is going to get hurt. You’re safe.”

West calmed and shifted toward her, his face stopping inches from hers. Her breath hitched, and she couldn’t help but stare at his full lips.Not the time, Cami.

“Red?” His voice held a tone of confusion. She pulled her eyes to meet his and saw they were only half-focused. “Where am I?”

Cami’s gaze zeroed in on the bump on his head and a spot of blood on the window. “Shit, West, you’re bleeding.” He averted his gaze from her and reached up to touch the spot on his temple. When he pulled his hand away, blood was smeared across his fingers. “That explains the headache. What happened?”

“You just left the outfitter. A snow ledge collapsed, and you ran into it. Does anywhere else hurt? Don’t move. I’m going to call for help.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone.

“No. I think I’m fine. I just need to get out of the truck.” She didn’t miss the hint of panic in his voice or the frantic way he tried to unbuckle himself.

“Weston Elijah James, don’t you dare move another muscle until I talk to EMS.”

He stilled at the use of his full name, narrowed his eyes on her, and clenched his jaw tight, but he ceased any attempt to free himself.

“Please, Red. I need to get out of the truck.”

She hated not giving him what he wanted. It was possible he had a concussion and needed to be checked over, but she also didn’t want him dragged back into his mind.

West reached out and grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging into them almost painfully. “Please, I’m so close to losing it. Let me get out of the truck, and I will do anything you fucking want. I just can’t be in here right now.”

She looked him over, trying to decide whether it was safe for him to move. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his lip trembled slightly. He didn’t seem hurt, but it went against every bone in her body to let him out without calling EMS first. She’d never forgive herself if something happened to him.

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