Shannon’s stricken pale face was clearly visible through the windshield. As he neared the car, she waved frantically to him as if he might suddenly decide to go away.
He was sure his eyes were deceiving him when he saw what looked like a dog in the seat with her. She hadn’t said anything about having a pet.
As he peered through the driver’s window, he gave her as much of a reassuring smile as he could manage and said loudly, “It’s going to be okay. I’ll get you out as fast as I can.”
He didn’t have an answer for the question he saw in her eyes. He surveyed the car. He knew at any moment the whole shelf of rocks could pull out from the ground, and everything would start sliding. One thing was certain. There wasn’t any time to waste.
He was concerned that shifting even one of the boulders could affect the balance of the others. Very gingerly, he began putting his weight against one of the rocks pinning the front door shut.
Lord, lend me Your strength and wisdom. And I could even use an angel or two, right now.
After painstaking effort, only one large boulder remained against the front door on the driver’s side. Ward breathed another prayer as he put his full weight against it. Slowly the rock began to move, and then, with one momentous shove, he sent it rolling with a crash down the slope. Afraid that the movement could have loosened the other rocks, he jerked open the door.
“Get out quickly,” he ordered. He knew that they had to get away from the car as soon as possible, in case the shelf of rocks broke away under their feet.
The dog scrambled out first, leaping over Shannon. When Ward saw that she was getting out, hanging onto her purse and a small suitcase, he barked, “Drop everything and climb as fast as you can.”
In Shannon’s shaken state, leaving all her belongings in the car and trunk was devastating. She ignored his order to drop her purse and overnight bag.
When Ward saw the stubborn set of her mouth, he grabbed the suitcase from her. “Move.” He gave her a not-too-gentle shove forward. With the dog bounding ahead of them, they scrambled up the steep slope.
Shannon was breathing heavily when they reached the shoulder of the road. Her whole body shook when she looked at the car, which so easily could have been a heap of crushed metal at the bottom of the ravine—with her in it! Tears flooded her eyes, and her lips trembled. She’d never had a brush with death before, and when she felt Ward’s arm go around her shoulder, she leaned into him, grateful for the warmth of his strong body that lessened a threatening hysteria within her.
“It’s all right,” he soothed. “You’re okay.” Thank you, Lord, Ward prayed. He gently stroked her back, and a swelling of tenderness took him totally by surprise. He didn’t understand why this woman he scarcely knew could create such a deep stirring in him. They had no common ground to build even a slight friendship, and he was certain that in any other situation, she would only be slightly amused by his presence. And yet, as she trembled in his arms, he wanted more than anything to kiss away the tears on her cheeks and bring a smile to her.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, drawing away and swiping at her tears. Shannon kept her head lowered and didn’t look at him. Anybody with eyes in their head ought to be able to drive down an empty road without running off it. She’d always prided herself on her perfect driving record, and now this!
“Nothing to be sorry about,” he reassured her. “You’re safe—that’s all that matters. I think we ought to get going. I don’t like the looks of that sky.”
Pokey had been bouncing around at their feet, woofing excitedly as if the world was a wonderful place when people were around to keep him company.
“Come on, pup,” Ward said as he and Shannon moved toward the pickup. Without waiting for an invitation, Pokey jumped in and settled happily on Shannon’s lap.
Ward held his curiosity about the dog in check until he saw Shannon lightly petting him with soft, tender strokes. Then he asked with his usual smile, “Where did the pup come from?”
She told him about Kenny looking for Pokey last evening. “Somehow Pokey made his way to my cottage, and I put him in the back seat. I’d only driven a short distance when all of a sudden he jumped into the front seat and startled me.” Her voice faltered.
He could guess the rest of the story. She’d inadvertently turned the steering wheel, and the car dropped off the road.
“It was stupid,” she said in a tone that was edged with disgust for herself.
He was surprised she’d bothered with the dog in the first place. He suspected that underneath that polished exterior of hers, there might be a deep, caring nature.
“Things like that happen to everyone,” he assured her.
“Not to me,” she said firmly. “I should have made sure that the dog stayed in the back.”
“Well, no harm done,” he said.
Her eyes rounded as she stared at him. “How can you say that? No harm done? My car will probably end up smashed to smithereens and my belongings burned to a crisp.”
“True. I guess it’s just the way you look at it. Since you escaped without being smashed to smithereens and burned with the rest of it, I’d say no real harm was done.” He shot her a quick glance. Didn’t she realize how blessed she was that she’d run off the road in that exact spot? There were a hundred other places where there were no rock ledges to halt a sheer drop into the canyon below. “It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?”
Shannon tightened her jaw and didn’t answer. What she didn’t need was someone reminding her that she should be grateful instead of resentful about the whole thing. If he started lecturing her about families who had lost everything, she silently vowed she’d get out and walk.
Ward knew she was shaken up and still scared by what had happened. He could appreciate the toll the experience had taken on her nerves, because his own were still on edge from the ordeal. Even now he could feel sweat beading on the back of his neck if he thought about what could have happened.
They drove in silence until they reached the school parking lot. As soon as Ward turned off the engine, a man with a clipboard came over to the pickup’s window.
“Is she the one not accounted for?” he asked Ward as he shot a quick look at Shannon.
“Yes. She had a little accident that delayed her.”
The man grunted as if he thought one feeble excuse was as good as another. “The wind is kicking up. They’ve called in some more tankers. Hot flames could crest the ridge by nightfall.”
“Or the fire could burn back on itself,” Ward countered, believing that positive and negative thoughts created their own energy.
“Well, you’re about the only one who thinks so,” the man said flatly and walked away.
Shannon swallowed hard. How much time left before the whole mountain went up in flames? “What are the chances of getting a wrecker to pull my car back on the road?”
“Under normal conditions, Ed’s Towing Service could give it a try. If the car stays hung up on those rocks, a pulley and cable could probably bring it up without too much trouble.”
She felt a spurt of hope. “So if they put out the fire before it reaches the ridge, and it’s safe to go back up the mountain, they could do it pretty fast?”
“Yes, they could—under normal conditions.” He hated to douse the sudden spark in her lovely wide eyes as he added, “But I’m afraid as long as the whole area is in a fire zone and restricted to official personnel, the car will have to stay where it is.”
“I