The Deputies: 3 Novella Box Set (13 page)

T
abby Bartlett had never seen a winter storm as bad as this one. This trip to Montana was turning into a nightmare. Her native Baltimore rarely saw this kind of snow accumulation or this nasty, wicked wind. She could barely keep her car on the road. The only thing that would make it more perfect was if the Abominable Snowman was thumbing a ride on the side of the road.

She’d been slipping and sliding since Billings, and the visibility was getting worse. The wind had picked up about an hour ago as the sun had gone down, and she could barely see a few feet in front of her. The headlights valiantly tried to throw a beam of light into the darkness but they only illuminated the swirling snowflakes.

Her knuckles where white where she clenched the steering wheel tightly, her body rigid and tense. Aching and scared, she tried to rotate first one shoulder and then the other to alleviate some of the stress that had settled in her neck and back.

“You are so fucked and you only have yourself to blame. What a time to have a blonde moment.”

The waitress at the restaurant in Billings had said something about a storm but Tabby hadn’t been worried. She enjoyed driving, loving the feeling of being free on the open road while she listened to her favorite music on her iPod.

And that was part of the problem.

If she’d been listening to the radio, the chances were good she would have heard something about the weather and the road conditions. As it was, she was in the middle of nowhere. According to her GPS she was close to Springwood but she hadn’t seen a sign for miles. It was Tabby, some cattle, and the blowing snow.

“Shit. Come on, baby. Just get me to the nearest hotel.”

Tabby had a bad habit of talking to herself and she’d been giving herself a little pep talk for the last hour. It made her feel less alone and vulnerable, although deep down she knew she was in a very dangerous situation. This was how people died. She’d seen it on the news and always scoffed at those who had driven directly into bad weather assuming they were somehow immune to the elements.

Tabby didn’t think she was immune. At the moment, she thought she was a complete and total idiot which wasn’t a usual state for her to be in. Her mind had been on her assignment and now Tabby was probably going to die because of her own sheer stupidity.

Her only comforting thought was that she had a full tank of gas and an expensive set of tires on her brand new BMW 5 sedan. If she could keep her focus on the road, she was sure she could get out of this alive. She’d slowed the car down as the weather had worsened, and she was currently inching her way on US 90 so slowly she wouldn’t reach Bozeman until June.

“I am as dumb as a bag of doorknobs,” Tabby muttered as the tires skidded once again. Turning the wheel in the direction of the slide, she was able to gain control of the vehicle again and stay on the road. Her breathing was shaky and her palms sweaty with fear.

Or what she thought was the road. The visibility was so poor she could be driving on the shoulder for all she knew. She prayed she wasn’t in anyone else’s lane although she hadn’t seen another car in quite a while. The roads were deserted, adding to her trepidation. Her heart thumped, the sound even louder than the howling wind outside the car.

The wind whipped the snow across the road and she turned on her windshield wipers higher, her nerves stretched to the max. She was so tense she almost screamed with relief when her headlights lit up a sign for the town of Springwood two miles away. Food. Gas. Lodging. She’d made it after hours of driving.

“Yes! Civilization!” she exulted, taking a deep breath. Things were finally looking up.

In her eagerness, she pressed down on the accelerator, desperately wanting to get to safety. She barely had time to react as her wheels spun and her car began to fishtail. Tabby sucked in a breath as she tried to get control of the vehicle but instead it slid into a one-eighty turn before skidding toward a deep ditch. Everything seemed to slow down except the racing of her heart and she watched in a state of horror as the vehicle went nose first into the ditch, jerking her body violently as gravity took control. Her seatbelt held her in place, and her hands tightened into a death grip on the steering wheel.

The car landed with a hard bump, her head banging the driver’s side window. She hissed in a breath as a pain shot up her right leg. She must have been stomping on the brake as the car was plunging into the snowy abyss. Stupid but instinctual.

Her brand new car was now a dented hunk of metal and she wasn’t in much better shape. Panic crawled up her spine and she leaned her forehead down on the steering wheel for a moment to gain control.

“Okay, you’ve done something really stupid here, but it’s not the end of the world. Think, Tabby. Think about what you’ve seen on television. This is no time to panic.”

Even her voice was shaky but there was no one around to hear it. She vaguely recalled hearing that you shouldn’t leave your vehicle if you were trapped in a snowstorm. Something about getting lost in the snow and your body being found during the spring thaw.

Tabby shuddered at the morbid thought but managed a wry smile despite her dire straits. She wasn’t a quitter and if the Grim Reaper was hanging out on US 90 looking for victims he’d damn well come to the wrong place. She wasn’t going anywhere. Her car was damaged but it was still running which meant she had heat to keep her alive until someone found her.

Her head was pounding and she reached up and tentatively probed her scalp for wounds. She winced as her fingers ran over a good sized goose egg above her ear but there didn’t appear to be any more damage. Unclipping her seatbelt, she tried moving her limbs, groaning when she shifted her right ankle. It didn’t feel broken, but then she’d never broken a bone in her entire life so she probably wouldn’t know if she had. She carefully stretched out her leg so the ankle was propped up on the seat, and leaned back against the headrest for just a moment, trying to quiet the hammer in her skull.

Her purse had fallen from the passenger seat onto the floor and she slid over, trying not to jar her ankle and managed to retrieve the errant bag. Unzipping it, she pulled out her cell phone and prayed there was coverage in this deserted area.

Relief and triumph flooded her veins. Two bars. It wasn’t much but it should be enough to make a call to 911. Choking back a sob, her trembling fingers dialed the numbers. It felt like an eternity before someone answered.

“911. What is your emergency?”

Trying to keep from sounding hysterical, Tabby recited what had happened and her general location.

“I’m dispatching help. Please stay on the line with me, ma’am.”

The operator continued to pepper Tabby with questions, probably to make sure she didn’t pass out or wander into the storm. A few times she could hear the operator talking to someone else but the words were difficult to make out.

Her eyelids were starting to get heavy and her responses to the operator slower when she snapped straight up in the seat. Headlights were shining in the rear window of her car. Help had finally arrived.

“Ma’am? Are you still there? The officer dispatched has located you. Please stay where you are until he gets to you.”

Deputy Sam Taylor pulled his official City of Springwood SUV over onto the shoulder of US 90. Calling Springwood a city was quite a stretch, but he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. He’d been a big city cop for a few years after the Army and had hated the congested traffic and air pollution. Montana was God’s country as far as he was concerned. He’d never venture far again.

Grabbing his flashlight and a crowbar in case the occupant of the crashed vehicle was stuck in the car, he pushed open the door of his truck. The frigid air assaulted his senses and the wind almost took his breath away. According to the radio, it was already below zero and they were due for at least another eight inches of snow before dawn. It wouldn’t be so bad but an evil wind was coming out of the west blowing that snow across roadways faster than the plows could remove it.

It was no wonder he’d spent the evening helping stranded motorists who didn’t have the sense God gave a goose to stay the hell off the roads. One by one he’d plucked them from their cars and taken them either to the hospital or the Springwood Inn for the night. A tow truck would pick up their cars later when the roads were in better shape.

Carefully making his way down the steep ditch and trying not to land on his ass in the process, his boots dug deeply into the mounded drifts. All he wanted was a hot shower and a nice glass of whiskey in front of the fire. He’d been freezing his nuts off all night.

He tapped the driver’s side window a few times with the flashlight and pulled his collar more closely around his neck. It was a fucking miserable night not fit for man or beast. Or even a deputy, he thought with a chuckle.

Unable to see the occupant because of the piled up snow on the glass, he took a step back in case the car door came flying open. It didn’t, instead opening slowly as if the driver was unsure as to whether to trust him. It was good to be cautious and Sam wanted to reassure the person as best he could.

“Deputy Taylor here. Are you okay? The operator said you had some injuries but refused an ambulance?”

Sam held up his flashlight so he could see a figure shrouded in the shadows turn around and look up. “I’ve got a bump on my head and I hurt my ankle but I don’t think I need an ambulance, Officer. That sounds like overkill.”

The voice was soft, feminine, and a little husky.

“Let’s get you into my truck. I’ll help you up the incline.”

He didn’t argue with her about the ambulance. The nearest emergency room was already slammed. With her minor injuries, she’d end up waiting for hours just to see a doctor.

Sam held out his arms and the woman hesitated for a moment. It was hard to see her expression in the thick snow but she put her hands in his after only a moment’s hesitation.

“Um, I need to get my suitcase. It’s in the trunk.”

“Just give me your keys. I’ll get it once I settle you into the truck.”

“My car—” she began, glancing up at the front end buried in the snow.

“A tow truck will get it when the weather clears. Now let me help you.”

She didn’t argue and simply allowed him to help her to her feet. Wincing, she muffled a groan as her weight came onto her ankle. He slid his arm around her shoulders for support.

“Just lean on me.”

With the slippery snow and ice, it took way too long and he knew she was hurting, but he finally got her up the steep embankment and into the warm vehicle. He didn’t waste any time, jogging back down to the car and retrieving a large suitcase and a small carry on. He was careful to lock the vehicle before returning to his own. He didn’t think anyone would bother the car but he wasn’t taking any chances. Stowing the luggage in the back of the truck, he climbed inside before putting the vehicle in gear.

The way she’d favored her left leg bothered him, plus she’d said she had a bump on her head. She may not want to take a ride to the nearest hospital but she really should see a doctor. Sam knew just the place to take her. Turning on his siren and lights, he headed cautiously for town.

Keeping all his attention on the road, he didn’t have time to study his damsel in distress or even talk to her. Conditions had worsened and he needed every ounce of energy to navigate them safely. By the time he pulled onto the street where Dr. Madison Marks lived he was exhausted. When he’d got the call about this woman’s car, he’d been less than thirty minutes from getting off duty.

“Where are we?” Her musical voice interrupted his thoughts. She leaned forward to see out of the window. “This doesn’t look like a hotel.”

“It’s not. This is where Dr. Marks lives. She can give you the once over to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

“We’ll just be sure. Madison is a nice woman and it’s still early. She and Tanner should still be awake.”

Luckily the house lights were blazing and even the porch light was lit in welcome. The woman struggled out of the truck but Sam quickly went around to her side to help her to the back door. Sam pressed on the bell and waited, shoving his free hand into his pocket. It was colder than shit out here.

The door flew open and his boss, Sheriff Tanner Marks stood there with a grin. “I thought it was you on the monitor. Come on in and get out of the cold.”

Tanner had installed some security measures after Madison had had an issue with someone coming there for treatment. From now on, she would know whom she was opening the door for at all times.

They stepped into the warmth and Madison bustled into the room with a wide smile, dressed in blue sweats and a University of Kansas sweatshirt. Tanner gave his wife a warm, loving look and she gazed back at him as if he were a god.

Love had changed Tanner into a completely different man. A happy one.

Madison held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Dr. Madison Marks. How can I help you?”

The woman pushed back her long hair from her face and for the first time Sam was able to get a good look at her. The lighting in the truck had been too dim to really see anything.

Tiny in stature, at least next to his six foot plus form, her hair was a shiny golden blonde he thought only existed in those magazines he’d seen at the dentist or the barber. Her skin was pale and smooth and her lips a rosy pink even without gloss or lipstick. Her eyes, which were open wide as she took in her surroundings, were the same color as a Montana summer sky. She also appeared to be young, much younger than Sam’s forty years.

“I’m Tabitha Bartlett. Tabby for short. I got in a little car accident.”

Tanner was looking at Sam with raised eyebrows making him flush with embarrassment. His boss had caught him staring at the woman and Sam was sure he’d hear about it at a later date and time.

“Let’s get you back into the examining room then. Why don’t you leave your coat out here?”

The two women disappeared into the back, leaving Tanner standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and a shit-eating grin on his face.