Angel Smits - A Message for Julia p.03

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Saturday Morning, 6:30 a.m.
PATRICK’S WORDS TRIGGERED a landslide of silence. He must have said more because
his lips kept moving, but Julia’s brain was on overload and nothing made sense.
He left and she turned toward the exit. She felt Shirley move away, disappearing
into the crowd and her own pain. Julia’s temples pounded and her neck ached.
Nothing helped. She had aspirin in her purse, but knew it wouldn’t react well
with all the coffee she’d drunk.
They aren’t going to make it. A scream bubbled up inside her. Her throat
convulsed and she wrapped her arms around her middle, afraid she’d throw up.
Breathing deeply, she hid her face in her hands, but she couldn’t seem to make
her lungs expand.
She felt the tentative touch of a hand on her shoulder. Missy was trying to
comfort her, but she flinched away from the girl’s touch.
“Sorry,” Missy whispered and stepped back.
“No. Don’t be.” Julia fought for control. “I just don’t know if I can take any
more.” She’d been trying to keep up a good front for everyone. So her parents
wouldn’t worry. To support Missy and the other women. But the tension from
dealing with Shirley had left its mark.
The strength she’d been struggling so hard to shore up crumbled. She couldn’t
pretend anymore. Couldn’t keep up the pretense that she was okay. She wasn’t
okay, not now and maybe never again.
She needed out. Out of here. Out of this whole mess. She didn’t want to spend
another minute here. She stood and hurried out of the tent, nearly at a run.
“Let her go,” she heard Mamie tell someone. Bless her.
Julia ran down the hill, past the mine opening where the workers barely looked
up. Dawn had just broken and the lamps from several of the men’s hats were still
on as they trudged from the hole.
She rounded the corner of the double-wide trailer that served as the mine office
and halted in her tracks. There, at the edge of the dirt lot, sat Linc’s truck.
The navy blue and chrome shone in the early-morning sun.
The tangible evidence that he was here hurt and yet soothed her. She slowed her
steps, approaching the big blue beast with trepidation.
Linc never locked his truck. Julia wasn’t sure he even knew how. She pulled the
door open and the stale car air from the days it had been sitting neglected
washed over her. The familiar smell of the truck soothed her. Dirt. Grease.
Vinyl. But no trace of the pine-tree air freshener she’d put in here months ago
and that still hung from the rearview mirror.
Usually she hated the smell of the truck, but now it was as if Linc were here,
nearby. She climbed up on the driver’s side of the bench seat and let the
familiar warmth surround her. She closed her eyes and pictured his face. She
thought about the last time she’d seen him in the truck, but found that a
painful memory. She’d been so mad at him that night. Instead, she opened her
eyes and looked around.
The man was not a housekeeper by any stretch of the imagination. The far window
had nose and drool marks from the stray terrier Linc had found and taken to the
shelter a couple of weeks ago. Candy wrappers, soda cans and his toolbox sat on
the floor of the passenger side.
He had left a windbreaker and his heavy leather jacket draped over the back of
the seat. She reached for the jacket and slipped it on. Its warm weight and the
faint spice of his aftershave brought tears to her eyes.
This place was so…so Linc. An ache formed in her chest, and she struggled
against the hopes and dreams that now seemed lost. Curious, she leaned across
the seat and opened the glove box.
Her fingers found the rumpled papers he kept there. Tire receipt. Ticket stubs.
Then something smooth and metallic. She frowned. What was that? She curled her
fingers around it and pulled a round metal object out. She could only stare. A
key. What the heck was Linc doing with a…a…a hotel-room key? Her stomach
dropped. Oh, God. She had to blink several times to clear her vision. Was that
why he’d been so distant? Was there someone else?
Then she read the name engraved on the metal disk. Risky Business. She laughed.
Five years later, the memory of that hotel still amused her.
They’d gone on vacation for Linc’s birthday one year and hadn’t bothered to make
hotel reservations. They weren’t planning on anything spectacular, nor had they
planned on a high-school soccer tournament in the town where they stopped.
They’d had the choice of the one hotel.
Exhausted from a day of driving, they’d taken the room sight unseen. At the
threshold they could only stare at the red velvet bed and the disco ball on the
ceiling. But once the lights were off, and Linc’s warm body settled next to
hers…
It hadn’t mattered what the room looked like. They were there. Together.
And he’d kept the room key all this time.
What else was in here? She pulled out more receipts, the insurance and
registration. The only thing left was a scuffed jeweler’s box. She didn’t have
to open it. She knew what was inside.
Linc’s wedding band. He’d seen too many men lose fingers around the machines, so
he always took it off before each job.
Julia curled her hands around both the ring and the key, solid reminders of the
past.
Saturday Morning, Forty-One Hours Underground
THE SILENCE WAS UNGODLY. No one spoke for what seemed ages. Linc could hear
their ragged breaths as if the very mountain that entombed them breathed with
them. He closed his eyes, finding the dark behind his eyelids more comforting
than the false night of the closed chamber.
“What the hell happened now?” Though Robert spoke softly, his question boomed in
the small space.
Linc heard movement as if someone were trying to sit up or stand more
comfortably. He couldn’t see enough to tell for sure.
“Bet the bit broke. Happened at Quecreek, too. They’ll fix it or send down
another.” Gabe’s weary assurances didn’t do much to cut the tension.
“How…how long will that take?” Ryan’s young voice seemed ready to shatter.
“Dunno. Days. Hours. Depends on if they planned for it and brought any extra
steel.”
“They’ll have planned for it,” Linc said firmly, hoping to ease the mounting
stress levels. He’d seen the basic plan this mine kept on file. The rescue teams
would tweak it as they learned the actual conditions. There were big differences
between an explosion and a cave-in. In these hills, where the layers of stone
and coal were so mixed and unpredictable, the plan could change numerous times
before they even started to drill.
“How the hell do you know?” Mike’s tone was as hard as the broken steel above
them was sharp—and ready to cut anyone in its path.
“I’ve seen the filed plans and those big drills are kept on standby as part of
standard procedure these days,” Linc explained.
“Standard procedure?” Robert spat the words. “What’s standard about any of
this?”
“Unfortunately, too much.” Linc hated to admit it. Hated to give Robert any more
fuel for the internal fire burning him up. It was true—the mining industry was
one of the most dangerous. Men didn’t just die on occasion. They were dying
practically daily.
All the dreams and plans Linc had had, everything that had driven him to become
a mine inspector, suddenly seemed worthless. What difference had he made?
In the fifteen years since his father’s death, what had changed?
Not a damned thing. Men were still at risk. Still dying.
The only ones who’d been spared were the animals, the donkeys and the birds that
had once gone down into the mines beside the men. They’d been replaced by
machines.
But the men were still needed to operate those machines.
Linc could feel the anger rising in his gut. He wanted to hit something, and he
hoped Robert kept his damned mouth shut. He wasn’t sure he could control the
need for mayhem that he felt right now.
He rubbed his hands over his face, knowing and uncaring that he smeared the oily
coal dust over his skin. What was the point?
What was the point of all his work? Of his life.
He hadn’t changed the industry. He hadn’t given Julia a child. His younger
brother had vanished, preferring to be a runaway on the streets than be part of
his family.
He couldn’t hold back the hard curse word. It echoed back at him—or maybe the
others were repeating it in a resounding chorus of frustration.
Linc’s eyes flew open. Though he couldn’t see, he realized something he should
have been aware of a long time ago. Oh, God. Why had he been so blind?
Was this what Julia had felt when she’d decided to stop teaching elementary
school? Had her passion for the job been tainted by failure?
Like the waves of an ocean lapping against the beach, his realizations came and
went. The memories of that last argument rose like high tide. It had been an
argument he now knew had been a waste of precious time. An argument they’d been
having in bits and pieces for months. He could still hear himself yelling.
But now he finally understood. Of course she couldn’t teach the little ones. Not
after losing the baby. Not after their fruitless efforts to have a child. Not
after his repeated refusals to even consider fertility counseling. Why hadn’t he
seen that?
He’d crushed her dreams as surely as the rockfall had trapped him here.
She’d escaped the only way she knew how. To still teach, but high school
instead. Older kids that wouldn’t be such an immediate reminder of what she’d
lost.
He hadn’t been able to see it from her perspective before. He’d just seen his
own anger and frustration.
Selfish, selfish bastard, he cursed himself.
“What can we do?” Mike’s voice was a shadow of itself and brought Linc back to
the current disaster. For the first time, Linc was thankful Ryan was here. Mike
was staying strong for his brother’s sake. It was a struggle, but he was
surviving by the sheer will of pride.
“Just be patient and wait,” Gabe said. “The best thing we can do is stay safe
and together. Makes their job easier.”
“We can make a plan of our own.” Linc turned toward the disembodied voices. “If
they’re sending down the capsule, we’ll have to decide what order we’re going up
in.”
He heard movements that sounded like men perking up. He breathed a sigh of
distracted relief.
“How should we do it?” Ryan’s curiosity seemed to overcome some of his anxiety.
“Injured first.” Linc recalled a recent plan he’d read. “Casey’s got to be able
to get into the capsule and stand.”
“He can’t do that.” Zach chimed in, frightened for his friend.
“Then we’d better figure out how to help him do it.”
“Can we use our belts, maybe?” Ryan offered.
“Yeah. That might work. We’ll have to strap him in. It’ll be a challenge.”
The silence wasn’t as painful now. They had something to do, something
constructive to concentrate on.
“It’s our only choice.” Mike seemed calmer now.
“Gabe, you’ll be next,” Linc said.
“Like hell.”
“He’s right.” Robert surprised Linc by agreeing with him. “With your chest
hurting like it has? None of us are willing to tangle with that wife of yours.”
There was laughter all around.
“Zach, you’re next. They’ll expect us from heaviest to lightest.”
“Nah. Let Mike go up. His wife’s probably about ready to have that kid. Then
I’ll follow him.”
Silence was the agreement. “Okay, Mike then you, Zach.” Linc savored the
leadership role. It helped him focus on anything but the reality of their
situation.
“Then it’s Robert, me, then Ryan.”
That was the order the rescuers would expect. But Linc knew it wouldn’t happen
that way. He’d never leave the kid down here alone, not even for a few minutes.
But he wouldn’t say anything until the time came. They needed a concrete plan,
not one that would cause more contention.
It might be the last thing Linc did to try and make this mining world he
reluctantly loved better, but he would do it.
He nearly laughed at himself, hearing Julia’s voice telling him to stop taking
care of everyone. He swallowed the sound, not wanting to explain himself.
No, this was his. Just his.
Saturday Morning, 8:00 a.m.
JULIA KNEW SHE’D DOZED a couple of times in the past couple of days, but had no
idea when she’d last slept. She hadn’t let herself slip into anything remotely
close to that level of disconnection.
But sitting here in the cab of Linc’s truck, his things and his scent all around
her, she was tempted to give in to oblivion. She knew she needed to rest, but
despite her heavy eyelids she fought it. Fought the fear of waking up and
finding out that this was still real.
The ring box she’d found in the glove box was as warm as the rest of the truck.
She pulled out the ring, slipped it onto her thumb and curled her fist over it.
It might be the only thing she had left of him.
She leaned her head back on the seat, closing her eyes. She felt brittle, as if
the slightest noise could break her. A breeze could carry the bits of her away.
She fought to hang on. She ached for arms to hold her and found only herself.
“There she is.” Missy’s voice startled her. Julia groaned, wanting to sink down
onto the floor of the truck and hide. If she’d had more energy, she might have.
Julia looked out the window just as Missy opened the passenger door. Tricia
stood behind her. Both of them looked as haggard as she felt.
“You okay?” Tricia asked cautiously. She had a little more sense than Missy. Age
did that to a person.
Julia nodded. “Yeah. Just looking at stuff.”
Tricia lifted a plastic grocery bag. “Me, too. I went to Zach’s locker.” Tears
glistened in the woman’s eyes. “If he gets out, he ain’t ever going back
underground.”
Julia understood completely.
“I…I was just—” Julia lifted her hand. Tricia would know what the ring was. What
it meant.
Their eyes met and Julia knew she’d never encountered a more kindred soul. Would
their friendship survive even if their men didn’t?
“Can we join you?” Missy’s voice was small, and as soon as Julia nodded in
invitation, Missy climbed up. She crawled over the stick shift and settled next
to Julia. Tricia settled in the passenger seat, the door closing loudly behind
her.
The silence was comforting, like the sunshine that streamed through the
windshield. They all faced the glass, looking past the chips in the windshield
at the double-wide trailer in front of them. The office was now all but
abandoned as the work crews had moved closer to the mine.
Tricia had cleared out Zach’s locker. Linc didn’t have a locker. This truck was
his locker. There was nothing left for them here.
“I wish we could take off and just keep going,” Julia said.
“Like Thelma and Louise,” Tricia added.
“And Missy?” Missy provided with a tentative smile.
They all smiled and Julia didn’t feel so alone anymore.
“What’s stopping us?” Tricia asked.
“I couldn’t find Linc’s keys. Mine are at home. Linc probably still has his in
his pocket.” Her voice broke. She’d yelled at him so many times when she found
them in his pockets or the laundry, or worse yet, at the bottom of the washing
machine.
“Zach’s notorious for always leaving junk in his pant pockets. The worst are the
fishing lures. We’ve killed more than one washer that way.”
“Thank God.” Julia laughed. “I thought it was just us.”
The camaraderie grew. She opened an eye and glanced over at Tricia. Missy had
fallen asleep. In that instant the girl’s head canted and she lay comfortably on
Julia’s shoulder. It felt good.
“She’s too young,” Tricia whispered.
“Aren’t we all?” Julia asked.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
“For?”
“Coming to find me. It helps. I was slipping into a not-so-pretty place.” She
couldn’t say much more.
“Anytime.”
Warmth came from more than the sunshine, and Julia closed her eyes to savor it.
For just a moment
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Saturday Evening, Fifty-Two Hours Underground
WITHOUT THE COVER of the incessant grinding of the drills, another sound burst
out of the darkness. A terrifying sound. Linc sat up, and he heard the others
move, as well. Robert switched on his light, its beam weak.
“Shit!” Robert stood and moved to the flap of the shelter. “We’ve got water.”
They’d been religiously pounding on the pipe and checking the water level until
a couple of hours ago when they’d all succumbed to their exhaustion and fallen
asleep.
“How fast?” Gabe’s words were weak.
“Too fast.” Robert stepped out of the shelter.
Linc stood and hurried after him. They moved down the slope to where they’d
placed the marker, but couldn’t find it. It was completely submerged.
“Something gave way. Either a wall or a pump.” Robert stepped closer to the
water’s edge, shining the light back and forth, but the beam was too dim to see
far.
“How much time?” Linc asked, his fear strong. Robert might have an attitude, but
Linc trusted his judgment underground.
“A couple of hours, tops. We can slow it down some by building a few more
barriers. But that won’t stop it.”
“We need all the time we can get.”
They grabbed two more of the canvas battices and stretched them across the mouth
of the chamber. They anchored them in place with rocks and scrap pieces of
metal. Occasionally they had to stop and rest. More than two days with little
food and diminished oxygen had sapped their energy. Linc knew the only things
keeping either of them still standing were adrenaline and fear.
When they were finished, Linc could barely catch his breath and the rubbery
sensation in his limbs masked any pain.
The canvas was holding, but the water was already lapping at the base of the
first barrier.
“Come on.” Robert laid a hand on Linc’s shoulder. “Let’s get back.”
They were only a few feet up the incline when they heard the grinding start
again. The drill was back in operation. “Thank God,” Linc breathed and he saw a
smile on Robert’s face.
“Let’s just hope they move faster than that.” Robert tilted his head toward the
rising water.
Inside the shelter, the others huddled together. Looking at them in the dim
light, Linc realized just how worn out they all were. They wouldn’t last much
longer. He settled back into his spot just as Robert’s lamp finally gave out.
That left only the one light.
“We put up two barriers. It’ll hold for a while,” Linc explained.
“They’d better drill fast.” Ryan’s voice shook.
No one spoke after that, but there was no silence. The drill continued overhead
and if he listened, Linc could hear the rushing of the water beyond.
He fought the heaviness in his chest and glanced at the meter on his belt once
again. Watching it did nothing to keep the readings in the safe range, but he
checked it regularly, nonetheless. He wanted to curse, rant and rave, but didn’t
have the energy.
The rattling sound of a wet cough broke the quiet. The kid. He was trying to be
quiet, but already his body was reacting to the lack of oxygen.
That ventilation shaft had better get through soon or Linc wasn’t sure if they’d
be worth saving.
He knew the dangers of methane down here. They all did. No one who worked in a
mine ignored that particular training lecture.
The sounds of their shuffling bodies and uneven breathing filled the air. He
heard it along with the erratic beat of his own heart. His body was struggling,
as well.
He didn’t want to die here, like this. He knew there was nothing he could do
about it, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.
He’d prayed more in the past couple of days than he had in the past ten years.
Probably not since his father’s death.
Did he even need words?
Wasn’t it clearly written all over his soul? His wants, his dreams and deepest
desires? They pulsed in his bloodstream even now with less oxygen to keep them
alive.
But dreams didn’t have an expiration date, did they? He sure hoped not. He still
had too many waiting to be realized.
He’d almost drifted to sleep when he heard a loud crash. The drill broke
through, startling them all. Linc jerked and covered his head with his arms.
Rocks fell somewhere, he could hear them, but he didn’t feel anything landing on
him.
“It’s out there.” Robert still sat by the shelter opening and peered out the
flap with the meager light of the remaining lamp. “I can see the drill.”
Everyone cheered, their voices hoarse, but strong with renewed hope.
As quickly as it came down, the drill head vanished. There was still a distant
grinding sound that Linc knew was for a second, bigger hole. But the initial
shaft for ventilation was through. He breathed a sigh of relief. The fresh air
would make a huge difference, both to help them breathe and to provide pressure
that would hopefully hold back the water. The whoosh of the forced air was a
welcome sound that drowned out the rushing water.
Still, they had to wait.
Minutes passed slowly. Finally, a tangle of wires and equipment emerged through
the small hole.
“Hey,” Robert yelled, not giving any chance that they’d not be heard. “We’ve got
one injured and one with chest pains. So get your butts down here quick. And
send some batteries and water. We’re nearly out.”
There was no response, and none was expected. The equipment was designed to find
them. To listen. Not to answer.
It didn’t matter. The grinding continued. That was message enough. They were
still coming for them.
Linc prayed the final hole would be done soon. When the water reached the top of
the first barrier, the rush nearly wiped out the second. They shored it up but
knew it was temporary. Very temporary.
Saturday Morning, 11:30 a.m.
JULIA AWOKE WITH A START, not knowing when she’d fallen asleep or what had woken
her. The length of the shadows outside told her it had been a while. Whatever
had disturbed her hadn’t bothered Missy or Tricia. She heard it again. A man’s
yell. His excitement cut the air and tore apart her lethargy.
“We’re through. We found them.” Randy ran up to the driver’s-side window and
pounded on it. The others awoke and Missy stared at her brother as if not
understanding what he was saying. He was smiling, so it meant the men were
alive, right?
Julia’s breath caught in her chest, a weight she couldn’t dislodge. “They found
them?” She looked at Tricia, needing reassurance.
“Yeah. That’s what he said.”
“Let’s go!” Missy shoved them. All three women scrambled out of the truck and
ran up the hill.
Julia stopped at the crest and looked over the valley. Tricia and Missy
continued on, following Randy down the hill.
A watery sun fought valiantly to break through the clouds, but shadows crept
over the ground between Julia and the brightly lit tents. She watched the men
come and go. Watched the trucks of equipment move around. Were they even
accomplishing anything? Patrick Kelly stepped out of a door then paused a
moment. He hung his head and she saw him rub the back of his neck—to ease the
tension, she supposed. She couldn’t help but see the strain that settled over
him.
He headed toward the family tent, his steps slow and purposeful. Suddenly,
another man, younger this time, burst from that same door. He ran over to
Patrick and grabbed his arm. She watched as they both turned away and ran back
inside.
Julia was halfway across the lot before she even thought about moving. Something
was going on and she was pretty sure it wasn’t good, or at the very least it
wasn’t something she’d learn about soon. She couldn’t stand waiting one minute
more.
She reached the door and yanked it open. Noise and heat assaulted her senses.
She realized she wasn’t actually in the entry to the mine, but in a small room
that was packed with men, equipment and wires. Everyone was talking at once. No
one even seemed to notice her.
“The families know we had taps.” Patrick’s voice broke through the din. “If I
tell them about this, we’ll have a madhouse on our hands.”
Julia shifted so she could see Patrick. He stood with his hands on his hips,
staring at a computer screen. She inched forward, trying to see what he was
looking at.
“You have to tell them.” The younger man with a pair of headphones dangling from
his neck spoke.
“That’s not what I meant. We will tell them, but we have to find a way to get
this to them.” He pointed at the screen.
“That’s impossible. What if we see something…you know…”
“Like dead bodies?” Patrick asked so softly Julia almost didn’t hear him. No one
bothered to answer.
Julia felt the life drain out of her. No. The men couldn’t be dead. Linc
couldn’t be dead. Not possible. She wasn’t ready for that. She must have said
something or moved in a way that caught Patrick’s attention. Both men turned and
stared at her. She moved again without thinking.
She reached Patrick’s side and finally saw what they were talking about. “A
camera? You have a camera down there?” she nearly screamed.
Patrick’s hand clamped on her arm, not painfully, but tight enough to keep her
from running and telling the others. Or to keep her from fainting; she wasn’t
exactly sure which he expected. She didn’t really care, she wasn’t doing either.
“You can’t say anything,” Patrick warned her.
She hoped he wasn’t expecting her to respond. She couldn’t speak, much less run
and share the news with anyone else. She couldn’t even manage to force her eyes
from the screen.
She watched, mesmerized, as the camera moved down through a dirt- and rock-lined
hole. She registered the uneven cut of the walls. Vaguely, she heard a voice
talking to her. Linc? No. It was Patrick, speaking gently as if trying not to
spook her.
“We’ve already sent the microphones down. They’re feeding an optic borehole
camera now. We’re picking up sounds. We just aren’t sure what they are.”
She swallowed. “Okay,” she whispered, doubting anyone could hear her over the
noise in the room. She didn’t really care. She wasn’t leaving now, not
physically, not mentally.
“We’re almost there,” the young man said. “Shhhh….” What were they doing?
Listening for something? What did they expect to hear? To see? She strained her
ears. Nothing came to her. Everyone in the room had quieted. Only the hum of the
computers broke the silence.
Then, faintly, she heard it. Muted male voices. Please. Please. Please. Please.
The tiny light on the end of the cable led the way and broke through into a pool
of pure darkness. Then nothing.
“Hey! Hey, can you hear me?” A voice? A man’s voice came through the computer’s
speakers and echoed from the headphones still dangling from the young man’s
neck.
Julia’s knees gave out, and she felt Patrick settle an arm around her waist to
hold her up. He didn’t let go and when she realized he wasn’t going to drag her
away, she relaxed a little. She couldn’t speak to thank him.
Suddenly a hand appeared on the screen. She squealed and jumped. Cheers erupted
around her. “We got ’em,” the young man beside her yelled.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Patrick whispered in her ear. “We might have found
them. But they’re still trapped.” He was trying to keep her on an even keel, she
knew that, but she wanted to hit him for stealing her relief and joy. The men
were alive. Really alive. Not just anonymous taps from nowhere. Not crushed
beneath tons of rock.
The hand on the screen moved away and only the darkness remained. Then suddenly
a face appeared on the screen. Linc!
Did she scream his name out loud? She didn’t know. She didn’t care. She nearly
fell this time, and knew that the only thing keeping her up was Patrick’s strong
arm. She touched the screen. She could almost feel the rough texture of his
chin, where the grime was thick and the whiskers dark. He’d never looked so
beautiful.
She ran her finger over his bottom lip, feeling the cold, hard glass and aching
to touch the soft, warm skin.
“Who’s up there?” A voice she didn’t recognize came through the speakers.
Julia stared at the small computer screen. Linc’s face filled most of it. He
seemed to move even closer as if somehow that would take him up through the
fiber-optic cable. If only it could.
For an almost imperceptible moment, his eyelids fluttered as if in relief. What
was he thinking? How was he coping? She wanted to shout that she was here, that
she wasn’t leaving, but she knew he couldn’t hear her.
His eyes closed again, and he backed away from the camera. He couldn’t see her,
she knew, but she found herself trying to conceal her emotions. He seemed to be
struggling, as well, but she couldn’t tell what was going on.
And then she remembered that long-ago afternoon in high school. Linc had come
out of the gym from boxing practice, looking beaten and abused. She’d been in
the hall, getting ready to leave, and stopped to look at him. A bruise had
marred his left cheek and a white butterfly bandage sat rakishly over his eye.
He’d been much the same then. Trying to hide his emotions. Always strong, always
tough.
He’d called her Fancy Pants and teased her that day. Back then, all the girls
had a crush on Lincoln Holmes. Her included, though she’d have never admitted
it. They’d been so close and she remembered wishing he’d kiss her. He hadn’t.
Now he stepped away from the camera and she felt a similar disappointment. Mike
Sinclair’s face appeared on the screen, but not nearly as close. She could still
see Linc in the background. She watched him hungrily, afraid that if she looked
away he’d disappear. She wanted to beg him to come back. She wanted to watch him
until they were all rescued, as if that would somehow keep him safe.
Linc turned and his back was to her. His shirt was rumpled and tugged loose from
his coveralls. Mud was smeared all down his legs. Her gaze moved back up,
clinging to his image, creating a final memory—just in case.
“How’s Rachel?” Mike yelled into the microphone. “Tell her I’m trying to get
there.”
Julia heard the words, but still didn’t look away from Linc’s image. With his
back still to her, he leaned on the rough wall, stiff-armed, his head bowed. She
realized his shoulders sagged.
He stepped backward, the shadows reaching out for him, engulfing his face, his
torso, his legs and finally even the boots he wore. He was gone.
“Where did he go?” She grabbed Patrick’s arm hard.
“Get us the hell out of here.” The voice sounded vaguely like Linc’s, but
scraped on her nerves like that of a wounded animal lost somewhere out in the
night.
Julia thought she heard footsteps. Where was he going? Then she realized it
wasn’t Linc’s steps, but other family members coming into the tiny room. There
wasn’t enough space for them all. Noise came with them, and Julia felt the heat
and claustrophobia wash over her like a wave. She stumbled. Patrick caught her
before the floor did, and pulled her toward the door. She fought him, clawing at
his arm, trying to get back to the screen.
“Shhh…” Patrick pulled her roughly into a hug. This man who’d been a stranger
only a couple of days ago was comforting her, trying to ease the fear that
threatened to destroy her sanity.
“Don’t give up. Not yet.”
“Why not? He’s trapped down there. He’s—”
“He’s alive,” he snapped. “Don’t forget that.”
“But—”
“No. Don’t.”
Julia realized this was the first time another man had held her since she’d
married Linc. Her father had never been affectionate when she was a child. The
sense of comfort was almost foreign. It gave her strength—but it wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t Linc.
She looked up at Patrick, and with a nod, stepped away. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t
know what she was apologizing for, so she searched for an excuse. “For losing it
there. I don’t normally.”
“These circumstances aren’t quite usual.”
She almost laughed and wiped at her eyes. She kept backing away.
Outside, the cool afternoon air wrapped soothingly around her. She looked up at
the cloud-drenched sky where the ever-present floodlights glared at her. And
smiled a bittersweet smile.
She was still in love with Linc. She hadn’t ever stopped loving him. Or wanting
him. It had just got lost somehow.
A warm ache grew in her chest. She realized that all those things she’d loaded
in her car were going back to where they’d come from.
She couldn’t leave him. Ever.
She loved him.
Now he just had to live long enough for her to tell him so. She couldn’t stop
the sob that tore through her. Please.
It seemed like hours before the families gathered again in the tent, though
Julia’s watch told her it had been less than thirty minutes. She had to shove
her way inside.
Patrick Kelly and the mine CEO, Martin Halston, stood at the makeshift podium.
She hadn’t seen Halston since that meeting at the gym. He looked like hell.
Good. He needed to be as stressed as they were. He’d always been a
fire-breathing dragon. Now all she saw was a withered puff of smoke.
The crowd’s noise was unbearable. She looked around for her parents and Jace.
She saw them across the tent. She met her father’s gaze but knew she couldn’t
get to them. Her mother stood on tiptoe to smile encouragingly at her. Her dad
gave the thumbs-up sign.
The microphone squealed just then, slicing through the cacophony like a sword.
“Please.” Halston held up his hands. “Please,” he repeated. “We have lots to
tell you.”
The crowd obliged, hanging on his every word. Needing to hear.
“Now that we’ve made contact with the men—”
Cheers filled the air and Halston struggled to regain control. Patrick finally
put his fingers between his lips and let loose a whistle that hurt Julia’s ears.
“As you know, the first drill, the air passage, broke through just a while ago.
The big drill’s been fixed and the second shaft is over halfway there. We
believe they are all alive. But we’ve got at least one with injuries and another
with chest pains.”
The crowd sobered, and Julia struggled to hold back tears. She wasn’t even sure
whether they were happy or sad. Was Linc one of the injured? He’d looked fine in
that brief instant on the computer screen. She turned and found Tricia beside
her. They clasped hands. Missy appeared on her other side, holding on just as
tight.
Shirley’s face was pale. She looked stricken.
“Gabe’s had heart problems,” she said. Shirley’s daughter had yet to arrive.
Trouble getting a flight and the weather had kept her away. Now Shirley was the
one here alone. Julia and Tricia stepped apart and each slipped an arm around
the older woman. She refused to give Shirley the lying platitude that Gabe would
be okay, but she would give her all her support.
“We’ve spoken with the crew that’s used this equipment before,” Halston
explained. “Once we finish breaking through with the large bit, the men will be
brought to the surface slowly, one at a time. We’ll bring those who are injured
or at risk up first. The men below know the plan and will make that
determination. Once the injured are out, we’ll bring the rest up, heaviest to
lightest.”
“Ryan will be last.” Rita buried her face in her husband’s shoulder. “He’s the
smallest.”
Where did Linc fit into the list? Julia didn’t want him up first, that would
mean he was hurt. But she couldn’t bear the wait if he was near the end.
“I hate that rule,” Jack complained. “That means my boys come up last.” His
anguish was too strong. He sounded ready to shatter.
“It’s a small capsule.” Patrick stepped forward. “Anyone large may need help
getting in and closing the hatch,” he explained.
Jack nodded, though the agony on his face didn’t fade.
Raymond, Julia’s father, asked the question everyone was thinking. “How long
will it take to get them up?”
“Ten to twenty minutes each. We can’t hurry. It’s like a diver surfacing from
the ocean. We don’t want any complications from the pressure, like the bends.
There are still risks.”
Patrick didn’t elaborate and no one asked. There wasn’t room for any more worry.
It would be an eternity. Seven men, twenty minutes each.
Hours more waiting.
Saturday Evening, Fifty-Three Hours Underground
FINALLY, THE BIG DRILL crashed through.
Linc breathed in the oxygen that was coming down, tried to concentrate on what
needed to be done.
“They’ll send down a metal cage,” he explained. The men all stood around the
hole, peering up at what seemed like a very small opening, but a way out,
nonetheless.
“Will we fit?” Zach didn’t sound at all sure.
“It’ll be tight, but yeah.” Once, in a training exercise, Linc had stepped into
one of the capsules. At six feet, he was tall, but thin. He’d felt like a
sardine. Some of these guys were broader than him. It would be worse for them.
Moments later, the cage came down. And not empty. Food, water bottles and
batteries sat in a pack on the bottom.
“What’s that?” Ryan pointed at the pile of leather coiled on the floor of the
capsule.
Robert leaned forward first, then Linc. “Safety harness,” Linc explained. “To
belt anyone in who can’t stand by themselves.” Every one of them glanced over at
Casey.
Linc dreaded the task ahead. While Robert replaced the batteries in their
headlamps, the rest of them headed to the injured man.
They couldn’t tell how much Casey understood. The man had been in and out of
consciousness for the past twenty-four hours.
Zach, who knew him best, was worried for his friend. “We have to move you,
buddy,” he explained. “We’re gonna be real careful, but it’ll hurt. Sorry.”
Zach’s voice broke with his regret. He gave his friend some fresh water and now
that the lights were brighter they could all see his injuries, his cracked lips
and pale skin.
“’Kay,” was the weak response. They all gathered close.
Robert and Zach hefted Casey to his feet, one man under each arm. A thin cry of
pain escaped, then Casey’s head lolled forward. The men hurried to the capsule
as quickly as they dared.
Ryan stood behind the cage to steady it while Mike and Linc wove the harnesses
through the metal bars. One for under Casey’s arms. One for his waist and a
final one around his thighs to keep his legs from moving.
Even unconscious, Casey seemed to know he needed to keep his weight off his
injured leg.
Zach finished closing the buckles, then latched the door. It was incredibly
tight. Casey’s shoulders were hunched and his head down. There wasn’t room for
any movement, which was a good thing considering his injuries.
“See you up top, buddy.” Zach pounded on the cage to signal they were ready, and
within a few seconds, the capsule lifted into the air, disappearing up the black
hole in the roof.
“Holy cow.” Ryan stared up, then they all did. His light beam reached several
feet above them but there was only darkness beyond.
Linc shivered. He’d give anything if there was another way out. But there
wasn’t. He knew it. Swallowing, he put that out of his mind. Already his gut
churned with the idea of the claustrophobic space.
“We’ve got some time to wait. Here.” Robert handed them each a bottle of water
and a plastic-wrapped sandwich from the pack that had come down. Rather than go
back into the shelter, they sat where they could find dry ground.
The sandwich tasted good, but sat heavily in Linc’s stomach. However, the fresh
water eased the discomfort in his belly. Linc knew the bad air, lack of food and
anxiety combined to make him nauseous. “Too bad they didn’t send down some Jack
Daniel’s,” he said.
“Yeah, that would have been good,” Ryan agreed.
“Oh, come on.” Mike nudged him, and Ryan slipped off the rock where they’d
perched. “You’ve never had whiskey.”
“Have too.”
“Really? When? Mom’s gonna love hearing about that.”
“You shut up.”
“Now, boys…” Gabe said and his fondness for them came through. Along with a
tightness in his voice.
“You hurtin’, old man?” Robert asked.
“Yeah. Some. I’m all right.” He was obviously lying.
Linc leaned his head back against the cold wall. Gabe needed to get up top
quickly, but everyone else looked fairly healthy. Ryan and Mike were still
teasing each other. Zach was relaxed now and even Robert had a faint smile on
his face.
Linc tried, and failed, to ignore the black hole over their heads. How was he
ever going to get into that cage?
“Don’t think about it. Just do it.” Robert’s voice broke into the panic that
threatened to paralyze him. Linc turned and looked at the man who had proven
strongest in this ordeal.
“That what makes you able to do this job every day?”
“Partly. But I like my work. Gets in your blood.”
Linc chuckled. “I must have the wrong blood.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Saturday Evening, 7:00 p.m.
JULIA STOOD STARING at the television someone had finally brought in. The
reports had been too negative and inaccurate before. But Patrick had to do
something, and taking the family members to the rescue site was out of the
question. The compromise had been the TV with a live feed from the local
affiliate. The mayor wanted his town to benefit from the national media frenzy,
so only local reporters were allowed close enough to get the exclusive stories.
The politics drove Julia nuts. She didn’t care how or why, she just needed to
see what was happening. The result was that the families remained out of the
way.
But the men were coming up. That’s all that mattered.
She watched as the cameras panned the valley. More clouds had rolled in. Huge
floodlights had been set up and it looked like the high-school football field at
homecoming. She smiled. Homecoming. That’s what it would be when Linc appeared.
She chose to ignore her worries about how they’d bridge the gap that had been
between them before the cave-in.
The huge drilling rig sat at the center, its tower shooting high into the sky.
Dozens of men gathered around it. While the rescue crews were no longer needed
to help search, not a man had left. Familiar faces, covered in mud, stared at
the drill shaft as if they could make it go faster.
The local news anchor looked out of place in his clean white shirt and dress
pants. At least he wasn’t wearing a tie and someone had found him a pair of
rubber boots. In his deep, booming voice, he announced that the first man coming
up was Casey McGuire.
Linc wasn’t the man who was hurt. Julia nearly sank to the floor with relief.
“There’s no one here for him.” Tricia’s voice cracked around the words.
Jace, who stood beside Julia, looked over at her. “What do you mean no one?” he
asked.
“No family,” Tricia explained. “His parents are gone and he broke up with his
last girlfriend months ago.” She twisted her hands together. “He practically
lives at our house on his days off. He’s part of us.”
Julia watched Tricia’s indecision, then saw her dad, Walt Robinson, step up.
Before he could speak, Jace did. “I’ll go with him. You stay here with Tricia.”
He shook Walt’s hand and there was no missing the relief and respect in the
older man’s eyes.
“You sure?” Walt asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Jace turned to Julia. “I’ll meet you and Linc at the hospital.” He
shocked her with a brief hug before turning back to look over at Raymond and
Eleanor. They stepped forward, into his vacant spot, figuratively and
physically.
Julia watched her brother-in-law, once a stranger—and now perhaps a friend? She
could only hope at this point. Maybe with family here, Linc would understand…
She refused to complete the thought. So much in their marriage had to change and
part of it was her thinking, her wishing.
Jace left the tent and headed to the parking lot where his bike still sat.
Despite the noise of all the machinery, she heard the roar of the big engine and
listened until it faded down the road to the hospital.
“Oh, I hope Casey’s not too badly hurt.” Tricia didn’t bother to hide her tears
and her father pulled her close, letting her cry on his shoulder yet again.
The television announcer was speaking again. “The next man will be Gabe Wise,
the chief of this ill-fated crew.”
“Oh, I just knew it was his heart,” Shirley cried, grabbing her purse and
jacket.
“Don’t borrow trouble.” Mamie’s hand shook as she patted her friend’s shoulder
while they hugged.
“He’s alive,” Julia reminded her and tried to force a smile as they embraced.
“He’s almost home.”
“Thank you,” Shirley said to Julia and held on tight for a minute before dashing
out the doorway.
Julia turned back to the television. The waiting ate holes in her stomach.
Saturday Evening, Fifty-Three Hours Underground
CASEY WAS UP AND GABE WAS on his way to the surface, packed tightly into the
capsule. None of them knew how long it would take to reach the surface. Linc
guessed about fifteen minutes, a thought that made his gut spasm, but no one
knew for sure. Linc would be last, so he’d be down here another hour and a half.
Minimum.
Sounded short. Felt eternal.
The extra batteries that had come down with the cage helped chase away the
shadows. The panic and claustrophobia Linc had fought so hard were relegated to
the deep recesses of the mine. But they still lurked there, ready to pounce.
Just another hour and a half. Just ninety minutes. He made himself take a couple
of easy breaths. They were getting out. He’d be going home. Soon.
The rising water only made the air colder, and Linc could feel the damp seeping
up from the ground. He shivered as the chill soaked clear through him.
The men scooted together, hoping for some type of body warmth. He could feel the
others shivering, as well.
“This sucks,” Ryan said through chattering teeth.
“So tell me about it,” Mike automatically replied.
“I just did.”
Old habits die hard, especially brotherly one-upmanship. Linc tried to smile
even though his lips felt frozen. Laughter was beyond him. It took too much
energy. He let his eyes close, no longer able to fight the drowsiness.
He knew he was dreaming.
Home. He was home. First back in his mother’s kitchen before his dad had died.
The smell of oregano in his mother’s spaghetti sauce mingled with the remnants
of her perfume. She always spritzed just a bit on before Dad came through the
door each night.
Then he was back in college. The night he and Julia had first made love. The
tang of the pine grove they had hidden in engulfed him, then faded as her sweet
scent filled him. Her shampoo smelled of flowers as he buried his face in her
hair, taking part of her deep inside his soul.
She faded away, and he struggled to hold on to her. And then she was there…
In the kitchen…. The dish soap making bubbles in the air. She was yelling…
Angry…
“Hey.” Mike nudged him. “Drink some of that water. You’re fading. You okay?”
“Yeah.” Linc sat up and scrubbed his hand down his face, trying to wipe away the
fear that had almost swamped him. He couldn’t seem to shake the images from his
mind, as if he wasn’t quite convinced they were getting out of here.
His subconscious clung to the memory of home. But he knew it was a defense
mechanism. He was pretending there was a home waiting for him.
What if there wasn’t?
He’d spent more than two days clinging to the hope that Julia would be waiting
for him up there. But was she?
His mother’s kitchen had become an empty shell of a place where he’d found her
crying in the middle of the night after his dad’s death.
The kitchen where he and Julia had once made love had eventually turned into a
battleground.
Would he be going back to the house, to that kitchen, alone?
His stomach roiled, and his claustrophobia seemed nothing compared to this.
He’d left home on Thursday morning convinced he and Julia were on their way to
divorce.
What if they were already there and he couldn’t do anything but face the fallout
when he got to the surface?
Would it have been easier for them both if the cave-in had just ended it all in
the first place?
Linc shot to his feet. No. He wasn’t a quitter. She was worth fighting for. They
were worth fighting for.
“Where you going?” Ryan asked and fell into step beside him.
“Crazy—wanna come along?” Linc repeated an old saying of his dad’s.
Ryan laughed, and they walked a little farther into the shadows where all his
fears lurked. He wasn’t hiding anymore.
They reached the water’s edge. It was up at least another three feet. The second
barrier had given way and the water lapped at their boots. There was no stopping
it now. Being rescued was their only escape.
“We’re getting out of here, kid, and you’re never coming back down, you hear
me?” Linc acknowledged to himself that Julia had been right. This kid had no
business down here. He might not be able to put it in his report, but he could
do this for her.
Ryan simply nodded as they both stared at the rising water.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Saturday Evening, 9:00 p.m.
THERE WERE ONLY THREE families left. Julia and her parents, the Sinclairs and
Mamie, who waited patiently as Robert came up next. The old woman looked pale,
tired and nearly done in. Hank had joined them and was waiting for the go-ahead
to whisk her off to the hospital in his squad car. Julia half expected the woman
to be admitted along with the men. She was strong in spirit, but three days of
unrelenting stress had taken its toll on her physically.
Rita was no longer crocheting. It was too close now. Her needles and yarn were
packed away, ready to grab as soon as Ryan appeared. Rachel had gone with Mike
while both Sinclair parents had remained here for Ryan. Ryan would be the last
one up and neither Jack nor Rita would leave each other to face the long wait
alone.
Julia sat. Then stood. Then sat again. Her mother paced nervously and her father
sat stoic, silent, watching her. Moments later, Julia heard the roar of the
crowd in the valley and the echo of the sound through the TV. They all watched
Robert’s ascent.
“There’s my boy.” Mamie’s voice broke and she smiled through her tears.
“Let’s go see him.” Hank put the walker in front of her and grinned. The rattle
of the walker was a bit slower than it had been, but just as enthusiastic.
Mamie hugged everyone then was gone. They’d meet again soon. Everyone promised.
Linc would be next. Julia moved right up to the TV and sat beside Rita. They
clasped hands. “I look forward to seeing Ryan back in class,” Julia said.
Rita simply nodded and squeezed Julia’s fingers.
The news reporter stepped in front of the camera. Behind him, the rescue capsule
was still poised above the hole. “What are they waiting for?” Rita demanded.
Jack leaned forward and turned up the volume.
The reporter answered her as if on cue. “The crew seems to be spending a bit
more time with the last man.”
Before the reporter could say more, Patrick’s frantic voice cut through the
airwaves. “Get it down! Fast. That water’s gonna get ’em.”
Julia’s heart leaped into her throat.
“Damn.” Jack stood and paced.
“Oh, hurry, hurry,” Rita told the TV. They watched the crew scramble to get the
metal cage back down. Julia didn’t remember the cable moving that quickly
before.
Water was not good.
The world Julia had known just a few weeks ago was gone. Blown away by a
rockfall. Buried beneath a mountain of stone. Perhaps forever.
The doubts she’d spent the past few days ignoring leaped at her with a ferocity
she couldn’t ignore.
Even if Linc survived the cave-in, would he survive the slow rescue? Was he even
alive now or was all this effort for nothing? Had the water flooded the chamber?
Oh, God, please don’t let all this be a waste.
What would she do if he were gone from her life?
Would she ever know if he still loved her?
Divorce was just as much a threat as the mountain. What if they saved him and he
came back up and still told her goodbye? The thought flirted with the edges of
her sanity.
Then, as if carried on the breeze, calm settled over her. She’d rather lose Linc
to divorce than death. At least then she’d know he was alive. Not permanently,
irrevocably gone. Just the idea of a world without him in it was beyond her
comprehension.
She knew that if she had to, she would let him go.
But she hoped she didn’t have to. She didn’t want to. Her love for him was as
strong as ever and she didn’t want to lose what they had together. She had to
show him it was still there.
Finally, minutes…hours later, the winch stopped as it had five times before. It
had reached the bottom. Julia could envision Linc climbing into the capsule.
Ryan would help him. She wrapped her arms around her waist. Hurry. Please hurry.
The signal was given and the winch pulled the thick cable. For long minutes it
moved slowly. Suddenly it stopped moving altogether. Men jumped off the rig and
from the edges of the hill. Two EMTs hurried from where the two remaining
ambulances sat.
The shadows danced in the huge floodlights like moths caught in a giant
flame—back and forth, men scurried about. The reporter must have moved away as
there were no voices to match the gestures and lips she saw moving.
Time ticked away. Julia had to force herself to stop looking at her watch.
Finally, the crowd moved back and the cable moved—but was it going back down?
“No! What’s wrong?” Then, as if hearing her words, the cable stopped and
reversed direction. Finally, the top of the capsule appeared and slowly emerged.
Ryan’s face was a black mask of dirt beneath his hard hat. Water poured out of
the bottom of the capsule.
No! Where’s Linc? Julia trembled, her heart pounding so hard it stole the air
from the room.
Rita bounced to her feet and headed to the door. “My baby,” she said several
times. Jack moved more slowly, obviously torn between his wife and wondering
what had happened to Linc. He stared at Julia, then at her parents, who looked
as shell-shocked as she felt.
“Go, go.” Julia pushed Jack’s shoulder. “I’m going, too.” And before anyone
could argue with her, she gathered her jacket and headed toward the tent
opening. She had to know what had happened. Linc was down there and no one was
going to keep her from him.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Saturday Night, Fifty-Four and a Half Hours Underground
DRY GROUND WAS FADING FAST. Even the tiny spot Linc sat on was soggy and muddy.
He’d sent the kid up in his place. The boy had argued at first when Linc told
him how it was going to go. If it had been anyone else—like Robert—Linc might
not have won the argument. But Ryan was scared and cold and too damned young to
be down here. Linc had more than told Ryan, he’d made him swear he’d go back to
school and at least think about college.
Ryan had hesitated, but not for long. When the capsule came down, he’d looked at
it so longingly, Linc hadn’t even had to insist. They’d shaken hands like men,
but then Ryan had stepped forward and given him a brief hug. “Hurry up, okay?”
“I’ll do my best, kid.” He’d relish the memory of that moment for the rest of
his life.
Even if it was a short life. He scooted back, but the water licked at his
steel-toed boots with a wicked slapping sound. He swallowed and prayed they’d
hurry.
All too soon, he could no longer sit as the water rose to his knees. The area
where the capsule came down was now flooded and he cringed. Thankful for the
extra batteries, he flashed the light over the water. Waiting.
He moved and the sound of paper crackled in his pocket. He reached in and pulled
out the haphazard note he’d tried to write Julia. He’d forgotten about it when
the drill broke through, but now, looking at the water, he bit his lip. It was
still rising. Fast.
He might not make it. Fumbling in his pockets, he found the pen he’d used
earlier. His hands shook with the cold and his emotions. He had to let her know.
I’m trying to get to you. I love you. He underlined the last three words. Twice.
He sloshed around the chamber, looking for something to protect the note. Even
if they couldn’t get him out alive, they’d find his body and someone would give
her the note. They had to.
The sandwiches had been wrapped in plastic. The old bucket they’d tossed the
wrappers in floated over by the high ground. He pulled a bag out and struggled
to get it open. Finally, he stuffed the paper in and resealed it. Scrunching it,
he put it in his shirt pocket, then settled back against the wall to continue
waiting. His thoughts grew disjointed.
Was this what his father had gone through? This dark cold…only without the hope?
Linc swallowed his grief.
As a kid, he’d blamed his father for the accident, for not coming home. For all
their misery.
But getting to know these men, men he realized were much like his father, he saw
how unfair he’d been.
If he’d been able to, Jim Holmes would have come home.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” Linc said to the darkness. “I’m so sorry.”
There was no answer and he didn’t expect one. But the peace that settled over
him eased a lifetime of anger. He closed his eyes and pictured his father
standing with his mother in a bright light. It felt right.
He didn’t see Jace there, though. He wanted to find him. Had he heard about
this? Linc knew he needed to make things right, for himself, for Jace and for
their parents.
The sound of the capsule rattling its way down the shaft brought him back to
reality. Relieved and desperate to escape, Linc shoved his way through the water
toward it, his teeth banging together as he shivered. Until he saw the sky above
him, he wasn’t banking on anything.
Taking a deep breath, reminding himself this was just like a first plunge into a
summer pool, he stepped into the deeper water. He wasn’t sure if the battery
would work if it got wet, so he took the light off his helmet and held it aloft.
The heavy capsule bobbed with the waves of his movements. Only the top quarter
of the capsule was out of the water. It was enough.
He reached it and tried to unfasten the latch. His fingers were stiff with the
cold and he fumbled. The metal tore his skin, but he barely felt the pain of the
cut.
He pulled the door open and stepped inside. The cage swung awkwardly and nearly
spilled him out. He gulped a mouthful of the brackish water before righting
himself. Slapping the helmet and its light back on his head, Linc curled his
fingers around the mesh to hold himself in place.
Reaching out, he grabbed the door and fought the water to pull it closed. He had
to twist around in the tight space to get it firmly shut. He struggled with the
latch. He stopped and took a deep calming breath. Focus. One step at a time. He
concentrated on his fingers, forcing them to do his bidding. Finally, the latch
clicked tight.
He scarcely had room to move and had no clue how the other, much larger men had
fit in this thing. But they had. Thank God, they had.
Linc pounded on the roof and barely felt the impact. His fingers were useless
from the cold. He leaned against the side of the metal cage.
He knew from watching the others that it rose into the opening cut just inches
wider than the cage. Black earth completely surrounded him.
Closing his eyes, he chose not to watch.
Saturday Night, 9:30 p.m.
HAD SHE MISSED LINC COMING UP? The reporter hadn’t said his name. There wasn’t
anyone around to tell her what was going on anymore. She’d seen Patrick on the
TV screen in the huddle of men around the winch.
If Linc had come up…he’d be with the EMT crews.
“Where are you going?” Her father caught her at the doorway and touched her arm.
She looked up at him, surprised. She’d nearly forgotten her parents were here.
Guilt swept through her. Despite the past, they’d been so supportive through
this.
“Linc was supposed to come up before Ryan. Where is he?”
“I don’t know.” Her father’s concern for her seemed to include Linc, which
pleased her.
“Honey, wait here. They’ll come tell you what’s going on.” He didn’t sound
convinced of that and she wasn’t either. No one was headed this way.
“I can’t. Thank you for being here. It’s been a huge help.” She closed the few
inches between them and put her arms around him. “Thank you, Daddy,” she
whispered. Then she pulled back and her mom was right there, too. “You two are
awesome.”
“You and your young man aren’t so bad, either,” Eleanor admitted with a forced
smile, and slipped an arm around Julia.
Their sentiments were real. Julia saw the sincerity on their faces. But they
were also trying to guide her back to the seat by the TV. Away from the edge of
anxiety.
The TV reporter’s voice interrupted them. “From what I can see, the crews have
determined that the chamber where the men have spent the last three days has
completely flooded. The young man who just came up appears soaking wet from head
to toe with water running from the capsule. The fate of the last remaining man
is unclear.”
“No!” Julia screamed. She stumbled, then righted herself. On the screen the crew
behind the reporter sent the capsule back down the hole.
“Shut your mouth.” A familiar voice came from out of the camera range. Patrick.
His shoulder appeared and the reporter disappeared from the screen.
There was no stopping Julia now. The reporter’s words only made the worry and
wait worse. She had to see for herself what was happening.
She knew that if the news was bad, she would be left up here until the mine
officials figured out what story to tell her.
She couldn’t wait. Agony spurred her to move, and she ran to the entry of the
tent. This time, no one tried to stop her. Instead, her parents followed her
outside.
Julia ran out into the woods and to the trail she’d walked so many times in the
past three days. Halfway down the hill, she stumbled over the tree root she’d
cursed days before. Her hands and knees hit the trail, and she swore at the mud
and rocks that scraped her skin.
Her momentum kept her going, and she tumbled several more feet before the thick
undergrowth stopped her.
She wanted to curl up right there and let the pain take her. She let loose a
single sob before she pulled herself together. Julia might want to die with
Linc, but she wasn’t about to give up yet.
She crawled to her feet and ran as fast as she could manage on the terrain, no
more interested in caution than before.
She broke into the clearing and shoved her way through the crowd of workers.
They all knew who she was and parted to let her through.
She heard someone screaming Linc’s name and realized it was her. She nearly
tumbled again just as she reached the crew surrounding the hole. A pair of
strong hands grabbed her shoulders, not to stop her, but to steady her. She
looked up to see Patrick’s familiar face. So many times during this ordeal this
man had been the bearer of bad news. Now he grinned along with the rest of them.
“Almost home,” one of the men operating the winch yelled.
The top of the capsule appeared above the hole. Like a mother giving birth, the
earth released her final captive. The metal cage emerged into the bright lights,
water gushing from the bottom of the capsule. Linc covered his eyes against the
glare.
He was so close. She needed to touch him. To know this was finally real.
Before they’d even opened the door, she was pushing forward, sobbing his name.
“Let them get him out so he doesn’t fall back down.” Patrick said patiently.
Reluctantly, she stepped back, leaning on Patrick.
The cage door opened and two men helped Linc step out. A gurney was positioned
just inches away and they led him toward it.
His steps were awkward but then he looked up. “Julia,” he cried and despite
Patrick’s hold, she launched herself at him. She slid down through the muck and
into his arms.
They both stumbled, grasping for each other. She didn’t care that she was soon
soaked through with the icy water he was drenched in. She breathed in the damp,
dirty smell of him and relished it. He was alive. And here. Finally.
She cried. All the tears she’d denied for so long rushed forward and down her
cheeks.
His arms pulled her tight. “Hey, babe. I’m okay.” Something like a laugh came
from his throat. “I am okay.”
“I’m not.” She hiccuped and clung to him. “I love you, Linc.”
“I love you, too. We’ve got another chance. I’m taking it.” His lips were
frigid, but they were alive and urgent on hers. Somewhere along the way, she
realized they’d sunk to the ground and she kissed him back.
Cheers went up all around them and everyone high-fived and clapped each other on
the back. Linc’s hold on her tightened and he kissed her as he never had before,
as if he never intended to stop.
Julia pulled back. “Thank God.” Tears blurred her vision.
“Okay, folks.” A new voice held laughter. An EMT stood grinning at them. “Let’s
get you checked out so you can finish with those plans.”
Julia and the EMT helped Linc settle back on the gurney, where they slapped an
oxygen mask on his face. Six stocky miners, including Patrick, surrounded it and
carried him up the hill to the waiting ambulance.
Jostled aside, Julia trembled and tried to stumble up the hill after them. A
strong, warm hand took her elbow.
“Come on. Don’t keep ’em waiting.” Her father smiled at her and helped her up
the hill and into the ambulance just before they slammed the doors and sped
toward the emergency room.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sunday Morning, 1:45 a.m. Three and a Half Hours Aboveground
JULIA SAT BESIDE LINC’S hospital bed, waiting. He’d been poked, prodded,
examined and tested for what seemed like ages. The doctor wanted him to stay
until morning, just for observation.
He was finally settled. The silence grew. And grew. She struggled to think of
what to say. Or do. He was alive and well. Thank God! The initial shock was
wearing off along with the rush of emotion that had launched her into his arms.
Now what? Linc looked big and awkward in the hospital bed. He’d cleaned up some,
but the grime of the mine still clung to his hair and streaked down the edges of
his face. The fresh hospital gown and the snowy-white sheets contrasted with his
darkness.
She let her gaze take in his broad shoulders and the torn skin of his fingers.
She wanted to cry. She wanted to reach out and hold his hand. Hold him.
“We need to talk.” His words were way too loud and he cleared his throat as if
adjusting the volume.
She couldn’t resist anymore. She carefully put her hand on his uninjured one.
She was surprised to see herself trembling and even more surprised when he
turned his hand and curled his fingers tightly around hers. “I know,” she
whispered.
The silence returned.
“Could you…” He paused. “Would you consider coming back home?” His hesitation
told her too much and echoed what Jace had shared with her about Linc’s
uncertainties.
She pulled her hand away, regretting the pain she saw flash on his face.
Hastily, she tugged at the ring she’d kept on her thumb. “You are never taking
this off again, ever,” she whispered as she pushed it back on his finger.
He nodded, staring at the ring before pulling her tight against him. “Never.” He
agreed and smiled through the sheen in his eyes.
Home. The word wrapped around Julia like a blanket on a cold afternoon.
She pictured the mess she’d left in the bedroom and the remnants of Linc’s time
alone everywhere else. She blinked to clear her vision and met his eyes.
“The—uh—bedroom is sort of a mess.”
“I know.” Linc leaned his head back and glared at the ceiling. “I just… Sorry, I
made such a disaster of it.” He looked at her again. “I’ll fix it.”
Julia smiled. She knew he meant more than just the mess. So did she. “I’ll help.
I didn’t exactly clean up. I was halfway packed when they called.”
“Oh.”
“Some of my junk is still in my car.” Suddenly she realized it was all there,
her clothes probably wrinkled beyond recognition. “And there’s lingerie all over
the bedroom floor.”
They held each other’s gaze. Time stopped and the silence between them filled
with all the emotions Julia had questioned over the past few days. She leaned
toward him. She heard the mattress crackle and the sheets whisper as he moved,
too.
“I love you.”
“And I never stopped loving you.”
She thought she heard him laugh, but the sound quickly vanished as their lips
met.
He’d said the words she’d ached to hear. It felt good to say them. It felt
right.
Linc’s arms slid around her and pulled her to him. When the edge of the mattress
got in the way, he lifted her and drew her across his chest. Her feet left the
ground, and she let herself melt into him. A soft groan slipped from his chest
and she pulled back, afraid she’d hurt him, but when she tried to move away, his
grip tightened and the kiss deepened.
His hands moved down her back, over the curve of her butt and back up again. She
slid her fingers into his hair and held his head still as she kissed him. Deep
and long, the way she always used to.
She came up for air, but he didn’t let her move far away. She snuggled into his
shoulder and felt his mouth on the tender skin of her neck. She turned slightly,
wanting to see him. Instead, she fought to keep her eyes open as he ran his
tongue down her neck, to the low neckline of her shirt. His breath came quick
and hot against her skin, and she almost forgot that the door to the hallway
stood open.
Every inch of her burned. She wanted to be closer to Linc, to make love to him
more than she’d ever wanted him before.
“Linc,” she tried to tell him, but all she could manage was his name caught on a
sigh.
“Does that door lock?” His plans echoed hers. She couldn’t answer when his hand
cupped her breast through her shirt. She moaned something that sounded like yes,
but she wasn’t sure.
“Lock it,” he commanded. Then as his hand gently squeezed, he whispered,
“Please.”
She could barely stand. How was she going to make it all the way to the door?
Her feet seemed to know what to do and she was suddenly there, the smooth metal
lock in her hand. It seemed to turn by itself.
Her face flushed. Were they really doing this? She leaned her forehead against
the cool door, her back to Linc, trying to gather her breath and her thoughts.
“What’s wrong?” Linc’s voice startled her, the uncertainty in it tearing at her
heart.
She swallowed. The events of the past couple of days rushed through her mind,
rewinding to the last time they’d talked.
The argument.
In the kitchen.
“I’m scared,” she whispered. Slowly, she turned around and faced him, leaning on
the door when all she really wanted to do was melt into his arms.
“Of?”
“This.” She looked up at the ceiling as if there might be answers printed there.
“I don’t want this to just be about the fear, about what we’ve been through.
Nothing…nothing’s really changed, has it?”
She couldn’t face everything falling apart again. It would kill her.
“Probably some of it is the heat of the moment,” he said softly. The pause was
too long and Julia started to tremble.
“But not all. I realized a few things while I was down there.” Linc’s voice
deepened. “I understand why you changed jobs. I know the hurt I caused you—”
Julia couldn’t let him take all the blame, but he held up a hand.
“Let me finish, please? Then I’ll listen to you. I swear.”
She nodded and reluctantly smiled.
“You’re right.” He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and planted his feet
on the floor. After a minute, he stood and moved toward her. “Nothing has
changed. I still have to go back underground if I want to make a living. You
still work with kids who are going to go into the mines.” He stopped a few
inches in front of her and ran a hand over his face. “And you still want a
baby.”
Everything he said was true. She just didn’t want to think about it. “What about
you? Do… Do you still not want a baby?” She felt her heart about to break.
Linc didn’t answer, and Julia wasn’t quite sure what he’d say. He moved in close
and ran his finger along her jaw before cupping her chin in his palm. “I want
you to be happy, babe.” He kissed her gently. “I’m willing to do whatever we
need to to try.”
Julia breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes so he wouldn’t see the
elation in her eyes. There was more. She knew him too well. “But?”
“But I need you to do something for me, too.” He waited until she opened her
eyes. “I need you to accept the outcome. No matter what.”
“I—” She couldn’t speak and looked down.
His grip tightened, not painful but determined. “Look at me.”
Reluctantly she did.
“I can’t change the past, babe. More than anything I wish I could.” His voice
cracked. “I wanted our baby. I did.”
Her heart ached as she listened to him, but she knew he needed to say it, and
more importantly she needed to hear it.
“It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t mine, either. But I didn’t do much to help, did
I?”
She forced herself to meet his gaze, hoping that the stinging in her eyes would
go away. “It’s been…hard.”
“I know. After you left the house the other night… I have never felt so alone.
It…hurt.”
She couldn’t stay away any longer. She leaned toward him, and before he could
say any more, she covered his lips with her fingers. “You promised to listen to
me, too. So, listen. I know we’ve hurt each other. I know the past isn’t going
away. But you are the only man I want.” She leaned her head on his chest,
needing to hear his heartbeat and his breath so blessedly alive. “I know you
don’t always believe we’re right for each other. Or that a miner’s son is good
enough for a mine-owner’s daughter, but you are perfect for me.”
“Even if…we can’t have children?”
Her breath faltered. “I can live without children better than I can live without
you.”
She heard him gasp just before he lifted her face to his. Had he ever kissed her
so gently, so sweetly? She wrapped her arms around his neck and he walked them
back toward the bed. The mattress was narrow, but there were no plans to lie
side by side. Still, it felt cramped. Their lips met again and the tight
quarters no longer mattered.
He tasted delicious and she couldn’t seem to get enough of him. She ran her
fingers greedily over every inch, as if afraid the doctors had missed some bump
or bruise. She found nothing but hard, warm muscles. She sighed into his mouth
and reveled in the idea of being a part of him.
Suddenly, Linc moved and while he didn’t let her go, he rolled to his side,
trapping her between his body and the metal rail on one side of the bed.
“Julia. I never meant to hurt you.” The pain returned to his face. “I…” He
closed his eyes. “I need you in my life. Always and forever.” He leaned down and
buried his face against her neck again.
“Shhh…” She nudged him with her shoulder, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Don’t
ever let me go, Linc, not even if I’m stupid enough to try to leave.”
“Never.” Her words seemed to give him back his confidence and before she could
take her next breath, he was kissing her again, this time hard and determined.
She opened for him and his tongue plunged inside, deep and claiming.
As if to remind them they weren’t really alone, a knock sounded on the door.
“Mr. Holmes? Are you okay?”
Linc started to laugh. The sound was precious, and Julia closed her eyes to take
it into her memory.
“I’m fine,” he called out. “Just fine,” he whispered as he kissed her again.
“I have papers here for you to sign so you can go home,” the nurse persisted.
“Thanks. Give me a minute,” he said, but didn’t budge. He just leaned on his
elbows and smiled down at Julia.
“Linc! You’re incorrigible,” Julia whispered. “Behave and let’s get out of
here.”
His smile broadened, if that were possible. “That sounds good. Really good.”
It didn’t take Julia long to straighten her clothes and open the door. She
pulled it open, half-afraid of what—or who—would be on the other side. Just the
rush of the busy hospital—and the nurse who stood with a clipboard in hand and a
knowing smile on her face.
Julia felt her cheeks warm but didn’t explain. She simply smiled. Home. They
were going home.

THE SUN WAS BARELY ABOVE the horizon when Linc threw the last of his few
belongings into the bag Julia had brought him with clean clothes. The overalls
had gone into the garbage, but he had his belt and some of his other equipment.
He froze as his fingers touched the cold metal. The brass plate that would have
been used to identify his body was still attached to the belt. Still in place.
For another time?
He rubbed his thumb over the engraved metal. No answer came to him. The very
thought of going back underground made his gut tighten, no matter what he’d told
Julia earlier. The idea of finding another job tore a hole clear through him.
The door opened, and he hastily shoved the belt to the bottom of the bag. Julia
didn’t need to deal with that right now.
But it wasn’t Julia who came through the door.
His in-laws looked haggard and tired. Guilt crept through him. They shouldn’t
have to be here. Not like this.
“Morning,” he greeted them, not sure why they’d come. He panicked. Had Julia
changed her mind and sent them to tell him… Old fears reared their ugly heads.
Linc shook his head to clear it.
Raymond stepped forward and as always Eleanor moved to a chair in the
background, present but not involved.
The older man paced, looking out the window then back again. He obviously had
something on his mind.
“You got something to say, Raymond?” Linc waited for his father-in-law’s glare
and was surprised when none came.
Silence stretched out. Long. Painful. Finally Raymond spoke, his voice thin and
tired. “You remember what I told you the day you married Julia?”
“Which part? The part about how I’m not good enough for her? Or the part where
you’d end my miserable life if I ever hurt her?” Memories and pain clogged
Linc’s throat.
Raymond stepped closer. “The last.” All the old venom was gone and his eyes were
red. “This is what I meant, damn it. This horror you put her through. It’s not
what I wanted for her.”
Linc almost laughed. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t either.”
Their eyes met and for the first time Linc didn’t see any hostility there. Just
a man, tired and worried about his child.
“Linc…” Eleanor surprised him by speaking. “We…” She swallowed as Raymond turned
away from them both. “We want to do whatever we can to help. Julia’s our
daughter and we just want her to be happy. She loves you. You obviously love
her.”
Linc was shocked, both by their behavior and by his mother-in-law’s words.
She stood and walked over to him. “I’m sorry things haven’t been better between
us.”
“We’re sorry,” Raymond said from where he stood gazing unseeingly out the
window.
Linc didn’t know what to say. He stared at Eleanor who was smiling up at him
through tears. She resembled Julia, and he realized for the first time what
Julia might look like as she aged.
“We’re family.” She put her hand on his and squeezed.
Raymond moved toward them and stuck out his hand. “To the future?”
Linc took his father-in-law’s hand and shook it. “Yeah. Sounds great.”
“We’ll stop by the house later.” Eleanor gave him a brief hug and Linc watched
the couple leave, pleased that they’d come.

ALL THAT WAS LEFT TO DO was for Julia to bring the car around and for the nurse,
who insisted he had to leave in a wheelchair, to wheel him out. Linc resisted
the urge to pace—barely.
“Am I interrupting anything important?”
Linc let his gaze roam over his brother, who was now standing in the doorway.
Julia had told him earlier that Jace was here, but he was still surprised to see
the man he’d last seen as a boy. “All this time, my mind kept seeing you as you
were when you left.” Linc’s voice cracked and he took a deep breath to ease it.
“You don’t like what you see?” Jace arched a brow.
“No, that’s not it.” Linc smiled and walked to the door. “I’ll adjust.” There
was an awkward moment as Linc wondered what to do, then he stopped thinking and
pulled Jace into a strong hug. “I’ve missed you.” Linc stepped back and Jace
followed him farther into the room. While Linc sat down on the bed, Jace moved
nervously around the room.
He saw the resemblance to their father and to the face he saw in the mirror each
morning. There were traces of the boy Jace had been, as well.
But there were differences, too. Too many. Long, wavy hair. Sharp lines
bracketing his mouth and the lines around Jace’s green eyes told of long hours
in the sun.
They’d lost so much, and while this stranger was here, now, Linc didn’t know how
long he was going to stay. He wanted time to get reacquainted. “You staying?”
Linc asked.
“For a little while.” Jace leaned against the window-sill, staring back at Linc
as if he were measuring the differences, as well. “Wasn’t sure you’d want me to
stay.”
“Hell, Jace. Of course I do. Unless you have other commitments you need to get
back to.” Linc wanted to ask so many question, but held back. Jace had never
responded well to being pushed. Look what had happened before. Linc didn’t want
to lose him again.
Jace shook his head. “No. Nothing special. My business can wait for now.” He
didn’t meet Linc’s eye. “You got a pretty cool lady. I remember her from
before.”
“Yeah. Took me a while to figure out the best things were in my own backyard.”
Jace laughed and finally met Linc’s gaze. “Yeah, we Holmes boys aren’t always
the brightest, are we?” The silence grew long and heavy. “Look.” Jace moved to
stand in front of Linc. “I haven’t been the best brother. Hell, I’m not the best
anything. Period. I’m sorry I wasn’t here when…when Mom passed.”
“She would have liked to see you again.” Linc struggled to keep his voice even.
Jace had broken their mother’s heart.
Linc watched Jace swallow and knew he didn’t need to be told. The younger man
turned back to the window. “Mom wouldn’t have wanted to see me.” He didn’t
elaborate and Linc didn’t ask. Again, the silence stretched.
“I figured out about two weeks after I left that it was a mistake,” Jace said
softly, staring stubbornly at the floor.
“Then why didn’t you come home?” Sadness at all they’d lost lodged in his chest.
“Pride’s an awful thing, Linc.” Jace finally looked up. “And at sixteen, it’s
hell.”
“Was it so bad being with us?”
Jace thought a minute. “No. In retrospect, I realize what you and Mom tried to
do. At the time I just wanted to escape. It wouldn’t have mattered if we’d lived
in a palace.” Jace paced around the room. “I was too young to understand Dad’s
death. I had nightmares for years. Of being crushed. Of you being killed. Of Mom
falling even further apart. I was afraid it would really happen.”
“Did running away make it all disappear?” Unfortunately, Linc understood his
brother too well, and ached for the boy he’d been.
“Yeah, other people, other things took its place for a while. By the time I
wanted to head home, I was too drunk to know it.”
The stiffness in Jace’s shoulders told Linc how hard this admission was for him.
Was he waiting for Linc to reject him? That wasn’t going to happen.
Linc took the first step. And the second. He rested his hand on Jace’s shoulder
until he looked up. “I’m sorry, too. I wasn’t there for you. Not the way you
needed. But I’d like us to have another shot at it.” He smiled at his brother.
Jace smiled, too. “I’d like that.”
The door opened then and Julia walked in. She smiled when she saw who Linc was
talking to. “Jace. Are you coming home with us?” The invitation was forthright
and Linc knew Julia was sincere.
Jace hesitated. “Yeah, I’ll stick around a few days. But then I’ll be hitting
the road.” He didn’t elaborate. Linc didn’t push this time, but he would. He
wasn’t letting Jace go easily this time.
And they had time. Probably not a lot this visit, but he’d take whatever he
could and take advantage of the future sitting brightly in front of him.
Linc looked at his brother, then at his wife. He’d almost lost everything, but
he hadn’t. Julia moved to his side and put her hand in his.
“Let’s go home,” she said.
Both men nodded and Linc whispered, “Home.”
EPILOGUE
Six Months Later
OUTSIDE THE WINDOW, gold, red and faded green leaves fell like confetti across
the walk. Linc watched Julia hustle around the house, checking decorations, the
snacks and back to the stove to stir something or other. It was perfect, just as
they’d planned.
He leaned in the open doorway, fascinated. He couldn’t get enough of her these
days and the smile that lifted his lips felt good and right.
So much had happened in the past six months. Since the cave-in. Since they’d
nearly lost everything. Today would be the true end to it all. They’d wanted to
wait until Casey could attend. His recovery wasn’t complete, but he was out of
rehab and staying with Zach and Tricia.
The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” he volunteered, knowing Julia wasn’t really
paying attention.
Ryan and Missy arrived first, with Mike, Rachel and their new daughter close on
their tail. Rita and Jack Sinclair pulled up in their truck just as Linc
prepared to close the door. The wind blew and the dried leaves scratched across
the walk, encouraging him to step outside for a minute.
Linc would never get tired of the open air. He breathed it in, relishing the
feel of the clean, fresh breeze. He could have stood there forever, but the wind
soon kicked up. He did allow himself a moment to inhale the scent of wood smoke,
dust and a faint hint of damp. A new season that let the earth rest.
Oscar Hudson, the town’s only mailman, drove up just then and Linc went to the
curb to accept the stack of envelopes. One of the benefits of living in a small
town was that everyone had the same mailman and knew him on a first-name basis.
He also knew all of them.
“Having a party?” Oscar smiled as he craned his neck in curiosity.
“Something like that.” Linc headed back to the porch, sorting through the stack.
A postcard caught his eye. Arizona. The bright blue sky above stark red cliffs
was beautiful. Jace’s now-familiar scrawl wrote a few lines across the back.
Jace had promised to stay in touch and this was his way of keeping his word.
The postcards that arrived every few days were a brand-new start.
The sound of a car engine distracted Linc from his thoughts, and he looked up to
see Gabe and Shirley arriving, their arms laden with food they weren’t supposed
to bring. Linc shoved the envelopes into his back pocket and took a casserole
from Shirley. She never arrived without a dish of one kind or another, so why
he’d expected today to be different, he didn’t know.
Robert’s SUV pulled up to the curb. He hustled around to open the door for
Mamie. The tiny, white-haired woman was dwarfed by the truck, but Robert easily
lifted her and set her down. With a practiced hand, he unfolded her walker. Linc
met her at the end of the walk and accompanied her while Robert parked the
truck.
They’d just settled Mamie in the recliner by the fire when Zach, Tricia and
Casey arrived together. The twelve-pack in Zach’s arms nearly made Linc laugh
out loud.
Casey hobbled in, his crutches now well-worn. He’d been fitted with his
temporary prosthesis and was still unsteady. But it was good to see him
standing, nonetheless.
Finally, for the first time since the fifty-four hours they’d spent underground,
they were all together.
Linc hesitated, suddenly nervous. He sought refuge with Julia in the kitchen. As
she turned from stirring the spaghetti sauce, he slipped his arms around her.
She fitted so well in his embrace, and eagerly leaned against him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
“Nothing. Just be here for a minute.”
“I’m here for always.” She snuggled in closer.
“Hey, you two, cut it out,” Gabe called from the other room, as if he knew
exactly what was going on.
Linc’s laughter was infectious, and Julia rejoiced in the fact that she’d heard
it more in the past few months than in years before. As he left the kitchen, she
noticed the letters in his back pocket and playfully yanked them out. Out of
habit, she flipped through them, knowing he’d already seen the postcard from
Jace.
They were all pristine and dry. Unlike the letter she’d found in Linc’s pocket
at the hospital. He’d written her a goodbye letter while he was underground and
had tried to save it in a plastic sandwich bag. It had gotten wet despite his
efforts and only a few snatches survived. The rest were blurs of ink. Still,
she’d treasure it. A tangible reminder of what he’d survived and that he loved
her.
These envelopes were nothing more than the usual credit-card offers, a couple of
bills, a flyer advertising mining equipment and a business letter. She absently
glanced at the return address. Fielding Fertility Clinic. Her heart stopped.
What’s this?
She tossed the rest of the stack on the table, the intriguing white envelope
still in her hand. She followed Linc to the living room and stopped in the
doorway. He was talking to Robert and both men were frowning. Linc looked up
then and met her gaze.
Still frowning, he said a couple of words to Robert, then headed toward her.
“What’s up?”
His eyes searched her face, and she knew her emotions were clear in her
expression. He saw the envelope in her hand and took it.
She saw him swallow hard before looking at her again.
“I don’t think now—”
She put her hand on his arm. “Please.” She backed into the kitchen and he
followed.
After the rescue, she and Linc had talked and for a week at the cabin, they’d
talked more. For the first time, they’d listened to each other and now
understood. They hadn’t made any concrete plans for a family, but they’d agreed
to keep trying—and hoping.
“I saw Dr. Fielding a couple of weeks ago,” he admitted.
“Is that…test results?”
“I already know what they are,” Linc admitted. “He called yesterday. That’s just
the formal report.”
Julia couldn’t ask because her throat had closed up. They were only a few inches
apart, speaking softly, and she was sure he could hear her heart beating in her
chest.
“My sperm count’s low. But there are some…things we can do.”
“Do?”
“To make a baby?”
She tried to read his expression but was having enough trouble figuring out her
own. Fear and excitement kept getting in the way. “You’d do that?”
“Yeah.” He reached up and caught her chin with his hand. “I want a baby.”
She swallowed hard. “And I’m okay with whatever happens,” she said. Her heart
pounded, reminding her of old wishes, old hurts. She slid her arms around him
and he held her tight, finally kissing her.
Hoots and hollers broke them apart yet again, but not before he whispered, “We
can still try the old-fashioned way, too.”
He pulled away with a wink that had her face burning. She knew that if all these
people hadn’t been here, he’d have carried through with that promise. Right
here. Right now.
The front door banged, and she heard her father greet their guests. Julia knew
her mother would be right behind him.
“Everyone’s here now,” Linc said from the doorway, and she turned around to see
him grinning at her.
“Is it time to let your secret out?” she asked.
Linc nodded. Julia had been supportive, but even she didn’t know what he had in
mind. She’d gone along with all his plans for tonight, no questions asked,
though she’d been dying to know.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, guiding her
into the living room.
“Sit here.” He set Julia on the arm of Mamie’s recliner.
“I need to check—”
“This won’t take long.” Linc returned to the kitchen and she heard the fridge
open. Everyone in the room shared curious glances. What was he up to?
Julia looked down at Mamie. The older woman laughed and shrugged. Finally, Linc
returned. In one hand, he held the basket she kept by the sink for her linens.
He’d stacked it with wineglasses. In his other hand was the twelve-pack Zach had
brought and under his arm was the bottle of champagne.
“Gabe, if you’d do the honors.” Linc handed Gabe the champagne. Julia watched as
Linc proceeded around the room and gave each man a beer. She laughed. The men
weren’t having any of this “sissy” drink as Linc called champagne.
“What are you up to, buddy?” Robert grinned. He really was a handsome man, with
his muscular shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair. He should smile more often,
Julia realized.
“You’ll see,” was all Linc said. He stopped when he got to Ryan and Missy and
with a grin he handed them each a soda. Ryan grumbled in disappointment as Missy
punched his arm.
Finally, everyone had a drink in hand. Even Mamie consented to a small glass of
champagne. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Be careful, Mom,” Robert teased. “I wouldn’t want to have to answer to the
staff at the facility if you get drunk.”
Everyone laughed. Finally, Linc managed to plant himself at the center of the
group. Julia felt her heart gallop in her chest.
He’d never looked more excited or handsome—or so alive. She sent up a prayer of
thanks for letting her keep him—and for all the other wonderful people in this
room.
“So much has happened since last April. I know that only you, Robert, have been
able to go back underground.” The sacrifice had been difficult for them all.
Mike and Rachel were the hardest hit, but Casey with his medical bills was a
close second. Julia knew it had kept Linc awake nights worrying about these men
he’d grown so close to.
“Today, I have an offer for you all. Including you, Robert.”
“What?” several of them asked at once.
Linc simply grinned. “As of today, I’m the CEO and owner of Seven Bells
Consulting.” He looked over at his father-in-law who raised his beer in silent
salute. What were they up to?
“My father-in-law, Raymond Alton, has offered to finance this operation. The
information Robert just told me only strengthens our position. Those ceiling
pins were intentionally removed. That’s what caused the cave-in.”
A collective gasp went up.
Robert broke the pained silence. “No one was trying to hurt us. They just got a
little overzealous. The team ahead of us didn’t think anyone would follow. They
moved the pins to the next section, trying to cut costs.”
Linc nodded. “That’s where we come in. Seven Bells will train miners to protect
themselves, as well as to be more aware of what’s going on. Then maybe they
won’t remove equipment without thinking about the consequences, and if anyone
else is trapped, they’ll know how to survive.”
The applause surprised him. When they finally quieted, he spoke again. “You all
have jobs if you want them, except you.” He aimed the neck of his beer at Ryan.
“You’re going to college first.” Ryan ducked his head and smiled as Missy hugged
him.
Julia raised her own glass. None of the women spoke, but the tears were eloquent
enough. They drank a silent toast to themselves for surviving and to the men who
were here and alive with them.
Then Linc circled the room. In a toast to friendship and survival, he clinked
his own beer bottle against that of each man who’d survived with him. Like the
seven taps they’d spent hours banging on that pipe, the glass pinged in the
crowded room.
When he’d finished making the circuit, Linc returned to Julia’s side and raised
his beer. “May we never hear that sound again.”