Passions of Chelsea Kane Part 16

"It's not safe down there."

"I want to see what's happening." More accurate- 353 Marbam Devasky ly, she wanted to stay near Judd. She was wanting that a lot lately. He exuded a confidence and competence that gave her comfort, not that she lacked either herself, just that he had more. He hadn't touched her since he'd learned she was pregnant, and she could accept that. There was nothing s.e.xual about what she wanted now.

She just wanted to know what he did and see how he did it. Rung by rung, she went down the ladder. The breeze blew her blazer away from her body, chilling her, but she didn't stop. When she reached the first ledge, she crossed to the ladder leading to the next. She was halfway down that when the breeze gusted again, and while she was huddling against the chill, she heard a shout from one of the men, followed by a thunderous crack and an earthshaking smack. The machines stopped. For a split second there was total silence. In its wake rose a flurry of frightened shouts. She turned to see every man in the area running toward where a huge boulder had fallen from the cables that had been lifting it. She looked for Judd in the rush of men but couldn't pick his hard hat from the rest. Frightened, she hurried down the last of the rungs. She was halfway there when Hunter caught up with her. He snagged her elbow this time. "Stay here," he ordered, and ran on ahead. She ran right after him. When he pushed his way through the men, she followed. She came to an Abrupt stop, crowding into his side, when she saw the two men on the ground. Her heart stopped, then raced on. One was Judd. The other was the man who'd been drilling the dog holes. Judd was moving-she breathed a sigh of relief for that, but the sigh caught in her throat when she saw the other 354 The ftlsm089 of Cbeiaw Xane leg pinned beneath the rock. AA 1% Ju was s outing directions. He had gone pale his tan.

The other men were similarly pale. one cradled the injured man, one was running toward the crane. Hunter had left Chelsea's side and was scrambling up a ladder carrying a drill, while another man held the ladder steady. Two more men were on ladders, securing dog hooks in previously drilled holes. The growl of Hunter's drill came again and again. He put pressure on it with his stomach, leaning one way, then another to widen the hole. He grabbed a waiting hook, secured it inside, and slid down the ladder. The crane operator s.h.i.+fted into gear. The cables creaked and tightened. The stone lifted just enough for Judd and several of the others to drag the man beneath it free. His lower leg was crushed. They set him down carefully, but his cry of pain tore into Chelsea's gut. one touched his boot; his leg was a b.l.o.o.d.y mess. She stood there, unable to take her eyes from it, while the activity went on around her. It wasn't a frenzied activity, but a deliberate series of acts per- , by men who weren't strangers to accident ... Quarrying was the second most hazardous occupation in the country, a fact that the men joked about in lighter times. Chelsea didn't hear any joking now.

Their voices were a low, tight rumble of concern. "Smittie's bringing the truck to the bottom-"

"-need an ambulance-"

"-nearest is two towns over. Truck')] do-'-onto the board, s.h.i.+ft him, careful, careful-"

"-my leg-"

"Okay, Wendell, you're doin' fine-" Three on each side and one on either end, the 355 men lifted the board and began carefully working their way down the side of the hill.. Judd was in their midst. So was Hunter. Chelsea followed closely, along with the remaining quarrymen.

Wendell moaned. The men rea.s.sured him. Fallen leaves and twigs snapped beneath their boots,. and through it all the low voices droned on. "d.a.m.n dog holes weren't balanced-"

"-signaled the crane too soon-" '@-hooks slipped--2' "Where the h.e.l.l's Smittie?"

"What's she doin' here?" At the last, Chelsea's eyes flew to Judd, who had only then seen where she was.

His eyes were livid. He jerked his head toward the top of the quarry.

But she shook her own, no. She wasn't leaving. He repeated the gesture.

Still she didn't move. "Hunter!" he roared, though Hunter was right beside him. "Get her out of here!" The low rumble of voices went on.

"Last thing we need's a woman-"

"-don't know her [email protected] "-knocked up anyway---m"

"-pregnant as Stokey's [email protected]" Hunter was suddenly before her, a solid body blocking her way. "I'm going with them," she whispered. But he shook his head. She slipped to the right, then the left, and managed to evade him. She ran on in an attempt to catch up with the others. They reached the bottom of the hillside just as the truck chugged up and swung around. Chelsea moved aside to watch the wide board on which Wendell was lying being lifted and put into the back 356 The Pa.s.siom or Chasm AMC His leg was covered with blood. Needing reas- "Orance that he would be all right, she instinctively her eyes to Judd, but his face held no reasrance. It was ashen, his features pinched. His left ;, from shoulder to waist, was soaked with blood. a.s.sumed it was Wendell's-until he staggered . to climb into the truck. "Oh, G.o.d," she breathed, and started forward, but hauled her back. "He'll be all right. They'll both be all right." She pulled against his hand. "I want to go in the ck."

"I'll take you."

"I want-"

"We'll get there before they will, Chelsea." He had Started back up the hillside with her arm still firmly his grasp. The instant she heard the truck roar off d stopped fighting, he let go. She ran ahead of him now, trying to get him movfaster. "What's wron with Judd?" 9 Got gouged with a hook. Doc Summers'll st.i.tch Im UP."

"There was so much blood."

"Gouges run deep."

"Do you think it tore something vital?" Hunter looked at her face, then her stomach. ","Nothing you have to worry about," he drawled as ,,".they ran, and all she'd forgotten at the sight of ..Judd's blood came rus.h.i.+ng back. They had seen she was pregnant. The wind had done it.

"It's not Judd's," she told Hunter, because that eemed like the most important thing to say. "NO?" 357 Barbara Defins1ky "Timing's right.

You two have been doin' it since July."

"Not since July. It's over now.

But the baby happened before I left Baltimore."

"You're a real swinger."

"One man. One time. Hunter, what'll happen to Wendell?"

"Depends. He may lose the leg." Hunter was in the lead now. She was feeling less steady and had to make more of an effort to keep up. "is he one of the new men?"

"Nope. Been with us fifteen years." They reached the ladder at the bottom ledge. "You go first," he said, and waited until she started up.

At the top of the quarry he held out a hand. "Give me your keys." She pa.s.sed them to him as they ran toward the Pathfinder, then climbed onto the pa.s.senger's seat. "Is the local hospital all right?" she asked.

Hunter started the car. "If it isn't, Doc Summers will say so." He wheeled them around and took off down the back side of Kankamaug. "He's good that way-"

"What's his specialty?"

"No specialty. When you're the only doctor in town, you do everything from st.i.tching cuts, to setting broken bones, to delivering babies." He took his eyes from the road just long enough to give her stomach a good stare. "That's rich." He chuckled. "Are they ever gonna love this."

"Who?"

"Everyone in town." He chuckled again. "We're talldn' scandal with a capital S."

"Come on, Hunter. No scandal. This is the nineties." 358 me Pa.s.sions of Chelsea Kam FI..'ONO matter. This Is Norwich Notch."

"Women get pregnant all the time."

"Not ones who are visible in town and unmar- ed." He shot her a fast, uncertain glance. "You ', are you?"

"Would I have ever been with Judd if I was?"

"You tell me."

"No." Hunter swung onto the main road and picked up ed. They drove in silence for a while. Chelsea Judd in her mind's eye, saw the blood on the t of his. s.h.i.+rt, imagined the torn flesh beneath. Ill someone know enough to staunch the blood?" asked.

"This happens all the time." That wasn't much of a comfort to her. She'd seen on Judd. There was a small one on his forea more jagged one on his calf. But it was one ng to see something old and faded, another to see ething open. "So who's the father of your kid?" Hunter asked.

,.-,'-",She swallowed back a sick feeling in the pit of her ach that had nothing to do with Carl. "A man in more." on't he marry you?" yz,""I won't marry him. Or I wouldn't have, even if'd wanted to. Anyway, it's a moot point. He's mar- to someone else now." @"*So fast?" e turned to the window just as Hunter came up the rear end of a station wagon. He honked, then past the instant the car pulled to the right. ' much longer?" she asked. ,@Six minutes." isn't there an ambulance?" 359 Harbwa Definsky "Town can't afford one." Her hands were like lee. She clenched them in the folds of her sweater. "So you're gonna have the kid yourself?"

"Uh-huh." "What're you gonna say when it asks about its father?"

"I'll say who he is." Having spent her own life wondering who her parents were, she would never keep something like that from her child. Carl would know about the child long before then. He and Hailey would just have to cope. "That's good," Hunter said. For a minute she thought he was done. Then he said, "My mother wouldn't tell me. I used to ask all the time. It's not right that a child shouldn't know."

"I agree." He shot her another fast glance. "Don't you wonder?"

"All the time."

"Did you ever go looking?"

"I am." But she didn't elaborate. One revelation a day was about her speed. "How much longer?"

"Four minutes."

"Can't you go any faster?" He gave the Pathfinder more gas. "You're the first person who's ever asked me that. Come to think of it, you're the first person who's ever willingly let me drive her car."

"I trust you more than I trust myself right now." Chelsea glanced at her watch.

"Where do you think they are?" "Around the next bend," Hunter said, and sure enough, they rounded the bend to find the truck straight ahead. 360 7he Pa.s.sions Of cawsea KWW sea tried to see into the back, but the tailgate raised. She saw heads as they pa.s.sed, but not dd's. "Maybe he's pa.s.sed out."

"Probably lying down." He waited for an oncoming car to pa.s.s, then sped on by the truck. "We'll get to the hospital first and let them know he's coming." In the next breath, on a note of dawning, he said, "That's why you were sick that day on the motorcyi c e. "Uh-huh."

"How far along are you?"

"Five months."

"Wouldn't guess it. You're too small." But Chelsea didn't look small to herself. Not any- ,1..more.

"It's my clothes. They hide it," she said. "The town'll think you're less. They'll think that it was Judd, and if not Judd, someone else here. !,V,-Wotchers point fingers. You can count on that."

"Who did they point to when your mother got -,,Vregnant?" ;@: "I don't know. But when she died, they pointed at ;@[email protected] For the longest time, I believed it.

Sick, huh?" Chelsea studied his face for sign of emotion ,,beyond t e words, but either there was none there, h ..Xor she was too worried about Judd to see it. "Did u really believe it?" she asked quietly. He nodded. "Thought I'd killed her. Thought I was -'eapable of doing ' anything ugly, and no one .!:W me straight until Judd." She saw emotion this time. It was worry, the me as she was feeling inside, and it came and t so quickly that she might have imagined she'd n it, if she hadn't heard the words. No one set me . until Judd. They held recognition and appretion, and they sparked dozens of questions for 361 Barbara Deunsky Chelsea to ask. But the Pathfinder had pa.s.sed through the center of town, east to west, was speeding over the small covered bridge and approaching the big, old white Victorian that housed the hospital. She tucked the questions away in the back of her mind. By the time the truck arrived with its wounded, Neil Summers and each of the four nurses on his staff were at the door to greet it. At a glance, Neil knew that the reconstruction work Wendell's leg would need required a specialist. He had Wendell transferred to a gurney and wheeled inside, where he cut off the boot, did what he could to stop the bleeding and make Wendell as comfortable as possible until the ambulance from Adams Falls arrived to take him to Concord. Then he turned to Judd. Chelsea and Hunter were in the room with him, standing out of the way, she with her hands tucked under her arms for warmth and her eyes glued to his chest. Judd was stretched out on an examining table-that alone would have upset her, he was such an active man-with his eyes closed, a knee bent, and his jaw clenched against the pain. One of the nurses had cut away his s.h.i.+rt and cleaned him enough to see that the gouge was localized in the area of his shoulder, but blood had dried in streaks from his middle to the waistband of his jeans. Chelsea felt weak. When Judd opened his eyes and saw that, he said, "I'll be fine," but she wasn't sure. She knew that if there was severe damage to the muscles and it wasn't repaired properly, he might be permanently disabled. Neil took a look at the shoulder and whistled. 362 The Pa.s.sions Of C @be&ew Kane h did it good this time, ole buddy," he said, and ed for a vial. "What are you doing?" Chelsea asked. "I'm going to shoot him full of anesthetic, then st.i.tch up this mama."

He sent her a humorous glance. "That okay with you?"

"Can you make the arm perfect?"

"No more than it was before.- When she wasn't convinced, he smiled and said, "Hey' would I do any- r ,@-'thing to isk the future of the star of my own @'ball team? I'm the manager. Bet you didn't know '-,that did you?"

"Ole buddy," Judd called hoa.r.s.ely, "want to stop ibolin' with the lady and do something about this .14-swd.a.m.ned arm? It's hurtin' like bell."

"It'll hurt more before we're through," Neil arned good-naturedly, and prepared the injection.

hat was only the first of many. Judd winced with ac , even swore at a few, and by the time the sewing began, his body was damp with sweat.

Unable to bear doing nothing, Chelsea took his ee hand and held it tightly. Unfortunately, from position she had a better view of what Neil was @:doing. She had never thought herself the squeamish but her own skin grew damp at the same time the room turned brighter. When Judd looked at . and spoke, his voice seemed far away. "She's pa.s.sing out, Hunter. Grab her." She never knew whether Hunter did or didn't. Her rld went totally blank. "I didn't mean to do that," she said a short time er. 363 Bmtors Demashy Hunter made the kind of facetious sound he was good at. The nurse moved a cool, damp cloth over her forehead. "Some people have trouble with the sight of blood."

"I don't usually. But there was so much. I swear I saw bone." Her voice wobbled. She swallowed hard. Just thinking about what she'd been watching made her feel dizzy again. She pressed a hand over the cloth and took several deep breaths.

"How's she doing?" Neil asked as he slipped past the curtain that separated Chelsea's cubicle from Judd's. "I'm fine," Chelsea said.

"She's pregnant," Hunter told the doctor. "I know. Do me a favor." He shooed him out of the cubicle. "Make sure the big guy doesn't leave. I'm not done with him yet." Chelsea tried to sit, up but Neil pressed her back. "Take care of Judd first," she pleaded. "I'm fine. Really.-"Shhhh." He put his fingers on the pulse at her wrist. By the time he was satisfied with the count, Chelsea was feeling foolish. "I'm okay," she insisted. "You're pregnant," he said, but with a hint of a smile. He put a hand on her stomach. "How far along?"

"Five months."

"I want to take a listen," he said. "We're fine, Neil. Judd needs you more." But Neil had already put the stethoscope to his ears. In an instant he had her clothing moved aside and was listening. Chelsea held her breath.

"Strong kid," he said at last. 364 Ibc Faswons of Cbelsen Kane h e *Let me hear," she whispered because s couldn't resist. He transferred the stethoscope. The sound brought tears to her eyes. Reluctantly she removed the instrument and righted her clothes. Neil helped her sit up.

In a low voice he said, "Are you having the baby here or in Baltimore?"

"Here. At Boulderbrook."

"Then you'll want to meet our midwife. She's been delivering babies since she was sixteen, which as nearly forty years ago. She's the best." Had Neil been taking her pulse just then, Chelsea would have had a hard time explaining its sudden jump. Yes indeed, she wanted to meet the midwife. She wanted that very much. There were a slew of questions she wanted to ask, not all having to do with the birth of her own child. For now, though, she wanted Judd st.i.tched.

365 Me Pamlons of Chelseg Kane seventeen HELSEA MET LEO STREETER WHEN SHE brought Judd home from the hospital later that day. Given Judd's size, she had expected a larger man, and in his heyday Leo may well have been. But he was no more than five nine now, and a frail five nine at that. On the other hand, a sweeter face she had never seen in her life.

Though framed by hair that was more gray than brown, it was the face of a child, innocent and without malice. He and Judd lived in a house that Chelsea had made a point to pa.s.s many times but had never entered before. It was a small frame cottage at the end of a street dotted with small frame cottages in a modest part of town. Although some of the cottages looked slightly worse for the wear, the Streeters' was in perfect order. In the not too distant past its clapboards had been painted, its roof s.h.i.+ngled, its shutters straightened, its screens replaced. Running around its perimeter was a low stone wall that had been artfully crafted years before by Leo himself. He was sitting on a chair on the porch when they arrived, bundled in a Red Sox warm-up jacket, with 366 a blanket over his legs and Buck by his side. His sitter, a woman named Gretchen Swfller, was the one who jumped up in concern when she saw Judd ease himself gingerly from the pa.s.senger's seat of the Pathfinder. After a.s.suring her that he was fine, he squatted down beside his father and managed a smile that belied he'd suffered so much as a scratch. "How're you doin', Dad?" Leo regarded him quizzically. "It's Judd," Judd said gently, while Buck nudged his side.

"Judd," Leo repeated. His eyes seemed to light just a bit. He put a thin hand on Judd's shoulder. Chelsea held her breath. It was Judd's injured shoulder, albeit heavily bandaged, but if there was any pain, he didn't let on. "Have you had a good day?" he asked. Leo raised puzzled eyes to Gretchen. They s.h.i.+fted to Chelsea. By the time his attention returned to Judd, he seemed more puzzled than ever. It was as though in the process of finding an answer for Judd, he'd forgotten the question. "Have you had a good day?" Judd repeated as gently as before. Leo smiled then.

"Went for a walk in the woods."

"With Gretchen? That's nice. You always like walks in the woods with Gretchen," Judd said, but , might as well have saved his breath. Halfway ough, Leo forgot him. lie was looking expectantly Chelsea. "Emma?"

"No, Dad. That's Chelsea." He motioned her over th his head, which was the only way he could do His left arm was immobilized inside an old cardi- 367 Barbara Deonsky gan of Neil's. His free hand was braced on the arm of the chair. Chelsea thought he looked none too steady and joined him willingly. She bent forward and squeezed one of Leo's hands as it lay in his lap. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Streeter." "is Emma coming?" Leo asked, still expectant. "Not today," Judd said. Leo looked crestfallen. "Then who is this?"

"Chelsea's a friend of mine. Remember, I told you about her? She's living at Boulderbrook."

"Boulderbrook," Leo repeated, then brightened. "When is Emma coming?" Whatever source of strength had been holding Judd up seemed to leave him then. "She'll be here another time, Dad." He patted his father's arm with his good hand. "I'm going inside for a while." It was all Chelsea could do not to help him to his feet, but she didn't know if he would welcome that. She did know that unless he asked her to leave outright, she planned to hang around for a while. Neil had worked on him for more than an hour, not including the time he'd spent on her.

He had taken multiple layers of st.i.tches, the gouge had been that deep.

Judd had to be in pain. She wanted to be there for him if he needed anything. He entered the house with Buck at his heels, went straight through a small living room, down a hall, and into the second of two bedrooms. Chelsea followed silently but paused at the door. The room was spartan, its walls wheat-colored and unadorned, its floor s.p.a.ce filled with a tall dresser, an old leather chair, and a bed. The bed dominated the room for practical reasons; a large man needed a large bed, and the room was small. 368 Me Pa.s.sions of Chelsea Kane Judd stretched out on the quilted spread with a moan and threw his good arm over his eyes. She watched to see what he'd do next. So did Buck, who came up and nuzzled her hand when it became clear Judd wasn't playing. When several minutes pa.s.sed and he hadn't moved, she went over and touched his arm. "Judd?" she asked softly. He lifted the arm and opened his eyes with a start.

When he saw that it was her, he dropped the arm back into place. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks."

"Maybe something to eat?"

"Later."

"A pain pill?"

"Later." Chelsea imagined that the local anesthetic was starting to wear off. If it were her, she'd have tried to keep ahead of the pain. But it wasn't her. It was Judd. And Judd apparently took an hour's worth of st.i.tches as nothing more than a day's work. "Won't you at least take your boots off?" He started to sit up, but she pressed him back. She unlaced the heavy boots and set them, one by one, on the floor by the bed. He hadn't been wearing a jacket-she kept wondering if that would have made a difference-and, since his s.h.i.+rt had been torn beyond repair, he wore only Neil's sweater. b.u.t.toned and none too big, it served as a makes.h.i.+ft sling. She imagined that it v4s scratchy against his skin. "Want this off?"

"ot now. Let me rest." S e stood over him for another few minutes, and not once did he move. So she went to the old 369 Barbam Dchnsky leather chair, settled into a corner, and tucked in her legs. Buck curled up nearby. She had a.s.sumed Judd was sleeping or, if not that, had forgotten about her, when he said quietly, "Don't you have something better to do?"

"No."

"How long are you planning to sit there?"

"Until I do have something better to do."