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It took an hour and a half for the helicopter to get there. Thank God, in that time, the wind calmed enough that the pilot was able to land in the pasture close to the house.
When he’d gotten there, Damon had carried Martha into the house and set her on the couch, where she’d woken enough to have a weary conversation with them. She’d wanted to sit up, but they insisted that was a bad idea and gave her some water to drink, telling her that she had to be seen by a doctor. She must have realized she’d been badly injured, because she didn’t argue. As the paramedics took her to the helicopter, she’d asked Damon to help Valerie with the animals. He’d promised he would.
Now, as the helicopter rose away from them, Damon put an arm around Valerie’s shoulders. She hadn’t cried yet, but he could see the veil between her keeping it together and losing it was thin.
“Come on, let’s get you back to the house.” He applied light pressure to guide her around and toward the house, but she resisted for a second as she gazed up at the helicopter. It quickly disappeared from their view, though he could still hear the whirring of the blades, and her shoulders slumped as she allowed him to guide her to the house.
Neither spoke as they went inside and pulled off their gear. He gestured to a chair, hoping she’d sit. She did, looking numb as she stared at the fireplace across from her.
He grabbed kindling and small chunks of wood, setting them up to start a fire to assist the small furnace that only kept the rooms tepid. Once he had a sufficient fire crackling, he went to the kitchen and made tea. He would have made coffee, but the last thing Valerie needed was caffeine to make her more jittery than she must already feel.
As he poured the steaming water into a mug, he heard sobbing coming from the other room and quickly put aside the kettle so he could go sit by her, providing her with whatever support and comfort she would take from him.
She resisted for a moment as he put his arm around her curled-up form, but then she melted against him, pressing her face to his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him tightly, as if her grip on him was the only thing holding her together.
His heart ached for her and he pulled her close, stroking her hair. He wished there were words that he could say that would alleviate her pain, her stress and fear, but anything he thought of sounded hollow in light of the circumstances, so he just sat there with her.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Her voice was a throaty whisper, and she hadn’t yet raised her head from his shoulder.
“Yes. She’s strong, and head injuries can look a lot worse than they are. And if it is bad, then the doctors will be able to go in and perform surgery if needed. You did a good thing, getting her help right away.”
She sniffled and raised her head. She brushed her fingertips over his shoulder and chest. “I’m sorry. I soaked your shirt.”
“Silly woman,” he said softly, giving her a gentle look, a slight tilt of his lips, when she met his eyes.
She sniffled again, but pulled back. He reluctantly let her go, immediately missing the feel of her against him. That wasn’t a feeling he had a right to anymore, and it only came about because of a dire situation. The thought made his chest ache nearly as much as it had when he saw her pain over poor Martha. He also worried for the woman. He’d always enjoyed her energy and spunk, and she was a good neighbor and friend.
“I have to find some tissue,” she murmured, pushing herself up and heading for the bathroom.
In the meantime, he could get that tea ready for her.
The water was still nice and hot, and steam rose from the mug as he poured the water over a tea bag.
“That smells good.” Valerie came to stand beside him and stared at the mug for a second before she tilted her head up and met his gaze. When her fingers brushed his hand, curling around it, his heart stuttered and warmth wrapped around him as she offered a small smile. “Thank you for being here, Damon. You don’t know how much it means.” Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his cheek, and he closed his eyes, soaking in the fleeting feel of her pressed against him, her soft lips against his cheek.
Swallowing, he cleared his throat. Why was it such a struggle to keep his head on straight around this woman?
“I’m glad I could be here for you.” The words weren’t enough, and they didn’t express nearly what he felt, but it was all he could admit to her.
“I appreciate that so much.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I took you away from your ranch. You should go back.”
“No.” He squeezed her hand, which was still tucked in his. “I can stay as long as you need me.”
Her smile was sad, her eyes tired. “I promise I’ll be okay. I already feel so bad for sobbing all over you and taking you away from your work. Especially for dragging you over here during a blizzard.”
He opened his mouth to argue further, but she shook her head. “I promise I’ll call if I need to. It’s okay.”
It felt wrong to leave her in this state, with no knowledge of how Martha was yet. But perhaps if he left, she would get some rest.
“Fine. But you call me if you need me. Even if it’s the middle of the night. I’ll make sure all the animals have food and water before I leave.”
She gave him a hug and stepped back too quickly. “I will. Goodnight, Damon.”
He pulled on his gear and said goodbye, giving the house a long backward glance before walking to his truck. He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake.