Megan's Hero (The Callahans of Texas Book #3): A Novel (3 page)

After grabbing a pair of leather gloves from a pouch in the door, Will stepped down to the ground and stuffed them in his back pocket. The sun had come out, raising the temperature and melting the hail faster.

He had worked several accidents, though he’d been first on the scene only once. Standing by the pickup, he surveyed the area. No downed power lines. Truck engine off. He sniffed the air—no fuel leaks. They were well off the road, so there was no danger from passing cars and plenty of room for the emergency vehicles when they arrived. No obstacles hanging in the mesquite trees or on the truck that could fall on them.

He removed a first aid kit from behind the backseat and paused long enough to pull on a pair of nonlatex gloves. He called the ranch as he picked his way through the rubble of broken lumber, tangled fencing, mesquite limbs, and debris that came from somewhere else, including a badly dented aluminum water trough. Will quickly explained the situation to his brother, Chance, and ended the call as he walked around the cab of the truck.

The big rig lay on the left side, with the driver lying against the cab door. The cracked windshield had popped out and was about twenty yards away in the pasture. He checked for oil or other fluid leaks. Nothing to cause a problem.

Will recognized the injured man. Ted made regular hauls from San Angelo to Callahan Crossing, delivering lumber for the houses Chance built.

“Cavalry’s arrived,” the driver mumbled.

“Just the scout. But the cavalry is on the way.” Will knelt beside the opening where the windshield used to be and set the first aid kit on the ground beside him. He didn’t think he’d need any of the bandages in the kit, but it paid to keep it handy.

The truck had landed hard, breaking off the rearview mirror and crumpling the left fender and bumper. The side of the cab lay on the ground at a slight angle. “How ya doin’?”

“Leg’s busted. Ribs hurt. Whoppin’ headache.”

“It’s no wonder, considering the size of that goose egg on your head.” His shirt and the door panel between the window and armrest were soaked with blood. “I’m going to open your shirt and see if you’re bleeding anywhere.”

He quickly but gently unsnapped the front of the western shirt and checked for injuries. “I don’t see any big cuts. Just some little scrapes.” But he was going to have some nasty bruises. “All this blood must have come from your head.”

“A purty little gal stopped it.” A faint frown creased his brow. “Or did I dream that?”

The bloody shirt was tucked underneath his head. “You didn’t dream it. She’s the one who told me about the wreck. She’s in the truck, warming up and having something to eat.”

“Good.” Ted’s eyelids drifted closed, and Will wondered if he’d passed out. But he looked at Will again, pain and worry clouding his eyes. “She hurt? Can’t remember.”

“She got caught in the hailstorm, but I don’t think she has any bad injuries. The medics will check her out too. I need to ask you a couple of questions that will give them an idea how you’re doing. Can you tell me your name?”

“Ted Bentley.” He frowned at Will. “You know that.”

“Yes, but I wanted to see if you did. Do you know where you are?”

Ted’s frown deepened and he glanced past Will at the lumber scattered about. “Goin’ to Callahan Crossing.”

“That’s right. Do you know what day it is?”

“Sunday?” the trucker asked hesitantly.

“No, it’s Thursday. Do you remember what happened?”

Ted pondered the question, started to shake his head, and winced.

Will quickly leaned forward, put a hand on each side of the man’s head, and held it still. “Don’t move your head until the paramedics tell you it’s okay.” He looked down at Ted’s twisted leg. Definitely broken, but there was no sign of additional blood anywhere. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“Thunderstorm. Pulled off the road.” He paused to take a few shallow breaths. “Rain let up. Got goin’ again.” He paused again, frowning. “Big hail. Angel woke me up. In a heap of pain. Did I have a wreck?”

“Yep, with a tornado.”

“No kiddin’?”

“You need to lie still so I can check your pulse, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Will was worried. The trucker had grown paler as they talked. He moved one hand and gently placed his fingers on the side of Ted’s throat and counted the weak pulse. Fifty-five beats a minute. He sure hoped the medics got there pronto.

“Still tickin’?”

“Yep.” Will checked the pulse in Ted’s wrist. It was the same. Good. Not sweating, but he was breathing fast and shallow. He laid his hand lightly on Ted’s chest, counting his breaths. “Does it hurt when you breathe?”

“Yeah. Ribs. Did I have a wreck?”

“You got hit by a tornado.” Déjà vu all over again. Megan guessed right—concussion.

“No kiddin’?”

Two pickups pulled in behind his. “Dad and the boys are here.” Will braced Ted’s head again to keep him from moving. “I’m just going to hold your head steady.”

“Okay.” Ted closed his eyes.

His dad and Chance joined him a minute later. His brother-in-law, Nate, stopped by Will’s pickup to check on Megan.

“How is he?” Chance asked quietly, squatting down beside him.

“Not as good as I’d like. You hold his head while I call Johnny and give him an update.” He leaned closer to the injured man. “Ted, Chance is going to stay with you while I call Johnny.” No response. Will carefully lifted his hands and shifted back out of Chance’s way.

“He’s unconscious?” Chance framed the driver’s head with his hands.

“He’s been talking, but I think he passed out a minute ago.” Will moved a few steps away and hit the speed dial for the paramedic. “Johnny. It’s Will. The trucker is Ted Bentley out of San Angelo. Leg’s definitely broken. Ribs either bruised or broken. Head injury, at least a concussion. He doesn’t remember the accident. Short-term memory isn’t good. I told him what happened, but he didn’t remember it a few minutes later.

“Pulse fifty-five and weak. Respiration twenty-six and shallow. He said it hurts to breathe deep. He was talking up to a few minutes ago, but he’s unconscious now. He’s lying on his side, still in the seat, against the door. I didn’t get a chance to ask about medical history. He works for Best Lumber in San Angelo, so they could put Lisa in touch with his family.”

“I’ll give her a call,” said Johnny. “Don’t let him move.” The siren wailed, almost drowning out his voice.

“Chance is holding his head steady. What’s your ETA?”

“Five minutes. You know Butch. He loves these country calls ’cause he can go warp speed.”

“We’re about a mile past the ranch entrance. Don’t fly past us.”

“We won’t.”

Will hung up the phone and met his father’s gaze. Nate had joined them as he was making the call, so everyone heard the report. “They should be here in five minutes.” He looked at Nate. All the men in the family were volunteer firemen, so his brother-in-law knew what to watch for too. “How’s Megan?”

“She’s okay. Getting warmer. Said she felt better after she ate the energy bar.” He smiled slightly. “She wanted to know what was up with everybody checking her pulse every few minutes.”

“I get the impression she’s pretty independent.”

“No wedding ring,” said Nate.

Will had noticed that too. “Might not mean anything.” By the time he’d shared what little he knew about her, the EMTs had arrived. They hauled their equipment around the front of the truck before Butch went to examine Megan.

Johnny took over Ted’s care, and the Callahans and Nate moved out of the way. Will shifted so he could see Megan as Butch examined her. He couldn’t hear the conversation, but she had a very expressive face. She was worried, and whatever Butch was telling her wasn’t easing her fears any.

“She’ll need to go to the ER,” his dad said quietly.

Will nodded. “Not only to clean off the glass and treat her cuts. Her pulse was irregular, and she felt faint earlier. I’ll take her in as soon as Butch gives the go-ahead.”

He knew the others could take care of Ted and see to cleaning up the truck wreckage. “Her minivan is down the road, but I don’t know how far.”

“We’ll handle it,” said Chance. “I’ll run down there and take a look as soon as we get Ted out of here. I’ll give Joe’s Towing a heads-up that we’ll be needing a wrecker.”

“Sounds good.” Will glanced to see how Johnny was doing with the trucker. He had put a neck brace on him and was starting an IV. When Will looked back at Megan, she said something to Butch and emphatically shook her head. Butch was arguing with her, though clearly in a nice way. “Think I’ll go see what the problem is.” He caught Chance and Nate exchange a quick glance. “What?”

His brother shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s just interesting to see you get all protective of the lady.”

“What good is rescuing somebody and not following through to make sure she’s okay?” But in his heart, he knew that wasn’t the whole truth. Despite her determination and resourcefulness, Will sensed a vulnerability in Megan. He had the feeling she needed a friend, and he intended to be one, if only for today.

As he strolled over to his pickup, Megan asked the medic, “Can’t I just go somewhere and hose off the mud and glass?”

“No, ma’am,” Butch said patiently. “You need to go to the hospital to be checked out more thoroughly.” She turned in the seat, putting her feet out the door opening, and he stepped back. Will stopped a few feet away, wondering why she was against going to the hospital when she’d been so worried about her baby earlier.

“You said the baby’s heartbeat sounded okay.” She held her arms out away from the inside of the truck and brushed off some of the dried mud. “See, it’s coming off and taking the glass too.” Will noticed a little wince, though she tried to hide it. The glass wasn’t coming off as easily as she pretended.

“I’ll just knock all this off and be done with it. Then we can figure out what to do with my van.” She slid out of the truck to the ground, forcing Butch to move farther back. He almost tripped over his bag and looked away as he moved it over with his foot.

She took a step and swayed, the color draining from her face. Will jumped forward, swept her up in his arms, and tipped her feet higher than her head. She sure didn’t weigh much. When she wasn’t pregnant, she wouldn’t be bigger than a minute.

She hung limply almost upside down for a few seconds, then grabbed hold of his shirt with one hand and frowned at him. “Put me down.”

Her voice wasn’t nearly as forceful as he expected she intended. Ignoring her, he glanced at Butch.

“Not yet.” The EMT checked the pulse in her throat and wrist again, then wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm and pumped it up.

She attempted to glare at the medic, but it was a puny effort. The woman was feisty, which Will admired. But she wasn’t showing much common sense at the moment.

Butch took her blood pressure, then removed the cuff. “Okay, you can raise her up now, but no standing. Put her on the seat and take her to the hospital.”

Will slowly lowered her knees and raised her shoulders, holding her a little longer than was necessary. “Let us take care of you, Megan,” he said quietly. Confusion and a hint of fear clouded her face. He played his ace. “And your child. Let’s make sure Sweet Baby is okay.”

Tears misted her eyes, and she swallowed hard as he carefully placed her on the truck seat. “I want to, but I don’t have any insurance,” she said softly. When she looked up at him, her eyes were dark with worry—and shame. “Or the money to pay for a visit to the ER. I don’t want to be a charity case.”

“I’ll cover it.”

“I can’t let—”

“It’s not up to you.” He grabbed the seat belt, leaned over her, and fastened it with an emphatic click. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Then I’ll pay you back. As soon as I can. When I find another job.”

She didn’t need to. His bank account was stuffed full and bustin’ at the seams, but he suspected it was very important for her to carry her own load. “Deal.”

He shut her door and stopped to check with Butch. “Is she okay?”

“I think so, but I’m concerned about her almost fainting. Could just be an emotional reaction to what she’s been through or something else going on with her pregnancy. I expect they’ll want to keep her overnight.”

“They should. She’s been through a lot today and will have a lot more hassles before things get straightened out with her van.” If she didn’t have a job or health insurance, she probably didn’t have car insurance, either. “She doesn’t need to be fighting any health issues too.”

Butch grinned. “Being pregnant is enough to deal with all by itself.”

Will waved to his dad and got into the pickup. Megan glanced at him, then closed her eyes. He turned around and started up the highway toward Callahan Crossing just as his friend, Deputy Sheriff Dalton Renfro, arrived along with the fire truck and a couple more volunteer firemen. He just waved and kept going. Somebody else could bring them up to speed.

He thought she was asleep, but right after they drove past the entrance to the Callahan Ranch, she turned to look at him. “Callahan Ranch, Callahan Crossing. You’re that Callahan?”