Texas Bride

Biting her lip, Dani aimed the flashlight beam at the vehicle. A dark human shape slumped over the steering wheel.

“Well, that makes it simple,” she muttered, tucking the flashlight into her windbreaker. She tied one end of the rope around the yucca tree and the other end under her breasts, took a deep breath and waded into the torrent.

Letting the rough current push her toward and around the rear of the car, Dani grabbed for and found a handhold on the midstream boulder. After crawling awkwardly to its top, she inched along it, wiping the now-occasional raindrop from her eyes. And babbling, she realized as she reached a spot near the front of the car. That idiot pleading and praying aloud was her.

Okay. God probably has the idea. Now do your part.

Pulling out the flashlight, Dani pointed it at the still figure in the car. The ray of light showed only a few details clearly: the gleam of dark gold hair, a firm jaw, and broad, unmistakably male shoulders. His eyes were closed, but... Dani steadied the shaking beam and peered through the raindrops beading the windshield. Yes, the man’s chest moved. He was unconscious, but alive.

Dani’s sigh of thanksgiving became a groan as the flashlight revealed another problem. There was water inside the vehicle, already lapping over the console. Clamping her jaws together, Dani put away the flashlight. The man in the car was going to die unless she did something. Now.

The top of the boulder was littered with loose rocks. Picking up the biggest one, Dani lifted it over her head, aimed it at the windshield and let fly. She repeated the process until the glass starred, then heaved the rock one more time. As the spray of safety-glass nuggets subsided, Dani leaned down and peered through the opening she’d created to get a better look at the man she was trying to rescue.

Heat coiled deep inside her. Completely inappropriate reaction, she told herself. But just as completely undeniable.

Okay, so cope with it. And get back to work.

Despite her urgency, Dani couldn’t help studying the man for a few long seconds. He was unrelentingly male. Exceedingly handsome. Even unconscious, he exuded a sense of leashed power, like a sleeping cougar.

And she had to get him out of the car before he drowned.

But how? The man looked to be a muscular six-footer, she was a very pregnant five-three. She couldn’t even get her hand far enough inside the car to touch him.

Dani tugged on her lower lip for a second.

Then, taking a deep breath, she did the only thing she could think of. She started shouting.

Regret was still there as a thought slowly emerged from the blackness. So this... is...being dead.

Josh struggled to form another thought, but—What was that infernal noise?

“Dam it, wake up! Come on, mister. Open your eyes!”

With a groan, he obeyed. Where—Was he in a car? The windshield looked like a silvery net—except for a hole on the right side.

Through the opening, he could see a light. He’d heard about that. He was supposed to go toward it, wasn’t he?

A face appeared, floating in the light. A beautiful face. Soft glowing skin, a wide luscious mouth, huge greenish eyes. Surrounded by a fuzzy, burnished halo. An angel. Straight out of della Robbia.

“That’s it. Wake up.”

Josh blinked. One or two angels. He couldn’t tell for sure. Their edges blurred and melded as they gestured frantically. He closed his eyes. Better.

“Are you hurt?”

Sensation crept to the front of his awareness. He was cold. Wet, And...everything hurt. Especially his head.

“Answer me!” She sounded scared.

Huh? Angels weren’t afraid, were they?

“C-can you move?” This one was. Palpably.

Through the reverberating pain, Josh knew he ought to ease the angel’s anxiety. “Yes, ma’am....” He flapped a hand to demonstrate his mobility.

“Come on, then! There’s no time to waste. Crawl out through the windshield.”

No. His head would explode if he moved. Better just stay here.... “Don’t want to,” Josh mumbled.

“I didn’t ask you if you want to, mister. I told you to move. Now do it!”

Bossy damned angel, Josh thought grumpily, but began to inch his body up the steering wheel at her insistent nagging, gritting his teeth against the waves of pain that washed over him.

A couple of eternities later, Josh heaved himself over the dashboard and partially through the windshield opening. It seemed to be lined with blue nylon. A small angelic hand grabbed a wad of shirt and added its upward pressure to his efforts.

Eventually, he lay on rough, wet rock.

His rescuer sat beside him, breathing raggedly.

Breathing. Not an angel, then. Real. Me, too.... Yes, now it seemed obvious. He was still alive.

For one thing, he hurt too much to be dead.

Josh opened his eyes briefly and stared at a shapely nearby ankle. He wondered vaguely who it belonged to. But he couldn’t focus right now. On anything, except—“Thanks.” He let his eyelids fall shut again, hoping to ease the dizziness.

“Don’t thank me yet.” The words were tinged with a soft Southern accent—and more concern.

“Why not?” Josh countered, although he barely managed to form the words through the whirling in his head. “You got me out of the car. You saved my life.”

“Not yet.”

“Close enough.” Keeping his eyes shut, Josh pressed his cheek contentedly against the stone. A little rain didn’t bother him. He’d just take a short nap and...

A faint whiff of flowers and woman alerted him to her closeness. Then his rescuer’s hands were gentle as they smoothed over his limbs and fingered a lump on his temple.

Her heart, however, was as hard as surgical steel. Her next words proved it. “You’re soaked,” the woman barked. “And this is the desert—with night comin’ on fast. You ever heard of hypothermia, mister? Get up!”

Damn the woman! Okay, he owed her his life, but—

Josh pulled himself to his knees. And threw up. “Sorry,” he croaked after his stomach stopped cartwheeling.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, amusement now warming her tone. “I’ve sure done my share of that.”

Josh didn’t get the joke. It didn’t matter; a second later, Ms. Stormtrooper dragged him to his feet Made him slosh a hundred miles or so through a snarling stream. Forced him to stagger uphill for a couple of centuries....

He threw up again. Conquered a tall step. Crossed a creaking floor. Wondered why heaven smelled like corn bread, then remembered he was still in Texas.

The gentle hands touched him again and his clothes went away....