Home > One Sweet Day I Found You(4)

One Sweet Day I Found You(4)
Author: Jillian Walsh

Speaking of that, he’d really blown his chance to talk to the attractive young woman who’d spilled coffee all over him yesterday. Flouncy skirt, big smile. A girl-next-door type. Very cute.

Nick ran a hand across his shorts to brush off some dirt, but it did little to help. Maybe he’d get lucky and see her around town. He could try to talk to her then, but for now, he’d better get his head back in the game.

Nick turned around for a quick check on Tom, who peddled just a few yards behind him. Tom gave a thumbs-up. He was fine.

In the summer, hikers, mountain bikers, and boaters in trouble usually called for help. In the winter, it had usually been weekend warriors braving the cold and snow.

Nick loved the work, even if it was unpaid. There was something to be said about feeling really useful, and maybe even vital, now and then. The adrenaline rush didn’t hurt, either.

Several minutes later, Nick and Tom reached the boys. With a careful check, they were both relieved to find that Nate, the stuntman, hadn’t injured his spinal column. A fractured collarbone and a lot of bruising seemed to be the extent of it.

Nick tied up Nate’s arm in a sling, fastening it close to his chest so the pain wouldn’t torment him with every excruciating movement.

If the doctors found later that Nate had suffered a concussion, from the looks of it, Nick thought it would be a mild one.

“One, two,” said Tom slowly, “three. Lift.” Nick and Tom transferred the boy to the stretcher.

“Try to stay calm, Nate.” Tom grinned widely for the sake of the kids. “It’s time for a little hike. For us, that is. You, my man, get to ride.”

Nate held back tears. “Do you think it’s broken?”

“Not sure. But don’t worry,” said Nick. “We’ll get you taken care of.”

The boy winced at the pain in his shoulder.

“Have you ever done a jump like that before?” Nick asked, securing Nate on the stretcher.

“Sort of.”

Nick attached his and Nate’s helmets to his backpack. “You know, I tried a jump like that when I was your age. Broke my ankle. Walked on crutches for six weeks. I’d say you got a little lucky today.”

“You call this lucky?” Nate pouted.

Nick grinned at him. “Trust me. Things could’ve been worse.”

Nate let out a sigh.

Tom strapped his bicycle helmet to his backpack then ran a hand across his short, dark hair. He addressed the other boy. “All right, Jonas, why don’t you lead the way, my man? We’ll try and keep up.”

Jonas nodded, having loaded up his own backpack with the digital recorder and phone. He slung his helmet over the handlebars and glanced at Nate then at the long uphill climb ahead. “Okie doke.”

Nick and Tom loaded their gear back onto their shoulders, and Nick spoke into the two-way radio again. “Departing the scene. ETA fire road forty-five minutes. Victim awake, alert, secured. Over and out.”

Nick and Tom lifted the stretcher and Jonas began to push his bike on foot.

Nick gazed down at Nate, who appeared to be trying his best not to cry. “Don’t worry, dude, we’ve got you. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

 

 

Three

 

 

Courtney glanced at the clock then out the kitchen window of the guesthouse she’d now be calling home. A quiet, late morning with blue skies revealed a gentle field of marsh not far from the cottage and a trail that led to the sandy edge of the lake.

She stretched her slender, five-foot-six-inch frame to inspect the contents of the kitchen cabinets. They seemed to contain everything a very lucky single girl might need.

She’d taken the trail to the docks and back before sunset last night, happy to discover that the town’s marina was only a little over a mile away. Her family had been to Door County only twice when Courtney had been very young, but never to Heritage Bay, so her surroundings felt as fresh as they had when she’d first landed in Sydney.

Yesterday, after a few hours at the office, when the rideshare driver had dropped her off at her new place, the key had been waiting for her under the mat.

Courtney yawned and sipped from her mug of coffee, remembering the exhausting trio of mishaps yesterday. She was eager to put the day behind her. At least nothing else had gone wrong since.

Courtney returned to the window and gazed at the shimmering water about forty yards ahead.

A hundred yards from the cottage, opposite the lake, a dense cluster of trees sheltered a substantial two-story, pale-yellow colonial from the road where her retired landlord lived. Boasting white shutters and trim, with a rust-red roof and a long row of pink hydrangeas lining the front, the large home radiated a quiet, peaceful charm. Courtney’s guesthouse was a cottage that matched the larger structure.

She went into the bedroom to finish getting ready. Her parents would be here any minute. The bedroom alone was nicer than her old apartment in Chicago. Courtney neatened the pillows and the fluffy down comforter on the queen-sized bed.

Chicago already felt like another lifetime. She’d left the city for Australia six months ago after a painful break-up with the guy she’d thought was the one. Turned out she’d been wrong about Austin. Dismally, pathetically wrong.

But the escape to an unfamiliar land abroad, coupled with the chance to give her freelance travel writing dreams a shot, had done wonders for her soul. She’d made a lot of progress.

Courtney headed back to the kitchen for more coffee and heard the quiet hum of a couple of car engines out on the driveway.

Mom and Dad!

 

 

Courtney set the coffee mug on the kitchen countertop and bolted outside. Her parents had made the three-and-a-half-hour drive from Madison to deliver Courtney’s car.

After the warm greetings and long hugs, her dad tossed her the keys to her old red Camry.

“Thanks so much!” She peeked inside then waved them toward the house. “Come on, I’ll tell you all about my trip. Who needs coffee?”

Forty-five minutes later, Courtney sat back as they finished the last bites of the cherry Danish her mother had picked up in south Door County.

Her dad beamed. “Australia sounded wonderful, and this seems like a great situation for you here, honey. I’m so proud of you.” He sighed with relief. “And I’m so glad you’re back.”

Courtney’s temporary move to Australia had gone surprisingly well. Between her savings, her credit card, and a part-time job at a coffee shop, she’d been able to tour the hot spots, explore, research, and write.

She’d submitted to travel blogs and online publications, taking full advantage of free Wi-Fi in public places, and things had finally started to take off. Most of the stories that sold were unglamorous pieces about travel gear or tips for flying in coach, not exciting things like the Great Barrier Reef or the Sydney Opera House, but still, they’d sold. She’d begun to crack the code.

Courtney’s mom rested her chin on an elbow. “I’m so glad you’re back, too, sweetie, but I don’t understand. You were planning to stay through August, weren’t you? What happened?”

Courtney shrugged. “I don’t know. I just felt like it was time. I guess I got a little homesick. I started looking for jobs, and I was lucky enough to find one, so I jumped on it.”

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