“No, I was in the lumberyard all day, and I’m covered in dust. I need to take a shower.” He leans down to kiss his wife on the top of her head as he admires his little girl in her arms.
“Before you go, we have a question for you,” Charlie states.
“Well, hopefully, I have an answer. Whatcha got?”
“Daisy met a guy on a dating app, and for their first date, he wants to take her on a hike at Smith Rock.”
“Hell no. Haven’t you heard of stranger danger, sis?”
“He’s a climber from Colorado.” This is Daisy’s lame reasoning.
I can’t see my best friend's face, but I hear the confusion in his voice when he says, “I thought you were dating Mark?”
My heart stops, waiting for her reply, but it’s Ryan who answers as she kicks me under the table. “She ended things with him. Barely made it through dinner and ended up spending the weekend alone at the Sunset Marquis.”
Fuck yes, she did!
Now we need to push this climber off a very steep ledge and stop the madness.
Daisy and I are inevitable.
Chapter Nineteen
Owen
Saturday is usually a day off for me, but during football season, I take extra shifts to make up for the time I miss coaching. Not that my sergeants require it. The department sees my high school coaching as good for the community and incorporate my hours with the team into my patrol schedule. Still, I know my being away in the afternoons means that others have to cover my shift. I like to pay guys back when I can.
But today, I wish I hadn’t. It’s too nice out to waste the day driving around town in my patrol car. It’s fall, and that means before you know it, things will turn cold, and snow will cover the ground. I should be on a hike with Maui. Instead, I'm at work, doing my best to distract myself from thinking about Daisy’s date.
So far, I’ve taken two reports of shoplifting, dealt with neighbors feuding over a stolen yard gnome. I found a runaway down by the river and convinced her to go home. And at themoment, I’m parked on the edge of town in a shady spot, listening to my radio for calls to come through while I finish my report for a car crash in the Orchard District. Today has been what I like to call steady and petty. No major crimes and no serious injuries. I’ll take it.
Focused on my report, my fingers stop, and my heartbeat follows suit when a call comes across my radio.
“Deschutes County Fire en route to medical call at Smith Rock State Park. Female. Early thirties. Fallen off cliffside. Unconscious. Possible injury to the lower extremity.”
No, no, no, no.
Without giving it a second thought, I flip on my lights and sirens and put my vehicle in drive. I know in my gut who this call is about. My pulse races as I guide my car out of the city limits. Ignoring everything else on my radio, listening only for updates on the fallen hiker as I stare out my windshield, seeing nothing. I’m driving at the speed of light, but it isn’t fast enough. My need to get to her is the only thing that matters.
Arriving at the park much faster than is legal, I pull in just as the fire team begins their hike to get to her. County police pull in behind me. Shutting off my car, I bolt out of my driver's side door, not giving the other officers a second glance. I’ve caught up to the fire guys just as they reach the injured person surrounded by a small crowd of fellow hikers.
When I reach her, she’s on the ground with a woman holding her hand and giving her assurances. A sharp pain jolts through my chest. My stomach churns to see my four-leaf clover sprawled across the rocks.
Forcing my way through the bystanders and other men in uniform there to assist, I land on my knees beside her. Confusion washes over her face.
“Owen?”
I take her hand in mine. My thumb runs circles over the tiny constellation of stars tattooed on her wrist. “I’m here, Clover. I’m here.”
“But how?”
We’re interrupted when Noah, a fireman I went to school with and who recognizes Daisy, steps in. “Miss, can you tell me your name?”
He knows her name. This is a test to see how hard she hit her head.
“Daisy McKinnon. Hey, Noah.”
“Hey, Daisy. Can you tell me what day it is?”
