Page 48 of An Uncertain Road

“But at what cost? What kind of life is it if his legs are crushed beyond use?”

Flora’s stomach clenched at the harsh description of Mr. Franklin’s condition. “Many people have lived through injuries as bad as that and had fulfilling lives.”

Sam stood and pushed his way after the others. “I’m going along. Nothing I do could ever make this better, but staying with him is at least something.”

* * *

A melancholy pall settled over everyone as several men helped the doctor lift Archie and maneuver him up the hill and into the back of the wagon. Sam climbed in the back and sat with him while the doctor squeezed onto the narrow seat next to the farmer who owned the wagon. With a flick of the reins, the horses headed back toward town with the men who had come to help walking behind, the procession as somber as if they were headed to a funeral.

Jensen trudged to the top of the embankment, surprised to see how little daylight remained.

Handing Jensen the jacket he’d discarded in the grass hours ago, Fred offered a weary smile. “Pittsfield isn’t far. Let’s get to the hotel so we can eat and rest. We all need it.”

The half-hearted group returned to the Decauville. Flora started the car, and they rode the rest of the way to the last tour stop in silence. It was dark by the time they arrived.

Jensen hoped to get to Flora’s side as soon as she stepped down from the car, but Fred stopped him before he could reach her. “I’m going to take Beth to get freshened up and rest for a few minutes. Do you and Flora want to visit Sam and Archie at the hospital after that?”

Turning to see Flora marching straight to the nearest official to take on the difficult task of explaining what had happened, Jensen knew what her answer would be. “Yes, I’ll let her know, and we’ll meet you in the lobby in an hour.”

Fred slipped his arm around his wife, and the couple trudged toward the hotel. Jensen hedged closer to Flora, trying to stay nearby without getting in her way as she recounted the events of the day for the officials. Getting past the herd of cows, trying to hold off Archie, racing to the bridge. While she never laid blame on anyone, the consequences of Jensen’s actions rang in every word of the story. This tragedy was his fault, just as it had been with Gregory.

Flora finished her conversation with the officials and didn’t wait to watch them inspect the car. Instead, she immediately strode toward the hotel without even a backward glance at Jensen. She was angry with him. And for good reason, if she believed what Sam said and doubted Jensen’s weak explanations.

But he intended to keep trying. He wasn’t going to lose her without a fight.

But when was the right moment to push? Should he explain the entire story of how Archie blackmailed him? Or wait until she had time to process all that had happened that day?

In the end, he simply ran to catch up with her, following her into a hotel that was smaller and rather plainer than most they’d stayed in during the tour. Inside, a noisy party was underway in the dining room. Flora paused in the doorway, watching the other teams as they gathered to celebrate the last night of the tour. Jensen stood as close to her as he thought she’d allow, close enough that he could see tears forming in her eyes. It wasn’t difficult to understand why. Tomorrow they would all pull across the finish line, where they’d started in front of the AAA headquarters, and a winner would be declared.

But after choosing to stay with Archie, the Harrison Goods team was out of the running.

The majority of the teams still hadn’t lost a single point. There was no way all of them would do so before arriving in New York City the next day. That fact must have hit Flora as she spun around and trekked across the hotel lobby. But their day wasn’t over…yet.

Before she escaped to her room, Jensen rushed to grab her arm, stopping her as gently as he could. She froze, then met his gaze. It was only a brief moment, but enough longing enlivened those chocolate depths to encourage his heart. She might be angry, but she also cared. “Fred asked if he and Beth could walk over to the hospital with us after we clean up. To visit Sam and Mr. Franklin. If you’re up to it.”

His awkward invitation was met with a curt nod. “I’ll be down in a bit,” was her only response.

Jensen let her go, praying that rest and time would open her heart to hear the truth—that he never actually did anything to hurt their chances of winning the tour.

Upstairs in his room, Jensen splashed water over his dirt-smeared face and neck, then changed out of equally dirty clothes into a pair of nicer trousers and a clean—if wrinkled—white shirt. He brushed his jacket off the best he could. At least he’d been warm enough to remove it as soon as they went down the embankment, so it had been saved from most of the mud his other clothes were covered in.

Then he immediately felt terrible for thinking about his clothing when a man was lying in the hospital with grave, possibly fatal injuries all because of Jensen thinking they could beat him in a race.

Abandoning any further efforts to freshen up, Jensen headed back downstairs, past the boisterous dinner, and outside. Fred and Beth were already waiting next to the plain clapboard building. Jensen’s heart ached at the drawn expression on Beth’s tired face. A woman expecting a baby didn’t need this kind of strain.

But that was nothing compared to the grief ravaging Flora’s face when she joined them. She’d been crying, he could tell. And he longed to wrap his arms around her and reassure her that everything would work out.

If only he could make that be the truth for her.

The group set off on foot toward the hospital, following Fred, who had picked up the doctor there earlier and thus knew the way. He slid his arm around Beth, the couple giving each other support through their physical connection.

Jensen glanced at Flora out of the corner of his eye as she walked next to him. For the last few days, he’d thought he had a right to kiss her as he had last night. He’d imagined a future with her in it. He’d glimpsed the possibility of working through his past mistakes and regaining the life he’d dreamed of before Gregory died. But now?

A wave of sorrow almost knocked him off his feet. Would his mistakes once again tear away what was dearest in his life? Five years ago, it had been his stupid choice that cost Gregory his life and forced Jensen to reject his life’s passion. Now, it was like that day all over again, except this time, he was being turned away by the one person he wanted in his life more than anything.

They reached the two-story brick hospital building, unremarkable except for the large white-and-red sign painted on the wall to identify it. Inside, they were directed by a nurse toward a room at the end of a quiet hallway. Fred stopped at the door with Beth at his side. “We’ll stay out here. You two have more to say to them, and it won’t help Archie rest to have a room full of visitors all at once.”

Flora looked up at Jensen, uncertainty in her wide eyes. He took her hand, relieved when she let him. Then he led her through the door.