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CHAPTER 1 Alec Edwards stared into the blinding rain. Traffic crawled along Interstate 10. Typical Los Angeles traffic. At this rate he'd never make it to the fund-raising dinner, and that was fine with him. As Alec had left the hospital that evening, Walt Rushmore let it slip that his daughter Andrea would be joining them.
Somehow Alec had managed to keep from wincing. The Rushmores were playing matchmaker. As far as Alec was concerned, it would be a match made in hell. An abortive relationship with Andrea four months ago proved that. For some reason, the Rushmores and Andrea couldn't understand Alec just wasn't interested. Tonight was going to be pure agony. The weather seemed to agree.
Traffic slowed, cars wedged bumper to bumper, horns blared from all directions to no avail–nothing was going to move this traffic along. They were stuck here for God knew how long.
Alec smiled. Maybe there was justice in the world after all. The hospital already had his money for the benefit tonight and now he wouldn't have to bear Andrea's company.
As he thought that, the crawl of cars ground to a halt. Headlights from oncoming cars zoomed by and bathed him in eerie yellow light. They moved a little too quickly for Alec's comfort. He blessed the concrete divider that stood between him and the eastbound lane. Still, his gaze remained riveted to those mesmerizing lights.
Through a sheet of rain, Alec watched in horror as a car broke free from those coming in the opposite direction. It careened off the center divider and sailed through the air.
Alec snapped open his seat belt and dove for the passenger side.
It was silent except for thebeating rain, and then came the explosion of metal and glass.
When silence descended once more, Alec eased up, looking for damage. He was safe. The car behind him was a shambles. He shoved his shoulder against the door and sprinted to the wreckage.
Others did the same. A patrolman from the eastbound lane squealed to a stop, leaped the divider, and ran to the wreckage.
"There's a medical bag in my car! Get it!" Alec pointed to his car.
Relief washed over the young officer's face.
Alec stared at the tangled heap of vehicles and wondered if there was any hope someone was still alive. The first car, a beat up Colt, had plowed headlong into the windshield of the second, a late model Cougar.
Crawling up, Alec wrenched open the door of the Colt. The stench of liquor took his breath away. A pair of gaping, vacant eyes stared back at him. Nevertheless, Alec felt for the man's pulse. Nothing.
He jumped down, expecting the same from the Cougar. The door groaned in protest as he forced it open. A woman was behind the wheel, her face, neck, and chest sliced by shards of metal and glass. The Colt's bumper missed decapitating her by mere inches. He gingerly felt for a pulse and then sighed in relief. She was still alive.
Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him. There was a catch in her breath, an awareness in those deep brown eyes of hers. She grappled for his hand and then curled her bloodied fingers around it.
"It's…you." Her voice was no more than a whisper. "God, how I have missed you." She braced her cheek against the seat and drifted off, a touch of a smile on her lips.
Alec stared at her hand still nestled in his. Warmth radiated up his arm until his body was engulfed. Not even the chilling rain could diminish the heat pulsing through him. Who was she? He racked his brain trying to place her. They had never met, had they?
"Here's your bag." The policeman set the black satchel near the open door.
Alec turned to thank him. Shock paralyzed the other man.
"She's going to make it." His tone warned the officer to say nothing to the contrary.
Finally, the man forced himself to nod. "And the other one?"
"He's already gone."
The officer glanced around. "The paramedics are on the way, but with this rain and traffic it might take a while."
"Some butterfly kisses will hold her in place until–"
"Kisses?"
Copyright © 2005 by Catherine Snodgrass.
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