Marry me, Tricia.

Marry me, Tricia.

Beautiful words. Precious words. How often she’d imagined him whispering those words to her. Tricia stared at him, paralyzed, letting her hungry gaze eat him up. She was torn between taking what she wanted and doing what was right.

Lance waited for a response to his question. He exhaled sharply. Damn, it hadn’t been a question. Maybe if he asked instead of demanded, he’d get somewhere. “Tricia, will you marry me?” She took one step back and he reluctantly let her go. “Tricia?”

“You don’t have to marry me.”

“I know I don’t.” Lance was finding it hard to get enough oxygen in his lungs. “I want to marry you.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Bam! Wrong answer. Tricia shook her head. “That’s not a good reason to get married. You’re being noble.”

She started walking toward the bedroom, the guest bedroom – not his. “Wait, Tricia.” Lance followed. “Let’s talk about this.”

Tricia held up her hand. “Please, not tonight.” She went straight for the bathroom. “We need to think about this before we go any farther.”

Lance didn’t need to think. He understood what was going on quite well. “You don’t want to marry me. Do you?”

“I didn’t say that,” Tricia whispered. She couldn’t say that. “I just think we need to slow down and consider what we’re doing.”

Once she was behind a closed door, Tricia wilted, leaning on the counter, tears flowing. All she could think about was what Jaya Starr had said, about Nolan marrying her for the baby and then regretting it. She didn’t want a marriage of regret. She didn’t want a marriage for the sake of their child. Tricia wanted Lance to marry her because he couldn’t imagine life without her.

On the other side of the closed door, Lance stood there for a few seconds, listening to her move around in the bathroom. His first marriage proposal had sunk like a lead balloon. What did he expect? He was no prize.

 

* * *

 “Something’s happened to that spotted cow’s calf, Lance. She just stands down by the windmill and bawls and bawls.” Denver took a drink from his leather canteen. “I’ve looked and looked, but I can’t find the little bull.”

Lance picked up the horse’s reins. “Come on, I’ll look with you. Did you happen to see any buzzards or any tracks? Coyotes could have taken it.”

“No, I looked all around. I didn’t see any sign of a predator or any blood or anything.”

Pulling himself into the saddle, Lance headed out of the paddock. Denver urged his horse forward and followed closely behind.

The ride from the outbuildings to the windmill was about half a mile, giving him a little time to think. He was tired, he hadn’t slept worth a flip. He was right back where he started, laying in the bed and aching for Tricia. Several times he’d gotten up and walked to the door of the guest room to look at her small, still form. He’d been tempted to scoop her up and take her back to bed with him. Maybe if he’d kissed her senseless she would consent to marry him.   

He must’ve dozed off just before daylight, because when the alarm went off he’d jerked awake and jumped up with the intention of apologizing, only to find her gone. She’d left a note, saying she was riding into town with Avery and Isaac.

“Do you feel bad, Boss?”

Lance didn’t want to talk. “I’m fine.” He wasn’t. He’d messed up.

What was he thinking?

His proposal of marriage had been spur of the moment. He’d just thrown it out there like a casual offer of a cup of coffee. He should’ve gotten down on one knee. Hell, he should’ve had a ring to offer her. Lance knew women dreamed of moments like those. They wanted romance and tender words. He’d given her neither. There’d been no words of love between them.

There should’ve been. He loved her. He loved her with all his heart.

“There she is, Lance. See? She’s just standing there lowing like mad.”

Lance could see the big cow. “Yea, something’s wrong.” He’d seen how cows acted after they’d been separated from their calves. “Let’s split up. You circle around by the scrub oaks and I’ll circle around by the windmill. Maybe he’s fallen down in a ravine or something.”

Shading his eyes with his hand, he surveyed the terrain in front of him. He also kept his eyes open for rattlesnakes, his men had come upon two or three big ones this year. A good size snake could kill a calf with one strike. “Where are you, you little mite?” he muttered, scanning the horizon. One thing for certain, when he got home tonight, he planned on rectifying the situation. He wouldn’t have the ring, but he could get down on his knees and tell Tricia how proud he would be if she’d consent to be his wife.

“Hey, boss! Lance! I think I found him!”

Lance jerked his head up to see Denver waving his arm. He was about two hundred yards away, standing underneath a spreading oak. The cow was near him, shaking her head and bellowing. Urging his horse to a gallop, Lance joined him, dismounting from his horse in a jump. Dropping the reins, he ground tied his mount, knowing she wouldn’t leave. “What have you found?”

Denver pointed toward a depression in the ground. When Lance drew closer, he could see some broken timbers. “What the hell?”

“Looks like the remnants of a well to me.” Denver glanced around at the trees and bushes. “I think this was an old home place.”

Lance went to his knees and sure enough, he could hear the weak bleating of a calf. “Get my flashlight out of my saddlebag.”

Denver did as he was asked and Lance laid down flat on the ground and shone the light down in the hole. “Damn, he’s deep.” He moved the beam around and tried to see the condition of the shaft. “This looks iffy, Bolden.”

“Do you want me to shoot him, Boss?”

The suggestion angered Lance. “Hell, no. I’m going down after him. Tie a rope to my saddle horn.”

 

* * *

 “Family Health answered my query letter. I’ve been approved for six thousand words.”

“Fabulous! Congratulations!” Tricia beamed at Freddy. “I’m so proud of you.”

He grinned with satisfaction. “Thanks. Start making notes on the questionnaire and we’ll get together to discuss an outline. Do you think we could have dinner at the Grillhouse on Thursday night?”

“I don’t know, Freddy. How about lunch, instead? You know I’m living with Lance now. I don’t think I should miss dinner with him.” She sounded far more confident than she felt. After last night, she wasn’t sure she’d be living with him much longer.

A cloud passed over Freddy’s face. “No, I didn’t realize you’d moved in with him. I knew you weren’t calling on me anymore, but I figured you’d started driving again.”

“No, I’m not driving.” She hadn’t suffered with a seizure since moving in with Lance, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen at any time. “Lance or his friends have been taking me where I need to go.”

He nodded. “I understand. Lunch Thursday would be good. I’d love to get this article written in the next few weeks. I know there’ll be plenty of research to do, but I want to discuss the parameters of the piece with you before I get started.”

“All right. Around eleven-thirty?”

He tapped a note into his phone. “I’ll be here to give you a ride.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Once Freddy was gone, Tricia attempted to keep her mind off her troubles by jotting down a few ideas for the article. The main thing she hoped Freddy could get across was the need for education, both for those who suffer with the condition and those who interact with them. Epilepsy affected each person differently, there was no single cause, and no single way it manifested itself. She wanted to address the shame factor and the bullying, the being made to feel less than others. Food suggestions were key also, especially the ketogenic diet. Limiting carbs seemed to really help, even if she occasionally splurged.

Remembering the brownie from the picnic made Tricia smile. Lance had gone to so much trouble, packing such a marvelous meal and picking her up in a horse-drawn carriage. Even more impressive and heartwarming had been the flowers he’d picked. Would he have done all those things out of a sense of obligation?

And the way they made love… The intimacy they shared was sizzling. Every time he touched her, he brought her body to a fever pitch. He was everything she’d ever wanted in a man: handsome, sexy, capable, and kind.

Ting!

When Tricia looked up to greet her customer, she was surprised to see Nathan McCoy. During the time she’d been in Kerrville, he’d grown into a handsome young man. She thought he looked like a young Joseph. What made him even more appealing was how polite and respectful he treated everyone. “Nathan! How good to see you!” Assuming he was there to see Kristen, Tricia explained that she wasn’t in. “I think Bryn said she had a dentist appointment this afternoon.”

Nathan shook his head. “I’m not here about Kristen, Miss Tricia.”

For the first time, Tricia focused on his face. He was upset. “What’s wrong?”

“Aron called me at school to come get you and give you a ride to Tebow.”

“Why?” Tricia was beginning to feel afraid. “What’s wrong? Is it Avery or the baby?”

“No. Lance is in trouble. He needs you.”

The flat statement was so unexpected and so devastating that Tricia sank to her knees.

“Tricia, oh my God! Are you all right?” Bryn rushed to her and Nathan ran around the counter to help her up.

“I need to go to him. I need to go.” A wave of fear swept over Tricia. What could be wrong with Lance? He was invincible. “What happened to him? Is he hurt?” She felt weak. Sick.

Nathan put his arm around her and supported Tricia toward the front door. “He went down in a well to rescue a calf and the shaft has partially collapsed on him. My brothers are working frantically to get him out.”

“Oh, my God. Let’s hurry.” The idea of something happening to Lance was inconceivable.

“I’ll take care of everything here,” Bryn assured her. “Don’t worry.”

Nathan escorted her to his truck and helped her in, fastening her seat belt because she couldn’t make her fingers work. “He’s alive?” She sought assurance.

“Yes, ma’am. I haven’t heard anything in the last few minutes, they just asked me to bring you there safely.”

Tricia prayed all the way to the ranch, not seeing the passing landscape through the veil of tears. “Did he ask for me?”

Nathan didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know, Miss Tricia. Let’s get you there and Aron and the others can tell you more.”

When they arrived, Avery and Libby were waiting with a four-wheeler to drive her to the site of the well. They only stopped to hug her for a moment. “Let’s hurry. He’s asking for you.”

Tricia couldn’t speak, all she could do was look off in the distance, trying to see the place where Lance’s life hung in the balance. She held onto the frame of the ATV, shaking like a leaf, willing herself not to have a seizure. Tricia refused to be weak when Lance needed her to be strong.

As they drew nearer, she gasped to see the crowd that was gathered. Skye was there, holding onto Noah. When she noticed Tricia arriving, she pulled away from her husband to run over. “Tricia! I’m glad you’re here.”

Tricia latched onto Skye and the two women moved forward, drawing strength from one another. “What happened, exactly?”

Skye repeated what Nathan had told her, adding what little more she knew. “Denver was with him, they were searching for a lost calf. When they found it in the well, Lance thought he could lower himself down in there and bring it out.”

Noah joined them, finishing the explanation. “The well is probably a hundred years old. We didn’t even know it was here. Water eroded the topsoil that had been placed over the cover and when the calf stepped on the rotten boards, he fell through. Lance thought he could get in and out safely, but the sides of the shaft were unstable.”

Tricia was listening to him, but her eyes were on the men congregated around a depression in the ground. They had pipe and heavy equipment laid out and one man was lying over the top, yelling down into the hole. “What are they doing?”

“They’re trying to determine what can be done,” Canyon Brady answered as he walked past, a large piece of cross-tie on his shoulder. Tricia shivered, she’d heard the rest of his sentence, even though it hadn’t been spoken. If anything. They were trying to determine what could be done, if anything.  

“Please, God. Please God,” she prayed, muttering the plea like a chant. After a few minutes, Aron came to them. “What’s going on, Aron? What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to dig a hole parallel to the old well shaft and then try to send someone down to the same depth as Lance. If everything holds, we’ll dig over to where he is and pull him through, but we’ll have to stabilize everything as we go with pipe and timbers.”

“Have you talked to him?” Skye asked. “Is he conscious?”

Aron nodded. “We talked to him earlier, he was on a limestone ledge about fifty feet down. Both he and the calf were fine.”

“Earlier?” Tricia asked. “What do you mean?”

“There’s been another shift of rocks and earth above him. We don’t know if there’s a pocket of air above him or not.”

His stark words crushed Tricia. Skye began weeping, holding onto Noah.

Aron placed a hand on Tricia’s shoulder. “When we talked, he did send you a message, Tricia.”

“What?” She held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest.

“He said to tell you that he loved you.”

Tricia sank to her knees. “Tell him I love him too.”

“I’ll let you tell him yourself,” Aron promised. “Just as soon as I get him out of there.”

Over the next three hours, Tricia and Skye sat on the ground and held hands. Their eyes were fixed on the place where Lance lay buried. The family hovered around them, the men working frantically to dig an adjacent hole, big enough to allow men to take digging equipment down with them.

“He’s going to make it,” Tricia whispered. “I won’t survive if he dies.”

“He’ll make it.” Skye was adamant. “Lance can do anything.”

Noah did his best to comfort the two women. “This part of the country is riddled with caves. Where Lance was situated, there may be some protection or shelter from the falling rocks and earth.”

“Let’s pray this is so.” Skye held tightly to Tricia’s hand.

“Where’s Blue?” Tricia asked, knowing Skye was dealing with the possibility of losing her child as well as her brother.

“Jessie and Molly have the children. Tennessee, Noah’s cousin, arrived earlier, along with Bowie Malone and Tanner Barron. They’re all trained in rescue operations and Bowie owns all this heavy equipment.”

“We’re lucky to have such good friends,” Trisha said weakly, her eyes following the activity taking place in front of them. The roar of the machinery was loud and every time one of the men yelled for something, she jumped, thinking they’d found Lance.

“Yes, we are,” Skye agreed. “I’m holding onto that truth. We did receive some good news on Blue Dawn’s situation.”

“You did? That’s wonderful.” Tricia tore her eyes away from the scene before her to study Skye’s tear-streaked face.

“Yes, Zane’s partner, Adam, he did some questioning around where Mr. Hughes worked as a PR executive and found that he’s been accused of sexual harassment several times. The suits were dropped, but there seems to be some evidence that he paid these women off. Zane thinks the judge will consider the possibility of him being a sexual predator a roadblock to their case.”

“Just the thought of that man being around Blue is scary. I’m sure the judge will rule in your favor.”

“I hope so.” Skye barely had the words out of her mouth before she jumped up. “Look, Tricia, Tanner is getting ready to go down.”

Tricia stood and saw that Tanner Barron was entering the hole. Joseph and Tennessee were handing him an oxygen tank. The sight made her want to scream. She knew they were taking precautions, but the idea of him being down there and unable to breathe was unbearable. What if she’d wasted their last night together?

No, she couldn’t think that way.

He’d sent word to tell her that he loved her, so Tricia planned on having something to say to him the moment he was back in her arms.

The next half hour was agonizing. Tricia and Skye tried to see what was going on, but they were kept a safe distance away. “They’ll tell us the moment they know anything,” Noah assured them.

Tricia sat on the ground, her legs drawn up, her arms wrapped around her knees. She rocked back and forth, her mind completely focused on what was transpiring in front of her.

Inhale. Exhale.

Tricia took measured breaths, willing Lance to be breathing too.

“We’ve got him! We’ve got him!”

The cry propelled Tricia and Skye to their feet. Tricia couldn’t be still, she began pushing her way to the front. “Lance! Lance!”

Skye was right behind her. “Is he okay?”

Jacob and Aron held them back until Tanner, Bowie, and Joseph could pull Lance to the surface. He was slumped over a harness, but his arms were full of bawling baby bull. “Lance!”

As she worked her way through the ring of men surrounding him, she watched him stagger to his feet, relinquishing the calf to Denver. When he raised his head, his eyes found hers and he held out his arms.

With a strangled cry, Tricia rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck. His face was covered in dirt, but he looked beautiful to her. “Oh, Lance, are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine. Did you get my message?”

“I did.” She kissed him repeatedly as applause broke out behind them. “I got your message and I have one of my own.” Tricia kissed him again. “The answer to last night’s question is ‘yes’.”

 

* * *

 “I don’t want to wait,” Lance told her as they sat in the porch swing a few hours later. “I want to get married right away.” He held onto the chain supporting the swing with one hand and held onto Tricia with the other. “There’s nothing like a brush with death to help a man get his priorities straight.”

Tricia was so thankful Lance was fine, she would’ve agreed to board a rocket to Mars. “Whenever you say.” She kissed him on the cheek. “We can have a small wedding, go to the JP, or elope. I would be happy with any of those things.”

“I want to apologize.” Lance went to one knee at her feet.

“No, get up. You’re hurt.” She tried to tug him back into the swing.

He shook his head, covered his mouth and coughed. “I’m not hurt. I just got a little dust in my lungs.” Lance cleared his throat. “You said yes, and I’m holding you to it, but I didn’t do this right before.” Taking her hand, he looked deep into Tricia’s eyes. “I love you, Tricia Yeager. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

Joy blazed up in Tricia’s heart. She clasped him close to her and buried her face in his neck. “Yes, I will. I love you too, Lance Rogers. So much.”

“Thank you.” He kissed her long and deep. “You don’t know how happy you’ve made me. You just gave me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted too, Lance.” She went into his arms as he settled himself back into the swing and scooped her up into his lap. The way he looked at her made her body burn. She felt herself tremble and knew he could feel it too.

“You haven’t had a seizure in a while, have you?”

“No, the medicine is working and my diet helps.”

“I’m glad. I worry about you anytime you’re out of my sight.”

“How about me?” She frowned. “You’re the one who went down in a well and let the sides cave in on you.”

“Oh, hush.” He grinned, capturing her lips with his warm, ardent mouth. She whimpered and sighed, closing her eyes, basking in his strength and masculinity. Lance made her feel vulnerable, yet safe and protected. Nothing bad could ever happen to her, not as long as he was around. When he lifted his lips from hers, he clasped her close. “You set me on fire so easily.”

Her fingers went to the buttons of his shirt. “Let me see if I can help put out the blaze.”

Lance captured her hand in his. “I want to wait.”

Tricia didn’t think she’d heard him right. “You want to what?”

“I want to wait until we’re married before we make love again.” He gave her a wicked grin. “Maybe the anticipation will spur you to hurry the preparations.”

“Okay.” She eased herself off his lap and onto the cushion next to him. “Well, don’t expect me to sleep in the bed with you, I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“Sleeping apart will be hard, I got a good dose of that last night.” He cupped the side of her face and made her look at him. “I want to do this right. This means more to me than you’ll ever know.”

Her eyes searched his, trying to make sure she understood. Did he not want her? No, the heat was still there. She could see the longing in his face. “We haven’t done anything by the book, have we?”

“No, but there’s no reason we can’t get married right away. With all the help we’ll have, we should be able to tie the knot in a few days. What do you say?”

Tricia’s head was swimming. “Well, I’ve got the flowers covered and Lilibet will make the cake.” She turned her face up to look at him. “Do you think we could get married here at the ranch?”

“I’m sure we can, I’ll run it by Aron.” He pulled her back into his lap. “Everyone I would invite is already here at the ranch, so it’s perfect.”

“I don’t have too many people either. Mother won’t come, she hasn’t forgiven me for accepting the loan from…Grandmother.” She felt Lance’s body grow tense beneath her. “Can I invite her?”

Lance’s answer took so long that Tricia regretted asking. “Don’t…”

“Yes, ask her. If we’re going to start fresh, we need to banish all the ghosts.”

Tricia was surprised, relieved, but surprised. “Thank you.”

“Is the loan you have with your grandmother for your shop?”

“Yes, I was desperate to leave Robeline.” Tricia held his hand in hers, tracing the length of his strong fingers. “I’ve paid quite a bit of the loan back already.”

“I’ll finish paying it off as soon as we’re married.”

“No, this is my debt. Not yours,” Tricia said emphatically.

“But if you’re mine, everything you have is mine.”

He made his argument in such a way that Tricia found it hard to argue. “We’ll see.”

“We’ll see?” He laughed at her. “Don’t use that feminine jargon on me.”

She shook her head, not wanting to spoil their evening. “There’s time to work all of that out.”

“Just marry me quick, that’s all I ask.”

…Tricia took him at his word. In the next few days, with the help of her friends, she pulled together a fairytale wedding. Just because it would be small, didn’t mean it couldn’t be magical.

Sitting in her office at the shop, Tricia reviewed her list.

1. The flowers were ordered. She’d chosen to keep it simple, white magnolias and white hydrangeas. Her bouquet would be white roses.
2. Lilibet agreed to do the cake, as Tricia hoped. Since the guest list was limited to a little over fifty people, the cake would be just three layers. White cake with lemon curd filling and a white chocolate frosting. The grooms cake was German chocolate, Lance’s favorite.
3. Avery’s father would marry them. Since David’s birth, Isaac’s in-laws were regular visitors to the ranch.
4. Avery would be maid of honor, of course. Skye and Kristin would be bridesmaids.  Jacob would be Lance’s best man. Noah and Denver would be groomsman. Nathan would seat guests and little B. T. would serve as Ring Bearer and Angel, Joseph and Cady’s daughter, would be the flower girl.
5. Dresses were a different matter. Since the notice was so short, Tricia told Avery, Skye, and Kristen to wear something they already owned. As long as it was floor length and pastel, she would be fine with it. Angel would wear her Easter dress, which Tricia thought was beautiful.
6. As far as her own dress was concerned, Tricia found something off the rack at the local bridal shop. The gown was a backless, off-white beauty covered in seed pearls. She loved it and hoped Lance would too.
7. The pavilion would be decorated with magnolia swags. White lights and lanterns would be scattered through the trees. A rehearsal dinner would be casual the night before, a Texas BBQ with live music.
8. The honeymoon…she would leave to the groom.

Whew!

“Tricia, Freddy’s here to pick you up for lunch!”

“Thanks, Bryn. Be right there,” she called, making one last note to ask Desiree Barron to sing at the wedding. She didn’t know if she would or not, but she’d promised Lance she would ask. Everything was such short notice, she couldn’t blame anyone if they couldn’t change their plans. “Just think, I’m getting married the day after tomorrow!” A thrill shot through Tricia and she wiggled with anticipation. The wedding couldn’t come soon enough for her. Sleeping in the same house with Lance, yet in different beds was no fun. She’d taken a cold shower last night to little avail, she’d still tossed and turned, her body craving his touch.

When she closed her office door and entered the main part of the shop, Tricia found Freddy waiting on the inside watching Bryn, who was outside. “What’s she doing?”

“I don’t know.” Freddy walked closer to the window. “I told her there was a dead bird outside. It flew into the window and broke its neck.”

“Oh, no, poor thing,” Tricia moved closer. “I bet Bryn buries it, she’s so soft hearted.”

When Tricia moved closer to the window, she saw Bryn stand up and hold her hands over her head. To her shock, her employee opened her hands and a bird took off for the sky.

“Did you see that?” Freddy whispered.

“The bird must’ve just been stunned.” Tricia covered her mouth and stared at the tiny creature winging its way heavenward.

Freddy looked at Tricia with wide eyes. “No, the neck was obviously broken.”

Tricia didn’t know what to say.

When Bryn returned, Freddy eyed her like she would sprout horns at any minute. “Anything you want to tell us, Saint Bryn?”

“No.” Bryn shrugged her shoulders. “I like animals.”

This was her only explanation and Tricia had too much to do to push it. “Freddy and I are headed to the Grillhouse. Can we bring you anything back?”

“No thanks. I’m good.”

“She probably has a couple of stones she plans on turning into bread behind the counter.” Freddy kept on with his miracle comparisons.

“Don’t be blasphemous, Freddy Danvers.” She shook her finger at him. “God will smite you!”

Freddy stepped back a little and Tricia giggled. “Watch those lightning bolts, they sting.”

Peering back over his shoulder to keep an eye on Bryn, Freddy followed Tricia out the door.

…At the Grillhouse, Tricia made sure Pawnee received her wedding invitation, handing it to her personally. “I want you to come and bring a date if you’d like.”

Pawnee shook her head. “No date, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She hugged Tricia, whispering in her ear, “No questions now, I’ll tell you the details when I can talk about it. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tricia agreed, her heart breaking at the sight of Pawnee’s sad face. “Just remember, I’m your friend. I’ll do anything for you I can.”

When she returned to their table, it was to find Freddy already munching on a basket of nachos. “I’ve been reading your notes, I think we’re on the right track. I just have one question for you.”

“What’s that?” Tricia joined him, taking a long drink of tea as she waited for him to continue.

“You suffered with epilepsy, thought you were cured, then found it was back. How did you feel when you discovered you were an epileptic once more?”

Tricia shifted in her seat. “I felt betrayed by my body.” She picked up a French fry and dabbled it in ketchup. “I’d just connected with Lance and the idea of him seeing me have a seizure was devastating.”

“Has he seen you?”

“Yes.” She took another sip of tea.

“How did he react?”

Tricia smiled. “He was wonderful. He holds me tight. We made something special out of it by calling it a silly name.” She blushed.

“So, all your fears were for nothing?”

Tricia didn’t get a chance to answer because the loud screech of a guitar ripped through the air and a strobe light came on.

“I didn’t know there was a band today.” Freddy leaned up to look over the divider between their table and the next. “I guess they’re rehearsing and checking their equipment.”

Tricia covered her eyes. A cloud of doubt ascended over her. A cold wind seemed to blow in her face. An overpowering smell of burning garlic assailed her nose and a bolt of electricity hit her out of nowhere. Tricia began to jerk so hard, she fell from her chair.

“Pawnee!” Freddy called, jumping from his chair. “Call Lance!”

Tricia was helpless. She couldn’t get up. She couldn’t be still. Her body was out of control. She couldn’t even close her eyes to shut out the sight of all the people circled around her. The sense of déjà vu enveloping her wasn’t only part of the attack, she was swept back in time to the horrors of her childhood.

As if in an out-of-body experience, Tricia watched the whole thing.

“Look at her! Gross!” one woman whispered.

“Somebody pull down her skirt, I can see her panties.”

Tricia felt Pawnee straightening her dress, then telling everybody to get back.

“Isn’t that Lance Roger’s girl?” a man asked, then another snickered.

“Poor guy. Can you imagine? I don’t think I could…” More snickering.

“Get back!” Freddy cried, getting up to scatter people left and right. “Show some respect!”

…Lance was driving like a bat out of hell. He’d been at the main house when Pawnee called. The eight miles felt like a zillion.

When he skidded to a stop in front of the Grillhouse, he sprang out, not even bothering to shut his truck door.

“Move. Move.” He pushed people out of the way. “Tricia?”

“Over here!” Freddy waved at him.

Lance found Tricia on the floor, her head lying on somebody’s coat. She was quivering with light convulsions, her eyes closed, her face red. He went to his knees and gathered her into his arms. “I’ve got you, baby.” Drawing her closer, he turned Tricia so her face was nestled to his chest. Whispering in her ear, he said, “Texas Holdem. Texas Holdem. I’ve got you.”

“Freak.”

Lance’s head jerked up and he glared at the man who dared say something about his beloved. “Back off, fucker!”

Freddy stood next to Pawnee, his whole outlook changed.

Lance held her until she stilled, kissing her neck and the side of her face.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened,” Pawnee apologized.

Lance nodded toward the band. “The strobe lights, I bet.”

“Somebody tell them to turn those lights off!” Pawnee yelled.

Lance rocked Tricia until her breathing was even. “Better, baby?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she apologized, her fingers clutching Lance’s shirt like a lifeline.

“Don’t you apologize to me,” he chastised her. “I got a chance to hold my baby. I’m just sorry you had to go through that.”

As he helped her up, Freddy pulled out her chair. “I didn’t fully understand until now, Tricia. I’ll write an article that will make people think, I promise you.”

“I know. Thank you, Freddy. Thank you, Pawnee.” She smiled at her friends, then held her arms out to Lance. “Can I go home now?”