Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

EMERIE

Three years later

“Mama?” Levinia asks from her carseat. “Pappy’s house?”

“Yeah, baby, we’re going to Pappy and Memaw’s house so Mama can go to school,” I reply, glancing in the rearview mirror.

“Love you, Mama,” she says.

“Love you more than all the stars in the sky, baby girl.”

She starts singing along to the radio. It’s a station that plays a lot of kid-friendly music, including songs she hears on some of the shows she watches, and I soon find myself joining in with her.

She’s the best parts of me and Levi, I think, grief swamping me once again as I think of the freak accident that took him from us. The same day I saw two lines on the pregnancy test was the day his parents came to my house to tell me that he’d died in a training accident.

The funeral was hard, but living without him by my side? Even harder, especially living in our tiny, postage-stamp town in Possum Creek, North Carolina, just outside of Maggie Valley. I was talked about, reviled, treated like trash; all things that were made even worse because of my grief.

Thank God for my parents, as well as his. Despite their own grief, they stood beside me as I fought to stay in regular classes so I could graduate at the top of my class like I was on target to do, then helped with Levinia so I could go to college. Granted it was the local trade school, but while I was working as a 911 Dispatcher, I decided to go back to become a paramedic.

Trying to make you proud, Levi. Going to raise our daughter up the way we were.

I’m in my last semester, which consists of practical ride alongs so I’m able to pass my state exam in a few months. The crew in Maggie Valley are awesome; they’ve taken me on board and have shown me so many ways to accomplish the tasks needed to help those having the worst days of their lives.

It wasn’t what I had planned for my future, but Fate had different ideas. I was going to be a stay-at-home mom and raise the kids Levi and I planned on having. Instead, I’m raising our daughter, although not completely alone, thank goodness.

“You get to spend the night at Pappy and Memaw’s house,” I tell her once the song has finished. “Mama has to work tonight, okay?”

“Okay, Mama. I help feed the cows.”

I giggle because my sweet girl loves going to her grandparents’ house. They have a small farm, with chickens, cows they raise for beef, and a few fields of corn. “Do you think Memaw will let you help her get the eggs today?”

“I hope so, Mama! Chickens is funny.”

“That they are, sweetie, that they are.”

“You’re doing well, Emerie,” my instructor says as I pack up my bookbag and prepare to head to work. I’m already dressed in my uniform of jeans and a polo shirt, so I’ll be ready to go when I arrive.

“Thank you,” I reply.

“Just a few months left, and you’ll be ready to take the state exam. How are the ride alongs going?” she questions.

In order to get the clinical hours needed to be able to take my state certification exam, I’ve been doing ride alongs with an ambulance crew in Maggie Valley. Once a week, I meet with my instructor at the school, and we cover the critique sheets that the crew fills out on me. So far, I’m doing pretty good, since I take every opportunity to work on any skill they feel needs improvement. Plus, I try new things as they come up, since every shift I find myself shocked and surprised by something I’ve never seen before. Still, it’s job security for us, so I don’t complain at all.

“I think they’re going rather well. Shane, the crewmember I shadow the most, has been very patient and helpful teaching me. That first week when I had to get an IV in, I thought I had chosen incorrectly, but he showed me the easiest way to get it done. He’s also taught me a lot about handling patients who are distraught over their situation, as well as how to deal with their families. I definitely understand that for them, it’s the worst day of their life. My job is to ensure they’re medically stable enough to get to the hospital for further care.”

“They really enjoy having you, Emerie. Keep up the good work and don’t forget to work on your study guide,” she replies. “Have a good night in the dispatch center. Hopefully it remains calm.”

I grin because she didn’t say the ‘q’ word which anyone involved in any aspect of being a first responder is superstitious over. “I will and I’ll have some new pictures of Levinia most likely since she’s out at Levi’s folks’ house.”

“You better,” she teases. “That little girl is absolutely precious.”

“Yeah, she is. Thanks again, Mrs. Simmons. I really appreciate all of your help.”

“It’s what I’m here for, Emerie. What makes it an absolute pleasure for me is how you’ve taken to it like a duck takes to water.”