Page 61 of Fall or Nothing

Ivy glared at me with all the ferocity of a protective older sister. “Back away. Haven’t you done enough? You broke her heart, and now this?”

“No, stay…” I heard Sage whimper. But I stood back. The ambulance finally arrived, needing room to get to her.

Chris surprised me then, appearing by my side. “I think it’s time to retire Carter James. Time to get back to your Magnus roots, to the world where you belong. Because you’ve done enough damage here, don’t you think?Between the Amos’s and now this? My jet will be waiting tomorrow to take you back to New York City, and you’d better be on it.”

Sage must have heard every word, though. As they put her into the ambulance, she yelled, “Carter? Carter—Magnus?”

“Sage!” I lunged forward.

Daisy jumped into the ambulance instead. The doors closed.

Ivy pushed me back. “I don’t know who you really are, but don’t come near my sister.”

Colt pulled her back. “Calm down, Ivy, let’s get to the hospital.”

The ambulance roared away, sirens blaring. Colt followed in his truck with Ivy. Chris had gone at some point, too. Everyone left, leaving only Jake and Ash alone with me in the silence.

Ash held out his hand to shake mine, but my brows knitted together, not understanding why.

“I think I’ve been too harsh on you. That rescue of Sage and keeping her safe, risking frostbite to get her back here, that’s some heroic shit. I don’t know what type of man Carter Magnus is, but Carter James did okay on this ranch. I’d hire him on my crew any day.”

“Thanks. Maybe I’d work for you,” I huffed quietly.

“Get some sleep, soldier. You’ve earned it.” He walked off.

That left Jake and me.Other than Sage, he’d be the one true friend I’d developed here. I’d miss him, too.

He eyed me skeptically, “Who exactly are you?”

“You heard what Chris said?”

“Yep. I think everyone did.”

“Long story.”

He shuffled in his boots, looking around. “Looks like you have nothing but time on your hands until that flight tomorrow. Come on. You have a long story to tell me, and you look like you need a drink.”

“None of that strawberry wine crap, please.” I rolled my eyes. “Love the stuff, but tonight I need something stiffer.”

“Don’t worry. I know where Eldon keeps the good stuff.”

TWENTY

Guarded

SAGE

I woke in a hospital bed;the sterile smell of antiseptic and the steady beep of machines pulling me from a foggy sleep. My head throbbed, and when I reached up, my fingers brushed the bandage hiding the small row of stitches on my forehead.

The accident came back in flashes. The roar of snowmobiles. Carter’s urgent voice. The sleigh tipping. The fall down the ravine and the cold snow rushing up to meet me. And then nothing.

“Hey. You’re awake. Just a mild concussion is all. You’ll be fine,” Daisy explained, holding my hand. Maybe I’d be fine in a few days. But my heart? That had been shattered into pieces.

Through the window in my door, I saw Carter in the hallway, looking wrecked with Dad’s coat covered in dirt. His face was pale, and his eyes locked onto me. Ash, Jake, and Colt were there, talking to him, but he wasn’t really listening. His gaze never left mine, full of concern and worry.

For a moment, everything in me wanted to reach for him. To let him hold me and tell me it was all going to be okay.

Then the truth crashed back in. Carter Magnus? Who was that? He lied about himself. Did he lie about everything?