for ground to steady herself. It had been almost a year since the blast, and she still didn’t have control over her emotions when she heard a loud noise. Falling apart in front of her volunteers—and particularly this one—wasn’t something she wanted to do. Kyle gave her the impression he didn’t miss many details. She had to learn to handle her fear.
Before she recovered, a large hand wrapped around her upper arm and held her steady. The strength of the fingers was evident even through her bulky jacket.
“You okay?” Kyle’s voice held concern.
She had the feeling that from behind his dark glasses he was watching her closely. “Yeah.” She pulled her arm out of his grasp. “I’m fine.” Heat filled her face, in spite of the weather. “I was just caught off guard.”
“You’re sure?”
Controlling the shaking of her hands, Baylie poked her ski pole firmly in the snow and pushed away. “Yes, I’m sure.” But the words were caught in the wind. She reached the entrance to the intermediate slope, stopped and looked back at him. Even from a distance she could tell his brow was raised in confusion.
Hours later the radio clipped to Baylie’s waist squawked, “Child down on the beginner slope.” It wasn’t the voice of the new guy. For some reason, his she would’ve recognized.
She brought the radio to her mouth. “ETA five.”
Skiing fast, she made her way to the nearest lift and broke through the line. Riding up, she radioed instructions to the patrolman who had given her the report. There was a pause then the man said, “The new guy took her to the clinic.”
What?
“He said he was a doctor and he’d take care of her.”
He was a doctor? She’d figured since he hadn’t introduced himself with the title of MD that he must be the clinic manager or a physical therapist. That didn’t matter. It didn’t mean he knew how to handle the kind of injuries that occurred on the mountain.
Heat filled her from head to toe. Her jaw tightened. She couldn’t respond as she wanted to over the radio. She’d straighten out protocol when she was done with the patient. Working to keep her voice even, Baylie replied, “Thanks. I’ll meet him there. Please patrol the beginner slope while we’re at the clinic.”
“Ten-four.”
Baylie was going to see to it that this guy knew his place. She made the decisions on this mountain. The care of the skiers was her responsibility. It could be a liability issue if someone was further injured by one of the patrol.
She’d hardly been deposited off the lift before she was releasing her bindings and stalking into the clinic. All the way up she reminded herself that the patient came first. The last time she’d been this irate had been when she’d woken up in a hospital bed and they wouldn’t tell her what had happened to the rest of the men.
Taking a calming breath, she walked through the tiny lobby of the patrol office. A deep voice and the shy giggle of a small child came from the direction of the exam room. As Baylie went through the door she found Kyle leaning over a little girl of about six years old with a cherubic face and flaxen curls. He was checking her eyes with a small penlight and at the head of the bed stood another longtime patrol member. Baylie fixed him with a piercing look. His lips went into a thin line and he shrugged before he said, “He insisted.”
“I did,” came the deep voice of the man examining the girl.
She spoke to the patrolman. “Please find her parents.”
The man didn’t dither when he left.
“Tell me what happened.”
Kyle glanced at her before turning his attention back to rubbing the child’s head with the tips of his fingers. Despite her anger, she had to admit he did have a gentle way about him. But he wasn’t the qualified medical staff here. She was. He’d had no business removing the child from the slope without her permission.
“Cassie was a little late getting off the lift and it caught her in the back of the head.” He continued examining the girl, looking down at her and smiling. The girl gave him a shy grin.
The man could charm a snake out of a basket. Baylie was afraid she’d have a hard time not responding to that smile if he ever turned it on her.
“The lift seat knocked her down. Mostly scared her,” Kyle finished, still not looking at Baylie.
She stepped to the table. “You can go back to the slope now. I’ll handle it from here,” she stated in her best no-nonsense voice.
Kyle’s mouth tightened and he moved away, but she sensed his presence not far behind her. He wasn’t leaving. Having no intention of having an ugly discussion in front of a patient, especially a frightened child, she said no more. There would be time later to clarify the rules on this mountain.
“Hi, I’m Baylie,” she said to the child, smiling reassuringly. “Cassie, can you tell me where it hurts?”
The girl put her hand to the back of her head.
“I found a goose egg in the back on the left side,” Kyle said from behind her.
Moving her fingers along the girl’s scalp, Baylie located a knot. “It’ll be sore for a few days,” Baylie told the girl. “Do you mind if I listen to your heart and check a few more things?”
“I’ve already done that, and she checks out fine,” Kyle said, moving to the other side of the bed.
He wasn’t going to leave this alone.
“Do you mind if I do it again?” she asked the girl.
The girl nodded her head in agreement.
“Good. Your mother and father should be here soon.”
“Father. My mother doesn’t live with us anymore.” Sadness filled the girl’s eyes.
“Well, how about we get you all fixed up before your father gets here?” Baylie smiled at her and pulled out her stethoscope. She began to examine the girl and was just finishing when a man’s fearful voice called, “Cassie?”
With quick steps Kyle moved out into the lobby area.
“You must be Cassie’s father.” Kyle’s rusty-timbred voice carried into where Baylie and Cassie waited. “She’s fine. Just a little bump on the head. Come this way.”
The men continued to talk. The man’s voice lowered. Kyle had effectively calmed the father, she grudgingly admitted. Seconds later the men entered the room.
The father rushed to the girl’s side. “Honey, are you all right?”
“Uh-huh. But I hit my head.”
“Hi, I’m Baylie Walker, the courtesy-patrol leader on the mountain.”
The man glanced at her before returning his attention to his daughter.
“Cassie’s going to be just fine. You’ll want to keep some ice on the bump until the swelling goes down,” Baylie continued as she squeezed the girl’s hand.
“That was just what Dr. Campbell was telling me.”
The father had effectively dismissed Baylie. She pursed her lips and looked at Kyle. He raised a shoulder and let it fall.
“I’ve given Cassie a thorough exam. Other than the knock on her head she seems fine. You’re welcome to take her with you but I suggest you watch her closely. You’re also welcome to the disposable ice pack. If you need anything, just let me know.” She stepped over to the counter, retrieved a card and handed it to the father. “You can reach me twenty-four hours a day.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” the father said, giving Cassie a hug.
“I bet a cup of hot chocolate would make that head feel better,” Kyle