Free Stone in Love by Brook Cadence Page B

hesitation. Even in his terrified state, he remembered that Charlie wasn’t the man to mess with. Asher slipped and slid on the muddy shore, hurrying toward them.
    “Where were you bitten?” Lindsay asked, examining both of his arms. Holding on to his wrists, she flipped them to look at the other side.
    “On m…my hand,” he managed to say through chattering teeth.
    Lindsay looked closely at his right hand and found two small puncture wounds on his pinky finger. “I see it now. What did the snake look like?”
    “All I saw was a dark–colored snake with a huge white mouth clamp down on me. He disappeared under the water before I could get a closer look.”
    Lindsay eyes stretched, her expression giving away the severity of the situation. “A cottonmouth … probably the worst thing that could’ve bitten you.”
    “Oh my God!” Asher wailed. He flailed about and fell down, pounding his fists into the mud. “I’m too young to die! I’m too young to die!”
    “Would you stop it already!” Lindsay demanded. She jerked Asher’s arm, bringing him to his feet. “You’re helping the poison spread through your body. Charlie, will you please go get the van? We’ll meet you at the boat landing.”
    “Okay, I’ll be as quick as I can,” Charlie said, and started off running.
    Lindsay looked at her watch. “How long ago were you bitten?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe five minutes,” Asher said.
    “All right, so that puts your envenomation right around eight a.m. They’ll need to know that when you get to the hospital. Do you think you can walk back to the boat landing? It’s not too far.”
    “Can I put my arm around your neck for support?” Asher asked.
    “No, your legs aren’t broken. Besides, you need to keep your arm beneath the level of your heart. Time is of the essence, so get moving.”
    Asher floundered and whined the whole way, but it was difficult for Lindsay to show much sympathy. Maybe now mister indestructible will get an attitude adjustment.
    Charlie had the van waiting at the boat landing for Asher and Lindsay. He opened the back, helping Asher in. “Lie down on the bed and do exactly as Lindsay instructs.”
    “Understood,” Asher said.
    Lindsay sat down on the bed next to Asher, taking his pulse, while Charlie made a quick exit down the dirt road.
    Noticing the fancy signet ring on Asher’s finger, she said, “Take that off and hand it to me.”
    “What? No, that’s my dad’s ring. I’m not even supposed to have it.”
    “They’ll have to cut it off when your hand swells to five times its normal size. It’s your choice,” Lindsay said.
    Asher cringed as he twisted it off his already expanding finger. He gave it to Lindsay.
    “Hold on to this for me, please,” Lindsay said, handing it to Charlie.
    Charlie dropped it into a cup holder. “I’ll be sure to guard it with my life.”
    Lindsay dialed 911 on her cell phone.
    “Who are you calling?” Asher said frantically. “Don’t you need to tie a tourniquet around my hand or something?”
    Lindsay rolled her eyes. “Just a social call.”
    “Hello. My name is Lindsay Martin. I have a twenty–five–year–old male, cottonmouth snake–bite victim en route to Summerville Medical Center.”
    Lindsay saw Charlie watching from the rearview mirror. He gave her a wink, and she returned an air kiss to him.
    “Disgusting,” Asher said. “I could do without seeing that.”
    “Oh, no you didn’t,” Lindsay said, doing a talk–to–the–hand gesture. It took her a minute to muster up a great come back. “Do you think this is your world and we’re just in it? I’m doing you a favor here, you know. And I’ll blow my man kisses any time I damn well please, so you can just get over it , pretty boy!”
    Charlie’s cheeks rose from the huge smile on his face, and he rewarded Lindsay with another, even sexier wink.
    Between the instructions from the 911 representative and Lindsay’s attentiveness, Asher arrived at the