lit up. “What a fabulous idea.”
“You think I should talk to the boss about it?”
“Absolutely.”
Maria nodded. “Okay. I’ll do that.” She played it cool on the outside, but on the inside she was dancing. She didn’t think it would be a stretch to go from having children on the float to having Lewis’s class be the lucky kids to actually ride on it.
And this could be one thing that she could do to surprise Leo. She’d keep it a secret until the morning of the parade. He’d be so proud.
Jackie heard the whomp-whomp -whomp of the law enforcement helicopter above and knew it was time. “Get ready.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Not sure, just go with it.”
“Ah! Oh no! Help . . .”
Jackie swiveled in her seat to find the man who’d tipped hishat to her in the bus station gripping his left arm and leaning forward in his seat. She jumped up and slid into the aisle.
“Sir, what is it?” She reached for him, but another man pushed her aside.
“I’m a doctor. Let me see him.”
Sweat dripped from the passenger’s brow, his breathing sounded labored.
“Is it a heart attack?” she asked.
“Driver! Stop this bus immediately!”
Jackie blinked at the doctor’s order.
But knew what the plan was now. She started to back up when the heart attack victim caught her eye. And winked.
She dropped to her knees beside him, nudging the doctor aside. The aisle didn’t make for much room, but she grabbed his hand when he lifted it toward her.
“Be careful,” he whispered. His palm scraped hers and she curled her fingers around a paper he’d left behind.
She scooted back as the driver slowed the bus to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. The driver was on his microphone and the other passengers muttered amongst themselves.
“Driver! Where’s the AED device?”
“I’ll get it, I’m coming.” The driver grabbed it from the console at the front of the bus and shoved his way past Jackie and Ian.
“Open the door and get the man some air. You people move back!” The doctor shouted orders and people obeyed.
Jackie opened the door. She grabbed Ian’s hand and together, they slipped off the bus, Gus at their heels.
“Where are we going?”
“Wherever we can find shelter and regroup.”
The helicopter roared overhead. Sirens sounded, getting closer by the second. “Stay under cover of the trees,” she panted.
Ian didn’t let go of her hand or Gus’s leash. They leapt over the guardrail and headed down the sloping hill. Jackie swept her gaze left. Then to the right and up above. Had the chopper spotted them racing from the stopped bus?
Once in the midst of a copse of trees that backed up to a field she could see just beyond, she stopped to assess the situation. Ian and Gus came to a halt beside her.
“Did we really just do that?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“So now what?” He glanced around. “They’ll be coming. We need to find some shelter and figure out our next step.”
Jackie nudged him. “That barn over there. Let’s get inside and hope no one’s there.”
He looked up at the clouds hovering above them. “It looks like it’s going to snow.” He breathed deep. “Smells like it too.”
“That would just be our luck right now,” she muttered.
They headed for the barn and Ian opened the door for her. She slipped inside, relieved to be out of the wind. “It’s still cold, but at least we can sit and think for a minute.”
“Maybe there’s an office with some heat.”
“Good idea.” She inhaled the scent of hay and horses. “Hello? Anyone here?” Her only answer came in the form of a nicker from the nearest stall. “Hello?”
“I think we’re good,” Ian said.
It took only a minute to scope out the barn and find what they were looking for. The office was dusty, but one flick of the heater on the wall had warmth pouring through the vents. Jackie sat in the cracked vinyl chair behind the desk and pulled out the piece of paper the “heart
“You think I should talk to the boss about it?”
“Absolutely.”
Maria nodded. “Okay. I’ll do that.” She played it cool on the outside, but on the inside she was dancing. She didn’t think it would be a stretch to go from having children on the float to having Lewis’s class be the lucky kids to actually ride on it.
And this could be one thing that she could do to surprise Leo. She’d keep it a secret until the morning of the parade. He’d be so proud.
Jackie heard the whomp-whomp -whomp of the law enforcement helicopter above and knew it was time. “Get ready.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Not sure, just go with it.”
“Ah! Oh no! Help . . .”
Jackie swiveled in her seat to find the man who’d tipped hishat to her in the bus station gripping his left arm and leaning forward in his seat. She jumped up and slid into the aisle.
“Sir, what is it?” She reached for him, but another man pushed her aside.
“I’m a doctor. Let me see him.”
Sweat dripped from the passenger’s brow, his breathing sounded labored.
“Is it a heart attack?” she asked.
“Driver! Stop this bus immediately!”
Jackie blinked at the doctor’s order.
But knew what the plan was now. She started to back up when the heart attack victim caught her eye. And winked.
She dropped to her knees beside him, nudging the doctor aside. The aisle didn’t make for much room, but she grabbed his hand when he lifted it toward her.
“Be careful,” he whispered. His palm scraped hers and she curled her fingers around a paper he’d left behind.
She scooted back as the driver slowed the bus to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. The driver was on his microphone and the other passengers muttered amongst themselves.
“Driver! Where’s the AED device?”
“I’ll get it, I’m coming.” The driver grabbed it from the console at the front of the bus and shoved his way past Jackie and Ian.
“Open the door and get the man some air. You people move back!” The doctor shouted orders and people obeyed.
Jackie opened the door. She grabbed Ian’s hand and together, they slipped off the bus, Gus at their heels.
“Where are we going?”
“Wherever we can find shelter and regroup.”
The helicopter roared overhead. Sirens sounded, getting closer by the second. “Stay under cover of the trees,” she panted.
Ian didn’t let go of her hand or Gus’s leash. They leapt over the guardrail and headed down the sloping hill. Jackie swept her gaze left. Then to the right and up above. Had the chopper spotted them racing from the stopped bus?
Once in the midst of a copse of trees that backed up to a field she could see just beyond, she stopped to assess the situation. Ian and Gus came to a halt beside her.
“Did we really just do that?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“So now what?” He glanced around. “They’ll be coming. We need to find some shelter and figure out our next step.”
Jackie nudged him. “That barn over there. Let’s get inside and hope no one’s there.”
He looked up at the clouds hovering above them. “It looks like it’s going to snow.” He breathed deep. “Smells like it too.”
“That would just be our luck right now,” she muttered.
They headed for the barn and Ian opened the door for her. She slipped inside, relieved to be out of the wind. “It’s still cold, but at least we can sit and think for a minute.”
“Maybe there’s an office with some heat.”
“Good idea.” She inhaled the scent of hay and horses. “Hello? Anyone here?” Her only answer came in the form of a nicker from the nearest stall. “Hello?”
“I think we’re good,” Ian said.
It took only a minute to scope out the barn and find what they were looking for. The office was dusty, but one flick of the heater on the wall had warmth pouring through the vents. Jackie sat in the cracked vinyl chair behind the desk and pulled out the piece of paper the “heart
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