Riverbend Road by RaeAnne Thayne Read Free Book Online Page A

town she had sworn to serve and protect.
    She had hiked higher than she intended, she realized, as the shadows lengthened and the temperatures began to drop. She picked up her pace. Just before she hit the relatively flat part of the trail that paralleled the river, she heard voices ahead of her—unhappy voices, by the sound of it. A couple of upset children.
    Remembering her new neighbors, she called Pete over to her and clipped his leash onto his collar.
    â€œSorry, dude. Better safe than sorry, right?”
    Pete huffed out a breath but he was so easygoing that he never minded the leash much. They continued walking along the trail that curved with the river, following those voices.
    Finally, they rounded a bend where she discovered the new occupant of the cute Craftsman sitting on the trail with her right leg stretched out in front of her and her children hovering close.
    Wyn did a quick situation assessment and saw the woman’s ankle was swollen and beginning to bruise. She had a vague sense of déjà vu. Apparently this was her designated day to deal with injured limbs.
    Her children knelt beside her in the dirt. The little boy’s face was streaked with tears and the girl was holding her mother’s hand, though she also looked pale and frightened.
    The woman caught sight of Wyn and her distressed features closed up.
    â€œOh. It’s you.”
    The woman tried to struggle to her feet as if she didn’t want to be caught in any kind of vulnerability and Wynona hurried forward.
    â€œPlease, don’t get up. That looks nasty!” Grateful for the impulse she’d had to put on Pete’s leash, she moved closer so she could have a better look at the injury. “I’m guessing the rock over there was the culprit. I stumbled over the same one on my way up.”
    She pointed to one of those basketball-sized rocks that sometimes seemed to spring out of the ground overnight along these mountain trails, like mushrooms after a rain.
    â€œWe were watching a pretty bluebird on the trail and my mama didn’t see the rock. She says she sprained her ankle,” the girl offered.
    â€œThat was probably a mountain bluebird. They’re my very favorite bird.”
    â€œI liked it too,” the girl said. “It sounded nice. I like your dog. She’s pretty.”
    â€œShe’s a he, actually. This is Young Pete and I’m Wynona Bailey. Wyn.”
    â€œI remember. You said so before. My name is Chloe Montgomery. This is my brother, Will, and my mom, Andrea. I’m six years old and Will is four. My mom is thirty.”
    Ah. Andrea Montgomery. That was the name of the woman who was now frowning at her daughter like she had just revealed state secrets.
    Or maybe Wyn was being too suspicious. Maybe the woman was merely grimacing in pain.
    â€œDo you mind if I take a look?” she asked Andrea Montgomery. “I’m a police officer here in Haven Point, trained as an EMT too.”
    This was the second time that day she had been grateful that Cade insisted everyone in the department go through the necessary basic training in first aid. Haven Point was a small town, he had always explained, and sometimes his officers were on an accident scene alone for several minutes before the volunteer fire department could mobilize. A little knowledge might even mean the difference between life and death.
    If she hoped the other woman would be relieved to find out she had basic medic experience, Wyn would have been sadly disappointed. If anything, the woman’s features tightened even further and she avoided Wyn’s gaze.
    â€œThat’s not necessary, Officer Bailey. It’s not broken. I only twisted it a little. I was catching my breath a moment before we head back home. I’ll put some ice on it when we get home.”
    â€œI’m not an expert but that looks like a sprain to me. Even if it’s only twisted, you might have some tendon and ligament damage.