Love in the Falls - Sam & Camden Read online

  “Sam? A young lady is here to see you,” said Elda Pierce, the cashier at the store, as she poked her head around the corner.

  Moments later, Jenny appeared in his office. She was shorter than he imagined. At almost six foot three inches tall, he towered over most women, but she couldn’t have been more than five foot one.

  “Sam?” she said timidly as she looked up at his chiseled, rugged face with just a hint of sexy stubble.

  “That would be me. Nice to finally meet you, Jenny,” he said reaching out to shake her hand. Her small hand was dwarfed by his massive grip. She didn’t look appropriately dressed for their hike either as she was wearing a denim miniskirt with dark gray leggings and a tight long sleeve navy shirt.

  “Are you gonna be warm enough?” Sam asked looking her up and down. Their age difference was becoming more and more apparent to him, but he was in no position to ditch his new date now.

  “Oh, sure. I’ll be fine. I was a cheerleader in high school, and we were outside in less than this all the time at games,” she said smiling as she looked down at her mini skirt.

  “Alrighty then… I guess we’d better get going,” Sam said pointing to his truck just outside of the window.

  “Have a good time!” Elda said as she and Drake waved at them.

  Sam had no idea how his entire world was about to change in an instant.

  Chapter 3

  The mountain air was crisp and cool as Natalie and Camden got out of her car. Camden was happy to be able to stretch her legs after the long car ride. She loved Natalie’s car in the city, but it wasn’t a great vehicle to take on such a long trip. At five foot six inches, Camden wasn’t exactly a tall person, but she had felt folded up inside of the Volkswagen for two hours.

  The foliage in the mountains had already changed to shades of yellow, orange and gold which were breathtaking in their beauty. Camden remembered driving up to see the fall foliage with one of her high school boyfriends years ago. The mixture of colors was unlike anything she had ever seen.

  Camden took in a deep breath of the mountain air as she closed her eyes.

  “The city never smells this good,” she said to Natalie with a smile.

  “I know. It’s invigorating, isn’t it?” Natalie said looking up at the trees in front of them. “Ready to hike?” she asked shutting the car door.

  “Yep. Let’s do it,” Camden said as the pair started walking toward the paved pathway. Just then, the women heard a large truck pull into the parking lot. Out of it came a tiny blond woman with a miniskirt and a handsome and very tall man.

  “Wow. Look at him. He’s very good looking,” Natalie said with a grin. “A little stubble, tousled hair, cowboy boots, tight jeans…”

  “Nat! Think of Bruce!” Camden said giggling as she softly punched Natalie’s arm.

  “Hey, I’m not the one who’s engaged!” Natalie said with a belly laugh. Her laugh was so loud that the man noticed them, and his eyes connected with Camden’s. For a split second, she felt an electric shock rock through her body.

  “Mornin’, ladies,” he said tipping his well-worn baseball cap. His gray-blue eyes cut right through the cold Georgia air.

  “Good morning,” Camden said quickly as she turned and walked toward the pathway. Natalie struggled to keep up with her.

  “What was that about?” Natalie asked as she caught up to Camden.

  “Nothing. Just ready to hike.” Camden wasn’t sure what that strange feeling was in the pit of her stomach, but she knew if she looked at the handsome stranger for one more moment, she might be tempted to find out.

  ***

  “You’re pretty fast for someone who has never hiked before,” Natalie shouted at Camden as she jogged to keep up. “This is supposed to be a leisurely walk, Cam.”

  “I thought you were in good shape. Weren’t you a high school track star?” Camden asked with a chuckle.

  “First of all, I was only on the track team for one semester because Billy Colton was there and he was super cute. Secondly, that was over ten years ago,” Natalie protested.

  Camden finally slowed down as they reached the summit of the mountain. Before her were three waterfalls that all merged into one raging rapid coming down the hill. Yellow and orange trees flanked both sides of the pathway which made it look as if the woods were on fire.

  The water falling from the steep mountain cliffs offered up a pounding noise that was perfect for drowning out anything fluttering around in Camden’s head. Natalie sat down on a bench made out of rock and looked up at the falls.

  “It’s hard to believe something like this exists. It’s an amazing sight, isn’t it?” Natalie said, suddenly serious.

  “Yes, it is. It’s nice to get away from city life for a few hours.”

  “Cam, I know we’ve been over this a lot lately…”

  “Natalie, if this is about my marriage to Preston, please don’t. I want to enjoy the peace here. I don’t want to talk about that or think about that right now. Can’t we just have fun?” she pleaded looking Natalie right in the eyes.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry,” Natalie said, and that was that. She didn’t bring it up again.

  The women spent about half an hour staring at the falls before deciding to make their way back down the path. It was almost lunch time which meant they were going to head into the small town of Norton’s Crossing for lunch at the country buffet.

  Just as they came to the bottom of the paved pathway, Natalie pointed up ahead. Camden was having a hard time hearing her due to the water raging down the mountain beside them, so she leaned in closer.

  “That girl is motioning to us,” she said loudly into Camden’s ear. Up ahead, she could see the small blond woman with a distraught look on her face. She was waving one arm wildly while she leaned into the handsome man.

  As a doctor, Camden knew that look. The girl was obviously scared and needed help. She ran up ahead of Natalie.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked the girl.

  “I think something is wrong with him,” she yelled, terrified. “He was walking up with me and started stumbling. I put my arm around him, but I can barely keep him upright.”

  “Okay, let me help you,” Camden said putting her arm around the man. The two women struggled to lead him to a bench near the parking lot.

  The man was glassy eyed. His face was drooping, and he was not responding to anyone.

  “Natalie, call 911. What’s your name?” Camden asked the girl.

  “Jenny Dillon. His name is Sam… Sam Steele,” she said shaking with anxiety. Camden paused in her mind for a moment. That was the perfect name for this handsome, rugged guy.

  “I’m a doctor, Jenny. I need to do some tests on your boyfriend,” Camden said getting down on her knees in front of him.

  “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. This was our first date,” Jenny said shaking her head as if trying to ward off any thought of her taking care of this man.

  Without responding, Camden started assessing him. He was slumped to the side, staring straight ahead.

  “Sam? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, look at me, okay?” Camden said. “Can you stick out your tongue for me, Sam?” she said loudly as she put her hand on his cheek. There was no response. Just a glassy eyed stare.

  “Oh my God, is he going to be okay?” Jenny asked starting to get hysterical.

  “Jenny, you have got to calm down. Natalie, can you take her over there please?” Camden called to Natalie who had just hung up with 911.

  “Cam, they may be a while. The nearest hospital is a pretty long way off,” Natalie said as she took Jenny by the arm and pulled her away.

  “Okay. He needs to go to a Stroke Center anyway. I will talk to the paramedics…” she said as Natalie moved outside of earshot. Without thinking, Camden grabbed Sam’s hand and looked into his eyes. “Sam, I’m Camden Lane. Everything is going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.”

  Chapter 4

  It took the paramedics about thirty
minutes to arrive, much to Camden’s dismay. She knew that every minute counted when it came to a stroke victim. Every moment could mean neurons dying that could never be regenerated.

  “Listen, Jenny, you take Sam’s truck. I will ride with him in the ambulance,” Camden made the unilateral decision. She knew nothing about this man, but she did know that she felt responsible for him. Jenny was far too young and anxious to take care of Sam right now.

  “Um… okay. I will take his truck to the farm and give it to his business partner, Drake,” Jenny said.

  “Great. Nat, I will call you later,” Camden said as she jumped into the back of the ambulance and immediately started conferring with the medics. As the door closed, Natalie couldn’t help feeling hopeful - for both Sam and Camden.

  ***

  “Are you Mrs. Steele?” asked a doctor dressed in green scrubs. Camden was pacing the ER waiting room anxious to get word on Sam’s condition.

  “No. I am just a friend. Actually, I found him in the mountains. I mean…” Camden was stumbling over her words. How do you explain who you are in this kind of situation?

  “Do you know if he has family? We need to make some decisions,” the doctor asked.

  “Actually, no. I don’t even know if he has family. His name is Sam Steele. He has a farm. That is all I know,” Camden had never felt so helpless. “Listen, I am a doctor also. Can I please see him?” she asked knowing the answer would be no.

  “Ma’m, you know all about medical privacy laws. I cannot do that. I’m really sorry,” he said.

  With that, the doctor went back through the double doors. Camden had no idea what she was doing there. Sam didn’t know her, and he may never recover. What was she waiting for?

  Remembering that he owned a farm, she decided to call Natalie. Maybe she could find his family. Natalie was a whiz with a computer, and she would do whatever Camden asked her to do.

  “Nat? It’s Cam. I need your help,” she said when Natalie answered her cell.

  “Is he alive? What’s going on?”

  “I have no idea. The doctor won’t tell me anything. I’m going crazy here. We have to find his family. I know Jenny said he owns a farm. Can you see what you can find out?”

  “Actually, I already have. I passed it on the way out of town. It’s called Steele Farms, of course. They have a big corn maze set up for the kids right now, so signs are all over town,” she said.

  “Great. Can you find the number and call? See who you can get over to Trinity Medical Center, okay? Have them find me, please,” Camden begged.

  “I will. Hang in there, Cam. I love you,” Natalie said.

  “Love you too,” Camden said as she ended the call.

  ***

  Camden paced the floor in the ER for two more hours. She was sure that she had worn a rut in the industrial tile. Even though she had trained in hospitals, it was different being the person who was worriedly pacing the floor.

  “Are you Camden Lane?” a male voice said from behind her. She turned to see a handsome man with jet black hair and deep brown eyes standing behind her. He wore a baseball cap with a big “A” for the Atlanta Braves.

  “Yes, I am. And you are…?”

  “I’m Drake Higgins. I am Sam’s partner at the farm. I got a call…”

  “Yes, from my friend Natalie. Sam collapsed at the falls. He was on a date…”

  “With Jenny. I know. I saw him just before he left. This isn’t possible,” he said running his fingers through his hair.

  “I’m actually a doctor. I believe he had a stroke, but no one will talk to me. I am very worried about him,” Camden said. She felt a heaviness in the pit of her stomach, and she didn’t know why. To her, he was really just a patient, so why was she feeling this way? Doctors were trained to separate themselves from these kinds of emotions where patients were concerned.

  “Well, they damn well better let me back there,” Drake said brushing past her as he walked toward the nurse’s station. After a heated conversation, he returned.

  “Well?” Camden asked looking up at him.

  “They won’t let me see him either. His closest relative is his only sibling, Rebecca. She lives in New Orleans,” he said looking down at his boots.

  “Can we call her? She can give consent for us to see him at least,” Camden suggested.

  “Let me make some calls and see if I can get her number. She’s going to be devastated,” he said as he walked off with his cell phone to his ear.

  Camden re-started her pacing while she waited for Drake to come back. She watched as families came in and out of the ER. As a doctor, she had been trained to detach from these situations, yet she was suddenly seeing the emotions rather than the medical conditions.

  A mother was crying in the corner as she waited for word on her son who had come in by ambulance after a car crash. A child running a fever was sleeping in her father’s arms as he paced the floor. People were in crisis all around her, but all she could think about was this man named Sam who was just a few rooms away. Was he okay? Would he make it? And why did she care so much?

  Just then, her cell phone rang. She moved outside to answer it.

  “Hello?” she said out of breath.

  “Camden? Where in the hell are you, honey? You should have been home by now,” Preston said sharply on the other end of the phone.

  “Oh, Preston. Sorry. I should have called you. Listen, I don’t know when I will be home. This guy we saw at the falls… he had a stroke. I rode in the ambulance with him, and now I am waiting to talk to the doctor…” she tried to explain.

  “Doesn’t he have family?”

  “They live far away…”

  “Camden, you are not responsible for this stranger. Come home. The doctors are getting paid to take care of him,” Preston said. The nonchalant tone in his voice was familiar. While he cared for his patients, he had a great ability to separate himself as soon as he was off the clock.

  “No. I’m staying until I know he is alright. I will call you later,” Camden said hanging up before he could argue. She saw Drake coming toward her.

  “I just talked to Rebecca. She is so worried about Sam. I asked her to call the hospital and find out what she needs to do to give permission for me to go in,” he said.

  “Please let me see him too. I know that I am a complete stranger, but I was with him when he was having the stroke. I might be able to help or answer questions,” Camden was grasping at straws.

  “Okay. If they will let us both in, you can come.” Drake was dazed. He looked worried and tired and scared all at once.

  “You know, some people come out of this completely fine. If we caught him in time, he might fully recover,” she said.

  “I hope so. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Today was supposed to be his day off. I even fixed him up on a date. He never dates,” he said smiling.

  “Really? He’s such a good looking guy…” Camden couldn’t believe she just said that. “So, you say he was under a lot of stress or something?” she asked trying to divert attention.

  “Oh, for sure. His Daddy died a few months back, and he has been overseeing the huge farm and store operation since then. I help out, but he takes everything on himself.”

  “How old is Sam?”

  “He’s thirty three. So young,” Drake said shaking his head as they walked back into the hospital.

  “Yes. That’s very young for a stroke,” Camden said looking down. “But, he looked strong. That will help him recover.”

  “Drake Higgins?” a woman yelled out from two double doors.

  “Yes, that’s me,” Drake said holding up his hand.

  “You can see your friend now,” she said.

  “Can I bring my friend with me? She was with him when he had the stroke,” Drake said pointing to Camden behind him. The nurse nodded yes, and Camden felt a wave of relief wash over her.

  Chapter 5

  As Drake and Camden walked down the long corridor, the coldness of th
e hospital suddenly hit her. She had been in hospitals for years during her training to become a doctor, but never had she experienced it as a visitor of someone gravely ill.

  About halfway down the hallway, the nurse turned around and waved for a doctor standing behind the station. He walked over and ushered Camden and Drake to the side.

  “Hi. I’m Doctor Rabun. I’ve been caring for Sam. Are you his family?” he asked.

  “Actually, we are the closest thing he has at the moment. His sister will be flying in from New Orleans tomorrow, but I am his business partner. Drake Higgins,” he said reaching out to shake the doctor’s hand. “This is Camden Lane. She is a doctor also, and she helped him when he had the stroke.”