A Cache of Trouble: A Cassidy Callahan Novel. Kelly Rysten

only thing she forgot was a flashlight. But we did good in there, didn’t we, Cassidy?”

      “Hey buddy, we sure did. You were a real trooper. But I’d really like to thank the rest of the team. I’m sure things were a lot worse for everybody on the outside of the mine than it was for me and Trevor. You put your all into the rescue and I want to thank you for that. We’re in good shape here. Trevor can go back to Texas and tell about his exciting trip to California.”

      “When is the wedding?” one reporter shouted over the crowd.

      “The wedding?” I asked “Yeah, we all saw the invitation. When’s the wedding?”

      Someone else shouted, “July twenty seventh. That’s what the card said.” What card?

      “Were you scared being buried under tons of rubble?”

      “No, I knew the people on the other side, and it was just a matter of time. We were in good shape in there. I wasn’t scared at all.”

      “What did you do for three days in the dark?”

      “We talked, played games, cooked a backpacker meal when Trevor got hungry and slept when we got tired.”

      “I bet your family is relieved to know you are safe. How do you think they will react when you talk to them?”

      “They’ll be glad I’m safe. But they are used to my misadventures.”

      “What are you going to do next?”

      “I’m going to go home and take a hot shower. I’m sure I’m a mess after camping out in a mine all that time.”

      “You seem awfully calm considering what you’ve been through.”

      “This was nothing compared to the other things I have been through. If you want to know who it was hard for talk to this guy.” I said looking up at Rusty. Then I ducked under this arm and disappeared into the crowd.

      “Is she always like this?” a reporter asked Rusty.

      “Always. You were lucky to get two minutes. Remember the L.A. bridge story? That was her too. We gotta go.”

      “Why did you do that?” I asked him when he caught up. “That’s like tossing one steak into a cage full of lions.”

      “It’ll keep them busy. Besides, I thought it was better than telling them you were the one who took down the bank robber at the mall. That’s still an ongoing mystery.”

      “And what’s this about an invitation?”

      “I’m sorry, Cass, when Strict called me about the avalanche I had just picked up the card you made and I dashed off to the truck with it still in my hand. Then once I got here and the digging had been going on for a while they kicked me out off the site. I went to the Explorer to rest up and I was looking at your card when a reporter spotted me and dragged out some backstory. They really blew up the engagement part of this as a human interest thing. This has been big news nationwide for three days. They’ve been looking for everything they could get their hands on to fill time between digging shots. They cornered Strict, Victor, and Landon. Trevor’s parents were on TV several times. I think Rosco escaped.”

      “He would. He’s not a very social person.”

      It was late in the evening before we got home again. There were six messages on the answering machine, all from my family. I gave them a quick call back so they could hear for themselves that everything turned out all right. Then I started up the stairs to take a shower.

      “Cass, come here first. Please…”

      All the worry from the past three days was catching up to him and I hadn’t seen it. I hadn’t spent days worrying about my safety. It was just a dark camping trip to me. I forgot that it was something truly different for him. I walked down the stairs and he embraced me so tightly I couldn’t breathe. He scooped me up and carried me over to the couch and sat down.

      “Just a few minutes, babe,” he said and then started crying quietly. I snuggled down into his arms and oozed comfort his way. “Three days… three days I didn’t know if you were alive or crushed. People say all kinds of things about you. Steve says you’re made of rubber. Wilson says you’re a cat, you have nine lives. I can’t buy any of that. You’re human. Things can hurt you. No matter what people say, I know things can hurt you. And I can’t stand even the thought of something hurting you. When I saw all that rock…the only thing that made me feel better was digging, but they wouldn’t let me stay. Everybody else felt the same way. When the guys were told to leave and go rest they would just think about you in there and they’d be right back. Guys came in to help that weren’t called. Off duty officers, firemen, Kelly, Paul…they dug because they cared about you. If guys came by and there were too many people digging they would go away and come back with food for the people who were working.” I let him talk. Something told me he needed to, which was unusual for him. “When I came home I had news for you. June first. We can move June first. I was glad because it seemed like it would work in well with our plans. I was standing here, invitation in hand, admiring your work, happy about the moving day. Strict called and asked if I felt the earthquake. I was at the station when the earthquake hit so I felt it a little bit. Then he told me about the avalanche. All he could say was that he didn’t know. He didn’t know if you’d made it far enough in. Victor thought you had. Victor has a lot of faith in you. He knew your reactions would be right. He trusted you to analyze the situation and respond correctly. But I saw the pile of rubble. The rocks, the trees, and I… all I could do was dig and hope.”

      The doorbell rang.

      “It’s probably Kelly,” Rusty said.

      “Should I let him in?”

      “Yeah, he knows, he understands.”

      I got up and answered the door. Kelly looked at me seriously, which was unusual for Kelly. Kelly Green. Green Lite was what he’d told Jesse when they met. But tonight he was struggling. Rhonda stood behind him but he wrapped me in a hug anyway. Embarrassed, I gave Rhonda a hug too. They came in and I returned to the couch, sitting beside Rusty. He shook his head, held out his arms.

      “Rusty!” I said, embarrassed.

      “It’s okay, I just need you close. It’s okay.”

      I climbed back into Rusty’s lap. Kelly looked worried.

      “I think it’s going to be a tough night,” I said.

      “Cassidy, what did I tell you the first day we met?” Kelly said, finding a seat on the other side of the L-shaped couch.

      “You said lots of things,” I answered. “You told me about your family. You said you were going to kill Rusty for letting me go out there alone…”

      “And I told you that Rusty needed you. Do you remember? Not just any girl, I said, he needs you.”

      “I remember.”

      “I’m glad I was right.”

      “I saw you at the mine. Thank you, both of you. Whether you were there for Rusty or for me, thank you.”

      “We were there because we needed to be there. They couldn’t have driven us away.” Kelly spoke while Rhonda nodded in agreement. I looked forward to knowing this couple better. I could use a few friends like them.

      I could feel Rusty withdrawing. He needed alone time or a distraction.

      “Did Rusty tell you he found a house? We’re moving in June, so we can have the wedding there in July. Tell them about the house, Rusty.”

      He shook his head no. He was still struggling. “You tell them, the more I hear you talk the more alive you feel to me.”

      I started describing the house to them and Rhonda began asking questions. What style was I going to decorate in? What colors? As the talk flowed back and forth Rusty gradually relaxed.

      “What do you like best