Read Sierra Hearts (Part One) for Free Online Page A

way. The lights quickly got
brighter and brighter. Whoever was driving that car was coming
their way and fast. Jenn turned to Danny. He clearly saw the
lights.
    “Whoa,” he said. “Easy there, buddy.” Jenn saw him
flick the Subaru’s high beams on and off. “That guy is in our
lane,” Danny said. His tone was matter of fact and unafraid.
    “Uh,” Jenn started to say.
    The car coming at them was visible now. Jenn didn’t
know much about cars, but she could tell this was some kind of
luxury sedan, black or some other dark color. Most likely driven by
an out-of-towner up in the mountains to go skiing. The car was
speeding towards them.
    “Shit,” he said. He honked the horn in three crisp
beeps.
    Beep! Beep! Beep!
    Jenn felt her heart jump into her throat. In that
instant, the dark luxury sedan came barreling into them, clipping
the back end of the Subaru and sending it into a spin. Jenn
screamed. The Subaru glided off the road, still spinning. Jenn felt
the world go upside down. The whole passenger side of the car fell
out from under her. The car flipped onto its roof and into the
ditch on the side of the road. The body of the car moaned and
groaned as the roof bent under the weight of the car.
    The next thing she knew, Danny was yelling, “Out of
the car!” He undid his seat belt. He slipped his arm under Jenn’s
and around her torso. Jenn felt his grip tighten around her and
pull her towards his side of the car. He managed to pry open the
driver’s side door and haul himself out, pulling Jenn behind him.
Jenn felt specks of ice on her face as she emerged from the car and
into the snow surrounding it. He pulled them both up and out of the
ditch away from the car. The world around him was chaos, but Danny
Williams was the epitome of grace under pressure.
    Part of her subconscious had taken inventory of her
body and told Jenn that she was safe. Nothing was too badly
injured. The danger had passed. Danny was suddenly over her. His
hands darted across her, starting on her face and jumping across
head, neck, arms, abdomen. Touching, probing, gripping.
    “Talk to me Jenn. Are you alright?” he said firmly.
His tone was urgent.
    “What’s your birthday?” he asked.
    Jenn didn’t even bother wondering why he was asking.
“August… August twenty-ninth,” she said.
    “And where are you now?” he asked, the same urgency
in his voice.
    “Uh, Bear Lake?”
    “What’s your favorite color?” His questions were
getting ridiculous now.
    “Huh? What?” Jenn said.
    “Your favorite color. What is it? Tell me,” he said.
His eyes were looking into hers, but somehow passed them like he
was trying to see what was behind them.
    “Blue.” Jenn stammered. “Blue. That’s my favorite
color.”
    “What is my name?” he asked. His tone still had the
same urgency.
    “Danny… Danny Williams,” Jenn mumbled.
    What was with all of the questions?
    “OK. Good… Good,” he said. “I don’t see any signs of
trauma on you. I think you will be alright.”
    “Huh?” Jenn said, confused.
    “I was a medic in the army. I just gave you a good
pat down. I didn’t feel any broken bones. I was asking you all
those questions to see if you were all there.”
    “And the part about my favorite color?”
    “Just curious.”
    Jenn looked around. Despite everything that had
happened, they were still relatively close to the toppled
Subaru.
    “Shouldn’t we move farther away? Isn’t the car going
to explode or something?” Jenn asked nervously.
    Danny relaxed. That beautiful smile of his
reappeared on his face.
    “You’ve seen too many movies. Cars don’t just
explode like that,” he said. Jenn chastised herself for asking such
a dumb question. Of course cars don’t just explode like that.
    “Are you OK?” Jenn asked.
    “Probably have a concussion. Don’t let me fall
asleep,” he said. He slouched down next to her. They were both on
the side of the road now. There was no sign of the luxury
sedan.
    “Asleep? Are