LITMIR.BIZ

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chided herself. How many times had she been invited to go rock climbing? To go skating or jogging or to a workout class? She spent too much time cooped up in a warehouse just doing her job. Maybe if she had accepted those invitations, she’d have a better idea of what to do now. She’d be better equipped to climb down these rocks. She’d be in much better physical condition, too. She didn’t know how to do anything other than work. And now she was paying for that.

      When Shay made it to the point where she’d last seen Rick, she crawled on shaky hands and knees to the edge and peered over.

      “Rick?” She injected a little hope into her tone.

      There he lay, at the bottom of the pile of rocks. “Oh, no....”

      Careful not to make the same mistake he’d made, she backtracked and made her way around the mountain of smooth and jagged rocks. “Rick Savage, don’t you leave me here alone.”

      Talk. Just keep talking. He’ll hear you and be all right by the time you make it down. “Can you hear me, Rick?”

      Shay found herself staring at a drop of about five feet. Not that far, really, but if she didn’t land just right, she might not be much better off than Rick. Or worse, she could be injured and in pain and with no way to get help.

      Shay slid her gaze to all possible ways down, but there was nothing for it. She pressed flat on the rounded boulder and slid her body against it as far as she could.

      She pulled in a breath. Please, God, let me land right.

      Releasing her slight grip, she allowed herself to slide and then drop.

      Her feet hit the ground and she plopped back on her backside. So far so good. Still, she had a stretch to go to make it all the way down to Rick. He hadn’t responded to anything she’d said. And that wasn’t so good.

      Fear like she’d never known—even when the killer truck had shoved them from the road—coursed through her. At least she’d been with Rick at that moment, and with that, she realized that despite the uneasiness she felt at the shadows in his eyes, she’d felt safe as long as he’d been there.

      What if Rick never woke up?

      No. She couldn’t think that way. Careful to make her way to him cautiously and safely, she nevertheless hurried down the rest of the pile of rocks. Though descending hadn’t been that easy, the stack of rocks had given them a path to the base of the mountain and into the gorge.

      Her feet firmly planted on earth carpeted in pine needles, Shay rushed around the edges of the rock pile. “Rick,” she gasped, running.

      There. He lay sprawled on his back. Motionless.

      She fell to her knees next to him, wanting to touch him, jar him awake, but fearing she might hurt him more, depending on his injuries.

      “Where are you hurt?” she asked, knowing he wouldn’t answer. She ran her hands down his arms and legs, gently patting to make sure there wasn’t an obvious break.

      Then she rested her palms on his head and pressed her face near his. “Now, you listen to me, Rick Savage. I need you. Please wake up. I have no idea what to do without you.”

      Her palms resting against his stubble-roughened cheeks, she felt the rush of warmth through her hands and up her arms. She’d had a thing for this man for the longest time, in spite of the gun incident. Seeing him like this sent shards of pain slicing through her core. “Please, please wake up.”

      Brushing his dark hair from his forehead, she noted the sun-bleached strands, remnants of a summer spent outdoors. She ran her hands all the way through the thickness. “I’ve always wanted to do that....” She murmured the words to herself.

      “If only you were awake, then I wouldn’t have to feel guilty for doing that without your permission.” She sat back on her rear, thinking. Praying.

      “If you don’t wake up, what in the world am I going to do? Where would I begin to get you help? The sky’s growing dark. I wanted to make it to the Jeep for our coats before making a fire, but maybe I should just make one here and wait for you to wake up. That’s something I can do, at least.”

      Shay rubbed her arms, warming them against the cold. She had to make a decision. It might already be too late either way. “Maybe I should just leave you and find the Jeep myself so I can bring back our coats and anything else I can find. How far could it be from here anyway?”

      A vise squeezed her heart. How could she save Rick?

      “Maybe if you were a jerk, it might be easier to leave you. But no, you have to be cute and...” Shay sighed. “Cute and nice.”

      There, she’d said it.

      Rick groaned and slapped a hand to his head. “Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”

      “You’re...you’re awake. Oh, thank You, God.” Shay pressed her hands over her mouth. But how much had he heard? “And no. No one has ever told me I talk too much.”

      Tears burned behind her eyes.

      Rick sat up, rubbing his head, his hair a scruffy mess. He blinked a few times, then pinned her with his grays. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

      “Me?”

      “Yeah. You made it down all by your lonesome.” Rick sat up, then pushed up to stand, a little unsteady on his feet. “I’m sorry to scare you like that.”

      “Never mind about that.” Shay stood, too. “Are you okay? You think you have a concussion?”

      Rick rubbed his face and then his neck. “Nah. I’m good to go. We need to make up for lost time.”

      Shay started to move by him, though she didn’t know where she was going. But the way he looked at her left her wondering just how much he’d heard. What an idiot she’d been to flap her trap like that, but talking kept her company, chased the fear away.

      He stepped in her path, standing a little too near for comfort. “I’m glad you don’t think I’m a jerk.”

      * * *

      And just a little too glad that you think I’m cute. Too glad for my own good.

      When Shay’s eyes widened, he knew she wondered what else he’d heard. Though he’d been unconscious for a short while and had a dull throbbing ache to show for it, he’d felt himself coming to and heard an ongoing conversation Shay was having with herself and him. Her soft, caring voice had brought him back from the darkness.

      The problem was he couldn’t stop thinking about her words and he had no business thinking about them now, in this situation. Or ever.

      “Let’s get moving.” Rick tore his gaze from the heat of surprise in hers and focused on surviving. “Stay close to me.”

      After getting his bearings again, he headed due north in the direction where the Jeep should be. Evergreens and lush undergrowth had taken over the gulch they’d descended into, and maybe somewhere at the bottom they’d find a river or stream.

      He shoved through the thick scrub, trying to make time while they still had the last of daylight to guide their path. The temperatures had long ago started dropping below comfort level. If they didn’t recover their coats and make a fire soon, they were done for. The full brunt of winter wasn’t on them yet; still, the temperatures could vary from extreme cold to extreme heat during the spring and fall months. Today had been a relatively warm day, but he had a feeling that warmth was on its way out if the temperatures so far were any indication.

      Behind him, Shay was breathing hard, and he wasn’t doing much better.

      He paused and turned to face her. “You okay?”

      “Sure,” she said, a shiver to her words. “Keep moving.”

      Of course she understood the danger they’d face if they didn’t find what they were looking for. They hiked on for a few more minutes, darkness

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