fire." He skinned off the wet tennis shoes and slid his legs into the dry jeans.
"You scum!" Yolanda yelled when he stood to zip his jeans. "You hurt me out there! You forced me against my will and hurt my arms. I’ll bet I have bruises all over from your manhandling! When we get out of here, I'll sue—"
"Nothing like a little heartfelt gratitude," Jake murmured to Brit.
"Yolanda!" Rudi yelled. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and shook them. "Yolanda, shut up! Jake saved your life, And he risked his own to do it. If you're going to sue anyone, sue us all, including me! Because I was a part of this life-saving effort, too."
Brit was amazed at Yolanda's outburst, but even more astonished at Rudi's uncharacteristic assertiveness with her. His defense of their rescue, including Jake's necessary roughness, impressed her.
Yolanda glared at Rudi, shocked into silence by his reaction to her complaints.
"It's true, babe," he said in a quieter tone. "I love you so much, I was scared silly. And I'll admit, I wasn't worth much. Brit helped keep me in there. But Jake's the one who saved you. So leave him alone. You aren't going to sue anybody here."
Sudden tears filled Yolanda's eyes and, in an emotional switch, she began to cry. She also started to shake all over.
Jake nudged Brit. "That's it. She's going into shock. We've got to get her warm—quick. Come on. Let's get busy."
They all worked steadily for the next hour with one goal: to keep Yolanda from going into shock. They dressed her in Jake's insulated underwear and a heavy flannel shirt, wrapped her in a blanket, and gave her hot chocolate and warm soup. Jake started a small fire, and the four of them huddled around it, sipping hot chocolate and eventually rehashing the events of the afternoon.
"Man, we were so lucky today," Rudi said, kissing Yolanda's hand repeatedly. "I'm sorry about the way she acted. She didn't mean what she said out there, Jake. She just didn’t under-stand."
"Thank you, Mr. Rudi Romero," Yolanda interrupted, giving him a commanding glare. "But I can speak for myself. Never had any problem with the mouth." She turned a timid smile toward Jake. "Rudi has helped me to realize that I put everyone at risk today, especially you, Jake. And I know now why you had to rough me up today. In spite of the inevitable bruises, I do fully appreciate what you, and everyone, did. And I'm sorry I cussed you out."
As usual, she had everyone laughing.
Jake put another piece of wood on the fire.
"Aw, shucks, Yolanda." He continued her banter with an effective drawl. "I had to do something. You might still be perched out there on that rock if I hadn't dragged you off."
"No," she answered seriously. "I wouldn't still be there, and you know it. I couldn't have held on much longer. We all know what could have happened today. That was pretty close. In fact, that's two close ones in less than a week."
"I'd say you're damned lucky, Yolanda," Brit said. "Jake didn't mean to bruise you, but you fought him pretty hard. I know a lot of women who would fight like that to get into his arms!"
She grinned. "Quite a trick, huh? Still, I'll admit I was damned scared."
"I guess you still have more to accomplish on this old earth, babe," Rudi offered philosophically. "A mission not yet done."
Yolanda ran her fingers through her still wet hair, trying to dry it. "Do you really believe that?"
"Sure. My grandmother used to say that everyone has a mission on earth." Rudi served everyone more hot chocolate. "And when there's a close call like that, the mission hasn't yet been accomplished."
"I can't imagine what in the world my mission could be," Yolanda scoffed.
"Why, you make people laugh," Jake said. "It keeps the human spirit up. For some, it's even proven to be physically as well as emotionally healing."
"Oh yeah? Cure your heart attack with a routine from Yolanda!" she joked.
"Or, cure your heart ache by laughing with Yolanda," Brit corrected.
"Think I could do a
"You scum!" Yolanda yelled when he stood to zip his jeans. "You hurt me out there! You forced me against my will and hurt my arms. I’ll bet I have bruises all over from your manhandling! When we get out of here, I'll sue—"
"Nothing like a little heartfelt gratitude," Jake murmured to Brit.
"Yolanda!" Rudi yelled. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and shook them. "Yolanda, shut up! Jake saved your life, And he risked his own to do it. If you're going to sue anyone, sue us all, including me! Because I was a part of this life-saving effort, too."
Brit was amazed at Yolanda's outburst, but even more astonished at Rudi's uncharacteristic assertiveness with her. His defense of their rescue, including Jake's necessary roughness, impressed her.
Yolanda glared at Rudi, shocked into silence by his reaction to her complaints.
"It's true, babe," he said in a quieter tone. "I love you so much, I was scared silly. And I'll admit, I wasn't worth much. Brit helped keep me in there. But Jake's the one who saved you. So leave him alone. You aren't going to sue anybody here."
Sudden tears filled Yolanda's eyes and, in an emotional switch, she began to cry. She also started to shake all over.
Jake nudged Brit. "That's it. She's going into shock. We've got to get her warm—quick. Come on. Let's get busy."
They all worked steadily for the next hour with one goal: to keep Yolanda from going into shock. They dressed her in Jake's insulated underwear and a heavy flannel shirt, wrapped her in a blanket, and gave her hot chocolate and warm soup. Jake started a small fire, and the four of them huddled around it, sipping hot chocolate and eventually rehashing the events of the afternoon.
"Man, we were so lucky today," Rudi said, kissing Yolanda's hand repeatedly. "I'm sorry about the way she acted. She didn't mean what she said out there, Jake. She just didn’t under-stand."
"Thank you, Mr. Rudi Romero," Yolanda interrupted, giving him a commanding glare. "But I can speak for myself. Never had any problem with the mouth." She turned a timid smile toward Jake. "Rudi has helped me to realize that I put everyone at risk today, especially you, Jake. And I know now why you had to rough me up today. In spite of the inevitable bruises, I do fully appreciate what you, and everyone, did. And I'm sorry I cussed you out."
As usual, she had everyone laughing.
Jake put another piece of wood on the fire.
"Aw, shucks, Yolanda." He continued her banter with an effective drawl. "I had to do something. You might still be perched out there on that rock if I hadn't dragged you off."
"No," she answered seriously. "I wouldn't still be there, and you know it. I couldn't have held on much longer. We all know what could have happened today. That was pretty close. In fact, that's two close ones in less than a week."
"I'd say you're damned lucky, Yolanda," Brit said. "Jake didn't mean to bruise you, but you fought him pretty hard. I know a lot of women who would fight like that to get into his arms!"
She grinned. "Quite a trick, huh? Still, I'll admit I was damned scared."
"I guess you still have more to accomplish on this old earth, babe," Rudi offered philosophically. "A mission not yet done."
Yolanda ran her fingers through her still wet hair, trying to dry it. "Do you really believe that?"
"Sure. My grandmother used to say that everyone has a mission on earth." Rudi served everyone more hot chocolate. "And when there's a close call like that, the mission hasn't yet been accomplished."
"I can't imagine what in the world my mission could be," Yolanda scoffed.
"Why, you make people laugh," Jake said. "It keeps the human spirit up. For some, it's even proven to be physically as well as emotionally healing."
"Oh yeah? Cure your heart attack with a routine from Yolanda!" she joked.
"Or, cure your heart ache by laughing with Yolanda," Brit corrected.
"Think I could do a
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