knew she hadn’t twisted or sprained it—the pain wasn’t bad enough for that—but she’d certainly jarred it.
The ability to see the surface you were walking on was something everyone took for granted. But when that view was obscured—when youdidn’t know what you were walking on, or walking through—you couldn’t have any idea of how dangerous it was. You had to trust to luck…or trust the person who walked alongside you.
I trust Olly. I know he’s a man I can trust.
She knew she had to stop thinking of him in that way. But she couldn’t help it. He was just so easy to like and depend upon, and those good looks of his didn’t help any. He had a natural wholehearted appeal. He was a handsome, kind-hearted and generous man, who happened to be single, who happened to be holding her hand and trying to protect her. What was there not to like?
It would be so easy to kiss him and get carried away.
Even though her cheeks were already rosy from the cold and the exertion she flushed a deeper colour and felt her heart skip along a whole lot more merrily than it already had been! Thinking of Olly in such a way made her stomach do a tiny flip, too. It was like having a whole heap of cheerleaders in there, egging her on to find out how it would truly feel if she did give in to her desires and grab Olly and kiss him.
‘Ruby?’ she called again, trying to take her mind off her train of thought.
The track ahead curved off to the left, and then it looked as if there was a natural fork in the trail.She felt Olly slow, and when they got to the fork he stopped and frowned.
‘The path splits. We need to check both ways, but I’m not happy about you going off on your own.’
‘I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m a grown woman. I’ve looked after myself this long without getting hurt.’ She smiled to take away some of the harshness of her words. She didn’t want to offend him.
‘But you’ve already slipped once, and you don’t know these woods.’
‘Do you?’
‘A little—though I must admit I’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy them fully during the summer. Always too much work on.’
‘Well, we need to check both paths if we’re to search properly. Do the paths conjoin further on?’
‘I think so. I’m sure I can remember Dad telling me they did. But it’s been so long…’
‘I’ll be careful, Olly.’ She pulled her hand free from his tight grip. ‘You be careful, too.’ She could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
‘Blow your whistle if you see any sign of her or get into trouble.’
‘I will.’
‘Promise me?’
If someone could market the perfect picture of a face filled with concern, then Olly was it. It wasnice that he was so worried about her. But Lula was used to looking out for herself.
‘I promise.’
As she set off down her path she realised she could no longer feel her toes or her fingers. The socks she was wearing were normal socks, not hiking socks. They weren’t fit for the purpose of trudging through deep snow for hours.
I wished I’d thought of that earlier.
She held on to the whistle around her neck as she hiked through the thicker snow. Looking over, she could see that Olly was now out of sight. Perhaps he’d gone down a dip, or the number of trees was blocking the view of him. It felt good to know that he was somewhat close, though.
‘Ruby?’ she called, hearing Olly call the same thing in the distance.
There were indentations in the snow, so it looked as if someone might have walked this path earlier. She had no idea if it had been Ruby. It might have just been a dog walker.
‘Ruby? It’s Dr Chance!’
No response still.
She trudged on, slipping slightly, feeling the ice beneath the surface snow. As she went to correct her balance, putting all her weight on her left foot, the snow gave way. She landed with a thump on her coccyx before sliding part way down a bank and into icy-cold water up to her bottom.
‘Oh!’
When she struggled to a standing
The ability to see the surface you were walking on was something everyone took for granted. But when that view was obscured—when youdidn’t know what you were walking on, or walking through—you couldn’t have any idea of how dangerous it was. You had to trust to luck…or trust the person who walked alongside you.
I trust Olly. I know he’s a man I can trust.
She knew she had to stop thinking of him in that way. But she couldn’t help it. He was just so easy to like and depend upon, and those good looks of his didn’t help any. He had a natural wholehearted appeal. He was a handsome, kind-hearted and generous man, who happened to be single, who happened to be holding her hand and trying to protect her. What was there not to like?
It would be so easy to kiss him and get carried away.
Even though her cheeks were already rosy from the cold and the exertion she flushed a deeper colour and felt her heart skip along a whole lot more merrily than it already had been! Thinking of Olly in such a way made her stomach do a tiny flip, too. It was like having a whole heap of cheerleaders in there, egging her on to find out how it would truly feel if she did give in to her desires and grab Olly and kiss him.
‘Ruby?’ she called again, trying to take her mind off her train of thought.
The track ahead curved off to the left, and then it looked as if there was a natural fork in the trail.She felt Olly slow, and when they got to the fork he stopped and frowned.
‘The path splits. We need to check both ways, but I’m not happy about you going off on your own.’
‘I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’m a grown woman. I’ve looked after myself this long without getting hurt.’ She smiled to take away some of the harshness of her words. She didn’t want to offend him.
‘But you’ve already slipped once, and you don’t know these woods.’
‘Do you?’
‘A little—though I must admit I’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy them fully during the summer. Always too much work on.’
‘Well, we need to check both paths if we’re to search properly. Do the paths conjoin further on?’
‘I think so. I’m sure I can remember Dad telling me they did. But it’s been so long…’
‘I’ll be careful, Olly.’ She pulled her hand free from his tight grip. ‘You be careful, too.’ She could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
‘Blow your whistle if you see any sign of her or get into trouble.’
‘I will.’
‘Promise me?’
If someone could market the perfect picture of a face filled with concern, then Olly was it. It wasnice that he was so worried about her. But Lula was used to looking out for herself.
‘I promise.’
As she set off down her path she realised she could no longer feel her toes or her fingers. The socks she was wearing were normal socks, not hiking socks. They weren’t fit for the purpose of trudging through deep snow for hours.
I wished I’d thought of that earlier.
She held on to the whistle around her neck as she hiked through the thicker snow. Looking over, she could see that Olly was now out of sight. Perhaps he’d gone down a dip, or the number of trees was blocking the view of him. It felt good to know that he was somewhat close, though.
‘Ruby?’ she called, hearing Olly call the same thing in the distance.
There were indentations in the snow, so it looked as if someone might have walked this path earlier. She had no idea if it had been Ruby. It might have just been a dog walker.
‘Ruby? It’s Dr Chance!’
No response still.
She trudged on, slipping slightly, feeling the ice beneath the surface snow. As she went to correct her balance, putting all her weight on her left foot, the snow gave way. She landed with a thump on her coccyx before sliding part way down a bank and into icy-cold water up to her bottom.
‘Oh!’
When she struggled to a standing
Similar Books
