bag, leaving him with those blankets, but she had stiffly refused. They were still in a cold war, and he didn’t see any relief in sight. He just hoped she’d let him follow her off the mountain.
Even more he wished they had a way to contact the ranch. But before they’d made love, she’d explained that a cell phone wouldn’t work up in the mountains. He would have been thrilled to have a helicopter pick them up, but there was nowhere to land. So he was stuck with a ride back down. And somehow they had to get Russ down the mountain, too.
Tori had gone into the bathroom to dress. Now the door opened and she slipped back into the main room.
“Tori? What can I do to help?”
“Nothing,” she whispered tersely. Then she pickedup an ax, its blade gleaming in the limited light. Just for a second he wondered if he should take cover, then sanity returned. He watched her gather up some rope and then go outside.
He got out of his sleeping bag and grabbed his jeans. Whatever she was going to do, he needed to be there. That ax looked lethal.
He had tried to talk to her last night about staying another day, but she refused to discuss anything except to ask if it would hurt Russ if she could get him down the mountain flat on his back.
He wasn’t sure how she was going to do that.
He checked Russ again before he went out. He’d gotten up at two and at six to do the same thing and given him water and another pill. But it wasn’t time yet for his next one.
Outside, he couldn’t see Tori. Suddenly he heard the sound of metal meeting wood and he moved to the side of the porch. He could see movement near a stand of aspen. Tori was chopping at the base of a young aspen, almost twelve feet tall.
He waited until the ax met the wood again. Then he interrupted. “I’ll do that.”
She glared at him, but, to his surprise, she nodded and handed the ax to him. Then, while he chopped the tree down, she looked around the area. When the tree fell, giving him an urge to shout “Timber,” she pointed out another tree about the same size. “That one, too.”
“Okay. Er, how many are we going to cut?”
“Just two.”
When he moved to the second tree, she dragged the first one to a clear area next to the porch. When he brought the second one over, she’d tied a rope about six feet from the top. “Cut the small end off so it’s about ten feet long,” she ordered.
Jon watched as she zigzagged the rope from pole to pole, wrapping the rope around twice. When she’d finished, she had a rope frame. “I’m going to tie Russ and one of the mattresses to this frame, with it tied between two horses.”
“That’s brilliant, Tori.”
Just then, raindrops began falling. She grabbed the ax and got under the porch roof. “We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Do you have a T-shirt Russ can borrow?”
“Sure.”
“If you’ll put that on him, I’ll gather what we need to take with us. When will he need to take medicine?”
“At ten.”
“Okay. Get him to the bathroom. Then make some instant coffee while I bring the horses up here to the porch. We’ll want to load Russ last.”
She hurried outside and he couldn’t help but grin. She sounded like a no-nonsense general this morning. But she was taking the most difficult work herself. He made the coffee first. Then he unzipped Russ’s sleeping bag and put a T-shirt on him. After that, he walked Russ to the bathroom. Then he sat him at the table with his coffee cup and a blanket around him.
He scattered the coals in the fireplace, rolled hissleeping bag and stowed the last of the supplies in the satchels that had carried them. He had one empty satchel, into which he put Russ’s boots. Then he stuffed their dirty clothes into a trash bag. He looked around to be sure everything was tidy.
Tori came in, solemn and intense. He wanted to kiss her, ask if everything was all right, but he didn’t dare get near her. Instead, he silently handed her a coffee mug.
“The
Even more he wished they had a way to contact the ranch. But before they’d made love, she’d explained that a cell phone wouldn’t work up in the mountains. He would have been thrilled to have a helicopter pick them up, but there was nowhere to land. So he was stuck with a ride back down. And somehow they had to get Russ down the mountain, too.
Tori had gone into the bathroom to dress. Now the door opened and she slipped back into the main room.
“Tori? What can I do to help?”
“Nothing,” she whispered tersely. Then she pickedup an ax, its blade gleaming in the limited light. Just for a second he wondered if he should take cover, then sanity returned. He watched her gather up some rope and then go outside.
He got out of his sleeping bag and grabbed his jeans. Whatever she was going to do, he needed to be there. That ax looked lethal.
He had tried to talk to her last night about staying another day, but she refused to discuss anything except to ask if it would hurt Russ if she could get him down the mountain flat on his back.
He wasn’t sure how she was going to do that.
He checked Russ again before he went out. He’d gotten up at two and at six to do the same thing and given him water and another pill. But it wasn’t time yet for his next one.
Outside, he couldn’t see Tori. Suddenly he heard the sound of metal meeting wood and he moved to the side of the porch. He could see movement near a stand of aspen. Tori was chopping at the base of a young aspen, almost twelve feet tall.
He waited until the ax met the wood again. Then he interrupted. “I’ll do that.”
She glared at him, but, to his surprise, she nodded and handed the ax to him. Then, while he chopped the tree down, she looked around the area. When the tree fell, giving him an urge to shout “Timber,” she pointed out another tree about the same size. “That one, too.”
“Okay. Er, how many are we going to cut?”
“Just two.”
When he moved to the second tree, she dragged the first one to a clear area next to the porch. When he brought the second one over, she’d tied a rope about six feet from the top. “Cut the small end off so it’s about ten feet long,” she ordered.
Jon watched as she zigzagged the rope from pole to pole, wrapping the rope around twice. When she’d finished, she had a rope frame. “I’m going to tie Russ and one of the mattresses to this frame, with it tied between two horses.”
“That’s brilliant, Tori.”
Just then, raindrops began falling. She grabbed the ax and got under the porch roof. “We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Do you have a T-shirt Russ can borrow?”
“Sure.”
“If you’ll put that on him, I’ll gather what we need to take with us. When will he need to take medicine?”
“At ten.”
“Okay. Get him to the bathroom. Then make some instant coffee while I bring the horses up here to the porch. We’ll want to load Russ last.”
She hurried outside and he couldn’t help but grin. She sounded like a no-nonsense general this morning. But she was taking the most difficult work herself. He made the coffee first. Then he unzipped Russ’s sleeping bag and put a T-shirt on him. After that, he walked Russ to the bathroom. Then he sat him at the table with his coffee cup and a blanket around him.
He scattered the coals in the fireplace, rolled hissleeping bag and stowed the last of the supplies in the satchels that had carried them. He had one empty satchel, into which he put Russ’s boots. Then he stuffed their dirty clothes into a trash bag. He looked around to be sure everything was tidy.
Tori came in, solemn and intense. He wanted to kiss her, ask if everything was all right, but he didn’t dare get near her. Instead, he silently handed her a coffee mug.
“The
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