cookies are—”
“I have them here, but I didn’t know if you wanted any now.”
“Yes. Russ, how are you doing?”
“Fine,” he mumbled, not raising his head.
“Take some cookies, but be sure to chew them. There are raisins and pecans in them. We don’t want you to choke.”
She picked up the neatly folded tarp. “Thank you for packing. Can you come help me saddle up?”
He slid into his warm coat, grateful they’d dried the outerwear last night. Outside, he threw the saddle on Snowflake and then Devil, Tori securing them on the horses. He put the pack carrier on Snoopy. “What do we do about Russ’s horse?”
“Go ahead and put Russ’s saddle on him. He’s coming, too, of course.” After she secured the bridle on Russ’s horse, she tied the reins together and looped them over the saddle horn. “Come hold him while I load him.”
“Won’t he stay, like the others?”
“Not when the reins aren’t on the ground, so don’t let go.”
He watched as she tied the end of the stretcher she’d made on each side of the saddle.
Then she did the same to Snoopy, leaving his reins on the ground. Now that Russ’s horse was held by the stretcher and Snoopy, he wouldn’t leave.
Then they loaded the supplies onto Snoopy and Russ’s bag of dirty clothes and even his Stetson onto his horse. “By the way, this is Jack. He’s Russ’s favorite.”
“I put Russ’s boots in one of the satchels.”
“Good. Let’s go get Russ.”
They found Russ wandering aimlessly around the big room. “I can’t find my jeans,” he complained, clutching the blanket around him.
“We packed them. You’re traveling in a sleeping bag,” Tori said matter-of-factly, as if that were normal.
Russ looked confused and started his search again.
Jon threw an arm around him. “Come on, Russ. You need to lie down again. Did you eat any cookies? They’re good.”
Tori looked at the table as Jon helped Russ back into his sleeping bag. “He took one bite and hardly drank any coffee. I’m going to give him some water to keep with him. I’ll leave the cookies with him, too.”
She did a visual sweep of the cabin, her hands on her hips, before she nodded. “Okay, let’s load him.”
“You take his feet. I’ve got his shoulders,” Jonsaid softly, hoping to get things under way before Russ realized what was happening.
It only took a minute to get him and his mattress out the door and onto the litter. It was still raining, but Tori had carried the tarp under her arm. She quickly spread it out over Russ, even covering his head.
The she gathered up the rope and zigzagged it over her cousin from his chest to his knees, including the mattress, so that he was firmly tied to the litter.
Jon marveled. He probably wouldn’t have thought of that, but as rugged as the land was, he knew it was necessary. “His head—” He stopped as he watched Victoria pull the tarp back. Then she grabbed a pillow from the porch that he hadn’t even noticed and slid it beneath Russ’s head. She pulled out the flap of the bedroll and stuck two sticks through the eyelets at the end of it to make a porch effect on the litter that shielded him from the rain or the sun but allowed him to see.
Without thinking, Jon leaned over and brushed Tori’s lips with his. “You’re brilliant, Tori!”
“Don’t touch me!”
She went back inside without waiting for his response. She immediately returned with two small canteens and plastic bags of cookies. “Here’s your water and cookies.”
Then she tucked her canteen and cookies into Russ’s sleeping bag. “Russ, here’s your water and some more cookies. Try to eat a little.”
“Where’s your water?” Jon asked sharply.
“I have a bottle of water and cookies in my coat pocket. Okay, I think we’re ready. I’ll go first, leading Snoopy. You’ll come last. Your job is to let me know if anything slips or goes wrong. Or Russ needs attention. Okay?”
He had his orders. And like a good
“I have them here, but I didn’t know if you wanted any now.”
“Yes. Russ, how are you doing?”
“Fine,” he mumbled, not raising his head.
“Take some cookies, but be sure to chew them. There are raisins and pecans in them. We don’t want you to choke.”
She picked up the neatly folded tarp. “Thank you for packing. Can you come help me saddle up?”
He slid into his warm coat, grateful they’d dried the outerwear last night. Outside, he threw the saddle on Snowflake and then Devil, Tori securing them on the horses. He put the pack carrier on Snoopy. “What do we do about Russ’s horse?”
“Go ahead and put Russ’s saddle on him. He’s coming, too, of course.” After she secured the bridle on Russ’s horse, she tied the reins together and looped them over the saddle horn. “Come hold him while I load him.”
“Won’t he stay, like the others?”
“Not when the reins aren’t on the ground, so don’t let go.”
He watched as she tied the end of the stretcher she’d made on each side of the saddle.
Then she did the same to Snoopy, leaving his reins on the ground. Now that Russ’s horse was held by the stretcher and Snoopy, he wouldn’t leave.
Then they loaded the supplies onto Snoopy and Russ’s bag of dirty clothes and even his Stetson onto his horse. “By the way, this is Jack. He’s Russ’s favorite.”
“I put Russ’s boots in one of the satchels.”
“Good. Let’s go get Russ.”
They found Russ wandering aimlessly around the big room. “I can’t find my jeans,” he complained, clutching the blanket around him.
“We packed them. You’re traveling in a sleeping bag,” Tori said matter-of-factly, as if that were normal.
Russ looked confused and started his search again.
Jon threw an arm around him. “Come on, Russ. You need to lie down again. Did you eat any cookies? They’re good.”
Tori looked at the table as Jon helped Russ back into his sleeping bag. “He took one bite and hardly drank any coffee. I’m going to give him some water to keep with him. I’ll leave the cookies with him, too.”
She did a visual sweep of the cabin, her hands on her hips, before she nodded. “Okay, let’s load him.”
“You take his feet. I’ve got his shoulders,” Jonsaid softly, hoping to get things under way before Russ realized what was happening.
It only took a minute to get him and his mattress out the door and onto the litter. It was still raining, but Tori had carried the tarp under her arm. She quickly spread it out over Russ, even covering his head.
The she gathered up the rope and zigzagged it over her cousin from his chest to his knees, including the mattress, so that he was firmly tied to the litter.
Jon marveled. He probably wouldn’t have thought of that, but as rugged as the land was, he knew it was necessary. “His head—” He stopped as he watched Victoria pull the tarp back. Then she grabbed a pillow from the porch that he hadn’t even noticed and slid it beneath Russ’s head. She pulled out the flap of the bedroll and stuck two sticks through the eyelets at the end of it to make a porch effect on the litter that shielded him from the rain or the sun but allowed him to see.
Without thinking, Jon leaned over and brushed Tori’s lips with his. “You’re brilliant, Tori!”
“Don’t touch me!”
She went back inside without waiting for his response. She immediately returned with two small canteens and plastic bags of cookies. “Here’s your water and cookies.”
Then she tucked her canteen and cookies into Russ’s sleeping bag. “Russ, here’s your water and some more cookies. Try to eat a little.”
“Where’s your water?” Jon asked sharply.
“I have a bottle of water and cookies in my coat pocket. Okay, I think we’re ready. I’ll go first, leading Snoopy. You’ll come last. Your job is to let me know if anything slips or goes wrong. Or Russ needs attention. Okay?”
He had his orders. And like a good
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