by Kelly Wood
I eased myself up, pushing up from my feet and letting my legs do the heavy work. I held onto the wall with my hands to provide balance. The climbing was going smoothly even with the rocks slick with rain. My anxiety eased with each inch closer to the goal. Going up was easier and quicker since I could see what I was doing. Gray kept the rope taut, offering me a little help. I breathed a sigh of relief as I neared the top.
I had one hand and one foot firmly planted. My left hand felt around for a hold and gripped a tenuous spot. I lifted my right foot for the next step when my world shifted. The rock under my foot fell away. My foot hit air. The rope around me tightened and caught. I kicked at the wall, trying to find a new place to perch my foot. My heart raced and panic set in. The safety line loosened, and I fell.
Chapter Eleven
The rope caught under my arms, digging into my armpits painfully and halting my fall. I swung back and my body slammed into the wall, pushing all the air out of my lungs. I gave myself exactly one second to get my bearings before getting myself settled back on the wall. Once I was firmly planted, I let the fear settle in.
In those few seconds of freefall, my life didn’t flash before my eyes. But everything that I hadn’t done yet, did. I saw myself in a wedding dress, holding a baby with Gray at my side, winning a Pulitzer and finally finding the perfect pair of jeans while they were on sale. I rested my forehead against the cold, wet rock until my heart settled back in my chest. Seeing myself married with a baby scared me more than the fall.
“Regan! Are you okay?” Gray’s voice sounded distant, farther away than earlier.
“I’m – I’m okay,” I said. “What happened?”
“Lost my footing in the mud. Slipped about ten feet before I could get myself stopped. Won’t happen again. Sorry, love.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. I didn’t think my heart could handle another fall. Or, wedding dress flash.
“Scout’s honor, babe. Haul your butt up here. I’ve got you,” Gray said.
I’ve got you! Ugh. That’s the problem, right? I thought to myself. Gray’s always got me. Although, in this case it was probably a good thing.
The rope tightened under my arms as Gray pulled me up. I held onto the line with my hands and let him do the work until I could pull myself over the edge. I flopped onto my back, thankful for solid ground under me. Rain pelted my face and lightning flashed across the river, reminding me I didn’t have time to rest. We still had a hike ahead of us.
Gray slid down on his knees and grabbed me in a bear hug. “Are you really okay? I thought my heart stopped when I started sliding. I couldn’t seem to stop the rope from slipping through my fingers.” Gray held up his hands for me see. His gloves were worn almost completely through from the rope burn. He pulled them off and then went to work on the knot around my chest. Once he got the rope removed, he wrapped his arms around me again. I felt the lingering fear leave his body as he held me. It was just as scary for him as it’d been for me. Gray kissed my cheek before wiping the rain from my face.
“I’m fine. Promise.” I leaned against his chest. The urge to cry overwhelmed me. Lightning flashed, followed immediately by the sound of thunder rolling across the hills. The darkened sky flashed bright as the noonday sun around us. “I love you,” I whispered to Gray. The words held I’m sorry in them, too. He could be my hero anytime.
“I love you, too.” Gray planted kisses all over my face.
“Not to complain. I’m grateful and all, but can we get out of here?” Katherine asked, breaking up our reunion.
I hadn’t even noticed her leaning against a tree. Her injured leg jutted out ahead of her. She looked exhausted. Pain had a way of sapping all energy from a body.
“How are we going to do this?” I asked Gray. He was starting to look a little frayed around the edges himself. I wasn’t supermodel thin, and he’d just pulled me up without any help.
“Let’s each take an arm and move as fast as we can. I’m sorry, Katherine, but this is going to hurt.” Katherine nodded at him as she steeled herself for the jolt of pain to come when we lifted her. Gray stuffed our rope and other belongings into his backpack before pulling the straps over his shoulders.
“How are we going to get her back over the bridge? It’s too narrow for all three of us,” I asked.
“Go straight east,” Katherine said, pointing in the direction needed. “There’s a road a mile or so away. It’ll take us to town. It’s quicker than going back to the falls parking area.”
“It’ll be rougher terrain, too, Katherine,” Gray said, making sure Katherine was aware of how hard the journey was going to be.
“I’m sure. Let’s go.”
On the count of three, we heaved Katherine up. She cried out as we lifted her. My shoulders screamed in protest. The rope catching me had hurt more than I’d realized. I pulled Katherine’s right arm around my shoulders and held her hand with mine. I snaked my left arm around her waist. Gray did the same on the other side. He took more of Katherine’s weight since she could help me by putting some weight on her good leg. Gray stooped down to my level as we dragged Katherine. His face grimaced at the unnatural position and extra weight.
Thunder boomed behind us, sounding like a starting pistol for a race. The three of us shuffled off toward the road. The going was slow but we plodded forward. My breathing was ragged within minutes and I had a stitch in my side, but I was faring better than Katherine. Tears ran down her face and she moaned in pain with every step. She bit down on her lip until it was bloody to keep from crying out. Even Gray was winded. Holding Katherine between us was awkward and made it hard to step. More than once my foot caught on some unseen root or rock.
Lightning lit up the sky as thunder echoed around us. The clouds opened up and sheets of rain pounded down. The water blinded me. I didn’t have a free hand to wipe it away. I couldn’t see anything in front of me. My toe hit something hard, and I started to go down. My shoulder clipped a tree next to me, and I couldn’t stop myself from falling.
I pulled Katherine down with me. She screamed in agony as the lightning hit.
Chapter Twelve
The tree next to us caught fire from the lightning strike. Every hair on my body stood on end from the electricity in the air. Ozone burned and left a bad taste at the back of my throat. The three of us stared dumbstruck as the flames grew. I scurried back, using my legs and arms to get traction. Gray pulled Katherine by her shirt to get her to safety.
“Should we find a place to hunker down until it passes?” I asked. I shouted to make myself heard over the storm.
“Too dangerous. We need to keep moving. And quickly,” Gray said.
Gray and I were hunched over Katherine, protecting her as best we could from the rain. Water ran down every inch of my body. My tennis shoes squished with each step. And my bathing suit bottoms were riding up into a dangerous situation, but I didn’t want to go digging for them right now.
“How? I can barely move,” Katherine said.
“We could fashion a stretcher or something to carry her on?” I suggested.
“We don’t have the time, and it’s still too slow.”
Gray gnawed on his lower lip while he thought. He tugged his backpack off and handed it to me. “Take this. Follow behind me so you can see if I need help. And keep up! I won’t know if you get left behind.” To Katherine, “Upsy-daisy.” Gray grabbed Katherine’s arm and heaved her up and across his shoulders in a fireman’s carry. He jostled her until she was in a comfortable position and then took off. Katherine gave up any pretense of trying to control the pain. Tears covered her face, and she cried out with every movement.
I kept pace behind him. Barely. Even with Katherine slowing him down, Gray was in far superior shape than me. I inhaled rain water with each gasp for breath. My body felt beat up with each step. My shoes rubbed, forming blisters on my heels. I longed for a hot meal and a hotter shower. But I didn’t slow down. I kept Gray only paces in front of me so I wouldn’t lose hi
m. I’d be a goner without him leading the way through the jungle.
Gray tried to step gingerly in front of me, caught between a sense of urgency to get out of the woods and trying not to cause Katherine more pain. Katherine cried out with each step as she tried to hold onto Gray.
I clutched my side, trying to ease the stitch in it from running. I gasped, unsuccessfully trying to fill my lungs with oxygen. Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, the trees thinned. I pushed forward the last few steps, eager to be out from under our canopy of hell. Just as we reached the road, the rain slowed to a drizzle.
I looked up at the sky and shouted, “Really?”
Gray set Katherine down on the edge of the road before resting next to her. I looked up and down the street for a vehicle. An unspoken agreement passed between Gray and me. He did the heavy lifting. Now, it was my turn to pull the weight.
“How are you doing, Katherine?” I asked. Judging by the look on her face, not good. I saved her from deciding between lies and the truth. “Is there a hospital in town?”
“No. A clinic, though. They can help.” Katherine squeezed her eyes shut, but tears still leaked from under her lashes. She was putting on a good face, but the jostling run had hurt her.
“Great. Now all we need is a ride.” I checked the street again. Still empty. “What if no one comes?” I asked Gray.
“Give it a minute. The rain just stopped. People will be out again soon,” Gray said as he passed around a bottle of water, each of us drinking quickly. Gray laid back on the pavement, his knees pointing to the sky.
The storm stopped as quickly as it had started. The clouds parted and the setting sun cast a golden light over everything, even reflecting off the road. I turned my face toward the sun, soaking in its warmth and letting it dry my face.
The sound of a motor brought me back. An old truck bumped and groaned as it neared us. I stuck my hand out, palm down, waving it up and down. The truck pulled over. I was getting pretty good at this hitchhiking thing!
Chapter Thirteen
Garcia shoved the door open to the clinic in town. It bounced off the wall with a thud. Anger roared through him at the audacity of the young couple. They’d risked their own lives along with Katherine’s trying to rescue her by themselves. Regan and Gray should’ve gone for help! Not played hero in a dangerous situation. Garcia ignored the fact the weather prevented them from getting help, requiring immediate action. Even so, he thought, they shouldn’t have been in the jungle anyway with a storm brewing.
Regan and Gray jumped at the intrusion. They sat in chairs next to each other, slumped down in exhaustion. Both were covered in mud and had seen better days. Weariness was etched in every cell. Their exhaustion was clear. Garcia didn’t care. He was there for a pound of their flesh, and he was going to get it. Regan and Gray’s actions could’ve led to disaster, endangering his livelihood inside the hostel and out. A missing hiker was one thing, three dead hikers would’ve ended him.
“What were you thinking going out searching for Katherine in the storm? You could’ve been hurt! You could’ve died! You acted impulsively and put all of your lives at risk. It is unacceptable behavior.”
Gray placed his hands on the arms of the chair, preparing to raise himself up. Regan touched his arm, stopping him.
“I got this,” Regan said to Gray. Regan stood up and straightened herself to her full height. She almost met Garcia eye to eye. Regan emulated a warrior preparing for battle. Her posture made it clear she wasn’t one to trifle with.
“A thank you would suffice, Mr. Garcia. We stumbled upon Katherine. She’s now safe and warm and getting the help she needs thanks to Gray’s bravery. He pulled her up from a dangerous precipice on the cliff. She would’ve been at terrible risk to ride out the storm where she was. We made the only decision any good person would.” Regan crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the scarred linoleum of the waiting room floor. “We’re waiting.”
Garcia paused in his tirade. Gray stood up to stand behind Regan, creating a solid front. If Garcia decided to take on one, he would be taking on both. The two made quite a show of unity in Garcia’s eyes. A pang hit his heart that he left Gracie without a partner to navigate life. Garcia took a moment to absorb Regan’s words and decide on a different approach.
“I’m sorry. Sincerely. I value each and every one of my employees and their safety. As well as my guests. Worry got the best of me and I acted poorly. I am sorry.” Garcia tried to sound contrite in his apology. It irked him more that the son of Garrett Costa turned out to be a hero than the actual situation itself.
“Accepted,” Regan said and stuck out her hand to shake Garcia’s. Gray followed suit. The gesture seemed friendly, but Gray’s eyes told another story. He was wary of Garcia and watched him closely.
“Any word from the doctor?” Garcia asked. He took a seat across from the couple. Regan and Gray sat down again.
“Katherine has a broken leg. She’s dehydrated so they are giving her an IV. I think she’ll be out shortly,” Gray said.
Silence settled around them. Gray leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Regan laid her head against his shoulder and rested her eyes, too. Garcia watched them. The differences between Gray and his father astounded Garcia. Costa would’ve walked away from a missing hiker without a second thought. Costa would’ve found a way to work the person’s misfortune to his own benefit. He never would’ve risked his life to help.
Garcia pulled out his phone. Now was as good a time as any to start planning. The website for the Margari Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas announced their grand reopening celebration for the following spring upon completion of its huge remodel. Garcia read any and all articles he could find on Frank Donato. Frank no longer looked the part of a mobster. He’d cleaned up his act, passing in society as a benefactor to multiple charities in the area. Models half his age graced his arm in the photos.
I’m coming for you, Franky, Garcia thought. He closed his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. Garcia leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander. A plan slowly started to emerge. First on the to-do list was to get in better shape. Bulk up, grow a beard and change his hair. Just in case.
The long-lost son of Antonio Bianchi would be returning.
Chapter Fourteen
Gray and I dragged ourselves into our cabin. Katherine was tucked in and sleeping soundly back in her room. She was diagnosed with a clean, nondisplaced fracture to her fibula. Her shin was encased in a walking boot, giving her more mobility than a cast. She’d be on crutches for a few weeks, but overall her prognosis was good.
We’d gotten her to the clinic just as they were closing. Garcia met us there. He and the rest of the search party had called it quits when the storm hit. They were clearly smarter than me. I was so focused on fighting with Gray, the thought of hurrying to safety never crossed my mind. All’s well that ends well, but it could’ve gone a different route. We’d been lucky to find Katherine, let alone get her up the cliff and out of the woods without anyone else getting hurt.
“You want to shower first?” I asked Gray.
“You go ahead.” Gray dropped to the floor just inside the doorway, after closing the door behind him. The cabin was dark but neither of us moved to turn on a light. A warm breeze blew through all the open windows.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to get anything dirty while I wait,” Gray said.
“Good thinking.” I sat down next to him and leaned against the door. “I just need a minute.”
The silence built between us. There’d been a lot of that today where normally our days weren’t filled with any kind of tension.
“Gray...” I started.
“Do you really want to do this now? It’s been a long day.” Gray closed his eyes. If he felt half as worn out as I did, he could fall asleep in that position.
“I don’t like the discomfort between us. I want to clear the air.”
“Wh
at’s to clear? I try to get closer, you push away. I don’t want to do this,” Gray whispered.
My heart sank. Do this? What? Us, or just the fight? I couldn’t breathe. I tugged on the neck of my tank top. I felt it closing around me, suffocating me. I pulled it away from my skin. Dried mud flaked off and floated to the ground. I looked at the dirt, trying to piece together what he was telling me. I wiped it away with my hand. If I cleared it away, maybe I could clear away his words, too.
“Do what? Us?” I could barely get the words out around the lump in my throat. I didn’t want to ask, but I couldn’t leave it alone. I braced myself for the words.
“Not us. This,” Gray used his finger to indicate the two of us. It didn’t clear up my confusion. The blood drained from my face, leaving me pale and lightheaded. I mentally packed my bag. I’d slink back to Chicago with my tail between my legs. My life’s legacy, to get dumped in as many different countries as possible.
Gray opened an eye and peeked at me. He shook his head at the sight of me. “You’ve already mentally checked out, haven’t you? I’m not breaking up with you, but you definitely have some issues to work out.”
“Like what?” I croaked. My stomach lurched and shot straight up to my throat.
“You’re in this relationship with one foot already out the door. Some days, it’s like you’re waiting for the sign to run. PS... I’d follow you.” Gray winked at me.
“Are you shooting for a stalker vibe?” I asked.
“If that was my goal, you’d never know I was out there. I’d just send you pictures of yourself running errands throughout your day and sign them ‘Your Secret Admirer.’” Gray laughed.
“That’d be pretty creepy. Less creepy now that I’d know it was you.” I smiled at Gray, tentatively. My heartrate was finally returning to normal. I’d aged fifty years after today’s excitement.