“Yeah. I bet she went to our old camping place. She’d just have time to ride there and come back if she left around noon.” Red nodded in confirmation. “There’s a big storm coming in, carrying rain and sleet. Maybe snow further up. I won’t have time to get her down that mountain before sunset, and it will be too dangerous after that, so pack for overnight.”
“Right. You go get ready. I’ll pack camping gear. You’ll take a second horse?”
“Yeah.”
Mildred rushed in as Toby headed for the back door, and he left Red to fill her in. Footsteps on the stairs meant Megan was about to burst into the kitchen and he didn’t want to break the news to her.
Ten minutes later, he was back, long underwear under his jeans and shirt and a rain slicker on his arm. Red had a pile of gear on the floor, and Mildred was filling a canteen with water. Megan and Anna were cutting four thick roast beef sandwiches.
“You ate lunch, didn’t you, boy?” Red asked.
“Actually, no, but—”
“Fix another sandwich,” Red ordered.
“I don’t have time, Red. I’ll be all right.”
“I’m not sending you out in a storm with no food in your belly.” He nodded then relented slightly. “You can eat it while you’re riding.”
Toby knew it would save time to agree.
Anna started work on another sandwich while Megan came to him. “You’ll bring her back safely, won’t you?”
“Sure, Aunt Megan. You know I will.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “It’s just another camping trip.”
“What if she’s hurt?”
“I’ll take care of her. I’m taking a first-aid kit. Quit worrying. I’m taking a radio with me, so I can let you know. Okay?”
He hoped he’d thought of everything. The only thing he didn’t know for sure was where he would find Elizabeth. She was a good rider. Not one to lose her seat easily. And there’d been no marks on Buttercup.
If he found her at once, before the rain got too bad, everything would be okay. If she spent the night out on the mountain, unprotected, he couldn’t make any guarantees.
“Could you get me a change of clothes for her? It’s supposed to rain and we don’t want her catching a cold.”
Megan ran up the stairs at once.
“Start your sandwich while you’re waiting on her,” Anna suggested, pushing it in his direction.
That made sense, so he filled his hollow stomach with the sandwich, then started on his way.
Red went to the barn with him and loaded everything on the second horse while he saddled Cocoa. He took the food and put it on his own horse, just in case he and the second animal got separated.
“Be careful and bring her back safely,” Red said, slapping Toby on his leg after he’d mounted.
“I will, Red. Thanks. I’ll try to radio by the time the guys get in. Tell them to wait for my call.”
Red cleared his throat. “Yeah. I will.”
Toby urged Cocoa out of the barn, the second horse following. He tied the lead rope around his saddle horn. He could already feel a change in the weather. Elizabeth would never have set out for a ride with it like this, but he suspected that at noon there’d been nothing to indicate a storm.
He set out at a steady lope, hoping to make as much time as possible while he was on level ground. Once they started up the mountain, he’d have to slow down.
And, please, God, let him find her.
ELIZABETH tried to curl her legs tighter to her body. She’d taken her jacket off and had it pulled over her head to serve as some sort of shelter from the rain. Her back was to a rock beside the trail.
Pain shot through her as she moved her ankle. She wasn’t doing such a great job of keeping herself dry or warm.
She’d hoped Buttercup would go all the way back to the barn. It was her only hope for rescue. But it would have to be Red who came. The old man would have a hard time in this weather. And in another hour, no one would be able to get up that path in the dark, with it slick with rain.
That would be crazy.
And the men would only now be getting back from their day’s work. Unless they’d taken a radio with them. She’d better start trying to figure out how to survive the night.
Up here, it was already getting below freezing at night. The only coat she had was drenched. It was a denim jacket with sheepskin lining. If the rain stopped soon, before it became too soggy, she might—who was she kidding? At best, she’d get through the night and have to go to the hospital for dehydration and frostbite.
She shrugged her shoulders. No sense crying over spilled milk. She was here now, alone, with no supplies. And she’d never kissed Toby.
That random thought almost made her laugh. But with the shivers that were coursing through her, she couldn’t quite manage that. She was facing the trail that led back to the ranch. Back east. The rain was coming from the west.
Some small noise alerted her to movement. Concentrating her gaze, she thought she saw someone through the rain. Red! It must be Red.
She tried to rise up, but she only got to her knees. “Red!” she screamed.
The figure came to a halt, then started moving again.
Did that mean he’d seen her? She sank back into a heap against her rock and waited, straining to see through the rainfall.
If it was Red, he would have brought shelter of some kind, because he’d know they couldn’t make it back down the mountain in the dark. But even better, if it was Red, she knew he’d bring food. Wonderful food. Her snack had gone with Buttercup. She’d had nothing since lunch, and it took a lot of energy to keep up all those shivers.
Fortunately, she was right beside the trail, so a couple of minutes later, she got to her knees again, ignoring the pain, when the rider got closer. The yellow slicker made it easier for her to see him in the gloom. “Red!” she called again.
The horses came to a halt and the man got down. “Not Red. It’s Toby, if that’s all right?”
Her eyes welled with tears at his response. “Yes! Yes, I’m so grateful. I didn’t think anyone would be there but Red.”
“You’re hurt?” he asked, ignoring her response.
“My ankle,” she replied, her voice filled with shame. She was a better rider than that.
He didn’t touch her. Instead, he stepped past her, leading the two horses to the grassy patch. “I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder.
She sobbed, then chastised herself for her weakness. She might be miserable and frightened, but it hadn’t been an easy ride for Toby. The least she could do was contain her misery.
In amazement, she watched him set up a one-man tent against one of the western rocks. He threw a pack in the tent after removing the canvas it was wrapped in to keep it dry.
Something dry. What a wonderful thought. Could he even build a fire? She couldn’t move enough to get wood, even if she’d had a match. And she didn’t.
He suddenly appeared beside her and scooped her up. “I’m going to put you in the tent. I want you to take off your wet clothes and get inside the sleeping bag. Throw them back out.”
“Y-yes,” she agreed, her teeth chattering.
“Do it fast. And be prepared cause I’m coming in after you as soon as I see to the horses. It’s a two-man tent tonight.”
She nodded, her voice caught in her throat. It was a small tent. But she’d share with Toby gladly. After all, he’d rescued her. But she would’ve anyway. She wouldn’t be able to rest if he was out in the storm.
He strode quickly in the rain and the movement jostled her swollen ankle. She buried her face in his neck and moaned.
He lowered her as he got on his knees. Then, with superb strength, he almost tossed her into the tent. Suddenly the rain wasn’t falling on her anymore, and the grass beneath the tent floor was softer than the rocks she’d been sitting on.
“Stick your feet out so we can get your boots off,” he ordered from outside. She did so, but she wasn’t sure he would be able to get t
he left one off. The right one came off easily. The other one, as she’d suspected, wouldn’t budge.
“Elizabeth, I’m cutting your boot off.”
“No!” she protested, even though she knew she was being silly. This was no time to worry about losing a favorite pair of boots. It didn’t matter. Toby ignored her. She felt his big knife slid down the side of her foot. Then, there was sudden relief to the pressure she’d been feeling on her ankle.
“Get your feet in before they get wet.”
She did so and sat curled up in the tent. Relief flooded her.
“Are you undressing?” he called.
She’d forgotten his order. First she found the sleeping bag and rolled it out. Then she threw her coat toward the slight opening in the tent. Next came her jeans, difficult to maneuver since they were wet, especially when they had to pass over her ankle. After they were off, she removed her top and eased her feet into the warmth of the sleeping bag.
Just as she was zipping it up, Toby called, “I’m coming in, Elizabeth.”
She scooted over as far as she could, which wasn’t far. He came in anyway.
Fortunately he was mostly dry since he’d worn his rain slicker the entire time. Only his pant legs were wet. She expected him to fuss at her for taking up so much room. Or for being so dumb as to fall off her horse.
Instead, he pulled a radio out of the pack and punched some buttons.
“Red, I’ve got her.”
“Thanks be, boy. Here’s her dad.”
“Toby? Is she all right?”
“She has a bad ankle. We’re over the pass and it’s too dangerous to try to get back in the dark. It’s pouring rain here.”
“Yeah, we figured. Thanks, Toby. Can I talk to her?”
“Hi, Daddy,” Elizabeth said as she leaned toward the speaker. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“For falling off Buttercup like a dude.”
“Accidents happen, little girl. You let Toby take care of you, and we’ll be at the bottom of the mountain with a vehicle to bring you home as soon as it’s daylight.”
“We’ll be there about an hour after sunrise, Uncle Chad,” Toby said. “It’ll take us that long to get down.” They were picking up static and he signed off before anyone could say anything else.
“I feel like such an idiot!” Elizabeth exclaimed, her eyes tearing up again.
“Don’t you start crying, Elizabeth,” Toby warned with mock fierceness. “You know I have a weakness for tears. Maybe if I feed you. Will that take your mind off your misery?”
“Probably,” she said with a sniff.
The pack he’d brought in was now at their feet and he struggled to get hold of it and tug it to him.
He pulled out two sandwiches and a thermos. “Red fixed decaf coffee. And I’ve got some pain pills that will help your ankle feel better.”
Just as he’d efficiently put up their little tent, so he organized everything. He gave her a cup of coffee and two little white pills. After taking them, she enjoyed Red’s delicious sandwich. Suddenly she felt much better. After Toby had eaten, too, he pulled the pack behind his back for support.
“Now,” he said with a sigh, “you need to get some rest.”
“But what about you?”
He slumped against the rock at his back through the tent and half lifted her so she was on top of his body. He spread his legs so she lay between. Then, with another sigh, this one she’d swear sounded like contentment, he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m comfy.”
“But you don’t have any cover,” she protested.
“I have you. That’ll do me. I have on long underwear. Are you warm enough?”
“Mm-hmm, I’m doing great,” she muttered as her eyes drifted closed. Those pills he’d given her must really be strong. She felt even better than she did when sleeping in her own bed.
Toby was there holding her.
RELIEF FLOODED the room as Chad clicked off the radio. Megan raced into his arms for a celebratory hug. Even Jim and Drew had tears in their eyes after learning of their sister’s safety.
“Man, it’s going to be a brutal night for those two. The weather report said it’s going to be rough outdoors. We don’t usually get a storm like this so early,” Russ pointed out.
“He’s well prepared,” Red pointed out. “And Toby knows what he’s doing.”
“Yeah, he does, but I’m glad he found her before dark,” Jake said. “How about some coffee, B.J.?” he asked his wife. The wives had offered coffee as they got in, but the emergency had kept them from accepting. Now everyone gathered around the table.
“We’re going to owe Toby big-time,” Chad said.
“Don’t be silly, brother,” Jake responded. “Toby won’t look at it that you owe him.” Before Chad could respond, the phone rang. Jake reached for it. “Hello?”
“Thanks for calling us. This storm took us by surprise.” After a pause, he said, “Well, no, we’re not all in. Toby and Elizabeth are out in the mountains. She fell off her horse.
“No, thanks, Griff. Toby prepared well, and he’s got her safe until morning. We’ll go get them then. Thanks for offering.”
When he hung up, Chad said, “Nice of Griff.”
“Yeah. He heard it’s going to be a bad one. Figures to turn to snow about midnight.”
“Why did Elizabeth feel the need to go off by herself?” Megan burst out.
“I figure it’s ’cause all you galoots are men,” Red said, gesturing to the cousins. “We need more girls around here.”
“Hey, I’m not objecting,” Rich said with a chuckle, “but let’s have someone other than cousins.”
His words got a chuckle from the other men, but B.J. said, “We should encourage Elizabeth to invite her friends out. Abby teaches with her. She went with her and Russ to Denver. We could invite Abby to spend a weekend.”
“Yeah, great idea,” Russ agreed with a lot of enthusiasm.
“For Elizabeth, son,” Pete pointed out dryly. “Not for your benefit.”
Russ avoided his father’s gaze. “I was just trying to be friendly.”
“We’ll think of something,” B.J. said with a smile. “But right now, we’d better get dinner ready. Someone’s going to have to get up early to rescue our damsel and our hero.”
Chapter Thirteen
Toby stared into the darkness of the tent. The rain had stopped several hours ago, but there was a whisper that told him it had changed to snow. A lot of snow.
Elizabeth shifted on top of him and he tightened his hold on her warm body. Where she lay against him, he was quite warm. Red-hot actually. But the outer edges of his arms, legs and back were cold. Not dangerously cold, but uncomfortably so.
Not that it mattered. He wasn’t going to get much sleep that night anyway. His body was aroused from such close proximity to a half-naked Elizabeth, even though she was in a sleeping bag.
Then the hardness of his bed made his bones feel like brittle rocks. Every time he shifted, he creaked. But he had Elizabeth safe, here in his arms. That fact made his discomfort unimportant.
If she’d spent the night outdoors with no protection in this storm, she might have died. The world might go on without Elizabeth, but how could he? He dropped a kiss on her brow and laid his head against her soft curls.
Tomorrow, he was going to talk to his father about his feelings for Elizabeth. If Jake told him it was impossible, then he’d have to decide what he should do. He could afford his own place, start his training business and have a…a satisfying life. Yeah, sure.
But he had to take the chance. He couldn’t walk away from Elizabeth without her knowing how he felt. How he would always feel. He had to try, no matter what it cost him.
With that decision made, he tried to settle again on his bed of nails and get a little sleep.
When he next opened his eyes, there seemed to be no change in their status. He was still holding Elizabeth in the dark. The whispering continued. When he managed to
get his wristwatch close to his face, he discovered that it was almost seven o’clock.
He carefully slid Elizabeth off him to the floor of the tent. She settled with a groan or two, but she didn’t wake up. He crawled to the tent opening where he’d left his rain slicker. The raindrops on it had changed to ice pellets, but the inside was dry.
He stepped through the opening into a snowy, bitterly cold world. He put on the slicker hurriedly and closed it, adding his hat for his protection. His gloves were in the pockets, so they were added to his uniform.
Next on the list were the animals. He’d spread blankets on both of them. Now he pulled out the two feed bags he’d brought and took care of their breakfasts.
All the while, he’d been thinking about the trip back down the mountain. He could leave all the supplies he’d brought and pick them up next week when the weather cleared up.
But it would be hard on Elizabeth to sit on a horse, especially with one foot exposed to the cold.
He slipped back into the tent and shook her. “Lizzie? Time to wake up.”
She groaned, but didn’t move. He leaned over and rubbed his lips over hers. It had been too tempting. And she wouldn’t remember. Then he shook her again. “We’ve got to go, Lizzie. Your dad will be waiting.”
He turned around and pulled out the spare clothes her mother had sent, a sweatshirt and warm-up pants. “Put these on.”
“What?” she muttered, trying to open her eyes.
Sternly, he ordered, “We have to go. Get dressed. I even have some breakfast for you. You’ll have to eat it cold, but it should help.”
She was looking at him strangely, which made him nervous. “Come on.”
She took the clothes from him and he dug out the other two sandwiches and a second thermos of coffee. He was grateful Red knew how to pack. The coffee, this time with lots of caffeine, was more important than even the sandwiches. Something hot in his body would get him down the mountain.
Another moan had him looking over his shoulder. Elizabeth had the sweatshirt in place, but she was apparently having difficulty with the pants. “What’s wrong?”
“I—I can’t get the pant leg over my ankle without—oh!” She gasped with pain.
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