Worth the Trouble

by Becky McGraw

  "Holy shit! You're gonna hang me!" Ethan yelped pulling at the rope around his neck, before he went under the water again.

  Panic shout through Rocky and she slid out of the saddle. Landing in the calf-deep rushing water she held onto the rope then ran toward Ethan.

  It could have only been seconds, but it felt like hours by the time she reached him and pulled on his arm to help lift him out of the water.

  Fighting to stand in the unbelievably strong current, she looked over her shoulder, got a good grip on the rope and Ethan, then pulled on the rope and clicked to Reed. He made a few steps forward and stopped. That gave her enough slack to loosen the loop and pull the loop and put his right arm through it, so it was under his armpits, instead of around one arm and his neck. He clutched his neck and coughed violently then his chin fell to his chest and fear shot through her. Her grip on his wet skin slipped and the current jerked him away from her, but as he was trained, Reed pulled back and held.

  Breathing hard from the adrenaline replacing the blood in her veins, Rocky knew her time for getting Ethan out of this raging water was running out. It was getting deeper by the minute, and Ethan didn't look good at all. Sucking in a deep breath to calm down, she kicked her dazed brain into gear.

  Maybe if she used Reed to drag Ethan with the current, instead of against it until she could find a shallow spot, so they could get out. If she had something to put under his head that would float, it would keep his head up.

  Mentally going over the contents of her saddle bags, she had an idea. The plastic tote they'd given her for her supplies would probably work if she filled it with air and tied off the end. Rocky didn't think twice, she grabbed the rope and dragged her self upstream back to Reed, then dug through the bags and dumped out the supplies.

  Quickly, she held the end and blew into it, then took the rubber band out of her hair and closed the end. Voila, an airbag!

  She was damned proud of herself for her ingenuity, as she grabbed the rope and splashed back toward Ethan, who still wasn't moving. She put the bag under his head then tied the loop handles to the rope under his arms.

  Ethan moaned then opened his eyes clutching his throat as he coughed again.

  "Oh, thank God!" she whispered and hugged him.

  "Get out of here," he said weakly, his voice a mere croak.

  "I'm going to get you out of here, just hang on, baby," she told him then kissed his forehead as relief and more emotion than she'd ever felt in her life surged through her.

  Rocky trudged back through the now thigh deep water, holding onto the rope to help her fight the current. The water was up to Reed's belly, so it was hard finding the stirrup and keeping her slippery foot in it to mount.

  When she finally got astride, she kneed Reed forward, and Ethan swung out to the side, horizontal to the water his arms and legs flailing. She kneed Reed faster to get past Ethan, so the rope would tighten. Kneeing Reed again, he went faster, so they were moving swiftly downstream, dragging Ethan behind them.

  Rocky could only hope this was the right thing to do, and that she didn't drown him.

  She could barely see Ethan behind her, had no idea how he was doing, so she only focused on trying to find the shallows fast, so she could drag him out. It was the best she was going to be able to do. The rest was up to God, so she sent up a silent prayer and kept moving forward.

  Stray lightning flashed in the sky, and she caught sight of a tree, actually saw the bottom of it, or she thought it was the bottom. Rocky turned Reed toward it, and kneed him hard. When she felt his front end lift as if he were walking up a hill, she breathed again. He moved further up the small hill, then his legs found purchase on top of the hill and he pulled forward. Rocky felt the drag of the rope against the saddle.

  "Ouch!" Ethan yelled behind her, and that was the sweetest sound she'd ever heard in her life. "Rocks, dammit!" he cursed and she smiled, then slowed Reed.

  Pulling Reed to a stop, she vaulted out of the saddle, landing with a splash in ankle deep water, then grabbed the rope and scrambled toward Ethan.

  When she got there, he was sitting up pulling the loop from under his arms. "I've got a fucking rope burn, on my chest and neck! You almost hanged me!" he griped then tossed the rope away from him like it was a snake.

  "You're alive, Ethan. Be thankful," she told him with a choked snort.

  "No thanks to you!" he grumped loudly as he tried to stand up, but fell back down and cradled his head in his hands.

  "Who the hell do you think pulled you out of that raging river?" she asked indignantly.

  "God, pulled me out, that's the only way I survived," he told her with a grunt.

  "God helped for sure, I was praying enough for both of us, but he didn't put that rope around you and drag your ass out. Reed and I did that," she told him with her hands on her hips.

  His hand gripped her ankle like a steel band, then her feet were jerked from under her and she landed hard on her butt with a splash beside him. Before she knew what he was doing, Ethan pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly to his chest.

  "Thank you for not giving up, sweetheart."

  Rocky's mouth was pressed into his neck, her arms pinned inside of his. He was squeezing her so tightly, she almost couldn't breathe.

  "Welcome," she mumbled against his throat, then said, "Can't breathe," and his arms immediately loosened.

  "I want to kiss you, Roxanne Baker," he told her, his voice low and intense, right before he covered her mouth with his as if she were his last hope for air. She hugged him tightly, kissing him back for all she was worth, letting him know without words that she was so glad he was alive, reminding herself that he was.

  Breathing hard she pulled back and felt lightheaded in her elation. "I'm so glad you didn't die," she muttered in a trembling voice.

  With a snort, he told her arrogantly, "I'm like a cat, I have at least sev--six of my nine lives left now." He'd told Brad the same thing at the pavilion, but now he had to subtract one. He hoped his other six were a lot smoother than the three he'd used up so far had been.

  "I used up a few of mine too I was so scared," she told him with a huffed breath. Thinking of what could have happened if her feeble efforts to save him hadn't worked made sickness gather in the pit of her stomach.

  Ethan pulled her to him and squeezed her tightly, then praised, "You did good, baby. And it's gonna take more than that for you to get rid of me."

  "No, I didn't, but the end result is what matters, I guess," she said shaking her head.

  "We have one horse, how are we going to get out of here now?" he asked her. "We're probably at least ten miles from base camp now, and we don't have a radio."

  "Or supplies," she added then hesitantly explained, "I dumped them in the water, so I could use the bag for a floatation device."

  "That was pretty smart, yet dumb at the same time, huh?" he said with a laugh and gave her a quick squeeze.

  "Fixed the immediate problem, didn't it?" she told him defensively.

  "It's a good thing you're out here with a boy scout," he said with a chuckle. "Because I have my forage for food badge, and Lord knows we have enough fresh water."

  "I am glad I'm out here with you, Ethan," she said seriously and put her head on his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his skin.

  It seemed like she couldn't get close enough to him right now.

  He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her again, then told her, "I'm glad you're out here with me too, even though I wish you were safe back at base camp."

  "Safety is overrated," she replied with a snort. "What's life without a little adventure."

  "I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime, darlin', a little peace would be more than welcome right now," Ethan said then shivered. "And a dry blanket."

  "Well, it happens that this girl scout knows how to start a fire, but we need to find someplace dry to do that," Rocky told him then slid off his lap to stand. "Think you can stand?" she asked reaching her hand ou
t to help him get up.

  He grabbed her hand, and flinched as he shoved up to stand. "My ass hurts, I think I bruised my tailbone on those rocks you dragged me over."

  "Want me to rub it for you?" she offered with a grin she knew he couldn't see. It was still damned dark out here.

  "If you can get us somewhere dry, I'll skip the butt rub for now, and won't even complain for at least an hour, I promise," he told her then put his arm over her shoulders.

  Together, with him leaning heavily on her shoulders, they made their way to Reed who was standing a short distance away, waiting patiently.

  "Since it isn't lightning anymore, as long as we can avoid the flooded parts of the field, I think maybe we can make it to one of the caves in the mesa now," she told him.

  "That sounds like heaven," he told her. "We should get there sometime next week walking," he told her with dry humor in his voice as they stopped beside Reed.

  "We're not walking, we're riding double on Reed," she informed, then grabbed the reins and told him, "Saddle up, cowboy, then shove to the back of the saddle. You may have to sit behind the saddle, which isn't comfortable for a man, I've heard. But there's no way I'm letting you drive."

  "Hey, I'm not the one who lost my horse," he reminded and huffed out a breath, then worked until he got his bare foot in the stirrup.

  After bouncing a few times, he still couldn't manage to pull himself up.

  He was probably exhausted, Rocky thought, so when he bounced the last time, she bent down and put her shoulder under his butt and shoved upward.

  "Thanks," he said tiredly, as he threw his leg over the saddle and wiggled backward until he had created enough room for her to sit.

  Rocky put her foot in the stirrup then sat on the saddle and swung her leg over Reed's head, before she gathered up the reins. She untied the rope from the saddle horn, and coiled it up, then looped it over the horn.

  "With us, you never know when we'll need the rope again," she told him then kneed Reed, turning him right to move farther up on the high ground.

  "I agree, ropes probably need to be standard operating equipment when we're together," Ethan told her, his arms tightening around her waist as Reed walked over the uneven rocks. "I can think of a few more uses for them too," he whispered near her ear, before nipping her ear lobe.

  "Stop it," she grated then poked him with her elbow as thrills shot through her.

  Rocky needed to concentrate on getting them to the mesa without another dunk in the water, or going off the edge of a cliff she didn't see out here in the dark. After they had walked a little while, Reed moved over a particularly rough patch, and they were jostled in the saddle. Ethan moaned behind her and his body tensed.

  "You okay?" she asked with concern, slowing Reed.

  "Yeah, but I just found out why they say men shouldn't ride behind a saddle," he said gruffly.

  "Sorry about that, this is just a bumpy area," she told him.

  "Not your fault, but I hope it smoothes out in a minute," Ethan grunted when he was jostled again.

  "We can walk if you want? Probably wouldn't hurt to give Reed a rest anyway," she suggested.

  "I have to get down?" he asked in a pained voice.

  She snickered then said, "If you want to walk you do." Rocky pulled Reed to a stop, then she dismounted first. "Get into the well of the saddle, then get down like you did last time," she told him.

  Ethan moved and groaned, but managed to get into the middle of the saddle. He looked down and told her, "If I get down, I might not be able to get back up. I feel like I've gone five rounds with a prize fighter."

  "Stop whining, and start doing, your hour of non-complaining isn't over yet," she told him with a chuckle.

  "You're a hard woman, Roxanne Baker," he huffed then put his leg over Reed's neck to sit, before rolling on his belly and balancing himself. "Catch me if I fall," Ethan said and hung onto the horn to slide down, way down, because Reed was a big horse. His feet hit the ground and his knees buckled, then he landed on his butt with an oomph. He looked up at Rocky accusingly and hissed, "You were supposed to catch me."

  "You're a big man, Ethan, I didn't want to wind up under you," she explained with a laugh. "I figured one way or another, you'd work it out."

  "Thanks for your concern, baby," Ethan told her, then grunted when he knelt before using the stirrup to pull himself up.

  "Anytime," she drawled, then grabbed the reins and started walking.

  "Did you forget we're barefoot?" he hissed when a pointed rock jabbed him in the foot. "This isn't a good idea."

  She huffed out a sigh, then put her shoulder into Reed's side and moved him to the right. Ethan followed scanning the rocks so he could avoid the sharp ones. When his feet felt soft grass instead of rocks, he breathed a sigh of relief.

  "That's better," he told her wiggling his toes in the grass, waiting for the stinging to subside.

  "Only problem is we're closer to the woods now," she said and stopped Reed to fool around at the side of the saddle. When she pulled out a shotgun, then rifled through the saddle bag to fill her pockets with shells his eyebrows hit his hairline.

  "Animals?" he guessed.

  "Yup, need to be prepared just in case, so I can protect you if I need to," she laughed.

  "Thanks a lot," Ethan ground out. "My damned shotgun is on the horse that ran off. I let you use my tent, you should give me the gun," he suggested.

  "Not in this lifetime, mister," she replied, then cracked open the barrel and inserted two shells. Tucking the gun stock under her arm, she started Reed forward again.

  After they had walked about an hour, Ethan heard a soft mewling sound in the trees to the right. It sounded almost like an injured kitten.

  "Rocky, wait," he said softly and she stopped and he listened closer. The sound came again, and he thought it sounded like a little girl crying too.

  Ethan cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, "Amelia!"

  He stopped to listen again and heard a wail, then a small voice yelled, "Daddy!" with excitement and he saw movement in the trees.

  Ethan walked quickly that way, but Rocky ran toward the woods. She beat him there and met the little blonde girl halfway, bending down to sweep her into her arms and hug her tightly. By the time Ethan reached them, the girl's body was shaking violently and she was taking breaths in deep gulping sobs.

  He knelt down and she looked at him, then pulled away from Rocky and threw herself into his arms. Her little limbs were so tight on his neck, she was choking him. Ethan sat down and pulled her on his lap and they loosened. "Shh, it's okay, baby," he cooed near her ear. "We're gonna get you back to your daddy really soon, okay?" he asked forcing calm into his tone.

  She nodded, then buried her face in his neck, hugging him tight again. "How'd you get all the way out here?" Ethan asked softly. They were traveling back toward the campground, he thought, but he wasn't sure. If they were, they should be maybe six or seven miles from there now.

  "Some boys at the camp said they were going out riding their ATV last night...or I think it was last night...and they asked if I wanted to go," she told him, then expanded. "I met them in the woods and we went a long way. We got out here and they just made me get off, and they left me out here. I started trying to walk back to the tent, but I got lost."

  Fear shot through Ethan, along with the desire to beat the ever living shit out of those boys. "Teenage boys?" he asked gruffly.

  "Yeah, they were in the tent next to ours," she informed then sucked in a shuddering breath.

  "Did they hurt you?" Ethan asked, his arms tightening around her as he expected to hear the worst. If they had hurt her, he was going to hunt them down.

  She nodded in his neck, then told him, "No sir, they just left me out here and laughed at me when I cried, I'm not hurt."

  Relief swamped him and he grumbled, "I bet the little shits--um, boys were afraid to tell anyone what they'd done, and then had no idea where to come back and look for you, or where to t
ell anyone else where to start looking."

  "I thought I heard their motor again one time, but I never saw them," she said.

  Ethan thought it was probably one of the TTF bikes she had heard. He wondered if they had called out her name while they were searching. "Did they call your name?" he asked.

  "No, they didn't, I just heard the motor. I was scared, so I just hid behind a log," she told him.

  "Smart girl," Ethan praised and rubbed her hair. "Amelia, have you ever ridden a horse before?" he asked and she sat up and looked up at him with wide eyes.

  "No," she said with awe in her tone. "But I always wanted to ride a pony."

  "Well, you're gonna get your chance tonight, sweetie," he said with a laugh. Pointing over toward Reed, he told her, "That is going to be your horse tonight, ma'am."

  Fear pinched her brows together and she gnawed her lip. "He's really big."

  "Miss Rocky is going to lead him, so you just have to hold on," Ethan told her and helped her stand, then got up himself. He took her little hand in his and limped back toward Reed, and Rocky walked quietly beside them. She was too quiet, he thought and glanced over at her, but she was looking off into the night, not at him.

  When they reached the horse, she split off and he lifted Amelia up into the saddle and told her, "You just hold onto that right there and enjoy the ride, okay?"

  "Okay," she said and grabbed the horn.

  He glanced over and saw Rocky bent over at the waist resting her hands on her knees and wondered if she was sick. He grabbed the reins and led Reed over to where she stood. "You okay?" he asked with concern.

  She nodded, but didn't answer and he saw her shoulders were shaking. Dropping the reins, like he had seen her do, he went to her and put his arm around her shoulders then squeezed. "What's wrong, baby?" he whispered so Amelia didn't hear.

  "Tonight has been...too much," she finally said with a shaky breath. "And I'm so damned glad we found her."

  "Me too," he agreed. Rocky trembled under his hands again, and he pulled her to his chest. Likely what she was experiencing was an adrenaline crash, he thought. Being a firefighter, and paramedic as long as he had been, Ethan knew all about them firsthand.