by Katie Ruggle
“Any cold parts on you, Zoe?” she asked. Although the girl shook her head, Derek frowned. It might have been the blanching effect of the flashlight, but Zoe’s face looked pale and pinched.
“Let’s move, then. The quicker we light those flares, the sooner we’ll get you home to your warm beds.”
“And hot chocolate?” Maya asked.
“And soup,” Zoe added.
“And pizza.”
“And macaroni and cheese.”
Apparently, the kids were hungry. As they started walking, with Derek leading the way, the two girls in the middle and Artie taking up the rear, he made a mental note to give them a protein bar when they found a good place to wait for rescue.
“What happened?” Artie asked when the girls stopped naming foods. “Why’d you run off like that?”
Silence greeted her question, but Artie didn’t push. Instead, she waited them out, and Derek grinned. He wasn’t surprised that she was skilled at interrogation.
“Is Chase dead?” Zoe finally asked in a small voice.
“No,” Derek assured her, a little startled by the question. “He’ll be fine. The doctors will have him stay at the hospital overnight just to make sure, but he should be back at school and harassing you again really soon.”
Zoe started sniffling, and Maya’s sobs soon joined her. Unnerved by the tear fest behind him, Derek kept his gaze on the trail ahead of him.
“Enough,” Artie said firmly. “You can cry later. Right now, it’ll just make your faces cold. How about we sing a song? That way, our voices will warn any wildlife to stay away.”
With a snort, Derek said, “Especially yours, Ms. Rey. I’ve heard you sing. The animals will run like they’re fleeing from a forest fire when they hear you.”
Although they were watery, there were two distinct giggles behind him.
“You shouldn’t be throwing stones in that glass house of yours, Mr. Warner.” Her voice had a frosty edge, but he heard the laughter she was hiding underneath. “You forget that I’ve heard you as well. You sounded like a sick walrus.”
Now the girls were definitely laughing.
Racking his brain for a kid-appropriate song, Derek said, “How about ‘The Itsy-Bitsy Spider’?” His suggestion was greeted by three groans.
“That’s a baby song.” Maya’s voice was full of condescension. “Can we sing something by Taylor Swift?”
“No Taylor Swift,” Artie and Derek said in unison, making him grin again.
The beam of his flashlight illuminated a protected area, and he headed toward the spot. After scrambling over some loose rocks, he turned and helped the kids negotiate the tricky footing. When he reached a hand toward Artie, however, she gave him a look and climbed over the rocks without assistance. Biting back a smile, Derek returned to the front of their little group.
“Look, girls,” Artie said. “Derek’s found us the perfect spot to hang out and wait for your dad.”
He grinned. “It is perfect, isn’t it?” A rock overhang and a nearby tree created a natural shelter, blocking most of the wind and intermittent snow. Shucking the backpack, he reached inside and handed Artie some protein bars and the emergency blanket. When he pulled out one of the water bottles, he frowned.
“I forgot. The water’s frozen.” He started to return it to the pack, but Artie grabbed it before he could.
“I’ll put it under my clothes, against my skin,” she said, ushering the girls into the protected nook. “It’ll melt.”
The mental image made Derek’s brain take an inappropriate leap. “Lucky water bottle,” he muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” He hurried to grab the aerial flare, as well as a couple of spiked ones. “I’ll announce our presence.”
* * *
Holding back a smile, Artie put her arms around both of the girls. “Watch. It’s kind of like fireworks. Well, boring fireworks.”
Derek launched the aerial flare into the dark sky, where it glowed red as it rose and fell.
“Your dad and the other searchers will see that,” Artie said, hugging the kids against her sides. “It’ll tell them where we are and that we’ve found you.”
It took a couple of tries before Derek found a spot soft enough to drive the first spike connected to the bottom of a flare into the ground. He climbed above their improvised shelter to place the second flare. Once both were lit, he returned to their spot under the overhang.
They arranged themselves under the emergency blanket with Derek and Artie sitting with the girls on their laps. Artie winced at the hard and lumpy rock under her, made worse by Maya’s weight on her legs, and the icy bottle tucked under her clothes that was numbing her side. To add to her misery, she had to take off her gloves in order to unwrap the protein bars. Despite all the discomforts, though, her relief that the girls were found and safe outweighed everything.
“Eat this,” she said, passing out the protein bars and donning her gloves, “and tell me what happened.”
Zoe and Maya chewed mulishly for a while, but Artie waited patiently, eating her own bar in three eager bites. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the food touched her lips.
Surprisingly, Maya was the one to break the silence. “Zoe told him to do it.”
“Maya!”
“What? You did!”
“I didn’t mean it!” Zoe sounded like she was about to cry again. “I waved at him to come back.”
“You told Chase to go out on the ice?” Artie wasn’t surprised. She’d figured it was something along those lines.
“I dared him,” Zoe admitted, the words rushing out as if a dam had broken. “And then he fell in, and Derek pulled him out, but he wasn’t moving. They took him away in an ambulance, and we thought he was dead.” She finished on a wail.
Her sister’s tears set off Maya, as well.
“It’s not crying time yet.” Artie tried to keep her voice stern, even when all she wanted to do was hug them close and join them in shedding buckets of tears. “You need to be brave for a little longer.”
“Suh-superheroes.” Maya hiccuped, wiping her nose on her cuff.
“Exactly,” Artie said, hugging the girl tightly.
“Is that why you ran?” Derek asked Zoe, who was making a valiant effort to stop her sobs. “Because you thought it was your fault?”
She nodded, her breath shuddering with leftover tears. “I thought the sheriff would arrest me for m-murder.”
Biting her cheek to hold back a completely inappropriate laugh, Artie said, “Zoe Springfield. Who is responsible for our actions?”
“We are,” the girls chorused, and their rote response made Artie swallow another grin. It was obvious that both sisters had been in her class. Personal accountability was one of her preaching points.
“So who was responsible for Chase walking out onto the ice?”
That didn’t received the instant response that the first question did. “But I dared him,” Zoe finally protested.
“Which you shouldn’t have done. Chase can be obnoxious, but that doesn’t make it okay for you to be a bully.”
“I know.” Her voice was small.
“But no matter what you said, Chase was the one who made the decision to walk out on the ice. You are not responsible for his actions.”
The girls were quiet for a long minute. “Okay,” Zoe finally said, the one word weighed down with relief and exhaustion.
“So Zoe’s not going to jail?” Maya shoved the last bit of her protein bar into her mouth.
“Neither of you are going to jail,” Artie confirmed, pulling the water bottle away from her numb side, “but I have a feeling that you’re going to be grounded for years after your dad hugs the stuffing out of you. You really scared him by running off like that.”
Both girls ducked their heads.
“I think this has melted a little. Anyone thirsty?”
After everyone had an inadequate sip of the water, the kids dozed off. Artie snug
gled Maya a little closer. She had to keep all the day’s emotions, even the good ones, tucked away for a little longer. As she’d told the girls, it wasn’t crying time yet. And it wasn’t the time or place to let her heart run away with her, no matter how aware she was of Derek’s proximity.
“Is there anything more uncomfortable than sitting on rock with a kid on top of you?” she asked Derek quietly.
His low laugh made her skin feel warm. “Sitting on hot coals, maybe? Or sharpened stakes?”
Their arms were pressed together as they shared body heat and blanket space, and Derek’s shoulder was too tempting. Artie’s head tipped to the side until it rested on him.
“Maybe, but I doubt it,” she grumbled, making him laugh again. “Do you think you should send up another flare?”
“I will in ten minutes or so. By then, everyone should be close.” He rested his cheek against the crown of her head. “Today turned out pretty well, don’t you think?”
She snorted. “At times, it felt like we’d entered a hell dimension, but the kids are all safe, so we can call this a definite win.”
“I wouldn’t mind visiting hell dimensions as long as you’re with me.”
Her skin prickled with goose bumps at the admission. “Aw…thanks. I have to admit that you made a dilapidated shack seem like a palace. A pleasure palace.” His soft laugh warmed her insides.
“I can’t believe you’re back with me.”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” she asked. “After all, you broke up with me.”
“Only because I convinced myself you were better off without me and my criminal relations.” His voice held a note of bitterness. “Life without you, though…I didn’t think I’d survive it. After being drunk for a month, I sobered up and told my dad I wouldn’t be part of his business any longer. I was done.”
“What’d he say?”
“He laughed.”
She winced. “Sorry.”
Her head lifted, following his shoulder as he shrugged. “He stopped laughing when I quit taking jobs. I worked for Donnie at his auto shop for a while, and then Malcolm—you remember Mal?”
With a huff of a laugh, she asked, “How could I forget your darling brother, Mal? He used to call me Fartie.”
“I’d forgotten about that.” She could tell he was restraining a laugh. “Anyway, Mal was fed up with Dad’s shit, too, so we started our small-engine repair shop. It’s not the kind of money I could have made if I’d stayed with Dad, but I like the work, and there’s no threat of prison. Plus, since I’m the boss, I can drop everything to go on dive-team calls.”
“Sounds like you got your life together.” She tried to keep her voice casual, but her heart actually ached with pride.
“Too late. By the time I got my shit sorted, you and Randy were engaged. I figured you deserved better than me, anyway.”
Trying not to jostle Maya, she pulled far enough away to punch Derek in the arm. “Dumb ass. Why would you think that?”
“C’mon, look at you. You’re perfect. You’re smart and funny and driven. Ever since we were kids, you always knew you wanted to be a teacher. You know what you want, and you go get it.”
Artie opened her mouth to respond, but shock kept her silent.
“Me, on the other hand,” he continued, “everyone knows I’m the screwup.”
“You’ve never been a screwup,” she protested, her voice a little higher pitched than usual. She’d never imagined that Derek saw either of them that way. “You’re just as smart as I am, Derek. Probably smarter. And you’re clever and selfless and brave and you risk your life every day to save other people. You turned your entire life around when it would’ve been easier just to join your dad in his business. How could you think you’re a screwup?”
“Right. So I didn’t get you into all that trouble when we were kids.”
She laughed. “That’s true. You did get me in trouble all the time.”
“See? Screwup. If we hadn’t been friends, you probably would’ve started the Simpson Junior Social Services Club and eliminated poverty in Field County or some shit before you were out of junior high. Instead, I dragged you down into delinquency with me.”
His melodramatic tone made her laugh again. “Derek. Stop. Sure, we got in trouble a lot, and the stuff we did was usually your idea, but I don’t regret it at all. You were the reason I had any fun growing up.”
He studied her for a minute before one corner of his mouth lifted, just a shadow of his usual smirk. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” Grinning at him, she added, “Besides, your version of my ideal childhood sounds hella boring.”
Finally, he laughed, leaning closer so he could kiss her. “You’re amazing, Artemis Rey.”
“I know.”
With his lips still close to hers, he chuckled again. Warm air brushed her skin, and she closed her eyes, clinging to the moment.
“You’re pretty incredible yourself, Derek Warner,” she said, her voice husky. “I’m sorry I let you break up with me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get my shit together sooner.” With a final kiss, he raised his head. “And I’m sorry I didn’t steal you away from Randy and tell you that I’ve loved you since we were thirteen.”
Her eyes went wide. “Nuh-uh.”
“Yeah-huh.”
“You have not.”
“Have too.”
Why does Derek always reduce me to an eight-year-old when we argue? she wondered, trying to frown. Her lips kept insisting on curling upward, however. “Well, I’ve loved you since we were twelve.”
Shifting a sleeping Zoe, he freed the arm closer to Artie and curled it around her shoulders. “So you’re really okay with being stuck with me for good?”
“Just try to get rid of me.” Knowing that Derek was hers again was making her giddy. “I’m a barnacle. A leech. A wood tick. A—”
“Okay, okay.” He laughed, kissing her temple. “I get the picture. You’re stuck with me, and I’m stuck with you. Forever.”
“Forever.” As she cuddled closer to Derek, tightening her arms around the sleeping child in her lap, she smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. Forever with Derek. It sounded wonderful.
* * *
Steve’s was the first voice they heard. “Zoe! Maya!”
“Here!” Derek bellowed, making both girls startle awake. “We’re here!”
After gently moving a dazed Maya off her lap, Artie scrambled to her feet and grabbed both flashlights, waving them above her head. Distant shouts indicated that they’d spotted the beams of light.
“Dad!” Zoe yelled, jumping to her feet.
“Zoe? You okay?”
“Yes!” Her voice broke mid-word.
“Maya, too?”
“Yes, Daddy!” Maya shouted, standing up and grabbing her sister’s hand.
“Hang on!” Steve sounded jubilant. “I’m coming, babies!”
The voices quickly grew louder and more distinct as the searchers drew nearer. Artie and Derek had to hold the girls back when they tried to dash into the darkness toward their father’s voice.
“Whoa!” That sounded like Ian Walsh. “Springfield, you can’t go that way unless you’ve turned into Spider-Man.”
Either Steve discovered he had some latent superhero skills, or the searchers found another, more mortal-friendly trail, but Steve barreled toward them just minutes later. Falling to his knees, he scooped both girls into his arms and hugged them against him. Maya and Zoe wrapped their arms around his neck as all three of them cried.
“My babies,” Steve rasped, kissing first one head and then the other. “My sweet girls. Are you okay?” He pulled back to check them for injuries. Zoe nodded, tears tracking down her cheeks, but Maya just sobbed. Wrapping them into another hug, Steve squeezed them tight to his chest. “Ian!”
“Right here, Steve.” The firefighter standing behind them pulled a medical kit out of his pack. “Hey, princesses. I’m glad a bear didn’t eat your faces.”
“Wat
ch your mouth,” Steve growled. If his arms hadn’t been full of little girls, Artie was pretty sure Ian would’ve gotten smacked upside the head.
“We didn’t see any bears,” Zoe said. “Just a mountain lion.”
“A mountain lion, huh?” Ian’s voice was amused, his disbelief obvious. “That must’ve been scary.”
“It was.” Maya turned her head so she could talk, although she kept a tight grip on her father. “But we turned into a four-headed giant, so it ran away.”
Zoe made an impatient noise. “We weren’t a giant; we were superheroes.”
“A giant superhero.”
Exchanging a “kids have the best imaginations” look with Steve, Ian chuckled. “Well, giant superheroes, mind if I make sure you’re healthy after your big adventure?”
Shifting closer to Derek, Artie whispered, “Should we tell them there really was a mountain lion?”
“Later,” he said out of the side of his mouth. “Steve’s heart probably can’t take one more shock right now.”
“Good idea.”
Despite her exhausted, sore, and cold body, Artie couldn’t stop grinning. The searchers, buoyed by relief and residual adrenaline, joked and laughed as Ian gave the girls a quick check over. Derek slung his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him, taking her weight off her sore knee.
“Hey, Rob.” Derek waved at the sheriff. “Come here a second.”
Rob carefully picked his way over the snowy trail until he was in front of them. “Glad you’re okay.” His gaze flicked over to Maya and Zoe. “All of you.”
“Me too.” Lowering his voice, Derek said, “You might want to check out who’s been stashing fire accelerants in the remains of that old Forest Service cabin.”
The sheriff’s eyebrows rose. “Accelerants?”
Derek nodded. “Rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, linseed oil, and some other things right next to a big box of matches and across the cabin from recently smoked cigarette butts. Maybe it has nothing to do with the wildland fire this past summer, but it seems awfully suspicious.”
Rob’s expression darkened. “Agreed. Thank you for telling me.”
Clearing her throat, Artie added, “Someone else was out there while we were searching, too. We saw a fresh footprint.”