She averted her gaze. “It really wasn’t all me; if anything, Ethan and Gabriella have done most of it. I feel like I’ve been more of a burden. Ethan has dealt mostly with Mike, and Gabriella handled all the arrangements to get us here. I’m just sort of along for the ride.”
Interesting, William thought. He cleared his throat. “Still, it was convenient the three of you were able to get together so quickly and get here. We were all a little shocked to find out Ethan wasn’t on the climb with Zach. We thought they were doing this together, just like all of their previous trips.”
Summer shook her head. “Ethan really didn’t want to do it this time. He said his heart wasn’t in it.” The image of the two of them in the tepee by the springs sprang to her mind. She couldn’t stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks. “Anyway, I’m thankful he’s not up there with Zach; I don’t think I could have handled it if it was both of them.”
“I would have thought Ethan would take some time for himself after backing out of the trip. After all, he had already cleared his schedule,” William said. “Still, it must have been a shock for you to have him back at the office so soon after he’d left.”
“Oh, he wasn’t back at the office,” Summer responded without really thinking. “We ran into him at Glacier Bay, where Gabriella and I were having a bit of a girls’ trip.” As soon as she finished the statement, she realized her mistake. “I mean…it wasn’t planned or anything. Seeing Ethan. Obviously Gabriella and I had planned our time there and it was just a…coincidence that we ran into him.” Heat rushed up her cheeks and she felt herself beginning to sweat. Was her uncle going to figure out that she had spent an entire weekend alone with Ethan?
He looked down at her flushed face, and William smiled. Bingo! “So that certainly worked out well, didn’t it?” he asked cheerily. When Summer looked at him in confusion, he said, “It was almost as if it were meant to be—all of you being together so you could get here to help Zach.” He leaned back and smiled even wider. “Sometimes it’s amazing how well things work out.”
Okay, that was odd, Summer thought to herself. If this conversation had been with her father, first he would have demanded to know what she was doing in Alaska, and then he would have given her the third degree on why Ethan was there. Her father didn’t believe in coincidences, and she had no doubt that no matter what she said or how hard she protested, he would have freaked out over the whole thing.
“The weather here is certainly not as cold as I thought it would be,” William said, interrupting her thoughts.
She nodded. “It was a pleasant surprise. Although it’s a bit colder up here than it was down in Glacier Bay. Not by much but…still.”
William nodded thoughtfully. “Let’s just hope that the weather cooperates now and we can get that rescue team in action and get your brother down safely.” He relaxed and looked across the room and noticed Ethan watching them while trying hard not to look like he was watching. William wanted to laugh out loud again. It was almost getting too easy. Summer’s nervous chatter and the way Ethan had been watching her since the rest of the Montgomerys arrived told William all he needed to know. It was just a matter of figuring out how to help these two during this whole mess with Zach.
Placing his hand on Summer’s knee, he said, “No matter how you and Ethan happened to get together, I’m glad for it.”
Summer looked up with wide eyes. “Together?” she squeaked. “We’re not together. Not me and Ethan. I mean, we’re friends…and we work together but that’s it. He’s Zach’s best friend and…and…like I said, it was just a weird coincidence that we were together while whale watching. I mean…not together-together, but there at the same time. And…and…”
“He’s a good friend,” he said with happy conviction. “I always thought the world of Ethan. He’s a good man, a good employee, and we’re all proud of the things he’s accomplished with his life. No, sir, no one can find fault with Ethan Reed.” William looked directly at Ethan and saw him swallow hard. “I’m glad he was here with you to help you out, Summer.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I’ll go and have a word with him, to thank him.”
Summer watched her uncle walk over to Ethan and sagged in her seat. They had been so careful—except around Gabriella—and the thought of anyone finding out about them, especially now, was not something she wanted to entertain. Thankful for the reprieve, however, she sat back in her seat and silently prayed that her father would keep his distance for a little while longer.
* * *
For a moment—a brief one—William Montgomery pitied poor Ethan Reed. As he made his way across the room, he noticed Ethan looking for a possible diversion, distraction, or an out-and-out escape. William chuckled to himself. Didn’t the boy realize that out of the two elder Montgomerys here, he was the one Ethan should be looking forward to talking to?
“Ethan!” he said as he reached him and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you. Although I wish it were under different circumstances.”
“You too, sir,” Ethan said carefully.
Placing his hands in his pockets, William took just a minute to smile. “I know this has been a rough couple of days for you.” Ethan nodded. “And I’m sure part of you feels guilty about not being up there with Zach.” When Ethan made to defend himself, William cut him off gently. “No one’s blaming you, son. A series of rather unfortunate events took place, and they would have happened whether you were there or not.”
“We can’t be sure—”
“Trust me,” William said, “if nothing else, your presence up there could have meant one more injured. As it is they’re having a tough time with this whole thing.” Ethan didn’t look convinced. “We’re all thankful you’re here and you’re safe.”
Ethan gave a mirthless laugh. “Are you sure about that?”
“You mean my brother?”
Ethan nodded.
“Pay no attention to him. He was always the hothead of the family. He knows that you’re not to blame for this.”
“Well, neither is Summer,” Ethan said defensively. “She cried for a long time after he called her the other night. He told her she was the reason if Zach is hurt, and let me tell you, it just about destroyed her. I had no idea Robert could be so cruel. I always knew he was strict with Zach, Ryder, and James, but I never thought he’d do something like this to his own daughter.” It was impossible to hide his disgust. “There wasn’t a thing I could do or say that could make her feel better. And you know what the worst of it is?” He didn’t wait for William to respond. “She took the brunt of her father’s anger without even defending herself. Why? Because she already feels responsible when she shouldn’t.” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration and looked over to where Summer was sitting. His expression softened at the sight of her. She was the most amazing woman he had ever known, and it pained him to think that her own family didn’t see how special she was.
William discreetly cleared his throat. “I agree with you where my brother is concerned, Ethan, and I’m not going to lie to you: it bothered all of us. Of course, no one knew she was already feeling responsible, but either way, it doesn’t excuse the things he said to her.”
Ethan didn’t want to look away from Summer, but he returned his attention to her uncle. “I just hope Robert doesn’t feel the need to attack her verbally again now that he’s here.” There was a fierceness in his tone that Ethan almost didn’t recognize in himself. He’d never felt so protective of anyone, and he most certainly would never have considered talking this way to any of the elder Montgomerys before. He was seriously losing it, and if he wasn’t careful, William was bound to notice.
“I think my brother found someone else to vent at.” He motioned over his shoulder to where Robert was standing with Mike Rivera. “That poor man. As if he didn’t have enough to deal with, now he has Robert.”
> William didn’t have much sympathy for Mike Rivera either. He believed Mike’s company was at fault, and if William had anything to say about it, he’d be talking to a team of lawyers and laying blame where blame was due. How his brother could have thought even for one second to put any of the blame on Summer was still beyond him, and once this whole nightmare was over, he’d be sure to point that out.
“Anyway, I guess I should go over there and make sure things don’t get out of hand.” William placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “You’re a good man, Ethan. We all know that. Thank you for being here for Zach and looking out for Summer. They’re both lucky to have you.”
Ethan thanked William, watched him walk over to Mike and Robert, and let out a breath of relief. That had gone better than he had expected. He was certain everyone was going to come in here like gangbusters and make all kinds of noise. So far, other than Robert, the rest of the Montgomerys had been pretty well behaved.
Ethan spotted James and Ryder speaking with one of Mike’s employees, and Gabriella was on the phone in a small side office. With Robert and William still engaged in conversation with Mike, he slowly made his way over to where Summer was sitting with her head back and eyes closed. Ethan gave one last nervous look over his shoulder before sitting down beside her. “How are you doing?” he asked quietly.
She looked up and blinked with surprise at finding Ethan so close. “Tired,” she said. “The waiting is killing me. It feels like we’re so close and yet time is dragging.”
He nodded. “I know. It actually hasn’t been that long, but I know how you feel.”
“I just won’t be able to relax until we know Zach is all right.” She reached for his hand as her eyes met his. “I don’t know what I’ll do if something’s happened to him, Ethan. The last time we talked, he was so mad at me. I can’t bear to think of that being our last…” Tears began to fall, and Ethan wrapped her in his embrace. He missed having her in his arms, and for a moment he just savored the feeling.
“Shh,” he whispered against her soft hair. He loved the feel of it, he loved the smell of it, and the thought of possibly never being able to hold her like this again was almost more than he could handle—especially on top of everything else going on around him. “They’re going to find Zach, and he’s going to be okay, and the two of you are going to look back on everything that happened since you came to Portland and laugh about it.” He pulled back and tucked a finger under her chin. “He promised me before he left that he was going to try to make things right between the two of you, and you know your brother is a man of his word.”
“He did?” she asked, her voice barely audible.
Ethan nodded and reached up to wipe away her tears. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to promise her everything was going to be all right. He was just about to speak when James was standing over them.
“What’s going on?” James demanded of Ethan. “Why is she crying?”
For a minute, Ethan was at a loss for words.
“All of the waiting around is taking its toll,” Ethan finally said as he disengaged from Summer and stood up. “She’s worried because the last time she and Zach spoke, they argued. Now she’s afraid—”
James held up a hand to stop him. “Say no more.” Stepping around Ethan, he sat down beside his sister. “Hey,” James said carefully, and put his arm around her. “I know this has been rough for you, but you know Zach; he argues with everyone lately. When he gets back, I guarantee you he’s still going to be ready to argue with someone.”
“But what if…?”
He placed a finger over her lips and shook his head. “Good thoughts; I only want you to be thinking good thoughts, okay?” He waited until she nodded, although he could tell that she was merely placating him. “We need to be prepared to accept that he’ll have some injuries, but we need to stay positive here, kiddo. You need to be strong.”
“I’m just so worried,” she said wearily.
He hugged her close. “I know you are. Hopefully we’ll have an update soon and then we’ll all be able to relax and get a good night’s sleep.”
“I hope you’re right because I feel like the walking dead right now.” She attempted to smile and was just about to make a joke referencing the television series when her father walked over.
“It’s good to see that you can laugh while your brother’s life is hanging in the balance,” Robert said when he came to a stop in front of her.
“Now wait a minute,” Ethan began but was cut off when James rose at the same time.
“Seriously, Dad, have you learned nothing in all these years?” James asked incredulously.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“We discussed this on the plane. I don’t know why you’re directing all of this hostility toward Summer. She’s not to blame here. If you’d open your eyes and shut your mouth for a minute, you’d see that your daughter has been crying. She’s exhausted and she’s worried just like the rest of us!”
“Well, if she would have put her foot down and stopped Zach from going, we all wouldn’t have something to be worried about!”
Father and son argued for another minute before Ethan cut them both off with a loud whistle. When he had their attention—as well as everyone else’s in the room—he spoke. “Your son is a selfish asshole who doesn’t listen to anyone!” He noticed the look of shock on Robert’s face, the wary one on James’s and Ryder’s, the worry on Summer’s, and the smile on William’s. “We all tried to talk Zach out of this, Robert. Hell, even his doctor tried, but in the end he gave Zach the clearance.” Ethan raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “Now I get that you’re upset and worried and pissed off because this entire situation is beyond your control, but you have got to put the blame firmly where it lies—and that’s on Zach.”
“No,” Robert said with a sneer. “She didn’t try hard enough!”
“I’m sitting right here!” Summer snapped and jumped up at Ethan’s side to join the fray. “I did everything I could to talk Zach out of taking this trip. You can’t even begin to imagine the arguments we had over it. But Ethan’s right. Zach is a very selfish person, and as upset as I am about that and as sick as I am with worry for him, I’ve still managed to control myself and my emotions. I’m ashamed of the way you’ve carried on here, throwing your weight around and acting as if you’re the only one who has a say in how things are done!” It was the first time in her life she had ever talked back to her father, and it felt good!
“These people have been working around the clock since this happened and they have done everything they could to ensure no one else gets hurt. How dare you come in here and try to tell them how to do their jobs! How would you like it if someone walked into Montgomerys and did that to you?”
“I’d like to see someone try!” Robert yelled.
“That’s my point exactly!” she yelled right back. “As a business owner, shouldn’t you be showing Mike the same courtesy? Has your yelling and lecturing done anything to help? I mean, you just don’t get it, do you?” She turned and pointed to James. “James ran away at sixteen because you wanted to dictate how he should live his life. Ryder and Zach moved almost three thousand miles away to get away from you, and I did my best to stay away for as long as possible! When are you going to learn that your way isn’t the only way?”
She was breathless from her little speech, and leaned into Ethan and felt his arm come around her waist and pull her close. After her show of bravado, she wasn’t sure what emotion to register first—pride in herself or excitement in having Ethan show his support of her in front of her family.
Robert was seeing red. The possessive look on Ethan’s face was the straw that broke the camel’s back. How dare he touch Summer as if he had every right to! And on top of that, in all his life, no one—not one of his children—had ever spoken to him the way his youngest just had. He wanted to yell,
he wanted to scream, he wanted…
“Excuse me, folks!” Mike Rivera yelled as he jogged across the room. “I hate to interrupt but we have some news.” All eyes turned to face him. “We got them!”
Chapter 9
Those three little words effectively brought all arguing to a halt. In the blink of an eye, everyone was huddled around Mike’s desk as they listened to the communications coming from the command center—all of the climbers were found. A million questions were waiting to be asked, but for the time being, everyone stood silently—waiting and listening for any specific information on Zach.
If the wait seemed difficult before, now it hit a painful level. They were so close, so close to finally hearing what they’d been waiting for, and having to sit through anything else was bringing everyone back to the edge.
“I’m going to need names of who is going where,” Mike said into the receiver. The phone was on speaker so that everyone could hear. “How long until we have that information?”
“The first chopper just left with the first three…all were in pretty bad shape…broken bones and signs of hypothermia,” a voice said over the staticky line.
Mike looked from the radio to the people around him. “Was Zach Montgomery on that chopper?”
There was a moment of silence as everyone sat still and held their breath. “Negative,” the voice said and then named the three people who were on it. “This is going to take some time, Mike. There are a lot of people up there, and we can’t send too many choppers up at once. We’ve got a medical team up there right now to assist the injured and assess who needs immediate attention.”
“I understand,” Mike said. “I am going to want an update on every person as they’re taken down from the mountain—I need to know which hospitals they are being sent to as soon as you have it. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I should have another update for you in about twenty minutes.” The line went silent, and Mike looked at the anxious faces around him. Their pain and disappointment was obvious. “I don’t want you to get discouraged,” he said finally. “Just because he wasn’t on that first flight doesn’t tell us anything about his injuries. For all you know, Zach opted to let the others go first because he’s helping out.” It seemed to be the perfect thing to say because there was a collective sigh around the room.
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