Annie pulled him back down with an incredulous look.
“Sit! Just tell me where it is.”
He shook his head, guilt and horror haunting his dark eyes.
“Just help me up.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“I left it…” He closed his eyes, head falling back against the tree trunk. “I left it on the other side of the wreckage with…with them.”
Annie sucked in a sharp breath, head whipping in that direction. He grabbed her arm.
“Just help me up. You shouldn’t see that.”
She swallowed weakly but shook her head.
“I’ve got this. Stay put.”
Pushing to her feet, she circled around the back of what was left of the sleek Cessna. She could handle this. Now was no time to play the damsel in distress. What would her mom say? There was a man that needed her help. Time to suck it up, buttercup. She had a very vivid imagination. Reality couldn’t be worse. Right? Her eyes darted between the trees. It seemed darker over here. She shrugged off a shiver. It was probably just a side effect of being alone. Her heart hammered, making her head throb in time.
Dark shadows in the snow made her hesitate. Squaring her shoulders, she crept forward. The first-aid kit sat between the shadowy shapes, beckoning her like a treasure chest. She focused on it. She wanted to remember the girl with a streak of bright pink in her hair grinning over her handsome boyfriend’s shoulder as he carried her piggyback across the tarmac. That was the way to remember them.
Stretching out for the open case, Annie studiously avoided looking at the bodies, but she couldn’t miss the stains that crept out from under them darkening the pristine snow. She murmured a soft prayer under her breath and grabbed the first-aid kit. There was nothing she could do for them now.
On the way back to the waiting pilot, she snagged up a large duffle bag marked with bright images of skiers and snowboarders. With any luck, the deceased would have a pair of boots that would fit the injured man. Wingtips weren’t going to cut it in this climate. Once she had the leg secured and wrapped the best she could, Annie assisted him into a pair of snow pants, fresh, dry socks and the young man’s boots which were thankfully a size too big.
“Come on. Now you,” he insisted, shrugging into the matching ski jacket. It was bound to be warmer than his classic navy dress coat.
Annie peeled back the waistband to check the tags on the fluorescent pink ski-wear and shook her head. Cute, but not with her curves.
“I’m good.”
“What about the boots?”
Looking down at her feet, Annie wiggled her cold toes in the soft leather of her riding boots. They were her favorites. She’d paid a pretty penny to have them stretched to fit her calves. She shook her head. That wasn’t important now. Checking the size on the pink ski boots, she shrugged and sat down on the edge of the bag to put them on. They weren’t meant for hiking, but her fashionable footwear wasn’t designed for warmth, so it was a smart trade-off.
Clothing concerns addressed, she dug under the layers to find her phone. Even her limited experience with Wyoming told her the chances of having a signal out here were slim, but she still felt a stab in the pit of her stomach when the small screen confirmed it. She tucked the device back into a pocket. Rubbing her hands up and down the outside of her arms, she looked at the pilot.
“Do you know where we are?”
“As close as I can figure, about sixty miles west of Sheridan. This is national forest land.”
“Do they know we’re missing?”
“I was in contact with the Sheridan tower. They know we were having icing problems, and I told them I didn’t think we were going to make the airport,” he admitted, lowering his gaze from hers. “They were searching for other options when things went bad.”
Annie peered into the gloom. From what she could see, it appeared they’d somehow dropped smack into a narrow clearing before clipping the trees along the side. It was a hell of a shot.
“It looks like you pulled off a regular Miracle on the Hudson.”
“We were lucky,” he said simply.
Burrowing her nose down into her scarf, Annie closed her eyes and tried to will her body to radiate more heat. What she wouldn’t give to cuddle up to CJ about now. Her brain was still slogging through the effects of the crash. Thinking took a lot of effort. How come they went over what to do in the event of a crash, but not what to do after? Maybe they didn’t expect any survivors. The thought made her shiver more.
Annie wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked to dispel the morbid thought. They’d been in contact with the tower. So by now, the airport knew something was very wrong. Did CJ know? He would’ve been at the airport waiting for her. What had they told him? Had anyone been waiting for her travel companions? The question made her want to cry. Ducking her head to the top of her knees, she rocked harder. What was she supposed to do? The simple fact was that nothing prepared you for this.
“What are the chances of them finding us here?” she finally asked.
The expression on the pilot’s face was not encouraging. She wished she’d kept her face in her knees, or the question to herself.
“The weather is going to hamper search efforts tonight. They won’t risk anything in the air after this. So you’re looking at snowmobiles and old-fashioned horse power. The temperature is dropping and the Big Horn National Forest covers over a million acres.”
It wasn’t an answer, but yet it was. That sounded like somewhere between slim and none. She let her forehead fall back to her knees and swallowed against the lump of fear growing in her throat. Panic prickled over her skin. What she wouldn’t give to be back safe and sound in her tower. Why had she thought this was a good idea? CJ’s bearded face swam before her clenched eyes along with his dimpled smile. Oh yeah. She’d had a very good reason for leaving her cocoon.
Snapshots of their time together flashed through her mind. She couldn’t help smiling into her scarf. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her. CJ made her feel alive again. She wasn’t ready for that to end. There had to be a way out of this mess. She glanced back at the pilot. He looked resigned. That wasn’t going to work for her. Her parents hadn’t raised a quitter. They just needed to find a way to stay dry and somewhat warm until help came. Help would come. Slim and none was for people whose boyfriend was not Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett all rolled into one sexy teddy bear of a man.
Stabbing the thick branch into the snow, Annie pulled her back leg free and pushed forward another step. Her muscles quivered with exhaustion. She had never wanted to sit down more in her life, but a little voice in her head warned that if she stopped now, she might never get back up. Did that voice know her or what? Her first meeting with CJ flashed to mind. Stocky and sexy, he’d ridden up to the rescue on a snowmobile. His smile had rivaled the sun with its sparkle, but there had been no judgment when he asked if she was ‘all pooped out.’ CJ was real. From that first minute, he’d put her at ease. She’d never met anyone, male or female, that she wanted to just be around, spend time with, like CJ. The fact that he was adorable and amazing to cuddle with just made it even better. She added that to the list of things to tell him when she made it out of here.
Something hidden under the snow snagged her boot and she sprawled on her belly with a grunt. Trying to catch her breath, she weakly kicked to free her foot. A little sigh of relief whispered from her lips with freedom. She didn’t want to picture being trapped out here. Just being alone out here in the dark was bad enough. Her eyes darted around at a stray beam of light. It was probably just the moonlight reflecting off the ice and snow. More of Mother Nature’s sense of humor. Scraping the grasping branches and snow away from her laces, Annie cautiously rotated her ankle to check for injury. Her knee was next. When both joints passed the test, she pushed to her feet with effort and stumbled on.
The wind was playing tricks on her too. Several times, she’d thought she heard voices. Every noise, every shadow, made her heart pound
beyond what the physical exertion was already doing. Annie winced. Out of shape and a chicken shit to boot, a heroine she was not. She was doing her best. At least she hadn’t sat down and hyperventilated yet. That was something. Proud of herself for not giving in to a panic attack or not, even she had to acknowledge the ‘yet’ in her thoughts. Grimly, she shook her head. There was no time for a meltdown. She needed to keep moving.
Fumbling in her coat pocket, she pulled out her phone. Gloves made pushing the small buttons difficult, but she was long past removing them. Her fingertips were numb. She stared at the screen, fighting the urge to sit down and cry. It had been almost four hours since she’d left the crash site. Still no signal. Drawing a shuddering breath, she checked her heading and pushed forward again. Thank God some things worked, even without service. Without it, she would’ve wandered aimlessly.
Her thoughts followed her footsteps back to the wreckage. Waiting for the cavalry had ceased being an option when Joe had started showing signs of shock. Joe. Joe Jenson. The pilot had made sure she knew his name before she left. His name, and that of his wife and two kids. The knot in her throat tried to choke her. A sob broke behind the frozen confines of her scarf. Call her a coward, but she had begged him to let her stay with him. At least she could’ve seen that the fire had stayed going and done what she could for him. But he had insisted that this was their best chance. She swallowed another sob. What if he was wrong about where they were? What if she somehow missed this oasis of a visitor center? What if there was no traffic on these merging highways he promised were in the middle of a million acres? Icy tears clung to her lashes. What if she couldn’t save him? How was she going to explain that to Jill, Jacob, and little June?
Something cracked to her right. Annie froze. Slowly raising the flashlight, her eyes probed the darkness. Her heart sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet. Slowly, she choked up on her makeshift walking stick. She might make a tasty meal, but she was not going to be an easy one. Her eyes settled on a dark spot among the tree trunks. It was just out of range of the flashlight. Her lungs burned with the need to breathe. The imagination she usually valued instantly went into overdrive, giving the huge black blob a big bucket head and round bear ears. It’d be just her luck if one woke from hibernation early.
Inching forward, she gave it a wide berth, keeping her light on the shape until she was walking backward. It didn’t move. Of course it didn’t because it wasn’t a bear, or even alive apparently. Annie shook her head at her foolishness and tried to breathe normally. The heat flooding her face was welcome but she felt foolish and couldn’t help but wonder if her big game guide boyfriend would have had a good laugh at her stupidity. It would’ve been worth the embarrassment to hear his laugh right now.
The wind howled her name. Her breath froze in her chest. It sounded so real. Her eyes darted over the shadowy landscape. Was she losing her mind? Her head throbbed in silent reminder. Was the concussion messing with her grasp on reality? There it was again. Annie took an involuntary step forward. Ears straining, she held her breath. She put a hand over her heart, willing it to quiet so she could hear.
Come on.
Body tensed, she leaned too far forward and stumbled against a tree. Still nothing. Tears sprang to her eyes. She wasn’t crazy.
“Hello!?” she shouted, voice breaking in the cold night air.
“Hello!”
Hugging the tree, her heart leapt. That wasn’t an echo!
“H-hello!? Is someone out there?”
“Hey! Over this way,” someone yelled.
Her arms tightened around the trunk. It wasn’t an echo! Something was moving. No. Not something. Someone! Fear and excitement warred. A light swung in her direction. Throwing up a hand to shield her eyes, she dropped to her knees.
“Come on, honey. Talk to me!”
She threw up an arm, waving frantically. “Hello! Over here!”
A horse and rider finally materialized from between the trees. She ducked her head away from the harsh light.
“Are you from the plane crash?”
Annie nodded blindly, relief robbing her of speech.
“Are you okay? What’s your name?”
“Annie. Annie Brand,” she whispered as the man squatted in front of her and lowered the light to the ground between them.
He pulled down his ski mask, a grin visible in the glow.
“I know someone who is going to be really glad to see you.”
Blinking, she couldn’t help smiling back, her fear trickling away.
“How’re you doing? Are you hurt?” the man asked again, shrugging off a pack to drop beside them.
“I-I hit my head. It stopped bleeding for the most part, but I’m pretty sure I have a concussion,” she admitted, shakily taking a sip of the coffee he offered in a thermos cap. “You have to help Joe. His leg is bad, and he was going into shock.”
“Alright, darling. Don’t you worry. We’re going to get you out of here, and we’ll find your friend.”
Annie’s shoulders slumped as the older man patted her hand in reassurance.
“Do you know how far the plane is from here?”
Digging her phone out again, she looked at the time.
“Um, I know it’s four hours west. You have to get to Joe. There’s a small clearing where he’s at. Can you get a helicopter? They should be able to see it from the air. We built a fire before I left.”
“Whirlybirds don’t care too much for ice, darling. It’ll take them down a lot faster than a plane like you were on. Don’t worry. We’ll get to him,” he said, pulling out a satellite phone. “I’m going to let them know that I found you and pass on the rest of the information you gave me. Then we’ll see what we can do to find that boyfriend of yours. That boy is crazy in love with you.”
“You know CJ,” she said, her confused brain not sure if it came out a statement or a question. She squinted. The man had indicated twice that he did. God, her head hurt.
“I’ve known CJ since he was a kid. I coached him in high school, and I’ve been on the Search and Rescue with him for almost ten years now. You’ve got yourself a good one.”
Clutching the blanket her rescuer had draped over her shoulders Annie nodded, wincing at the twinge in her neck and her throbbing head. She knew that. CJ was the one. She couldn’t wait to see him, to be in his arms. Her eyes drifted shut. She was so damn tired. Reality sucked. If this had been one of her books, the hero would’ve been the one to find the damsel in distress. A silly smile ghosted over her lips. Millions of acres, how many ever searchers, and the hero is always in the exact right spot at the right time. Wasn’t fiction grand?
The feeling of falling snapped her back awake. She groaned. Her muscles protested as she plopped back on her butt and straightened her legs out. What she wouldn’t give for a hot bath and a cup of Barrett hot chocolate right now. Her mind wandered to the hot tub at the lodge. She could imagine leaning against CJ’s barrel chest, those inky whorls of hair tickling her back. Annie sighed and her body jerked again. Damn. She put a steadying hand to her forehead. She really needed to get some sleep.
CJ shoved off the bumper of the Search and Rescue truck and broke into a run when he saw the horse and riders appear out of the forest. It took the last of his self-control to slow a few yards away so as not to startle the animal.
“I think I have something here that belongs to you,” the older man drawled, easily swinging his mount’s rump around.
CJ held up his arms and Annie all but tumbled into them. Her arms locked around his neck and he felt her body shudder. Nosing clothing out of his way, he sought the comfort of the crook of her neck. Breathing in her scent, he struggled with his emotions.
“I love you,” she whispered against his ear.
“I love you too, baby. So damn much,” he choked out. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“No more airplanes. I want to go home.”
Annie’s voice broke and he felt tears hot against his ear. CJ’s grip
tightened. The little girl tremor tore at his heart. He would gladly drive, hell, he’d walk the thirteen hundred miles to take her home if that was what she wanted.
“Come on, Barrett. Bring her over to the ambulance so we can check her over.”
Annie’s hug threatened to choke him. He rubbed her back.
“It’s okay, babe. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right there with you,” CJ promised.
Reaching down blindly, he hooked the back of her legs, never relinquishing their embrace. Crossing the base camp, he clambered into the back of the bus and they closed the doors behind them. With a little coaxing and a couple of kisses, he settled Annie on his thigh and started helping the female EMT unwrap the stiff outer layers. Annie was shaking violently. Her head drooped, forehead bumping against his jaw. She wobbled in the circle of his arm as she tried to straighten.
“I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”
“It’s okay. Let’s just let Kay take a look at your head,” he said, wincing as the paramedic carefully peeled Annie’s hat away from the wound. “Does it hurt anywhere else?”
“My neck,” she mumbled.
Holding her as close as he could and still allow Kay to do her job, CJ continued to rub up and down Annie’s spine. It felt so good to have her back in his arms. There’d been a couple of times tonight when the fear of losing her had threatened to overwhelm him. The hand on her back shook. Apprehension knotted his gut. No more airplanes. She just wanted to go home. Did she mean home as in Michigan or his cabin here in Wyoming? He would live with either without complaint if he could just be with his Annie.
The shrill of her phone threatened to split Annie’s skull in half. Fumbling to silence the damn thing, she blindly put it to her ear.
“Hello?”
“Why in the hell haven’t you called me back?”
Wincing, Annie yanked the phone away from her ear.
“Seriously?” she whispered.
“I’ve left dozens of messages between your phone and CJ’s. Thank God you’re okay. Have you talked to anyone yet? The national media has picked up the story. This is fantastic. I’ve been trying to get a flight out there, but everything is canceled because of the damn ice.”
Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) Page 28