by Sable Hunter
“Easier said than done,” she muttered as she watched for the most opportune moment. Seeing a halfway clear spot, she let go and made a landing that didn’t quite stick. She ended up on her ass, but quickly recovered. In a few seconds, Tennessee joined her. There were three rangers waiting with climbing gear. Tommy Ford wasn’t among them.
“Mr. McCoy, he’s right below us.” One of the men pointed down the canyon wall.
“How far?” Molly asked, moving to the edge.
“About five hundred feet we think. The rope he’s hanging on won’t budge, he’s hung.”
“Ben! Ben!” She called.
A faint voice answered. “Yes….” After that the words were intelligible.
“The sound of the falls is drowning out his words. He sounded weak.” She peered over, but the shadows were too thick to make him out through the growing gloom. The canyon walls obliterated the waning sunlight.
“He’s wet.” One ranger named Roy answered. “Water from the falls has probably soaked him.”
It went unsaid, but the obvious concern was hypothermia. Daytime temperatures were high, but at night things cooled off quickly – and if he was wet…
“We’ve got to hurry.” Molly moved to Ten. “Tell us what to do. You’re the expert.”
Her eyes were so trusting, Ten prayed he wouldn’t let her and her friend down. “I need to get down there and see what the problem is, we need to know if he’s hurt and what kind of equipment malfunction we’re dealing with.”
It irritated Tennessee that the men standing around were so willing for Molly to be the one to accompany him. She was small, the only thing about her that didn’t seem fragile was her indomitable spirit. In his head, he understood that experience and skill trumped gender. If the men had no experience, they would be more of a hindrance and a danger than any help. No matter about logic, his heart didn’t like this situation at all. Regardless, in a few minutes both he and Molly wore the proper harnesses and were ready to make the descent.
Pulling off his cowboy hat, Tennessee donned a head-lamp. “I’ll go down first, give me about a fifteen foot head-start…” He pinned her with a stare. “And be careful.”
“I’m not an amateur, Mr. McCoy. I’ve made this climb before.” Molly didn’t say it, but that was one reason she was worried. She knew exactly how dangerous this particular spot could be.
Three ropes had been affixed to boulders and around tree trunks, sturdy enough to hold their weight and Ben’s. Without further delay, Ten began to rappel down the fixed rope and climb along the first pitch. Molly began to descend carefully behind him.
Once he was over the side, Tennessee was amazed at the sight from the great cliff. The sides of the canyon were sheer and slick, dampened by the water from the falls which appeared to be at least three hundred feet high. Below them, the canyon seemed to narrow and hanging suspended within this dangerous crevice was Ben Hunt. “He doesn’t seem to be moving,” he muttered.
Molly was focusing on her footing. Taking a moment to glance down, she worried. “Maybe he’s passed out.” She prayed he wasn’t dead. Hypothermia could set in fairly fast. There wasn’t much wind, but the breeze would be enough to aggravate the cooler temperatures of night and the constant spray of water he was being subjected to. Shivering, Molly shored up her courage. They were his only hope. No aircraft could retrieve a person trapped on the side of a cliff, in the depths of an impenetrable canyon.
As Tennessee moved carefully from one hand hold to the other, he couldn’t keep his eyes from seeking Molly out above him. She was doing well. A proficient climber relied on skill, but also instinct and she seemed to have both. He’d reviewed the equipment they were using and been glad to see they had two ascenders and a set of rescue pulleys. He and Molly needed to free Ben and then the men at the top could begin pulling Hunt up until Ten could get back up to help them. From what he could see, it wouldn’t be an easy pull, someone would have to guide him back up over an uneven surface – and that person would have to be Molly, until they could get him to a spot clear enough for the helicopter to pull him up on a static line.
“You okay up there?” he asked when a fist sized rock came bumping down the cliff face beside him.
“Yes, sorry. I grabbed a loose rock. Did I brain you?”
“No, I dodged.”
“Can you see him, yet?” she asked, peering down.
“No, there’s a good size outcropping below me. I think after that, we’ll be able to.”
They continued their climb, Ten ever conscious of where she was located. She was a brave little thing. And sexy as hell. There was no way he was leaving Big Bend without her number and a date. If he could get her to agree, that is.
Slowly and carefully they climbed down the wall. Molly knew they were doing something that hadn’t been done but a handful of times. If the circumstances were different, she’d be excited.
“I see him.” Tennessee announced.
“Is he…?” Molly couldn’t finish her question. She angled her descent so she would end up at their side and not on top of them.
“He’s alive, but he’s wet and cold as ice. Still unconscious.”
In a few minutes she had joined them. “Ben?” There was no response. She braced herself, secured her harness on the rope so at least one of her hands was free. “He’s so pale. And cold.” She touched his skin. Even his hair was wet.
“Let me see if I can figure what his problem is.” Ten examined Ben’s equipment. He was seated correctly in the harness. It appeared to be in order. “It’s this knot, the one joining the ropes, it’s wedged in the braking system. We’ve got to attach him to a new rope, then guide him up.”
Ben wasn’t a lightweight, this wouldn’t be easy. “You’ll have to stabilize him while I switch the ropes out. Then, we can get him on the move.”
He found a precarious foothold and braced himself. “Are you secure?” he asked her.
Molly took a few minutes to check. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, here we go.” He grasped the unconscious man’s body and lifted it enough for her to get a hold of the mechanism. Trying to stay stable while lifting deadweight, balancing on a mere fraction of an inch of slick rock was mind-blowingly dangerous. He looked at Molly, who was concentrating on her task. She was in as hazardous a position as he was. When her foot slipped and she had to right herself, his heart went into his throat. “Easy, gorgeous, I want us both to live long enough to see if we can find some common ground other than the side of a mountain.”
She was working as fast as she could, knowing he was bearing up Ben’s weight. Tugging at the lever, she said a prayer, knowing the next few seconds were critical ones. “If I could just…” She bit her lip and all of a sudden it released, causing her to slip. For a few horrible seconds, she swung free before catching her handhold again. “Sorry.”
Tennessee wasn’t breathing, he’d had to tighten every muscle to keep from dropping the man to the canyon below. What had happened to Liam O’Neil kept playing and replaying in his head. He couldn’t let that happen again. But Molly righted herself and made the connection. “Good girl,” he praised her.
She gave him a dazzling smile. “Teamwork.” Then, she gave him a wink. “And I wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot pole, Cowboy.”
His relief was so immense, he wanted to grab her and kiss her. Now, was not the time…but he promised himself it would come. “We’ll see about that, Miss Molly. We’ll see.”
CHAPTER TWO
“I owe you my life.” Ben Hunt shook Tennessee’s hand. “Rita, make sure he has the finest room in the hotel, and all he can eat and drink. Throw in a massage, while you’re at it. I bet he’s sore as hell from carting my big old carcass around.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hunt. I’m just glad it all worked out.” He was standing by a hospital bed in Alpine amazed that the man he’d rescued the day before was improving so quickly.
Rita stepped to the opposite side of the private room to make a phone cal
l. Ben motioned to a bedside chair. “Sit down for a while, I want to know a little bit about you. You say you’re from the Marble Falls area?”
“Yes, sir. My family has a ranch there. My older brother, Heath, also runs a place on Lake Buchanan, Eagle Canyon resort.” He didn’t go into more detail, no use boring the man.
“Are you any relation to the McCoys down around Kerrville? They own Tebow Ranch. Good people.”
“Yes, our dads were brothers, twins in fact. My father, Christian, is still alive. Uncle Sebastian and his wife were lost in a flood years ago. It’s a long story, but the twins were separated. After a bitter divorce, each of our grandparents took one of the twins and never told them about each other. We just reconnected a few months ago, just in time to help rescue Aron from a hostage situation in Mexico.”
“That sounds like a helluva story, you’ll have to tell me about sometimes.” Hunt coughed, sinking back onto the pillow.
“Yes, sir. I’ll do that sometimes soon.” Ten didn’t want to be rude, but he wanted to get out of here and find Molly. Once the helicopter had arrived, she’d rode with Ben Hunt and he’d waited for the next trip. Tennessee hadn’t seen her since.
“Everything’s set, Daddy.” Rita rejoined them. She was a pretty blonde with green eyes and a ready smile. She was exactly the sort of woman he was attracted to – usually. But after meeting Molly, he had eyes for no one else. “Our best room, the chef at your disposal and I phoned Selma to expect you at the spa.”
“Well, I don’t know about the spa…” Ten shrugged, that didn’t sound like his cup of tea.
“Oh, you’ll love it. A good massage will make you feel like a new man,” Hunt murmured as two nurses fussed over him. He guessed they thought the older man was attractive in a Mark Harmon sort of way. “While you’re down there, Tennessee, give Molly a message to come see me here after work today if she can. I want to thank her again, I was pretty out of it on the way here on the helicopter.”
Tennessee’s attention was grabbed at the mention of Molly. “I’ll find her there, at the spa?”
Rita pressed her lips together. “Yes, she’s one of our employees. I specifically requested Selma to take care of you. She’s the more experienced masseuse.”
Hunt waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “Either way, that’s not important, they’ll both treat you right. Just relax and deliver my message if you see Molly.” Looking at his daughter, he asked, “How long before I can go home?”
“The doctor says tomorrow if you behave tonight.” She gave her father an indulgent smile. It was obvious she was relieved to have him back.
“Good. Tennessee, I want you to plan to have dinner with me tomorrow night. I want to get to know you better before you leave. Can you spare the time?”
Knowing his personal objective, he readily agreed. With all the turmoil his family had endured, he needed a little time away on his own. Especially if he could spend the time with a pretty girl. “I think I can spare a couple more days.” After receiving the check and the bonus Ben had insisted upon, he had no cause to complain.
And now for that massage….
A few miles away at the Hunt Hotel, Molly was folding snow white towels in the storage room of the spa. She checked her appointment book, finding nothing for a couple of hours. The downtime was welcome. Even though she’d slept well after her ordeal, Molly was still tired. Her tips weren’t so important today, Mr. Hunt had generously given her a reward for helping in his rescue. She’d tried to refuse it, but he had insisted. A reward had not been her motivation, she was genuinely fond of her boss, or her boss’s boss might be a better term. Rita didn’t keep regular office hours, but she came in enough to annoy everyone. Molly didn’t know how the spa made profits because Rita and her high-society friends took advantage of every facet of the business and Molly had never seen any of them pay the fees.
Mr. Hunt was nothing like his daughter, though. He’d given Molly a chance to do a job she loved. She not only enjoyed giving massages, she also did facials and manicures. It gave her a chance to learn new techniques, try out new products and splurge a bit on the samples. Mr. Hunt knew she thought the world of him, which was probably the reason he’d been so generous with his bonus.
As she performed the monotonous task, her mind went to Tennessee McCoy. She wondered if he was still here. Probably not. He had a life to get back to. Heck, he probably had a girlfriend. A man as good looking as he was couldn’t possibly be unattached. Molly smiled remembering how handsome he’d been. Standing at least a foot taller than her own five-foot-four, he’d been built solidly with muscles layered over muscles. His eyes had been a stormy blue and he’d sported a long mane of dark hair that made him look sexy and dangerous. She sighed, recalling that he’d mentioned asking her out. Molly was a bit disappointed he hadn’t. Maybe he’d taken her at her word. Oh well, as much as she’d have liked to spend a bit more time with him, it was probably better if she didn’t. No use tempting herself with something she’d never have. Men like McCoy didn’t get serious about women like her.
But he sure had been easy on the eye. He made her think of that guy in the movie, Magic Mike, the big one…what was his name? Joe something.
“Molly?” Selma called her from the front, drawing her from the mental reverie she’d been indulging in. “Will you cover for me? I have to run home, a neighbor said she saw water flowing out my back door. I think my hot water heater burst.”
Hearing the panic in her direct supervisor’s voice, she assured her. “Of course, I can handle it, no problem.” Hurrying to Selma’s office, Molly watched the harried woman gathering her things. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“No, I don’t think so. Miss Rita won’t be in today, she’s staying at the hospital with her father. He seems to be doing better. Mr. Ben had her call to say he’s sending a special guest over in a few minutes. Be sure to make him happy,” she called as she left with a wave, slamming the back door as she hurried off.
“I’ll do my best.” Molly stopped in the restroom on her way to the front desk. After she’d done her business, she washed her hands, glancing at herself in the mirror. She could do with a haircut. Since she was about to man the reception area, Molly freshened her lip gloss and gave her hair a quick brush. At least Rita didn’t require them to wear uniforms, she was comfortable in a worn pair of jeans and a soft pink camisole. Even though she preferred boots, standing up all day was easier in tennis shoes. All in all, she was casual. There was nothing fancy about Molly Reyes.
When she heard the bell on the front door, Molly called out. “Be right there.”
“Take your time, gorgeous.”
The familiar voice caused Molly to stop in her tracks. “Oh, no,” she whispered. A small smile betrayed that she wasn’t upset he’d come to find her – she was excited. “I thought I told you I couldn’t see you, McCoy.”
Once she turned the corner, he was standing there with a smile on his face that made her heart race. “Oh, I think you can see me just fine. You’ve got beautiful blue eyes.”
Molly blushed. “I’m working a full shift, but I am glad to see you’re none the worse for wear.”
“Actually, Mr. Hunt sent me over with a message. He wants you to stop by the hospital tonight on your way home, if that’s convenient. He also told me I could have a complimentary session – with you.” He wasn’t about to say it was supposed to be with someone else. He wanted to feel Molly’s touch, no other. “Can you work me in? Waiting won’t be a problem. I’d love to watch you work.” Hell, he just wanted to look at her. Today in pink, she made him think of a sweet confection. He was jealous of the way the soft top molded her breasts and those faded jeans she wore should have been illegal. If she walked down the street, the woman would stop traffic.
Part of her was disappointed he hadn’t sought her out for the pleasure of her company, the rest of her was excited at the prospect of having him spread out on her table. All of that big, hard man body just waiting for her. Yea,
she wanted to get her hands on him. “Let me see.” She pretended to check the appointment book. “Yes, I see we’ve had a cancellation. Follow me, please.”
She turned on her heels and walked down a hall, holding open a door to a private room. “If you’ll undress and lie on the table for me, face down.”
Tennessee was impressed. This was no hole in the wall. He felt like he was in a tropical oasis or a sheik’s harem. Everything was made of stone with cool colors, lots of tropical plants and the sound of running water and soft music filled the air. “When you say undress, how far do you want me to go?”
She couldn’t quite pinpoint the inflection in his voice. Was he shy? “You’ve never had a massage before, have you?”
“No,” he admitted, a bit self-consciously. Ten was taking off his boots and socks. He’d already laid his Stetson on a side table.
“Wrap yourself in a towel or you could leave on your underwear if you’d rather,” she said with a smirk.
“No happy ending, huh,” he said with a chuckle as he pulled off his jeans, lying them over the back of a folding chair.
Molly had her back to him. She was gathering a towel and some massage oils appropriate for a guy. Almost she’d chosen something flowery, but she decided to play fair. Besides, this was going to be fun. She might not get to date him, but she could enjoy him for a little bit. “By the time I get through with you, you’ll be so relaxed, you’ll probably be sound asleep.”
“I doubt that very seriously,” he whispered as he laid his shirt over his jeans. “Do I just spread myself out up here?” He patted the sheet-covered surface. “This table appears to be a little flimsy. Are you sure it will hold me up?”
With her arms full, she began to pivot to face him. “Yes, just lie down. You’ll be…” God-almighty. He was absolutely perfect. Standing there with nothing but a white terrycloth towel wrapped around his hips, he put every fitness model or buff actor she’d ever seen to shame. His chest was sculpted, his abs defined, his shoulders broad and…she shut her eyes before she glanced farther down his body and embarrassed herself by blushing. “Make yourself comfortable, Mr. McCoy.”