“Stop calling me little girl. I’m a grown woman.”
“A woman has no business tracking down a stranger alone.”
Shit. She hadn’t thought of that.
“I’m not alone.”
“And I’m not stupid, although I’m beginning to question your sanity. Do you know how dangerous it is sneaking up on a man? How do you know I’m not alone?”
“You are.”
“But you didn’t know that.”
“I followed your tracks. One horse. One bull. One man.”
He cocked his head. “You may not be as stupid as you look.”
“Name calling? Your manners suck.”
“As I remember things, your manners could use a little work.”
“I have a gun. And what do you mean my manners. You left me. Was I supposed to thank you for that? What happened to chivalry?”
“I have a rifle, which is bigger than your tiny pistol, and I know how to use mine. I’m not yet convinced you know how to use yours.”
His sexy tone dressed her down, and damn if that didn’t do strange things to her insides.
“You’d be dead if that’s what I wanted, or worse. As for your flat tire? You were pretty clear on not needing any of my help. Now, turn around and go home. You don’t want me coming up there.”
She was about to give him a piece of her mind, when she realized her left foot had shifted half a step back and her torso was in mid twist. Heat filled her cheeks and she balled her fingers into fists. No way was he telling her what to do.
She jerked back around, and took a step forward, ready to show him a thing or two. The ground beneath her foot gave way, and she tried to jump back, only gravity had something else in mind. The gun dropped out of her hand as she fell, arms windmilling over her head.
Chapter 10
Dax
Life on the range brought back-breaking work, long days, and shorter nights. It was a hard life, but provided Dax the solitude he needed.
He spent most of his days mending fences, hauling hay, minding the herd, and sweating like a pig. Rather than spend his nights in the barracks provided by Studer for the men, he preferred sleeping beneath the stars, as far from humanity as he could get.
There was something about living on the land which soothed his soul. It brought him back to his roots as a child, and fed the devastation of his soul. A war hero who was forgotten and unappreciated, he needed the connection to his roots.
It wasn’t a Texas sky, but the setting sun painted the same devastating canvas beneath Montana’s skies. The stars looked the same as he lay in his sleeping bag and stared into eternity. Everything was going great.
His anxiety faded and peace settled in. Where the simple act of breathing had once required work, the open air, earthy scent of grass beneath his feet, and the ever-present chirping of insects in the springtime breeze loosened the tightness strangling his every thought.
This place nourished him. Or it had.
His one day off since coming to work for Studer, found him heading out of town.
He found a girl.
Followed a girl.
And hadn’t been able to get her out of his head since.
Then she found him.
Was this the universe’s idea of a joke?
His heart sped up with her sexy spitfire and defiant glare. Their banter back and forth lit a fire in his gut and sent electricity licking along his cock, awakening his body and the urges within. The chilly waters held no sway over the heat surging in his groin. In seconds, he was tense, aroused, and incredibly erect.
The more she yelled at him, the harder his dick became.
Then, everything changed.
Time slowed down.
One moment, the girl stood forty feet above him, then the ground beneath her foot shifted.
It gave way.
She slipped over the edge. Her arms windmilled as she struggled to regain her footing, but the damage was done.
She dropped and he ran.
He flung his rifle to the side and it bounced on the dirt. Gravel bit into his bare feet as he sprinted to the base of the bluff.
A fall from that height could break a leg, or worse. It could snap her neck, killing her instantly.
He propelled into action, not really thinking about anything other than saving the girl, but he wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
She screeched, arms flailing, and slid more than fell down the steep incline. That might have been what saved her life, because she was able to grab at a root and halt her fall. A few inches below her feet, a rocky outcropping formed a tiny ledge. It couldn’t be more than a few inches wide, barely big enough for her to stand on.
If he could get her to that ledge, he might be able to save her. Already, the gears in his head churned, measuring the time it would take to either climb up to her, or race to the top of the bluff and rappel down. A quick scan, and he decided there would be no safe way to climb up to her. The cliff was more dirt than rock. There was nothing that he’d trust to bear his weight.
Dangling overhead, she kicked in the air as she clung to a precarious handhold. Sand, dirt, and gravel fell down, dropping on his head as he made it to the foot of the cliff.
“Hang on!”
He whipped his head back and forth, up and down, assessing the situation in the span of a breath. Cracks formed in the dirt around the root. It wouldn’t hold for long, especially with the way she was flailing.
She faced outward from the cliff, and kept trying to flip herself around. He understood why. He’d feel more comfortable facing the cliff too. But there was nothing there for her to cling to stronger than that root, and she would be more stable with her back to the cliff, facing out.
All she was doing was making things worse. He needed to calm her down.
“Stop kicking!” He barked the command and glanced up into her wide, terrified eyes.
Each time she tried to twist around, she dislodged more dirt. The root would soon give way. He had seconds.
“Listen to me.” He used his command voice to break through her terror. “You’re going to have to let go.”
“Let go? Are you crazy?”
“There’s a small ledge a few inches below your feet. I’m going to get you through this, but I need you to do exactly as I say.” He waited for her thrashing to ease.
Her breaths huffed overhead, followed by a whimper. When her movements didn’t still, he took a step back.
“Look at me.”
She closed her eyes, and he blew out a breath, trying not to let his frustration show.
“What’s your name?” Maybe distraction would help.
Her lower lip trembled.
“Tell me your name.”
Her eyes pinched, but she opened them, slanting her gaze down to look at him.
He stood directly below her, which made it difficult for her to see him. It was a risk to take a few steps back, but he needed to calm her down if his plan had any chance of working.
He debated how far to step back, weighing in his reaction speed in case she suddenly let go, or the root broke free.
He softened his voice, making it as soothing as possible. “What’s your name, hun?”
“Dani.” Her attention shifted down to him, landed on his face, then slipped down the expanse of his naked body.
He swallowed, and held back a snide grin. How funny was this, him talking to a girl butt naked while she clung to a twig for dear life?
“Listen, Dani…” He loved the way her name sounding on his lips. It was short, crisp, but had a fluidity to it. “First off, I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. Do you understand?”
She shook her head, a fractional nod that said she wasn’t convinced but had no other choice than to put her life in the hands of a stranger.
Fortunately, situations like this were exactly what he’d spent a lifetime training for, and he was the best of the best. He would get her out of this alive, but she needed to trust him.
“Dani, this i
s what we’re going to do.”
She twisted again. The overwhelming urge of self-preservation had her seeking the safety of the dirt behind her. The only problem was it was exactly the wrong thing to do.
“Do. Not. Move.” He lifted his voice, injecting power into each word. She would obey him. There was simply no other alternative.
She stilled beneath his command, and damn if that didn’t send the wrong message to his dick which had no part in this exchange at all. But he couldn’t help it. The power which came from her surrender to his commands lit up every nerve in his body. He shook his head and focused on Dani.
“Now, listen. We don’t have much time.” He didn’t want to tell her about the cracks forming in the dirt around the root, but they widened each time she moved.
“What do you want me to do?”
Finally!
He wanted to shout with victory. She was finally going to listen instead of argue with him.
“Okay, there’s a ledge beneath your feet. You need to trust me on this. We need to get you on that ledge, but you have to let go of the root.”
“Let go?” Her lids drew back with terror. “If I let go, I’ll fall.”
“If you fall, I’ll catch you. But, you’re not going to fall.”
“You promise?”
There was no other option. He needed her to get to that tiny ledge, then pray she didn’t fall while he raced to the top of the bluff.
“I promise, Dani. Now listen. I need you to be very still, put your back to the dirt behind you. There’s a very slight slant, and we’re going to take advantage of that. When I say so, I want you to release your right hand.” That would shift her body an inch lower. If she pointed her toes, she would find the ledge.
“Now?”
“In a second. I want to talk you through this. You can’t see what I see, so you need to trust me. There’s a small ledge just below your feet. You’re going to release one hand and that will lower you down just a bit, but you’re not going to be able to feel the ledge. You’re going to have to drop that last inch, but if you’re very still, and listen to exactly what I say, it’s going to be okay.”
She gave another tight nod and pinched her eyes shut. Then she suddenly jerked.
“My grip’s slipping!”
“You’ve got this, Dani. You’re stronger than you know. I want you to take in a deep breath and let it out. Take your right hand and tighten your grip on that root.”
She followed his instructions.
“Next, I’m going to tell you to release your left hand and place it as far out to the side as possible.”
Her entire body shifted down and to the right, and the toe of her boot tapped the edge of the tiny ledge.
“That’s it. Do you feel that?”
“I do.”
“I’m not going to lie. It’s small, barely enough room for your foot. But if you keep your back to the dirt and your hand out to the side, you can slip down to that ledge. Keep. Your. Back. Flat.” He enunciated his words. “And keep your head pressed back. I don’t want you looking down. I’m your eyes. Understand?”
If she looked, it would tilt her head forward. Her shoulders would follow. That would be all it took to overcome the delicate balance needed to keep her on that ledge.
“You ready?”
He didn’t have much time. Her grip was slipping, and with only one hand holding her up, she would fatigue quickly.
“Yes.”
“Okay. Eyes closed. Head back. Press your back to the dirt, and flex your feet. We want your heels on that ledge. If you’re ready…”
Before he could finish, she let herself go. As he expected, she didn’t drop, but rather friction between her and the rough dirt and rock had her sliding the final inch to the ledge. Her heels contacted and her slide stopped.
Chapter 11
Dax
“Good job, Dani.” Dax used her name on purpose. Saying it over and over, he hoped it would help to keep her calm. “You’re doing great. Now, this is going to be the hardest part, and where I need you to trust me the most. How do you feel? Steady? Do you feel like you’re going to fall?”
She swallowed and licked her lips. Her eyes pressed tight together.
“I feel the ledge. It’s solid.”
“Good.” He glanced up and assessed her position for himself until he was satisfied. “Keep both hands out to the side. That will keep you steady. I need you to think about leaning back, pressing your head, your shoulders, your back, your butt, and your thighs back against the dirt. If it helps, keep your eyes closed.”
She followed his commands.
“What now?”
“I’m coming to get you, Dani, but I need to get you from the top of the cliff. It’s going to take me a minute.” He needed to put his clothes on before he did anything else. Butt naked, he wasn’t going to be much help.
“Don’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving you, but I have to step away from the bottom of the bluff. Have you ever rock climbed?”
“No.”
“Okay, that’s no problem. I’ve done this before. I’m trained in rescue, but I need to get dressed…” Butt-assed naked was not the way to conduct a rescue. He cleared his throat, glad she couldn’t look at him. “I’m taking my horse to the top of the bluff. I’m going to rappel down to you and take you off that ledge. But I need you to stay calm. Don’t move.”
“I’m scared.”
“You’re doing great. I find it’s easiest to keep my eyes closed and count my breaths.” He backed away from the base of the bluff, while he coached her through a breathing exercise.
All his clothes were on the boulder in the middle of the river. There was nothing to do but wade through the chilly waters and retrieve them. He wasted precious seconds trying to shove wet legs into the denim, but finally managed to dress himself and put his boots on.
He kept talking to Dani the entire time, telling her what he was doing as he tried to keep her mind off the fact that if she breathed the wrong way, she would fall off the ledge.
“I’m going to the top of the bluff, now. You won’t be able to hear me until I get to the top, but I’m here, and you’re safe.”
“Okay.” Her legs shook and her fingers clawed at the dirt.
He didn’t have much time before a sudden movement, dizziness, or disorientation tipped her over the edge and sent her tumbling to her death.
For a moment, he thought about having her open her eyes. She would be able to balance better with her eyes open, but that ledge was tiny. The toes of her boots stuck over the sliver of rock. If she looked down, the rest of her body would follow.
He leapt onto Cassidy, his chestnut stallion, and kicked the horse into a gallop. Cassidy’s heavy hooves dug into the ground, kicking up heavy clods of dirt, as he launched around the backside of the hill.
Dynamo followed, running beside the horse, keeping a perfect heel. Studer’s wayward bull kept to the meager shade under the small tree and chewed its cud.
He rode all out, keeping low in the saddle, until Cassidy crested the rise of the hill.
Nothing.
There was nothing with which to anchor a belay line for the rope. He leapt off Cassidy and put his hands on his hips. Cassidy was a new horse to him, but had years of experience beneath other men’s reins.
Dani’s horse stood a little down the hill, but he didn’t see any rope on the saddle. Fortunately, he had more than enough. He turned to his horse and gripped its long face, staring deep into its eyes.
“Can I trust you?”
He hated placing his faith in an animal he didn’t fully trust, but he needed something to anchor the end of his line. He had hoped for a tree or a heavy boulder, but there was nothing nearby.
He grabbed a rope off Cassidy’s saddle and counted out the length. With a quick slice, he cut a ten-foot section to fashion a Swiss Seat, which would form his harness. He measured again, making certain he had enough rope to reach all the way to the bottom of t
he bluff and made a second cut, leaving him with three pieces of rope. With ten feet to spare, he tied one end of the rope to the pommel of Cassidy’s saddle.
“How are you doing?” He called down to Dani.
“I’m good.” Her voice cracked.
“I’m coming.”
Many climbers spent hundreds of dollars on expensive harnesses and other gear, but the truth was all a person needed to safely rappel were two pieces of rope. A small, ten-foot piece to form the climbing harness, and the rappel rope itself. Easy to make, a Swiss Seat was safe, surprisingly comfortable, and took less than a few minutes to tie.
He took the short rope, folded it in half and placed it around his waist. The two free ends went between his legs and to his back. He fed them around the rope at his waist, tightening as he went. A little adjustment of the family jewels, and he made sure there would be no painful pinching. He squatted down three times, pulling the ropes out and away from him to tighten them. This would ensure a comfortable fit. He brought the ends around to his hip, tied off a square knot, then added half hitches to either side.
The Swiss Seat didn’t work without a carabiner, but he always carried one on his belt loop. Incredibly useful devices, he used them for everything. He fed the carabiner into place and then checked his work.
The entire time, he told Dani what he was doing, soothing her with his words, and reminding her she wasn’t alone.
Satisfied with his work, he went to his horse. “All you have to do buddy is stand still.”
At just over a thousand pounds, Cassidy could easily bear the weight of him, and Dani, on the line. He just worried about the horse pulling against the weight.
He tossed the line over the edge of the bluff, making sure not to hit Dani. She flinched as it struck the dirt, wobbling ever so slightly on the ledge.
“Head back!” He barked. “Don’t move.”
“Dynamo, you stay with Cassidy.” His dog plopped down, placing his snout on his front paws. His brows tented and his ears lifted. Dynamo cocked his head as Dax backed up to the cliff. He hooked into the line and told Cassidy to stay put.
Dax: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 4) Page 8
