by Lisa Harris
If you don’t think she’s the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, then fine. Better now than after you’re married. But I hope you never forget what your selfishness is about to cost you.
He’d stood in front of Gwen, lights from the barn where they’d planned the dinner twinkling in the background. He’d wanted to tell her the truth. That his actions hadn’t been what broke things off between him and Cammie. But he’d seen the anger in Gwen’s eyes and knew how loyal she was to her friend. No matter what he would have said at that moment, she never would have believed him. And all these years later, he was sure she still wouldn’t.
Gwen let out a soft groan next to him.
He grabbed her waist to make sure she didn’t fall. “Gwen…”
“Sorry, I just stepped wrong. I’m fine.”
He studied her gait. Her limp was definitely more pronounced.
“You’re not fine. We need to stop.” He flipped on his flashlight, then reached down and checked her ankle. “It’s swelling again.”
“I’m fine, Caden. I can keep going.”
“If you don’t take care of this, you won’t be able to walk out of here. We’ve put some distance between them and us. You need to take some pain medicine, soak your ankle in the river water and rest, at least for a few minutes.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Fine. But just for a few minutes.”
“We’ll leave your shoe on in case your ankle starts swelling.”
He found a small inlet, where the water moved slower next to the shoreline and there was an outcropping of rocks where they could sit. He handed her the pain medicine and some water from his backpack, then kneeled down in front of her and eased her shoe into the water. It might not be an ice pack, but it was the next best thing.
“How does that feel?” he asked.
“Cold, but good.”
Moonlight filtered down the canyon wall, bathing the rock’s crevices in a soft glow of light before shifting across the water. While he loved exploring the canyon during the day, there had always been something captivating about the scene at night.
“You’re shaking,” he said, sitting down beside her. He needed to get her out of here.
“I’m just cold.”
“The temperatures drop significantly down here at night.” He moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her. “On the bright side, it gets too cold for venomous snakes.”
She shivered next to him. “I’ve tried not to think about what might be out here.”
He glanced across the darkened river, knowing it was impossible. The most dangerous enemy out there wasn’t the wildlife.
She needed a distraction.
“I’d like to hear more about your job,” he said. “You mentioned you represent children.”
“Yeah. The center I work for was started to help ensure that child victims didn’t fall through the cracks. We work primarily through stopping any abuse before it starts, but we also support victims of all forms of abuse.”
“Sounds like an important mission.”
“It is. We end up being advocates for these families through the entire process, giving counsel and support through the criminal investigation and ensuring that the victims and their families have the resources they need.”
“That’s got to be a challenge.”
“It is. While I love my job, I want to do more than the system allows. One of our goals is preventing abuse but there are still issues that are hard to deal with.”
“Meaning?”
“I help ensure the children get placed into a safe environment and defend their rights, but most of these kids need more than that. They need help learning how to communicate and resolve conflicts. And also figuring out what they are made of. That with the right resources they can thrive.”
“Any ideas on how to do that?”
“Yes, actually. I’ve spent the past few months researching several programs for at-risk teens that are located right here in the state. So many kids struggle navigating into adulthood, but the potential is there. If they aren’t intentionally worked with, most of them will never reach that potential. And the majority of the kids I deal with don’t have anyone at home to advocate for them, let alone teach them basic life skills. All they need sometimes is someone who cares. Someone who can teach them how to problem-solve and set goals. I’ve seen it work firsthand, but instead, we’re losing too many of our young people.”
“You’re passionate about these kids.”
“Sorry.” She let out a low laugh. “I do tend to go overboard when someone asks me.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. Anyone can go to work every day and do their job, but I find so many people end up losing the passion that put them there in the first place. Sounds like you haven’t done that.”
“One of the things I’m actually looking at is a wilderness program where at-risk youths, in particular, can address issues and uncover their strengths in an outdoor setting.”
“Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t remember you being the outdoor type.”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t. Not back in college, at least. I was definitely more of a bookworm.”
“What changed?”
She hesitated, making him wonder if he’d asked the wrong question.
“Aaron and I… Our parents were killed in a car crash about six years ago by a drunk driver,” she said, finally.
“Wow… I’m so sorry.”
“It turned our world on end, but especially for my brother. He was nineteen, impulsive and anything but serious about life. I struggled reaching him for a long time, but eventually found that this was a way for us to connect. He loves the outdoors, so we plan something different every few months. We’ve hiked Pikes Peak, the Rio Grande Trail, Bear Creek Falls… Last year we even tried downhill mountain-biking for the first time at Crested Butte.”
“He’s fortunate to have you.”
“It’s mutual. Losing someone you love changes you. It makes you realize how fragile life is and reminds you not to take people for granted.” She pulled her foot out of the water. “We should go. They know I’m injured, and more than likely assume we’re still around here. It’s not going to take them too long to realize they’re headed in the wrong direction.”
He helped her up, knowing she was right. He hoped to have them both out of the canyon by dinnertime tomorrow, but there was no way to know how this would play out. Expecting to outrun the men if they came back was foolish. Which meant they were going to have to outsmart them, and the way to do that was to get out of here as soon as possible.
But he was already questioning his decision to try to leave via the water. There were too many sections that even experts found intimidating, and he wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle it physically. He shoved aside the questions. Worrying wasn’t going to help and certainly wasn’t going to change the situation. Once he got a signal on his cell, he could arrange for a helicopter to pick them up downriver, but in order to do that, they had to keep moving.
FOUR
The sun’s rays crept along the canyon walls as Gwen stopped to drink a few sips of water. She estimated that they’d made it a mile downstream in the predawn light, but she knew she was slowing down Caden. The cold river water—along with the medicine he’d given her—had helped block the pain in her ankle, but the remaining aches still seemed minimal compared to the danger they were in. While there hadn’t been any sign of the men after them, she knew it was just a matter of time. They were out there. Somewhere.
Maybe she was simply being paranoid, but on the other hand, she knew they had reason to worry. She’d tried praying as she drifted off to sleep—knowing how important sleep was—but she hadn’t been able to get her mind to relax. Instead, she felt as if she’d spent most of the night running from masked giants in her dreams. And the men catchin
g them wasn’t her only fear. They’d taken her brother, and as tough as he was, he’d been unarmed and outnumbered.
All because of her.
“Do you need something to eat?” Caden asked, grabbing a protein bar out of his backpack.
“Thanks, but I’ve got some protein snacks.” She pulled a blue package out of the side pocket of her backpack.
“What is that?”
She held up the package. “Chickpeas.”
“Chickpeas?”
“Want to try them?”
Caden shook his head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
She just smiled. “Your loss. All-natural, roasted and taste better—in my opinion—than peanuts.”
For a moment she could almost forget this was the same man who’d broken her best friend’s heart. He was good-looking and charming, and on top of that had rescued her. And yet she knew the truth about who he really was.
Caden stopped in front of her and pulled out his binoculars.
“What it is?” She scanned the river upstream, then saw a white raft headed toward them through the rapids.
“I think I just found our ticket out of here.”
“You’re sure it’s not the guys after us?”
“Definitely not. One’s bearded and the other’s too dark.”
Caden dropped his pack, then edged closer to the river and started waving his arms.
“You guys okay?” one of them shouted as they maneuvered the raft toward the shoreline.
“We could really use a ride out of here. She fell down the side of the canyon yesterday afternoon and is pretty banged up.”
The bearded man grabbed a rope, then jumped onto the shore, securing the raft. “It might be a bit crowded, but we’ll make it work.”
Caden pulled the raft into the shallow water, then handed one of the men his backpack.
“Bruce McCleary.” The taller one with the beard shook Caden’s hand. “And this is Levi Wells. We’re firefighters up in Wyoming, but try to get down here and make this run every year or two.”
“I’m Caden O’Callaghan and this is Gwen Ryland.” Caden glanced at her for a brief moment before turning back to the men. “There is something else you need to know.”
“Like why you’re carrying?” Bruce asked.
“I usually do while hiking solo as a precaution, but there are two armed men who attacked Gwen and her brother up on the trail. That’s when she fell. They grabbed her brother, but they’re still after her. We need to get somewhere where we can call the authorities.”
“That sounds pretty personal,” Levi said. “We won’t get phone coverage for at least three or four miles downriver. On top of that, it’s going to be a rough ride, but we should be able to get you there in one piece.”
“So you’re in?” Caden asked.
“Are you kidding?” Levi glanced at his friend and nodded. “Trouble never scared either of us away.”
“We appreciate it,” Gwen said.
Still, she hesitated at the bank. It wasn’t as if things could get any worse. Or could they? She swallowed hard. No, they’d get on the raft, call for help and find her brother, then all of this would be over.
“You okay?” Caden asked.
“Yeah, I’m just…” She forced herself to step into the back of the raft. “I’m just not much for boats.”
“Can you swim?” Caden asked.
“I can…in a pinch. It’s more an embarrassing phobia.”
“You’re afraid of the water?” he asked.
“Why do you think I opted to enjoy the canyon by walking down the sides, rather than going through it on the river?” She forced a grin. “But I’ll be fine.”
“Sounds like you better get the extra life jacket,” Bruce said. “Sorry, we only have one.”
“Then one will have to do,” Caden said, handing it to her.
She frowned. Heading downstream in these rapids without a life jacket wasn’t a smart move.
“I’ll be fine,” Caden said, as if reading her mind.
She nodded her thanks, then tugged on the bright orange jacket. She just wanted to get this over with. All of this.
Caden caught her gaze. “All we need to do is get through a couple miles of rapids ahead, and we can call the authorities.”
Unless they capsized in the rapids.
Or the men after them had an ambush set up.
Or both.
She tried to push away the negative thoughts. Normally, she was someone who always saw the glass as half-full, never half-empty, but this situation was trying pull her into a dark place she had no desire to go.
I need courage right now, God.
The men quickly moved their equipment, giving Caden and her room on the inflatable seat.
“Up ahead is going to get pretty rough,” Bruce shouted above the loud roar of the water. “We need to make sure the boat doesn’t flip. Which means if we get high-sided, I’ll say the word, and we’re going to need to throw our weight toward the downstream tube of the raft.”
Gwen clutched onto the handles on the side and made sure her feet were secured in the foot braces as the men quickly went through more instructions. How to hold the paddle properly, what to do if she got thrown out and, most of all, a reminder not to panic.
Right. Don’t panic. Except she was already there.
It took all her concentration to paddle as they worked together to keep the raft upright. She drew in a deep breath. The steep rock walls of the canyon rose up on either side of them as they started down the narrow river. The churning water surged past large boulders that were scattered down the narrow waterway. She’d read the warnings about this area for its Class III rapids, and this was why. She drew in another deep breath. Ahead of them, white foam churned where there were sudden drops in the water level and narrow stretches that required navigating between the large rocks.
“You okay?” Caden asked.
She nodded, but she really wasn’t. The river had them bobbing downstream in the current, leaving her feeling totally out of control. And the rapids swirling around her terrified her almost as much as the men after them, if not more.
“You’ve got to be in pretty good physical shape to hike these canyons.” Caden maneuvered his paddle beside her.
“And you’re wondering why someone who’s athletic is afraid of the water?” she asked.
“It did cross my mind.”
Water sprayed across her face as the river began to narrow and the white foam of the rapids increased. She braced herself for impact as the raft bumped into the side of a large boulder, shifting their trajectory downstream. She worked to stay in sync with the three men as they shoved their oars into the water to compensate, while her memories rushed through her.
She’d almost drowned that day. All it had taken was a few feet too far into the sea for it to start pulling her out instead of pushing her back onto the shore.
“Gwen…” Caden’s voice yanked her to the present. “Hang on.”
She grasped onto the ropes on the side of the raft and ensured her feet were secure. The back of the raft where they were sitting rose out of the water. She felt her body slide forward, but managed to hang on. She was going to be fine. They all were. They would get within cell-phone range, call for help and this would be over. Whoever was after her wasn’t going to win. Just like the canyon wasn’t going to win. Not today.
The raft pitched again, this time throwing her into the air. She lost hold of the raft’s safety rope that wrapped around the exterior and tried to grab onto it again, but missed. A second later she felt her body hit the water. She was falling as the current pulled her down the river. Her body slammed into one of the rocks, scraping her back against something as she fought to stay above the waterline. Fought to breathe. But she was moving too fast. She could see the raft bobbing in t
he swirling white water just beyond her, but she couldn’t reach it.
Her mind went over the instructions Bruce had given them. Don’t try to swim or stand up. She turned onto her back, feet first, like he’d said, and tried not to panic as she felt herself being pulled under.
Caden watched as the raft buckled and Gwen slid into the water. A rush of panic swept through him. They wouldn’t be able to slow down for another hundred feet, where the water calmed down again. Swimming after her might be their last option, but they had to try something.
He yelled at the other men. “Do you have a throw bag? We’ve got to get her out of there.”
“Under your seat. We’ll try to get you as close as we can.”
He pulled out the standard rescue equipment, including a coil of rope that could be thrown into the water in a rescue scenario, while the other two men worked to steer the raft toward her while keeping it from totally flipping.
While he might not have good memories of Gwen from his past, he certainly didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. And besides, it was obvious from the time they’d spent together that they were both different people from when they’d known each other all those years ago. Both of them had grown up.
All of a sudden she was gone.
He shouted at the other men. “Do you see her?”
He scanned the water in front of them, then the shoreline, as the panic began to seep in. He was surprised at the urge to protect her that rushed through him. She had a life jacket on, but even that couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t be pulled under. And if she was already afraid of water and panicked…
He shoved down the fear, focused instead on simply finding her.
Where was she?
Seconds passed. The raft went down another drop into a pool of calmer water.
“There she is,” Bruce shouted. “On those rocks on the shoreline.”
Relief flooded through him as he caught sight of her. Somehow, she’d managed to pull herself to the edge of the water. They fought against the current to steer the raft toward the shore.
“Gwen!”
