Snow fell down on her face and she realized she was facing the sky. While she took in her surroundings, Nash fiddled with the ropes and harness equipment. But it wasn't until he started pulling them up that Harper realized the gravity of her situation fully.
“Don’t look down if you're afraid of heights,” he said, pulling on the pulley system of rope.
Of course she looked, and was immediately sorry she did. If she'd taken just a few more of those trees out when she'd rolled down the embankment, she would've gone over the cliff. She didn't have to look to see just how far she would've fallen. She knew because she'd seen that drop from the other side of the mountain. The cabin that her grandmother had rented out to Nash had a clear view of this spot. That must have been how he’d realized she was here. How else?
She rested her face against his shoulder, trying to blot out the images assaulting her mind of what might have happened had these two trees not stopped her fall.
“Are you getting queasy?” he asked.
“Yeah, but mostly because I just realized how close I came to dying.”
His arm was still secure around her waist even though she was sure he'd put her in the harness securely.
“You have plenty of time to revisit all this later. Right now, I just want you to stay calm and listen to my instruction when I need you to do something.”
His voice was soothing but had a hint of command to it as if he'd been in a position of authority and was used to giving orders. Or he was experienced in calming people in dangerous situations.
“Do you do this often?” she asked.
“Rescue beautiful women?”
She rolled her eyes and smiled, stumbling as her feet dragged on the snowy ground as he hoisted them up the hill. She wasn’t doing much to help him. He was doing it on his own. So she let him hold her tight as she settled her body against his.
“How are your legs?” he asked.
“I don’t know. How are they?”
She glanced over at him and caught him smiling.
“Do you think you can walk a little?”
She thought for a brief moment. Her body seemed almost numb and she wasn't sure if it was numb from the cold or from any kind of injury. “I’m sorry. What do you need me to do?”
“I still have you attached to the tether. So you're not going to fall back. I'll make sure of that. But this will go faster if I don't have to carry you or make short adjustments with the pulley. If you’re not up to it, we’ll take as long as we need to. But the sooner we get up the hill, the sooner we can get back to the cabin where it is warm and take a good look at your injuries. I managed to get the stove going before I saw the accident and came out to investigate.”
“Heat. That would be nice.” Her stomach felt queasy from all of the motion, but the thought of getting warm was inviting. “I don't know how much I can do, but I'll try.”
He chuckled softly. “That's the spirit.”
It took about half an hour or so to make it to the top of the road where her car had tumbled off the embankment. By the time they reached the road, it was already dark and Harper was exhausted from the climb. She was having a difficult time gauging time. She'd seen her headlights shining on snow below and now it was pitch dark.
She was so tired that she immediately dropped to the ground as soon as they got to the road and Nash let go of her. Since they were still connected to the harness together, she pulled him down with her.
“Whoa. Let me undo the harness. You can rest here for a little bit, but we still have a ways to go before we get to the cabin.”
“I'm so tired.”
“I know. That's the cold and most likely the bump on your head zapping you of your energy. It’s late and you’re probably hungry too. But you can't sleep now. You need to stay with me.”
“I can't.”
“Do you know any show tunes?”
She blinked and tried to replay his words in her head. “What? Did you say show tunes?”
“Yeah. It’s an old trick. If we sing, it'll give you something to do so you’ll stay awake. It'll make you concentrate. That will keep you from passing out, and it will keep you from getting colder because when you sleep you automatically lose some thermal heat. You can't do that until we get to the cabin.”
She felt her lips stretch into a smile and she couldn't hold back even though her body felt so fatigued. “I don't know show tunes. What you mean like Broadway tunes?”
“Sure. We could sing movie themes. I know a bunch of those too.”
“I’ll just leave that to you.”
“No way. I’m not going to embarrass myself by singing show tunes or movie themes unless you’re going to do it with me.”
“I don't…” She thought for minutes as he fiddled with something in the dark. She wasn't sure exactly what he was doing but she heard chains rattling and what sounded like the harness coming off his jacket. She still had her harness wrapped around her. He appeared in front of her and began to undo the harness.
“Were still a long way from the cabin,” she said. “It’s going to take us forever to get there.”
“You have a good memory then. It is a ways up the hill. But we’re not going to walk.”
“We’re not? You have your truck?”
“I have a snowmobile. I didn't think that I was going to need it except for some fun in the higher elevations. I thought it was going to sit on the trailer all summer unused. Guess I was wrong.”
“I, for one, am glad you brought it.”
He chuckled. “Me, too. I had visions of
