Page 110 of Tangled up in You

“If we need to slow down or take a break,” Christopher said, “you need to tell us.”

She shook her head before gulping some water. “I’ll get used to it.” At least her hiking boots felt comfortable.

Mark tethered his mules to a nearby sapling. “If we maintain this pace we might reach the first site before dark and can camp there. I don’t want to push that hard if you can’t handle it. This is only the first day and we’ll be gaining elevation before we reach the second site. We don’t need you getting sick or hurt.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’ve been training on a treadmill and step machine and have good stamina.”

“That’s on machines in a climate-controlled room at lower elevations. This is real life.”

She bristled and tried to tone back the snark wanting to claw its way free. “I promise I’ll say something. Otherwise, I’m fine.”

She noticed the men exchanged a glance but Mark turned and walked a short distance away, stepping off the trail. She quickly figured out why when Christopher handed her his mule’s lead.

“I need to do that, too,” he said, turning and heading the other way.

When he returned she shrugged off her pack and took her own pit stop. She didn’t want to admit it but yes, this was hard, even with her training. The elevation was tougher on her than she’d planned. And doing this while carrying a pack was also taking more of a toll on her than she’d anticipated.

Once she finished and donned her pack she turned to Mark. “I’m ready.”

He eyed her. “You sure you don’t want a longer break?”

“No. Like you said, we can make the first site by dark.” The less time she had to spend in the wilderness, the better.

Although being able to watch Mark’s cute ass definitely wasn’t a hardship.

MARK

He sensed Jesse was having a harder time than she was willing to admit, but he hoped Chris would call for breaks when he felt she needed them.

Which was the other reason he’d put Chris at the back.

An hour later, she finally broke out her walking sticks as they started making their way uphill. This was one of the gentlest uphill grades of their journey, and now Mark wondered if he shouldn’t have changed the plan to start at the other trailhead and work their way east to give her more time to acclimate to the elevation before the more difficult sections.

Too late now.

At least they were following one of the more well-used trails. Park staff had already cleared the worst of the deadfalls on this one and made sure it was safe ahead of season. They would veer off of it in another mile to make their way toward the first sensor site. It wasn’t a trail used as often, and it was mostly traveled by USGS and park staff due to its location and lack of awe-inspiring vistas.

He’d checked with the USGS and knew all the sensors were accessible by trails as of two weeks ago, although recent snowfall in upper elevations may have obscured them in places.

That’s why he carried a GPS unit in addition to the topographical maps. They were currently stowed in one of the saddlebags on the first mule, along with his satellite messenger and personal locator beacon.

He usually didn’t worry about not having a satellite phone because between his cell phone, park radio, and the satellite messenger, he was rarely in a complete dead-zone.

But this time he did. Not because of him or Christopher, because they were used to the terrain.

If Jesse got hurt he’d have to call in a helitack rescue. If she wasn’t ambulatory enough to walk her out of the backcountry, and if she couldn’t ride a mule, a helo would be their only option.

Hopefully I’m underestimating her.

CHAPTER 9

JESSE

Iam an idiot.

They stopped to rest a little after noon and Jesse gratefully dropped her pack before sinking to the ground. Mark was completely correct that altitude made this much harder.

Add the pack, which weighed at least thirty pounds, and she now had…regrets.

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