Page 80 of Wilderness Daddy

I wake up to the gentleprobing of Landon’s voice. “Baby, we gotta get up now.”

I’m on the ground in front of the log now, wearing Landon’s sweater and jacket. It smells like him as well as wood smoke, pungent damp earth, and pine.

I stretch sitting up, stiff from being on the damp ground. “How is she?”

“Still not good. We’ve gotta get moving.” He hands me his steaming cup and one of the protein bars from my backpack. I sip the hot gingery liquid and stand up to sit on the log, staring at the unmoving woman.

“I think her fever broke. She was able to sit up and drink some water with help about an hour ago. But she’s back out again.”

“How are we going to get her down the mountain?”

“I’m going to carry her.”

My eyes widen. She’s not big; her frame is larger than mine, but still on the smaller side. The trek through the mountain isn’t easy though, even without the extra weight. “Landon, you can’t. She’s small but that’s a long way and it’s not easy terrain.” I reach out and grab his arm. He’s worried. I can see the stress in and around his eyes. “You didn’t sleep last night either.”

“I’ll be fine.” His jaw tenses as he looks at her. “I’m not letting this woman die.” She’s lifeless on the bed, but I’m more worried about Landon with his hopeless stare.

I take his hand. Palpable tension pulses from him. “You’re not responsible for everything and everyone.”

He freezes, not even breathing. This continues for several long seconds before he turns his head slowly toward me, his eyes read mine.

“You’re right.” He yanks me to his chest, swallowing me in his embrace. In that moment, I realize something. This man needs me as much as I need him. He needs my strength like I need his.

We balance each other. And when he pulls back and his eyes find mine again, I know he knows it too. His lips are on mine before I can speak, and his kiss is so intense it takes me a moment to remember what I was going to say.

“Can we make a stretcher? Two of the long skinny trees and two shorter ones like a top and bottom rung on a ladder. Tied together with fishing line? The sleeping bag can be zipped around it and it’ll hang like a hammock to keep her in it. There’s no reason we can’t do this together.”

Landon’s eyes leave mine and he looks back to the bed. “You know, little one, I think that’ll work.”

“You think the zipper will be strong enough?”

He’s already heading toward the sleeping woman. “I do and I think we can prop the branches on your backpack straps so your whole body takes the weight rather than just your arms.”

We actually get it to work and with the help of my backpack, it seems a manageable weight. “I think we’re going to make it!” I say with a cheerful whoop.

“Is it okay for you?” I ask. I can’t see Landon since in order for me to use the backpack I have to be facing forward. When he doesn’t answer I assume he’s making some adjustments. “We’ll go slow and take lots of breaks,” I add.

“Put the girl down.”

“We just got her up,” I answer before the voice fully registers. It’s not Landon’s. I swallow, looking over my shoulder. A crackle and the sound of voices on walkie-talkies break through. I can’t see much but I see enough to know it’s the man with the red hair and beard. My gut drops.

“You got them?” It’s a voice on the two-way.

“I do. Fuckers were just about to leave with the blonde. They try anything and I’ll fill ‘em with holes.”

“We’ll be there in a few, Red. Lost the Sasquatch’s trail.”

“Fuck, Gillie!”

“Stop bitching, you got the easy job. You know what this thing is capable of.”

The two-way conversation goes on but Landon speaks to me and I tune out the static-filled bickering.

“Kari, use the tree in front of you to crouch low so we can set the stretcher down.” Landon sounds calm, but eerily so. “Do it now, honey.”

“Okay,” I stammer, grabbing the tree for support while I bend my knees to lower myself. His controlled command eases the fear in me slightly. I’m with Landon. I’m safe with Landon.

“Just stay down and I’ll come help get the branches out of the backpack.”

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