Page 25 of Finding Love on the Slopes

“If you can get to the cabin, a Safety Patrol team can be to you within hours of the storm clearing, Leighann. We will get you out as soon as it is safe to do so,” Chris assured.

She shifted the phone to her other ear. The fingers on her right hand were numb from squeezing it so tightly in her anxiety.

The men couldn’t see the uncertainty on her face, so they hung up once she told them she understood and she would do it. Chrispromised to be there for her as soon as he was physically able and wished her the best.

Curtis remained on the other line, and now that they were the only ones on the call, he could finally calm her down. He knew his sister, and he knew there was a pretty good chance she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

He was right. Leigh was totally overwhelmed by the responsibility that landed on her shoulders. She was alone in this, Enrique’s only chance. She had to go down that mountain, get to Enrique in time, assess his injuries, secure him somehow, and then get to the cabin a mile away before the storm hit. A look overhead told her that it seemed unlikely, and the fact that both of their lives depended on her brought tears to her eyes once more.

“First things first, Angel. Take some deep breaths and calm down. You need a clear head for this,” Curtis instructed, his voice soothing in spite of the crackling phone connection.

She wondered how he was able to remain so composed, given their current situation. His best friend was a fool who had risked his life with his daredevil antics, and now his little sister, practically his daughter, was going to have to risk her life to try and save him. There was an excellent chance they would freeze to death before they made it to safety.Howdid he stay calm when facing those facts?

“I can feel you thinking and freaking Leighann. Relax. It is understandable that you are scared right now, but we both know you can do this.”

“I don’t know any such thing!” she shouted, venting her emotions onto her big brother. “You should have been the one here with him, not me! If you had been here, he never would have gone down Bone Crusher. If he did go down that stupid slope and still went over the side, you would be big enough and strong enough to get him to safety. You know what to do to increase your chance of survival! I’m just me!” Leigh collapsed all the way to the ground and held her head in her hands as the fury of the approaching storm continued all around her.

“You are enough! I have trained you in survival strategies. Do you have your emergency pack?”

“Yes, of course I do,” she spat angrily at his question.

“Is it fully stocked with the gear we discussed years ago?”

“Yes, I never let it run low. You know that!”

“Then you are as prepared as I would have been. Except, really, you’re more so.Youare the two-time Olympic Alpine skier, Kiddo, not me. I’m good, but not that good. There’s a reason things played out the way they did with you filling in for me. Getting to him is something I would not have been able to do. If there’s anyone who can successfully make it down that ungroomed mountainside, it’s you. Being able to save Enrique is in God’s hands. He is the one who will determine life or death here, not you and not me. I believe in you. I always have. You are brave. You have a determination in you that defies all the odds, and you are the strongest woman I’ve ever been privileged to know. Years ago, you asked what your purpose was for skiing. I think the Lord may have been preparing you for such a timeas this. No matter how this turns out, I’m proud of you. No matter what challenges you are about to face, know that you are not alone.”

She licked her lips, her vigor slowly returning as he spoke. She exhaled deeply, feeling the courage she needed seep into her bones. “That sounds like a goodbye, Curtis.”

“It most certainly is not,” he said, and despite the severity of the situation, she could hear a smile in his voice. “It’s a farewell until we speak again. I am trusting the Lord to keep you and Enrique safe. Enrique, so I can take a few strips off his hide over this whole thing and you because… there is so much more life we need to experience together. I love you, Angel. Now, you need to get a move on. Pep talk is over.”

Leigh smiled, “I love you too, brother mine. I will give it all I have and appreciate the prayers. It will take a miracle to see us through this. I’ll call you when I get to the bottom.” Then she hung up quickly, needing to cut the cord to her lifeline before her courage deserted her. She repacked the phone in the middle of her gear, safely surrounding it with the softer items, before pulling it onto her back and tightening the straps. Standing at the very edge of the mountain, she assessed the terrain and planned her approach as she had done so many other times during her Olympic training.

She was terrified, and doubts started to echo in her mind. Leigh pushed them away, pulling her brother’s words of encouragement around her like a warm cloak, and prayed, “Lord, I don’t understand this plan of yours, but I ask that you guideme through my part of it. Please, please, please let Enrique be alive and help me get him to safety. Then, if that works… keep me from killing him for doing this to us.” She lifted her eyes to the heavens, took a deep breath, and, with a giant leap of faith, headed over the edge and down the mountain.

Chapter Nineteen

The wind was harsh, and tree branches whipped cruelly at her face as she flew down the mountain, calling upon every skill she had developed over nearly two decades of training. She maneuvered through the trees, focused intently on what came next, trying hard not to eat wood. A large boulder jutted up from the ground, creating moguls she had to jump or try to ski around, never knowing what was around the other side, but catching air meant added risk as she couldn’t control what she would come down on.

Decisions were made in milliseconds that would determine success or failure. She was scared but didn’t have time to dwell on her fear. She managed to stay on her skis and soon found herself coming to a stop next to Enriques prone form. She fell to her knees and thanked the Lord for His protection, then focused her attention on the man before her.

Panic started to rise when she felt his back, and there appeared to be no breath movements. Grunting at his weight, she gently turned him over onto his back and placed her ear close to his mouth and nose. Excitement flooded her as she felt the slightest wisp of warm air on her cheek.

“Enrique, can you hear me?” she asked as she gently placed her hand on his chest and turned to check his handsome face for any sign of consciousness. His heartbeat pulsed softly against the skin of his neck. He didn’t move, but his eyelids twitched several times before he slowly cracked his eyes open to meet her concern-filled gaze.

He was pretty banged up, which was to be expected. All she could see were a couple of bruises on his cheeks, a large bump accompanying a gash on his forehead, and a bloody lip. With the look of his face, she was sure the rest of him was black and blue as well.

Once she was sure he was alive, breathing, and conscious, she released a sigh of relief. He stared at her, eyes wide, as if surprised to see her again.

“Leighann?” His voice was soft, as if speaking too loudly would make her disappear.

“It’s me. I’m here. Tell me what hurts. The storm is about to be on top of us, and we need to go. Can you move?”

Worry creased her brow as she observed him push into a sitting position with her help and groan loudly. “So far so good,” he quipped with a small smile. It wasn’t his usualdisarming grin, but it had a similar effect on her, causing butterflies to flutter in her belly.

“Any sharp pain or just aches?”

“I don’t think anything is broken. Everything seems to hurt, but nothing seems to scream, I’m dying. Although I thought that had already happened. I’m pretty frozen; I’m sure the real pain will start once I thaw out.”

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