Page 27 of Lucky in Love
Yes. Of course. The cherry on top of her week. Business tanking. Relationship imploded. And now, stuck, injured in the woods in a rainstorm. Had her luck finally run out?
There were trees everywhere. Maybe she could find a thick branch to use as a walking stick. It was really her only hope of getting out of here. She crab-walked to the nearest tree and leaned against the trunk, wheezing through the pain.
The drizzle quickly turned into a downpour, and the canopy of fiery leaves did nothing to keep her dry. Twenty minutes later, her ankle had doubled in size, and she was drenched.
Her phone had no signal, and the thought of crawling out of here, which was rapidly becoming her only option, had her eyes burning.
Alex wasn’t a crier. Couldn’t remember the last time she had. But she had to admit, this was pushing her limits.
No, she thought.This will not beat me. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think. The parking lot may be a quarter mile away—no way she was making it that far—but the outer cabins were much closer. In fact, cabin twelve was probably only a football field away.
If she could make it there, she could sit on the covered porch and call her friends for help. Maybe she could even do it without Brody finding out. He’d seen her in enough embarrassing situations.
Could she hop on one foot that far though? She gingerly set her foot on the ground, winced in pain, and then groaned in defeat. A hundred yards might as well be a hundred miles. She wasn’t even sure crawling was an option. It would have to be more scooching backward, crab-walk style.
Cold, wet, and desperate, she saw only one other alternative. She closed her eyes, crossed her fingers, and yelled.
CHAPTER TEN
Brody returned to his cabin just as the rain started. Thank goodness he’d run into Alex and gotten a weather report. Without the warning, he would have been in the middle of the lake in a canoe when it hit. He’d have to be better about checking the forecast.
Twenty minutes later, he’d just polished off a sandwich when his phone rang. He was beginning to think Alex had exaggerated the cell coverage issues. At least, he hadn’t had any problems yet.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Brody. It’s Nick. You at your cabin?” His tone had a clipped urgency.
“Yeah.”
“Can I get you to do me a huge favor?”
“Sure,” Brody said. “What’s up?”
“Alex was supposed to call her grandfather when she returned from a run, but never did. With this lunatic on the loose and potentially nearby, he’s really worried. He called to ask if I could check on her, but my only deputy and I are tied up. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I was hoping you could verify she made it back? She usually just runs the trail around the lake.”
“Oh, um, sure. I guess I can take a look.”
“Appreciate it. I suggest starting with her cabin or the office, but if she’s not there, you might have to walk the trail. Which sucks in this rain. I’ll owe you one.”
“Any news on Dexter?Couldhe be out this way?” Was he being sent in like a sacrificial lamb?
“I mean, anything’s possible,” Nick said. “If you don’t feel comfortable…” He trailed off, hinting this was a test. Was Brody man enough to hike into the woods unprotected and unarmed?
“Nah, I’m good,” Brody said, jumping into the gauntlet. “Wish I had a raincoat, but I’ll head out now.”
“Thanks, man.”
Brody hung up and put his shoes back on. He had intended to head up to the office first, but as soon as he opened the door, he heard the faint screams. His heart leapt into his chest as he set off at a dead run toward the noise.
It couldn’t have been more than a quarter mile when he found her, the bright pink of her form-fitting sweatshirt sticking out like a beacon among the woodsy browns.
Rain droplets dripped from her hair, and anguish filled her eyes. She was huddled in on herself, trying to stay dry, but one leg stuck out. From the size and color of her ankle, he immediately deduced what had happened.
“At least The Grocer didn’t find you,” Brody said, squatting to check her injury. “When I was tasked to come look for you, I was worried I’d be picking up pieces.”
She huffed out a laugh and shook her head. “I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in my life,” she said, relief flooding her face.
“Looks pretty ugly.” He nodded to her foot. “Can you walk?”
