“Okay, hang on.” Again he disappeared, and she waited, feeling the cold gnawing at her bones. Seconds later something slithered over the edge and snaked down toward her.
“Buckle this belt around one of your wrists,” Brad ordered. “I’ve got the other end around mine. It will hold you while you kick the tree out from the ledge.”
She took off one of her gloves long enough to fasten the belt around her wrist, then pulled it on again. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Before we do this,” Brad said calmly, “I should tell you I don’t have a lot of traction up here. So try not to fall off the ledge, okay?”
She understood what he meant. The avalanche had laid a blanket of deep, soft snow over the area. It would be slippery even to walk on. Trying to get traction in it would be almost impossible. There was every chance that in trying to get her out of there, Brad could very well fall down in there with her. She didn’t want to think about where they might end up.
“Look,” she said, with just a slight waver in her voice. “Are you sure about this? I mean, I could wait here while you go get help.”
“We don’t have time for that. I’ve lost my skis and it could take hours, if not days, to get down the mountain on foot, even if I could find my way. It’s snowing like crazy up here.”
She could tell that from the snowflakes drifting down on her face. He was right, she didn’t have that much time. Already she could feel the numbness creeping up her right leg. “Okay,” she said unsteadily. “Let’s do it.”
“Right. I’ve got a good hold on you, so I want you to kick that tree out from under you with your good foot. If you give it a good shove near the base, it should go down. Okay?”
She swallowed. “Okay. Just tell me when.”
The light vanished and she closed her eyes, willing herself to think positively.
“All right—now. Kick it as hard as you can.”
Her first attempt was weak, and failed to dislodge the tree, thought it jolted her almost off the ledge. Clinging to her makeshift lifeline, she tried again. This time the tree shifted, bringing fresh pain to her ankle. She bit her lip, brought her knee up as far as she could, and then jammed it hard against the tree trunk. With a horrible scraping sound the tree moved, then with a groan, slid away from her. It seemed an awful long time before she heard the crashing thud of its landing far below.
Her voice had raised several notches when she called out, “It’s gone.”
“I heard it.” Brad sounded grim now. “Can you reach your ski to take it off?”
“I think so.” Carefully she bent her right knee and fiddled with the clamps. The shattered ski fell away from her and joined the tree at the bottom of the ravine. “Okay, it’s gone, too.”
“Then try to stand up. I’ll pull as hard as I can. Move real slowly, and try to stay as close to the wall as you can.”
She gripped the belt and drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
At the first tug of the belt she pulled herself painfully to her feet. Brad’s tone was a lot lighter now, and she took heart, even though her stomach seemed to drop at the thought of leaving the fragile security of that ledge.
“You should be able to reach my hands now,” Brad said above her.
She looked up, almost into his face. “Hi,” she said unsteadily. “And thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said gruffly. “I still have to get you out of here.”
Once more he lowered his hands toward her. “Take off your gloves. We’ll have a better grip.”
Quickly she took off the gloves and shoved them in her pockets. Then she reached up and grasped his hands. “I don’t have any footholds,” she said, striving to sound unafraid. “The wall is as smooth as glass.”
“Then I guess brute strength will have to do. Good thing I work out regularly.”
For once she was in complete agreement. “I could try jumping,” she suggested.
“Too risky. Better let me take your weight and keep as still as you can.”
“All right.” She swallowed hard as her feet left the ledge and she felt herself hanging from the death grip Brad had on her hands. She heard him grunt as she inched up the wall, then her head cleared the top of the ravine and she could look out at the swirling snow. One more painful jerk on her hands and her upper body was on firm ground. She was safe.
Brad let go of her hands, but before she could drag herself farther out he grabbed her under the armpits and hauled her the rest of the way. They both went down in a heap in the snow where, much against her will, she ended up sprawled on top of him.
For a moment or two it seemed neither of them could get their breath, then Brad said wheezily, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
“Believe me,” Anne said, just as breathlessly, “this wasn’t planned.”
“Aw, and here I thought you were still trying to get my attention.” He grinned up at her. “Though I can think of better places to get cozy.”
The comment was enough to remind her exactly who he was. She rolled off him and sat up. “I’m very grateful to you for getting me out of there, Brad, but don’t think it gives you any special privileges.”
She could see his expression quite clearly in the reflection from his headlamp. He actually looked offended, though she couldn’t tell if it was genuine or not. “Are you kidding? It was the furthest thing from my mind. I know better than to hit on a Parker. I’m liable to get drawn and quartered.”
“Well, don’t let it ruin your evening.” Miffed in spite of herself, she scrambled unsteadily to her feet.
He got up more slowly. “Can you walk?”
“I think so.” She hesitated, then added in a rush, “Look, I really am very grateful.”
“No big deal. Just don’t tell anyone I rescued a Parker. My mother would never let me forget it.”
She leaned down to massage her ankle. “I’ll take care not to mention it to her. But I’m quite sure my family will be very grateful.”
He pulled on his gloves and turned up the collar of his jacket. “I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t have done, so don’t feel you have to take it personally. I wouldn’t have left a dog down there to freeze to death.”
Feeling somewhat offended by his cavalier tone, she tested her weight on her ankle. An agonizing shaft of pain made her wince. It was going to be a painful trip back down the mountain. Her voice sharpened. “Well, I’m grateful that you think I was worth saving. I’ll share a bone with you when we get back to town. Which can’t be soon enough for me.”
“Well, you might have to wait a while for that.” Light blazed a path across the snow as he turned his head. Thick white snowflakes slanted down the beam, obliterating everything except for a few feet ahead. “We won’t get far in this mess tonight.”
She stared at him in alarm. “What are you saying? You’re not suggesting we stay the night up here?”
The resignation in his face frightened her. “Looks like it.”
“We can’t stay here.” She fought a wave of panic. “We’ll freeze to death. Besides, everyone will be worried sick. We have to at least try to get back down.”
Brad shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like better. I should point out, however, that it’s snowing like crazy, the avalanche has wiped out the trails, it’s