Page 4 of Her Mountain Rescuer

“I’m s-so c-cold,” she chatters as I start maneuvering down the treacherous path. I hold her tighter, doing my best not to jostle her. “And I h-hurt my ankle,” she says quietly, and I can feel her shaking against me, trembling with cold and fear and pain.

“I’ve got you know, sweet girl. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to get you somewhere warm and safe.”

“S-stay w-with me,” she chatters, bone white fingers curling into my jacket. “D-don’t leave m-me. I n-need you.”

Her words twist my insides into knots, because I know she doesn’t mean them the way I want her to. The way I wish she did.

So instead, I just hold her tighter, her shivering body tucked against mine as I trudge through the storm. I’m not going to carry her all the way back to my Jeep. Not when I know there’s a cabin tucked into the woods not far ahead. It’s probably empty this time of year, but even if it’s not, it’s our best shot at shelter.

The wind howls around us, battering us with rain and gusts of freezing air. I’m soaked through and freezing, and I can’t even imagine how cold Hailey must be right now. Emotions surge through me as I glance down at her, her wet eyelashes fanning out over her cheeks. Anger that she put herself in this situation. Relief that she’s in my arms now. Longing for what I can’t have. Determination to keep her safe. And that same protectiveness is still humming in my veins, spurring me onward.

“I’m g-glad it w-was you on the r-radio,” she chatters. “E-even if I d-didn’t want t-to talk t-to you.”

I frown at that, sure I must’ve heard her wrong. Why would Hailey not want to talk to me? That doesn’t make any sense. But she doesn’t elaborate, just curls into me tighter.

“I’ll always come for you, Hails. No matter what. You can trust me to always be there for you.”

She lets out a choked little sound, somewhere between a laugh and sob. I don’t know what to make of that, either.

The cabin finally comes into view, a dark but welcome silhouette against the stormy forest around us. I quicken my pace, my heart pounding in my chest. Hailey’s soaked through, her breaths shallow, her eyes fluttering closed as if she’s struggling to keep them open.

Please be unlocked. Please be empty.

I step onto the small porch, the boards creaking beneath my weight, and I shift Hailey carefully in my arms. I reach out to twist the doorknob, heaving out a relieved sigh when it turns easily. The door creaks open, revealing a small, rustic interior. The air inside is close, and dust hangs in the air. No one’s been here for weeks. Maybe longer.

Thank fuck.

I carry my precious cargo inside, kicking the door shut behind me. The cabin is cold, but it’s shelter from the storm. I set Hailey down on the couch in the small living room, her body trembling, teeth chattering. She’s pale, her lips tinged blue, the tips of her fingers white. Shit.

I find blankets in a chest by the couch, and I wrap her up tightly in them. She murmurs something incoherent, her eyes barely open. I brush her wet hair back from her face, my hand lingering on her cheek. Fucking hell, she’s ice cold.

“Hailey, sweet girl, I need you to stay with me,” I say, my voice firm but gentle. I rub her arms, her legs, trying to generate some heat. She shivers, her eyes closing again. Fuck.

We need a fire. Now.

I wrap her in another blanket and then send up a silent prayer of thanks that there’s a stack of dry wood beside thefireplace. I quickly and efficiently stack several pieces and get a fire going in record time, the glow permeating the cabin.

I return to Hailey. She’s shivering in the blankets, wet hair plastered to her. She looks so small, so young, so vulnerable.

Mine to protect.

The thought sears through me, scorching a path through my brain, and as much as I know I should push it away, I don’t. I like it too much.

I’ve spent over a decade working with the mountain rescue service. It’s my job to help people out of dangerous situations. It’s my job to rescue hapless hikers and injured tourists. But this, with Hailey, it feels different. This is a hell of a lot more than just me doing my job. And it’s a hell of a lot more than me coming to her rescue as her father’s best friend.

I crouch down in front of her, pulling my pack closer and taking out my emergency kit. I quickly take her temperature using a digital forehead thermometer, cursing under my breath when it flashes blue and shows a body temperature of thirty-three degrees Celsius. That, combined with her shivering, her pale skin tinged blue, her obvious fatigue and growing incoherence all point to hypothermia.

I need to get her out of these wet clothes.

“Hailey, I need to take your clothes off.”

She blinks slowly at me and then tilts her head. “My clothes?” she asks, the words slightly slurred.

I nod. “We need to get you warm, and that’s not going to happen in those wet clothes.” I clear my throat and meet her eyes. Fuck, she’s so pretty, even right now. Always the prettiest girl. “We need to strip and huddle together for warmth.”

I see her throat bob as she swallows, and then she nods sleepily. “Okay, Daddy.”

The word hits me like a punch to the gut, making blood rush to my cock even as I know she doesn’t mean it like that. She’s cold and confused. There’s nothing more to it than that.

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