Page 45 of Dr. Alaska
“What, Lee? Are you okay?” He stopped, eyelids at half mast, lips damp, hands clamped on her breasts. He blinked and looked at the coffee table. “Damn. It.” Launching himself off of her, he grabbed the satellite phone on the end table. “Yeah,” his voice came out harshly.
Moments passed. Words she couldn’t make out came through the phone.
Her skin cooled where he had licked her. Lee reset her bra, pulled her top and vest down, and sat on the couch, taking deep gulps of air. She detected Maverick’s scent every time she inhaled. Touching her tingling lips, she watched as he paced.
“Where are you?” A pause. “What’s his condition?”
Oh no.
“Don’t move him,” he said, in take-charge paramedic mode. “Call 911 to mobilize local EMS backup. Tell dispatch I’ll be at the site soon.” He ended the call.
“What’s going on?”
His thunderous expression made her lean away from him. “One of the guests crashed on the trail.”
Chapter Seventeen
Damn it allto hell.
Mav shook loose the cobwebs of passion from his brain as he quickly changed gears to devise a rescue plan. One look at Lee’s swollen lips and wide eyes sent another wave of lust that turned his knees to jelly.
He had a job to do. Respond to the injured person on the trail. No time to deal with feelings for the woman sitting two feet away from him. No time to consider that depending on the outcome of the accident he might be looking at the end of his business. No time for anything other than the task in front of him.
Lee stood, hands out. “I can help. What do you need?”
You.
He scrubbed his face.
He couldn’t think of any way a date could turn out worse than today. “You don’t have to do this. Head on home.”
“I’m helping.” She popped her hands on her hips. “Hippocratic oath and all.”
In spite of the situation, Mav smiled. He loved that she was willing to jump in, no matter the situation. “Put on all of your gear.” They walked to the entryway.
In silence punctuated by grunts while they bent down to shimmy into winter clothing and shove feet into boots, they were ready in minutes. His mind spun out logistics and various scenarios at lightning speed as he muttered curses.
Location. About four miles out. The guests had been heading back to the lodge when the accident occurred.
Local EMS or search and rescue assist. Not likely or timely due to location.
Access. He scanned the parking area. Even though the machines could carry two people apiece, the six guests had taken all six machines.
Transport. He prayed his team would be ready to pull for him. “Kenai, here, girl.” She trotted over, tail wagging, and stood still as he put on her pink harness.
As they exited the house, he grabbed the other harnesses and bag of booties hanging in the entryway. He checked his watch. 2:35 p.m. Another few hours of light. He stepped back in and retrieved two headlamps hanging on pegs, handing one to Lee.
The wind hit him full blast, driving thin gusts of snow in icy stings on his exposed skin. Lee yanked the neck gaiter up over her nose, pulled the coat’s hood over her beanie, shoved on her sunglasses, and zipped everything up. No exposed skin. Good.
He raced to his truck to retrieve the spare EMS kit he kept there, then caught up to Lee and Kenai at the kennel area. The dogs yapped and howled, picking up on the energy.
“Can you put their booties on?” he shouted over the wind. If the wind kept up, the weather could change into a blizzard and the potential for zero visibility. A deadly situation. He had to trust his dogs to get them out and back in one piece.
“Got it.” She knelt and started working on the nearest dog.
Mav dropped the bag and harnesses and hurried to the shed. Inside, the howl of the wind dropped. His ears rang. On the wall nearby he took down an old wooden backboard with worn straps he’d used in the past when he taught wilderness first aid courses. That would do.
The shed held three different winter sleds and a summer cart. He selected the fiberglass expedition sled with the longer cargo bed. He snagged the mushing gear bag hanging on the wall. After dragging the sled over to Lee and the dogs, he set the snow claw to anchor the sled in place, then quickly attached the dogs’ harnesses and tuglines to the main gangline secured on the front of the sled. He patted the pocket that held the satellite phone and checked his watch again: 2:46.
