Page 67 of Taken By the Ruthless Highlander
Thunder clapped overhead, causing the ground to rumble under their feet. Loose bits of earth tumbled down from the face of the cliff. Ryder’s chest tightened as his ears started ringing.
“Ryder,” Morgana called as the wind whipped about, threatening to bowl them over. “The trailhead.”
The pressure in Ryder’s chest eased as he caught sight of the opening. He looked down the cliff. Despite the water finally stopping, he wasn’t about to wait for it all to drain. Making a beeline for the trail, he guided Morgana with purpose.
“I’m sorry,” he offered as he lifted the branches for her to duck under. “Had I kenned it would rain so hard, I never would have brought ye here. I’ve only ever experienced the canyon floodin’ like this when I was a lad. But the conditions were far worse than today’s.”
Just as Morgana was about to step out, she paused and recoiled as if something deadly crossed her path. Ryder’s heart sank. The gap was no longer a step away, but a leap across a gorge that hadn’t been there before.
“Ye said that the path was narrow, nae that there wouldnae be a path,” Morgana said.
“I told ye I didnae ken.”
“The trailhead is right there. We can jump.”
“That’s a long jump,” Ryder pointed out as he assessed the drop.
It wasn’t the height of the drop that concerned him, but what lurked under the turbulent waters. Surely there were hidden dangers just itching to take a bite out of them.
“We can take turns and help each other,” Morgana suggested as she moved carefully around him and reached for a low-hanging branch. “We’ll use the branches to cross.”
“So, we’re monkeys now, are we?” Ryder scoffed.
“Better than bein’ dead, would ye nae say?” Morgana shot back as she started climbing the branch.
Ryder’s chest tightened as he watched her move from one tree to another with ease, as if she had lived in the jungle her whole life. His heart swelled with pride. He hadn’t married a prissy woman, but a warrior queen, unafraid and bold.
“Almost there. Use the branch to yer right,” Ryder called, keeping his voice steady.
His heart pounded against his ribs. Morgana was right over the gap. She just had to reach for the other branch and climb back down. Every nerve in his body coiled tight as he waited for her to clear the landing.
“Ryder!”
22
The water on the branches did not help Morgana’s grip. Each time she jumped from one tree to another was a struggle. Although, it would have been a lot worse had Ryder not chopped off her skirt. While she moved with more freedom, the chilly air bit at her bare legs.
Her fingers slipped off the mossy branch. If she hadn’t been holding on so tightly for a second, she would have dropped right into the water. She stared down at the swirling depths. Fear stole her courage.
“Ryder!” she called out, even though she knew that there was no way he could help her.
She was suspended over the gap with only two choices—drop and pray she came out somewhere alive, or try to jump across.
“Ye’re goin’ to have to reach for the branch to yer right. It’s just a little higher—ye can get it,” Ryder called back, his steady voice quelling her terror.
“I cannae see it.”
“Then let me be yer eyes, and trust me. Just lift yer hand for about a foot or so,” Ryder urged. “Ye’ll feel the bark on the back of yer hand. Grab that branch. It’ll be the size of a horse’s leg. Dinnae doubt it, it’ll support my weight.”
“Ryder, I’m nae so…”
“Ye can do this. Ye’re my wife, are ye nae? If ye can be married to me, then this should be a walk in the park for ye. Lift yer hand like ye’re reachin’ for yer sister’s hand. That’s it, just like that,” Ryder crooned as she felt the rough bark against her hand.
Her heart sank into her stomach, and she swallowed hard. Uncertainty clawed at her as she used the branch to inch closer to the landing.
Eventually, she eased herself down branch by branch, using them as a ladder. She let out a sigh of relief as her feet touched solid ground once again.
“See?” Ryder said, beaming with pride. “I told ye, ye would make it. Now, step back so I can come over.”
