Page 14 of The Mountain Man's Virgin
“It was my friend Tania.” Friend might have been a stretch, we were more like situational acquaintances. “How is she doing?”
“Last I heard, one girl had been released from the hospital with a sprained ankle. The other two are still in the hospital for observation.”
“I should call her. Let her know that I’m alive.” I realized that I didn’t have my cell phone and wondered if it had survived my ordeal.
As if reading my mind, he said, “Your cell phone is on the counter, but it won’t do you any good out here. We would have to hike to the ridge to get service. I have a radio and SAR knows that I found you and that you’re alive.”
“How did you find me?” I asked. My last memory was of the open clearing and the beauty of the snowflakes falling on my face.
“I almost didn’t. Chopper here was able to sniff you out before you were totally covered in snow.”
“I can’t believe I blacked out like that.”
“I can,” Mick said. “Hypothermia does all kinds of crazy things to the brain. I don’t know if you realize how lucky you are.”
“I’m starting to,” I said, meeting his gaze. I wondered what he looked like under his beard. His hair was dark brown, but his beard lighter. His face looked tanned and a little weathered, and he had friendly crinkles beside his eyes. At first, I guessed him to be about forty but realized his beard made him look older, and he was probably closer to thirty.
“I’m actually surprised that you didn’t lose any fingers.”
“Seriously?” I asked. “Hypothermia makes you lose your fingers?”
“Not hypothermia per se. Frostbite will take over and freeze off your fingers, toes, or nose first. Hypothermia is your body’s response to being cold. It diverts blood from your extremities to your heart and brain. It’s quite amazing actually. People actually report feeling warm and euphoric when they get hypothermia.”
“That’s what I felt. I felt warm and comfortable as if the snow falling was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen. “I just sat down. I can’t believe that I did that.”
“It makes sense. I’ve heard stories of people taking off their clothes and folding them up before they freeze to death.”
It was at that moment that I realized the gravity of the situation. I almost died. And this man saved me. I felt the tears well up in my eyes when I realized that I hadn’t even thanked him.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
“For what?” he asked, taking a sip of his tea.
“For saving me.”
“Oh,” he chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
“No, I mean it. I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for you.”
“Well, I’m just glad that we got to you when we did, or else we’d be calling your fiancé with some very bad news.”
Fiancé. Right. I had totally forgotten about Lawrence. I reached to touch my engagement ring and gasped when I realized that it wasn’t on my finger.
“It’s on the counter with your phone,” Mick said, pointing to the kitchen sink. “I took it off when I was trying to warm up your hands.”
I stood up and walked to the kitchen sink. The wind was whistling, and I could see the snowflakes swirling and battering the window. I picked up the ring and slid it onto my finger. The flashiness of the ring seemed so out of place in the rustic cabin. Like it was from another world.
“I should get back,” I said as I returned to the fire.
“I will take you back as soon as the storm clears,” he said. “Refill?” he asked, pointing to my empty mug.
“Yes. Thank you.”
“You must be hungry,” he said, lighting the burner on the stove.
I hadn’t thought about it, but he was right, I was starving. “Actually, I am.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ve been looking for an excuse to cook up these elk steaks.
