Page 22 of My Mountain Man Boss
At first I see nothing but boulders and bushes. I move closer to the crags, working my way along the trail.
My flashlight illuminates a small bundle, and at first I don’t recognize it as human.
“Amy?” The bundle moves, and her face lifts toward the light.
Relief floods me at the sight of my girl. She’s alive, and I’ve found her.
I crouch next to her, and she’s shivering badly. Her entire body trembles, and her teeth knock together. I need to get her warm and dry.
“Landon?” She smiles softly, and it’s the sweetest sight I’ve ever seen.
“I’m here now, baby girl. I’m going to get you down this mountain.”
“But the hiker?”
Typical Amy. She’s almost hypothermic, and she’s thinking of someone else.
“He was found twenty minutes ago with a broken ankle. Alex and Ethan are carrying him down on the stretcher.”
She leans her head back against the rock, but her teeth are chattering so hard that her head knocks against it.
“We need to get you down this mountain fast.”
I help her to her feet, and she’s shivering so bad she can barely stand. Her phone falls out of her fingers and drops to the ground.
She tries to pick it up, and her fingers are white with cold.
I take her phone and stuff it in my pocket. She’s in a bad way, and I need to get her warmed up and down the mountain pronto.
The best thing I can offer her is body heat.
I unzip my jacket so it falls open. “We’ll leave your backpack here and someone can get it tomorrow, okay?”
She nods. The rain has plastered her hair to her face, and her skin is pasty white and her lips tinged blue.
“Come on.”
I slip my hands under her legs and lift her off the ground. I pull her close to me, and she nestles her head against my chest. Through my layers, I feel her cold body against me. I only hope my body heat is enough to warm her up.
Without another word, I set off down the mountain.
It’s over an hour later when we arrive at Search and Rescue HQ. I stopped to radio ahead and let everyone know I had her.
Amy must have sent texts out to everyone, because her mom and Izzie are here.
I pause before going in, knowing how Amy isn’t ready to tell people about us. But I don’t care. She’s my woman, and I don’t care who knows about it.
My arms ache, but I keep her pinned against me as I carry her into HQ.
Her mother runs up to us, and Amy lifts her head.
“Hey Mom.”
They’re the first words I’ve heard her speak since we started walking, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Suzie’s waiting with a warm blanket and a hot chocolate. But I don’t want to put Amy down. Instead I head out back to the kitchen and sit down with her on my lap.
She shifts her body to get comfortable and keeps her head resting on my chest.
