A Rare Breed (23 page)

"About fifteen feet."

"Fifteen feet? What in the world was he doing?"

Brit hesitated. She couldn't fully explain his motivation. At this point the risk of scaling the boulders seemed much greater than the results. "He'd climbed up to take some aerial shots of the kiva ruin. He was braced between these two huge rocks, when one foot became lodged. He pulled it free and it threw him off balance. That's when he fell."

Yolanda shook her head. "Unbelievable. How stupid." Then she snapped her fingers. "There's a first aid kit in the tent. We'll take that. There may be something in there we need."

"Okay, let's get to him." Rudi took Brit's arm while Yolanda ran to the tent for the kit. "You all right to make the trip again?"

"Absolutely!" Brit led the way down the now familiar path at a jog.

By the time they arrived, darkness was fast approaching. Jake was, of course, still trapped. Brit held the flashlight while Rudi and Yolanda climbed down to him. She couldn't help smiling as Yolanda began fussing at him the minute she got within earshot. Oh well, served him right. He needed a good reprimanding from someone besides her.

Yolanda's voice rose with her frustration. "So, you think you're a lizard, Jake, climbing up those rocks like that?"

"If I'd succeeded, you'd think I was a hero, like Spiderman, scaling impossible walls," Jake responded sharply.

But his banter was no match for the queen of comedy. "A hero, huh? But you didn't make it, so I just think you've got the pea brain of a lizard. You've got to respect this place, Jake. It's dangerous." She sat down beside him and opened the first aid kit. "Let's see now. Here is
something you can use. An Ace bandage." While Rudi and Brit watched, she raised his shirt and wrapped the stretchy material intended for a sprained ankle around the smooth brown skin of his chest. "Now. Let's see if you can make it."

"Oh, I can make it all right," Jake said stubbornly. With much grunting and groaning and help from Rudi, he got to his feet.

Rudi looped the rope under Jake's arms and tossed the end up to Brit. "Use it to steady him as we come up. Don't pull. And don't try to catch him if he falls. We’ll keep him going from this end."

Slowly, steadily, Rudi and Yolanda helped Jake up the rocky climb to the path. Brit kept the rope taut, but knew she couldn't hold his weight if he fell or stumbled. The sight of Jake wincing in agony and moving only with assistance tore at her heart. He'd always been the one to rescue them. He'd always been the strong one. He'd saved them from disaster more than once. Now, in an ironic twist of fate, he needed them to help him.

The most amazing transformation, though, was to see Yolanda and Rudi intent on helping someone, rather than expecting and demanding attention for themselves. Less than a week ago, Yolanda commanded first considera
tion at every
thing. Now, she was reprimanding Jake for not respecting nature's dangers. The admonition sounded strange coming from her lips. But good, all the same.

From the moment they had met beside the helicopter, Rudi had been snapping his fingers and demanding attention for Yolanda. Now his primary concern was getting Jake to safety with as little pain as possible. It was so unlike the bossy and commanding Rudi she had known.

When they made it up the rocks to the path, Jake insisted that he would wait while Yolanda and Rudi examined the kiva ruin. "Go on, take a look. You might not get another chance to see it."

Brit knew what that meant. They wouldn't be back here. While Rudi and Yolanda walked over to take a quick look at the ancient ruin, she slid her hand into Jake's and pressed their palms together. "Can you make it back to camp?"

"I'll be fine," he muttered through tight lips. "Just slow. It's onl
y my ribs. People continue work
ing with cracked ribs. It's no big deal."

"Yes, it is. But you're in pain. I know, it could have been much worse. You gave me quite a scare for a few minutes."

He looked down at her with a curious expression. Then he smiled and winked, shrugging as if it were nothing. She wondered if he really understood how she felt, how terrified she was that he was seriously injured, how her insides tore at the sight of him lying at the bottom of the rocks. She couldn't express her feelings, since she was just coming to grips with them herself. She was just admitting how much she really cared for this man.

Instead of saying anything, she bent her head and lifted his hand to her lips. She kissed the back of it, letting her lips linger on the smooth brown vein trail
s. His hand felt strong and sin
ewy, and she knew that he possessed a greater strength than s
he had ever known. He had a spe
cial inner strength that transcended physical pain. Suddenly she wanted to cry, to exclaim, What is going to happen to us? But Rudi and Yolanda were approaching, asking Jake questions about the curious building patterns of the primitive ruin, and she quelled her feelings.

Rudi led the way back to camp with the flashlight. He acted as a brace for Jake, staying close by his side for the entire long trip. They stopped at the spot where the equipment was piled. Yolanda slipped the heavy backpack onto her back without a complaint, as if she did this sort of thing daily. Brit lifted the strap of the portable computer to her shoulder.

Realistically, she knew that this would be their last trip to the beautiful turquoise pool with its sparkling waterfall. There would be no more lazy afternoons lying in Jake's arms on the white beach. She gazed longingly at the water, which seemed dark and ominous in the growing twilight. Even the crystalline sand was shadowed. Brit remembered their lovemaking there and their speculation that the Anasazi had been here before them, perhaps making love on that same spot. She thought of their laughter, of their shared moments of quiet pleasure. It was over, she knew.

Sighing, she fell into line behind Yolanda. They moved slowly and methodically toward camp. Jake couldn't make it any other way. By her second trip back to camp, Brit was exhausted.

It was dark when they arrived. They quickly agreed that Jake should sleep in the tent since climbing up the rock wall to their little cave was out of the question. Brit switched the sleeping bags and tried to make the bed comfortable for him.

He joined her inside the tent. "I hate to move Rudi and Yolanda to that cave."

Brit glanced up. "What? You mean it's okay for me, but not good enough for them?"

"No." He scoffed. "Of course, that's not what I mean. It's just—"

"I know what you mean, Jake. But button it up. They don't mind. You're injured and you need to be here. And I ..." she paused and grinned, "need to be with you. Actually, a hard surfaced mattress is what you need. It'll keep you flat and more comfortable."

"Would you help me with this thing, Brit?"

"Sure, Jake. What?"

He raised his arms slightly. "Make it tight, Brit. Tight as you can."

She tried to ignore his obvious pain as she pulled the Ace bandage taut around his smooth dark-skinned chest. "How's that? Does it hint? Too tight?"

"Ahhh, no. It's good. Now I know how a corset feels. Awful. I can't believe women wore these torture devices willingly."

"All to attract our men," Brit commented wryly, helping him put his shirt back on. "But it wasn’t usually worn with a broken rib."

"Feels like . . . hell."

She watched him kneel with effort and pack away his camera. Was it worth it? she wanted to yell at him. Was it worth risking your life for a couple of photos? But she didn’t because she was afraid his answer would be yes.

When they returned outside to eat, there was no campfire because Jake always started it. But supper was ready. Rudi handed Jake a bowl of chili. "It's not exactly homemade, but it's the best I can do down here."

"It smells great, Rudi. Thanks."

Yolanda brought him hot chocolate and a couple of aspirin. "Here you go, Spiderman. I wish I had something stronger for the pain, Jake, like a little whiskey."

Jake smiled, but it looked more like a grimace. "Thanks, Yolanda. This'll be fine. You've all been great. I could never have made it out of there without you."

She grinned and winked at him. "Hey, I think we owed you a couple, Spiderman. At least, I did."

"Naw, you owe me nothing," Jake objected modestly. "You sure you'll be okay sleeping up in the cave? I'm sorry to—"

She held up one hand to stop him. "It's no big deal, Jake. If you and Brit can sleep up there, so can Rudi and I. It'll be something to tell our grandkids about." She gave Brit a generous smile. "Someday I may even write a book about our experiences, like Bonnie did. Wouldn't that be a hoot?"

Brit chuckled. She couldn't believe this was the same Yolanda who screamed about the loss of her valuables and objected so strongly to sleeping on the ground their first night here.

Before long, Brit and Jake decided to turn in for the night. Brit went with him into the tent, ostensibly to help. Jake removed his shirt, then stretched out on the sleeping bag. Brit removed his boots and socks and tugged the legs of his jeans. He was a spectacular man, so masculine with long lean legs, a slender waist and broad muscular chest. The sight of him, his coffee-colored skin glowing in the lantern light, took her breath.

How could she sleep with him and not make love? Then, the
Ace bandage binding his ribs re
minded her that it was painful for him to move. And she knew they would do nothing except sleep.

Brit removed her clothes, Jake's shirt and jeans, and folded them. She looked up and saw him watching her.

"You're beautiful, Brit. Sometimes I forget what a fabulous woman you are under my sloppy clothes."

"You're beautiful, too, Jake." She turned off the lantern and slid into the sleeping bag beside him. "But you're injured. And you need rest."

He sighed heavily. "Just because I can't love you tonight, doesn't mean I don't want to. But I can imagine, and dream."

She moved alongside his warm body and wrapped her leg around his. "Me, too." Reaching out, she rested her head on his arm and nestled her hand in his. Touching him was the only way she could communicate the depth of her feelings tonight.

Everyone in camp spent the next day helping Jake in every way they could. They fixed his meals and brought them to him. They helped him up and down. They played cards with him.

Finally, at dinner around the campfire, Jake said, “This is it. I'm ready to head out tomorrow."

Brit froze. Did she hear him right? They'd be leaving? So soon? She felt frantic, slightly nauseated. It was crazy, having such physical reactions to something she'd wanted for so long. Or had she?

Rudi and Yolanda exchanged quick glances. "You sure you can make it, Jake?" Yolanda asked anxiously.

"With your help, I can. Aren't you ready to go?"

She smiled shyly. "Jake, I know you aren't going to believe this, but I'm actually enjoying it here."

"You're right. I don't believe it. I know you've been out of your element and it's been extremely difficult for you and the others. Now that this has happened, I'm ready to go. My work is basically done, except for more photos I had hoped to take. I thought a rescue chopper would be here by now, but Frank must have had problems getting out."

"What do you think happened?"

"I'm afraid he got lost somewhere along the way. Perhaps he took a wrong turn. He could be injured, too. Who knows? The best we can do is get ourselves out and send help for him. Tomor-row we hike. It'll take two to three days to reach Phantom Ranch, the only place to stay in the base of the canyon. Then we can get help."

Later that night, in the darkness, Brit whispered, "Jake, you asleep?"

"No. Thinking about tomorrow. Anxious, I guess."

"Me, too. I'm like Yolanda. Reluctant." She propped up on her elbows and tried to see him in the darkness. She could only make out his form. "Kinda hate to leave."

"You women are amazing. First, you hate it here, hate everything about it. Then you don't want to leave. I don't understand."

"It's been a learning experience, as they say. So beautiful, so quiet. I'll miss this . . . miss everything here." Miss you, she thought, near tears.

"Me, too."

"You?" She forced a laugh. "What could you possibly miss?"

He pulled her head down to rest on his chest and stroked her hair. "You. Everything here. Everything we've done. My social life has been more active here than at home."

"You must be a hermit."

"Well, Flagstaff is a small town. And lately, I've been so focused."

"On what?"

"Work, mostly."

"Don't you have a girl?" She grinned at him in the dark and wished she could see his face. "I mean, don't you have a woman friend? Don't you go to movies? Play cards? Dance?"

"No."

"Jake, I don't believe that."

"It's true. I'm a loner. I wanted to establish myself at NAU as a full professor. I'm on a tenured track. And you know how it is. They expect publication and research development. I went there fresh from my divorce. I was pretty angry. And bitter. I didn't trust people
. . . women, es
pecially. Donna embodied all my mistrust."