“That’s okay. Uh, well, a new plan then. I’ll climb out and go get help,” he offered. “You should get cozy in your car until I come back.”
He glanced up at the night sky that was now spitting rain down on us randomly.
A couple hours. Alone. In the dark. With the rain picking up and the forest pressing in and whatever was out there watching from the shadows.
Anxiety flared through me, and I took an involuntary step toward him, stopping just short of clutching at his sweater in a panic. “Please don’t leave me here.”
The words tumbled out before I could stop them, and I hated how desperate they sounded. I was a grown-ass woman. But I was also completely out of my element. “I know that’s ridiculous, but I really don’t want to be alone out here.”
“It won’t take more than an hour or two.”
But I shook my head and begged, “Please?”
He was quiet for a long moment, curiously searching my face. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but whatever it was, he seemed to find it.
“Okay,” he nodded once. “I won’t leave you here.”
The relief that flooded through me was so intense it made my knees weak. “Thank you. I’ll just sleep in my car. I’ll be fine, I just didn’t want to be alone.”
But he shook his head. “Naw. You can’t sleep in your car. The temperature’s going to drop into the forties tonight, maybe lower with the rain. You’ll get too cold after you run all the gas out of your car.”
The reality of this situation was starting to dawn on me. I stared up at the top of the gate, reconsidering. “Maybe I can try.”
“Sure, that’s a good plan. Let’s try.” He motioned to the first bar on the gate, “Put your foot here, Leah.”
He remembered my name.
That put a happy little thrill in my heart. Even if he still hadn’t told me his.
I did as he asked, clutching the vertical bars while I stepped up onto the first horizontal rail on the gate.
It shook a little, and he put his hands on my hips to steady me.
“You got it. Good girl. Now reach here,” he rumbled.
“You’re good at this. You could be a teacher.”
A tiny laugh grunted out of him. “I kind of am. But not a fence-climbing teacher.”
“What kind of teacher are you, mystery man?” I asked as I hung from the gate, clutching it with all my strength, terrified to go higher.
“Oh, uh. I take tourists like you out on wilderness tours. I’m Jameson, by the way. Are you ready to take the next step?”
I was hanging on the gate, terrified to go higher, but with his calm voice guiding me, I found the courage to put my foot up on the next crossbar.
Then I pushed up. I was four feet off the ground now, remembering why I didn’t like to climb ladders when panic set in.
“Uh, nice to meet you, Jameson. I might be a little afraid of heights. I don’t think I can do this.”
But his voice was right behind me, strong and steady, lending me confidence. “I bet you can if you really want to. But it’s okay if you don’t. You’re in charge, hon. You see the next crossbar, right?”
A tiny squeak escaped out of my mouth as I tried to pull myself up. I reached for it, scrabbling for purchase, then just as I lifted myself up, I started to slip.
As I fell, a loud squawk of shock burst out of me.
But I didn’t hit the rough pavement below,no.I landed in someverystrong, muscular arms. The scent of sawdust and forest mysteries landed in my nose, and I realized I was smellinghim. He was spicy and smoky, and a little bit wild.
“It’s okay, Leah. I got you. Are you all right?”
