Steven didn’t recover as well.
Thrown off balance, he lost his footing. Tottered on the edge, arms flailing.
But he couldn’t defy gravity.
A second later he pitched over the edge, his scream echoing ... fading ... as he disappeared from view.
Shock reverberated through the silent air.
Until Cara’s sudden, quiet sob propelled Brad into action.
He erased the distance between them in several long strides and wrapped her in his arms as tremors racked her body.
Or were the tremors his?
Didn’t matter.
She was safe. That was all that counted.
Murmuring comforting words, he held her until she at last eased back within the circle of his arms, the distress in her eyes almost palpable.
“How will we ever tell Natalie about this? Steven was all the family she had.”
Brad stared at her.
After all she’d been through, her first thought was about Natalie rather than her own near-death experience?
If he wasn’t already half in love with her, her incredible unselfishness and compassion would have given him a major push along that road.
“I’ll handle that. But first, I need to check on Steven.” Not that there was much urgency. The odds of surviving a fall from such a height were infinitesimal. “Are you up to walking down the trail with me?”
“Yes. I want off this cliff as fast as possible.”
“I hear you. Let’s go.”
He took the lead on the steep track, calling Larry during the descent with an update and a request that he have an ambulance dispatched. Just in case.
By the time they arrived at the bottom, his chief deputy was striding down the path.
“Ambulance is on the way.” Larry glanced at Cara. Back at him. “You want to stay with the professor while I get a read on the situation?”
“Yes. Thanks. We’ll go back to the house. Text me with whatever you find. The next trail you come to will take you to the cliff base.”
“Got it.”
Larry continued down the path, and Brad folded Cara’s icy hand in his. If anything, her trembling was worse.
Not surprising.
Reaction was setting in.
“Let’s stop at your cottage for a minute. You can get a drink and tell me what happened before I talk to Natalie.”
“He killed Micah, Brad.” Her irises began to shimmer.
Theory confirmed.
“Did he admit that?”
