“I didn’t break in exactly,” Gabriel amended. “That would have been illegal. It was more like I leaned in. I found an unlocked window. It was helpful that you left a copy of your route on your kitchen table. Good plan.”
Now her brows slid up her forehead to her hairline. “Sloane forced you up the mountain?”
“First, I made some calls to see if we couldn’t get you some help, and help isn’t available right now. There are two massive searches that have pulled people in from the tri-state areas. Resources are stretched thin. Three healthy women who aren’t overdue isn’t going to re-route anyone.”
“Thank you so much. You’re right. I’m not supposed to be home until Saturday night. I can’t imagine that anyone would be willing to go look even if they were facing the wrath of Sloane.”
“Your sister was panicked,” Gabriel said, “and given her condition, I thought, why not go myself?”
“Why not? Wow. I’d say above and beyond.”
“Your sister was very convincing.” There was a stretch of silence between them, and Gabriel felt pressure to add. “It felt like the right thing to do. And selfishly, I’ve had a lot of stress at work lately. I was grateful for the opportunity to get outside for some tree time. Though I’m sorry for how all this is going down.”
“Getting outside and being physical is how I cope with life, especially work.”
“And I got the bonus of a little dopamine from doing a good deed. I appreciated the opportunity.” Yeah, Gabriel heard himself hammering the word opportunity, and he sounded like an idiot.
“I’m so grateful. Thank you.”
“Help is on the way,” Gabriel said. “I’m not sure what I can do for you until they get here.”
“Talking would help if you’re okay with it. Do you have siblings?” Sommer asked.
“An older sister, Cathy, and my brother, Daniel.”
“Daniel and Gabriel.” She stressed the last three letters when she pronounced the names. “Are you twins?”
“I’m three years older.” There was another silence that needed filling. And under the circumstances, Gabriel flailed for the right topic. “Sommer Hayes, that’s poetic.”
“Isn’t it?” Her smile looked tired. “I’ve always loved my name. My sister not so much.”
“Sloane?”
“Yeah, I don’t know what she doesn’t like about it. I prefer mine, for sure, but Sloane is okay, too. To me it sounds royal. To her, it sounds like slug.”
“Do your parents have S names?”
“Parents Harry and Ines. Sloane and I are identical twins. Though she has bigger boobs and stretch marks now.”
“She said her twins' antennae were blasting her and that you were in terrible trouble. Then I arrive here to find you like this with your friends violently ill on the summit. Kudos for the strength of that emergency channel.”
“It happens. I bet mine began to sound since about the time when hers went off.”
“Because she’s pregnant and supposed to be on bed rest?”
“Calm. She’s supposed to keep herself calm because of her blood pressure. And instead, she’s digging up my garden, looking for a key, and lassoing strangers into rescue missions. Thank you, by the way.”
“You’re welcome again. You don’t have to keep thanking me. This is fine. Glad to be here doing this. Look how happy my dog is.”
Sommer turned her head to look. “She is. She’s loving that stick.”
“Do you think your sister’s okay? To be honest, she made me nervous the way she was grabbing at her stomach and wincing.”
“I think that she’s got her husband and medical staff at her disposal. So my full attention is on getting out of this situation and getting help to my friends.”
“It’s got to be hard thinking those thoughts. Should we change the subject?” Gabriel suggested. “Or would you like to sit quietly?”
“No,” Sommer all but shouted. “Please distract me. I’m physically uncomfortable. I’m mentally a mess.”
