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“You have a contract,” Trevor seethes. “You’re legally obligated to fulfill your obligations, or you can say goodbye to your jobs.”
I try not to let fear sweep through me at the sound of his threat. Stupid, stupid ankle. I didn’t work my ass off to get where I am to let this stupid mistake—or this stupid asshole—take it all away from me.
“I’m taking Charlee back to the lodge.” Oliver’s voice is barely above a whisper, but it’s full of warning. “It’s my professional assessment that she is in no condition to continue this trek and needs medical attention right away.”
“And what about us?” Trevor scoffs. “What about all your rules and safety now, huh?”
“Just go back to where we came from. The path is tricky but pretty straightforward. You have your phones with you. Call someone if you’re lost. I don’t care, honestly. I tried avoiding this exact situation this morning. You deal with it now. Charlee and I will make our way back as fast as we can, considering how much pain she’s in.”
“You’ll hear from our lawyers.”
Oliver shrugs, but I don’t miss the shadow that crosses his face. “Fine by me. Come on, Char. Put your arm around my neck.”
The sharpness of his tone doesn’t fool me, and I would feel sorry for anybody else on the receiving end of it, but I don’t flinch at it. Instead, I pick up on how softly he said my name. Oliver must feel my eyes on him, because he comes closer and slides his arm around my waist, holding me securely against him so my left foot barely grazes the ground.
I dare a glance at Emma, who nods slightly and mouths, I’ll be fine.
I smile, mouthing, I’m so sorry back.
“Unbelievable,” Trevor scoffs, walking off.
Because he’s a solid head and a half taller than me, Oliver has to look way down at me when he says, “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Did we just fuck this entire thing up?”
He presses his lips into a thin line, and again, that dark cloud passes over his face. “I don’t know.”
“Ben will be furious.”
Am I going to lose my job? I don’t know what I’d do if that happened. I have no savings, and nothing to come home to. I’ve made my work my whole life, and it seems like it’s just a matter of time before it’s taken away from me.
Guilt punches my stomach. The Toronto office. Did I just cost twenty people their jobs?
“So will Donna,” Oliver adds, interrupting my downward spiral. “A problem for another day. Let’s get you home safely first.”
I look up, breathing in his scent of pine and earth, made stronger with the rain. “Do you think we made the right choice?”
Oliver squeezes my waist once. “It wasn’t a choice. More like our only option. You can’t go anywhere like this. It’ll already be a challenge to get you back.”
I ponder his words. As much as I hate it, he’s right. I’ve been doing this gig for years, and bodies of water are always fickle under these conditions. This could have been avoided if I had paid more attention to my surroundings.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper above the rain. “I should have anticipated it.”
He offers me a tight smile. I don’t know what he’s hiding, but I can tell there’s something he’s not telling me. “You couldn’t have seen it coming, Charlee. This is not your fault. Nature is unpredictable, and even the best-trained person can’t foresee every possibility. The important thing is that you’re safe.” He eyes the fabric wrapped around my hand. It’s already tinted red. “Let’s clean your hand before we go.”
He drops his bag, digs for the med kit, and pulls out a clean bandage and some antiseptic. With infinite gentleness, he loosens the piece of his shirt tied around my wound. I hiss.
“Sorry.”
“No, no, it’s okay.”
Oliver wastes no time disinfecting the gash, then he wraps it in the new, clean bandage. “Good as new.”
“Thank you. Good thing you’re here.”
He clears his throat as he stows the kit in his bag. “I feel the same way about you.”
I don’t allow myself to take in the meaning behind those words. I sling my arm around his shoulders and hang on tight. His breath catches, but I tune out that too. “All right, let’s do this.”
