Page 3 of The Mountain Man's Determined Bride

“Hey, watch where you’re pushing there, that hurts.” Luke tried to set himself up as his bones and muscles protested, then he removed a glove and touched where Duchess had pushed on his head. When he pulled his hand away it was warm…with a sticky liquid spread across his fingers.

“Oh, that’s probably not good.” He dug out one of his old t shirts from his bag, tore it up and wrapped it around his head to stop the bleeding. He thought had a facemask he could put on to hold the material in place.

He then surveyed his surroundings, not that he could see much with the trees overhead and very little moon shine filtering through. No matter, he needed to find some shelter. It was obvious he wasn’t making it anywhere tonight, especially on foot and he wasn’t sure he had enough strength to get back up on his horse. Duchess followed along behind slowly until they came to a small patch of Christmas pines all grown close together.

“Perfect. I’ll tie you to the tree and I’m going to huddle down under the lower branches. Don’t step on me.” Luke talked to Duchess like she was as human as he. At least he wasn’t stuck out there alone. He just hoped someone at dispatch had heard his last attempts at transmitting before his radio died.

Chapter Three

Somewhere in front of her, Morgan could hear commotion, much like the sounds Pepper was making as she trampled the snow along the trail. It was a huge risk coming out into enemy territory in the middle of the night; hard telling what kind of animals were roaming or hunting. Glad now that she’d grabbed the spotlight, she could clearly see the noise up aheadwas from another horse. It was saddled too, which meant there was a rider somewhere. Maybe this was the lost hiker’s horse. As she came alongside the mare, it’s prancing revealed a snow-covered person huddled on the ground at its feet.

“Oh no!”

Morgan immediately slid off of Pepper, her search and rescue training unconsciously kicking into gear at the sight of the balled-up mass not moving an inch. If the person was still alive, it was only by a thread, and she hoped he hadn’t been trampled by his own horse.

Getting down as close as she dared, not knowing what to expect, Morgan touched the person’s shoulder, shaking it a bit to see if there was any reaction.

“Hey, are you okay? Sir, can you hear me? My name is Morgan and I’m part of the search and rescue team looking for a lost hiker.” To her dismay, there was no sign of life from the person. She removed the glove from her right hand and worked her fingers inside the stranger’s duster to his neck, looking for a pulse.

His skin was bitter cold. “Whew. We’ve got one Pepper. It’s not much but this guy is still alive.” Morgan stood back stroking Pepper’s neck while she contemplated how she would get the hiker back to the cabin. It was her only option. Town was too far away, especially in the dead of night in less than stellar conditions. She definitely couldn’t carry him but maybe she could figure out a way to hoist him up across his horse and lead the mare back that way.

“This works so much better with a team of EMT’s or at least a conscious victim. Maybe I should try to warm him up a bit?” She looked at her horse, not expecting an answer but gota little nudge with his cold nose. “Okay, but you did not see me do this, got it!” On any other mission she had ever been on, they carried portable equipment and heat blankets with them, but she was on vacation dang it. She wasn’t prepared for this. It would be her fault if this guy died and no way did she want to shoulder that kind of burden.

Without another thought, she brushed the snow off the man and removed his blanket then opened her own jacket and kind of just lay herself down over the man, her chest molding to his frozen back.

“Oh, good Lord, that’s so cold.” At least her body heat might bring his temperature up, even if just a few degrees at a time which was his safest bet. Raising it too fast might throw him into shock.

“Alright Pepper, how long has it been?” Not like her horse could tell time but it seemed like she’d been hovered there for an hour and who else was there for her to talk to. She felt for the man’s pulse again.

“Ha, it’s a tiny bit stronger. Okay sir, we’re doing it. You’re going to be alright.”If I can get you back to my cabin by myself that is.

Morgan felt compelled to keep up the warming just a little bit longer and wasn’t disappointed when she felt a tiny bit of movement from the man.

Yes!

“Sir, can you hear me?” All she got was a muffled murmur, but it was enough because that meant he could hear her. She stood and squirmed back into her parka trying to get some feeling back herself as she moved around to face the man. She couldn’t see his features fully with a ski mask in place. Shecontinued to talk, hoping to rouse him more because she needed to get him out of the snow.

“I need you to try and help me as much as you can, okay? We’re going to get you up off this cold ground and see about getting you on your horse.” She knew it was a long shot, but it was his only chance of survival.

Slowly Morgan picked up the man’s arm and positioned it around her shoulder so she could hold his weight once he was standing.

“Okay, now try to move your legs and get them under you when I start to lift. Take it slow though, I’m sure they’re frozen kinda stiff.” The guttural groans coming from the man told her that at least feeling pain meant he was still alive even though she felt awful for having to move him this way.

* * * *

Luke was sure he’d heard a faint voice that sounded just like Morgan as he drifted in and out of consciousness. If this was his time to go then he couldn’t think of a better melody to fade away to. He couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed at the thought of not ever seeing her again or ever kissing her soft lips.

Wait.

There it was again.I knew I heard a voice.If I could just concentrate on the words.

Is that Morgan? Maybe I’m not dying after all.

Am I moving? Wait, somebody must be shaking me because as hard as I try, I sure can’t do it on my own…what’s happening? Did I not make it to the cabin at all then? If only I could open my eyes or talk.

Luke woke with a throbbing headache, afraid to open his eyes and find out where he was but at least he was warm. Was it real or just a dream? Had he died and been graced with the pleasure of going to Heaven? He sat up slowly and careful, every bone and muscle in his body protesting, then begrudgingly forced his muscles to make his eye lids open. It took a minute for his pupils to adjust but when they did, he glanced around and knew she’d been the one to rescue him, or had he made it here on his own?

Luke racked his brain trying to remember what happened. He knew he’d been riding Duchess up the trail toward Morgan’s family’s cabin, but they’d gotten lost somehow. Then something either spooked his horse, or she stumbled and sent him tumbling to the ground. He remembered the blood from his head, having to cover it with his shirt and then trying to find some shelter. It was all blank after that except hearing sporadic bouts of conversation and enduring loads of pain.