Uncontrollable (The Nature of Grace, Book 2) (13 page)

About a mile in, I notice how quiet she and Wyn are today. They’re no longer the cooing doves they’ve been since we started. I wonder if he told Skyler about our dinner the other night. How we teased, dueled in thumb wars, and avoided drudging up on the sad details we both missed in each other’s lives. The good part was that our friendship clicked right back into place as if nothing was ever broken.

I glance around as we hike and breathe out a long exhale. The magic of the woods has returned wrapped up in its brand-new blanket of winter snow. The air smells of wet pine, and the towering white trees add a whole new dimension above. Rhododendrons recently laden with snow droop along the path, exhausted from the extra weight. Green sprouts punch through the fresh snow, trying to escape the smothering load. Scattered light breaks up the shadowy forest refusing to be dimmed by the winter gloom.

About a mile in, we meet up with a small creek. The moving river hops over little waterfalls, carving out tiny ice formations in the frozen snow. Icicles reach down toward the river, hoping to tickle its glassy surface. I stand hypnotized by the roaring sound of the pure spring water somersaulting over the rocks that have been smoothed and rounded by years of erosion and weather.

Wyn calls out from a few yards ahead. “Looks like there’s a shortcut.”

I yell after him. “I think we should stick to the path.”

I trail Skyler and him until they stop. The creek has widened a bit, and the only way to get to the other side is to walk over a tree that’s fallen across the freezing water. Unless we go around.

Skyler shakes her head. “No way. I can’t walk on that.”

Wyn grabs her hand. “Yes, you can. It’s only about seven feet across.”

For once, I’m on Skyler’s side and it sucks. “Wyn, come on. Let’s be smart and stick to the plan.”

“How is going a mile out of our way smart? I don’t want to be out here any longer than I have to.” He ignores my warning and faces her. “This will save us tons of time. We’ll be able to get warm faster. I still owe you that hot chocolate.”

She smiles and bats her eyes like a fake baby doll. “Yeah you do.” But then she peers over the side at the small ravine leading into the water. “But what if I slip? That’s gotta be like a twenty-foot drop.”

Seeing as Skyler knows as much about distance as she does plant species, I can’t help but correct her. “More like ten.”

Wyn looks at me from the front of the line and frowns. “Yeah, that’s not helping, G. Some moral support for your teammate would be nice.”

I shrug. “Sorry. I was just clarifying.” I reach out and pat her shoulder a little harder than I should. “Come on, Sky, Wyn’s right. All you have to do is tightrope seven feet across a six-inch log suspended ten feet over a cold and icy river. And all while wearing fancy boots with pretty pom poms. What are you worried about?”

I glance up at Wyn and smile. “Is that better?”

He ignores me and takes Skyler’s hand, leading her to the edge. “Let’s just move.”

Skyler leans over the edge and mumbles, “Okay, I guess.”

Everything in me screams
Bad idea
! “Wyn, please,” I say.

He frowns. “Can you just let me lead for once?”

I back down, not wanting to rock the flimsy boat we’ve just barely pieced back together.

He holds his hands up. “You wait here. I’ll go first to be sure it’s uber safe.”

Uber? Definitely not a Wyn word. I mumble to myself, “The foolish hero’s last words.” Dad used to always say,
the best way to prove a hero wrong is to let him have his way
.

Wyn hugs Skyler and kisses her forehead, making me want to stick my finger down my throat. Sometimes getting sick is better than feeling sick. Though seconds later, a pang of jealousy washes over me. Mo used to protect me the way Wyn tries to protect Skyler. And I miss it.

Wyn starts to walk across the nature-made bridge. He teeters in the middle from the awkward weight of the backpack and almost falls off.

I stop him. “Wait. Let me hold the pack while you cross, and I’ll throw it over to you.”

He nods. “Good idea.”

He tosses me the pack and easily tightropes across the thin log. I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until he reaches the other side. To be honest, I expected him to fall since his shoes have zero traction, which would have given us an excuse to bail on this tricky plan. At this point, I just want us all to get over safely so I can stop kicking myself for giving in to Wyn’s wilderness whims.

He hollers out to Skyler. “Your turn. Now just take it slow, and you’ll be fine.”

Skyler steps forward, one foot in front of the other. She gets about halfway out when her pretty fur boots struggle to grip onto the frosty log. She slips and lands on the tree, clutching the bark as she slides off.

“Help!” she screams.

Instinctively, I lunge forward to try and grab her hand, but she can’t hold on long enough. Her fingers slip, and she screams as she drops into the freezing creek. At the bottom, she doesn’t move.

Wyn drops to his knees and looks over the side. “Jesus! Skyler! Are you okay?”

I jump off the end of the log and slide down the embankment with Wyn hollering like a banshee across from me. All I’m focused on is getting Skyler out of the creek as soon as possible. In this weather, being wet is the kiss of death. When I reach her, she cries out in pain. Her right leg is twisted underneath her in an awkward way, and a gash slices across her forehead.

Before I move her, I check in to see how severe the injuries are. “Are you okay?”

She whimpers but somehow still manages to grit out, “I… I don’t know.”

Wyn comes sliding down the opposite embankment. “Is she okay? Please tell me she’s okay.”

“She’s fine, no thanks to your brilliant idea.” I ignore Wyn’s questions. “Skyler, I need you to get out of the water and it’s going to hurt.”

Surprisingly she doesn’t argue. But when she tries to stand, she screams. A flock of birds scatters from a nearby tree.

Skyler doesn’t move so I grab an arm and quickly yank her up onto the embankment. A primal noise escapes her lips followed by sobs.

“Sorry, but you can’t sit in that water.” I mutter as I inspect her head. Thankfully, the wound is not too deep. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine.” I pull a bandana out of my bag and wrap it around her head. “Does it hurt?”

She just nods with a quivering lip.

Wyn comes sloshing through the water to Skyler’s side.

I look at him and frown. “Jesus, Wyn! Why in the world would you get wet on purpose? Don’t you know anything?”

He looks surprised. “What do you mean?”

I point to his shoes. “Your feet are drenched. That’s like Rule #1 in Boys Scouts’ winter survival.”

“How would you know? Aren’t you a girl?”

I refrain from mumbling
idiot
under my breath and pull out the first aid kit from the pack as he kneels next to Skyler. By now, she’s wailing.

“What’s the damage?” he says.

I talk over her sobs and give it to them straight up. “Her leg is obviously broken, but it doesn’t seem like she has a concussion or a head injury. We need to move her up to dryer land so I can splint her leg. Then I need to warm her up while you go get help. Because from the looks of it, she won’t be able to walk out of here.”

Skyler whimpers as Wyn pulls me out of her ear’s reach. “Me go? Alone?” He puts both hands on his head. “Are you serious?”

“No, I’m joking.” I hit his shoulder. “ Of course, I’m serious.”

“Why can’t I just carry her out? She can’t weigh more than 120 pounds.”

I rub my temples. “Two miles? In those shoes? You’d never make it. Not to mention, she’s wet, and I’m assuming she doesn’t have a change of clothes. I need to get her dry and warmed up before hypothermia sets in.”

“Holy crap! I thought that only happened on Mount Everest,” he says.

Wyn pulls the walkie-talkie out of the backpack and tries to radio for help. The static that answers is quickly drowned out by Skyler’s yelps and moans.

I look at the hills stretching up on both sides of us. “We’re in a valley. It probably won’t work unless you get higher up.”

He starts to climb the slippery slope, and I tug on his arm. “Let’s just get her situated first. Before she goes into shock.”

I face Skyler, who’s shivering and pale as the snow. “I need to get you up on flat land so I can support your leg. Then Wyn will go for help. Do you understand?”

She nods through the tears streaming down her face. “Will it hurt?”

I don’t even bother to sugarcoat it. “Like you won’t believe. But only for a minute. Or two. You can do this.”

Wyn and I each grab an arm. “On the count of three. One… two… three!”

Wyn and I heave Skyler off the mud embankment. The horrible sound that comes out of her mouth brings tears to my eyes. I’ve heard that primal sound once before. The day in the woods when Dad got shot, he made a similar sound. My eyes water at the memory as I help move Skyler up the embankment. She screams the whole way, and I can’t stop tears from falling. I hate to see anyone in that amount of pain. Even her.

It seems to take forever until we reach the top. Once we set her down on a bed of pine needles, she stops screaming and sobs hysterically.

Wyn sits next to her and tucks the tarp around her legs to keep her warm as I get to work.

I take out the scissors and cut her pants up to the thigh. “The blood is from a gash in your thigh, so luckily the wound is closed. No showing bones.”

Skyler speaks between sniffs. “Oh, lucky me.”

I find two solid branches that are the proper length and cut off any protrusions with my knife. I line the sticks on both sides of her legs, hip to ankle, and use my extra sweatshirt as padding. “Wyn, give me your t-shirt.”

He slips his shirt off and hands it to me. “I hope you know this is one of my favorite shirts.”

I ignore him and rip it into strips. Then I tie the material tightly around the sticks to stabilize her leg. The whole process takes me about ten minutes.

When I’m done, I sit back. “There! Good as new.”

Skyler wipes her face with her mittens and starts to shiver. “Now what?”

“Now we need to find some shelter and warm you up while Wyn goes for help.”

A horrified look washes over her face. “You mean, you have to move me again?”

I nod. “Yes, but it shouldn’t hurt as bad this time because your leg is supported.”

Wyn takes her hand. “I’ll help you.”

He puts her arm over his neck and lifts. Skyler bites her lips as she stands. I have to hand it to Wyn, he works hard to get her up that hill.

At the top, she collapses, her body shaking uncontrollably. “I… I need to sleep.”

“No!” I bark. “You have to stay awake.” I quickly pull Wyn aside. “Listen, you need to go get help fast, before it gets dark. Or she could be in serious trouble.”

“What about you?”

I scan the woods. “I’ll find shelter around here and get a fire going until you bring back help. She can’t make the hike, and I need to get her warm immediately.”

He glances around the woods. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am not a woodsy kind of guy.”

“You don’t have a choice, Mr. Let’s Cross the Raging River. So buck up and pull it together.”

He glances back at Skyler, who is lying in the snow, eyes closed. He nods slowly as if he’s not sure. “Okay. Where do I go?”

I pull a map and compass out of the bag and point to the route. “Just follow this. Stay to the trail. If you head northeast, it will take you to the meeting point.”

“Northeast by northwest?”

I scowl. “Very funny. Be serious.”

He rolls the map and sticks it in his back pocket. “I got it. Don’t worry.”

I hand him the radio. “Here. Please don’t get lost. She might not make it.”

“No pressure.” He walks over to Skyler and kneels. “I’ll be back. Try not to have too much fun without me on your Girls’ Day Away.”

She grips onto his hand. “Don’t go. Please.”

He pats her hand. “This is my fault. I gotta get help, or she’ll never let me live it down.”

I roll my eyes while I look through the first aid kit for aspirin.

Skyler pulls him closer and hisses in his ear. “I can’t stay here. With her. Alone.”

“You don’t have a choice. You’re in bad shape.” I notice he looks at me to see if I’m listening, then he lowers his voice. “Give Grace a chance. She might be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she’s the best. And she knows what to do. You’re safe with her.”

Skyler mumbles. “Figures you’d say that.”

Wyn kisses her forehead and comes over to me. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”

I lean on one leg and cross my arms. “Are
you
? I think you need to worry about getting out of here and bringing back help for her. I can take care of myself.”

Wyn salutes me as if he’s off to war. “See you later, Miss Independent.”

And with that he disappears into the snowy trees.

I glance over at Skyler, who is glaring at me.

It’s going to be a long day.

Survival Skill #11

Most wild animals do not consider human beings prey and are not likely to attack unless threatened in some way
.