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But I did recall waking up sprawled on top of him. I was pretty sure my body was like a heat-seeking missile when it came to Eli. If he was close, I’d find him.
The biologist I’d talked to had pretty much confirmed that seeing a grizzly near our location was unusual, and they caught me up on what was happening with the bear population. Although the sighting was an isolated incident, the grizzlies were starting to get farther and farther away from the park. So biologists and conservationists had their work cut out for them with the local ranchers and farmers to prevent the conflict that would inevitably happen.
I let out a sigh. I didn’t envy the people working on the issue. While they were rejoicing about the possibility of the Yellowstone grizzlies possibly meeting with the Glacier National Park grizzlies someday to ensure better genetics, the fallout from the big bears expanding their territory was daunting.
I walked around the rock face and discovered a makeshift set of stairs behind the incline, obviously an easy way up for new climbers. My classmates were slowly making their way up the steps, but I scrambled up the rocks, needing some activity to keep my blood circulating.
Once on top, I viewed the area. I could see the cabins and so-called tents. We hadn’t wandered very far from the resort, a fact that I was certain Eli had planned.
There were maybe twenty dwellings, each one extravagantly furnished, I was certain. It was definitely a boutique-type place, a location that catered to people who could afford to vacation in the wilderness but retain all the conveniences of the city.
I’d nearly gagged when Eli had told me the price to rent one of his glam tents, and I’d been even more surprised when he shared that they were pretty much booked up year-round with an enormous waiting list.
The lodging we were using was generally kept open for the partners. When they knew nobody was going to be using it for a while, they’d rent it out for an enormous price.
Honestly, I was beginning to think that the resort was a pretty savvy investment. If it was so exclusive that Eli had a huge waiting list, it made people even more willing to drop a fortune for some relaxing time in the woods. Granted, the only people who could really afford to come here had some pretty deep pockets, but there were plenty of wealthy people across the country.
“Are you experienced?” a curious voice asked from behind me.
I turned to see a middle-aged woman who looked terrified.
I smiled at her, hoping to reassure her. “I’ve never rappelled, but I’ve hiked and climbed up plenty of mountains in California.”
“Are you scared?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. And you don’t need to be, either. I’m sure our instructor will make sure we’re all safe.”
I didn’t want to dismiss her trepidation. Maybe I wasn’t afraid, but everyone had different fears. For me, it was just a bunch of boulders stacked on top of each other, but it might look like a scary cliff to her.
“I’m afraid of heights, but my husband thinks it’s silly to worry,” she said, verifying my suspicion that being on top of anything made the woman wary.
“Nobody is going to force you to go,” I said gently.
“My husband will never let me hear the end of it if I don’t. We’re trying to start pushing our boundaries. I might be afraid, but I guess I’ll do okay.”
“If you want to do it, you’ll be great,” I told her.
She patted my forearm and said, “Thanks, honey. You be careful going down,” she warned before she took a few steps back into the group that I assumed contained her unsympathetic husband. By the apparently easy conversation that was going on, I was guessing the other young man was her son.
I decided to go see what was holding Eli and the instructor up when I spied an enormous bird flying over my head. Distracted, I watched it land on a tree at the edge of the woods.
Shading my eyes, I stepped forward to get a closer look, noting that I was close to the edge of the drop. Keeping my feet steady, I reached into my pocket for my camera. With the zoom, I was pretty sure I could get a decent picture.
“Jade! Get away from that fucking edge now!”
I was so focused on getting a photo that Eli’s extremely loud bellow from beneath me startled me. It wasn’t a casual warning. He’d sounded like he was terrified, his voice booming out across the resort.
My foot went a little bit forward as my body startled, and before I could completely correct my balance, I felt myself tilting over the edge.
I flapped my arms like I was the bird I was just watching, but inevitably lost the fight to regain my balance.
I was no bird.
And I was totally unprepared for the fall.
The first thing I felt was the pain from my body hitting the unforgiving rock.
Then there was Eli’s hoarse cry as I hit the hard ground.
After that, there was only darkness.
CHAPTER 16
ELI
“You really need to eat, Eli,” I heard my mother’s voice say in a gentle tone.
My vision was blurred from lack of sleep, but I wasn’t hungry at all.
The last two and a half days had been like a nightmare that I’d experienced while I was completely awake. And I still didn’t feel like I’d been able to step out of my bad dream.
If I lived to be a century old, I knew I’d never forget the sight of Jade lying broken and bleeding at the bottom of the rappel cliff.
I was guessing my fear over the bear had just been a prelude to what was about to come.
And I thought we were doing something relatively safe.
We’d gotten Jade to a small local hospital after her fall, and they’d almost immediately transferred her by air to Billings, where she’d been stabilized. They’d fixed her dislocated shoulder, popping it back into place without major surgery, and she was going to recover from her skull fracture.
Her physician had allowed her to be transferred back to San Diego by air earlier in the day, but she was still in intensive care.
She had woken up several times, but was allowed to sleep again as soon as the medical staff determined that she was as oriented as she could be with pain medication on board.
“Thanks, Mom, but I’m not hungry,” I muttered, keeping Jade’s smaller hand clutched in mine.
I felt a hand clap on my shoulder. “Dude, you need to take a break. We’re all here now. We got this. Go eat and get some sleep.”
I looked up to match the voice with the face. For the most part, Jade’s brothers all sounded alike.
It was Noah, and he had a determined look on his face.
“I’m good,” I protested.
“She’s not going to die while you go take care of yourself,” he rumbled. “And you’re not doing her any good by getting this sleep deprived.”
“I’ll sit by her side while you’re gone,” a soft, feminine voice said from my other side.
I glanced up at Jade’s twin, Brooke, as she nudged me to move off the chair.
Standing up reluctantly, I watched as Jade’s sister took my place. “Go,” she instructed. “Jade wouldn’t want you to wear yourself out like this, Eli. You were with her for over two days when she needed you. Let us help now.”
There were several bodies present around the room. Since Jade wasn’t considered critical, they allowed all of us to hang out in the private room.
