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“You’re not serious.”
“‘Fraid so, princess.”
“Jay, she can’t walk in this.” Ryan, thankfully the voice of reason, spoke up. “She’s hardly dressed properly.”
“She has no other choice.”
Erika felt the blood drain from her face. “W-walking to-o where exactly?”
He looked down at her with a frown. Though she wouldn’t have considered it filled with concern. “Home.”
That was when she began to shake uncontrollably. This couldn’t be happening to her. Her head pounded loudly in her own ears. With a cry, she collapsed to the ground at Jay’s feet.
“Erika!” Ryan called out and ran to her side.
Jay muttered with something like annoyance edging his voice, then stepped aside to let Ryan kneel beside her. “Now’s not the time to play drama queen, Erika. If you would like to see the morning I suggest you get that fancy ass of yours up off the ground and start walking.”
“Jay, for Christ sakes, have pity. She’s just had a terrible fall.”
It was the first time Erika had ever heard Ryan swear. She blinked and then heard Jay curse in return before her body was heaved up into a sitting position. Their heads became level and Erika found herself looking directly into his eyes. She was amazed by how remarkably blue they appeared. Usually a cool shade of gray, however, outside beneath the reflection of both the snow and sky, his irises appeared an almost twilight shade of blue accentuated with silver streaks of light.
A feeling of unease came over her suddenly, and she wanted nothing more than to pull out of his hold. However, his eyes were holding her spellbound. He seemed to be searching for something, and after what felt far too long, Erika came to her senses and tried to pull herself free. Immediately, he dropped his hands and she felt her body slump back down into the snow.
“She’s fine. Will probably have a nice size goose egg on her head, but I think she’ll live.” His tone of voice held no sympathy.
“Can you get up, sweetheart?”
Erika snarled at Jay’s backside before she realized he was walking in the opposite direction of the lake and toward the trail leading home. “Why’s he going that way? The settler’s farms are in the opposite direction.”
“The ice on the lake is not strong enough for us to cross safely. We would have to go around.” Ryan looked down at her with concern. “It would more than likely take just as long.”
She could hardly believe her ears. Looking imploringly upon Ryan she silently begged him to help her out of this situation. There was no way she could walk all the way home. Especially in those boots. “I can’t do it.”
“Come on, sweetheart, you’re going to have to try.”
Glancing in the direction where Jay had gone, she noticed he had already disappeared into the thicket. Though his footprints were still very clear, she knew Ryan did not want to get too far behind. Erika felt vile taint her blood as she watched Jay’s shadow disappear as well. She would have liked nothing more than to sit on that hump of snow and wait for someone to come rescue them. But just as swiftly, she realized her grandfather knew nothing of her whereabouts.
Exhaling heavily, she struggled up onto unsteady feet and began walking. Immediately her hip gave off a violent spasm. She cried out and Ryan immediately reached out and grabbed her hand.
“My hip. I think I broke it in the fall.”
He was seriously beginning to look panicky and Erika was glad. She didn’t like being the only one who thought this situation wasn’t something worth screaming about. “Jay!”
All the good that would do, Erika thought with irritation. More than likely, he had already left them behind for the bears and wolves to enjoy for dinner. A sound came from the bush and when she looked up, he broke through the clearing.
“Now what?”
“Erika hurt her hip when she fell.”
His gaze immediately shot to her face and she knew he was more than likely fighting to conceal his annoyance. He studied her from a distance before crossing it in three easy strides.
“Where?”
“On my hip.”
He scowled and said, “I realize that. Where on your hip?”
She frowned and gestured in the general area. “Here.”
