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“Grab the rope!” Sam barked.
She had to open and close her eyes several times, trying to focus. Her hands hurt from the scraping they received as she slid down the hill, trying to grasp a hold of something.
“Ivy, grab the damn rope!”
Believe it or not, his anger drew her focus back. With determination, she clawed the rope and hung on, praying he would not drop her. The rope dug into her flesh as he tightened his hold and heaved her upward. Ivy’s boots scraped the rocky surface, trying desperately to get a better grip and take some of the slack off her waist. Pain seared every inch of her body, but she focused on reaching the crest.
When her feet at last touched the top, she could have dropped back down and kissed the earth, so grateful to feel it beneath herself once more. However, Sam hauled her up in order to give her his best mean scowl as he bellowed, “What the hell is wrong with you? Were you trying to kill us?”
“Of course not!”
“Why the hell wouldn’t you grab the rope?”
Anger swiftly wiped out the fear still clinging to her bones. “I didn’t want to be climbing this damn wall, but ye insisted.”
She felt a spark of satisfaction when a look of remorse crossed his face. Even if it was momentary.
As he turned away, Ivy glanced around and noted it might have been drier in that particular part of the forest, but it was definitely a lot more open to high winds. She brushed aside the hair blowing across her face and followed Sam to a huge tree where he tied her arms around the bark as if she were hugging it. Her fingertips barely touched.
“Not going to take any chances with you escaping while I sleep.”
“Ye intend for me to sleep out here? Like this?”
His eyes briefly looked at her before continuing his task of securing her hands on the opposite side of the tree. “Looks like we’re a little short on beds.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “I thought y’were some kind of wildlife expert. Why don’t ye be building us a shelter or something?”
“Sorry, I’m not staking roots. The sooner we get to Fort William, the better.”
“But I’ll freeze to death out here.”
Giving the rope a final tug, he shot her a steely look. “Less of a burden on me then I reckon.”
She felt herself go cold all over. The fact he cared less whether she lived or died, bothered Ivy more than she minded. He certainly wouldn’t be the first.
She watched as he got himself comfortable against a tree. They exchanged no other words. Apparently, Sam enjoyed her company as much as she enjoyed his. As she stood there and watched as he finally drifted off to sleep, she wondered if there would ever be someone who entered her life and care for her the way she needed. Even before she had a chance to fully complete the thought, she knew the answer.
The remainder of her life would be spent being punished for what she had done. It was what she deserved. Her mother had once told her, every person set their own course in life. Once set, could never be altered.
Another wind swept past her, sending a chill to sweep over her. Her eyes strayed to peak at her captor who was fast asleep. He was burrowed down into the warmth of his lined oilskin jacket, his cowboy hat pulled down to protect his face. She envied him at that moment. What she wouldn’t give for warmth and sleep.
However, she knew there would be neither for her. Her cloak barely provided any protection from the northern climate. And the fact was she would not sleep. She could not, would not, trust this stranger. This man.
Even with him sleeping, she couldn’t be certain he would not wake and need to relieve some sadistic male urge on her. Ivy had witnessed it far too many times.
The night became cooler until it was downright unbearable. She shivered violently against the tree several times, not even able to rub herself warm. Her limbs grew numb. Her mind began to drift. Not to sleep, but rather in hallucinations. Many times, she thought she heard something in the woods. Or saw a dark shadow flicker between the trees. Images of a bear leaping out and devouring her alive nearly had her calling out his name. Then reality would kick in momentarily.
The smell of spruce and pine swayed back and forth in the cold night. A small lull in the wind came over the hilltop, causing an unexpected silence to fill the forest. It was too far into autumn for much small life to wander through the woods in the cold of night.
Her eyes grew heavy and she found herself forcing them open far too often. When at last she felt something on her cheek, she literally had to use every muscle in her neck to turn and look. The first warm glow of the morning sun stroked her face. Dawn had arrived. The night’s darkness finally lifted. Sam stirred, before waking rather quickly.
His hazel eyes stared at her across the small clearing separating them. He was frowning hard about something, then turned abruptly to watch the rising sun, his hand raking his fingers under his hat and through his stringy hair.
Getting up, he dug into his satchel bag, removed something, and then headed to Ivy. When he held out a single
red apple, she stared at it as if it was Eve offering the poisonous fruit. If he thought offering her food and water would soften Ivy, he was horribly wrong. With a turn of her head, she rejected it.
He sighed. “You’re going to have to eat and drink sometime.”
