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ChapterThirty-Three
Aidyn glanced at Grace, who still sat on the edge of her bed, wringing her hands together.
“Now we just need to figure out how to get her down the mountain.”
Elena moved to the back of the cabin and he and his teammates chatted about how to get Grace down the mountain.
He asked Addy, “Can she walk?”
“She says yes, but she’s slow. Her energy levels are low, she tires. The only thing I can think of is we’ll need to take turns helping her down.”
Tate shook his head. “It’ll take too long the way we came up.”
Spencer nodded. “I agree. What if one of us goes down the mountain and drives a truck around to the side nearest Glen Hollow. If we take her down that way, we can drive partially up the mountain and get Grace into the truck from there.”
“They’ll hear that for certain.”
Elena came back to the table. “I have a plan. I’ll tell Craig I’ll have a baby for him if he lets Mama go down to get help.”
“No.” His stomach knotted and he felt like vomiting. After punching something that is.
“I’m not going to do it Aidyn. Just buy some time.”
“He won’t let you out of his sight if that’s the case.”
“I’ll tell him I have to take her down myself.”
“And what if he escorts you down there?”
“I’ll have to deal with that. But he hates it down there so I can’t see him going down the mountain.”
“But, if he does. What then? Or what if he tells you he has to sleep with you first then he’ll let you take your mom down there?”
She opened her mouth but closed it.
He watched the emotions flit across her face. Her shoulders sank and she lay a hand across her tummy. It occurred to him then, when they’d had sex in the shower, they didn’t use protection. What if she was pregnant with his child right now? The thought scared and excited him.
“No, Elena. We can’t risk it. He’s unpredictable and he’s not stupid.”
“I’ve given him no reason to think I’d leave and stay down there.”
“By asking for a doctor from town to look at your mom, you’re essentially saying you don’t trust the doctor you have up here.”
“She’s not a real doctor. She’s a medicine woman at best.”
“What have others done when they’ve been sick?”
Her eyes watered as she stared at the fireplace and his heart dropped. “They died.” She sniffed. “My dad, died.”
He moved to her, like a magnet connecting without resistance. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Over her head he saw Grace watching them. Grace smiled softly and nodded.
She stood and waited a moment to gain her balance then ambled toward them. He loosened his hold on Elena and she turned toward her mom.
Grace laid her hand on Adelaide’s shoulder and squeezed.
“Why don’t you all go back down and I’ll get myself down the hill this morning.”
“Mama, you can’t do that.”
