14. Fumble #2
She groaned as she stood, slower than usual, but she seemed okay. Taking a step toward the slope he’d come down, she did fine at first, but the moment her right foot hit the ground, she hissed. “Ouch. And an ankle sprain.”
“How bad?” He laced his arm around her, blotted the blood that had trailed down again, then held steady for her.
Holding her own weight, she tried the foot again. Again, she hissed, but completed the step without wavering. “Not bad.”
“Well, I’ve had a few dozen sprains over the years, trust me, don’t push it. If you can get back to the cars on it, we’ll ice it tonight and you can pop a few ibuprofen.”
“Okay.” She nodded, looking up at him. Her hair was a muddy mess.
His sweatshirt was coming apart at the arm where she must have gotten caught on a rock on the way down.
Nausea filled his stomach, threatening to pitch out his lunch as he pictured what could have happened, how that sleeve could have been her skull.
Still, whatever she got caught on might have slowed the fall enough that she wasn’t worse off.
Steadying her, even though he seemed to need it more than she did, he wrapped his arms around her waist. Running his thumb across her forehead, he brushed her hair out of her face and dabbed the trail of blood again.
Turning, she looked up the hill. Unable to let go, he followed her gaze.
The others stood staggered, far enough back from the ledge to avoid triggering another slide. Grady wore a puzzled expression, somewhere between I’m going to kick your ass, and something less antagonistic. Maybe appreciative, but it was too soon to tell, as he looked as stunned as the rest of them.
Haley took the scrap of sleeve from his trembling hand and wiped her own forehead this time, then stuffed it in her pocket. Asher and Sophie were climbing up the other side, Sophie a bit wobbly, limping a bit more than Haley, but good.
Finn stayed within arm’s reach. As the adrenaline waned, his knee threatened to give out if he moved wrong.
Halting, Haley glared down at his knee. “Dammit, Finn. You didn’t wreck your knee, did you?”
Shaking his head, he denied everything.
She raised her eyebrows, resting her hands on her hips. The dust coating her like Pigpen from Peanuts took the threat out of the admonishment, but she looked damn cute doing it. Maybe she’d let him help clean her up later in a long, hot shower.
“Okay, so it’s a bit angry. We’ll both sport icepacks and ibuprofen with our legs propped up tonight.”
Smiling and shaking her head, wincing from the concussion that was undoubtedly going to hurt for the next few days, she turned and continued the climb back up to the others.
Sophie and Asher reached the top of the other side of the peak just before they did, looking equally shell-shocked. Sophie moved toward her backpack, but Asher wouldn’t let her hand go, pulling her into his arms again.
As soon as they reached the top, Grady threw his arms around Haley and mumbled, “Don’t do that again you scared the shit out of me.”
She nodded and pulled away, walking with a slight hitch in her step toward her backpack. “Scared you? One minute I was admiring the view, the next I was ten feet lower and covered in dirt.”
Nodding, Grady ran a hand through his hair again. “Yeah, there is that. You okay? Really? Good to hike back down? We can alternate piggy backs if you need it.”
She laughed and said, “I’m fine. Thanks though.”
So damn stubborn. After taking the supplies he needed, Asher tossed Finn the first aid kit someone had brilliantly thought to bring. Catching it, he caught up to Haley.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled, still hobbling toward the trail.
“I know you are, but I’ll feel better if I know that wound’s clean.”
She dropped her backpack and sat on the nearest boulder. Finn accepted a squirt of hand sanitizer from Pippa and scrubbed his hands, then rinsed again with the unopened water bottle from his backpack. He knelt down in front of Haley and swept her hair out of her face again.
Haley bit down on her cheek as he rinsed the gash on her forehead, silencing a whimper before it escaped.
“I know, I’m so sorry,” he crooned. It would be easier if she’d cry out.
Watching her blink away the tears, before they rolled down her cheeks, throttled him right in the Adam’s apple.
He opened a package of steri-strips from the kit and closed the wound as best he could, then bandaged her up with gauze and tape.
He wrapped the ace bandage around her ankle, wishing she’d accept the offer of piggybacks down the hill, but the jostling wouldn’t help her concussion.
Sophie limped over and smiled. “You guys doing okay?”
Haley hoisted herself up from the boulder. She went to pick up her backpack, but Finn snatched it before she could. “I got it,” he said.
She nodded and started down the trail. She tried to hide the sprain, but he could see her favoring it. Sophie limped alongside her, the pair getting a head start. The others followed behind, conversation gradually moving from stunned comments to a hum of friendly banter again.
Finn stood back, uncertain now that the fear of the unknown had faded.
Heading back down the trail, the others started the trek back.
What a fucking cluster of a day. Finn slung his backpack over his shoulder with Haley’s and grimaced as he stepped down on a loose rock. Shrugging it off, he followed behind.
Grady hung back and hiked alongside him. “So,” he said.
“So?” Finn shrugged, playing dumb. He didn’t need the lecture right now. Deserved it, but didn’t have the energy for it.
“So. You and my sister?”
“It’s not like that.”
“She falls down a damn cliff, and you go diving after her before the rest of us can even figure out what happened? What is it not like, exactly?”
“She’s a friend. I… she’s just out of an epically terrible marriage, not looking for anything. My life’s been a damn cluster the last few months. We’re, well… we’re having a rebound thing.” Wow, there is no way he could explain it without sounding like a complete ass.
“A rebound thing? Like… like you’re sleeping with my sister with no intention of sticking around?” Grady’s voice kept quiet so the others wouldn’t hear, but he may as well have thrown things and shouted for the punch in the gut his words projected.
“No. I mean, yeah, but… You know what? Shove off.” Finn felt pissed-off steam bringing his blood to a boil.
His knee about shattered underneath him, but he refused to slow.
“Haley’s an intelligent adult. One that I like very much, and I would never do anything to hurt her.
She wants nothing from me, especially promises, even if I were in any position to offer. ”
Grady stopped short, but Finn hurt too damn bad to pause, or his leg would lock up and he’d be the one needing a lift down the trail.
After pacing and griping to himself, Grady jogged to catch up.
“Sorry, man. It’s entirely between the two of you.
I’ve had enough lousy relationships in my life to recognize when sometimes you want to lie low and enjoy someone without any pressure.
Of course Haley would want to feel normal and, well, maybe it’s weird to say about my sister but I know what that asshole did to her; it must feel reassuring for her to know she’s desirable. ”
Responding with nothing more than a nod, Finn kept moving forward.
Somehow, despite it all, Haley was pure confidence, willing to dive into trying new things.
Like crossing the log. She’d been terrified, but she did it anyway.
Fell down a damn cliff and didn’t even whimper.
Taking that piece of shit old house and making it new and beautiful, making a business out of it. Made love with him like a goddess.
Hell, he was the one that needed to feel wanted. Haley was the rock. But he’d be damn sure she knew how amazing she was by the time she was done with him.
Grady paused to take a swig of water, hesitated, then caught up again. “You risked your life for her just moments ago. Are you sure you are okay with this no-promises thing? Being a rebound?”
“Of course.” He shrugged. Why wouldn’t he be? He would have leapt over that cliff for any of his friends. Admittedly, not as quickly.
Asher hung back from the others and flanked Finn’s other side. “Okay, so I presume Grady’s been back here grilling you on all the necessary big brother shit about you messing with his sister? I’m familiar with the talk. I got the friend version from him about this time last year.”
“Yes. I have been properly admonished and apologized to. It’s a rebound thing. Nothing more.”
“Lucky. I didn’t get the apology for a few weeks.
” Asher adjusted his and Sophie’s backpacks on his shoulder, looking down the trail, ensuring they were far enough back that the others wouldn’t hear.
“Rebound, huh? Things almost got a little awkward for a few minutes back there, before the whole cliff collapse thing. You looked like you were about to pass out. I’ve got a question.
Does she know you’re rebounding from her oldest friend? ”
Shit. He was so fucked. If these guys didn’t kick his ass, he would later. Then find a way so she understood he would never have crossed that line if he’d had a clue it had existed. “I had no idea until she mentioned Trace at lunch.”
Grady paused again, shaking his head and catching up. “You going to say anything?”
“There is no good way to tell someone something like that. Especially Haley. Not when her ex had been nailing her friends behind her back. But I can’t lie to her.”
Asher shrugged. “How about, ‘What a coincidence? Your oldest friend happens to be my oldest friend and the reason I’m wanting commitment-free sex with you’.”
Growling, Finn was tempted to knock Asher off the damn trail. “Watch it.”
Asher and Grady simultaneously hung back. Refusing to slow on principle, and so he didn’t lose critical momentum, Finn kept going. He could hear them gossiping like a judgy sewing circle, but blissfully couldn’t make out what they were saying.
Predictably, they caught up to begin their attack anew. Or maybe not. Grady sighed, “You know what? Why don’t you and Haley figure this one out on your own terms. Trace will be gone another few weeks, and you can cross that bridge when you come to it.”
“You working some kind of lawyer angle here? Trying to get me to confess something?”
Scoffing, Asher said, “Of course not. It’s none of our business. You and Haley are just having fun. Casual sex. No promises, right? I’m sure it won’t be a big deal at all. You’ll have finished getting your play with Haley by the time Trace gets back anyway.”
Grady nodded. “Haley will have probably moved on by then. After being stuck with that asshole since she was eighteen? She’s going to want to play the field a while.”
Adding with a flippancy that made Finn want to clock him, Asher said, “Damn, ten years with that piece of shit? Yeah, she’s going to want to mix it up. Might keep you in mind for a hook-up now and again if you don’t blow it.”
Gnawing in Finn’s gut digested the weird-ass day. Maybe beer on a hike was a bad idea after all.