Chapter 10
“Emily? Why are you calling?” Her voice sounded a little hostile. Emily tried to remember her last conversation with Becca. She’d seemed fine. But she’d forgotten Becca liked Spencer and probably wouldn’t want her to go on the camping trip. She fumbled for something to say.
“Uhmm...”
“I’m not apologizing for the picture.”
“What picture?” She wracked her brain, trying to remember a picture.
“The one I...” Her voice trailed off. “Wait. You don’t remember the photo?”
“Uhmm. You mean the one in the tabloid? The one you told me about? I never actually saw it. But you told me Candace took the picture, so I wouldn’t expect you to apologize, anyway.”
“Oh. Right.” Her voice sounded happier. “Yes. That’s the picture I’m talking about. I thought you might be mad about it.”
“No, I’m not. But, uhmm, I need your help with something.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, uhmm. You know the camping trip tomorrow? The overnight trip? Are you going?”
“I am, but I don’t think you should go.”
“I... Well... I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to handle a trip like that.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Becca agreed.
“But, I wanted to know where y’all were going.”
“Why didn’t you ask Spencer where we’re going?”
“Uhmm, to tell you the truth, Spencer’s pretty mad at me.”
“He is? Sorry about that.” Her voice didn’t have the slightest hint of sincerity.
“Yes. He... He found out I lied about last night.”
“Oh, that’s right. You had a date with your art teacher. How did that go?”
“Not great. I doubt we’ll go out again.”
“But didn’t you say you and Spencer were only friends. Why should he be mad?”
“It’s... It’s because I lied to him.”
“Well, frankly, I think you’ve been leading him on. I think that’s why he always comes back to me, over and over again. Every time we’ve broken up for some reason, he always comes back to me. I think it’s because he knows he can count on me to be honest.”At this revelation, Emily fought the urge to abandon her quest. But since she’d finally admitted to herself how much she liked Spencer, she wasn’t going to give up without trying.
“I don’t think I’ve been leading him on—at least I didn’t mean to. But you still haven’t told me where the hike is tomorrow.”
“Why do you want to know if you’re not planning to go?”
“Uhmm… well… my sister might want to go. She’s in town.”
“Your sister?”
“She likes outdoor stuff like that. Hiking and such. So, where is the hike? And where are y’all camping Saturday night?”
“We’re, uhmm... Let me think. We’re hiking a trail called Devil’s Path and camping at Devil’s Tombstone.”
Devil’s Tombstone sounded intimidating, but surely it couldn’t be too bad. After all, Becca had been more winded than her on the last hike. “Thanks, Becca. I... I hope you have a good time.”
“Sure... Whatever. I need to go.”
“Okay. Goodbye—“ A click sounded in her ear. It seemed Becca was no longer her friend, but then again, their friendship had been on shaky ground from the beginning. She didn’t have time to worry about Becca now—she had to concentrate on proving herself to Spencer.
Emily pulled out her laptop and located a website describing the Devil’s Tombstone hike. The more she read, the more discouraged she felt. It sounded incredibly complicated and difficult. As weak as she felt, she’d be better off starting an hour or two ahead of the group, instead of an hour behind. She’d probably make slow progress on the hike. If she started an hour late, it might be dark before she got to the campground. Starting ahead of them would be much safer. That way, if she were having trouble, the group would eventually catch up with her. A bus would take her to Tannersville, followed by Smiley’s taxi to the trailhead. She needed to leave at the crack of dawn.
She was a great planner, and she’d really thought this through. She started ticking off all the things she needed to pack—food, water, toothbrush, etc.
“Hey!” She jumped at Charlie’s voice behind her. When had she come back down from their parents’ apartment? “Wanna make popcorn and watch a movie?”
“Sure, but I don’t think I’ll be able to stay up too late. I was thinking you might sleep upstairs tonight…”
* * *
Spencer didn’t sleep well,despite taking two Benadryl. He couldn’t stop thinking about Emily. For the first time he was learning how much rejection hurt. He had no desire for friendship with her. Friendship was fine when he thought there was a chance for something more. But since he knew the truth, it hurt too much. He needed a clean break. In fact, he might try to end his internship with Gherring Inc. early. Steven Gherring would probably understand and help him find an alternate internship through his business connections. That might be the best alternative.
Spencer forced his mind back to the task at hand—packing all his gear for the hike. He looked forward to the physical exertion. It would be a great way to clear Emily from his mind. Forever.
At the bus station, he hauled his gear to join the hiking group. But he noticed something extremely unpleasant—Becca.
“Hi, Spencer.” She tugged his arm as she spoke. “I’m so excited you’re coming. Isn’t it going to be great? The weather is perfect. I wasn’t sure you were coming. You didn’t answer my calls.”
“Becca. After the little stunt you pulled Thursday night, I really don’t want to talk to you any more.” He pivoted and jerked his arm away.
“What stunt? I didn’t do anything. What do you mean?”
He spun to face her, holding his arms out of her reach. “You tricked me into going to the Green Scene by telling me Candace was going to be there. You knew she was in Mexico.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Becca, I talked to her. I know you knew. And that’s not all I found out from Candace. But I won’t even go into that discussion. You told me the hiking group was planning to go the Green Scene, and guess what? I found out that was a lie as well.” He glared at her. “I really don’t like it when people lie to me.”
“Well, what about your precious Emily? I guess you found out she lied to you.”
He ignored her bait. “And I really didn’t appreciate the picture you sent me.”
“I thought you needed to see the truth.” She pushed her lower lip into a pout and crossed her arms. “Emily’s a slut!”
Spencer raised his hand to slap her, stopping himself just in time. Acutely aware of his shaking hands, he clenched them into fists before stomping over to collar Landon in the crowd of interested onlookers.
“Hey Landon, I’m not going. Sorry to back out on you.”
“I totally get it, bro. If I were you, I’d make like a banana and split.” Landon shot wary eyes toward Becca. “See ya later.”
Spencer hailed a taxi and headed to Emily’s apartment.
* * *
Charlie listenedwhile her mom chatted with excitement, but she was anxious for her sister to wake up and join them.
“So, Steven got all of us tickets to see Let It Be tonight. It’s all about The Beatles and has Beatles music. It should be so much fun. I’m hoping it’ll cheer up Emily.”
“It’s almost ten-thirty. Don’t you think we should wake her up? I’m only here for a few days.” Charlie spoke around bites of chocolate covered donut.
“I don’t know. She probably needs the sleep. We’ll wake her up by noon for sure.”
“But you’re not much fun, tethered to an IV pole.”
A hurt expression came across Anne’s face, so Charlie sprang from her seat to give her a chocolate-smudged kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean it. You’re always fun, but I wanted to do something with Emily.” She chuckled as she licked her fingers. “But we want you to come, too, because you have more money.”
“Do you want to go out for lunch?”
“Do you really think you could stomach a restaurant?”
“Probably not. I think I’ll just send you and Emily. Y’all can take pictures, and I’ll live vicariously through you.”
“Poor Mom. I know how much you love to eat. This must be torture for you.”
“It is.”
They both jumped at a trilling sound from the doorbell.
“It’s Emily! Yay!” Charlie ran to the door to fling it open. “Sister! Oh... Spencer. Come in. I thought you might be... uhmm...”
He stepped through the doorway and stood, shuffling his feet. “Hi, Charlie. Mrs. Gherring.”
“Hi Spencer. Your mom’s already come and gone today. She’s coming back for a while this afternoon.” Anne’s smile was full of sympathy.
“No, I didn’t come to see Mom. I came to see Emily. She didn’t answer her door, so I thought she might be up here with you. Is she here?”
“She’s still sleeping, I guess. Although you’d think she would have heard you knocking.” It was all the excuse she needed. Charlie was out the door, headed to rouse her sister from bed. Spencer followed behind with a worried expression.
“I don’t want to wake her up. I... uhmm...”
“Well, I want to wake her up. And I happen to know she would like to talk to you.” She grabbed Spencer’s arm and pulled him onto the elevator.
“No, really, don’t wake her up. It can wait.”
“Look, Spencer. If she found out you were here and I didn’t wake her up, she’d kill me.”
“Okay.” They stood in awkward silence watching the numbers flash above the elevator door.
“So... Are you going to give her another chance?”
She watched a red color creep up from his neck to envelop his entire face. “I really don’t know. I guess I just need to talk to her.”
“She likes you.”
“Well she has a funny way of showing it.”
“She likes to be in control of everything. She couldn’t control her feelings around you. It scared her.”
“And you know this because...?”
“I’m her sister... I know her. She can be a pain in the butt, but she’s worth it. I hope you’ll give her a chance.”
“Maybe.”
“Okay. Here we are. Let me go in first and wake her up. I know my sister, and she’s going to want to brush her hair and her teeth before she sees you.” Charlie unlocked the door and slipped inside, excited to wake her sister with the news of her early morning visitor. Discovering an empty bed, she hurried to the bathroom. But instead of Emily, she found a note.
* * *
Emily arrivedat the trailhead at ten thirty, her travels devouring more time than anticipated, but she felt optimistic she was still ahead of the hiking club. Either way, she knew time was of the essence. She pulled out her printed directions and started hiking. The first mile and a half were relatively flat, with the worst encumbrance being the rocky crud she encountered on the footpath. But as promised, when she took a right turn up to Indian Head’s summit, the path became steeper. Her back protested the weight of her pack with a steady ache. Carrying a lot of water significantly increased the load, but all her research emphasized the necessity. Nothing to do but plunge ahead.
A few miles in, she encountered her first chute. Astounded, Emily checked her directions again. Surely people didn’t actually climb these things? It was nothing but a steep rocky slide. To her dismay, two guys whipped past her, attacking the chute with relish.
“This isn’t part of the Devil’s Path, is it?” she called out.
“Sure is.” One guy stopped, turning back to chuckle at her question. “Awesome views at the top, though. It’s worth it.”
Emily was thinking she didn’t care at all what the view was like. These hiker people were crazy.
“Are you hiking alone?” the other guy asked. “You can hang with us if you want.”
“I’m supposed to meet some friends at the Devil’s Tombstone.”
“That’s a long way to hike by yourself.”
“I’m pretty slow. I might not be able to keep up with you.”
“We’re in no hurry.” The guy with close-cropped hair and a goatee gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m Brad.”
“I’m Josh.” The blond guy winked at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll be glad to slow down and take breaks on this hike. If you’re along, we can use you as an excuse.”
“I’m grateful,” she said.
“Well, come along, Grateful.” Josh laughed.
“Emily. I’m Emily.” She let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps everything would work out after all.
* * *
“I can’t believe it!”Spencer repeated the words for probably the tenth time. Emily had gone on the stupid hike with the intention of talking to him, and he wouldn’t even be there. And she shouldn’t have gone when she’d just gotten out of the hospital. He had a panicky feeling in his chest.
“Read the note to me again,” Anne said.
He held it up with shaky hands. “I’m going on the overnight hike so I can talk to Spencer. I left early so I can take my time and meet him at the camping area. I knew he might not go if I showed up at the beginning. I did my research and packed everything I need, so I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back Sunday with the group. Sorry to leave you, Charlie, but you know this is the only way. He said he’d give me a second chance if I did something dangerous for him. I thought about it, and this is my best shot. Love you, Emily”
“Can you call someone, Spencer? One of your friends on the hike? So they’ll be looking out for her?” asked Anne.
“No, Mom. They usually can’t get a cell phone signal out there. They won’t even have their phones on.” Charlie paced the floor behind the couch.
“I have to go find her,” said Spencer. “I’m already packed. I can go now and run most of the way until I catch up with her. I’ll bring her back safe tomorrow.”
“No,” Gherring argued. “We’ll need to know you found her. I can tell you right now Anne won’t be satisfied until we know she’s safe. We can’t wait until tomorrow afternoon.” Then he walked over to a utility closet. “But I may have a solution. I’ve got a sat phone.”
“Of course you do. I should’ve guessed.” Charlie chuckled, and Gherring gave her a crooked grin.
“What’s a sat phone?” asked Anne.
“A satellite phone,” explained Gherring. “I think the best plan is for Spencer and I to go up together. When we find her, we can call you on the sat phone to let you know she’s safe. Because just in case she’s having ill effects from the drug overdose, it might take both of us to get her down.”
“What about me? I’m great at hiking. You can’t leave me here.” Charlie crossed her arms, twisting her lips sideways.
“Yes, I know you are. But I’m betting you don’t have your gear in New York.”
“No.” She gave a small stomp with her foot.
“Anyway, I don’t want to leave your mom alone.”
“We should go now,” urged Spencer. “It’s a long hike.”
“Where is it?” asked Steven.
“It’s Harriman State Park—the Long Path Loop. Have you been?”
“I’ve been a few years back. How long is it?”
“It’s about eighteen miles. They’ll go about ten before they set up camp.”
“What if she gets on the wrong trail, hiking by herself?” asked Charlie.
Spencer gritted his teeth. “I’ll find her. And when I do, I may tie her to a chair for safekeeping!”
* * *
“Now,we get to go down a chute instead of up. You should like that,” Josh said to Emily with a smirk. Each time they faced another steep rocky chute, she questioned whether they were truly on the right path. Even with pants on, she had bruises and scratches on her legs from scrambling, climbing and slipping on the loose rock climbs. She hurt in every part of her body, but she refused to complain. She was afraid her companions would lose patience with her and leave her to fend for herself. She looked dubiously at the steep descent as Josh crawled down.
“You go next,” said Brad. “Just let him get down a bit so you don’t knock rocks on top of him.”
Emily wanted to stop and rest, but she kept the thought to herself. She managed to climb down the precipitous drop with only a few additional injuries. At the bottom she stood up and felt herself sway a bit.
Josh frowned at her. “Have you been drinking enough water? You look a little washed out.”
She tried to remember. “I’m not sure. Maybe not.”
“Sit down and drink something.” Obediently, she sat and dug into her pack for a water bottle.
“Why are you out here by yourself, anyway?” he asked. “It’s actually dangerous—you should always hike with a buddy. Why are you meeting your friends instead of hiking with them?”
She dropped her face in her hands. “It’s a long story.”
“It’s about a guy, isn’t it?” Josh grinned before taking a long drink of water. “Girls do really stupid stuff for guys.”
“Hey!” she objected.
“Guys, too.” He held up his hand. “Brad once ran naked in the snow to impress a girl.”
“And she really was impressed.” Brad plopped down beside Emily. “It was worth it.”
“So,” Josh asked, “are you trying to impress some guy by doing this hike by yourself? Because, he might think it was a dumb thing to do.”
“Do you think so?” She hadn’t considered her plan might backfire.
“Oh, yeah,” said Brad. “He’ll think it was a dumb thing to do. You should tell him you planned to hike with us all along. Except, I guess that might make him jealous. Who is this guy, anyway? If you were my girlfriend, I’d be hiking with you. I’d never let you out of my sight.”
“I agree,” Josh said. “In fact, this guy sounds like a jerk. I’ll be glad to take his place.”
“He’s not a jerk. He doesn’t know I’m coming. It’s a surprise.”
Brad raised his eyebrows. “You’re doing this to surprise him?”
“Okay, fine.” She covered her face and spoke through her fingers. “I screwed up and hurt his feelings, and I’m trying to impress him so he’ll give me another chance.”
“Well if it doesn’t work, my offer still stands. I don’t get my feelings hurt easily. And I’ve never met a girl who’d hike a trail like this just to impress me.” Josh stood and offered her a hand up.
“We should pick up the pace.” Brad tightened the strap on his backpack. “We’ve got another tricky downhill before we start back up. And then it’s going to get really steep.”
“Steeper than it’s already been?” She felt queasy at the thought.
“I’m afraid so,” Brad confirmed.
* * *
Time blurredin Emily’s head. It seemed she’d been climbing forever. Even when the trail took a downturn, she couldn’t relax due to the sheer angles and the loose rocks.
“This is the last climb before a fairly flat part with a nice view.” Josh patted her arm as she stared at the cliff before her.
“This is not just steep,” she declared. “It’s straight up.”
“You’ve got to go up, or else go back the way you came. Do you want me to refill some of your water bottles?” He stowed away two water bottles he’d filled from a spring using a filter pump.
“I think I have plenty,” she said, checking her pack. “Oh, wow! I only have two left. It still feels so heavy. I thought I had four or five. Yes, Josh, thanks. I guess I need some more.”
“No problem.”
“Do you want to let me carry your backpack up this last steep part?” Brad offered.
She shook her head. “Y’all have been great, but I’m determined to at least carry my own pack. I need to prove to myself I can do this.”
“You’re a bit on the stubborn side, aren’t you?” Brad flashed a grim smile.
“So I’ve been told.” The climb was even more difficult than it appeared. To her great consternation, she found the backpack pulled her so off balance she couldn’t keep her grip. After numerous attempts she found herself at the bottom, bleeding from multiple cuts.
Josh threw a small rope down from the top. “Brad, tie her backpack on.”
Her shoulders screamed their relief as Brad pulled the pack off. This time, she offered no resistance.
“Don’t feel bad,” he said. “You gave it a good try. But it’s too heavy, and you’re too small to climb something this steep with it on. If it makes you feel any better, I’m planning to send mine up by rope as well. Too bad we don’t have the equipment to set up a climb with a belay for you.”
She was in so much pain she didn’t argue. Not for the first time, she questioned whether this hike was a good idea. But she was way past the point of turning back. She had no choice but to struggle on.
Arriving safely at the top, Brad pulled out a first aid kit. “We should all take a minute to wash out these cuts and doctor them up a bit.” Emily noted the guys only had a few small cuts, compared to her multiple gashes. But she accepted the help and the antibiotic ointment with gratitude.
The next part of the trail wasn’t flat as promised, but it was broader and not nearly as steep as the previous parts. Comparatively, Emily guessed she could understand why Josh would call it flat.
At the edge of another drop, she looked behind her. “I’m surprised they haven’t caught up with us yet. We’ve been going pretty slowly, haven’t we?”
Josh considered her question. “Who is they? If it’s a large group and there are girls in the group, they may be slower than we were. No offense, but girls do tend to slow things down, especially when they’re carrying packs.”
“I’m really not sure what the group is like. I only know two people that were going. There’s at least one girl—probably more.” Her mind wandered. What would happen when Spencer caught up with her. She glanced at her filthy hands and clothes. She must look awful. Maybe she could wash her face and freshen up a little before she saw him. What if he refused to talk to her?
“Are you sure they’re camping at the main campground?” asked Brad. “They might go up the trail a bit to a more remote part. Sometimes the campground is crowded.”
“Crowded? That many people come up this horrible trail to go camping?”
Brad shook his head, chuckling. “No. But you can access the campground without doing the whole hike.”
“Now you tell me,” grumbled Emily, as she scrambled downward, leaving her skin on the rocks.
* * *
Despite their bestefforts to hurry, it was twelve o’clock before Gherring and Spencer parked the car at the trailhead. Quickly shouldering their packs, they started out at a slow trot.
“Don’t take any chances,” warned Gherring. “We can run when the trail is flat, but not on the climbs and not when we hit the loose rocks. We can’t afford for either of us to be injured.”
“Agreed.” Spencer led the way with Gherring close on his heels.
They made steady progress, speeding along the broad, smooth areas, and making quick work of the climbs. In three hours, they were approaching the area Spencer expected the group to camp.
“We’re almost there, I think,” said Spencer, breathing heavily. “If she left early this morning, she’s probably already with the group. My biggest worry is actually Becca.”
“Becca? The Becca that went hiking with us?”
“Yes. She’s turned out to be sort of a... a witch.”
“A witch? Is that the word you really mean?”
“No sir. It’s not the word I really mean.”
“What did she do?”
“I can’t prove it, but now I think she’s the one who took your picture and sent it to the tabloid. And she took a picture of Emily cozied up to that Denning guy and texted it to me. And she and I had words this morning before the hike. She’s the reason I didn’t go. I... I think she hates Emily.”
Gherring’s eyebrows furrowed. “Hates her? Why? What did Emily do to her?”
Spencer felt his face heat up. “Becca’s jealous of her. She knows I like Emily.”
“Ah. Got it. Hell hath no fury and all that.”
“Right.”
“Well, hopefully we’ll get there in time to save Emily from the... uhmm... witch.”
“We should. I’ve never made a pace like this on a hike before. I’ve sweated all the way through my backpack.” Spencer picked up the pace as he spotted the camping area, praying the group had chosen to stop here rather than continue to the next area. Relieved, he spotted a familiar face.
“Landon! Hey!” He ran to his friend, frantically scanning the group looking for Emily’s face.
“Spencer? Hey, man. What’re you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming?”
“I came for Emily.” He doubled over, panting for breath. “Oh, man. I’m so tired. Have you seen her?”
“Who?”
“You don’t know her, I guess. But she was planning to meet me here, meet us here. Tall, pretty, brunette, with a long braid?”
“Uhmm, no I haven’t seen her. But we only got here ten minutes ago. Why don’t you ask around?”
Spencer’s heart turned over. Gherring was already making the rounds, calling her name. Where could she be?
“Spencer?” He suppressed a shudder as he pivoted. “You came!” Becca smiled as she threw her arms around him. “I’m sorry I made you mad.”
“Becca, do you know where Emily is?” He peeled her arms away.
“I have no idea where she is. That’s the truth.”
“She left a note saying she was going on the hike. But now I think about it, she didn’t know where the hike was going to be. Did you tell her?”
“I didn’t know she was going on the hike. I promise.” She jutted out her chin, and her lower lip quivered. “Why don’t you ever believe me?”
“Never mind.” He left her to join Gherring in his search.
“No one seems to have seen her. Maybe I should call and see if the girls have heard from her. Maybe she went back home.” Gherring dropped to a rock, rifling though his backpack.
“Spencer?” A petite blond girl walked over to join them. “Are you looking for a girl named Emily?”
“Yes! Have you seen her?”
“No, but... Becca was so mad after you left this morning,” She glanced over her shoulder at Becca and bit her lip. “She was ranting about a girl named Emily, and she said something about the Devil’s Path. I mean, I don’t know for sure. But maybe she went there instead.”
Spencer’s rage was building inside him—he could feel the blood pulsing in his head. He turned toward Becca, but Gherring stood, putting a hand on his shoulder. “No. Let me talk to her. Less emotion.”
Spencer followed as Gherring marched to confront Becca. He towered over her, his eyes harsh, his eyebrows furrowed, the muscles in his jaw bulging. “Becca. I’m going to ask you some questions. And you will tell me the truth. Where is my daughter? Did you send her to a different hike?”
She swallowed convulsively, and her pleading gaze darted toward Spencer. But he crossed his arms and glared back without sympathy.
“I... She said she wasn’t going on the hike. She said her sister might go. She told me she just wanted to know where the hike was. I swear!”
“And so you told her the hike was on the Devil’s Path?”
Her mouth dropped open. “How did you... I mean, I didn’t know she’d actually go.”
“And you remember clearly? You told her Devil’s Path? What else did you tell her?”
“I think I told her we were camping at the Devil’s Tombstone. But I didn’t think she’d actually go. I mean, after she had that ruffie, you’d think she wouldn’t go on a two-day hike.”
He pinned her with his eyes. “Who told you that? Who told you she had a ruffie? You were there weren’t you? It was you!”
“No... No, I...”
Gherring loomed over her, his entire body shaking. Spencer wondered if he was going to hit her. “I’m going to deal with you after I find my daughter. Attempted murder is a serious charge!”
He turned to Spencer. “How do we get out of here? We need to get to Devil’s Tombstone now.”
“Don’t you have a helicopter or something?”
Gherring laughed bitterly. “No, only a jet. But I might buy a helicopter after this, just in case.”
“It’ll take us three hours to get back out of here, and over an hour to drive to Tombstone Campground. It’ll be dark by then. I hate to say it, but we need to send Charlie. They could drive straight to the public campground and search from there. It’ll still take them probably two and a half hours to get there.”
“Anne can’t go,” Gherring stated, “and Charlie shouldn’t go by herself.”
“Grace. Grace will go with her. Maybe Charlie can borrow some hiking shoes from my other sisters.”
With a groan, Spencer dropped onto a nearby rock and buried his face in his hands. “That hike... Do you know that hike, Mr. Gherring?”
Gherring sat beside him, pulling out his sat phone. “I do.” He squeezed his lips together, shaking his head. “It’s one of the hardest hikes I know. Maybe the toughest.”
“Do you really think she could make it on her own? I mean, she could be anywhere on the trail. Or off the trail, for that matter.”
“Despite some of her recent decisions, she’s usually a smart, resourceful girl. She’ll be okay. Her note said she had supplies.”
“She just got out of the hospital after almost dying from a drug overdose.”
“She’ll be okay.”
“She’ll be okay,” Spencer repeated. “And when I see her again, I’m going to kill her.”
“Me first,” Gherring said with a wry grin.
* * *
Emily stoodon the trail with Josh and Brad, looking at the fork leading to the Tombstone Campground. It was six o’clock—almost eight hours of hiking. No, not hiking. Crawling, climbing, scrambling, stumbling, falling, with a small amount of walking. She’d never hurt so much in her entire life. And the temperature was beginning to drop. She’d already had to add a layer for warmth. On the last climb, her ankle started aching, so now she was limping.
“I know you’re hurt. Will you take a pain pill if I give you one?” asked Josh.
“I don’t know.” Emily hesitated, but her ankle had settled into a constant throb. “I tend to over-react to drugs. I don’t take much medicine.”
“Let me see your ankle.” He pulled up her pant leg to probe around on the tender area.
“Ouch!”
“You see—you need to take something. Your ankle’s already swollen. There’s no way you’ll be able to hike tomorrow.”
“I will, too. I have to. How else will I get home?”
“Fine. Then at least take something for the pain.”
“All right. At least my ankle is making me forget about all the other places that hurt.”
“Are you allergic to codeine?” he asked.
“No, but it makes me sleepy.” She accepted the pill from Josh and downed it quickly with some water.
“Too bad we don’t have any anti-inflammatories,” Brad commented.
“Yeah,” said Josh. “We really need to ice it, too. You should seriously consider abandoning this hike. We could get Smiley’s Taxi to pick you up here.”
“Please, I can’t leave now. I need to talk to him first. Maybe I could leave in the morning.”
“I still don’t get why you’re doing this hike,” said Brad. “What guy could possibly be worth this? If we hadn’t happened along, you might still be out there.”
“I know, and I’m grateful. I really am.”
“I still say this guy’s a jerk,” Josh insisted.
“No, he’s not. I was the jerk. I went out with this other guy, and he saw me. But now I know it was a mistake. I only want the chance to tell him.”
“And you had to do this hike just to talk to him?” asked Josh.
“No. I... Oh, I’m stupid, I guess. I wasn’t going to have a chance to talk to him until Monday. And I was afraid if he went on this big weekend hike, he’d hike me right out of his system. And I wanted to prove he was important to me.”
“You’re not stupid,” said Josh. “I think you’re really brave. And really cute. And I hope you drop this other jerk and date me instead. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.”
“Josh, you don’t even know me. But thanks for the sentiment. That’s really sweet.”
“Are you sure that’s where your friends are going to be?” asked Brad, indicating the trail to the camping area. “It’s a public campground, and it’s usually full in the summer. The backpackers usually camp up here on the trail.”
“I don’t know. I thought they’d probably catch up to me on the trail.” She blinked back a few tears, angry with herself for losing control.
“Look, Emily,” Brad said. “We’re going about twenty minutes from here to set up camp. If your friends don’t show up, you can camp with us.”
Josh and Brad exchanged a look. “I don’t think we can leave you here,” Josh said. “We’ll walk down with you and make sure you find your friends. If they don’t come, you’ll camp with us. We can set up in the dark. We’ve done it before.”
She nodded mutely, swiping away the tears that streaked through the dirt on her face. Josh led the way down the trail, and Emily limped behind him with Brad taking up the rear. A few minutes onto the trail, Josh turned his head, aiming a comment at Brad.
“Hey, looks like this detour was worth it for the scenery.”
Brad craned his head to look around Josh. “How many?”
“Five, I think!”
“Five what?” asked Emily.
“Girls.” Josh chuckled.
Emily peered around Josh down the trail. “Charlie?”
“Ohmygosh! Emily? Is that you?”
Josh stepped back as Emily limped down and six girls collided together, hugging and crying.
“What are you doing here?” Emily asked.
“Looking for you!” exclaimed Charlie. “What do you think? This is even stupider than Thursday night. What happened to my sensible sister?”
“I’m meeting the hiking group up here,” Emily said. “I would’ve been fine. You didn’t need to come.”
“You don’t look fine,” said Grace. “You look pretty beat up.”
“I need to clean up before Spencer comes. But I’m not leaving before he shows up. I didn’t suffer for eight hours just to give up and go home. He’s got to give me a chance to talk to him.”
“Well, he’s not here,” said Charlie. “So you might as well go back with us.”
“He didn’t come?” Her chest constricted, and she couldn’t breath.
Charlie reached out to steady her. “Woah! Are you dizzy?”
“Emily, this isn’t even where the group went hiking,” said Grace. “Becca lied to you.”
“She lied? He’s somewhere else?” Emily bit back bitter tears. “I really did this for nothing, and now I’ve lost him anyway.”
“You haven’t lost him,” said Grace. “I told you he loved you.”
“Yes, I have,” said Emily. “He hiked all day and worked me out of his system.”
“I’m confused… I thought he didn’t go on the hike,” Olivia said.
“No, he went on the hike looking for Emily,” said Hannah.
“Actually,” Charlie told Emily, “Spencer didn’t go on the group hike—he came to your apartment to talk to you. Then Steven and Spencer almost killed themselves, running the entire ten-mile hike and back at Harriman trying to find you. And Steven got us tickets to see Let It Be, tonight, and we’re missing it!”
“Eh-hem.” A voice cleared behind them.
Charlie looked up at Emily’s companions and grinned. “Sorry. Are we blocking the trail?”
“No,” Emily corrected. “These two guys pretty much saved my life today. There seems to be a lot of that going on lately. This is Brad, and this is Josh.” She gave each of the guys a hug. “And this is my sister, Charlie, and my friends, Grace and Hannah and Claire and Olivia.” She gave the guys a shaky smile. “I know now I’d never have made that hike without y’all. I really owe you.”
“I’ve got a great idea,” said Charlie. “Let’s bring the guys back with us, and we can take them out for a late dinner to thank them.”
Emily examined the two men, noticing for the first time both were extremely attractive, with well-muscled physiques. No wonder Charlie wanted to bring them back to the city. Grace also seemed interested in the idea, or in the guys. She was giggling at something Brad said to her. Well, she’d be glad if something good came out of this awful day. Maybe someone else could find love. As for her, she’d blown it again.
“We appreciate the offer,” Brad said. “But, I doubt we could all fit in your vehicle. Or did you come by taxi?”
“Nah,” said Charlie, “We’re in a limo—plenty of room. Do y’all live in the city? We could drop y’all by your places to clean up, and then meet for dinner.”
“A limo? You’re kidding, right?” said Josh.
“No,” said Claire. “It’s a real limousine. You should come—it’s fun.”
“Why on earth did you come out here in a limousine? Are you rich or something?” asked Josh.
“Heck, no,” said Charlie. “But my stepdad is. Are you guys coming? Or are you camping on the cold hard ground and hiking all day tomorrow.”
“Well, that was the original plan.” Brad said. “But... I’ll leave it up to Josh. Whatever, you want. I’m game.”
“Why not? We can hike any time.” Josh sent a concerned glance in Emily’s direction and moved to steady her as she swayed against him.
She was dizzy and bone tired. She was also heartbroken, but she tried not to dampen the spirits of her friends. Josh supported her as she limped along, following the animated group down the long trail to the parking lot where the limousine waited. She climbed in and wedged herself into the corner seat, where she promptly fell sound asleep.
* * *
“They found her,”Gherring told Spencer. They’d reached their car and were trying to decide whether to drive toward Devil’s Tombstone when Charlie called. “They have her in the limo, and they’re headed back to town.”
Spencer felt his body relax as relief flooded his system. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been. “Is she okay? I can’t believe she made that hike on her own.”
“She’s apparently okay, but a bit torn up. Nothing broken. They’re bringing two guys back with them. Evidently, these two met up with Emily on the trail and helped her out.” Gherring shook his head. “The girls are planning to take those boys out to a late dinner as a thank-you.”
Spencer felt a surge of jealousy. What was wrong with him? He should be grateful she had help. Otherwise, she’d probably be stuck alone on the trail or even lost. But he couldn’t help wondering how friendly they’d been.
“We should beat them home by an hour. Do you want to wait with us? Or do you want to go home.”
“I’ll go home. I really need a shower.”
“And then come back over for dinner with the group?” Gherring asked.
Spencer considered his options. He was exhausted, and he really didn’t feel like going out for a late dinner. On the other hand, he wanted to see Emily.
“I guess I’ll take a quick shower and then wait at your place for Emily to come back.”
“So you can kill her before I do?”
“Absolutely.” Spencer grinned before heaving an exhausted breath. “I’m so tired. I’ve hardly slept in two nights. And then today’s marathon...”
“I agree, but I’m okay to drive if you want to sleep on the way home.”
“Awesome. Thanks.”
He fell into a restless sleep, fighting images of Emily careening down a rocky chute.