Rancher's High-Stakes Rescue

Despite the fun first day, Kate knew the challenges that lay ahead, and she had a kink of apprehension in her gut as she piled into bed that evening. She stared at the ceiling much of the night, then had no appetite for the pancake and sausage breakfast the others feasted on before dawn the next morning. Her coffee gnawed her stomach as she faked enthusiasm at the breakfast table with the couples who’d be traveling with them.

At the appointed time, Brady met their party at the door of the guesthouse. He showed them to the SUV that would drive them to the starting point of the horseback ride into the mountainous terrain where the adventures would begin. Zane and Roy had transported the horses by trailer to the start point a half hour earlier.

The married couples, Piper and Dawn loaded into the SUV first, leaving Kate to squeeze into the middle seat between Jake and Josh.

From the front seat, Dawn sent a sly grin to Kate over her shoulder, chirping, “Look at you, Katie! In the middle of a hunk sandwich.”

Kate returned a raised-eyebrow glare that told her friend she knew exactly what Dawn was up to. Then, throughout the two-hour ride, as they wound along twisting back roads, Kate tried not to think about Josh’s muscled thigh brushing hers or his sexy, freshly showered scent filling her nose. Forget the fact that the equally handsome Jake was squashed against her other side. Her brain only registered her cowboy host. She could feel Josh’s chest vibrate each time he laughed, thanks to her side being snuggled against him. He’d stretched his arm along the back of the seat behind her shoulders, and his body heat enveloped her like a hug.

When they reached the starting point for their horseback ride farther into the mountains, she’d never been so glad, and simultaneously disappointed, to arrive at a destination. And though the sexual tension coiled inside her loosened its grip, a different pressure built in her chest as they mounted up for the ride. The excursion would take place on property left to the McCalls by their grandfather and a string of ancestors before him. Piper kissed her fiancé and waved goodbye to the group as she left to drive the SUV back to the ranch.

“Move ’em out!” Zane called to the group.

“Next stop, the zip line!” Josh added.

The rest of the group whooped, but Kate’s heart swooped. She tried to brace herself for the slide down a cable, strung over a deep valley, with only a few straps and carabiner clips for support.

They rode higher and higher into the rugged terrain, chatting and tossing bantering jokes up and down the line of horses. Zane took the lead with Roy and Brady bringing up the rear. Josh took his position between Dawn’s horse and Kate’s and pointed out interesting views for Kate to snap photos of as they made their way along the horse trail.

Kate cast an encompassing glance across the scenic view. The towering peaks, beautiful trees, rocks and wildflowers were awe-inspiring. Until she saw the steel cable stretching across the ravine. Her stomach clenched as she looked down, deep into the crevasse that lay below. The drop-off was sheer rock, straight down. The gulf that the cable spanned was hundreds of feet wide and almost as far to the bottom.

She gripped her reins tightly, searching her brain for a way to get out of the feat while still saving face with her client...and without having a complete, humiliating breakdown. Her heart thundered in her chest, and the rush of adrenaline and dread left her shaking to her core.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” Zane called to the group, “we are at our first challenge.”

Another hoot of excitement rose from the other guests, Dawn’s cheer loudest of all.

“Remember to dismount your horse to the left and hand off your reins to Roy or Brady. They’ll be leading your horses back to the trailer.”

“We won’t be on our horses anymore?” Brianna asked, sounding disappointed.

“We will. But the horses can’t use the zip line to get across the gorge like we can,” Zane explained, and the group chuckled. “They’ll meet us tomorrow at the trailhead to ride up to the launch point for our white-water excursion.”

Around her, her fellow adventurers were dismounting and chatting excitedly with each other. Kate’s mouth dried, and her legs trembled as she stood in her stirrups to swing down from Lucy’s back. Just as she felt her knees buckle, sure she was going to flop onto her backside in an ignominious tumble, strong hands spanned her waist, lifting her securely to the ground.

Startled by the unexpected help, she spun around to find her nose inches from Josh’s chest.

“Uh, thanks,” she muttered, tipping her head back to meet his gaze. The sun shone brightly just behind his head, and she had to squint against the blinding light. Then he took a small step to the side, giving her breathing room, and his wide-brimmed hat blocked the sun.

“No problem.” The smile he flashed her and the sparkle in his breathtaking blue eyes were every bit as luminous as the sunshine. Her already unsteady legs wobbled again, and she grabbed the strap of Lucy’s saddle to steady herself.

“I’ll take those.” He reached for the reins she’d left dangling from the horn of her saddle, and his arm grazed her ear as he stretched past her. “If you’ll wait over there with Zane, we’re about to go through the zip-line procedure and safety rules.”

She drew a shuddering breath and released the death grip she had on Lucy’s straps. “Right.” As she turned to join the rest of the group gathering around Zane, Josh wrapped his hand around her forearm, stopping her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She worked to give him a confident smile. “Sure. Just...a little nervous.”

He tightened his grip and held her gaze with a piercing stare. “It’s perfectly safe. I promise. You’ve got this.”

His words, the gentleness of his tone and reassurance behind his smile flowed through her like a balm. She inhaled a steadier breath, and twitching the corner of her mouth in a quick grin, she nodded to him. “Thanks. I’m going to hold you to that promise.” She fumbled for her camera, which hung by a strap around her neck. “I’ll join the others in a second. I just want to snap a few pictures of the zip line for the brochure first.”

“Good deal.”

Josh led Lucy and another horse away and passed the reins to Roy. The two men exchanged a few words, Roy giving Josh a serious look. She heard the foreman say, “Be careful,” before Josh chuckled a response and walked away.

Kate eased to the edge of the steep drop-off and peered down into the forested and sheer rock ravine below. A chill rippled through her, and she purposefully shoved down the clamoring nerves and raised her camera to click off a few shots. Turning toward the group, she took a picture of Zane helping Brianna don a harness and one of Hunter snapping on a helmet. Turning, she took a picture of Roy with the horses. She caught Josh laughing over something with Jake with the zip-line platform and spectacular view behind him. She shielded her eyes from the sun so she could see the small screen on her camera. The shot of Josh and Jake was a winner. Definitely good for the brochure.

“Look at this one,” she told Dawn, angling her camera to show her coworker the shot. “Perfect for the brochure, don’t you think?”

Dawn squinted at the screen. “Oh, most excellent! Good job! Now...” Her friend caught her arm and dragged her over to the harnesses and carabiners piled in front of Zane. “No more stalling. Buckle up!”

Zane had one of the harnesses in his hand and shouted to the group. “Okay, listen up! You’ll each get one of these nifty getups, which I will now demonstrate how to hook on.”

Josh joined his brother, demonstrating the technique by stepping into the harness, clasping hooks, tightening straps and choosing a well-fitting helmet. She tried to listen, but an odd buzzing filled her ears, and her thoughts kept straying back to the old silo in Missouri. The loud cracking sound just before she plummeted. The pain that streaked through her on impact and plagued her for days as she awaited rescue. Her breathing grew ragged and shallow. How could she possibly do this? She cast a side glance to the deep ravine, and the earth seemed to spin.

“Josh will now demonstrate, and he will be waiting at the other end of the line to help you unhook your gear after your ride. Any questions?” Zane called.

“You sure that little wire up there will hold?” Hunter shouted, grinning.

A nervous laugh rumbled around her, telling her she wasn’t the only one with jitters.

“It’s solid steel cable. Professionally installed and tested several times. It’ll hold,” Josh returned. “See you on the other side!”

She rubbed the sudden chill bumps on her arms as she watched Josh hook onto the pulley system with the grooved wheel that would carry him down the sloped cable. He moved to the edge of the platform to launch his descent and found her gaze. He sent her a cocky grin and a wink, then pushed off. Kate held her breath as he whizzed away, and Dawn squealed her delight.

“All right. Who wants to be first?” Zane asked, scanning the group.

“Kate does!” Dawn shouted.

Josh savored the dramatic view of the ravine, relished the warm air whipping through his hair and inhaled the clean air. He loved the adrenaline rush, loved these mountains, loved that he could turn his passion into a profitable business to help his family. Finally he felt like he was an integral part of the Double M, someone more than the reckless and irresponsible brother. He could finally—

An odd jerk and sudden drop yanked him from his musing. He continued his descent but...something was different. Something was wrong.

The cable shuddered again, and a growing sense of foreboding swelled in Josh’s gut. He could see the landing platform ahead and prepared to stop. Another strange jerk slowed his progress, and he could see the slack in the line overhead. What the—?

The first fingers of real trepidation clawed at him. They’d tested the zip line many times, had it inspected, cleared by all the proper authorities. But he didn’t need a professional to tell him something was off.

He slid closer to the landing platform, perched a good fifty feet above the ground, but the final few yards of the ride were even more jerky and unstable than before. When his feet touched the landing, and he knew he was safely across, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

Relief washed through him, but on the heels of that released tension came another hit. As he unhooked himself from the pulley system, he discovered the source of his bumpy ride.

A chill washed through him, along with panic.

The tree trunk had been cut, both above and below the metal plate where the bolts holding the main pulley for the cable system were attached. Saw dust littered the platform, and the steel bands that should have been providing additional support for the main cable had been cut away. Deep wedges had been removed surrounding the bolted metal plate such that the wood was splintering as the weight of the cable pulled at the weakened trunk. The gouged section of the trunk, and therefore the steel transverse cable, was in serious danger of failing.

With his heartbeat roaring in his ears, Josh abandoned his attempts to unfasten his harness and scrambled for the two-way radio. He had to warn Zane before anyone else tried to cross—and died.

“Come on, Kate,” Dawn said. “You go first!”

Kate snapped her head toward her coworker so fast she could have given herself whiplash. “What? No!”

Dawn leaned closer, whispering, “The longer you stand here and watch, the more nervous you’ll get. Just bite the bullet and jump in.”

“I don’t know. I—”

“Kate! Kate! Kate!” Dawn started chanting.

“No!” Kate tried to back away from the platform but bumped into Jake’s wide chest.

“Kate! Kate! Kate!” the others in the group joined in the chant.

Dawn seized Kate’s arm and tugged her forward. “You can do this! It’ll be fun!”

Kate didn’t reply. She had to concentrate on breathing, on swallowing the surge of bile that rushed up in her throat. Brady held out the tangle of straps and clasps, and with Dawn’s help, she found the contraption being slid over her head, buckled across her chest and secured between her legs.

She had to do this, she realized. To back out now would mean more than humiliating herself in front of the PR firm’s client. If she refused, she would be letting her fear win. She might as well still be trapped in the bottom of that silo. Dawn was right. She needed to face her fears. She just wished she could take baby steps, could wade into the kiddie pool before jumping in the deep end from the high dive.

Brady adjusted the last of her straps and positioned her hands. “Hold on here. When you get to the platform, keep your feet up, and be prepared to catch your balance. Josh will be waiting to help you.” He patted the top of her helmet. “Ready?”

She squeezed her eyes closed, and her stomach flip-flopped. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready.

“Okay,” she rasped.

“Kate’s ready to go at your signal,” Brady called to Zane.

“Ready here. Waiting on your ‘go,’ Josh,” Zane said into his two-way radio.

The group continued chanting. “Kate! Kate!”

Dawn sidled closer to Kate and squeezed her shoulder. “You got this!”

Zane was plugging one ear and holding the two-way radio close to his other. “Did you say ‘no’ or ‘go’?”

Dawn’s face brightened. “Josh says go!”

Brady nodded and gave Kate a gentle push. The straps tugged as they grabbed to support her weight. Her feet dangled free as she began her descent, and she heard a muted cheer behind her.

Then, as she gathered a little speed, Josh’s faint static-laced response from the radio. “Zane, no! Hold up!”

“Zane? Did you hear me?” Josh said, his heart thundering and his gut twisted in knots of dread.

“Too late, man. Kate just launched. What’s up?” Zane answered through the radio.

Josh bit out a curse. Already the cables were jiggling and rattling as Kate made her way down the zip line. “Hold everyone else! We have a problem down here!”

He tossed the radio down, ignoring Zane’s demands for further explanation. He needed to give his attention now to Kate and the very real danger she was in. He spared a moment to study the tree trunk where the terminus equipment was attached. He saw no way to shore up the trunk, no way to stop the inevitable collapse of the line. The gouged section of trunk would continue to give way as more of the tree cracked, shifting more tension to smaller amounts of wood, until at last it broke free completely. Even now, the wood slowly splintered, each time making the line jerk. But how long would the last part of the trunk hold before the entire cable fell?

Nausea swirled in his gut. He had no way of preventing disaster if Kate didn’t reach the platform before the cracking trunk gave way. Leather gloves or not, one man couldn’t possibly hold the half-ton cable, the passenger’s weight and the other steel parts of the zip-line equipment.

His heart thrashed against his ribs. He had to do something. And fast.

His line was still attached to the main zip cable. Think, McCall. Think!

Even if he couldn’t hold the line, maybe he could redirect it. If the steel plate that the cable was attached to were to snag on something that would hold it, even temporarily...

Unhooking his harness, Josh cast a frantic glance around for something, anything he could attach his line to. His riser was only long enough to reach a nearby tree branch. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. Looping the cord around the low branch, he wrapped it twice and tucked it through the end, then quickly hooked the end to an opening in the turnbuckle on the main cable.

Muttering a prayer under his breath, he turned his attention to the woman whose life hung in the balance.

The ride down the cable was faster than she’d expected. And jerkier. Kate had thought the descent would be a smooth, brisk glide, but in reality she sped along at a breakneck pace, her stomach swooping as if she were on a roller coaster. And the bumps and twitches in the line were jarring to her. Every buck and sway sent fresh waves of anxiety through her. Kate determinedly kept her eyes ahead and refused to look down. Remembering the snatches of instruction Zane had given moments ago, she applied her hand brake, hoping to ease the bumps and slow her decent.

She could see the platform ahead, getting closer, and she focused on reaching the deck where Josh stood. If she could just reach that landing platform...

He shouted something to her, and even from her distance she could tell something had him upset. Was she coming in too fast? She braked again, and he shook his head.

“Don’t brake! Faster!”

Faster? She scoffed mentally. She was already going far faster than she wanted. Yet his obvious distress buzzed through her like a thousand stinging bees. If Josh was worried—

The line jerked hard again, and she heard him curse.

No! No, no, no! Please God, no! she thought, squeezing her eyes closed, her denials as much prayer as panic.

The line jolted again...and sagged, slowing her approach markedly. Startled, she opened her eyes. She was mere feet from the platform. Josh had his hand extended toward her.

“Kate! Grab my hand!”

She hesitated, confused, for a fraction of a second before releasing her grip on the straps of her harness. Almost as soon as she let go, stretching her arm toward Josh, mere feet from the landing deck, the cord gave another tremendous jerk—and she dropped straight down.

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