Page 4 of Mountain Reclaiming

I sigh. Great, they’re here. Let the humiliation begin. “I’m over here!”

There are voices and the squawk of a radio. “Ashlynn?” the voice calls again, much closer this time.

“Right here!”

“Well, hey there, Ash. It’s been a while.” The guy who steps off the trail is built like a brick shithouse. He’s thick and solid. His shaggy chestnut hair is wavy. The skin around his eyes crinkles when he smiles at me. He’s one of those guys who would be described as ruggedly handsome.

My brows furrow in confusion at the comment that it’s been a while. Do I know this man? I’m pretty sure I’d remember someone as handsome as him, but there’s something familiar about those whiskey brown eyes focused on me as he crouches down next to where I’m sitting.

“Aww, Ash and Cash. I love it,” the dark red-headed woman with curves almost as thick as my own chirps behind him.

My stomach drops to the ground as my eyes widen. There’s no way this is the Cash I once knew, but why would she say our names like that if not? And why would he call me Ash? Only my family calls me that. Dizziness overcomes me as I’m faced with the reality of being rescued by him. My face heats like it’s directly next to an open flame.

“Cash? Cash Perry?” I croak from my now Sahara Desert dry throat.

He slaps a hand to his chest. “Damn, gotta say it hurts you don’t recognize me, darlin’.”

My insides go gooey at the endearment which slipped so easily from his lips. “Well, um, you certainly don’t look anything like the Cash I once knew, that’s for sure.”

“Did a bit of growing up since then.” He winks at me, and I almost forget about the undignified situation I’m in. But I’m just as quickly reminded when the woman with him shakes her head with a laugh.

“Give it a break, Romeo, and move out of the way so I can check on our patient. I’m Alana, by the way, since Cash here can’t seem to remember his manners. I’m a paramedic and I’m going to take a look at your ankle here.” She kneels next to my leg. “Can you tell me what happened exactly?”

I inhale sharply and grit my teeth to keep from crying out when she gently runs her hands over my joint.

Her eyes shoot to mine before dropping to where Cash is now gripping my hand tightly in his. “It hurts, just from me touching it?”

Cash rolls his eyes. “Of course it did, woman, didn’t you hear her?”

She shoots him a glare and practically growls. “Hey there, hotshot. You know I need to hear from the patient if possible. How about you keep your trap shut?” Her eyes come to me with sympathy. “Ashlynn?”

I nod. “That hurt. I tripped over that branch there.” I wave my hand in the direction of the offending wood. “I heard a crunch when my ankle turned after I got tangled up and I was falling. Pain immediately shot up my leg.”

She presses her lips together and digs through the large black hiking pack she had been wearing that’s now on the ground next to her. She produces a plastic water bottle and a small foil pack before passing both over to me.

“Take these. It’ll help with the pain until we can get you to the ambulance.”

Cash plucks the blister pack from me, pops the tablets out, and hands them back. He cracks the bottle open, holding it out for me.

I catch Alana watching us before turning her attention back to my lower leg. She gingerly removes my tennis shoe.

“Is an ambulance really necessary?” I grumble. “It’s just my ankle, and I don’t really have insurance or the funds for such extravagance right now. I can drive myself.”

Alana’s and Cash’s gazes meet and they have one of those silent conversations only people who know each other well can.

My stupid heart twists at the thought of something going on between them. Which is ridiculous because if Cash was out of my league in high school, the man he’s become is in a completely different stratosphere now. He might as well be on another planet.

“You’re not going to be able to drive since it’s your right ankle. It’s not normal protocol, but I can give you a ride to the hospital if Alana says it’s okay.”

I bite down on my lower lip to keep from wincing or crying out when Alana palpates my joint.

“I think that’d be okay. As long as you didn’t hit your head when you fell.”

“Nope, just bruised my ego along with the rest of me,” I huff.

There’s no containing my sharp inhale when Alana wraps my ankle.

Cash squeezes my hand. “What are you doing back in Coyote Creek, Ash?” he asks as Alana puts an inflatable boot over the wrap.