Page 38 of Cloaked in Beauty

“All right. Here we go.” Philip leaned forward and picked his way up the slope until he reached the rope.

Hand over hand, he climbed, taking extra care to plant each foot, all too aware of the splint prodding his back and the damage a fall could wreak. The steeper the wall became, though, the harder it was to find a proper foothold. His arms burned. His breath heaved. And sweat rolled down his face.

Three-quarters of the way up, the slope turned into a vertical wall. Philip dug his pointed boot toes into the side of the ravine and coiled the rope around his left arm while he shook out the muscles on his right. He blew out a huff of air as he gauged the distance to the top. Not that far. Maybe eight feet. Yet those eight feet seemed to stretch into the heavens, with nothing but his worn-out arms to get them there.

Give me strength, Lord. I don’t think I can make it on my own.

His eyes slid closed for a moment, then popped open when a dusting of dirt hit his face. He jerked his head back, tightening his grip on the rope with his left hand while he reached for his knife with his right. But Dennis’s legs were in the way, blocking his access to his belt.

“You all right, mister?” The kid’s muffled question vibrated through him.

No, he wasn’t all right. His arms were about to give out, and there was a snake slithering down the side of the ravine, not three feet from his head.

Philip blinked. Scrunched his forehead. Was it a snake?

“Keep it coming, Calvin.” Letty’s head appeared as she leaned over the ledge. Her gaze found Philip’s. “I fashioned a stirrup. Slip it over your boot, and Steele will pull you the rest of the way.”

The snake drew closer, its head twisting to reveal a hollow loop. She’d torn the other blanket into strips and made a rope. Seemed the Good Book was right about the Lord knowing what you needed before you asked.

“Everything’s fine, Dennis,” Philip assured him. “We’re almost to the top.”

Philip waved to Letty to let her know he’d heard her instructions, then waited for the rope to come within reach. Once he had it in hand, he shifted his weight to the left and slipped the loop over his right boot.

“Got it!” He fit the wool strip alongside the rope so he could hold on to both at once. “Take it slow.”

Letty’s head disappeared, and a moment later, he felt a tug on his boot as Steele took up the slack and began pulling Philip’s weight. He used his left foot as a brace against the ravine wall to keep them from twisting as they rose.

In no time, they reached the top, Steele dragging Philip over the ledge until his chest scraped rock. He heard Letty call “Whoa!” somewhere in the distance, but he focused on pulling his hips and legs onto the safety of flat ground and getting Dennis away from the chasm.

“Dennis!” Calvin ran up to them and helped free his brother from the sling.

Philip felt the grip around his midsection loosen as Dennis relaxed his legs and slid free to stand on his own. Something Philip would do just as soon as he found the strength.

Then a pair of delicate, yet surprisingly strong, hands came to his aid, lifting him up and helping him stand.

“Are you all right?” she murmured close to his ear.

He stretched his arm over her shoulders—merely for support, he told himself, not because she was an amazing woman who’d just rescued him with an impressive show of ingenuity.

“I am now.” He twisted to meet her gaze. “Thank you.”

Her lashes dipped over her eyes. “You and Steele did all the hard work. I just tore up a blanket.”

“Had I known you were the great butcherer of bedrolls, I would have stocked up on extra linens before we left.”

A chuckle burst from her, lifting her lashes to reveal hazel eyes alive with amusement. His chest expanded at the sight. The woman was beautiful when she laughed.

A warmth that felt an awful lot like admiration spread across his chest and out into the arm currently draped over her shoulder. The temptation to caress the side of her face came upon him with such strength, his arm twitched. Deciding he better walk under his own power from this point on, he dropped his arm from her shoulders and took a step away from her.

“Guess we better see these boys home.”

She looked at him curiously, as if trying to decipher his behavior. He couldn’t decide if he wanted her to be successful in that particular quest or not. The moment passed, though, and her gaze drifted from him to settle on the boys standing a few feet away. “Yes, I suppose we should.”

17

“There it is.” Calvin pointed through the trees to a small cabin in a clearing about a quarter mile away. “Mama’s gonna blister my britches for being so late.”

Letty gave the boy in her lap a little squeeze of encouragement with the side of her arm. “I’m sure she’ll understand.”