“Maybe he’s okay. Maybe he got lost.”
She shook her head, wishing Jackson would be quiet. He was attempting to comfort her, but it wasn’t working. Aside from seeing Gizmo alive and healthy, nothing would soothe her pain and guilt.
She couldn’t let herself think about Gizmo any longer. She had to take care of Jackson. And the way he was favoring his leg, there was no way she would be able to get him back to her cabin without a little help. Her cabin was a ways from here. And it was situated in a secluded area. That was why she’d chosen it. It was far from prying eyes and, most important, the press.
But now, well, the location wasn’t ideal to obtain medical aid. But she was certain that once she got ahold of the rescue services, they’d send someone to get Jackson medical treatment.
With her thoughts focused on getting help, she turned to Jackson. “I have a place. But I think you’re going to need some help getting there.”
“I’ll make it.” He stood upright. He’d barely touched the ground with his injured leg when his face creased with obvious pain.
“Are you ready to concede now?”
His gaze didn’t meet hers. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m going to look for a tree branch that you can use as a cane. Between my shoulder and the tree branch, hopefully we’ll be able to limp you back to the cabin.”
“Cabin?”
“Uh-huh. Is that a problem?”
“Um. No. I won’t be there long.”
A smile pulled at her lips at Jackson Bennett’s obvious disapproval of staying in a cabin. He had absolutely no idea that it was a two-story log home with just about every creature comfort you could imagine. But Jackson was right about one thing: he wouldn’t be staying with her for long. Once she had phone service, he’d be on his way to the hospital and out of her life.
CHAPTER THREE
“ARFF!”
Jackson Bennett glanced around. Was it possible that the dog the woman was so worried about had been unharmed? He hoped so.
He squinted through the heavy falling snow. Where was the dog? Maybe if he caught it, he’d be able to pay the woman back. They could part on even terms. He hated feeling indebted to anyone. If only he could locate the source of the barking.
“Arff! Arff!”
He glanced around for some sign of Mae. Maybe she could find the dog. But it appeared she was still off in search of a makeshift cane for him.
Jackson got to his feet. With difficulty, he turned around. There beneath a tree, where the snow wasn’t so deep, stood a little gray-and-white dog. It looked cold and scared. Jackson could sympathize.
“Come here,” he said in his most congenial tone. “I won’t hurt you.”
There was another bark, but it didn’t move. The dog continued to stare at Jackson as though trying to decide if Jackson could be trusted or not. Jackson kept calling to the dog, but the little thing wouldn’t come near him. Jackson smothered a frustrated sigh. How did he gain the dog’s trust?
He again glanced around for Mae. How far had she gone for the walking stick? A town on the other side of the Alps? Italy perhaps?
He considered shouting for her, but then he changed his mind. If he frightened the dog, they’d never catch it. And it wasn’t fit for man or beast in this snowstorm.
Jackson turned back to the dog. If only he had a way to coax him over, but he didn’t have any dog treats. And then he thought of something. He’d missed his lunch and had grabbed a pack of crackers to eat in the car. Would a dog eat a cracker?
Jackson had no idea. His experience with a dog consisted of exactly seven days. And it hadn’t gone well at all.
Once the dog had made a mess on the floor, chewed one of his mother’s favorite shoes and howled when his mother put him in the backyard for the night, she’d taken the dog back to the shelter. Jackson remembered how crushed he’d been. He’d begged and pleaded for his mother to change her mind. His mother had told him that it wa
s for the best and sent Jackson to his room.
He banished the memories to the back of his mind. Those days were best forgotten. His life was so much different now—so much better. He didn’t have a dog and, for all intents and purposes, he didn’t have a mother, either. It was for the best.
He pulled the crackers from his dress shirt pocket. He undid the cellophane and removed one. It consisted of two crackers with cheese spread between them. He hoped this would work.