Jake gave the rope a gentle tug. He’d decided to keep the rope short so that if she slipped it would reduce the sliding distance. ‘I’m in the mountain rescue team. And if we don’t both go down now, we’ll be calling out the entire team later, which would be extremely embarrassing for me.’
She stared dubiously at the mist and snow. ‘All right. I suppose it makes sense to walk together. I can certainly see why they call it a whiteout.’
‘Can you walk?’
‘Of course.’ She looked affronted and stamped her feet as if to prove that they were still working. ‘I’m just cold.’
‘It’s just that most people walking in trainers in this weather end up with a sprained ankle at the very least,’ he drawled, securing the top of his rucksack and swinging it back onto his back. ‘But if you’re intact, we’ll get going.’
‘How far is it?’
‘Don’t you know?’
She shook her head. ‘I didn’t really notice the time. I just walked…’
Something in her voice made him take a closer look at her. Why had she just walked? What had occupied her mind so totally that she hadn’t noticed the time or the change in the weather?
Telling himself that it was none of his business, Jake checked the rope one more time and then jerked his head in the direction of the path. ‘Come on. This way.’
She squinted forward. ‘It all looks the same to me. How do you know where the path is supposed to be?’
‘Because I know this walk well and I recognise the terrain.’
He walked steadily, matching his pace to hers and keeping a close eye on her.
She was cold, he could see that, but nowhere near as cold as she’d been when he’d found her. They weren’t far from the car park now so he wasn’t too worried.
He was more worried about the blank, slightly vacant look in her huge dark eyes. Once they started to walk she sank into silence, her eyes straight ahead, stepping where he told her to step.
He sensed that something was very wrong.
Was it was just the pressures of Christmas Day? Was she avoiding everyone else’s happiness?
They reached the car park without mishap and he reached down and detached the rope from her waist.
‘We’re here.’ He glanced around him with a frown. At this level, the mist had lifted sufficiently to improve the visibility but he could only see one car. His. ‘Where did you park?’
‘Oh.’ She blinked and took a deep breath as if waking herself up. ‘Over there.’
His gaze followed the direction of her vague gesture but he saw nothing. ‘Your car’s been stolen.’
It happened, of course, in these isolated car parks.
‘No.’ She shook her head and gave him a wan smile as she handed back the harness. ‘I don’t have a car. I have a bike.’
A bike? He stared again and finally saw a rusty, ancient bicycle propped against a tree.
‘That’s yours?’
‘Yes.’ She pulled the hat from her head and he frowned.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Returning your clothes. Thank you so much.’
‘Stop. Wait…’ He put the hat back on her head, feeling her silky hair brush his fingers. ‘You can’t get on that bike and cycle—you’re frozen.’ And he didn’t want her to leave. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to—
‘I’ll warm up when I get back to my—’ She broke off and flinched slightly. ‘Home. I’ll be fine at home.’