A Wedding Code by Jacki Delecki

Author:Jacki Delecki
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jacki Delecki
Published: 2016-06-19T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Amelia rushed toward the sound of Derrick’s voice, her heart and stomach performing somersaults.

Derrick yelled again from a spot deep within the woods, “Over here, Amelia.”

When she finally cleared the scrub, she skirted around the trees. Ten feet ahead, Derrick was on his stomach, leaning over the edge of the ravine with his arm extended. Gus was lying down too, peering over the edge, keening a desperate noise.

“You can do it, old man. Gus is waiting for you.”

Amelia couldn’t muster a breath, and the backs of her knees tingled. Edward had fallen down a steep incline that dropped fifty feet to the river.

Derrick spoke in a calm, reassuring voice, without looking up. “Amelia’s here now, Edward. We’re going to take you home.”

“I want Amelia.” Edward’s plaintive cry had Amelia jumping over the last bushes to get close to the edge.

“Edward, I’m here.” She peeked over the lip of the cliff. Edward was perched on a rocky outcropping five feet down, the width of a small table. One false move and he would plummet down to the river.

Icy shivers ran up and down her spine. Derrick leaned farther out over the muddy hillside while the young soldier held his ankles to secure him. The soft, muddy earth where she stood wasn’t solid or stable.

Derrick was a very heavy man, at least sixteen stone.

The weight of two large men could make the soft cliff easily give way.

Derrick spoke evenly to Edward. “I want you to get to your knees very carefully. Since your ankle is hurt, you will be more secure if you kneel rather than try to stand.”

Amelia covered her mouth to suppress a gasp. If Edward stood up…

“Edward, do as Derrick says. Get to your knees. Slowly, now.” Amelia tried to sound as calm as Derrick.

Edward’s face was ashen, and his eyes were wide with terror.

“Any snack you want for you and Gus once we get home. I promise.”

“Gus and I have been here all night. I thought…” His sob broke off.

Amelia, realizing she had crept too close to the edge, quickly flattened herself to the ground. “We’re going to take you home and pamper you like a prince. That’s it, nice and slow, to your knees.”

Rocks from the cliff crashed over the side, echoing in the silent woods as Edward extended his arms. He flinched, but completed the move from sitting to kneeling.

“Come on Edward, almost there,” Derrick coaxed. “Now, slowly reach up with your hand, and I will pull you the rest of the way.”

Edward stared down, following the path of the falling rocks that skittered down when he shifted his position.

Derrick commanded, “Don’t look down. You need to give me your hand.”

“Darling, please give Derrick your hand. He is very strong, and will be able to lift you, I promise. And the sooner you do, the sooner we can be on our way home to a fire and food and dry clothes.”

Edward tentatively inched his hand upward toward Derrick’s outstretched arm. Derrick wrapped his strong, broad hand around Edward’s wrist.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.