Chapter 15: She Has to Trust Him

“Ready? I’ll go first. If you fall, you’ll land on me.”

“Lucky me,” she murmured.

Chelsea checked that her radio remained attached as Jake began his descent.

“Your turn,” he said a few feet down the hill.

Rotating, she held the rope and took baby steps backwards. Her gaze held Stone’s. He knew Jake and Chelsea retained some history.

She stopped moving when she felt Jake’s bulk behind her.

“Take it slow. You’re doing great.”

She felt a tug on the line.

“Whoa,” Jake yelled.

She looked over her shoulder in time to see him sliding and scrambling for the rope.

“Jake,” she screamed. He was out of reach in a New York minute. Not that she could have stopped his momentum.

He managed to grab the rope and stop his downward slide. He raised a gloved hand. “I’m okay. Keep coming down, Chelsea.”

With her heart pounding in her ears, she descended to where he stopped.

“You, okay?” she asked, breathless.