Love 'Em or Leave 'Em Page 11

  Her face looked small and vulnerable from where he stood. She was about fifteen feet below him. He examined the crevice. It was now almost five feet across. Luke backed up several steps, and without hesitating ran at full speed. He planted his foot and leaped across the open expanse. He landed on the other side and hugged the wall to his right to ensure that he didn't follow Ashley over the side.

  "Did you jump across?"

  "Yeah"

  There was a moment of silence.

  "Show-off."

  "Listen up. I want you to look around and describe the area to me. What are you holding on to and where are your feet? Is there a landing you can get to?"

  Luke removed his backpack and looked to see if there was anything useful inside.

  "Well, let's see. There are big green plants everywhere. I'm holding on to the roots of one."

  He pulled out two water bottles, a bag of gorp mix, bug repellant, matches, a jack knife, and sunscreen.

  "It looks like there are a bunch of rocks higher up near you."

  "Yeah, what else?" He reached farther into the pack and found a small first aid kit, a flashlight and, thank you, a rope.

  "Well, it's pretty steep."

  "What are you standing on?" He quickly unwound the rope to check the length. He guessed it was about twenty feet.

  "A tree. Actually, it's a little tree"

  He raised his head. "What do you mean? You're standing on a tree?"

  "Kind of. This little tree is sticking out of the hill, and I'm standing on the base of its trunk"

  "What's below the tree?"

  She sounded fine, though the description of her location did not sound good. "Nothing. It's, um, a drop-off"

  "Ashley, don't move. I've got a rope." A sheen of perspiration covered him. A heavy weight settled on his chest, and his heart was beating in overtime. He had to get her out of there.

  "No, I'm pretty much staying right here. Not going anywhere."

  "Good. Now I need you to wiggle the plant again so I can find you. Be very careful." He watched and, sure enough, he saw leaves shake. Her face peeked out pale and worried. "I see you," he yelled down to her.

  "I see you too" From her precarious perch, Ashley gave him a strained smile.

  "I'm going to throw this rope down. See if you can catch it." He rolled up the bulk of it and tossed it to her, only to have it become hung up on some foliage. He tried a few more times, but each time it landed out of her reach.

  "Luke?"

  "Yeah, Ash?"

  "I thought you were a quarterback. Shouldn't you be able to throw the rope right to me?"

  "Well, yes." He pulled it back up. "In a perfect world I would, but this rope isn't a football and you are not a receiver."

  "Come on, big guy. Suck it up and get me the rope"

  He threw again. This time the rope landed on the leaves of the plant she held on to. "How's that?"

  He could just catch her saying, "About time." Obviously her fear wasn't great enough to squelch her attitude.

  "Listen up. I want you to wrap the rope around your waist and tie it. Can you do that?"

  "You bet your sweet feet I can. Hang on a sec."

  He held the other end of the clothesline-like rope.

  "Okay. I did it, but I'm not sure the knot is going to work. I wasn't a Boy Scout and they didn't teach rope tying in Brownies."

  "Can you wrap it around your arm too? That should help." He gave her a minute to maneuver. "Are you ready?" he asked, impatient, wanting her back by his side, safe and sound.

  "Ready"

  "Great. Now hang on. I'm going to pull you up slowly. Hold on tight to the rope with both hands and use your feet to dig in and climb as I pull. Try to get some leverage to keep yourself moving. Here we go" Luke wrapped the rope around his right hand several times and pulled it taut. He pulled it slow and steady inch by inch. "How're you doing?"

  "Okay" Anxiety edged her voice.

  "Hang on. I'm going to reposition and pull harder." He placed his feet against a large boulder at the top of the slope. The tension of the rope burned his hands.

  "You still okay?" She was about halfway up.

  "Yup," she groaned.

  He continued to pull the rope hand-over-hand. He felt the muscles in his arms and shoulders bulge with the strain. His panic changed into steely determination. He would get her back safely and she would be fine. He would accept nothing less.

  "Stop! Stop, stop, stop!"

  "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He held Ashley and the rope in place, gripping tightly.

  "I can't hang on. The rope is biting into my hand and I need to move it. Loosen it up a little. I'm braced against a rock"

  Luke stole a glance over the side and saw her clinging to the rocky side less than four feet below. Her face wore a pained look as she wound the rope around her arms and hand once again. Jagged rocks spiked the remaining distance between them.

  "Okay, I'm ready"

  Luke readjusted his grip and began a steady pull to get her the rest of the way up. He heard Ashley groan as she slid over the rough terrain. Suddenly, she was only an arm's length away.

  "Look up, Ash. I can reach you" He grabbed her hand, rope and all. With the solid feel of her warm hand in his grasp, a weight of worry lifted off him. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. One more strong pull and she was up over the side and tight against him as he lay down on the ground, his arms firmly around her. After a secure, bone-jarring hug, he held her away to get a good look.

  "Hey, what's this?" Tears filled her eyes and she shook all over. He put his hand beneath her head, weaving his fingers through her hair. He turned her face to him. "What's going on?"

  Tears slid down her cheeks. She pushed them away with her arm. "The rope was slipping. I thought I would fall and ..."

  "There was no way I would have let you fall." Thankful to have her safely back with him, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her. She released a deep, shuddering breath. Her body relaxed in his arms.

  Without realizing what he was doing, Luke leaned forward and kissed her lips tenderly. As he lifted his mouth away from hers, he heard her soft intake of breath.

  He leaned in for a deeper kiss, enjoying the softness of her mouth. The way she returned the tentative kiss melted his heart. Her hair spilled through his fingers as he held her, and he brushed his other hand against her jaw as the kiss deepened. He slowly pulled back. Her eyes fluttered open.

  "Oh," she softly exhaled as if awakening from a dream.

  He was in heaven.

  Luke came to his senses. Reluctantly, he lifted his head and gazed into her glistening eyes. He watched as she returned from the faraway place to which she had gone.

  "Girl, you are driving me crazy."

  "What?" She slowly focused on him.

  He smiled at her confusion. "Nothing. Let's take a look at you and inventory the damage"

  Luke sat back on his knees and checked for injuries. Red marks wound around Ashley's arm from the pull of the rope. He hadn't realized how close she'd been to losing hold. Her knuckles were scraped and raw from rubbing against the side of the rocks. He turned her hands over and saw the underside of her arms, scratched and skinned. He frowned. His heart went out to her as he realized how painful her rescue had been. She'd acted so strong. He reached out to inspect her right hand, but she pulled it away and cradled it to her side.

  "I landed on it when I fell."

  "It's okay-let me see." He reached again, and this time she allowed him to inspect it. He gently ran his fingers up and down the length of her arm. Her skin was soft and smooth to his touch. Other than being a bit dirty and slightly scraped, it appeared to be all right. He cupped his hands around her injured one as if willing it to heal. After a few moments, he raised it to his lips and kissed it lightly. "All better now?"

  "All better." She smiled back.

  He finished his examination, and noticed her knees and shins were also battered and covered with blood and scrapes. "You don't
look so good" He ran his fingertips lightly up and down both her legs. "You took quite a beating. I don't think your legs are going to look too good in shorts for a while, not to mention a swimsuit."

  She scrutinized her legs. "I think you may be right. However"-there was optimism in her voice-"this may actually be a good thing. There are so many scrapes, I have that much less leg to shave. My morning shower will go so much faster."

  Luke shook his head. No matter what happened, her spirit couldn't be broken. She was once again running at the mouth. Smart aleck.

  "Well, if you think you're able to walk..." He stood up and extended a hand to help her up. "I think we should move out of here. Let's try to find this jungle paradise they told us about"

  "Sounds good to me" He helped her to her feet and they returned to their expedition.

  In less than thirty minutes the terrain became easier to hike and they began the descent into a small valley. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they reached a spot overlooking a clearing filled with all the amenities one would expect for the king of a small country.

  "I believe we've found the promised land" Luke led the way down the hill to the haven below.

  A white silk tent sat off to the side of the clearing near the base of a beautiful rock wall with vines and plants growing out of it. The sides of the tent were made of sheer netting, pulled open dramatically to reveal the centerpiece, a large bed made up with satin linens and large comfy pillows in varying sizes.

  They exchanged uncomfortable glances. Each managed to keep a straight face. Barely.

  Fresh flowers accented the tent. Red rose petals were scattered on top of the bedspread. Each side of the tent featured a comfortable chair and a stand, on which hung a white linen robe. A table with a pitcher of water and a basin, as well as stacks of fluffy white towels and bars of sweet smelling soap, sat to the side.

  Together they walked across the clearing toward two chaise lounges covered in a soft ivory fabric with a table between them. The table was set with candles and wine glasses, and the chairs overlooked a small waterfall a mere fifty feet away. The water cascaded down the rocks and fell gracefully into a pool below, surrounded by a bed of mossy grass. Another stack of towels sat on a rock near the pool.

  "Wow, this is amazing," Ashley said as she walked over to a round table set for dinner. An ivory tablecloth covered it, and a beautiful centerpiece filled with large exotic flowers and greens from the rain forest graced the center. Two tall white tapers waited to be lit.

  "Luke, look what I found."

  A few feet from the table, partially hidden by sev eral plants, sat a large rattan picnic basket and two coolers.

  "I'm still admiring camp, and here you're all excited over food."

  "What? I'm hungry." She opened the coolers to see what feast was hidden within.

  "Me too," he whispered under his breath as he watched her explore.

  Ashley sat on a chaise lounge eating tender chicken off a skewer.

  "Hey, Luke" She wiped her fingers on a napkin and reached for her glass of red wine.

  "Yeah?"

  "What's it like?"

  "What?" He sat back, relaxed, a nearly empty beer bottle cradled comfortably in his hand. He rolled his head toward her.

  "Football. What you do."

  "You want to know what playing football is like?"

  "We've spent the whole day together and I'm curious. There's so much I don't know about you. What's it like living a life where you get so much media attention all the time? How do you play football when you have five cameras following your every move? They catch everything you do, even when you scratch yourself or pick your nose."

  Luke chuckled.

  "No, really, people criticize every move you make. Everything you do right or wrong is critiqued and discussed over and over on TV, on the radio, and in newspapers. It would drive me crazy! I couldn't stand it."

  "Hmm. That's an interesting question."

  He wondered if he should give her the short version, which usually satisfied curious fans and media interviewers, or give her the real answer. Tell her how frustrating it was to be criticized for mistakes when the blame often lay with the guy who was supposed to catch the ball, but ran the wrong way. Or to have your character chewed apart like you were some media darling in Hollywood.

  On the other hand, it was better than any life he could have imagined. He was living his dream. He loved playing the game, being in charge of things, making the allimportant comeback in the final two minutes. It was the most exhilarating life he could imagine. He'd experienced so many highs he could die a happy man.

  Then again, some of the baggage that came with it was a real drag. But hey, when you were paid as well as he was, how could anyone complain? The general public didn't understand. They only saw dollar signs, fame and fortune. No complaining allowed, which was fine with him.

  "It's all part of the job. It's my responsibility to be accessible to the press and to be under everyone's scrutiny. I would be disappointed if it were otherwise."

  "You can't be serious. You expect to be treated that way?"

  "That's pretty much how this game works. You play well, you get coverage. You play rotten and you get more coverage. The press loves to get sound clips when you're down."

  "I couldn't stand it." Ashley moved to the coolers as she spoke. "It's all I can do to put up with the cameras on this reality show. It goes against everything that's normal. Who in their right mind would expect that as a part of their life?"

  Luke watched as she fished around in the cooler and pulled out two more plates of food.

  "In fact, to be honest, it nearly kills me every time I see one of those stupid cameras facing my direction. I want to tell them off, or smear something on the lens. I know these guys are doing their job, but I hate it. I really hate it." She set down a tray of chocolates between them, along with more shrimp and strawberries.

  "Really? Now that surprises me"

  "It does?" She handed him another shrimp. "Why?"

  "Thanks" He tipped his shrimp toward her. "Because you appear comfortable being yourself. You always speak your mind and don't seem to buy into all the competition of the game"

  "Uh-oh, am I that obvious?"

  "You're not obvious, just yourself. I can tell it's the real you, probably more than anyone else here. Whenever I see you, you're doing whatever you want, the way you want to do it. You don't sugarcoat things or suck up like everyone else. You don't care what anyone else thinks."

  "I have been awful"

  "Not at all"

  "I really didn't want to stand out. I wanted to blend in and be myself. I can't get into this fake girly thing. Doesn't it drive you crazy having all these women fawning over you all the time?"

  He gave her a cockeyed look.

  She laughed. "Okay, don't answer. I know. You're in heaven. Who wouldn't want a bunch of gorgeous women hanging on your every word and telling you everything you think you want to hear?"

  Luke sat back thoughtfully. "Actually," he said, "I am tired of it all" Hesitant to bare his soul, he reached over for another large shrimp.

  "Yeah? Go on"

  He realized he trusted Ashley and wanted to share his thoughts with her. "At first I was a nobody. No one cared about Luke Townsend. I was a young kid having fun doing my thing, getting into trouble. Partying too much, acting young and stupid. And then everything began to fall into place and it seemed like overnight I was the greatest thing in football" He took a bite of the shrimp. "I've spent my life playing football. When I was little, I used to practice signing my autograph so that one day, when I became famous, I'd have it down perfect"

  "Amazing. You've wanted this since you were a kid and you got your dream. Do you realize how few people can say that? I'd say all your practice paid off. Don't you make ten dollars every time you sign your name? Do you even own rights to your own signature anymore?"

  "Yes, I still have rights to my own signature. Want my autograph? I'll give it to yo
u-for free."

  "Ooo, the great Luke Townsend offers me his autograph. Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I'm not much into autographs. Or into the rich and famous, for that matter."

  Faking a hurt look, Luke threw his shrimp tail at her. "I am so offended" She picked it off her top and threw it back.

  "I've never known anyone to turn me down. Are you aware how much you could make with it on eBay?" Not very much, he thought to himself. There were thousands of Luke Townsend autographed items out there. He was definitely overexposed.

  Ashley shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You are way too confident. You really need to be knocked down to size."

  "Knock away, baby," he said with an evil grin.

  "Yeah, right." She took another sip from her glass instead. "So, go on"

  "Well, suddenly I attracted all kinds of media attention and started to have a huge fan following. It seemed no matter where I went, people were waiting for me. People wanting to buy me drinks, shake my hand, hang out, or ... whatever." He hesitated, trying to find the right words.

  Everything was free, no strings attached. "It's amazing how many doors are open to you when you're at the top.

  Luke drained his beer. "On the other hand," he said, ,.your life is under a magnifying glass. You think you have secrets and then you read them in the morning paper. Or worse, a reporter asks a very personal question in front of a room full of media. Something you thought was private and sacred is suddenly on the ten o'clock news. It's the pits. And then it gets back to your family. At first I thought my family would never know about my wild activities or speeding tickets, but it all finds its way to them. Everything."

  "Life in the spotlight doesn't sound very appealing."

  "You know what else I hate?" he asked, not waiting for an answer. "I hate the way we go into a game injured. Half the team is banged up and barely able to get out of bed in the morning. We go out there and put every ounce of energy we have into the game. We get beat up, thrown to the ground, bashed upside the head. You try to hide the concussion you think you have and not walk with a limp." Luke passed his empty bottle from one hand to the other like a football.