Rocky Mountain Hero. Audra Harders

      Jason dug into his backpack, pulled out a cord and aimed the plug of his video game unit at the dashboard. He missed the cigarette lighter receptacle and hit the heater knob. “Quit driving over the bumps, Mom!”

      Seeing a clear stretch ahead, she leaned over and grabbed the power cord from his hand. She’d find distractions for him later; right now, she needed to concentrate on driving. The truck shimmied in the mud. She jammed the plug into the socket and carnival music came alive from the player. “Jason, sit back.”

      “Mom! Watch out!”

      The nose of her truck headed toward the slope crest. Jerking the steering wheel, she swerved away from the embankment. Mud and gravel splattered across the windshield as the pickup shimmied across the road toward a gigantic boulder. She yanked the wheel in the other direction, fishtailing the truck.

      They skidded toward another boulder at the edge of the slope, the rough and chipped face looming fast. The front corner of her truck crumpled into solid rock, stopping their uncontrolled slide. Her head hit the side window with a thud.

      A shrill whistle filled the cab of the truck. She blinked. Jason sat dazed.

      Sixth grade…that was as far as she’d gotten. She drew a shallow breath, glad her entire twenty-nine years hadn’t flashed before her eyes.

      She wrapped her arms around Jason and squeezed tight. “You all right, big guy?”

      “Um hm.” Wide-eyed, he stared out the cracked windshield. Seconds passed before he wiggled out of her embrace. He dumped his video game onto the floor and peered over the dashboard, his hand working his door handle with no success. “Cool. This is better than Cave Raiders any day. Look! Smoke and everything!”

      Melanie lifted her fingers to massage the bump on her forehead. Cool wasn’t exactly the word she’d use right now.

      His seat belt already unsnapped, Jason scooted to the edge of the bench seat, taking in the entire mountain scene.

      He plastered his nose to the passenger window. “Bet this hill makes a great sledding track in the winter.” He reached across her for the door handle. “Let me out. I want to see how much truck we have left.”

      “The truck is fine.” Melanie ruffled his sandy blond hair searching for blood. Satisfied he’d live, she smiled at the long-lost excitement in his eyes. She hoped the interview tomorrow paid off. She wanted more adventure for both of them.

      She squeezed his shoulder. “It’ll take more than a bump to keep us down.”

      Unbuckling her seat belt, she leaned into the door. Gravity worked against her. She shoved until the door groaned open. Her foot sank ankle deep into the rut. Mud oozed over the top of her boot to her toes.

      Jason bumped the door wider. Losing her balance, she rolled off the seat as she wrenched around to grab the door frame. Her other foot slid beneath the truck. With all the grace of a worn-out mattress, Melanie hit the road square on her back and slid a good foot beneath the truck before her boot wedged between a couple rocks. Gravel and water soaked her arms and back. Her bottom sank into the mud, burying her legs.

      “You all right?” Jason leaned out and looked around. “You’re a mess.”

      “Thanks.” She swiped her hair out of her eyes.

      Jason launched over the worst of the puddle and landed on the high spot of the road. He squatted beside the rear axle and examined her like an unfamiliar specimen. “You just needed to jump out farther, Mom.”

      “Thanks, Jay. I’ll remember that next time.”

      An engine rumbled in the distance. Jason bolted to the middle of the road. “I’ll flag ’em down. Maybe they can pull us off the cliff.”

      Melanie squinted over the edge. “It’s not a cliff.”

      “Close enough.” Jason waved his arms in the direction of the noise.

      “Gabe, look up ahead.”

      Gabe Davidson glanced up from his clipboard. His cousin pointed at a pickup truck alongside the road. From where Gabe sat, he would have said the truck wasn’t going anywhere soon. “Don’t recognize it.”

      “Can’t say the truck or the kid or the blonde are from around here.” Hank downshifted and slowed.

      “Fishtailed right into the rock.” Grooved tracks left ruts inches deep. “The boys from county won’t be happy when they have to come up and fix this.”

      The boy waved his arms at them. Hank pulled over and cut the engine.

      Gabe checked his watch. The vet closed in half an hour. He fingered the list he’d scribbled on the scrap piece of paper. If he waited until tomorrow, he’d have to take a chance the vet stocked the medication he needed, since no one at the animal clinic was answering their phone, or else double back and drive into Gunnison.

      He glanced at the boy, the angle of the truck and the woman wedged partway under the running board. He ground his jaw as uncomplimentary thoughts of Nick and Zac swirled through his head. Times like this, he really wished his brothers were around to help. Propping the clipboard with his list on top of the dash, Gabe shoved at his door. “Let’s go pull ’em out.”

      “Hey mister,” the boy called, as he jumped. “I think my mom’s stuck.”

      “Are you okay?” Hank took off toward the boy while Gabe headed for the woman. The rock, the crushed front end of the pickup and the entire back end of the vehicle sat perched at an angle. No telling what the truck would do.

      “Need help?” Mud covered her from head to toe. Gabe stared into blue eyes the color of mountain columbines in full bloom and lashes as thick as the foxtails that grew around them. Blond hair played across her cheek.

      “No, I’ve got it.” The palm of her hand sank up to her wrist.

      He bent over and grasped her shoulders, her muscles firm within his palms. A spear of awareness shot through him as he found a grip and began to pull. The mud packed around her like a wallow sucking her hostage. As she began to slide free, she kicked her feet against the embankment.

      The road base shifted beneath his feet. His hold tightened. “Be still.”

      Her last kick must have hit a rock. She pushed up, relieving the tension in his pull. Momentarily. The rock worked loose beneath her foot and she sank back into place.

      Gabe fought for balance as he teetered on the edge. No use. He tucked his shoulders as he rolled into the mud bog with her. His elbow trenched a rut behind her and she slammed up against his chest.

      Spitting mud out of her mouth, she smeared her face with her hand. “Oh goodness.” She squirmed to the side. “You okay?”

      His hat lay inverted between them, the crown crushed against her ribs. He followed the line of her muddy T-shirt sleeve to her mud-matted ponytail. Her eyes sparkled wide as he drew close. “I told you to stop moving.”

      “I could’ve gotten out by myself.” Her breathless voice warmed his cheek.

      He swiped his hand down his face, as much to wipe away mud as to break his stare. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

      She shimmied up the bank using the top of his boot as a foothold. “The road is in lousy condition.”

      “Yeah, well.” Her smooth arm pressed against his chest, making simple thought difficult. “The Gunnison County road crew won’t be happy about this, either.”

      She stiffened beside him. “This road is a disaster.”

      “Not if your speed is appropriate for the road condition.”

      She looked at him as if he’d grown another head. “What’s the speed limit for horrendous?”

      Gabe shoved his palm into packed road base. Confrontational wasn’t what he needed right now. Luckily, Hank crouched