Chapter 26

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

"In the wilderness, we have what's called the rule of threes."

The next morning, Colton sat back and listened to the lesson Bear was teaching around the campfire as the kids ate breakfast. It wasn't anything Colton hadn't already heard before, but watching the kids listen so raptly had renewed Colton's interest in the basics also.

"The human body can survive for roughly three minutes without oxygen. So, that's for if you're trapped underwater."

Or under snow, but Colton didn't interject.

"We can survive about three hours exposed to extreme elements," Bear continued. "You can survive three days without water, and three weeks without food."

One of the kids laughed and shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I couldn't survive three weeks without food."

Bear grinned at the kid. "Actually, you can probably last quite a bit longer than that, but it wouldn't be fun."

Marshall raised his hand. "Which of these aspects is the most dangerous? Which type of exposure tends to kill the most people?"

Bear rubbed his hands together. "Great question. Anybody want to take a guess? "

The kids immediately started discussing the ramifications among themselves. The general consensus was that lack of water tended to kill the most people.

"Actually, it's exposure to the elements that takes out the most hikers and wilderness enthusiasts. That's why we spent so much time yesterday discussing how to make shelters and fires. It's why you should always have different types of clothing layers in your backpack when you go camping, as well as a tarp and an emergency blanket."

Lilah nodded next to Bear. "Especially around here in the mountains, the weather can change drastically and quickly. You have to be aware of what's going on around you." She pointed up to a set of clouds in the distance. "I'm keeping my eye on those. Right now, it looks like the storm will miss us, and that's great. But if anything changes, what would I want to do to prepare for a possible incoming storm?"

Hands shot up all around the campfire.

"Build a shelter," one kid said.

"Absolutely," Bear nodded. "And what's our rule about shelter?"

"Higher is drier," the kids all called out together.

Bear grinned. "Yep, if rain is coming, you don't want to end up in a flash flood area."

"What else?" Lilah asked. She pointed to Ashley.

At first, Ashley didn't look like she was going to respond but found her courage. "Getting some tinder together and keeping it dry so we can restart the fire after the storm."

Lilah ran over and gave the quiet girl a high five. "Brilliant. I sometimes keep some dried grass and tiny sticks wrapped up in my jacket when I see a storm is coming. Nothing worse than trying to rebuild a fire when you're cold and everything is wet."

Bear and Lilah fielded all the other questions and comments from the students, then they went back over certain knots and fire-making techniques that had been discussed briefly the day before.

Colton listened while occasionally glancing over at Ella. She seemed to be relaxing more with each hour they were here in the wilderness. He'd loved having her sleeping beside him in their primitive shelter. They hadn't even so much as been touching, but just having her nearby had felt right. He'd slept nearly the whole night.

The kids prepared another meal over fires they'd built then they split into groups for the afternoon's activity: a wilderness scavenger hunt.

The groups were based on the degree to which the campers had expressed true interest in wilderness survival. Those who were completely interested—about half the students—were going with Bear, Theo, and Lilah. They'd be learning more advanced stuff and finding harder items on the scavenger hunt list.

Those who weren't as interested in the finer nuances of survival would be sticking around the less-expert instructors like him and Ella.

It was all going to be fun no matter who the students and instructors were paired with, but Colton couldn't help but keep an eye on which group Marshall decided to place himself in. It looked like he was heading toward the more advanced group until it became obvious Ashley was going to stick with Ella.

"Tough call, little man," Colton muttered. But he wasn't surprised when Marshall grabbed his backpack and headed toward the two ladies when it was time to go.

Colton did the exact same thing.

For a couple hours, they were with other campers and adults—everyone working together to find the items on the list: a yellow flower, a smooth rock, various types of edible plants. But as Ashley and Ella slowed down to take in more of the scenery and colors around them, Colton and Marshall found themselves falling back with them.

"I'm a little surprised you didn't go with the advanced class," Colton remarked to Marshall while the girls were over looking at a meadow of flowers and were out of earshot.

Marshall shrugged one shoulder while organizing the list of items he'd found. "I knew Ashley wouldn't be interested in the advanced group. She likes learning about this stuff, but it's not really her thing."

"But is it your thing? Are you afraid you are missing out?"

"No offense, but all the survival stuff I can find online—videos, books, articles, interviews. Yeah, learning in person is optimal, but I have other options available." He glanced over at Colton, probably to see if he'd just offended him.

He hadn't.

"And since you can get that information other places, you'd rather spend the time you do have getting to know Ashley."

"Yeah, exactly." Marshall nodded solemnly. "Do you think that's dumb?"

"The opposite. You can do a lot of things on your own, but spending time with that special someone is not one of them. Sometimes choosing the less exciting route is actually the more exciting route."

The gals happen to look up and over at them at that very second. Both he and Marshall gave them a wave.

"Thanks for understanding," Marshall said.

Colton understood much more than the kid could possibly know.

Since they were both at an unspoken agreement that they would be learning at the girls' pace and helping them have fun rather than focusing too much on the scavenger hunt, everything seemed to slow down for them just to enjoy themselves and the company. Colton still tried to teach as much as he could—indicating more edible and dangerous plants, animal tracks as they saw them, and even a few critters here and there that were brave enough to show themselves. Ella and Ashley pointed out different colors and what baked goods were modeled after those different hues. Everyone talked and laughed and enjoyed themselves.

It was sort of like being on a mini double date. Colton had been all over the world with all sorts of famous people and wasn't sure he'd ever had as good a time .

"Look at those—they're gorgeous." Ashley rushed off the path toward a group of flowers growing in tall columns in all different colors. "Can I pick some?"

"No!" both Colton and Ella called out before the girl could touch them. She turned around to them, eyes wide.

"Those are larkspur," Ella explained. "Beautiful, but toxic."

"Pictures only. Touching them will make you break out. Ingesting them?" Colton ran a finger across his throat in an exaggerated manner before making choking sounds and falling to the ground with his eyes closed.

Ella shook her head. "Guess he's dead. Let's leave him here for the animals."

She squealed when he got up and chased her, tickling her until she begged for mercy when he caught her.

Her laugh was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard.

It was almost time to head back to the main camp when Colton finally had a chance to talk to Ella alone as Ashley and Marshall stood on some large rocks overlooking the edge of the fast-flowing river. They'd slipped off their backpacks—Marshall helping Ashley—then climbed up to a high boulder.

"I would remind them to be careful, but they're both more responsible than I am, so it seems like overkill."

Ella laughed. "They are definitely little adults. It's really nice to watch the two of them, isn't it? Young love."

"I don't know about Ashley, but Marshall is definitely smitten."

Colton glanced over at Ella as she watched the kids. Marshall wasn't the only one smitten.

"I think it definitely goes both ways. I saw how Ashley's eyes lit up when you guys agreed to stay with us rather than go with the more competitive groups."

He trailed a finger down her arm, unable to stop himself from touching her. "No place either Marshall or I would rather be."

Her soft smile had to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He tried to figure out a way of telling her that without sounding completely pathetic .

"You're so damn beautiful, Ella." Actually, he didn't care if it sounded pathetic. Because it was the goddamn truth.

"Somebody told you, didn't they?" The smile fell away from her face. "Somebody overheard or something, and they told you. That's why you're telling me I'm pretty."

He had no idea what she was talking about. "The word I used was beautiful , and I used it for a reason. Those larkspurs we were looking at were pretty. You're so much more than just pretty."

She shook her head. "You don't have to say that."

"Butterscotch, what are you talking about? I know I don't have to say it. I'm saying it because it's true, because I?—"

His words were cut off by Ashley's scream.

Both he and Ella turned just in time to see Ashley fall off the boulder toward the icy water below. Marshall grabbed for her, catching her, her momentum slamming him belly-first onto the boulder as he attempted to hold all her weight with one arm.

Colton sprinted for the kids, Ella right behind him.

"No, Ashley, hang on!" Marshall let out a pained cry as his body slid closer to the edge, trying to hold Ashley's weight at an awkward angle that put way too much pressure on his shoulder socket.

But still he held on to Ashley.

"Fuck. He's not going to be able to hold her." Colton recognized how things were going to go before he was even halfway to Ashley and Marshall. He immediately spun and started running in the opposite direction.

"What?" Ella yelled as he passed back by her.

He didn't stop running. "They're both going to fall in."

Colton hit the shore again and started running downstream. Sure enough, just a couple seconds later, he heard Marshall and Ashley each let out a scream as they plummeted toward the water below.

Colton dove out as far as he could into the river, knowing the kids would soon be flowing right by him. The cold sucked the air out of his lungs, but he ignored it as he moved forward, and he felt something hit him.

Ashley.

He gripped the girl's arm and dragged her back toward the shore.

"I've got her." Ella grabbed Ashley out of his hands, waist-deep in the river herself. She began dragging the girl the rest of the way to the shore as Colton dove back into the icy water.

He saw Marshall's head bob up out of the water for a split second, and he pushed himself in a swim toward the boy. The rushing rapids poured over him, and for just a second, panic poured over him also.

In his mind, it wasn't water closing in around him, it was the snow from the avalanche. There was no air, only cold. No way to escape.

He stopped swimming, his muscles feeling trapped like in the snow.

Colton gritted his teeth and shook off the thoughts. If he gave in to panic now, it was not only going to cost him his life, but Marshall's too.

No. Not today.

He forced himself to start swimming again, though his arms felt frozen. If he didn't get Marshall out soon, the rapids would take him downstream and Colton wouldn't be able to save him.

"Make yourself as big as possible!" he screamed at Marshall. Hopefully that would slow him down a little in the water.

Marshall somehow heard him and threw one arm up in the air, trying to get more vertical. It slowed him enough that Colton was able to reach him after a few moments of pushing for as much speed as he could.

He wrapped an arm around the boy's chest and swam with all his might back toward the shore. Marshall did what he could to help, but they were both frozen and exhausted.

When they made it far enough that they were out of the river's pull, Colton flopped over on his back. They weren't out of danger—not with both of them being so cold, but there was nothing else he could do.

It was all up to Ella now.