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followed, using the same procedure with the handholds, collecting them then dropping them in another bag in the treetop.
    Up the hill, he could see small lights circling the cement-block building they’d left.
    He’d gotten her out. He’d done it.
    “I helped, you know.”
    He laughed. With some distance between them and the building, he felt lighter, as if his chest might explode with the joy of it all. “Yes, you did.”
    He reached over, before he thought anything else, and attached her to the zip-line. She rolled her eyes at him and was off again.
    They repeated the process once more. Finally, at the base of the mountain, he cut them out of their harnesses and hid the remains of them in a hollowed tree trunk nearby.
    He led her through the trees until they reached the stream that cut through the valley. It carved its way between the mountain they’d come from and the one in front of them, etching into the landscape. Kitty went to the water’s edge, washing her hands and her face. He crouched down a few yards away, giving her a few moments to collect herself.
    He splashed some water on his own face and neck and then scrubbed up to his elbows. The stress of the entire situation had left him feeling grimy, and the water’s coldness sharpened his senses.
    He stood, gathered the remains of their things, and joined Kitty. She remained in a squat, staring into the water.
    “I’ve hidden an ATV over there,” he said, motioning to some underbrush nearby. “We’ll take it to a cave, four miles downstream. We’ll stay there until dawn, when the extraction team is scheduled to get us.”
    She nodded, still studying the gurgling stream. After a long moment, she said, “Thank you. For coming for me.” She glanced up, and her thin face was sober, without the defensiveness he’d come to expect. In the moonlight, her skin shone translucent. He blinked, unable to move, held captive in her gaze. “It was…being there…” She shook her head. “Just, thank you.”
    He swallowed, finding it difficult to speak. She’d been through hell, he knew, but he had the strangest urge to reach for her, to hold her and to comfort her. He stayed still. Finally, he managed, “You’re welcome.”
    She nodded again, standing and heading for the brush.
    He reached down, flexing his fingers in the water and gritted his teeth. Man, what was he doing? He’d hoped that if he rescued her, that he would be able to forgive himself. Well, he’d accomplished that goal. The rest of this attraction was only confusing everything. It was unproductive.
    Standing, he shook out his arms and ran his hand over his hair, smoothing it back. It took a few deep breaths, but he pulled himself together.
    As he caught up to her, he realized he’d left her in her socks. Shame swept through him. How had he forgotten? What kind of asshole let her climb all those trees in her socks?
    Gritting his teeth, he called to her, “Come here, please.”
    Kitty stilled. “What?” He could feel her tension, even in the dark, across a handful of yards.
    “Your feet.” Nick pulled the strips of sheet from his pockets. “I forgot about your feet.”
    She picked her way across the forest floor to stand in front of him, holding out her hand. “You can let me do that.”
    “Nowhere for you to sit down. Let me help.”
    After a moment, she nodded. Placing her hand on his arm to steady herself, she lifted her left foot. In the moonlight, he could see that the material of her sock had torn away in a few spots. The skin underneath didn’t appear to be broken, though. “We should wash these.”
    “No. They don’t hurt. They’re just dirty.”
    “Are you sure…?” He couldn’t wrap her dirty feet. It was bad enough he’d forgotten them in the first place.
    “I would have said something, you know.” She squeezed his arm. “They are my feet, and I could have said something. I knew you had the strips.”
    “I know…” He shook his head. She didn’t