The grizzly jumped five feet sideways with a startled roar, and as Nicole fired again, it broke into a lumbering run into the trees and out of sight with Cricket at her heels. Nicole continued firing blindly, compulsively, until the hammer clicked on already spent shells; then, trembling violently, she let the pistol drop, put her hands to her face for a long moment, then hobbled back toward Eric’s still form.

CHAPTER 24

Eric’s eyes fluttered open. For almost a full minute he stared up into the trees without blinking, as if in a trance; then his eyes closed again slowly. Five minutes later they opened again, revealing wide, gray pools of pain. Suddenly they widened, and Nicole knew he was remembering. His head turned slightly until his eyes met hers.

“Hello,” she said softly.

He started to lift himself up, but the pain contorted his face, and he sank back again. His hand came up and touched the bare skin of his chest, then ran across his stomach.

“I had to use your shirt for bandages,” Nicole said. “I didn’t have anything else.”

Gritting his teeth, Eric tried again and got up on his elbows high enough to see the crude bandage around his leg.

“There are four deep gashes,” she explained. “There was a lot of blood, but no arteries were cut. I don’t think your leg’s broken.”

He nodded, his head dropping back to the ground. Then he caught sight of another strip of the red plaid material from his shirt wrapped around her foot, over which she had slipped her tennis shoe. His eyebrows shot up.

“I stepped on a sharp rock,” she said with a shrug.

“That’s why you fell. Be grateful. The bear went right over the top of you. It saved your life.”

“You saved my life,” she whispered, tears welling up again.

He sank back to the ground. “And you saved mine. What happened? I must’ve passed out.”

“Cricket held the bear off long enough for me to get the pistol. That scared it away.”

Again a sharp stab of pain twisted his features, causing him to draw in his breath quickly. “Where is Cricket?” he said finally, turning his head to look. “Is she—?”

“She’s limping badly, but I think she’ll be fine. She’s out exploring again now, so she can’t be hurt too badly.”

“Good.” He forced a wan smile. “That’s a ridiculous name, you know.”

Nicole laughed. “I know. When she was a small puppy, it seemed to fit.”

“The Cricket and the Grizzly. It sounds like a fable or something.”

“Is the pain terrible?” she asked, watching the lines etch deeper into his face.

His hand raised slowly to touch the lump behind his ear. “First time I’ve ever been attacked by two she-bears in the same day.”

Nicole dropped her head. “I’m sorry! But—”