Mountain Secrets by Elizabeth Goddard (good books to read for teens txt) 📕

as well make the most of it instead of backtracking over terrain we’ve already seen.”

Meral and Buck stared at Jewel, waiting for an answer. “Yes, of course, I can make it the rest of the way. I’m sorry I brought it up now. We could have talked about this later.”

“Everybody good?” Jenkins tried to hide his scowl and look like a patient tour guide, then marched on.

The ice tunnel opened up into a deep and wide cavern with jagged ice sculptures at the bottom. Jewel and Colin both hung back far from the edge while Meral and Buck boldly moved forward to get the best view. Despite her clear nervousness, Jewel kept inching forward to be close to Meral as though concerned for her. Colin had to maintain his stance between Jewel and Buck just in case the man got any ideas. He wished he had pushed for going back instead of completing the circle.

Jenkins shared his vast knowledge of the ice cave and all things glacier related, and Colin eyed Jewel—so beautiful. He’d often seen that same look of awe on her face. She loved nature. The Alaska wilderness. If he knew anything about her, he knew that. Still, in the midst of her admiration for the beauty around them, she appeared distracted.

Seeing her concern for Meral, Colin ushered her back away from the ledge. “I’ll watch out for her,” he whispered, and left Jewel resting on a rocky outcropping.

Colin went back to stand next to Meral. Jenkins pointed up at the icicles as one broke off and fell to the bottom, where it shattered like glass. Cut like glass, too. Caught up in the man’s voice, Colin looked up at the rest of the glass knives hanging in the cavern.

He felt something at his back. A shove, a push...or a nudge. Reacting, he jerked around.

Then he slipped.

And suddenly the deep cavern loomed ahead. He was falling, sliding on the ice. Desperation and survival skills had him twisting around, reaching for the unforgiving ice, hoping he could stop his fall.

Voices cried out, echoing through the cave. Someone screamed his name.

Heart pounding, he reached for something, anything solid to grab hold of, when a hand grasped his.

Buck held on to Colin, his grip strong and sure. Jenkins dropped prostrate, belly down on the ice, and anchored himself. He grabbed Colin’s other hand. “We’ve got you.”

Colin’s feet dangled precariously over the cavern, and he couldn’t gain any traction against the wall even with crampons. His life depended on these two men.

Pulse racing away and roaring in his ears, Colin stared into Buck’s eyes. Familiar eyes. Shadowy, malicious eyes, yet Buck had caught Colin, stopped his fall to certain death. Was even now pulling him back to the ledge. The men heaved and pulled Colin all the way, and they all fell back onto the ledge. Colin crawled away from it completely. Sat with his knees to his chest and tried to catch his breath.

What had just happened?

Jenkins started in on him for slipping to begin with. For getting too close. But that wasn’t how it had gone down. He eyed Buck. He thought the man was a killer. Colin had been pushed, enough to cause him to slip, but minor enough so it hadn’t been obvious. Who had done it?

Confusion crawled over him. Had he been pushed, or had it been his imagination? This must be how Jewel had felt with all the questions. Yet why push him only to save him? Jewel’s arms slid over his shoulders and then around him as she plopped onto the iced rocks next to him.

She pressed her face into his shoulder. “That was close, too close.”

Who did he think he was, trying to protect her? He hadn’t adequately identified the true danger and had nearly died himself. He’d suspected Buck and now the man had saved him.

He watched Buck, who’d taken Meral into his arms, and the man stared back, his eyes cold and hard and...laughing.

One question ran through Colin’s mind.

Who are you really, Buck Cambridge?

TWELVE

Jewel thought they would never make it back to the US Forest Service’s Bledsoe Glacier Visitor Center. This had to have been the longest hike of her life. She kept replaying the incident in her mind. She’d been watching Meral, listening to the tour guide, when Colin had slipped on that ledge.

She’d thought her heart would drop right into that cavern with him.

Thank You, God. Thank You for saving him.

Her legs had gone weak and hadn’t recovered. But they had made it back to the visitor center and now sat at a small round table. Colin and Buck had left to get them all coffee, everyone avoiding the inevitable conversation they must have.

Colin stood with Buck at the counter of the café. They were talking about something. She would never have known by looking at Colin that he’d almost died. He stood tall and confident. She smiled a little to herself, admiring his broad shoulders. How could Colin seem so strong and durable after nearly losing his life? He was like a heavy-duty truck. He was a force to be reckoned with.

As if sensing she was admiring him, he glanced back at Jewel. Watching, always watching. Except for that one moment when he’d let down his guard. Had that been what caused him to slip? Had he been too busy watching out for her and Meral?

She already knew they couldn’t continue like this, and Colin’s near miss in the ice cave served to confirm she’d made the right decision to leave the travel “fun.” Joining Meral and Buck had seemed like the right thing at the time, her only choice. She’d thought she could handle it. But she’d been wrong.

“Jewel, I don’t know what I’m going to do if you leave the cruise Buck arranged for us.” Meral’s words pulled Jewel back to the moment. “He’s already talking about going back to Baltimore when it’s over.”

Jewel looked into Meral’s beautiful, sad eyes. “I’m not ready to say goodbye