Chapter 25

Marlin drops his armful of gathered wood into the snow. He rushes to Kye’s side, bends down in the snow, pats the man on the back, and inquires, “Are you okay?”

Blood begins to run out of Kye’s mouth, down and along his chin, and eventually drips to the chunk of wood and the powder that he accidentally falls into. “I’r rot oray,” he mumbles in a foreign language, obviously hurt.

Following Kye’s tumble in the snow, Brand flies out of the cabin in a pair of boots, jeans and T-shirt. He leaps through the snow like a buck and is at Kye’s side in a matter of seconds. Leaning over the man, he says, “I’ll carry you into the cabin.”

“I’m sure he can walk,” Marlin says, trying to deter the jock from assisting his producer friend.

“Seriously, I can help,” Brand shares. He now reaches down for Kye, instructs the man to trust him, rolls Kye into his open arms, and carries the producer like a baby or kitten into the cabin.