She scrambled the last few feet to the road and turned, extending him a helping hand.
He ignored her hand and finally managed to stagger up to the road. There he stopped, head in hands, and glanced around in an agonized daze.
"Where's your car?"
Warmth crawled up her neck. “If I'da been driving a car, I probly wouldn't have noticed that somebody skidded off the road." She pointed at Ol' Ned, who was tugging at his tether. "Right there's the only ride you're likely to get."
Man and beast eyed each other with obvious suspicion. Ol' Ned wasn't right fond of strangers, and Monroe didn't look very impressed either. Still clinging to his head, the timber man shifted his tortured gaze to her, imploring her in a timid voice.
"Maybe you could ride for help?"
Mary Joe stared at him. Was he hurt bad enough to risk riding up to the Hudson place? All the moisture abandoned her mouth.
He eyed her with a hopeful expression. "I'd be glad to pay you."
Her fear morphed into disgust. "Mister, it ain't gonna do you no good to flash money under my nose. I ain't impressed. I'll help you ‘cause you need help."
His eyes gained a little life and the thin mouth turned up at one corner. "Barrett, not Mister - and I didn't mean to insult you. How far is it to the nearest phone?"
She pointed down the road. "That way, about six miles. The phone lines ain't got this far yet."
He looked disappointed. What about the house back this way?" he asked, jerking a thumb in the other direction.
"That's where I live, but we ain't got no phone."
He nodded. "Do you have a car? It didn't look like anyone was home."
So he had been back that way. She shook her head. "Pa has the car right now, and don't get no ideas about talking to Ma about that timber, neither. I reckon that's what you was doin’ back there – lookin’ to buy timber. You was trespassing, you know."
His expression lay somewhere between annoyed and cautious.
"No, I didn't know," he said hesitantly. "It looked pretty well traveled."
"Yeah, no one else seems to know neither - or care."
He pulled a cell phone from his hip pocket.
"That ain't gonna work up here," she said.
"I haven't been able to get a signal most of the day. Don't you have any towers around here?"