The man froze at the sound, twisting his head to look at them. Relief flashed across his face, quickly chased by embarrassment and lingering fear. “Oh, thank God,” he said, voice strained. “I thought I was about to drop straight into the pond.” Nora moved closer, eyes already scanning the vine. “You’re tangled pretty good,” she said, keeping her tone calm.
“But it looks like it’s holding.” “For now,” the man muttered. “I was trying to adjust the knot. Slipped. Stupid mistake.” Ethan crouched near the base of the tree, testing the vine’s tension. It was thick, fibrous, worn smooth where it had been used again and again.