by Sharon Sala
Quinn crawled into bed beside her, kissed the back of her ear and then pulled her up against him and closed his eyes.
* * *
When they woke, it was almost noon and Moses was running down the stairs, barking.
Someone was coming up the driveway.
They flew out of bed, frantically grabbing clothes.
Quinn managed to get a pair of jeans on and ran downstairs in his bare feet, putting on a T-shirt as he went. Mariah was still struggling with fastening her bra when he yelled up at her, “Don’t worry. It’s only James.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she called back. “He’s seen you naked, but not me, and I have no wish for that to change.”
Quinn was laughing when he went out onto the deck.
James waved as he got out, carrying a box.
Moses bailed off the deck and immediately went to James’s truck, where he began sniffing the tires.
“Hello, brother! That pup you found is filling out real good.”
“Yeah, regular meals will do that,” Quinn drawled.
“That they will. As you can see, I am here in my official capacity as the mailman to deliver a package that was too large for your mailbox.”
Quinn’s interest shifted. “Oh, good…that’s the stuff I ordered for Mariah. It’s a surprise.”
James eyed the mailing label, recognized the name of a familiar department store and grinned.
“I’m thinking you’re gonna get lucky tonight.”
Quinn frowned. “Seriously, James, maybe you could say that a little louder. I don’t think she heard you.”
James had the grace to look embarrassed. “Oh. Yeah, right, I wasn’t thinking. Sorry.”
Quinn thumped him on the side of his head and then took the box out of his hands.
“You’re such a goof,” he said.
Happy to be off the shit list, James grinned again. When he saw Mariah coming out the front door he waved and started toward her.
The pup immediately put himself between Mariah and James, and then growled.
“Whoa,” James said. “Good watchdog you got there, Mariah.”
“Moses. Sit,” Mariah said. The pup sat, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as if he was laughing.
“What did you bring us?” Mariah asked, as James gave her a hug.
He grinned and winked. “I’m just delivering the mail. I guess the rest is for Quinn to tell. And speaking of mail, I’d better get back at it. You all have a good day.”
“Tell Julie and the kids we said hi,” Quinn said.
“Will do.”
James backed up and drove away as they went inside. Moses nosed at all four sides of the box as Quinn set it on the floor.
“What’s that?” Mariah asked.
He cut the packing tape and opened the top. “It’s for you.”
A big smile spread across her face. “For me? What is it?”
“Look and see, and make sure to save all the tags. If you don’t like them or they don’t fit, we can send them back.”
Mariah dug into the box, pulling out one shirt after another, then three pairs of nice slacks and two pairs of dressy jeans, while her face turned pink and her eyes lit up like it was Christmas.
“Oh, Quinn! Oh, honey! These are beautiful. I can’t believe you did all this. It must have cost a fortune.”
She stood up, holding a shirt against her for size, then saw there was more in the box and went back in.
“Oh, my gosh, look! A pair of shoes that aren’t army boots or sneakers. What are you trying to do, turn me into a girl?”
He laughed out loud as she threw herself into his arms.
“This is the best surprise, the nicest gift, and from the sweetest man I’ve ever known,” she said, and kissed him long and hard until it made them both hurt with longing.
Quinn groaned as the kiss deepened. He cupped his hands around her hips and pulled her to him, letting her feel his growing erection before reluctantly turning her loose.
“If I wasn’t so damn hungry, I’d do something about this,” he said softly.
Mariah leaned back in his arms, so full of love for this man.
“If you keep doing stuff this thoughtful, I’m going to have to break down and learn to cook to feed you.”
He grinned again. “We’ll learn it together,” he said. “Why don’t you try stuff on while I make us something to eat?”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”
“I’m sure. You have your fun. Try on the clothes, so we’ll know what to keep and what to send back.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to send anything back.”
“Well, then, pretty girl, better see if everything fits.”
She began taking off clothes as he went into the kitchen, and every time she put on something new, she darted into the kitchen to model it for him. He was seeing a side of her that he’d never seen before—a softer, more feminine side—and he liked it.
“They fit. They all fit!” she announced as she tried on the last pair of jeans.
“What about the shoes?” Quinn asked.
“Yes, see?”
She pointed a toe, letting him see the tip of the shoe where it poked out from under the leg of the pants.
He whistled. “You look hot, woman.”
She paused as the smile froze on her face, then her eyes welled. “I can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve ever heard a man say that to me. Thank you, Quinn. You are the only man who’s ever made me glad to be a woman.”
“I’m pretty damn glad myself,” he drawled.
She laughed, and the tears were gone. “I just love you,” she said.
Quinn’s heart did a somersault.
“I just love you, too,” he said softly.
There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other from across the room.
“Uh, our eggs are done,” he said.
“Be right there,” Mariah said, then went to put her old clothes back on before gathering up the new things and carrying them upstairs to be put away later.
By the time she came down her food was on the table. She stopped at Quinn’s chair, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.
“Thank you for saving me from the streets.”
“It was pure selfishness.”
“Then thank you for being such a selfish ass.”
He grinned. “You better sit down and eat your food before Moses gets it.”
She eyed the pup, who was already set to beg.
“Just so you know, he’s already been fed,” Quinn said.
Mariah frowned at the dog. “You little faker.”
The pup flopped down on his belly and proceeded to watch every bite she put in her mouth.
* * *
After they’d cleaned up the dishes, and Quinn had finished checking email and filing his report on the lost child, he was ready for what was left of his day off.
Mariah was out in her garden pulling weeds, and Moses was lying just outside the gate waiting patiently for her to finish, when Quinn came out onto the deck.
When Moses saw Quinn, he immediately galloped up on the deck for a pat, which he quickly received.
“Hey, buddy, I see you’re taking good care of our girl.” Quinn scratched the puppy behind both ears and then gave him a quick pat on the back. “You are such a good boy, yes, you are.”
Moses licked Quinn’s hand and then dashed back to where Mariah was.
Quinn watched as she worked, diligently focused on getting at the weeds without uprooting the new plants that were sprouting. She’d finally found something to do that made her happy. And he’d been waiting for this day ever since she’d come here, waiting until she was physically strong enough to share another part of his world with her: the secret places on the mountain where all the Walkers had played when they were kids.
“Hey, pretty girl, are you about through?” he finally called down to her.
She looked up, he
r face red from exertion and the sun. “I can be if you need me.”
“I will always need you, but the question is, do you feel good enough to take a hike?”
She pushed herself up, wincing as the muscles momentarily knotted in her calf, and brushed the dirt off her hands.
“I feel fine. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll be right with you, okay?”
“Wear your hiking boots and get a bottle of water.”
She hurried inside, excited to get away from the cabin. She loved it there, but it would be good to do something different.
After a quick change of shoes and a trip to the bathroom, she grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and headed outside to find Quinn and Moses both waiting for her.
She saw the rifle strapped on his shoulder but didn’t comment. All she said was, “I’m ready. Where are we going?”
He pointed up the mountain.
Finally she was getting a tour of her nemesis from an expert. She took Quinn’s hand, and they went down the steps together, then across the meadow and into the trees with Moses bounding along just a few feet ahead.
Seventeen
As soon as they entered the woods, Moses left to investigate.
Mariah looked anxious. “Will he get lost?”
“Honey, he won’t ever go very far away from you. He’ll catch up. You’ll see.”
She gave the disappearing pup a dubious look but didn’t argue.
As they proceeded up the path, Quinn’s promise proved true. Moses came running up behind them and barked once, as if to say, “Wait for me,” then fell in line, trotting happily at Mariah’s heels.
“I know you’ve been coming out here for a while. How do you like it?” Quinn asked.
She hesitated. “I haven’t thought about liking it so much as I have about conquering a fear.”
He frowned. “You were afraid of it…? Of the woods?”
She shrugged. “A little. Remember, the only thing I had seen coming out of these trees was a wounded bear bent on killing.”
Quinn stopped abruptly and wrapped his arms around her. His voice was shaking.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was so busy worrying about what happened to you in Afghanistan that I completely forgot about what kind of vibes you were getting from here. It’s all so familiar to me that I didn’t even think. Even after you shot the bear, all I focused on was that the gunshots set off the PTSD, not what you must have thought seeing that bear trying to run Beth down. Damn, honey, damn. I’m so, so sorry.”
It was affirming to have her fears recognized.
“Don’t apologize, Quinn. I’m getting better, lots better, and in a way, it was good for me to tackle the woods on my own. It gave me back a certain confidence in myself that I thought I’d lost.”
He stepped back so he could see her face. He needed to know that she forgave him.
“I want you to know that, no matter what you’re feeling, I’m here for you. You can tell me anything. I won’t judge, and I won’t laugh. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, but now she felt guilty. She was still keeping secrets from him. Something was wrong with her head; something that was causing her to hear things that weren’t there.
He hugged her again, then lightly tweaked her ear. “I have something really special to show you, and it’s not the least bit scary. In fact, I can promise you’re going to love it.”
Now she was excited. All the time she’d been walking alone, she’d been stopping at a certain point on the path and coming back without seeing anything remarkable. Now she wondered what she’d been missing.
Quinn talked constantly as they went, pointing out trees and bushes for which she’d had no name, showing her nests in the trees and the birds that made them. A raccoon started out across the path, then made eye contact with Moses and turned tail into the bush.
They laughed, especially when Moses gave chase.
“You don’t usually see raccoons out during the day,” Quinn said, and whistled the pup back before he got hurt. A grown boar raccoon could do serious damage to a dog, especially if the dog didn’t know what he was doing.
Moses caught up, then once again scampered ahead.
Mariah was amazed that this forest had been the Walker children’s playground.
“I can’t believe your parents let you kids run wild up in here.”
He shrugged. “It’s not scary to us. The few animals that could actually hurt humans don’t, by nature, attack without provocation. And believe me, we made so much noise they would all have heard us coming and left on their own. They don’t want anything to do with us any more than we want anything to do with them.”
“That’s good to know.”
He glanced down at her leg. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Is it much farther?”
“Nope. In fact, it’s just beyond that deadfall, and if you’d been listening to the forest instead of to me, you would already have heard it.”
“Heard what?”
He stopped and put a finger to his mouth.
She immediately heard running water. “It’s a creek?”
“It’s more than that. Wait until you see,” he said.
They could hear Moses barking. “He’s already found it. We better hurry.”
He didn’t have to ask twice.
When they came around the deadfall and saw the small waterfall spilling out of a hole in the side of the mountain into the creek below, she gasped.
A big heron, already startled by the dog’s sudden appearance, was taking flight through an ethereal mist. Sunlight winked here and there on the surface of the swiftly moving water, while a turtle that had been sunning on a rock slipped into the creek as Moses came too close.
When the pup started to investigate the turtle further, Quinn called him back again.
“That was a snapping turtle. Moses doesn’t know it, but he’ll want no part of that, either.”
“What’ll it do?” Mariah asked.
“They aren’t called snapping turtles for nothing. When they bite down, they don’t let go. You have to kill them and cut the head off to get free.”
“Good Lord,” Mariah said. “Moses…come here, baby, come here.”
The pup gladly splashed up out of the creek, then proceeded to shake, sending water all over both of them before he came to heel.
“I saw that coming.” Quinn was grinning as he wiped his face with the tail of his shirt.
Mariah seemed oblivious to the water droplets on her face and skin. “This is so beautiful. So you kids played here when you were little?”
“Yeah, and fished here. You have to look close, but there are actually some small fish here. But this isn’t all. There’s more. Follow me.”
Now she was really curious. This place was like something out of a storybook. What else could there possibly be?
She quickly found out.
“Here it is,” Quinn said, pointing to a dark yawning hole in the side of the mountain.
Mariah took a step back. She was not impressed.
“That’s a cave.”
“It sure is. At least three generations of Walkers have grown up playing in there.”
She gasped. “You’re kidding. What about wild animals and snakes and creepy stuff?”
“Nope. At least, nothing scary.”
She shuddered. “Everything is scary to me.”
Quinn handed her a flashlight. “Wanna see?”
She took a deep breath. “Yeah, sure, why not? I’ve gone into shelled-out houses to look for Taliban, I’m sure I can handle one little old cave.”
“I’m here, and so is the rifle. We’ll both protect you from the toads and bats.”
Shock spread across her face. “Bats? Are you serious?”
“Yes, Mariah, bats. Think what you’re saying, woman. You faced the Taliban without hesitation. What the hell’s so scary about a little bitty bat? See? Moses isn’t scared, which means there aren’t any four-legged critters about
.”
She glared. “Fine, I’m being shown up by a puppy. Bats are my new favorite thing.”
She turned on the flashlight and strode into the cave as if she was about to overthrow a government. Quinn swung the rifle from his shoulder into his hand and quickly caught up.
Her defiance faded as she stepped inside, sweeping the flashlight from floor to ceiling and checking out everything in between. Moses was nose to the dirt, following scents he most likely remembered from when he’d been alone in the woods.
“What do you think?” Quinn asked.
When she realized his voice bounced off the walls and ceiling, she grinned. “You echo.” Then she laughed when she heard her own words come back at her. “That’s so cool.”
“Go stand over in the far end against the wall. I’ll show you something even better.”
She made her way across the dirt floor in short, cautious steps, sweeping the flashlight before her as she went to make sure nothing creepy-crawly awaited her in the dark. As soon as she got to the place where Quinn had sent her, she turned around.
“Okay, I’m here. What now?”
He had moved to the opposite side of the cave. “Wait for it,” he said, then turned his back.
All of a sudden she could hear his voice in her ear like he was standing right behind her. She jumped back in fright.
“What the hell?”
He turned around, grinning widely as he pointed up at the ceiling above. “The ceiling is concave, see? It carries sound just like a microphone, so when I was whispering over here, you could hear me over there.”
“Do it again,” she said.
He laughed, then turned his back and whispered again.
This time Mariah gasped. “Quinn Walker, I can’t believe you said that, and furthermore, I don’t believe you can do that.”
He grinned. “I said it. I meant it. And I can so do it. In fact, I’ll prove it to you tonight.”
Before she could comment, Moses barked and then began digging furiously, sending dirt flying in all directions.
Quinn went to see what the pup was digging up, while Mariah wandered around the back wall and soon stumbled onto what appeared to be a passage leading deeper into the mountain. All of a sudden she began hearing voices and turned to see if Quinn was tricking her again, but he was standing at the entrance to the cave, silhouetted by the sunlight, looking at whatever Moses had unearthed. She could see he wasn’t talking.
