Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  Jonathan turned around and balanced on the edge of the loft. He did a back layout with a double twist then tucked into a ball before he hit the hay.

  River, Gabriel and Paul had been so impressed with his simple back tuck, he thought for sure they’d go nuts after that combination, but the barn was dead silent.

  He rolled over and grinned when he saw River and Paul staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. He looked into the loft to check Gabriel’s reaction.

  He shook his head and laughed. “Anyone ever tell you you’re crazy?”

  “All the time.”

  Paul climbed back into the loft and tried to imitate Jonathan. He wound up head first in the haystack. He brought quite a bit of hay down with him as he wiggled and squirmed his way free.

  Gabriel crawled to the edge of the loft and climbed down the ladder.

  “Don’t you want to jump?” Jonathan blinked and sneezed. He was willing to bet they didn’t have anything for hay fever.

  Gabriel stared straight ahead and moved slowly as he climbed down, one hand and one foot at a time.

  Paul tugged at Jonathan’s sleeve. “Gabriel’s scared to jump. He fell out of the loft and busted his leg.” Paul pointed to his thigh. “His bone was sticking out, right here.”

  Jonathan sucked in a breath as he cringed. He’d had his share of broken bones. He could only imagine the suffering Gabriel endured when they set his femur without anesthesia. No wonder he was afraid of heights. It was a miracle he could walk.

  Paul bounced on his toes and tugged on Jonathan’s sleeve again. “Now show me how you done that flippy thing.”

  “How you did that flippy thing. Use the right word.” River smiled when she corrected Paul’s grammar, but he still stuck his tongue out at her.

  Was River somehow responsible for Paul’s education? Maybe older kids were supposed to help with the younger ones. “Be nice to River, or I won’t teach you anything.”

  Paul’s lower lip quivered. “But … you promised.”

  “Just tell River you’re sorry and we can get started.”

  Paul dug at the frozen dirt with the toe of his boot and glared at River. He mumbled “sorry,” then looked at Jonathan with sad-puppy eyes.

  Jonathan couldn’t keep from smiling as he mussed the little rascal’s hair. “That wasn’t much of an apology, but if River accepts it, we’ll get started.”

  Paul held his breath as he gazed at River.

  She kept her arms folded across her chest, but nodded her assent.

  Paul hopped from one foot to the other as Jonathan pulled some hay loose from the stack and spread it across the frozen ground. It wasn’t nearly as good as a tumbling mat, but it was the best they had. Besides, he had no intention of letting Paul hit the ground.

  Gabriel and River stood to the side and watched as Jonathan explained the basic technique to Paul.

  “Jump straight up. Wait until you’re as high as you can go, then pull your knees into your chest as hard and as fast as you can. Like this.” Jonathan grinned when everyone clapped and cheered. He’d have to show them some real tumbling when he was done spotting Paul.

  “Okay, kid. Wait for me to get ready.” Jonathan hadn’t tried to spot a beginner with just one hand before. He grabbed a fistful of the little boy’s baggy shirt, but there was too much loose fabric. “Hang on, we need to figure out the best way to do this.”

  River stepped forward and placed her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Can I help?”

  Her touch sent a jolt of energy through his body. He looked over his shoulder into her big brown … whoa. “What happened to your eyes?”

  She blinked and backed away from him. “What do you mean?”

  “I thought they were brown. But … they look … almost … purple?” There was no way they had access to colored contacts out there.

  River’s eyes widened. “They do?”

  Jonathan leaned closer. “Yeah. They’re definitely purple. That’s weird. Do you feel okay?”

  “I’m fine.” River ducked her head and turned away.

  Paul put his fists on his hips and glared at River. “Nobody never tells me nothing. When did you merge?”

  Gabriel grabbed Paul by the shoulders and spun him around. He leaned over and whispered something in his ear that made the little boy tremble.

  “Hey. Don’t be so rough with the kid.” Jonathan wanted to know what Paul was talking about—especially after Gabriel’s reaction—but he didn’t want to get him in trouble.

  River averted her eyes and cleared her throat. “You said you needed help figuring out something, so you can teach Paul how to flip over backwards.”

  She was obviously feeling self-conscious about her eyes, so Jonathan let it go. “There’s too much slack between his shirt and his body.”

  River twisted the fabric, formed a loop, and pulled the end through it in less than four seconds.

  This time, when Jonathan grabbed Paul’s shirt, it felt secure. “Okay, Paul. On the count of three. One …”

  Paul didn’t wait for the countdown. He didn’t do anything Jonathan told him to do. Instead of jumping straight up, he flung himself backwards. Instead of tucking his knees, he kicked out sideways.

  Jonathan turned his face to the side, but Paul still managed to kick him in the face. Jonathan jerked up on Paul’s shirt and used his stump to flip the boy over.

  Paul landed on his knees then looked up at Jonathan and let out a wail.

  Jonathan ignored his throbbing nose and checked Paul for signs of injury. He didn’t find any. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry, Jonathan. Please don’t be mad at me.”

  Jonathan tipped his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to staunch the bleeding. “It’s okay, kiddo. I’ve had worse.”

  The barn door swung open. Reuben walked in pulling a handcart behind him. He stopped and furrowed his brow. “Whose blood is that?”

  Jonathan had his hand clamped over his nose so he just lifted his stump in the air.

  “Gabriel, take Paul up to the house and get him cleaned up. River, stir up some biscuits for supper.”

  Paul sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. “But Pa … River can’t cook.”

  “Do as you’re told. Now go.” Reuben dusted his hands off on his thighs. His voice carried no hint of sympathy. “Lay down, Jonathan.”

  Jonathan was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like what came next.

  “Brace yourself. This is gonna hurt like hell.”

  At least he didn’t put a stick in Jonathan’s mouth and tell him to bite on it. Jonathan closed his eyes and shuddered.

  “Try not to scream. It’ll upset Paul if he hears you.”

  This was going to be bad.

  Reuben straddled Jonathan’s chest, placed his long, calloused fingers on either side of his nose. “One, two …” Crunch.

  Jonathan groaned. “What happened to ‘three?’”

  Reuben extended a hand and helped Jonathan sit up. “You wanna tell me what you boys were doing out here?”

  “Yes sir.” Jonathan’s voice sounded nasally, like he had a bad cold. “We were just messing around and Paul wanted me to teach him how to do a back tuck. It was my fault. I didn’t go through the proper progression of skills with him. I also failed to keep my face away from his boots.”

  “I see.” Reuben frowned and shook his head. “Actually no, I don’t see. What exactly is a back tuck?”

  “I’d show you if my nose didn’t hurt so much.”

  Reuben cocked an eyebrow.

  “Basically, you just jump in the air and flip over backwards without touching the ground with your hands.”

  “Why in the world would anyone want to do that?”

  Jonathan sighed and muttered, “Because it impresses girls.”

  Reuben laughed, then got up and walked out of the barn without another word, leaving Jonathan sitting in the hay.

  ***

  The next morning, River announced that
a visit to the mud pit would help Jonathan’s nose heal faster. She grabbed a couple of rags out of the closet across from the bathroom. “I don’t like the mud pit, but I’ll suffer through it so you don’t have to go alone.”

  Jonathan didn’t like the sound of that. The purge he’d endured back at the quarantine cabin in the name of ‘healing’ was bad enough. “Suffer? What exactly do you plan to do to me?”

  River laughed then wrinkled her nose. “You’ll probably enjoy it. It’s Paul’s favorite place on the entire ranch.”

  “Why don’t you like it?”

  “I hate mud.” River shuddered. “It takes forever to get all the grit out of my hair.”

  “If you don’t want to go, why don’t you have Paul or Gabriel take me?”

  “I’m your sponsor.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s my responsibility to take care of all your needs.”

  Jonathan’s cheeks warmed as he thought about River taking care of his ‘needs.’

  River gave him a sideways glance then furrowed her brow. He saw the exact moment she realized how her words could be misinterpreted. A quiet gasp escaped her softly parted, oh-so-kissable mouth. “You know what I mean.”

  Jonathan wondered what River’s lips would taste like. It was a dangerous fantasy that sent a surge of heat through his entire body. He grinned then snapped River’s butt with his rag in an effort to break the sexual tension.

  “Hey!” River jerked her hips to the side and glared at him. “That hurt.”

  “Sorry.” Jonathan wondered what she’d do if he offered to kiss it and make it better. Not helping.

  He turned his attention to the landscape as they hiked to the mud pit. If he could identify just one mountain peak, he might be able to figure out just where the hell they were. The more he knew about the area, the better his chances of getting himself and River out of New Eden alive.

  “The entrance is right there.” River pointed to a hole in the side of the mountain.

  When River told Jonathan about the mud pit, he’d pictured something out in the open, similar to the cleansing pools. His stomach twisted into a knot. He hated caves.

  River put a hand on his shoulder. “The mud pit is very close to the entrance, so you’ll be able to see outside the whole time.”

  Jonathan hated looking weak. Especially in front of River. “I’ll be fine.”

  He ducked his head and followed her inside. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he whistled in appreciation. The cavern looked like something out of an old Jules Vern science fiction movie. A series of wooden chutes, constructed and reinforced with bands of iron, diverted running water over and around a steaming pool of muck. Half a dozen ropes ran through a pulley system. The ends dangled a few feet above the mud pit.

  “Well, what do you think?” River folded her arms across her chest and wrinkled her nose.

  “It’s amazing.” The chutes reminded Jonathan of old-fashioned sluice boxes. The McKnight Mine still had a few, but none of them were functional.

  Jonathan returned his gaze to River to elaborate, but the sight of her shimmying out of her clothes, rendered him speechless. Blood rushed to his cheeks—and other places.

  River held her arms above her head as she descended the stairs into the mud pit. She looked over her shoulder and smirked at him, obviously aware of the fact that he was checking her out. But instead of his interest pissing her off, she seemed to like it.

  Jonathan unlaced his vest and laid it on the shelf next to River’s stack of folded clothes. He reached behind his head and grabbed a fistful of fabric then peeled his shirt off.

  River’s gaze traveled over his chest and stomach.

  Holy shit! Jonathan turned his back to loosen the laces on his pants.

  “Why are you so ashamed of your body?”

  How many times were they going to have to discuss this? Jonathan sighed then turned back around and faced River. His pants barely clung to his hips. “I’m not ashamed of my body. I’m just …”

  Oh, what the hell. No one else had a speck of modesty. He knew it was a cultural thing. A woman in Afghanistan would be stoned to death for showing her ankles. His mom wouldn’t wear a sleeveless shirt or a pair of shorts, no matter how hot it got. And most of the Mormon girls he knew wouldn’t dream of wearing a two-piece bathing suit, much less a bikini.

  Jonathan resisted the urge to rip his pants off and jump into the mud pit as fast as possible. If River wanted to check him out, he wasn’t going to stop her. He slid his pants down past his knees and stepped out of them. Just like he did every night before bed. No big deal. He kept his chin up and walked around the pit to the stairs. He sank into the mud, which wasn’t mud at all, but some kind of grayish-black sand. The sour, slightly metallic odor burned his sinuses. He scooped up a handful and let it dribble between his fingers. It had the consistency and texture of cream-of-wheat cereal. It was probably some sort of ancient volcanic ash. He patted it over his broken nose and across his bruised cheeks. He didn’t have much faith in folk remedies, but he had to admit, the mud pack soothed the ache immediately. “People in my world pay a small fortune for spa treatments like this.”

  River didn’t answer. Her eyes were closed. She hadn’t wanted to watch him undress after all.

  Jonathan should have been relieved, but he was strangely disappointed. Until River flared her nostrils and drew a shuddering breath. She even bit her lower lip. He knew the signs. The little tease wasn’t immune to his naked body after all. River was obviously turned on.

  The realization was an instant aphrodisiac. Jonathan knew he should close his eyes, or at least stop staring at her heaving breasts. But he was only human.

  River brought one hand to the side of her face then lifted her chin as she slid her fingers down her throat, painting a grey stripe from her jaw to the base of her neck.

  Jonathan dug his own fingers into his kneecap.

  River leaned back and sank into the mud, submerging her breasts.

  It should have made things easier, but it didn’t. Jonathan’s imagination took over. He loosened the grip on his knee and slid his hand up his thigh, just a little, only a couple of inches … and then a couple more.

  River’s eyes flew open. She gasped and sat up. “What are you doing?”

  “The same thing you’re doing.” Jonathan lifted both arms out of the mud. He stretched and yawned, as if he’d just woken from a nap. “Relaxing and enjoying the mud.” He added a contented groan for good measure. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

  “That’s all you were doing?”

  Jonathan sat up and leaned forward. “Your eyes are purple again.”

  River’s face was already flushed from whatever she’d been doing, but now it flamed tomato red.

  Jonathan took pity on her and threw a handful of mud at her chest. It splattered all over her face.

  The weird purple hue shifted back to brown. She grinned and stood up. “You’re in trouble now, boy.”

  “I’ve been in trouble since the day I was born.” Jonathan tried to keep his gaze from roaming, but today was not a good day for self-control.

  River covered her breasts with her hands. Her sudden modesty set off all sorts of warning bells in Jonathan’s mind. What was he thinking? Flirting with River was fun, but it was as dangerous as Russian Roulette.

  Jonathan stood up and scraped the mud off his chest. “I’m getting hot, can we go now?”

  River lowered her hands and walked towards him. She didn’t stop until her muddy body was six inches from his own. “This will help.”

  Jonathan gazed into her dark brown eyes. They were still rimmed with purple light. They were actually glowing. It wasn’t much. It wouldn’t be noticeable in daylight, but in the shadows, it was obvious. He should have been freaked out by it, but all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and press her naked body against his. “You’re wrong. This isn’t helping at all.”

  Time slowed as River lifted an arm out of the mud. She w
rapped her fingers, one by one around the nearest rope.

  Jonathan groaned. Was it just him? Or did River have this effect on every man she met? Every single thing she did, every gesture, every glance, every little sigh was an act of seduction. She hadn’t even touched him and he was ready to explode. His voice was rough as gravel. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

  An icy blast of water slammed into the top of Jonathan’s head. It had the desired effect, but it also rinsed the mud off their upper bodies. The cold water hissed and steamed as it mixed with the hot mud around her waist and his hips. The resulting cloud added to the surreal feeling of the moment. With his lust momentarily abated, Jonathan could appreciate the pure beauty of River’s naked form. He wished he were an artist so he could paint her. She would be his masterpiece. “You look like an angel.”

  River laughed. “A half-drowned angel, splattered with mud, and no wings?”

  “You don’t need wings.” She was divine. And much too innocent to be tainted by his carnal desires—which were, once again, fueling his overactive imagination.

  Jonathan forced his gaze to her face. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.”

  River tilted her head to the side. “Can’t do what?”

  He gripped the edge of the pit to keep from grabbing her. “I can’t handle being around you when you’re naked.”

  She dropped her gaze. “I thought you enjoyed looking at me.”

  “I do enjoy it. That’s what makes everything so hard.” Jonathan cringed and hoped River didn’t catch the double meaning of his unfortunate choice of words. “If we were in my world, living by my standards, I guarantee I would have at least kissed you by now.”

  River grabbed Jonathan’s biceps.

  “River?” They weren’t supposed to touch. “What are you doing?”

  She pressed her closed mouth against his lower lip.

  Jonathan’s heart stopped. It didn’t start beating again until River broke the kiss.

  She pushed away from him then climbed out of the pit without so much as a backwards glance.

  Jonathan was too stunned to do or say anything. By the time his brain started working again, River had disappeared around a corner.