“You’re about to collapse,” he said.
“Sorry. It just hit me all of the sudden.”
“No need to be.”
They led Sassy up the steep incline and into camp. Tyler picketed the horse on a new patch of grass while Renee gathered some sticks for the fire. Hot coals still glowed. She knelt to blow on the coals, and pain shot up from her bruised knee. At least she had learned how to build a good fire while being with Tyler. Thomas always teased her about her lack of fire-making ability, grousing every time he had to relight the one in the ancient cookstove because she let it go out.
Renee sat back from the flickering flames, gripped by a longing to see her father and a swell of panic that Thomas might indeed be dead. She closed her eyes, needing to know one way or the other for her own peace of mind.
“Hey.”
She opened her eyes to see Tyler in front of her. Concern etched a narrow furrow between his brows. “Hey,” she drawled.
He chuckled. “Thought you’d fallen asleep sitting up.”
“Just thinking.”
“About the lamb? Thomas? Home?”
She gasped. “How did you know?”
He raised his hand and touched her cheek, and she felt the wetness smear against her skin. “Tears were my first clue.”
She blinked and swiped at the place his finger had just touched. “I’m just tired.”
“Not wanting to go down to the cabin?”
“Maybe tomorrow night.”
“What about frostbite?”
She frowned, catching the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I see you didn’t get your tent put up.”
He shrugged. “Maybe tomorrow. I’ll throw out another blanket for you.”
Unrolling her bundle she made short work of getting comfortable, smothering a yawn with one hand.
“Not hungry?”
“Too tired.”
“Then roll in for the night. I’m gonna fill up on an egg and that bacon.” He got to his feet. “I’ll cook you up a big breakfast in the morning. Speaking of. . .” An insufferable grin split his face. “You’re not gonna be wanting to move much in the morning. Everything’ll hurt.”
twenty-six
Everything did hurt, too. Renee wondered if it was just her imagination, but even her face seemed sore. The sun blasted down from the east. Her muddled mind blinked wide awake as it registered it to be nine o’clock or later.
“Eight thirty, to be exact,” she heard Tyler confirm.
When she moved to jerk upright, she groaned and released a long, most unladylike grunt.
“Walking is the best medicine for the soreness.”
“Aren’t you sore?” She tilted her head his way, noting his casual position. “How long have you been awake?”
“Been up before dawn. Someone had to check on the ewe and the bum,” he said, eyes twinkling.
She stretched her arms out one at a time. “And the baby?”
“Right as rain. Need a hand up?”
Renee scowled. “If you can do it, so can I.”
“We’ll be doing a lot of walking.”
“I can’t wait,” she drawled.
“Good.” He swung to his feet in one easy motion, looking not at all like a man suffering from sore muscles. When he towered over her and reached his hand down, she raised hers to meet his.
Humor lurked behind his grin. “I’ll take it nice and easy.”
And he did, too, raising her just enough to allow her to get her feet underneath. When she stood full height, he gave her a wink.
❧
Tyler had thought about this moment all morning. As exhausted as he’d been the night before, he’d lain awake watching through the flames as Renee slept. He suspected she hadn’t even removed her boots or done the nightly ritual of braiding her hair that he’d observed many times. Maybe women didn’t do that if their hair was already pulled back. How would he know?
He smiled at the top of her head as she stamped one foot, then the other, wincing each time, her hand firmly tucked in his. When she worked the stiffness from her legs, it took sheer willpower for him not to pull her close. He satisfied himself with a wink and served up the fresh corn cake he’d made. He handed her the plate. “You work on that while I get you some eggs and a nice slice of mutton.”
She ate standing, a smart choice in his mind since getting down would cause even more pain. He lowered the hunk of mutton down from the tree, unwrapped it, and sliced a chunk for their supper as well as some for Renee’s breakfast and a piece for Teddy.
Tyler rewrapped the meat and pulled on the rope to raise it high into the thick bough of the evergreen, one of the last firs at this altitude before the balding peak of the mountain cooled too much for growth. He wanted this day with her, to show her the one place he loved most on the mountain. Then they would begin the ride down together. He could return to the mountain in peace to handle whatever the Loust Gang had in store for him. But facing the mountain range alone held no joy for him. Not after tasting life in camp with Renee.
He jerked the pan from the fire, irritated that Renee had wiggled under his skin so easily. He slapped the meat into the skillet, gratified, somehow, by the fierce sizzle and the immediate cloud of smoke that rose up. He stabbed at the hunk with his fork and flung it over, jamming the pan just outside the fire to continue cooking. Stomping back to the pack, he dug deep into a thick canvas cushioned with a blanket. The eggs stayed cool here but they were probably at the end of their freshness, so he might as well cook them.
When he glanced over at Renee, she was licking her fingers. The flash of a smile curving her lips caused him physical pain. He jerked the pan off the heat and took another stab at the mutton. It was almost done. With a quick motion, he cracked the egg into the pan and tilted it so it wouldn’t bleed over to the meat. He poked at it a bit and let it bubble.
“Something wrong?” Renee’s question took him off guard.
“Be ready soon, just hang tight.”
“No. I meant you. Did something happen to make you. . .grouchy?”
He pursed his lips and motioned for her to bring him a plate. Forking the mutton steak onto the plate, he flipped the egg in the skillet with a flick of his wrist.
He could hear the grin in her voice. “You’ve stomped and slung and slapped ever since fetching that meat.”
Had he? “Didn’t mean to.”
“It’s all right. I just wondered if it was something I’d done.”
Tyler didn’t know how to respond. No. It hadn’t been her fault, but neither had he realized that he’d been crashing around camp like a pawing bull. Truth tickled at his brain. He stared at her and tried to imagine being without her. He gritted his teeth and turned away. He was a fool not to have taken her straight down the mountain. He didn’t need another day of torturing himself with her presence while reconciling himself to what would soon become the reality of her absence. But he had promised. He slipped the egg from the skillet, set the pan aside, and spun on his heel. “I’m going to gather Sassy. When you’re done, come on over and we’ll ride.”
❧
Renee watched Tyler go. Every bite of the mutton and egg brought a delicious treat to her tongue as she watched him adjust the cinch of the saddle. Maybe it was the mountain air or perhaps the fact she hadn’t eaten in so long, aside from the corn cake, but everything Tyler made tasted good. His behavior, though. . . That posed a puzzle, to be sure.
When she finished, she dabbled some water over the plate. As she swirled the liquid around, she tried to grasp Tyler’s change in mood. It didn’t make sense. She dried the plate and fork and turned, bouncing right off Tyler’s chest. She gasped.
His hands clasped her arms to steady her. “Was just coming to fetch the rifle.”
She felt the strength of his fingers dig into her upper arms for the second it took her to regain her balance. “I didn’t hear you.”
Tyler nodded down at her, his gaze trailing from her hair to her eyes. He dropped his
hands and leaned past to pull the gun from where it rested behind the water pail. Opening the chamber, he checked the load.
“We’re not hunting anything, are we?”
“Never go anywhere without checking your gun.”
She considered that. “I’d rather not go if you’re hunting that cat.”
Tyler lowered the rifle. “We’re hunting, but not animals. This is just for protection.”
twenty-seven
Tyler insisted Renee ride while he walked. He enjoyed meandering through the wooded areas, retracing the path they’d taken that last day to summer pasture. As much as he thought he knew the Big Horns, something always surprised him. Teddy usually came along, but he’d left the dog with the herd, lying in the sunshine atop the ledge.
“Aren’t you getting tired of walking?” Renee asked about half an hour from camp.
“Was just thinking how much I enjoy exploring. Walking’s the best way to do that.”
“You should have left Sassy behind.”
He’d considered it. Walking would loosen up some of those muscles Renee strained, but he didn’t want her to push past the limits of her strength. “Might think differently on the return trip. Uphill,” he teased.
“Well, then, stop.”
Renee’s command took him by surprise, but he pulled on Sassy’s bridle and Renee slid to the ground beside him, clinging to the saddle for support a minute longer than usual.
He couldn’t help but grin.
“I’ll thank you to wipe that smile off your face.”
He slapped the ends of the reins against his thigh and laughed, aware of the glint of sunlight on her dark tresses. “Who says I’m smiling?”
She raised up her right leg and shook it, rubbing her hands along the knee.
“Does it feel swollen?”
Turning toward him, she grimaced as she put weight on it. “No, just stiff and sore. I don’t think riding was helping it, or anything else for that matter.”
Sunbeams streamed down on them, and he debated telling her of his plan to get her home. The words wouldn’t come, though, and when Renee raised her face to the sunlight, exposing the creamy column of her throat, he vowed to simply enjoy the day.
“Oh!” she gasped. “It’s beautiful.”
He followed her gaze to the sky where an eagle dipped down toward the mountain peak. Funny how he’d stopped noticing the birds and stopped hearing the sounds of the mountains, except where they presented the possibility of danger to the herd. One sound in particular he listened for now. He could just make it out. A low roar that seemed more a hum at this distance.
Renee tilted her head. “There’s something else. Something strange.”
“That’s where we’re headed.” He gave Sassy’s bridle a tug and moved forward. Renee matched his strides. They ducked through dense woods, and he held the brush apart for her to lead Sassy through a narrow, choked trail.
On the other side of the natural sound barrier, Renee cocked her head to one side. A smile split her face. “A stream?”
“Something like that, but more.” He was having fun with this. More fun that he’d ever thought possible.
Renee frowned and skipped over a fallen log then grimaced as she rubbed her knee. “We’re almost there; might as well just tell me.”
“Hard for you to be patient, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never liked the surprise side of surprises, but I do love them after I know what they are.”
Tyler roared his laughter.
He sobered when Renee slapped Sassy’s rump so hard the horse set off at a good clip, burning the reins across his palms and out of his grasp. Stunned by the suddenness of the horse’s action, Tyler stared in amazement after the departing animal. Sassy didn’t go far before wheeling and gazing at him as if he’d lost his mind.
And it was Renee’s turn to laugh. At him. Tyler threw back his head and let loose a piercing whistle. Sassy arched her head, trumpeted a whinny, and trotted back. His hands smarted from the sting of the reins slipping through his hands, but he wouldn’t let Renee know that. Let her have her fun.
“I’m sorry,” she said, coming to stand beside Sassy, stroking the horse’s neck and nose.
“Don’t I get an apology?” he asked.
“Sure.” She threw a smirk over her shoulder. “Do you want your ears scratched, too?”
Tyler had never seen her quite so lighthearted, and he wondered if telling her of his plans for the next day would fill her with excitement or despair. “We’re almost to the place now if I can gain your cooperation.”
“Don’t laugh at me,” she warned, though her eyes danced with mischief.
❧
Renee followed Tyler and Sassy, the splash of a nearby stream growing louder, to almost a roaring sound that both puzzled and delighted her. When they went through yet another copse of trees, her breath caught at the sight. Ahead of them, a hundred-foot waterfall crashed down into a pool. Gossamer mist rose where the water struck the surface of the pool. The meadow surrounding, dotted with wildflowers, gave way to more rocky barrenness as it sloped upward toward the mountain peak. It was a beautiful spot. Perfect. Tranquil.
“Great gathering place for all manner of predators,” Tyler offered.
“I was just telling myself how perfect it seems. How did you find it?”
“Actually, I brought you here to look for Indian artifacts. Makes sense they’d congregate at places where there was water. You can find arrowheads and pots, scrapers.” He shrugged. “It’s fun.”
“Do you ever use this for sheep?”
“We did until two years ago. Lightning hit a tree, and it burned things up before rain put it out.” He lifted his arm to point to the far right of the meadow. A lone, blackened tree stood sentinel to the waterfall. “We figured to give it a few seasons to recover before we brought the sheep back.”
Tyler loved these mountains. If they were more to each other, she could imagine that he would share many spots like this. A hawk shrieked overhead and dove down to a thick patch of grass. As the bird lifted into the air, a struggling body could be seen in its claws. Renee marveled at the bird’s power and speed, and its ability to perceive its prey from such a distance, then descend and capture with the time it took to exhale. She wanted to lie down in the grass or bathe in the waterfall and feel the water on her head. She wondered if it would bruise her with its force or make her fall over.
She turned to Tyler to ask and caught him staring. His gaze held no apology. Her breath caught at the intensity of his eyes. Hazel, more green than brown. Beautiful eyes, really.
“Are you ready?”
The question hung between them, and she couldn’t decide if he was referring to the hunt for artifacts, or something else entirely. He didn’t flinch, and the blood hammered hard through her veins.
“The camptender should have been here by now.”
Her shoulders tightened. His expression didn’t match his words, nor the flat tone, almost devoid of feeling. She opened her mouth to respond.
“Might be time for us to head down the mountain and get you back to your pa.”
“I thought you couldn’t leave the sheep.”
“Wouldn’t be the best, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. Your pa needs to know you’re alive. If Thomas didn’t make it. . .”
What Tyler said was true, she knew. Yet why now? She’d resigned herself to having to wait, so why was he suddenly so comfortable leaving the sheep? Granted, they were in sum-mer pasture and no longer moving along the dangerous trails. Too, the camptender was late arriving, something she hadn’t much thought about, and supplies were low. Tyler must know he had to go down to restock soon or he’d have to hunt food. His diet would dwindle significantly. And then there was the threat of the gang seeking him out.
“You were right. It’s too dangerous to have you here. I knew it then and I know it now.”
Her throat tightened and her breath choked. “Tyler—” The flatness of his words, the cer
tainty with which he made the announcement. . . Didn’t he feel anything? Had she been mistaken? “Is it that easy for you?”
twenty-eight
Her question seared hot pain of accusation through his chest. In the limpid pools of her eyes, he saw desperation and hurt. If he said yes she would think him a cad and he would be a liar. But saying no opened up emotions that would make things so much harder.
“Things like this are never easy, Renee. But sometimes we have to do what we have to do to protect others.”
“And you’re just realizing this now? You’ve kept me here all this time. . . ,” she sputtered, anger building. “I don’t need your protection, Tyler Sperry. Do you hear me?” She folded her arms across her chest, her lower lip trembling. “I can take care of myself.”
Both the words and her expression snagged him deep inside. Renee Dover, ever the rebel. You could cover the self-centeredness, but it didn’t go away so easily. But what if the basis for that seeming self-centeredness was hurt? Over her father’s perceived rejection and the loss of her mother. . . Didn’t it then become something like self-preservation? The need to protect oneself from further hurt.
Sassy nickered softly and turned her head. Tyler reached to stroke the animal’s side, not bothering to curb his words now. “Just like you did with the gang? I wonder if Thomas would agree.”
Her mouth opened then closed tight, lips a thin line. She retreated a step, arms tight across her chest. “What about Anna, Tyler? You think I need that kind of protection? That you can offer it?”
Behind her the waterfall crashed into the pool, its thunder matching the pounding in his temples. From the recesses of his mind he heard Dirk’s gun going off. Saw Anna’s body jerk with the impact of the lead and sag into his arms, dead before he got her to the floor.
Renee’s focus shifted over his shoulder, her lips parting. A second before he turned, he made out the jangle of harness, the creak of wheels. Sassy’s whinny made him reach for the rifle as he turned. It slid from the scabbard with ease as he braced himself for whatever threat lurked behind him. “Get on Sassy and ride!” he growled at Renee.
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