Rocky Mountain Lawman

by Rachel Lee

  Yeah, as long as the horse didn’t rear. But maybe Dusty wouldn’t rear with Craig astride him, and being free to run from a threat. Maybe he’d only done that because he was confined, or because he was trying to warn them.

  God, she didn’t know the first thing about horses either. She’d come out here with all a tourist’s knowledge, which was to say zip, into an alien world as blithely as if she were taking a stroll down a sidewalk back home. The forest was beautiful, but she was kidding herself if she thought it held no threats of its own.

  Just as she considered banging the pots to relieve her own tension, Craig and Dusty emerged from the trees. Craig rode the horse around the clearing in the rain, apparently letting him work out any remaining restlessness. Then he came to the small porch.

  “Bear,” he said. “Gone now.”

  “Will Dusty be safe?”

  “Let’s just say all mama wanted was her cub, and they weren’t thrilled to see me. They took off. I’ll be right in.”

  He leaned down to pass her the shotgun and flashlight, then touched Dusty with his heels. She watched them disappear around the corner again, then realized she was trying to juggle too much: a shotgun, a flashlight and two pots. Sheesh.

  She hurried inside, dropped the pots on the table along with the flashlight, then checked the shotgun to make sure the safety was engaged. It was, so she put it back on the shelf.

  He was crazy, she thought. He’d gone out there in the dark looking for bear. Crazy. Except how could she judge? He understood these woods and probably had an encyclopedic knowledge of bears. He knew what he was doing.

  But he was still crazy.

  She didn’t have to wait long after she put everything back. He strode through the door after shaking his slicker off and hung it from a hook on the back of the door.

  “A bear,” she said. “A bear with a cub. And you went out for a nice little chat?”

  “Only to persuade her not to forage around here, at least not right now. I think she was drawn by Dusty’s grain. If no one’s here and we leave a sack outside, it often goes to the bears and other critters. No big deal.”

  “No big deal,” she repeated. “A mama with cubs is no big deal.”

  “Not as long as you don’t get between them.” He sat at the table and flashed a grin. “It was okay. We had a meeting of minds.” Then his smile faded. “It was strange, though. She was an awful long way from her cub. Like something had disturbed them. I’m wondering if the cub let out a distress howl and that’s what set Dusty off.”

  “Like something had disturbed them?” She put her forehead in her hand. “What the hell would...” She trailed off. “Oh. Buddy’s friends. Well, I hope he got mauled by mama.”

  “As a rule,” Craig said, “black bears don’t cause unnecessary trouble. Unless someone actually threatened her cub, she’d try to lead him away or scare him off, then go back for her cub. As a rule.”

  “But not always.”

  “No. And she may be headed for trouble, because right now the smell of humans around here must be thick, and she shouldn’t have come so close. Or maybe all the rain masked the human scent. Regardless, we’ll have to keep an eye out, but for the moment, I’m not worried. She took off with her cub once she knew she’d been spotted. That makes her a smart bear who should live a long life.”

  Sky supposed she should be glad about that. “How’s Dusty?”

  “Better now that he got some exercise. And now that he knows the bear took off.”

  “One more question.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Who the hell leaves grain outside in bear country?”

  He broke into a laugh so hard she could see his eyes moisten.

  “What’s so funny?” she demanded.

  “You just surprised me. That question was spot-on.”

  “Then explain it.”

  “Sometimes someone gets forgetful. Right now, though, since I’ve been corralling Dusty, there’s enough feed out there to draw attention. My guess is mama and cub started coming this way a day or two ago, browsing as they went.”

  “I still don’t see what’s funny.”

  “Only because you have no idea how many times I’ve had to explain to hikers and campers why they shouldn’t sleep close to their food, why they should hang it from trees and so on. Endless explanations. Nobody explained it to you, but you got it right immediately.”

  “It just seems obvious to me.” She was surprised how much it relieved her to be certain he didn’t see her as silly or stupid. And it reminded her of how often Hector had made her feel that way. Not constantly or she would have walked out. But often enough that she remembered it. God, what had she ever seen in that man?

  “You have no idea how un-obvious that is to most people. Are you mad at me?”

  “No, not really. I was just so worried when you went out there. I guess I’m wound up.”

  “Everything’s fine.”

  “Now, sure. So you think somebody was out there again?”

  “It’s possible.” The last of his smile faded. “The list of things that would worry a she-bear is pretty short. It can’t have been wolves because she’d be dealing with a pack and wouldn’t leave her cub’s side. We haven’t reached mating season yet, so it’s unlikely a male would be anywhere near. That leaves humans. What really bothers me, though, is that the cub wasn’t up a tree. I wish I could find out if it’s hurt.”

  “Don’t even suggest going back there to find out. Not alone.”

  “I won’t. But if I find out somebody hurt a cub, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  Despite the warmth inside the cabin, Sky felt chilled and rubbed her upper arms with her hands. “I had no idea a small vacation in a national forest could turn so adventurous. Call me naive.”

  “I can escort you back to town.”

  “No!” She was vehement. “I’m not letting those creeps run me off, and I’m not leaving you here alone. They seem to have an interest in one of us. Most likely you.”

  “So what’s your plan, then, Sky?”

  She thought she read more in his eyes than simple curiosity, but she couldn’t be sure. “I’m going to go out as soon as the rain passes and do what I’ve been doing. If I can keep one or two of those guys busy, that’ll help. After today it’s obvious they’re interested in a lot more than what’s happening at the edges of Buddy’s property. In which case, me carrying on like there’s nothing to worry about might lull them.”

  He nodded slowly. “Maybe. Especially after they’ve seen we’re hanging out together.”

  “Exactly. So tomorrow, assuming the rain lets up, we carry on as if we’ve forgotten all about Buddy and Cap.”

  Boy, did she wish she could forget all about those guys. She wished this was just an ordinary vacation, that she’d met Craig under ordinary circumstances, that they could tell the world to go hang and spend the rest of the day exploring the burgeoning attraction between them.

  That’s all she wanted. A little peace and quiet to find out what it would be like to be with Craig fully, to find out if he could take her to those heights again when they weren’t constricted by clothes. To find out if she could take him there again.

  Even with all that was going on, that need was growing stronger by the minute. The need to love and be loved.

  It was, she thought, staring down at her hands, as primal as questions of life and death.

  Craig caught the flicker of heat in her gaze before she became fascinated with her hands. Damn, his body surged in response just from that look. He’d damn near forgotten he could respond to a woman like tinder to a match. One look and he was raring to go.

  The whole world seemed to narrow to that cabin and to the woman sitting across from him. He was only human, after all, and his most essential nature was waking to possibilities, desires, needs. The smell of the hot woodstove dominated the cabin, but beneath it he could detect the very faint odors of woman. They called to him as much as her eyes had.

  Oh,
he had it bad.

  He tried to think about threats, tried to think about the fact that he was fairly certain somebody had checked them out at least twice today, and that level of interest indicated that Buddy and his friends felt threatened. Feeling threatened could lead them to act. He’d have loved to find an innocent reason, but there didn’t seem to be any.

  Right now, though, he didn’t give a damn. Once he barred the door, they’d be safe from everything except fire, and given how wet it was out there, the only fire would have to be started in here.

  And what a fire it would be, he thought, looking at Sky. She’d made him feel young again, surprising in itself because he hadn’t realized he was feeling old in some ways. But she’d made him feel eighteen and full of all the hunger as if it were brand-new again.

  He wished Buddy and his friends to the devil, then realized it didn’t matter what they did today. If they were up to something, he couldn’t stop it singlehandedly. If they weren’t, then he’d find out soon enough.

  The day he’d intended to spend relaxing with Sky, the private adventure he’d been hoping for for the two of them, had damn near evaporated between two visits and a bear. Was he going to let go of what remained of this day?

  No.

  Rising, he walked around the table and held out his hand to her.

  * * *

  “Still thinking?” Cap asked sarcastically.

  Buddy figured Cap was in a rotten mood because of the weather. His guys had fanned out, seen damn near nothing and one of them had just limped back in with a nice bear wound down the back of his butt and leg.

  “That guy needs a doctor,” Buddy remarked, ignoring the question. “Bear claws are filthy. Infection’ll kill him.”

  “To hell with him.”

  “What was he doing screwing around with a bear cub anyway?” Buddy asked, using his own best sarcastic voice. “You guys grow up in a city?”

  “Shut up, Buddy.”

  “I’m serious, Cap. You don’t mess with cubs. The mother is never far away. Trying to get himself a bear claw? Deliver me from idiots.”

  “He’s paying for it.”

  No question of that, Buddy thought. “He’s lucky he ain’t dead already. How’d he escape?”

  Cap visibly gritted his teeth. “That damn ranger came riding into the woods. The bear headed back for the cub.”

  “Guess he owes Craig his life,” Buddy said with more than a little satisfaction.

  “Watch it, Buddy. You don’t want to make me mad.”

  “Whose property is this?”

  Cap glared at him.

  In spite of his apparent bravado, Buddy wasn’t feeling all that brave. Four armed men had grown to eight. How many more were coming? He once again wondered if he’d made the biggest mistake of his life by inviting Cap here. Sure, the guy had big plans, and Buddy wasn’t opposed to them. The cataclysm was coming, and giving it a nudge wouldn’t make much difference.

  But having Cap run the entire show afterward didn’t appeal to him.

  “So what’s the plan, Buddy?” Cap asked again, mockingly. “Your big plan for getting them off our back until we’re ready. I’m still waiting.”

  “The woman,” Buddy said. “The artist. She’s out there alone a lot. We disappear her.”

  Cap raised a brow. “Thought you didn’t have the stomach for killing.”

  “I’m not talking about killing her. We just arrange a little accident to keep her out of the way. She disappears, the whole damn service and the local cops will be looking for her.”

  “So?”

  “So we help with the search. But we know where she is. So we save her and we’re the good guys. They’d leave us alone after that.”

  Cap looked thoughtful. “Easier to kill her.”

  “That’ll just cause more trouble and we won’t look like the good guys.”

  “So we help with a search and rescue, save the bitch, everybody thinks we’re wonderful and leaves us alone?”

  “That’s it.”

  Cap frowned into his beer. Time slipped away, but Buddy could see the wheels spinning.

  “It has possibilities,” Cap said. “Real possibilities. Let me think about it.”

  Satisfied, Buddy sat back and reached for another beer. Cap wasn’t the only one who could make a good plan.

  One last qualm rippled through him. “Just make sure you don’t kill her. On top of that hiker last month, they might get suspicious.”

  “Accidents happen out here all the time, and we didn’t do that hiker.”

  “Right.” But Buddy didn’t quite believe it. He took a long swig of beer, trying to deaden his doubts. Another bottle or two and everything would be fine.

  Chapter 12

  Sky looked at Craig’s hand, her heart starting to pound, then up at him.

  “Come lie with me,” he said so quietly she could barely hear him above the drumming rain.

  She caught her breath. Never had anyone asked her in that particular way, and for some reason the way he phrased it was as exciting as any touch might have been. Her entire body leaped in response and she took his hand.

  An almost wistful smile appeared on his mouth as she rose. He drew her into his arms, gave her an amazingly gentle kiss, then released her.

  Disappointment was barely born before she understood. He pulled the bedrolls from the corner and spread them on the floor, one atop another for cushioning.

  Shyness threatened her as he turned back to her, but he was still smiling in that oddly wistful way, as if he felt she might slip away before they answered the longing. Or as if he were certain the end was written even before the beginning.

  Without a word, he stood in front of her to sprinkle kisses on her face as he held it between his warm hands. After each kiss, he paused an instant to look at her, but with each kiss her eyelids seemed to grow heavier, as if her mind wanted to focus inward, on the feelings he evoked.

  A slow, steady throbbing, in time with her heart, drew her awareness to the apex of her thighs. A heaviness grew, a good heaviness, that verged on an ache.

  His hands left her cheeks and moved downward. She caught her breath as he tugged her sweater from her shoulders. She had no idea where it went, and no time to wonder as he began to release the buttons down the front of her shirt. One by one she felt them give way and he followed his progress with lightly brushing fingers that set her skin aflame.

  Then, tugging it open, he began to kiss her collar bones, her throat, her breast just above her bra. She gasped, unable to prevent herself from throwing her head back. As she did so, she reached for his shoulders to steady herself and arched toward him.

  Primal impulses controlled her now, and in some way seemed to set her free.

  He gently tugged her hands down, then she felt her shirt slip away. Only the wisp of her bra remained, and she caught her breath, hovering on the brink of exquisite anticipation.

  “You’re stunning,” he murmured. She hardly heard him over the blood that rushed in her ears.

  He found the snap on her jeans and twisted it open. The sound of the zipper going down became almost deafening, suddenly seeming louder than the hammering rain. She couldn’t open her eyes as she felt denim and cotton panties sliding down over her hips. Revealing her. Exposing her. Making her so vulnerable.

  She loved it. She wanted to burst free of all constraints and follow the lodestar of desire.

  She knew he’d knelt only when she felt hot, moist kisses across her belly. Her ankles were wrapped in denim, she couldn’t move a step and she didn’t care. Nobody had ever treated her this way before, as if he wanted to worship her.

  Warm hands closed on her rear, drawing her snugly against his stubbly face. That prickly roughness excited her even more, and she swayed, needing support for a body that no longer wanted to do anything except fall in an excited, pliant heap.

  Then his hand slipped up from her bottom to release her bra. The fabric fell away and her eyes opened, just a little, to see him loo
king up at her, drinking her in. Had she felt shyness at first? No longer. His approving, hungry gaze drove all hesitation from her.

  He stood, then lifted her right off her feet and put her on the sleeping bags. Standing over her, he raked his eyes over her as he began to strip himself.

  Part of her wanted to help him with that, but her legs were still tangled, and she felt so soft right now she was halfway to being a puddle.

  Except that ache between her thighs. That was growing harder and more demanding.

  She managed to keep her eyes open because she wanted to see him, too. And what she saw made her catch her breath again. He was smoothly muscled all over and perfectly formed.

  “You’re gorgeous,” she managed to say.

  His smile widened a shade. “I’m supposed to say that to you. And you are. Gorgeous.”

  He kicked away the last of his clothing, his boots giving him only a minor struggle that made her almost giggle. How odd to feel like giggling when every cell in her body was focused on passion. Somehow it seemed right, though, as if laughter could be part of this intimacy.

  But before the giggle could escape her, he bent over her and tugged away her shoes and pants, leaving her free to move any way she liked.

  He stood a moment, looking down at her, his eyes almost blazing with heat. She could feel it as if it sprang from him to her. “I wish we had more light. Someday I’m going to make love to you under the sun.”

  The remark scattered her last intelligent thought. The thought of making love to him in a sunlit valley, or on that flat rock in the gorge she had found, outdoors in the midst of nature, swamped her in fresh heat. She raised her arms in mute invitation.

  But he paused again, driving her nearly nuts until she saw the plastic bag he tossed down beside the sleeping bags, and saw the box of condoms half spill out of it. He had thought to protect her. Never would she speak of what it meant to her that he had bought those recently, that he wasn’t pulling some battered packet out of a pocket or wallet.