Ranger Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 11)

by Harmony Raines

  He pulled her up to her feet, and she immediately broke contact with him and proceeded to shake her legs and bend them at the knee, to stretch out her muscles. “We’ll take it slow, let you warm up again.”

  “I don’t want to slow us down,” Avery insisted.

  “You’ll slow us down more if you pull something.” He put his arms through his pack and adjusted it on his shoulders, while Avery did the same. “Of course, I could always carry you if you needed me to.”

  Avery pulled the straps of her pack tight. “Aren’t you the gentleman? But I can manage.”

  “I am in no doubt.” They headed away from the cabin, back into the trees, where he picked up the trail they needed to take. Wyatt had given them all the information they needed.

  Their first stop would be the cabin, a place next to a main trail where hikers could spend the night if they needed to. He hoped they were going to be alone, so he could start getting to know the woman who was his mate.

  Chapter Seven – Avery

  Avery followed Jacob, one foot in front of the other, as they climbed steadily upwards. He slowed his pace every time he saw her struggling, and would offer her his hand when she needed it. She hated having to accept his help, but it was quicker for him to half-pull her up steep rocks, and they were both aware that this was not a recreational hike. All thoughts of this being a vacation were gone after their talk with Wyatt, and with Manny Maxwell and Joe Hislop having a good head start, if they hoped to catch up with them, they were going to have to push themselves.

  OK, Avery would have to push herself. Jacob looked as if he had hardly broken into a sweat. She reminded herself that he walked this mountain day after day, that the peaks and valleys were his home. And what a home they were. The views were spectacular. Every time there was a break in the trees, she would take a precious moment to look down below them.

  At first Bear Creek could be seen, nestled in the valley, but as they climbed, and the trail twisted and turned, following the easiest path through wooded valleys, and along rocky outcrops, the town had become hidden. Now, when she looked down, it was as if they were in some prehistoric world, where no human life except her and Jacob existed.

  Avery reminded herself why she was here. For Lonnie, for the man who had given her back her own father.

  “Another half an hour, and we should be off this section of the mountain.” Jacob looked behind them, taking in the darkening sky. The sun was beginning to set, and the trail they were about to climb was too steep to risk in poor light. “Once we’re at the top, it’s another hour to the cabin.”

  “OK,” she acknowledged his words, while trying to keep a foothold in the loose gravel. Avery had been fooling herself about being prepared. Yes, she could walk and run long distances, she had great stamina, but that had not prepared her for how hard the terrain was to cover. Her body ached; she’d used every muscle in her body, she knew, because they were all complaining. A nice warm bath would be heavenly right now, but she suspected she might have to make do with a drafty cabin.

  Jacob scrambled up the trail in front of her, his strong legs powering him up the steep incline, while his hands grabbed at any rock or boulder, bush or branch, that would support his weight. Avery copied him, learning from him. She watched how he used his body, how he shifted his weight, so by the time they reached the top of the trail, despite her aching muscles, she was able to carry on.

  “Let’s take a five-minute break,” Jacob suggested. They had walked clear of the steep mountainside and reached a small wooded area. It was darker under the dense trees, which clung tightly together on the inhospitable mountainside, but they were sheltered from the wind that was coming at them head-on.

  “I’m OK to keep going,” she insisted.

  He shook his head. “This crosswind is going to be tiring to walk against. Drink, and eat this.” He dug in his pack and pulled out an energy bar, which he passed to her, along with his water bottle.

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t believe how good the energy bar tasted. Washing it down with a good drink of water, she could feel her energy levels increasing, only now aware of how low they had ebbed.

  “You’re a natural.” He nodded back toward the slope. “That was a difficult climb, especially at a fast pace.”

  “I thought you were taking it easy on me.” She hid the pleasure from her voice. It was stupid, but her reaction to his words was reminiscent of when her father would tell her she’d done well.

  “Not as easy as I should have.” He looked toward their destination. “But we would never have reached the cabin if we went any slower. I wouldn’t have risked the climb in the dark.”

  “We’d have spent a night under the stars?” Avery asked, looking up at the trees above them and the inky-blue sky.

  “I have a tent, remember.” He pointed his thumb at his backpack. “We could have squeezed into it for the night.”

  Avery felt a thrill of excitement course through her. What was the matter with her? She read too much into his words. Yet, his expression led her on, made her believe he had the same thoughts as her. The two of them, squeezing into a tiny tent, lying side by side, needing to use their body heat to keep each other warm.

  She sighed and tore her attention away from him. Whatever had come over her, she was not going to act on it. She was a professional, not the kind of woman who gave in to her baser needs, not when she was on a job.

  But she wasn’t on a job, she was on vacation. And there was something to be said for a holiday romance, the kind that was no-strings-attached, a way to relieve a sexual itch. The only issue was, she wasn’t sure if a couple of days were enough for Jacob to scratch the itch that was becoming more and more incessant.

  OK, so she didn’t need a hot bath, she needed a cold shower.

  Avery finished the energy bar and took another good drink of water before handing it back to Jacob. “Do we need to look for water?”

  “Nope, the cabin is next to a natural spring. There’s an old-fashioned hand pump in the cabin, not quite running water, but close enough. We can fill up our bottles there.” Jacob shouldered his pack, and turned to face the way they were going. “Last push, and then I’ll cook you dinner.”

  “Mmm, rehydrated gloop, my favorite.”

  He laughed. “I might surprise you.”

  “You might.” She plunged on, “You have so far.”

  “I have?” He threw the question over his shoulder as they walked. Avery wasn’t going to let him out of her sight, as the dark gathered around them.

  “Yeah, I expected you to be…different.”

  “In what way?” The trail twisted and turned through the trees, their low branches at just below head height.

  “I thought you would be more…overbearing.”

  Jacob gave a short burst of laughter, which sounded loud in the darkness. “Overbearing?”

  She was flirting with him. She couldn’t help it. If only she were on vacation, and not on the trail of drug dealers. “Yeah, since you come from a small town that doesn’t seem to have kept up with the times. I thought your opinion on women might be back in the dark ages too.”

  “In that case, you would be making dinner.” He ducked low to avoid a branch, and then took a sharp left, which brought them out into the open. “That was a shortcut.”

  “My legs thank you.” Avery staggered out of the trees. Her foot caught a hidden tree root, and Jacob put his arm out to stop her from hitting the ground. “And my face thanks you too.”

  She straightened up, aware of his arm still around her waist. “Are you OK?”

  Avery nodded. “How much further?”

  “Another mile. But the terrain is flat and open.”

  “Good, flat and open sounds good.” She pulled out of his arms and he let her go, even if he seemed reluctant to break his hold on her.

  “If you need to slow down, tell me.” He set off into the darkness, and she followed, watching where he placed his feet and avoiding anything that he did. Large st
ones, dips in the ground, anything that might snag her tired feet. If she fell, there was a good chance she might not be getting up again tonight. Her legs were getting heavier, each step taking more effort, and her energy was beginning to wane.

  Focusing her mind on Jacob’s back, she concentrated on his movements, on the swing of his arms, the bunched muscles of his shoulders. And how much she really would like him to lift her into his arms and carry her.

  “Nearly there.” Jacob left the main path they had been following and turned ninety degrees to join a path that led them across soft, springy mountain grass. To a cabin.

  The building loomed like a shadow out of nowhere, and Avery was certain she’d never been happier to see anything, ever. Jacob pushed the door open and paused on the threshold, before taking a flashlight from his pack. Switching it on, he swung the beam around the room, illuminating every corner.

  “Hello!” he called loudly. No answer. “Empty. Let’s get set up.”

  He went inside and shone the flashlight around until he found a small lantern, which he lit. As it flared up, it cast a warm glow over the sparse cabin. “Here, I’ll light another one.” He passed the first lantern to Avery, who held it up so Jacob could light the next one.

  There were four lanterns altogether, which he placed around the cabin. Next, he worked to get the stove lit. “Before we go in the morning, I’ll go out and gather some wood to replace what we’ve used.”

  “So it’s always stocked for the next person?” Avery asked.

  “That is the idea, although the wood pile looks low, so my guess is your drug dealers aren’t so courteous.”

  “Figures,” Avery said. “What can I do?”

  “Water pump is over the sink, it draws water from the spring. Fill a pan, and the kettle, and we can get some food on. I’ll light the fire.”

  “That sounds good.” She shivered, it might be summer, but up here it was a lot cooler, the temperature a good five degrees lower.

  “We can sleep here on the hearth if you want.”

  “On the floor?” she asked.

  “Yes. We can pull the mattresses off the bunks.”

  She looked at the bunks in the corner of the room. There were two, one on top of the other. Walking over to them, she pressed her hand down on the mattresses, trying not to think of how many other people had slept on them. Not to mention the bugs.

  “Don’t worry, I brought you a sleeping bag.”

  “What didn’t you bring?” Avery asked.

  “The kitchen sink.” He nodded toward the kitchen area. “That’s over there. Where the water pump is,” he reminded her.

  “Subtle.” She headed to the sink and used the lever to pump the water into the sink. Once she had the hang of it, she looked in the cupboards for pots and pans. Then she filled a large pan, plus the kettle, and set them on the stove to warm.

  “There should be some coffee packets in your pack.” He was feeding the fire, which was beginning to flame, the orange glow looking inviting to her aching body. But a hot cup of coffee might revive her, and so she went to her backpack and rummaged around until she found a small waterproof pack, which contained instant coffee, along with two tin cups.

  Once the kettle had boiled, she poured the hot water into the cups and stirred. Jacob left the fire and came to join her. “That is just what I need.” He took a mug and sipped it, letting out a long satisfied breath. “I’ll get food on, and then we can settle down for the night. We’re going to need to start early in the morning. Manny Maxwell and Joe Hislop stayed here last night, which means they are still a full day ahead of us.”

  Avery found the energy to help prepare the cabin for the night. She drew her strength from the need to find out what was going on up here. Why did Manny and Joe go through the Karakin Pass? It was the question she needed answered, and tomorrow, she might just get that answer.

  Chapter Eight – Jacob

  “Will we catch up with them?” Avery asked as she held her hot mug of coffee in her hands.

  “We might, or at least get close. There are empty beer cans over by the hearth; I’m hoping they had a lot to drink and left late this morning. So that gives us an advantage.” Jacob nodded toward the fire, which was slowly chasing the chill out of the cabin, and her bones.

  “But not enough?” Avery asked.

  “Probably not. We’re a day behind them.”

  “So, what do we do?” she asked.

  “Do you have the map?”

  Avery pulled it out of her coat pocket. “Here.”

  Jacob laid it out on the counter and looked at it while he drank his coffee. She came to stand by his side, her right arm pressed against his left arm while they studied it. She didn’t pull away, and he liked feeling her close to him.

  “According to Wyatt, they take this trail every time.” He ran his finger along a winding trail. “If we go this way, we cut out a long stretch.”

  “But?”

  “There’s a reason why most people take the long trail. It’s easy, no steep climbs, and there are several places to camp.” He ran his fingers along the paper and jabbed it at a section where the lines were close together, indicating a steep hill. “To get in front of them and gain an advantage, we will have to climb.”

  “Climb?” She took a step back. “More of a climb than today?”

  “Much more. But it will put us in front of them. Here.” He swung his head around to meet her eyes: she looked scared, but the set of her mouth told him she wasn’t about to turn chicken. “I’m experienced at climbing this part of the mountain. And I have all the gear we need.”

  Avery looked back at the map, examining the route her drug dealers would take and comparing it to the cliff his finger still pointed to. “OK.”

  “Are you sure?” Jacob didn’t want to talk her out of it, but he didn’t want her to feel pressured either.

  “I trust you. If you think I can do it, then I’ll give it a go.” Avery avoided his eyes. She didn’t give her trust easily, and given the circumstances he could understand her reservations. What happened to Lonnie would also explain her prickly attitude earlier today when they had met in Mike’s store.

  “You can do it. I don’t just think it, I know it.” He folded the map and handed it back to her. “I’ll fix dinner. Why don’t you go take your boots off? You need to rest up.”

  “That bad, huh?” she asked, but did as she was told, the warmth of the fire beckoning to her.

  “You are going to need all your strength, and you know you’re going to ache tomorrow.” He opened his pack and began to empty it.

  “I ache already.” Avery rubbed her sore calves.

  “Go rest. And tomorrow will be OK. When we climb, you will be tied to me, and I will never let you fall.” She looked at him sharply, and he replayed what he’d said in his head and the tone in which he’d said it. Had he allowed too much emotion to slip into his voice?

  “Good, because if you do, I’ll never let you forget it.” She eased her boots off, and sighed as she wiggled her toes. “If I die, I’ll haunt you forever.”

  “I’d never let you die,” Jacob said hoarsely, which earned him another quick stare.

  “I’ll die of hunger if I don’t eat soon.” Her words were meant to lighten the mood and ease the tension; it worked, and he got busy preparing dinner. Jacob used some of the fresher ingredients he’d brought with him in his pack. Avery might be expecting rehydrated gloop, but he planned to serve something much more tasty.

  “This is amazing.” Avery’s words when she tasted her dinner, beef stew with wild herbs, told him he’d accomplished his task.

  “Thanks.” It was good, he had to admit. “My mom taught me to cook, and I try to use that knowledge to my advantage when I’m out here.”

  “If ever I meet your mom, remind me to thank her.” Avery had no idea that his mom would one day be her mother-in-law. There was no way he was going to let his mate leave. But to make her stay presented a conundrum he’d been puzzling over a
ll day. Before he could tell her she was his mate, he was going to have to tell her about shifters. But what if she freaked out?

  “What about your parents?” Jacob was not going to put Avery in a difficult position before tomorrow’s climb. She trusted him, and he needed her to completely before they attempted what was a difficult climb.

  “Well, I told you my dad is a police officer, and my mom teaches kindergarten.” Avery scraped her bowl clean and then ate the last of her bread. “But while we were young, my mom was a homemaker. She believed children needed to have their mom at home.”

  “Any brothers or sisters?” Jacob finished his food and stretched his legs out in front of him. They were seated on the mattresses in front of the fire, their backs against the old sofa.

  “A sister, she’s a nurse. We don’t see each other as much as we used to. We always seem to be on different shift patterns.” Avery held her hands out to the fire. “And you, you said you had two brothers?”

  “I do, Kit, who has just recently got married, is a doctor, and Neil works for the fire department.”

  “In Bear Creek?” Her tongue was thick in her mouth, and her eyelids were heavy. The warmth of the fire was sending her to sleep, and she wanted to go, to allow it to envelop her, and hold her in its soft, warm embrace.

  Or Jacob’s soft warm embrace. Her head dropped and rested on his shoulder. “Hey, sleepy head. Come on, it’s time you got ready for bed.” He took the bowls to the kitchen and then came back to help her up. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

  “I should do that.” But she wasn’t sure she had the energy.

  “No, go to bed.”

  She was too tired to argue.

  Ten minutes later she was in her sleeping bag, snuggled down in front of the fire. Two minutes after that, she was asleep. Vaguely, she was aware of Jacob getting into his sleeping bag next to her. In her dreams she was sure she heard his voice say good night. If she answered, she couldn’t remember; she was too comfy and too warm to think.