Sound of Summer

by Annette Broadrick

  She glared at him. "Do I really look that helpless?"

  "No comment."

  Selena raked through the coals, found some warm ones and began to add kindling. "No comment," she muttered under her breath. "That's a comment in itself." She sat back on her heels and admired the way her fire took hold.

  Standing, she said, "Where could I wash up?" Without looking around, Adam grabbed a pump handle and began to pump it industriously until water gushed out. "If you want me to warm it for you, I can."

  Selena had never seen a water pump like that before. He really was living a primitive existence up here. She wondered why.

  She finally got up the nerve to question him after dinner. He hadn't turned the lamp on, and they sat in front of the cheery fire, its heat warming the room. Adam had poured them brandy and they sipped on it while they sat on the couch in front of the fire, watching the flames.

  "What did you do before you decided to become a hermit?"

  A long pause followed her question and she wondered if he were going to ignore it "I was in the import-export business for several years," he finally answered, "but grew tired of the constant travel."

  "Were you ever in the armed services?"

  "The Navy. Why do you ask?"

  "No reason. I was just curious." About the scars on his back, among other things. Where had he gotten them?

  She was distracted from her thoughts by Duke's strange behavior. Adam had let him out earlier in the evening. When he returned inside, he had allowed Adam to wipe him dry, then he settled in front of the fire. Now he paced restlessly around the room.

  "What's the matter with Duke?"

  Adam glanced around and watched him for a moment. "He senses something outside. You have to remember we're out here with nature. There's no telling what's prowling around."

  He had no sooner finished speaking when Duke made a lunge at the door, barking ferociously. Adam suddenly grabbed her, luckily right after she had placed her snifter on the table, and rolled to the floor with her, so that when they landed he completely covered her.

  "What are you—"

  "Quiet. There's somebody outside."

  "Or some animal."

  "No," he whispered. "Duke doesn't bark like that at an animal."

  They lay there motionless, listening. Selena was soon distracted by Adam's close proximity. Although he was on top of her, he was supporting most of his weight so that she could breathe. But they were carefully aligned so that he touched her everywhere, from her chin to her toes.

  She could feel the hard surface of his chest pressing against hers, hear his harsh breathing near her ear, and slowly recognized the effect she was having on him. "Would you kindly explain to me the necessity of sprawling on top of me?" she demanded in a fierce whisper. "I can't breathe," she added for good measure. Her lack of breath had little to do with his weight. It had more to do with the sensations she was experiencing. She knew he was experiencing similar ones.

  Meanwhile Duke was going through all the antics of a wild dog fighting to get out of captivity.

  Adam slid to the side and, keeping below the windows crawled over to the darkest part of the room and peered out the window.

  "Who would be dumb enough to be out in this kind of weather?" she asked in a low tone.

  "The same people who were out in it last night. They're still after something—or somebody." He glanced around at her and noticed that her eyes seemed to have grown larger in the last few minutes. "Don't worry. I won't let them harm you."

  Why didn't she feel more reassured? If someone was after her, how was she going to stop them?

  Duke gradually settled down, looking pleased with himself. Perhaps he should be, Selena thought. His barking may have scared whoever it was away.

  Adam stood up and offered his hand to Selena. She pulled herself up and sat down again on the couch. "I want you to sleep in the bed tonight," he stated. "It's farther from the door. If anyone decides to come visiting, I'll be waiting for them right here."

  "Would you quit being so damn dramatic, Adam? Maybe this is how you entertain yourself up here all by yourself, but frankly, I don't appreciate it. You're scaring the hell out of me."

  "Sorry." He sat down beside her, kissing her mouth lightly. Pulling back slightly, he looked into her eyes. Whatever he saw made him smile. Adam pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. His hands slid along her back in a gentle motion and Selena relaxed in his arms. She couldn't get over the strange effect he had on her.

  This has got to stop, she reminded herself. Pushing against his chest, Selena said, "Look, Adam, I appreciate your hospitality, but I don't intend to repay you in this manner."

  He laughed. He actually laughed. She knew she didn't care for his sense of humor. Not at all.

  She got up from the couch. "I don't want to take your bed. I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe here on the couch. After all, I'll have Duke to protect me."

  Adam stood up and bent over the fire, rearranging the existing logs and placing new ones on it. "Do whatever you want." He walked over to his bed and knelt. Pulling the drawer out, he palmed something, then stood up.

  "I don't know what's going on, but I'm not going to let you go out there alone to use the facility."

  He said it as though he expected an argument, but he certainly wasn't going to get one from her. His jumpiness was infectious and his presence would be most welcome.

  Selena picked up her coat and started for the door.

  "Wait a minute."

  She glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Why don't you wait here a moment, while Duke and I go out first?"

  "Fine with me. Just whistle when you want me."

  The sudden smile on his face made her wish she could retract that last statement, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was flustered.

  "Let's go, Duke."

  Selena watched them leave the cabin, Duke bounding out of the door and disappearing. She couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the unsuspecting soul who might be there if Duke got hold of him. Several minutes later, Adam opened the door. "Whoever was out here is gone, but he left enough prints to know he was here."

  Selena shivered. She thrust her arms through her coat sleeves and followed him out the door. At least it had quit raining and the sky was beginning to clear. There was no moon, but the stars looked close enough to touch.

  Adam directed the beam of the flashlight in front of them, and they walked to the small outbuilding in silence. He opened the door and made sure there was no one inside to surprise her, then stepped back with a polite motion of his hand.

  Without saying a word, Selena stepped inside and closed the door, effectively cutting off the light. Great. Just what she needed. She didn't waste much time inside and was relieved to see Adam waiting several feet away when she stepped out.

  They returned to the cabin in silence.

  "Is the solitude of the mountains getting to you, or don't you have anything to say?" he asked quietly as they stepped back into the cabin. Duke followed them in and returned to his rag in front of the fireplace.

  "I don't like any of this," she finally admitted.

  "Neither do I."

  "I just wish we had a phone up here."

  "As a matter of fact, that thought has crossed my mind more than once during the past few hours."

  She glanced around the room uncertainly. "Where could I change my clothes?"

  "You'll be more comfortable by the fire." He walked over to the other end of the room and checked the window.

  At least I have my own clothes, she thought as she flipped open the lid of her suitcase and reached for her gown. There wasn't much to it, but it was the most comfortable thing she had. She hated pajamas. After slipping on the shortie nightgown, she pulled her heavy robe over her shoulders and quickly knotted the belt.

  Adam had brought over some blankets and a pillow, the same bedding she had used the night before, and she made herself a warm bed on the couch.

>   She stretched out on the couch with a sigh. "This is great, Adam. Thank you."

  "Any time. I'll talk to you in the morning."

  He lay in bed trying to decide what to do about their unwanted visitors. It wasn't his way to sit and wait for something to happen. If it weren't for Selena, he'd be outside tracking whoever was out there. Whoever it was had gotten careless, or the rain had made it too difficult not to leave prints.

  He would come up with a plan by morning. He needed to get her out of there and back on track with her vacation plans. Moreover, he needed no reminders of what it was like to have a woman around. Unfortunately, the reminder was already there and he recognized the attraction he felt for her—just as he recognized he had no intention of pursuing the attraction.

  Adam had lived his life as a loner and he preferred it that way. He just wished the little voice in his head would quit arguing the point.

  Chapter Four

  Selena was caught up in her dream, at least she sincerely hoped it was a dream. She was being held captive and she was waiting for Derringer—or was it Adam—to rescue her.

  A hand reached out and touched her lightly on the shoulder. She screamed.

  Duke started barking and Adam's curses joined the general confusion. "Dammit, Selena, you don't have to act like I'm attacking you!"

  Confused, Selena sat up and looked around the room. A faint light filtered through the windows. "What's wrong?"

  Duke decided there was nothing he needed to do at the moment, so he stretched out once again with a sigh. Adam ran his hand through his already rumpled hair. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to wake you up."

  "You certainly did that. Now that I'm awake, what do you want?"

  "I want you to show me where you found that truck with electronic equipment."

  "Certainly. I'll jump on my trusty steed and we'll be there in no time."

  Adam sat down on the edge of the couch, entirely too close to Selena as far as she was concerned.

  "It won't be that easy, I'm afraid. We'll have to walk."

  She stared at him in surprise. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

  "Yes. We've got to find out what's going on and why you were followed up here."

  "It's several miles from here, you know."

  "I'm not surprised, but you planned to hike out of here anyway."

  She yawned. "So I did, but I'd planned on starting out at a decent hour." She glanced out the window. "This is my vacation, you know."

  He grinned. "I know and I'm sorry, but I have a feeling we're going to need all the daylight we can get before today's over. Why don't you get dressed while I make breakfast."

  Why not? I'm awake now, she thought waspishly. "Good idea. I wonder why I didn't think of it?" She smiled at him, a smile so sweet he doubted its sincerity. With good reason.

  He leaned toward her, clearly intending to kiss her. She stopped him by placing her hand on his chest. "Would you cut that out?"

  "Why?"

  "Why? Why? Because we don't know each other, that's why. Because we're caught up in crazy circumstances or we wouldn't even be staying together, that's why. Because—"

  "All right, I get your message." He stood up and stretched, his arms high above his head and she gazed at the muscles that rippled under the snug, knit shirt. He looked down at her, buried in her blankets. "How did you sleep?"

  "Reasonably well, although either you or Duke snore."

  "I'm afraid I can't take credit for that. I forgot to warn you about him." They both glanced at Duke who watched them with friendly interest, aware that his name had been mentioned in their conversation.

  "I've seen Shetland ponies smaller than he is," Selena offered.

  "I know, but when I saw him as a puppy I knew we would become great friends. And we have."

  "Are you going to take him with us on our hiking jaunt?"

  "No. But he'll be all right up here by himself. I'll leave enough food and water."

  "And when he needs to go out?"

  "He has a way in and out that we built for emergencies."

  "I see. Well—"

  She eyed him thoughtfully.

  "What's the matter?"

  "I'm waiting for you to depart to the kitchen—" she waved her hand in the general direction of that corner of the cabin "—so I can get up."

  "You're very modest, aren't you?"

  "Not particularly, but I don't intend to provide your early morning entertainment, either."

  Adam turned around and strolled to the stove. "Are you ready for coffee?"

  "You bet." She eased out of the covers, feeling the early morning chill against her legs. Quickly digging through her clothes, she found jeans and a warm sweater. The soft blue of the top matched the color of her eyes and made a nice contrast to her long, blond hair. After vigorously brushing it, she pulled her hair high on top of her head, pinning it securely.

  Adam handed her a cup of coffee. Gratefully she accepted it and took a sip. He really wasn't all that bad, she supposed. A mite eccentric, but then, everyone has his or her little hang-ups. Hers was that she'd like to find something a little more serious to act in, while the Derringer Drake series had made her a household name. Why aren 't we ever satisfied with what we have? she wondered. Still, it would be much more rewarding to be remembered for her acting abilities rather than her plunging necklines.

  Adam watched her while she ate the plate of food he'd placed in front of her. He was surprised at how quiet she was. Most women he'd known felt uncomfortable with silence and attempted to fill it with inane chatter. Not Selena. He wondered what she was thinking with such a serious expression on her face. He also wondered why he cared.

  "I'd like to make a suggestion." Adam finally broke the silence.

  "Fire away."

  "You might want to take a change of clothing—something dark, in case we don't make it back before dark."

  She studied him for a moment. He wore a black knit shirt and black corduroy pants. "All right." As soon as she finished eating, she got up and dug through her belongings once more.

  When they were ready to go, Adam walked over to Duke and knelt down beside him, murmuring something. Duke watched him alertly, as though he understood every word, then placed his chin on his paws with a sigh.

  "Let's go." Adam opened the door and stepped outside.

  The sun was just peeking over the eastern mountain ridge and Selena paused, drinking in the beauty of the early morning. Although she had intended to spend her time alone, she had to admit she didn't mind Adam's presence. There was something about him that made her feel he could be trusted and that he was capable of taking care of both of them. She hoped her instincts were sound. Otherwise, she could find herself in trouble.

  Adam glanced around the clearing with an alertness that caused a twinge of uneasiness within her. She shrugged the feeling away. With a measured gait, Selena attempted to match her steps to Adam's. When they reached the shelter of trees, he paused.

  "I don't like the feel of this."

  "Whatever are you talking about?"

  Before he could respond a low voice spoke directly behind them. "Turn around slowly, if you will."

  Adam followed the order precisely—each movement carefully calibrated. Selena swung around with a start—and gasped.

  The man standing behind them held a snub-nosed pistol in his right hand. His navy-blue windbreaker and denim jeans caused him to blend into the shadows of the trees.

  Adam's voice sounded calm and very reasonable to Selena. "What do you want?"

  "We're making a security check of the area. This young woman was seen in a restricted area recently and needs to be detained until positive identification can be made." The man's voice was low but clear.

  Selena relaxed slightly. At least he wasn't some gangster.

  "Who are you?" Adam asked.

  "We're with the Secret Service."

  Selena sighed with disgust. "Then why all this sneaking around? Why didn't you just knock
on the door last night."

  The man looked startled. "Last night?"

  "Yes. And why did you slash the tires, steal the truck and try to carry me off yesterday?"

  The stranger's face seemed to freeze into an impassive mask. "I know nothing about that."

  Adam shifted slightly. "Why are you holding a gun on us?"

  The man glanced down at his hand as though surprised to see the pistol. "You can't be too careful these days." He looked past them and Selena glanced around, surprised to see two men standing among the trees, watching them. He glanced back at Selena. "If you'll just come along with us, miss, we'll get the matter cleared in no time."

  His suggestion sounded reasonable to Selena, and she turned to Adam to thank him for his offer of help.

  "I'm going with you." He gave Selena a mocking smile. "You see, I've invested too much in her already to let something happen to her now." He met the other man's steady gaze. "She's my wife."

  Selena watched the scene before her, realizing with a shock that she was waiting for the director to interrupt any moment because it was obvious she didn't know her lines. With a detached sense of unreality she'd heard

  Adam announce she was his wife. Had he lost his mind?

  "I was told to bring the woman. They didn't say anything about her husband."

  "She isn't going anywhere without me." He ignored the gun in the stranger's hand as though it were a prop, adding further to Selena's sense of unreality.

  The man with the gun stood there for a moment, then jerked his head. "All right, both of you." He motioned for them to continue down the hillside.

  When they reached the other men, one of them said, "We're only supposed to bring the girl."

  "I know. Her husband insists on coming along."

  After a moment, the man with the gun said, "Come on, we're wasting time." He motioned for the other men to walk ahead of Adam and Selena, and he followed several paces behind.

  They were going back to the road that Selena had followed two days before. Had it only been two days? Los Angeles seemed more than miles away—it was another life, another time. She watched Adam's shoulders as he lithely strode through the trees ahead of her. She wished she knew what was going on. She also would like to know why he had insisted on coming. His wife. What a lot of nonsense, but it had worked, she supposed. They probably would not have tolerated his being a part of this trek if they'd had any idea she and Adam barely knew each other.