Legend Hunter

by Jennifer Mckenzie

  It all confused her and she frowned. What her family did was cut people off if they got in the way or pissed her off. Relationships were expendable. Hadn’t her father hammered that home for her? She was expendable and she’d been his daughter. Even the relationship with her mother wasn’t close.

  Yet, the picture Ben provided of a close-knit family that loved unconditionally sounded so…attractive. When she started to get to her feet, he put out a hand to help her, and she took it. He yanked her up and she held onto his hand. It wasn’t just his family that attracted her. The warmth of his hand, the scent of something earthy and male wafting from him and the way his gaze traveled over her face created heat along her nerves. When their eyes met, something volcanic sprang up inside her and the morning wasn’t cold anymore.

  “Shall we seal the deal?” And she reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck before she lost her nerve.

  Her plan of just brushing his lips with hers went out the window in a heartbeat. Electricity sparked between them, and she moaned when he stroked her lips with his tongue. When she opened her mouth and his tongue swept in, she thought the morning sun had just risen in the sky there was so much heat and light behind her eyelids. His answering groan made her melt beneath his hands. Kisses, for Kiera, had been light, easy, not passionate or desperate. But the energy in him seemed to seep into her and she soaked it up like a sponge. His hands stroked along her spine and molded her body to his. Her hands tangled in his hair to hold him closer. No more thoughts or worries penetrated her mind and she lost herself in him. It was exhilarating, like the first time she’d reached the peak of the majestic Trinities and gazed out towards the glittering Pacific Ocean.

  It was the grind of a tent zipper that broke up that kiss. She stared at him with the back of her hand against her mouth. Her nerves still zinged and he was out of breath for the first time since they’d begun the trip.

  “Good morning!” Bobby stretched and smiled. “Is there any coffee?”

  Chapter Seven

  The morning sun peeked over the horizon as Ben rearranged his pack for the next leg of the trip. Still disturbed by that kiss, he had to keep his mind on the work at hand, not Kiera McConnel. Yet, the thing between them wouldn’t be denied. Every breath from her mouth clouded the air and his senses. Every economic movement of her body reminded him of how it felt to have her plastered against his. The others stumbled out of their sleeping bags and a low murmur of voices filled the quiet morning air. Kiera was silent for the most part. Not that he was staring at her. He jammed his jacket into the outside pocket of his pack. He thought the suggestion of being more than platonic would make her think about him, not kiss him. How could he focus on evidence if all he wanted to do was attack his guide?

  “You seem distracted this morning.” Amanda plopped down beside him and watched him put his equipment into several pockets. “You and Kiera have a fight?”

  “No,” he said shortly.

  “I don’t get you.” She propped her chin on her hands and her elbows on her knees. “You clearly have a thing for her but you guys act like the other isn’t even there.” Amanda stared at him and then shot a glance at Kiera. “Why would you come to her rescue? She’s no wilting flower.”

  He glared at Amanda. “No, she isn’t. You know what she is? She’s alone. No one ever came to her rescue, even when it was clear she needed it.” The words slipped out. He took a deep breath and focused on the blond woman. “Do you have family? Brothers or sisters?”

  Her face shuttered. “I had a sister.”

  “Were you close?”

  “She was older than I was, but yes, we were close.” Amanda’s gaze strayed to a tree behind Ben’s shoulder.

  “Then, you know what it’s like to have an ally, someone who understands where you come from and who you are,” he told her as he rolled his sleeping bag. “Kiera didn’t have that. She didn’t have anyone.”

  “She had Jeremy.” Amanda’s tone was quiet and her gaze focused on Kiera.

  A snort almost escaped, but he repressed it. Jeremy hadn’t been there. Just the way Kiera had stated that the Sheriff had his own problems told him that. Ben shot a glance at the woman’s face and her eyes slid to meet his. “Did she?”

  A heavy sigh rippled from Amanda’s body. “No. Now that I think about it, I guess not. Jeremy was her friend, but I think he always thought she could take care of herself.” Her tone was bitter.

  “And he didn’t think you could, is that it?”

  “We weren’t talking about me and Jeremy.” She glared at him.

  Ben shrugged. “You brought him up.” Definitely still a touchy subject for Amanda Amber. Jealousy still ripped through him. This damn sheriff had everybody’s panties in a bunch. Even Kiera’s tone had been defensive when Ben had questioned her friend’s loyalty.

  “What you’re saying is Kiera should be pitied?” Outrage colored her voice.

  “No. Her father drank himself to death, and she’s had to give up her own life to try and save her mother’s.” Okay, so he was being sarcastic. Still, it seemed odd that so few people had any affection for Kiera. He cocked his head to the side. “I guess I don’t understand why that doesn’t garner compassion.”

  Amanda stood up and brushed the dirt off. “Because Kiera doesn’t want it. She hates us all. Didn’t you know?”

  “Does she?” he asked her, genuinely curious. What fascinated him was Amanda froze and seemed unsure for a moment. She was probably right, however. Kiera didn’t hate everyone, but she’d reject any offers of pity or affection. Except that kiss haunted him. That hadn’t been pity or affection on his end. It had been lust plain and simple.

  Amanda still hadn’t responded to his question and she bit her lip as Ben continued to study her. Then, she turned her back on Ben. “She does hate us.” But her tone didn’t sound as certain. Maybe it was easier for Amanda to believe Kiera hated her. He frowned. Why would she want to believe that? Again, the secrets Kiera kept seem to be the answer to several puzzles.

  Camp was broken up in twenty minutes and the group headed down the trail. Bobby, Amanda, and Dodo were chatting and laughing. Kiera didn’t join in and neither did he. The trail was easier down the eastern slope than the incline from the day before. It made the atmosphere lighter and less tense.

  After the first two miles, Kiera stopped for a rest and stared at the darkening sky. “It wasn’t supposed to rain.” Worry laced her voice.

  Ben followed her gaze to the thunderheads in the west. “Maybe it will head south.”

  She shook her head. “No.” Her eyes scanned the sky. “The wind is wrong. We’re going to get dumped on.”

  As the rest of the group caught up, Kiera waved them over. “We’re going to have to pick up the pace.” She glanced at Amanda. “I’m sorry. There’s a storm heading in and this isn’t a good trail to be on when it starts raining. The rock on this side of the mountain is unstable.”

  “How far is the next place we’re stopping?” Amanda asked.

  “Fanning Creek is about six miles more from here. I planned on making camp there by the water. The problem is there isn’t much cover down this trail and it regularly washes out.” Kiera’s voice revealed her anxiety, though it was clear she tried to remain calm. Ben made sure he didn’t express his own concern. Kiera hefted her pack. “We have to use the buddy system from now on. Dodo, will you stay with Amanda? Bobby you’re with Ben.”

  “What about you?” Ben asked her, and she waved him off.

  “I’ll be in the lead.”

  He grinned at her. “You need to remember our deal.” All he could think about was how she sealed the deal.

  A faint smile lifted her lips. “You’re on my side.”

  “Right.”

  “Then, I have nothing to worry about.” She smiled and his knees went a little weak. What was wrong with him? She was a beautiful woman, but he’d known and flirted with lots of beautiful women.

  As Kiera started down the trail at a quick pace, Be
n shook his head. No woman had ever made him this crazy.

  Bobby kept up a steady stream of sharp conversation about people and politics. Though Ben replied with appropriate responses, he really wasn’t listening to the sly gossip Bobby was spouting. He tried, instead, to pin point why Kiera was unique, different, from his other experiences.

  As an author, he ought to have some kind of insight into the human condition, but this situation stumped him. He alternated between jealousy, frustration, lust, and more frustration. Why in the world would he bother? Most of the time, he wouldn’t. Kiera spelled trouble. She had baggage. She was hostile. She blew hot and then cold. All red flags waving that said “Danger” in big, neon letters.

  Yet, he was drawn to her. The way her body moved and when her eyes glowed with anger and her voice trembled slightly when she talked about her past all attracted him. And none of these things by themselves would have pulled him in. The strength and casual independence she exuded also drew him.

  The truth was all of Kiera’s quirks, assets, and faults added up to a powerful package that meant a big headache for Ben Harmon.

  “What do you think about that?” Bobby asked him, and Ben realized he had no idea what the man had been talking about.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. Is it important?” Maybe he could bluff his way out of this one.

  “You weren’t listening. I said Fanning Creek is around where Doc McConnel claimed to have taken that photograph.”

  “I read that,” Ben replied, his gaze on Kiera’s back. He knew she could hear Bobby.

  “You know he never revealed the exact location to the press.” Bobby emphasized the last three words and stared at Kiera.

  “He didn’t reveal it to anyone. He admitted as much several times.”

  “Hard to believe he wouldn’t tell his own kid,” Bobby said.

  “Hard to believe he’d drink himself to death either, but he did.” Ben’s tone was mild, but Bobby got the point and shut up.

  Over her shoulder, Kiera threw a glance back at him, and he read gratitude there. It was a beginning.

  At that moment, he made a serious decision. He was going to win her over. Not convince her that Bigfoot was a legitimate primate. Or that his paranormal research was valid.

  He was going to convince her that one other human being on the planet wouldn’t leave her alone, and she’d never have to fight by herself again.

  It was a shocking decision.

  * * * *

  Black clouds blocked the sun and made late morning feel like impending night. Ben smelled the heavy scent of rain. It was coming and there was going to be a lot of it. They’d gone two miles and had two more to go before they could stop. Not a good time for a rainstorm. As if his thoughts made it happen, the sky opened up and poured down on them. A heavy curtain of rain pelted them as thunder crashed and echoed against the mountainside. Every roll of thunder rumbled through his body and the electricity in the air made the hair on his arms stand at attention.

  Muscles tight and sore, Ben slogged and slipped down the path. Urgency and caution played tug of war with his legs. Go too fast, he’d fall. Go too slow, and he’d get soaked.

  He glanced up and his breath caught as Kiera lost her balance and skidded down the rocks. The only thing that kept her from dropping off the side of the trail was her timely grip of a tree trunk. Pebbles pinged as they cascaded in her wake and slapped against her pack. He careened down the path and grabbed her arm.

  “Are you okay?” He shouted over the din of the pouring rain. Water dripped from the hood of his jacket as he tried to check her for injuries. There was a scratch on her hand and she was covered in mud. Other than that, she appeared only shaken. He breathed a quick sigh of relief and hauled her up. She nodded and said, “I’m fine.”

  It was miserable. His skin was chilled since the rain soaked everything, his clothes, his pack, his boots. His ears rang from the thunder that rolled over them along with lightning flashes that seemed to light the sky on fire. Just a little bit further and they’d be off this mudslide.

  Ben could see the bottom of the trail through the trees when a cry sounded behind him and a crash in the trees below. He whipped around in time to see Amanda roll down the side of the mountain. Everything seemed to move in slow motion and he tried to get to her, but it was too late.

  She reached out to grab a tree trunk, but gravity yanked her down too fast and her hands slipped off every time. End over end, she tumbled until she slammed into a flat part of the trail where a switch back took it down in the opposite direction. “Damn it!” he muttered. Immediately, he scrambled down the rocky path. He thought Amanda was going to slip off the edge again but somehow, she managed to stay on the trail. Kiera was already racing ahead at a steady, quick pace, and Ben followed. Bobby and Dodo also followed, but slower since their footing wasn’t as sure.

  They reached Amanda about the same time and heard her cursing fluently under her breath.

  He and Kiera helped sit her up. Kiera ran her hands over Amanda’s scalp and arms. “Are you hurt?”

  “My ankle. I think it’s broken.” Amanda gasped when Kiera touched her right foot.

  “We’re going to have to carry you the rest of the way down. You’ve got a big lump on the back of your head, too.” Water turned the trail to mud and made every move slippery and dangerous. Kiera positioned Amanda so they could lift her. The rain came down harder and the wind picked up. Dodo and Bobby arrived and took Kiera and Ben’s backpacks.

  With Kiera at Amanda’s legs and Ben at her shoulders, they plowed through the mud the last half a mile to the valley below. Lightning sparked the sky and heavy rolling thunder followed closely after each streak. Twice Kiera fell and Ben almost lost his grip on Amanda, who was woozy and almost dead weight. Bobby and Dodo slipped down the trail ahead of them.

  They reached the clearing next to Fanning Creek and helped Amanda to sit on a nearby rock. The woman could barely stay upright. As the rain pummeled them, Kiera, Ben, and Dodo set up the tent back away from the edge of the creek beneath a stand of Douglas Fir. Bobby filtered some water and began to set up the backpacking stove under a tree near the water’s edge.

  Kiera and Ben carried Amanda into the tent. Ben left the tent so Kiera could help Amanda get into some dry clothes.

  Ben had camped in snow a few times and often in intense heat but nothing was as uncomfortable as the cold, dank feeling from this rain that didn’t let up. It dripped and pattered until it created a rhythm of noise that began to sooth him. After a little while, Ben sat on a rain soaked log by the creek’s shoreline and listened to the music made as the water rushed by him.

  Bobby sat hunched in his jacket and said nothing. Dodo hummed a tune in a low voice that seemed to compliment the rain’s sounds. The lightning and thunder had faded, the electric menace in the air diminishing. Soon, Ben felt as peaceful in the damp misery of the rain as he had in the silence of the early morning.

  “Dodo! I need you,” Kiera called from the tent.

  The man jumped up and walked swiftly. He knelt to hear Kiera’s voice. Ben couldn’t hear what she said, but Dodo immediately dug through his pack and found several items.

  When he came back, Ben asked him, “What did she need?”

  Dodo’s face was scrunched in concern. “Amanda is shivering from the cold, and Kiera thinks she may have a spinal injury.” His muddy brown eyes met Ben’s gaze. “She can’t feel her legs at the moment and she wants to go to sleep. Kiera is keeping her awake in case she has a concussion.”

  “What do we do now?”

  At that moment, the water boiled on the backpacking stove and Bobby poured them all some hot chocolate. Dodo considered Ben over the rim of his cup. “One of us has to go back and bring help.”

  “We can get her out,” Ben said with confidence. Three men and Kiera could carry Amanda out easily.

  Dodo shook his head. “The trail over the mountain is gone. Kiera saw chunks of it roll down the hill. That’s what hit Amanda
. The trail above us crumbled and part of it whacked her on the head. She took a dive after that and broke her ankle. The only way back is a really bad trail and there’s no way we can move Amanda. We might cripple her.”

  “I’ll go back,” Bobby spoke up.

  “The two of you should go back,” Ben said.

  Dodo and Bobby exchanged a glance. Dodo nodded to the other man. “We’ll set out in an hour.”

  Bobby raised his eyebrows. “Traveling at night?”

  “If we don’t get help in here soon, Amanda may get really bad.”

  “Then we should try and carry her out,” Ben said.

  Dodo shook his head. “No. If she’s broken her back, and we try and move her, she could die. We just need to go fast.”

  “What do you need?” Ben asked him.

  Ben and Dodo repacked his backpack for the treacherous hike back. They decided that Bobby wouldn’t carry one, and they’d take turns if they needed to. “I’d go back alone,” Dodo explained. “But it’s too dangerous.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go?”

  The older man shook his head. “No. If Amanda takes a turn, you’ll have to try and get her out of here. And I wouldn’t be able to carry that load.”

  Ben nodded. “Okay. You’ve got everything?”

  “I think so.” Dodo clapped Ben on the shoulder. “Take care of my angel, okay? She won’t take care of herself. She’ll try and make Amanda well without thinking about her own health.”

  “Got it.” Ben helped hitch up the backpack on the man’s back. “Don’t go too fast,” he warned.

  Dodo grinned. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”

  Bobby said nothing, just a quick wave of his hand, and he followed Dodo back up the mountain towards the trailhead.

  As he watched them disappear around the bend in the trail, Ben tried to ignore the strange feeling of disquiet. This expedition wasn’t going very well.

  He ambled over to the tent and called out. “Hey Kiera, do you need anything?”

  “Maybe some hot water.” Her voice was muffled through the tent.