Kara couldn’t help but grin back. “Oh, I don’t know, there was that part where we almost hit that deer.”
Danny couldn’t help himself; he started laughing, and before long, Kara had joined him. It was the kind of laughter born of complete exhaustion, but they both needed to blow off some steam, so it felt good.
When they finally stopped, Kara said, “I guess we shouldn’t be laughing; after all, one of us could have already been killed. But it’s so much like a bad movie, I can’t help it.”
Danny grinned at her. “That’s what I was just thinking; now we need a natural disaster to complete the perfect bad plot.”
“That’s all we need, Danny, hush,” Kara said, looking up at the clear blue sky and breathing a sigh of relief. “Let’s get something to eat and then some sleep before you wish something terrible on us.”
Danny couldn’t help but smile. “A little superstitious, are we?” he asked, a teasing note to his voice.
Kara looked over at him and smiled. “You can never be too safe.”
When Kara smiled at him like that, his heart skipped a beat, and desire washed over him. He’d been so sure about his feeling for her before, but now after the night they’d spent together, he was ever more convinced that she was the woman for him.
The fact that she was still able to laugh after all that she’d been through in the last twenty-four hours told him that she was not only beautiful but tough. Which was exactly what he’d always wanted in a woman; that she made his blood boil was only an added benefit.
***Kara***
Kara settled down next to Danny under the little rock overhang, glad that she’d had two sleeping bags in her car. If she’d been forced to share one with him, she probably would have never gotten to sleep.
The last twenty-four hours had been some of the most stressful of her life, but instead of feeling that stress of the day, she couldn’t stop thinking about the man sleeping next to her. When he sighed in his sleep, she felt a wave of desire wash over her and wanted to scream.
Now that her car was wrecked, it was clear that she’d be spending more time with Danny, which was going to make keeping her hands off him even harder. It wasn’t helping that they were beginning to really get to know each other, learning to trust and depend on one another.
Kara knew she should put a stop to it, but they were out here alone; they had to protect one another if they were going to survive. But the longer it went on, the harder it was going to be to resist Danny’s boyish good looks and the way he made her insides turn to jelly when he smiled at her.
Several times this afternoon, she’d had to stop herself from taking his hand as they walked along side by side. Tomorrow would be even harder, but she had to keep her distance because she still had to leave. It might be more complicated now that her car was smashed up, but she’d still have to go.
Feeling exhaustion beginning to blur the path of her thoughts, she let go and let sleep take her, but not before she felt Danny roll over in his sleep and wrap his arm around her. She smiled, and snuggled into his arms, deciding that no harm could come from a little snuggling, and it was far warmer with his arm around her.
When she awoke several hours later, the sun was high in the sky, and Danny’s arm was still wrapped around her. She slid out from under it and stood up, looking around at the still clear blue sky. The few hours sleep she’d managed to get had rejuvenated her, and she was ready to face the day.
By the time Danny finally woke a little while later, she had a little fire going and water on to boil for breakfast. Relieved that she’d had plenty of food in the car, she dug around in the bag they’d brought and came up with oatmeal, some dried fruit, and coffee. It wasn’t a gourmet meal, but it would give them the energy they’d need to start the day.
Chapter Thirteen
***Danny***
The first thing Danny smelled when he woke up was coffee, and for a second, he wasn’t sure where he was. Then the events of the night before came rushing back, and he sat up, nearly banging his head on the rock above him.
Looking around, he saw that Kara had started a small fire and was making something in a small pot. He took a second to watch her since she didn’t know he was awake, the desire building deep inside him. Knowing that he was only torturing himself, he slid out from their makeshift bed and walked over to the fire.
“That coffee smells good,” he said when he joined her at the fire.
“I only have one cup, so we’ll have to share,” she said, handing him a steaming cup.
“That’s fine with me, as long it’s coffee,” he said, taking a big gulp of the scalding liquid and feeling it burn all the way down.
“Hope you like oatmeal because that’s what we’ve got for breakfast,” she said, pointing to the pot she’d been stirring.
“It’s food, and that’s good enough for me,” Danny said, grinning at her.
After they’d eaten, they packed up camp and got back on the trail, “If we push ourselves a little this afternoon, we should be able to make it to a little cave I’ve stayed in before. There’s a lake where I might be able to catch us some fish for dinner, and we can start a bigger fire.”
“Sounds good to me; it was cold last night,” Kara said, falling into step next to him.
They hiked for several hours before they stopped for a snack and a rest then got back on the trail. It had been a beautiful day, but as afternoon turned to evening, dark clouds began to form over the mountains. Neither mentioned the weather, but both could sense the moisture in the air and knew that a storm was coming.
Danny was enjoying himself so much that he pushed the impending storm from his mind and concentrated on listening to Kara’s stories of her other hiking trips. He shared stories of his own, bragging about his hunting and fishing abilities until Kara challenged him to a contest.
“I don’t hunt, but I’ve caught my share of fish. I bet I can catch more than you can,” she said.
“Is that a challenge?” he asked, grinning at her. “What do I get if I win?”
Kara pretended to think about that. “Whoever catches the most fish doesn’t have to cook or clean up,” she said.
“Hmm, I had something else in mind,” he said.
When she looked at him, waiting for his suggestion, he couldn’t help the blush that crept across his face, but he bravely said, “I was thinking more along the lines of a kiss if I win.”
Kara’s face turned as red as his, and she stammered. “I guess that would be a good prize too.”
Danny couldn’t believe his ears but managed not to shout with joy. “Then it’s a bet,” he said, his face serious.
When they finally came over the top of the ridge, Danny heard Kara gasp when she saw the little lake. “Oh, Danny, this is beautiful,” she said, stopping to take in the view.
He pointed through the trees to an outcropping of rock. “The cave is right over there behind those trees.”
Kara was more concerned with the lake where the fish were jumping, leaving widening ripples behind them. “Look at that; there must be hundreds of fish in there. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it,” she said, dropping her pack right there on the ground and starting to search through it. “I’ve got some fishing line and hooks in here somewhere; we’ll have to make our own poles, but I’ve done it before.”
“I’ll be right back,” Danny said, pulling out his pocket knife and heading for the dense growth around the lake.
When he came back, he had two long branches that would work perfectly for fishing poles. “We’d better hurry; that storm isn’t going to hold off for much longer and I really want some fish for dinner.”
Kara grinned at him and took one of the poles from him. “Just give me five minutes, and you’ll have all the fish you can eat. I think I’m going to enjoy watching you cook dinner.”
In only a few minutes, they’d caught all the fish they’d be able to eat before they moved on, but neither wanted to stop, so they began to catch and relea
se. The storm seemed to have stalled higher in the mountains, and other than a few drops of rain, didn’t bother them.
But it was quickly getting very dark, dark enough that it was becoming hard to see. Danny was just about to call a halt to their fishing when a huge bolt of lightning lit up the sky, startling Kara. Perched out on a rock overlooking the water, she screamed and jumped, losing her balance.
Danny watched horrified as she tried desperately to right herself before she fell into the water with a huge splash. He waited for her to surface, but after a few seconds she still hadn’t appeared, and he knew that something was wrong. Dropping his pole, he raced around the lake to where she’d fallen in, but it was too dark to see anything in the water.
He kicked off his boots, ready to jump in, but then she came to the surface, spitting water and sucking in huge breaths of air. Quickly falling to his knees on the rock, he leaned over the water and with one arm, reached in and pulled her out.
***Kara***
Kara was in shock from the ice-cold water, couldn’t seem to take a deep enough breath to fill her lungs all the way. Fighting panic, she tried to slow her breathing, but the memory of plunging into the dark water wouldn’t let her go.
She wasn’t sure how Danny had managed to pull her out of the water so fast, but she was grateful; a couple more moments and she would have sunk into its dark depths again. Danny helped her sit up, murmuring, “It’s okay, you’re okay,” over and over.
But she couldn’t seem to make her body stop shaking, and soon her teeth began to chatter. “We’d better get you over to the cave and warmed up; the water in these lakes can be frigid this time of year.”
Kara nodded but wasn’t sure she could get to her feet, but then a huge bolt of lightning split the sky, and she scrambled to her feet in fright. The thunder that followed made the ground shake, and suddenly she was no longer afraid of the water as her fear of the storm took over.
Danny gave her a shove. “Run for it; I’ll grab our bags,” he said.
She started to run on shaking legs, barely making it to the cave before the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down. Danny was right behind her, both their bags and a stringer full of fish in his hands.
He dropped everything on the ground and rushed over to where she stood shivering, her teeth chattering so loudly the sound filled the cave. “Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing his hands over her arms trying to warm her up.
She nodded but couldn’t speak, and he knew that he was going to have to get her out of her wet clothes or she’d freeze. “We’re going to have to get you out of these clothes and into something dry,” he said. “But first, let me start a fire.”
Kara looked over to the fire pit, relieved to see a big stack of dry firewood sitting next to it. Her entire body was shaking, the cold seeping deeper and deeper into her as she watched Danny build the fire. Soon she could feel the first faint waves of heat beginning to come from the small fire that Danny coaxed into life.
As soon as he was sure it was burning, he ran over to their bags and began digging through them, but clothes were not something either of them had thought to pack. Coming up empty, he turned back to her and said, “You’ll just have to cover up with the sleeping bags until your clothes get dry.”
Kara knew that he was worried about preserving her dignity, but she was so cold, she didn’t care. “I just want to get these wet clothes off,” she managed to say through chattering teeth.
Danny unrolled one of the sleeping bags and spread it out on the floor of the cave, then came over and began untying her shoes. He pulled them off then peeled her socks off her feet, he set them by the fire then turned back to her, clearly unsure what to do next.
The fire was beginning to give off some real warmth, so she said, “Get the other sleeping bag, you can hold it up for me.”
It occurred to Kara as she watched Danny scramble for the other sleeping bag that under different circumstances, this could have been funny. When he finally managed to get it open, he held it up in front of her and closed his eyes so tightly she was sure he’d give himself a headache.
“I promise I won’t look,” he said.
“I’m so cold, I don’t care,” Kara said through still-chattering teeth.
Getting her wet clothes off wasn’t a very easy task, especially with her hands shaking so badly, but finally, she grabbed the sleeping bag and wrapped it around her naked body. “Okay, I’ve covered up,” she said, moaning at the warmth of the sleeping bag.
Danny opened his eyes one at a time, the look on his face making her want to laugh. But then she looked into his eyes and saw the desire building there and for a moment couldn’t breathe. Then her knees began to shake, and she knew that she’d fall if she didn’t sit down soon.
“I think I need to sit down,” she said, stumbling a little.
Danny stepped to her side and helped her sit down on the sleeping bag he’d spread by the fire, then put more wood on the little blaze. He kept adding wood until the cave began to warm, then went to their bags and got out her little camp stove.
“You need something hot to drink, and this will be much faster than heating water on the fire,” he said, putting the stove together and lighting it.
It wasn’t long before she was holding a steaming cup of coffee between her frozen fingers. She sipped it slowly, its heat warming her from the inside out. Danny added some more wood to the fire, and after a while, her shivering began to calm, and she felt warmer.
“I think the worst is over,” she said, her voice stronger than before. “That was stupid of me. I can’t believe I fell in.”
She could see that Danny was trying not to laugh. “It could have happened to anyone,” he said, a smile on his lips.
Kara shot him a dirty look. “I guess it serves me right for bragging so much about what a seasoned hiker I am,” she said, unable to stop the smile that blossomed on her face. “But I still think it’s your fault.”
Danny pretended to be shocked, “My fault? How is it my fault?”
“You asked for a natural disaster,” Kara accused, but it was clear she was teasing him.
“How is you falling in the lake a natural disaster?” he asked, grinning at the memory.
“It was the lightning that scared me and made me fall,” Kara said. “So, see, it was your fault.”
Danny burst into laughter. “But it was really funny,” he said.
Kara couldn’t help herself; now that she was warm and no longer afraid, it was funny. “I’m glad you find me amusing,” she said, joining in his laughter.
But Danny had stopped laughing. “I find you more than amusing, Kara,” he said, his eyes locked on hers, the desire she’d seen earlier flaring to life.
Chapter Fourteen
***Danny***
Kara’s eyes got big, and for a second, he was sorry he’d spoken what was running through his head, but then she smiled at him and said, “I’m glad to hear that, and thanks for saving me when I fell in the lake. That water was so cold I couldn’t breathe.”
“You would have done the same for me,” he said, walking over to the packs to find something for dinner. “Are you hungry? We’ve got plenty of fish, and there might be some rice or something in here.”
Kara thought about that. “I could definitely eat.”
“Okay then, I’ve got to find a way to clean these fish without getting soaked,” Danny said getting to his feet.
“I’ll try to hang my clothes up over the fire and see what I can find to go with that fish,” Kara said, getting to her feet.
When she stood up, the sleeping bag gaped just a little bit, and Danny couldn’t help but get a glimpse of her body, which was curvy in all the right places. Holding back the sigh that wanted to escape his lips, he turned quickly and headed for the mouth of the cave, no longer caring if he got wet or not.
He took his time cleaning the fish, letting himself cool down. By the time he got back inside the cave, Kara had hung her clothes up on sticks ove
r the fire and was sitting next to it, the sleeping bag covering her from her neck down. A bit disappointed but also relieved, he started their dinner wondering how he was ever going to make it through the night.
After they’d eaten, he cleaned up the mess, then looked around the cave for something else to do, too nervous to sit down next to Kara at the fire. He was afraid that if he sat down next to her, he’d do something stupid like tell her how much he liked her, or even worse, pull her into his arms and kiss her.
As much as he wanted to do that, he knew that it wasn’t the right thing to do. Kara trusted him, and he didn’t want to lose that trust through one stupid rash act. Finally, he started to sit down on the bare ground across the fire from her, but before he could, she gestured for him to sit next to her.
“Come sit next to me the ground is going to be cold, and there’s plenty of room over here,” she said, making it impossible for him to refuse.
Danny sank to the ground next to her, his heart pounding in his chest. He was all too aware that underneath the sleeping bag, Kara was completely naked. Her clothes were hanging all over the cave, including her bra and panties, which were draped over a rock close to the fire.
He tried not to look at them, but his eyes kept going over to where they lay. He couldn’t help but imagine what she must look like in them and before he knew it, his mind had conjured visions that made a blush rise on his cheeks.
When he finally managed to drag his eyes away from her pink bra and panties, Kara was studying him, her face just as red as his. Hoping she wouldn’t think he was so juvenile that the sight of her underwear embarrassed him, he searched for something to say.
“Quite a storm out there,” he finally said, then cringed feeling stupid.
“Sure is,” Kara said, looking at the fire.
Triumph (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 2) Page 8
