“How’s the ride?” Chase glanced at her, smiling. Excitement shone in his eyes. He was truly enjoying himself, and seemed right at home, his hands on the wheel with a familiarity and confidence that had been lacking in him when she first met him in her time. Sarah swallowed back the apprehension in her throat.
This is his world. This is what he’s familiar with. It doesn’t mean he won’t want to return to the past. He’s as confident with weapons now in your time as he is with this vehicle here in this time.
“I never imagined anything could travel this fast,” Sarah said in awe. Rather than look at Chase, she stared out at the countryside. Everything looked familiar, yet different at the same time. They crossed over a tall bridge that stretched across the deep canyon of the river of the Fish Hawk. The height was dizzying as the car sped across the expanse. Flying couldn’t feel much different.
The hills whipped past at an unbelievable pace. Much of her surroundings became a blur, until the vehicle suddenly slowed. In front of them, dozens of cars stood still along the sides of the path and even in the middle, making it nearly impossible for anyone to pass. People stood off in the meadow, staring and pointing at the hillside. More people ran across the path to join the others.
“What’s going on, Chase?” Sarah leaned forward, but the belt across her chest stopped her. “What are all those people looking at?” From a lifetime of habit, her hand reached to her waist, then she moved it again. Her knife wasn’t there.
“Probably a bear, with this many people,” he muttered.
“A bear? Why are people seeking out a bear?”
Chase chuckled. “To get a picture. This is one of many reasons why people come here. To see the wildlife.”
“Picture?” Sarah asked. She shook her head. Bears were to be avoided if possible, not sought out. She’d never comprehend this strange world.
“Yeah,” Chase chuckled. He reached for the phone and held it up to her eye level. A second later, he showed her the other side of the device. Sarah’s eyes widened as she stared at her own likeness.
“I’d take tons of pictures, or photos, of you and Emmy, but we can’t take them with us when we go home,” Chase said, a slight note of regret in his voice. Sarah reached for his hand, and gave it a squeeze.
“I see how a photo would be nice to have for remembering special moments,” Sarah said. Their eyes met, then he grinned at her.
“Guess I’ll just have to look at the real thing every day.” He winked.
Slowly, Chase maneuvered the car around the many others, and accelerated again. Sarah stared out the window, awed again at how fast they traveled over and across terrain that would take days and weeks of navigating deer trails in her time. Before she knew it, Chase stopped the vehicle in what he called a “parking lot”. The brilliant hues of reds and yellows of the canyon of the Roche Jaune peered through the gaps in the trees.
“I think this is the general area where I came out of the canyon last summer and ended up in your time.” Chase unsnapped the belt that held her secured to the seat. He opened the door to the vehicle, and stepped out.
Sarah reached for the latch she suspected would open her door, when he pulled it open from the outside. Chase took her hand, and helped her out of the vehicle. His fingers entwined with hers, and he held her gaze.
“Let’s go take a look. This place will always hold a special meaning for me.” His voice deepened, and his eyes conveyed his love for her. Sarah’s heart melted, and she nodded.
Chase led her along more pathways toward the rim of the canyon. While the canyon itself hadn’t changed, the rim certainly had. Trees had been cleared to make way for the smooth trails, and to accommodate the parking lot. Wooden fences lined the path, and rocks had obviously been placed as barriers in areas along the edge. Signs on wooden posts announced that the area was dangerous, and people could fall to their deaths.
“Is it really necessary to post these warnings?” Sarah asked. Did people not see the dangers for themselves?
“Yes, and people still fall over and get killed,” Chase said.
The smooth unnatural path stopped, replaced by yellow gravel that had been trampled by countless feet.
Chase continued to lead her along the canyon rim. Vaguely, the area became familiar to her. He stopped.
“I think this is where I climbed into the canyon that day you brought me here, Angel,” Chase said, his voice not much above a whisper. His arm reached around her, drawing her to him. He stared down at her. “It’s where I first fell in love with you.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Even if I didn’t know it at the time,” he murmured against her lips.
Sarah’s forehead wrinkled. “You never told me that,” she said softly.
Chase grinned.
“Yeah, right after we climbed back out when you tried to follow me, and got in trouble, hanging from that tree root, remember?”
“You saved my life that day, Chase.” Sarah held his gaze. She couldn’t recall when she’d fallen in love with him. It must have been instant, the moment she first saw him, frozen half to death when an Absaroka warrior pulled him from his horse and dropped him in the dirt in front of her parents’ cabin.
“We came back out of that canyon, and you fell into my arms and I held you close,” Chase whispered against her cheek. “You were trembling, and I never wanted to let you go. That’s when it happened, and my whole life has changed for the better since then.”
Sarah reached her hand up and cupped her husband’s cheek. She smiled, and he kissed her again, wrapping his arms firmly around her to hold her close. Sarah melted into him, disregarding a small group of people moving around them.
“Get a room,” a man called loudly, and several women giggled.
Chase eased away from her. He grinned smugly, then turned his head to look around.
“No way! Chase?” A woman screeched. She brazenly walked up to him, her eyes wandering appreciatively up and down his body. Chase cursed under his breath, and held tight to Sarah’s hand.
Chapter Ten
“Chase? Is it really you?” the woman asked, a wide smile on her face. Her eyes were filled with hunger. “You were declared lost and missing last summer. Everyone thought you were dead.” She reached for his arm with a familiar gesture. Chase pulled it away and took a step back.
Sarah’s jaw tightened, and her eyes narrowed. She stared at the woman, who ignored her completely. She’d never seen such a light shade of yellow hair on anyone. It appeared almost white. The woman had painted her lips and around her eyes with bright colors that gave her a decidedly unnatural appearance.
“Hey . . . uh. . . Nicole?” Chase’s forehead wrinkled, as if he tried to remember the woman’s name.
“Are you working in the park this year, too? Tammy and I are working at Canyon again. We should get together, and--”
Chase held up a hand, interrupting her. “I’m not working in the park this summer. I’m just visiting. This is my wife, Sarah.”
The blonde woman’s eyes widened even more before she glared at Sarah with a thoroughly shocked look.
Sarah stepped forward, squaring her shoulders. “A pleasure meeting one of Chase’s old friends,” she said calmly, and held out her hand.
The other girl simply looked at her as if she hadn’t understood. She didn’t bother hiding her displeasure, glaring at Sarah as if she were a piece of rotting meat. She directed her attention back to Chase, a false smile on her face.
“Well, I guess your tastes have changed, Chase.” Her voice held an edge that sliced right through the air.
“Guess they have,” Chase answered casually. “See you around, Nicole.” He turned to leave, but Sarah stopped him with her hand on his arm. His forehead wrinkled at her gesture.
“Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea, Sarah,” he grumbled under his breath. “I didn’t expect to run into people I knew.”
“Chase.” Sarah tugged on his arm. She would make him understand that his past didn’t matter
to her. He stood stiffly, looking at her. “Chase, it’s all right.” Sarah moved to stand in front of him, and gazed up at her husband. She waited for him to meet her eyes. “You brought me to this particular spot because it holds special meaning for us both. I don’t wish to leave because you’ve encountered someone from your past.”
His eyes roamed her face, and the muscles along his jaw clenched and unclenched. He shot a quick glance at the woman, who stood with her companion. Both women stared intently at him. Appreciation filled their eyes, mixed with a hint of annoyance when they looked her way.
“I’m not proud of my past, Sarah,” he said through tight lips.
“I know,” Sarah whispered. The guilt displayed in his eyes tore at her. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “You’re on a different path now, Chase. Don’t dwell on what used to be.”
The blonde woman snorted. Both she and the other woman laughed. “How touching,” she said.
Chase’s features relaxed, and he smiled. “You’re amazing, you know that, Angel?” He pulled her into an embrace. Leaning down to kiss her, she braced her hand against his chest.
“As long as your eyes don’t stray too far,” she warned, and her lips twitched. “I do not wish to fight the women of this time for your attention.”
Chase laughed. “I have eyes only for you, Sarah. And there’s no doubt you’d kick anyone’s butt in this time, man or woman.”
The woman named Nicole cleared her throat, and Chase released his hold on Sarah. The woman tossed her head, making her long strands of hair whip around her face. “Looks like the others caught up to us, Tammy,” she said to her companion. “I’m sure you remember your old pals, Chase. We used to have good times together, remember?”
Sarah gritted her teeth. There was no doubt to what this woman was referring. It was all in Chase’s past. He was a different man than he had been. He’d chosen her. The urge to strike out at the annoying woman hit her with such force, Sarah squeezed her eyes shut momentarily to maintain her composure. The blonde’s insinuations were no doubt intended to get a reaction from her.
Chase’s gaze traveled up the trail, and the muscles along his jaw clenched anew. Sarah tightened her hold on him.
“Holy cow, it’s Chase. Look, Todd,” a man walking toward them with three others called loudly. His pace increased. Chase released Sarah’s hand, and took a step in front of her.
“Chase Russell. Son of a bitch,” the man the other one had called Todd yelled. He quickly covered the distance between himself and Chase, his eyes darting to Nicole, then back to Chase.
“We thought you fell in the river last summer,” Todd said loudly. His eyes darkened, and he didn’t appear to be happy to see Chase. “Hell, man, we even fessed up that we were in the canyon, so the rangers could look for you in the right place. Got in a heap of trouble when they found all that booze we left down by the river. And all you did was bail on us? Why’d you leave? Couldn’t handle the work?”
Chase’s muscles tensed. “I didn’t fall in the river,” he said simply, then shrugged. “Not my fault you got caught for not covering your tracks.”
“You left us so you wouldn’t get in trouble,” the other man shouted. His speech was slurred. “You always pretended to be some hotshot jock, but you’re nothing but a coward.” Todd took another step closer to Chase, staring at him. His fists were bunched at his sides, as if ready to strike out. He swayed slightly on his feet.
“My husband is not a coward.” Sarah stepped forward, her heart drumming in her chest in outrage. Chase reached for her arm and held her back.
“I’ll handle this,” he growled.
Sarah glared at Todd, whose eyes widened. Then he laughed. The stench of alcohol drifted from the man’s mouth. Around them, more and more people gathered, murmuring and watching. No one made a move toward them.
“Husband?” Todd’s eyes traveled up and down the length of her, then he laughed. “Is that what he had to do to get into your pants, sweetheart? That’s not really his style.”
In one swift motion, Chase pushed Sarah behind him, then grabbed a fistful of Todd’s shirt. Inches from the other man, Chase stared into his opponent’s surprised face.
“I’m about a second away from beating the crap out of you, Todd. You got whatever you deserved last summer,” Chase said slowly. Calmly. Much like her father. A year ago, he probably would have simply reacted and hit the man already. “For a while, I thought I’d made a mistake by going along with all of your stupid ideas.”
Sarah’s eyes darted around, looking for anything she might use as a weapon in case she needed one.
“The only reason I’m not going to beat the tar out of you now is because you actually did me a favor,” Chase continued. “I don’t need to prove anything to you, or owe you an explanation as to where I’ve been.”
He shoved the startled-looking man away from him. Stunned for only a second, the expression on Todd’s face turned to one of contempt. He staggered on his feet. Sarah sensed what he was about to do a split second before it happened. Apparently, so did Chase. He ducked and stepped swiftly aside when Todd lunged at him. The momentum sent his opponent toward the edge of the canyon. Unable to stop, he slid over the rim, a loud yell escaping his throat. Chase spun around and grabbed for him, dropping to his knees. A collective gasp erupted from the bystanders.
“Hang on, Todd,” Chase called between clenched teeth. He shot a hasty look over his shoulder. “Help me out, Phil.”
The other men in the group, and the women, looked to have grown roots. They didn’t budge, and only stared wide-eyed.
“Dammit, someone help me.”
Sarah rushed up beside her husband, and reached for the struggling man’s hand. Terror filled his eyes. He scrambled with his feet against the brittle rocks. The only reason he hadn’t fallen to his death was Chase’s hold on his hands.
“Help me,” Todd rasped. “Dear God, help me.” He grasped for Sarah’s hand, but she couldn’t reach him unless she scooted closer to the edge.
“Get back, Sarah,” Chase ordered. “He’s gonna pull you over,” he warned, his voice strained. He was quickly losing his grip on the struggling man.
Sarah looked behind her, then shot to her feet and ran to one of the stunned onlookers. The man called Phil backed away from her when she advanced on him.
“Give me your pack,” Sarah demanded. She grabbed for the pouch he had strapped to his back, and yanked it from his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing?” the man slurred. Sarah ignored the strong smell of alcohol on him. He wriggled out of his pack, and Sarah dumped its contents on the ground, then darted back to the canyon’s edge.
“Here, Chase. I can help you pull him up if he holds on to the strap.” Sarah held the pack out to the flailing man.
“Grab it,” Chase yelled.
Todd’s terror-filled eyes darted from her to Chase, just before he lunged for one of the straps. Sarah braced against the ground, the man’s weight dragging her closer to the edge. Chase gripped Todd’s left arm with both of his hands, while Sarah held firmly to the other strap of the backpack. Together, she and Chase pulled backward, dragging the unfortunate man up and over the rim of the canyon.
Cheers erupted behind them. Out of breath, Sarah glanced over her shoulder. She glared at all the onlookers. So many people, and not a single person had stepped forward to help? Men, women, and children just stood there, clapping and cheering as if this had been a spectator sport. Some held little devices out in front of them that looked like the phone Chase had shown her.
Safely back at the top of the canyon, Todd looked up at Chase. He sat slumped on the ground, but held out his hand. “Thanks, man,” he said weakly, glancing over his shoulder toward the gaping canyon that had almost claimed his life. He looked visibly shaken.
“If you make derogatory comments about Sarah again, I’ll let you fall next time,” Chase said, his eyes unwavering.
Todd nodded, then laughed nervously. “How abou
t we catch up on old times over a beer at the pub in Gardiner? Drinks are on me. That cute little waitress you had the hots for still works there.”
Chase cursed under his breath. He shot a quick glance at Sarah. “I don’t have the hots for anyone but my wife, Todd.” He reached for her hand, and pulled her up against him.
Todd’s eyes darted from Chase to Sarah, and he shook his head. He gave a short laugh. “I thought you were joking about that.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, when one of his friends stepped forward.
“Uh, Todd, maybe we need to get going,” Phil whispered. The women had already disappeared, and the three other men seemed nervous. They backed away, and blended with the other people leaving the scene.
Sarah followed the motion of Phil’s head in the direction of the trail that led to the parking lot. The crowd of people had begun to disperse already. Apparently, there was no more excitement for them to witness. Two men dressed in brown clothes, like what Sarah had seen several people at the fort wear, walked toward them. She stared at the black belts at their hips. Did they carry weapons?
“Get back to the car, Angel,” Chase whispered through clenched teeth. He fumbled in his pocket for the pendants he carried. “This key unlocks the door. Get the phone out of the car and call Dan. Do it now.” His tone left no doubt that he anticipated trouble. His eyes locked on the two men walking toward them.
“But, what about you?” she stammered. Were these men dangerous? Chase was unarmed.
“I’ll be fine. Those rangers already have their sights on me and Todd. If we run, it’ll be worse. Just get to the car, and call Dan, like I showed you.” He pushed her away from him.
Sarah shot one last worried look at Chase. She trusted her husband to know what he was doing, even if she didn’t want to leave him. Without a weapon, Chase might need help, and his best chance was Dan. Sarah intermingled with several other people, heading down the trail. A short distance away, she scurried into the trees and backtracked to the parking lot.
A Yellowstone Promise: Yellowstone Romance Series Novella Page 7
