Heart of the Wild (16 page)

"Let's get you fixed up, young man," the doc said, as he pushed his way through the gathering around the bed.

Kyle glanced at the girls shyly. "I don't remember much."

"You don't have to," Gina said with a grin.

"Umm, I almost forgot. Kyle Gordon, this is Gina Reynolds and Kasie Moore."

When a big arm fell across Kasie's shoulders, she jumped.

Amory stared down at Kasie with a big scowl on his handsome face. It was the first time he had directed a comment to her in days, much less touched her. "You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?"

Obviously stunned as much by his touch as his cajoling voice, she stammered. "I-I'm alright. I was afraid he might wake up and hurt himself."

"Oh, he's a big boy." His gaze captured hers, and held her spellbound. "You see you get some sleep tonight."

~*~

Dammit, the radio on Sunday hadn't brought John any closer to appearing, and Kasie was as jumpy as a bungee jumper.

He hadn't planned on this being some long extended stay, and wished for both their sakes it was over. He hadn't meant to be so overbearingly rude, but if he wasn't, he might do something entirely different, and that would shock her more.

But they were stuck with each other. Amory knew that the only way he would be able to keep his hands off Kasie was to keep her half riled at him. Yet he really didn't want her mad all the time. It was too late for recriminations; he was still just as in love with her as ever. He wanted her, and the longer she stayed, the more danger he was of admitting that love. And if she still wanted to marry Rick Springer, then his admission would be a mistake.

No, the most sensible thing to do was get out of the cabin, and leave her alone. Putting space between them might solve the problem, temporarily.

~*~

Kasie's gaze fell heavily on the axe protruding from an uncut log. With a true sense of dread she picked it up.

"Here goes nothing," she sighed, feeling its weight. It was heavy, and she felt awkward. The enormity of her task lay before her, and the sooner she got started, the better off she would be. Procrastinating wouldn't help.

Like most women, she had never chopped wood in her life. Not even in Girl Scouts. She'd never had to; at home. wood came in prepared cords at the local stores. This could be a nightmare, and a memory she wouldn't want to keep. But she was doubtful she would soon forget it, either.

She slung the axe with grim determination. The hollow sound it made echoed through the dense forest. One sound followed another, until it was rhythmic. It took an hour for her to get the hang of using the intimidating tool. She was beginning to have a great respect for men's work.

Her first batch of wood resembled an awkward bundle of sticks and logs, cut all angles and all shapes, but she didn't care. Wood was wood, as far as she was concerned.

Splinters and blisters were her medals. She plodded onward, making herself finish her task, despite the pain and agony of muscles seldom used. How she felt was irrelevant. This was nothing short of survival, she told herself. Damn Chayton Amory and Tanka for marching off to save Ole Blue, leaving the rest of them stranded with no firewood. Damn his hide for not letting her tag along, insisting her father might show up any time now!

And yet the tension between them had been so thick that neither could tolerate being together another minute. They could torch the cabin with their friction.

Carrying an armload inside, she smiled with satisfaction for a job well done. Perhaps not well done, but at least done.

By nightfall, she surmised that she had chopped enough to last till midday next day. To her surprise and relief, Amory and Tanka trudged wearily back that evening with an exhausted smile on to their lips.

The dread and anticipation of seeing Amory again were gone. Her emotions rioted at his presence, confusing her. A day apart had done them both good.

"Smells good in here," Amory said, as he glanced at the big pot on the stove, then her. His gray, hawk-like gaze confused her.

"It's beef stew." Her voice quivered under his scrutiny.

"Sounds great. I'm glad you felt at home enough to go out and get something from the freezer."

"We were hungry," she said with a shrug, not wanting to make more of it than it was.

"And I see you made a fire. You found the stacks of wood out back, then?"

"Stacks—out back?" There were stacks of wood out back? Why hadn't she thought to look? She had grimly decided after a search of the entire cabin that there was no available wood. Trying not to grimace, she glanced down at her hands, then crammed them into her pockets. She moved hastily away from him.

"No, I didn't. But I managed." She shot Gina a quick look, hoping she wouldn't say a word.

"You didn't find them?" He frowned, then proceeded to drag her hands from the pockets of her jeans and inspect them. With the anger evaporated, his nearness unsettled her.

"My God. What have you done?"

His bark made everyone flinch.

"You didn't tell me where to look. You said wood had to be chopped daily. I took you at your word," she protested vehemently, as he turned her hands over. His sudden touch made her tremble.

"Damn fool woman!" His hands barely grazed hers, but it was enough to feel the warmth from them. She jerked away. He seemed to measure her response before acting. Her distrust chilled his shadowy glance.

"They are blistered and raw. Do you honestly think I would leave you all here to chop wood for yourself? Come here. We've got to doctor them before infection sets in." His voice mocked, but his tenderness shocked her.

"Don't be silly, it's just a few blisters."

"A few, take a good look." He pulled her with him to the kitchen, where he dug out a black bag from under the sink. "It's a good thing I stock a medicine kit for just such emergencies. The doc's already gone, and you would have been in a fix if I didn't have this. If these were to become infected, you'd have some real problems. Now, sit down and let me handle it."

"It's not necessary," she said, and tried to pull away, but he was having none of that, as he dragged her to the small kitchen table.

As he spread the antiseptic on her hands, she winced then sighed. It was both heaven and hell having him touch her. Still, she couldn't think of a thing to say as their eyes met across the table.

"What happened out there today?" Kasie asked, unable to talk about anything personal at the moment. She wanted to calm her racing heart, think clearly, but his magnetism drew her in.

Amory still rubbed her hands slowly, patiently. His gaze said he knew what he was doing to her, and that he was enjoying it. Then, wiping his hands on his pants leg, he tore off some bandages. When he was satisfied that he had properly taken care of her, he let her go.

She offered him a cup of coffee, but he poured it himself and sat back down, staring into the fire.

"Just scouted the area today, making sure Ole Blue isn't being a bother. Got hold of the rangers to let them know what's going on. They want to try to take Ole Blue alive, and move him to the north country where he really belongs." His voice steadied once more, returning to a softer note. "Although they've tried it once, and they don't usually make an exception and try again."

"Then why did they?" Kasie asked.

"Because I asked them to," he said quietly, as he stole a glance at her and smiled.

"And?" She waited breathlessly.

"He laid low. Funny, it's as though the cantankerous old bear knows when I'm looking for him." His tone held no mockery as they shared this moment.

"How long has he been around here?"

"Going on seven or eight years now."

"Ever come across him face to face?" Kyle, who was feeling much better, raised up from the bed to ask.

"Once. It was just last year. The rangers and I were tracking him. He doubled back around and caught us off-guard. Shots were going everywhere. I aimed, looked him right in the eye and couldn't pull the trigger."

"No?"

"No. We were the trespassers, not him. It was his territory. In all fairness, I couldn't shoot."

"You look tired," Kasie said, unwilling to admit they shared a mutual feeling for a silly old bear. He'd never know how glad she was he hadn't shot Ole Blue.

"I am. All I want is a something to eat and to go to bed."

"I'll heat the stew and cornbread. I'm sure you and Tanka are starved." Moving away from him seemed harder now, when what she wanted to do was go to him. But that was emotions, not good sense, she told herself.

"Sounds great. I thought John might show up today," he said, shrugging off his coat and hanging it in the closet.

"No sign of him," Kasie called from the stove. When she turned around he was stretching, and her heart turned over. Amory still looked like the swashbuckler of her youth. His brown torso was golden in the light of the cabin. Rock hard muscles strained against the green shirt and well-worn jeans. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and exposing the gleam of a hairless chest. A chest she had never really touched. Her fingers itched. Her heart skipped a beat. He looked the predator. Kasie felt she might be able to talk to him now that the anger was gone. They were both adults, they should be able to handle this.

"I hope everyone likes their stew hot, I added some peppers."

"Sounds like just the thing to warm me up." Tanka grinned as he watched their interplay.

Kasie smiled and nodded, not fully realizing the scene they were creating. She wondered curiously if the pioneers that founded this rough and rugged land had lived like this. And had she married Amory eight years ago, would this be a typical day in their lives? Would her heart still swoon at the sight of him?

They all ate in silence, and Kasie washed the dishes without protest.

Later, Tanka and Gina went outside for a walk, and Kasie knew instinctively that they wanted their privacy. She envied the young lovers. She and Amory reclined by the fire, listening to the soothing crackle of the fire. She glanced at his quiet profile, unable to squelch the tightness in her heart every time she looked at him. Tonight he looked the tired hunter. He was obviously relaxed, from his expression. His face held no frown. He was devastatingly handsome. Idle thoughts of what their children might have looked like flitted through her mind. She batted them away with an effort. Their children. It choked her to think of it.

"Tell me about dad's bypass." She found neutral ground to discuss with him.

He nodded, not looking at her. He stared into the flames.

"Why didn't he let me know about it?"

"Didn't want to worry you, I suppose." Now he cast her a lazy appraising glance. More sexy than curious.

Kasie nodded, quelling her unmindful, racing heart. "How bad was he?"

"Pretty bad. He had several clogged arteries around his heart, and hardening of the arteries to go along with it in his legs. They did a complicated procedure, something about a balloon. A year later he had to have the bypass. He came out of it pretty well. He hasn't had a spell with it since."

"I'd have been here, if I'd known. I should have been here. To help him," she said, more to assure herself than him. "I'm sure he doesn't understand me. I do love him, but he smothers me, sometimes. They both do."

"He knows that." Amory gave her a quick smile. "But he's your father, and he can't change who he is, either. Had worse come to worse, I would have gotten in touch with you for him. He just didn't want to worry you. It was touch and go for a while. I think—he was a little afraid. A man doesn't want the people he loves to see him that way. Your father was always a strong man."

"I guess we have that in common. He doesn't want to appear dependent on anyone, either. Is he watching his diet?" Kasie couldn't hide her growing concern for her father.

"Margaret watches it for him."

"Margaret?" Kasie wrestled that name around, but came up blank.

"His new wife."

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot he'd remarried. I shouldn't have been surprised when I found out, but I was." She had pushed that bit of news out of her mind. Still, if the woman was taking care of him properly, she supposed she owed her at least respect. "Where did he meet her?"