Heart of the Wild (20 page)

Kasie colored. "I'm that obvious?"

Again Tanka chuckled. "No, you aren't. You've done an excellent job of disguising your true feelings. But do you seriously want to let him keep thinking you do not care?"

"I—I don't know. He's never said anything like that to me. I can't just go blurting things out, I'd be such a fool."

"Sweet Kasie, how happy I am for my brother. Don't hurt him any longer. I love him, too. Tell him, Kasie, before it's too late."

Hurt Chayton Amory? It seemed absurd!

She smiled warmly at Tanka, and got up to see about supper. As she passed him, her hand fell to his shoulder. "I almost envy Gina."

~*~

The next morning Kasie was finishing with the dishes when Amory insisted she come outside with him. It reminded her of the first day she had spent with him. He seemed in very good spirits.

But this morning he had the old buffalo gun in his hands, and he glanced at her with a question in his eyes.

"Look Kasie, we've just got word of a plane crash in the high mountain region, to the east of us. Tanka and I are going to have to leave you here, again, alone. It's probably for the best, since your father is due here any day now. But first, I want to make sure you can use this thing, if you have to. It's an antique, so take good care of it. Pay close attention to what I tell you."

Kasie peered down at the gun, then up at him. "But Ole Blue is dead, what's to be afraid of?"

Amory grinned in surprise. "You never know. At least I'm not leaving you unprepared, this time. There's firewood this time, too, so remember that. Now, I've loaded it and I want you to try and hit that low hanging branch on the hemlock over there," he pointed, then handed her the gun.

Tucking her bright yellow oxford shirt into her Levi's, and buttoning her coat, she took the gun. The clothes still didn't fit, but it didn't matter any longer."Don't you think I should have a lesson on how to shoot first?"

"This is a lesson. And I'm assuming you know a little about them, or you wouldn't have thrown such a fit for me to leave you one."

"Thanks for that," she said with a smile. "Now, I just aim and hit?"

He rolled his eyes. "That's the general idea, yes."

She positioned the gun like she'd seen so many times on TV. She aimed, and pulled the trigger. The gun flew up, her shoulder flew back, and she fell on her bottom in the snow.

Without a grunt she got up, dusted her pants.

"Well, did I hit it?"

Chayton looked at her strangely, then let out a laugh. "Not hardly, but you scared the hell out of a rabbit."

"Ha-ha, very cute."

He moved in closer, until she could smell the light scent of mint on his clean-shaven cheek. If she leaned just a little closer—

"Now, let's learn how to shoot the gun and hit something with it," he added, pulling her into the circle of his arms. Warm arms.

"Hold the gun as though you were going to shoot."

She repositioned the gun, trying to keep focused on what she was doing, rather than who she was with.

Immediately he shook his head, brushing her cheek just the slightest, and sending a wave of awareness through her. His cheek felt soft against hers, and she thought she heard him groan softly. Must have been her imagination, she chided.

Again his arms were around her. Warm, strong arms, that held all the security Kasie ever needed. Again her throat tightened, her arms shook, and her legs quivered. She was a mass of nerves.

"Now, lower your head until you can see out the sights," he commanded, pointing to where he wanted her to look. "Got it?"

She barely nodded, causing her cheek to rub gently against his. He cleared his throat and straightened away.

"Okay, now try for the limb again."

She shut her eyes and squeezed the trigger. Again, she landed in the snow.

Amory was doing his best to hold back the laughter, a poor job.

"Would you stop?"

He sobered. "Sorry, but at least you hit the tree this time. You're doing better. We'll just have to do something about the after-effects. Let's try standing with your feet apart, and sort of digging into the spot."

She made the necessary adjustments, as his hands pushed and pulled on her legs. It was an endless battle keeping her mind on what they were doing. Her blood pumped so hard that she was sure he could hear it.

"Good, steady your aim, put your barrel a little lower than the spot you want to hit. Ease down on the trigger, pull too fast and you'll move your sights. Now, pull, gently."

She closed her eyes once more, but opened them to check her sights, then pulled and was surprised to see that a tip of the branch was blasted away. She jumped into the air and cheered.

Amory had to laugh, even though inside he felt a strange sense of pride growing. His face settled into a satisfied smile.

"Not bad. See where you hit the branch? Next time you aim at it, remember that you are still a little right and too high for your target. We'll have another lesson later. You aren't great, but with this kind of gun you don't really have to be. The only thing better would be a sawed off shotgun."

"Then why the lesson?"

"Because if you don't know how to aim or hold a gun, you could hurt someone. Even yourself. Tanka's a perfect example."

"I see, I'm just another idiot with a gun."

Amory's smile faded. "Don't be so damned touchy. I'm just trying to help you."

"Sorry. You know, Amory," she glanced at him smugly, "you cuss too much."

"Picked it up, somewhere." He smiled back.

"How do I load this thing, and how many bullets will it hold at once?"

Tanka shook his head as he joined them. "Looks like she's curious. I think Kasie could actually make a pioneer woman, with a little practice."

Suddenly Amory stiffened and started walking off. "Oh, I don't know. I'm sure she's getting anxious to get home. But at least she won't have been bored to death."

"Can I go with you guys?"

The men looked at each other, then her, and choired, "No way!"

The ranger showed up at the door in less than an hour.

Completely outfitted and geared up, Tanka stood in front of her. He leaned to kiss her on the cheek. He smelled sweet, Kasie noted, but not tempting.

Amory, on the other hand, looked like a bad storm about to erupt. He came to her side, avoiding her eyes for as long as he could.

"Look, Kasie," he drawled, "your father will no doubt be here before we get back. And whether you believe this or not, I'm sorry for all the inconvenience I've caused. I never once thought this would happen. John assured me he'd speak to your employer, personally. And he'll square things with your mom and boy-friend."

Kasie's throat seemed to swell up into a knot. This was goodbye, and she knew it. Her heart felt empty. There was no time to apologize for the hard times she had deliberately given him. No time to say she loved him and make him believe it.

"Anyway," he was saying, "John's not one to hang around long, and we'll be gone a while. So, I guess this is it. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot again, Kasie, but maybe ...our paths will cross again, someday."

"I—I don't want to stay here alone," she cried. "Why do you have to go? Why can't the rangers take care of it?"

"They could, but we're closer, and we know our way around that area better than they do. It's a matter of getting there in time, more than anything. We've worked up there. Besides, we don't know how many people were in the plane, and it takes several to carry them down the mountain, especially if they can't walk. This is part of my life, Kasie, what I do. I have to go. I'm sorry—for a lot of things."

She'd cry later. She swallowed the lump in her throat with great difficulty. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

"No," he boomed, pulling her chin back up to meet his angry gaze. Without so much as a warning he scooped her into his arms, holding her tight and hard, and looking directly into her somber face. "This is," he murmured, just before his lips came down on hers.

It was like a hot branding iron against her mouth. He stole the air and life from her. Kasie's heart felt as though it might explode. Her mind blanked, save for reveling in the knowledge that for a few seconds, he might be all hers. This couldn't be goodbye. Not when they had finally found each other. She needed him so. And at last she admitted she loved him with all her heart. Her decision, no one else's. Her arms flew up and around his neck, and she answered his kiss full fold.

"So long, Kasie," he said, dragging himself from her and out the door.

But he couldn't go—she hadn't told him yet!

________________________________________

Chapter Ten

A dozen questions clamored in Kasie's head at once, as the men headed in an easterly direction through the thick blanket of snow. Questions like, who was in that plane crash? Were they badly injured? It hadn't occurred to her at the time, but could it be her father? Was that why Amory and Tanka seemed so anxious to leave? No, she wouldn't think in that direction; she'd be a wreck. Would they be alive when they were found? She had to keep busy, not think about it. Yes, that was the only answer. As long as she was busy, she didn't have time to worry.

Kasie wondered how long they would be gone. Should she prepare supper? Would the firewood hold out this time? Amory had said it would. Could she manage on her own? Of course she could. Could she fire that damned ole gun if she had to? Fire it, yes, but hurt someone or something, she doubted it.

She glanced around the cabin and realized just how safe and snug she felt here. She had become comfortable here, at home.

Still, just because she was capable of chopping wood and could aim a gun didn't mean she was ready to become part of the Wilderness Family.

Determined not to spend her time uselessly, she settled by the fire with the book Gina had left behind, a romance. Not exactly her kind of reading, but anything would do right now. She thought about how she was warm and snug by the fire, and how the men must be half freezing in the cold.

She was almost getting into the novel when the door flew open, and in walked a tall, silver-haired man with aquatic eyes, and a smile as big as Texas on his handsome face.

Kasie jumped to her feet, startled.

"Hello, father." Her voice sounded husky. She felt speechless. All those words she had been planning to use were not there anymore. Nothing seemed available to say.

How could she sound so casual? "Hello, father?" As though she had seen him yesterday.

This was the father she hadn't seen for eight years. Where was the temper she had stored up so long to use on him? Why couldn't she lash out at him?

There was a sudden impulse to run into his arms and cry, but she rooted herself. He was going to have to make the first move.

He was just as she had pictured him: tall, elegant, yet just a little pale, and he had aged some. His face held very few wrinkles, but it was weathered and intelligent looking. His body was still strong and controlling. There was power in this man, a power like she saw in Chay Amory.

The look on his face said he wasn't as sure of himself as she expected him to be. Perhaps his daughter intimidated him, for surely nothing else did.

"Kasie," he finally murmured, his voice steady, forceful, and he stretched his arms out to welcome her into an embrace. Kasie hesitated for a long moment, then she walked slowly over to him and extended her hand.

But he was having none of that, he pulled her straight into his arms, and hugged her to him. She felt the smallest of shudders from him, and heard his voice break a couple of times as he told her how glad he was to see her. It sounded genuine.

It was hard not to respond to a man who willingly opened his arms to her. Who called her his baby.

She smelled the expensive cologne, felt the fine texture of his coat rubbing against her cheek, and heard him say the words she longed to hear.

"I've missed you, honey."