by Devon McKay
The warmth of Blake’s hand on her hip made her startle. The heat glided over the outside of her thigh as he guided her leg free off the stirrup. He lifted her off the horse’s back and pulled her into his chest as she slid to the ground.
Dizzy from his touch, she heard herself thank him in a breathless voice.
He touched the brim of his hat and walked toward the kids, who were now gathered in a circle looking at something on the ground. Clinging to the reins, she attempted to join them, but Dixie refused to move. Stubbornly, the horse’s head was positioned against the ground eating grass.
“Just release the reins. She won’t go anywhere,” Blake said, turning back to her.
Sam readjusted her cowboy hat and stared at him for a minute before glancing at the other horses. Realizing they were all doing the same, she dropped the leather straps and joined the group.
“It’s a moose print. The horses are over there dummy,” Keetna shouted, garnishing their attention. “‘Sides, a horse track looks different. Like this…” The insolent boy drew an invisible horse shoe in the air.
The other child, still holding his ground, shook his head. Frustrated, Keetna clenched his fists as if ready to fight to prove his point.
“Well, Ivan,” Blake said in a soft tone as he walked over to his horse. “A horse print would look like this.” He grabbed the front leg underneath the knee, slid his hand down the mount’s leg, and pinched the backside. The animal lifted its hoof, displaying the underside to the kids. Blake motioned the children to come closer before releasing Captain’s leg and showing the imprint left in the dirt.
“I told you, dummy,” Keetna screeched, taking the other boy to the ground in a heated fury. The two kids rolled around in the grass, each landing an occasional, lucky punch while Blake stood off to the side and watched.
“Do something,” Sam demanded, unable to stand idle.
“I am,” he stated in the same calm tone he used while describing the different prints. “I’m watching.”
“Watching? Are you serious?” She stepped forward in an attempt to separate the boys, but he pulled her back with a firm, yet gentle grip.
“Calm down. I’ll stop it before one of ’em gets hurt. They’re just being boys. You know, letting off a little steam.” He waited a few more minutes before pulling the kids apart and directing them back to the print. “Just for the record, you were both wrong. This print belongs to a caribou.” The group gathered around to examine the print again; Blake made sure the two boys were placed on opposite ends from each other. “See, it’s wider spread than a moose hoof. It’s so they can swim. There’s another way to tell if it’s a caribou print or not.”
“How?” The small girl inquired. She broke free from the circle to get a closer view. “Oh.” She smiled. “You mean because there are all these other prints, too?”
“Yep. Good, Little Su. As you all know, caribou run in herds.” He spared a glance in Sam’s direction, and she knew the extra input had been for her sake. “If you look around, you’ll see plenty of tracks.” He kneeled. “These are pretty fresh. I’d say they went through yesterday or the day before.”
Fascinated, Sam began taking pictures. Her actions captivated the children’s interest. Keetna, although wary, stepped closer, glued to her every move.
“Do you want to try?” she offered, unleashing the camera from around her neck.
The boy hesitated.
“It’s okay. Here.” She placed the bulky 35 mm into his hands. “You just point it at what you want to picture and press this little button on the top. Just be careful. What you are holding is extremely valuable to me.”
The boy nodded in silent understanding and cradled the camera with a ginger touch. He took a picture of the sky, then rewarded her with a slight smile. He shot several more pictures before catching her attention and motioning if he could let Ivan try.
Sam nodded her head, and Keetna handed it over to the other child. After the boy took some shots, he shared the camera with Little Su.
“See? Now they are best friends again,” Blake observed with a smirk. “But I doubt you’ll get your camera back.” He walked over to his horse and grabbed a thermos and small pouch out of his saddle bag. Returning, he settled himself on the ground.
She stood for a few more minutes before sitting, a little shaken by his words. After watching how the kids handled her camera with care, she brushed off her worry. The 35 mm was old and valuable to her, but it was also solid and built to handle an occasional mishap. Not like the garbage they made now. She was already on her second work camera this year, proving the point.
“Are you hungry?” He offered her a sandwich. “All I have left is ham and cheese. The kids took their pick and ate while I saddled the horses earlier. I guess they preferred turkey.” He shrugged. “It’s not breakfast, but it’s easy to pack. And I do have coffee,” he confessed with a slight smile. Uncapping the thermos, he poured some into the lid and handed over the makeshift cup.
“Thanks.” She bit back a smart remark as she accepted the sandwich.
Taking off her hat, Sam tossed it on the ground and settled down beside him. Once positioned, she welcomed the strong scented brew and brought the cup to her nose, inhaling deeply. Nothing smelled as heavenly as a strong cup of coffee.
She took a sip while returning a keen eye on the kids. If only he’d given her a shot of this earlier, the morning might have started more smoothly. Regardless, the hot beverage was helping to adjust her mood now.
Sam began to spout off recently learned facts. “Did you know both male and female caribou have antlers? Every year, they grow a new set. The antlers can grow up to an inch every day.” She removed the meal from its wrapper and tore off the crust before biting into it as she realized how foolish it was to share information he more than likely already knew. She swallowed her bite. “How long have you worked for Fish and Game?” she asked as a quick change of subject.
“Four years,” Blake responded, stopping the flow of the conversation with a curt tone. “Pretty clever.” He motioned toward the kids. “Getting them to do your dirty work.”
She followed his gaze and then released a surprised gasp when the meaning of his words cut her to the quick. How could he think she would do such a thing? Giving the children free rein to take photos had been for their pleasure, not for her own selfish benefit. She had simply thought they would enjoy taking pictures.
Sam gritted her teeth, holding back her simmering anger. The attempt was futile as her emotions took charge. How dare he insinuate something so terrible?
“That’s right. How could I forget? Anything to do with me or my work is for some reason the worst thing in the world,” she unleashed without taking a breath as her temper got the best of her. “The camera the children are playing with happens to be my personal one. This is what I use for work.”
She pulled a small, digital version out of her pocket and held it up so he could see as she glanced back to the kids. Blake might not have appreciated the sacrifice she’d made, but they did. To prove her point, she used her work camera to capture several pics of the children laughing and posing.
“What they’re using is considered a dinosaur. A relic in my line of work.”
It was also priceless. The cumbersome 35 mm being the only thing she had left of her father, but Blake didn’t need to know that.
Irked, she handed the thermos lid back to him along with the rest of her uneaten sandwich and grabbed her hat before rising to her feet.
“I’ve lost my appetite. And just so you know, I’m not some evil person who takes advantage of children.” Sam crammed the weathered Stetson on her head and then placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve never even handed my camera over to anyone else before. Much less a child.” She inhaled a ragged breath. Could he possibly think so low of her? “However, you may be on to something. Perhaps they’ll take a great photo and I can cash it in. Maybe I’ll make a million bucks. Later, I can fatten the kids up and eat them for sup
per.” She paused, catching her breath. “Really? Is that the kind of monster you think I am? No, don’t answer.” She waved her hands in the air. There was no way she’d give him the opportunity to hurt her with more words. “What exactly is your problem with me anyway?” He stood, towering over her, but Sam held her ground, refusing to take a step backward. “You agreed to this. In fact…this was your idea,” she spat.
“You’re right…my idea. A stupid one. Alaska is my home. I love it here. I’m very protective of the state. Of the children…and the wildlife. Maybe that’s something you’ll keep in mind when you print your stupid brochure.” He stared at her intensely, then took a deep breath. Gritting his teeth, he continued, “Listen, Sam, I agreed to this for one reason only…so you wouldn’t exploit Alaska. Do you have any idea what people like you do to this state? Your pretty little pictures and nice flyers—”
“People like me?” she interrupted, not letting him finish. She refused to be battered by one more insult or condescending remark.
“Yeah, people exactly like you.”
He spun away, storming toward his horse and leaving her to deal with the anger his statement had inspired. Fury rushed through her veins like an impending tornado as she seethed in silence, not wanting to make a further scene in front of the children.
People like me?
Just what the hell was that supposed to mean?
Chapter 7
What was it about Samantha Held that drove him insane the most? And why did the woman have such an effect on him?
Blake had no idea.
Not a clue.
Nor did he know what had come over him to snap like he did. Nevertheless, he had a pretty good idea, blaming his actions on little Ms. Know-It-All.
He checked the saddle on his horse. Every time she was within arm’s reach, he had this overwhelming desire to pull her close and kiss those damn full lips of hers. Mostly to shut her up, he consoled himself. The woman never stopped talking, even spitting out facts about Alaska or its wildlife. The truth was, the woman simply drove him mad. Still, he had no excuse to use her as a verbal punching bag.
Blake had regretted the words the minute they came out of his mouth. In his defense, he simply couldn’t help himself. Just the thought of her taking advantage of the kids made his blood boil. The minute she explained her actions, he realized he’d overreacted. But it’d been too late. The damage was done.
Well, he’d fulfill his end of the bargain, and then she would be on her merry little way, never to see him or Alaska again. Hopefully, with as little destruction as possible.
Although, if he were being honest, she seemed pretty harmless so far. And he had to admit, up until now, she’d been a good sport. Hell, she had jumped up on the horse without too much of an argument. And he had seen pure terror in her eyes. He’d actually felt her tremble beneath his touch while lifting her onto the saddle. It had undone him.
Cursing the soft spot he held for a damsel in distress, he exhaled a heavy sigh.
But, Sam’s not such a damsel, he reminded himself.
Sam was everything he had been fighting against all of his life. With her, it was busy cities, expensive clothes, fancy restaurants…she reeked of it. He shook his head. Maybe she wasn’t at ease on a horse or in the forest, but she certainly wasn’t a helpless female in need of saving.
She was simply out of her element. In the city she’d more than likely resemble a shark in a feeding frenzy. No doubt, Samantha Held was ruthless when it came to her career, too. A woman like her would step on any obstacle in her way. And he didn’t want any part of it.
He wanted nothing to do with the way her hair smelled…like fresh flowers. Or the way her skin shimmered…like fine silk. Nor did he care for her laugh…the rich, throaty sound with a slight hint of sultriness, which had haunted his dreams last night.
Why did she have to be so damn sexy? This morning, when she had opened the door in a tank and hot pink short shorts…good Lord. He’d had to fight against the impulse to tear the partial outfit off her perfectly curved body. And now, the image was tattooed in his brain permanently. A picture he’d recalled more than once today.
Of course, Sam was also bright and quick-witted. Too damn smart. Most of her endless banter had been spot on. She had done her research, which just happened to be one more thorn in his side. Another reminder her job obviously meant more than anything.
A pang of self-awareness shot through him. He didn’t have any room to judge. Not when it came to career goals. Building his horse ranch had been a dream of his since childhood. One he refused to give up on, and against all odds, it was finally coming true.
He made his way to her horse. Hastily, he adjusted Dixie’s seat and checked her bridle, sensing Sam’s presence behind him.
“Hey…ah, maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
Her words came out strained, and he could hear the effort on her part. Worse, the fact she felt the need to apologize for his actions irked him to no end.
“Save it, Sam.” He held up his hand, but didn’t turn to face her. “You were right. I should have never said what I did. I was out of line.”
He stepped to the side, moving onto Ivan’s horse. The chestnut filly lifted her head at his approach and then promptly returned to her grass lunch.
“No. You were right.”
The exasperation in her voice caused him to spin in her direction.
“People like me…my job…it’s my job to…ahh…damn it. I just don’t get it.” She grasped his upper arm as if to hold onto his attention. “Don’t you want tourists to come visit Alaska? It’s beautiful here. Don’t you want to share this?”
He heard something in the tone. Evidently, she was just as frustrated with him as he was with her. The light green meadows of her gaze drew him in, debuting something he hadn’t seen before.
Sincerity.
She believed in her work, and the concept threw him for a loop. Not to mention the warmth of her hand through his flannel shirt completely unbalanced him. Her touch made him want to do things…things he never did with the enemy. Out of his element, his body reminded him he was not in control. Not when she was near.
“Look, I said I was out of line.” Blake pulled away abruptly, and her hand fell to her side. “Let’s just call it good and move on.” He stepped back to her horse and patted the saddle.
Sam wavered, wearing an unconcealed expression of distrust, and he couldn’t help but wonder what thoughts rolled around in her pretty little head. Did she actually think because they didn’t see eye to eye he wouldn’t hold up his end of the bargain?
Hesitantly, she reached for his hand, and Blake sucked in a deep breath. The warmth of her touch caused a heated flush to scour his insides, and his body tensed.
Sam was right. She couldn’t trust him. Apparently, he couldn’t trust himself. Not around her anyway. The last thing he wanted was to be close to her again. To feel the firmness of her backside underneath jeans which clung to all the right places. Or accidently brush his arm against the swell of her breasts.
One thing was for certain…the little lady was starting to get under his skin. And he didn’t like it.
He picked her up, careful not to get too close, and deposited her soundly in the saddle. Without a word, he spun around and headed toward the kids. He returned a moment later with her camera and thrust it into her hands before briskly walking away.
****
The man was impossible.
There was just no way they were ever going to get along. Never. This was already promising to be the longest three months of her life. And this was only day two.
Sam adjusted her position on the saddle. It still stung the way Blake had hefted her into the seat like she was a bag of feed. Her rear was sore after this morning’s embarrassing fiasco, and with a couple of hours riding, every one of her muscles screamed in resentment.
Her aching backside wasn’t the real source of pain, though. Sam’s ego was taking the brunt of it. The man was
simply disagreeable, even after she had swallowed her pride and attempted to make peace. The act had been a complete disaster. A worthless effort on her part. What on Earth had possessed her to apologize anyway? She hadn’t been rude…he had.
Under normal circumstances, she would fight to her death before giving in, especially if she was right. She glanced at the wilderness surrounding her. Of course, these weren’t normal circumstances. At least now she knew what turned his moods on a dime. Evidently, everything about her.
The anger started to wane, and a gleeful awareness washed through her. Never had she affected anyone so adversely. Certainly not a member of the opposite sex. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. For some reason, she made him crazy…
And her touch completely repulsed him.
The smile faded in an instant. She hadn’t missed the way he reacted when she reached for his arm, the immediate flinch and the hardness in his stare. He would have reacted with less disgust if she was a snake about to bite him.
As an enormous cabin came into sight, she heard the distant neighing of another horse, and Dixie responded to the call with an extra oomph in her trot. A giggle escaped her at the animal’s sudden change. Perhaps Dixie had a beau?
How nice it would be to have someone excited about your homecoming. Something she had never experienced. Work had always come first. She never spared much time for relationships.
Her horse stopped along a wooden fence, which led into open pasture. Blake was attempting to help Little Su off of her horse, while the boys were already on the ground kicking dirt at each other.
Sam, not sure if she could dismount, waited for Blake to help. He came to her aide, although the tepid glance he graced her with let her know the man still didn’t trust her.
Swiftly, he clipped a rope onto her horse’s bridle and then tied it off onto the top rail of the fence. Regardless of the temporary truce, she could tell this journey was going to be a bumpy ride.
“Is this your cabin?” she asked, figuring the two story, wooden structure would be a safe subject to broach.