Josh

by R. C. Ryan

  And as silence stole over the land, they climbed into a single bedroll, laughing like children at Christmas, unwrapping their very own treasure trove of wonderful presents.

  Josh and Sierra awoke to a distinct chill in the air and snuggled closer for warmth.

  Josh pointed to the clouds, which were hanging so low they hid the peaks of the Tetons. “Snow’s coming in. Think we ought to just huddle in our bedroll all day?”

  “And miss the show?” Sierra tossed aside the covers and stretched. “I can’t wait.”

  “That’s what you say now.” Josh grinned. “Let’s see how excited you are about snow when you’re up to your waist in it.”

  “Bring it on.” Sierra opened her arms wide to the morning.

  While Josh made coffee in the instant cooker, Sierra walked to the very edge of the rock shelf, snapping photos of the fiery countryside before it became blanketed in white.

  She turned to him with a wide smile. “Oh, just look at this. It’s so beautiful, it’s hard to believe that it’s real.”

  “Maybe that’s what people will say when they look at your pictures in a gallery someday. ‘That place can’t be real. She just used Hollywood props.’ ”

  Her laughter rang on the cold, crisp air. “That’s not at all what they’ll say. They’ll say, ‘How in the world did that genius ever find such a fabulous place?’ And then in the next breath they’ll declare, ‘We have to go there and see all that beauty for ourselves.’ And then, guess what?”

  “What?” He found himself loving her enthusiasm. It was absolutely contagious.

  “The Devil’s Wilderness will become a famous tourist attraction, and your beautiful countryside will be overrun with all-terrain vehicles and snack shops and souvenir kiosks.”

  “When that happens, I predict that the Conway family will relocate to a new frontier.” He handed her a steaming cup of coffee. “But until those snack shops arrive, we’ll have to make do with this.” He indicated two plates heaped with hard-boiled eggs and thick slices of ham, which Phoebe had tucked into their food bundles.

  “Um. Heavenly.” Sierra spread strawberry preserves on her corn bread and stretched out beside him, with her back to a boulder worn smooth over thousands of years.

  She ran her hand over the ridges of the boulder. “Look at all the elements that went into making this. Quartz. Silver. And maybe even bits of gold and uranium and coal.”

  “Want to carve it up and see how many minerals we can find?”

  She gave a firm shake of her head. “It would be a shame to disturb something so big and so old.”

  “Are you telling me you even have a soft spot in your heart for rocks?”

  She shrugged. “Rocks have a place in our world, too.”

  He tousled her hair and couldn’t help laughing. “Next you’ll be telling me that rocks are people, too.”

  “How can you be certain they aren’t? Not people from our planet, of course. But extraterrestrials.”

  “Just as long as they don’t decide to take us back to their planets.”

  While they ate, they watched the lazy flight of an eagle edging closer and closer until they could almost reach out and touch the tips of its wings.

  Sierra sucked in a breath at her close encounter with something so beautiful. She sat perfectly still as she picked up her camera, watched through her viewfinder, and silently clicked off picture after picture, fearful that the magnificent bird might be frightened off.

  With no warning the eagle veered and dipped out of sight. Moments later they heard the screech of a wounded animal, and watched the bird lift a rabbit high in the air, caught firmly in its talons.

  “I bet he’s taking breakfast back to the little woman,” Josh said, as she captured the moment on film.

  “Uh-huh.” Sierra gave a short laugh. “I say she’s bringing home the bacon to her lazy mate.”

  “Lazy? Careful, little lady. Up here in high country, those are fighting words. If the big guy’s still home in the nest, more than likely it’s not because he’s lazy. It’s probably because she wore him out all night with her loving.”

  Laughing, Sierra turned to him. “How about you, cowboy? Worn out yet?”

  “Don’t you worry, little missy. I’ve got plenty of moves left.”

  “I’ll just bet you do.”

  He draped an arm around her shoulder, drew her close, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Maybe we’ll make camp early tonight and I’ll show you a few of them.”

  “Maybe I’ll let you.”

  The two of them couldn’t keep straight faces as they continued to watch the steady parade of wildlife and finish their meal.

  Deer stepped out from the cover of the trees to pass by them as though they didn’t even exist. Birds landed on the branches directly over their heads and helped themselves to berries. When Josh held out a handful of corn bread crumbs, one bird actually landed on his hand and helped himself before flying off.

  Sierra was clearly enchanted as she snapped photos of everything. “I can’t believe what I just saw. Did that bird actually eat out of your hand?”

  “I guess he was hungry. Besides, up this high, they rarely see people. They’re too innocent to be afraid.”

  Just then he pointed to a spot high overhead. Sierra followed his direction and caught sight of several bighorn sheep peering at them from behind a wall of boulders. Without a word she shot half a dozen pictures before the elusive creatures disappeared from view.

  “Oh, Josh.” Sierra shook her head, as though unable to believe all that she was experiencing. “I know that you told me this was your playground. I’m sure after a lifetime here, all of this seems so normal to you. But to me, this is a feast of sight and sound and color that I’ll never forget.”

  She draped the cord of her camera around her neck, ready to snap off photos in the blink of an eye, lest her subjects disappear as silently as they’d arrived.

  Despite the chill in the air, they kept their parkas in their backpacks, preferring the ease and comfort of hooded sweatshirts and comfortable denims as they packed up their supplies and resumed hiking.

  Often, after a climb of an hour or more, they would remove their hoodies, tying the sleeves around their waists, dressed only in T-shirts to bare their arms to the bright autumn sunlight. Though the air had grown considerably colder, the bright sun and the exertion of their climb had them comfortably sweating.

  In late afternoon Josh felt a vibration beneath his feet. At once he paused and pointed to a trail that led from the mountain peaks to a fiery meadow below. “Quick. Look at that.”

  Following his direction, Sierra stared in absolute fascination at the sight of thousands of elk moving toward the lower elevations.

  For long moments she could only stare in rapt silence. “I never dreamed I’d see something so majestic.”

  Then, letting out a long, slow breath, she lifted her camera and dropped to her knees on a low outcropping of rock, where she began recording the scene.

  She glanced over at Josh. “My knees are vibrating so hard, I can actually feel them running.”

  “Yeah.” Josh moved close beside her, staring in rapt attention at the sight. “Ela used to tell us to listen with our bodies, and not just our ears, and we’d hear the thundering herds long before they came into view.”

  Sierra thought about the old woman’s words as she continued to capture the migration.

  Using her various lenses, she was able to zoom in close enough to record their breath pluming in the frosty air, and to capture the amazing grace of the animals as they moved in perfect rhythm, as wave after wave of elk continued their downward trek.

  More than an hour passed while she remained riveted to the spot, snapping pictures, and occasionally sighing at the sheer beauty of the panoramic scene unfolding before her very eyes.

  While she lost herself in her work, Josh used the time to set up camp and prepare their dinner.

  Soon the air was filled with a wonderful fragrance,
and it reminded Sierra that except for an occasional drink and a quick snack along the trail, she hadn’t eaten anything substantial since their long, lazy breakfast.

  She lowered her camera and turned to Josh, who held out a cup of steaming coffee.

  “Umm, thanks.” She breathed in the fragrance before drinking.

  “Did you get enough pictures?”

  She laughed. “More than enough. I’ve never seen anything like that before. It was…” Her laughter turned into a frown as a wave of unexpected emotions washed over her. She had to swallow the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. “I’ve used the word breathtaking so many times since coming here. I hope it doesn’t sound trite. But that was just the most amazing thing to watch. I doubt any photo can do it justice.”

  He touched a hand to her cheek. “If there’s a way to capture the majesty of what we just saw, I have no doubt you managed it.”

  She looked surprised and pleased. “Thank you. You’re not just saying that to flatter me, are you?”

  “Hmm.” He tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “Are you easily flattered?”

  “Of course I am. At least when it comes to my work.”

  “And you’ll want to find a way to properly thank me, I suppose?”

  She couldn’t hold back the laughter. “Now you’re feeling too sure of yourself, cowboy.”

  He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

  “You’ll have to do better than that.” She breathed in the wonderful aroma of beef simmering in mushroom gravy in the portable cooker. “But I may be persuaded to give you a proper thank-you if you feed me.”

  “I always thought that was the way to a guy’s heart.”

  “You got it all wrong. I’m one woman who’s a sucker for a guy who can cook.”

  “Now that I know your secret weakness…” Josh pulled the clean handkerchief from his pocket and draped it over his arm like a waiter. “Right this way, ma’am. Your table is ready. Chef Josh Conway has prepared a magnificent meal just for you.”

  He led her to the shelter of a cave formed by several overhanging rocks, where he’d laid out their sleeping bags side by side.

  By the time she’d stowed her camera, he was sitting beside her, with two plates of corn bread smothered in mushroom gravy, slices of rare roast beef, chunks of perfectly browned potato, and green beans.

  “Oh, Josh.” After one bite, Sierra fell silent as she devoured her meal.

  When at last she sat back, replete, content, she experienced a surge of such happiness, she wondered that her poor heart didn’t burst clear through her chest. “I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a more perfect day. An eagle, close enough to look into his eyes. Bighorn sheep. Deer close enough to touch. Birds eating right over our heads, and one brave enough to eat out of your hand. And now, this amazing herd of elk.” She lifted her hand to indicate the autumn countryside spread out below them. “Not to mention the most glorious red and gold and orange foliage. I feel like I’ve landed in paradise.”

  “Yeah. I know the feeling.” He took the empty plate from her hand and set it aside with his before turning to her with a dangerous smile. “I’ve been lost in paradise ever since I met you.”

  She shot him a quick grin. “Aw, shucks, cowboy. You’re just saying that to soften me up for the conquest.”

  “You got that right.” He arched an eyebrow. “Is it working?”

  “I’ll let you know when I’ve had a sample of how you operate.”

  He touched a finger to her lips and traced their outline. “I thought tonight I’d go for a slow and gentle seduction. Maybe just a tease of a kiss…” He softly pressed his mouth to hers and pulled back to look into her eyes, which had gone wide with pleasure. “And then a touch.”

  He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, sliding around her jaw then lower to her neck.

  When his hand slid lower, to move seductively across her shoulder, she shivered and stopped it.

  At his look she said, “Too slow, cowboy. Too cool. I’m sorry, but after the amazing day we’ve had, my blood is pumping way too fast for this. I need hot. And I need it now.”

  “Your wish…”

  He dragged her roughly into his arms and covered her mouth in a kiss so searing it robbed her of breath.

  They took each other in a firestorm of passion as wild and primitive as the land around them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Sebastian filled his lungs with the crisp, frigid air sweeping across the summit, and he felt the hum of anticipation. Everything was going according to plan. Not that he’d expected anything less. These small-town people with their small-town attitudes were so easy to fool.

  He’d been skiing with his parents since he was old enough to walk. Their chalet in Gstaad, Switzerland, had been his playground. He’d spent many a weekend on the slopes with everyone from Hollywood starlets to royalty. He knew his way around groomed ski trails and rugged mountain paths where only the experts dared to ski. He and a group of friends had even been dropped by helicopter on a desolate stretch of the Alps, where they’d skied down expanses of snow-covered mountain never before seen by man. The adrenaline-pumping experience had left him high for days.

  He lifted the binoculars and allowed his gaze to sweep across the frozen wilderness.

  It was easy to spot the figures moving across one of the lower ranges. Theirs were the only tracks in the pristine snow cover.

  His patience had paid off. From afar he’d watched and waited until he’d spotted the truck heading into the high country. He’d witnessed with a sense of smug satisfaction as Sierra and her rancher had unloaded their gear and had begun the climb.

  To avoid leaving a trail he’d taken a circuitous route, so that he wasn’t visible to them or to anyone in the town who could report his presence to the police chief.

  It would seem that the slut had wasted no time slipping away with her cowboy now that she thought the threat of danger had passed.

  She was making this so easy.

  These puny American mountains were little challenge to a man of his worldly experiences.

  To his way of thinking, a local rancher would be easily overpowered. And when he had finished what he had come here to do, Sierra would pay.

  He could already taste the heady sweetness of victory.

  “You warm enough?” Josh draped his parka around Sierra’s shoulders before retrieving two cups of coffee from the portable cooker.

  “Thanks.” She drew the edges of the coat together. “It’s getting colder.”

  He returned to her side and handed her a cup.

  They sat in silence on the rock shelf, watching the amazing change of colors in the sky as the sun began to set behind a bank of dark clouds.

  Sierra felt the brush of something wet and cold on her cheek. Looking up, she stuck out her tongue and tried to catch the snowflakes as they drifted past.

  “Look.” She held out a hand in wonder as several fat flakes landed in her palm. “It’s snowing. Josh, it’s snowing.”

  “Yeah. I see that.” He couldn’t help grinning at her excitement.

  “It’s”—she looked up into the darkening sky to watch the curtain of snow that fell—“so amazing.”

  “Didn’t we just see all this in the mountains a week ago?”

  “That was then, on the public slopes. I had my mind on other things, like capturing a storm in photos…” She ducked her head, still ashamed about having kept her troubles with Sebastian a secret from him. “And doing some heavy thinking. But this…” She shook her head, sending her hair dancing around her shoulders. “This is falling on our special trip on our mountain.”

  Josh felt a small, quick thrill at her use of the word our. Though he didn’t want to probe too deeply, it meant more to him than anything else she could have said. “Admit it. You’re falling for this place, aren’t you?”

  She didn’t look at him. She was too busy trying to catch snowflakes. But something in the change in his
voice snagged her attention.

  She lowered her hand and turned to him. “I didn’t say that.”

  “You don’t have to. It’s there in your eyes. In your voice.”

  She could feel him watching her closely. Too closely. So she turned her head and made a determined effort to keep her tone level. “It’s a pretty place.”

  “There are plenty of pretty places. Admit it. This place is unique.”

  “I said it was pretty enough.”

  “That’s like saying you’re a pretty enough woman. That doesn’t come anywhere near to describing your amazing qualities and your even more amazing spirit. And that doesn’t explain why I have feelings for you.”

  “Stop.” She set aside her coffee and covered her ears with her hands. “I told you, Josh. We’re two adults. We’re having a really grand time. Don’t spoil it with all those empty, meaningless juvenile words that guys like to use.”

  He took a long, deep drink of his coffee while he regarded her. Then he set the cup aside and shot her a dangerous smile. “Who said you get to set the rules?”

  His hand shot out and he dragged her into his arms. Against her throat he growled, “I think that high-and-mighty little speech of yours calls for some very adult games. How about a little mindless sex? Or am I sounding way too juvenile?”

  His hands were on her as his greedy mouth took hers.

  This was something she could handle. Something she craved. No false promises. No pretty, empty words.

  With a purr of pleasure she wrapped herself around him, hungry for all that he had to offer.

  And as the snow fell and the darkness gathered around them, they lost themselves in the silken web of desire.

  “Do you really think we need to set up the tent?” Sierra asked, as Josh unzipped the backpack.

  “Something tells me that you wouldn’t like to wake up buried in snow.”

  Her eyes widened. “You think it’ll snow that much?”

  “Probably all night. And maybe all day tomorrow. Have you taken a look at those clouds?”

  Sierra was surprised to note that the snow-laden clouds now hovered directly overhead. The falling snow was no longer a gauzy curtain, but had now become a swirling, blinding blizzard.