After several minutes of nothing, she became totally bored and began lifting the grub up and plopping it back in the water. On the third plop, she could hardly raise the stick again. It required both hands and the stick actually wiggled and tried to jump out of her hands.
With a giggle, thinking she was hung on a limb, Lena pulled really hard off to her right side. A nice sized fish flopped up onto the bank surprising her so much she almost dropped the stick.
"Walker," she squealed. "Look! I did it. I really did it." She began dancing around the fish.
"That's a great catch. Don't let it get back to the water." Walker laughed with her. Then he watched her lift the stick to bring the fish away from the river toward him. He caught the line and held the glistening rainbow trout up for inspection. "What a beaut. This will cook up tasty."
Lena swallowed hard as she watched the fish flap its gills, struggling to breathe while out of the water. Her whole life had seemed like that kind of struggle. "No... Please...let me put it back."
Walker looked up to see her pretty doe brown eyes staring mournfully at the fish. "But, Lena—"
"Please, Walker. I couldn't...kill it...or eat it. It's beautiful..."
She shifted her pleading gaze to meet his and he was lost.
Against his better judgment, but knowing they could catch another if necessary, Walker gave in. "You caught it. You can do whatever you want with it," he told her softly. "But it will mean going hungry tonight."
"How do I get it off the hook?" Then a thought struck Lena. "Oh, Walker...it will mean you going hungry too. You really need to eat after getting hurt." She realized what she asked of Walker.
"Here, I'll hold the fish and you just back the hook out as gently as possible. I think I can miss a meal or two without any long term harm."
She cast him an appreciative smile and carefully eased the hook out of the rainbow trout's mouth. Lena allowed Walker to place the fish in her hands before she returned to the riverbank and lowered the beautiful multi-colored fish to the water's edge. The fish disappeared immediately with a silver flash of its tail. After staring into the water for several minutes, she returned to sit quietly near Walker and the fire.
"I'm sorry, Walker."
"Hey, don't worry about it. Maybe you can catch an ugly fish next time. One you won't mind cooking," Walker teased.
Her smile rewarded him for giving up on having fish for supper.
Lena laughed, thankful he was so sweet about it, and fed more wood to the fire.
* * * * *
Sporadically, Lena gathered wood until Walker told her she'd collected enough for several nights. It was getting late and with the sun dropping behind the hills, he didn't want her wandering around any longer.
"Come over here and try to get some rest," Walker insisted, once it became fully dark. He patted the ground to the left of him. "You must be exhausted after everything that happened today."
Lena sat down beside him, but kept her distance for fear of hurting his injured ribs. "I am tired. But I don't want the fire to go out. You said it keeps lions and bears away, right?" What she really wanted to do was crawl in his lap, curl up, and sleep until daylight.
Walker grinned to himself as her head nodded and she jerked it back up, fighting off the drowsiness time and again.
"Honey, come on over here. If you lean against me on this side, I think it'll be okay. Besides, I'm getting a bit cold."
"Your shirt! I forgot." Lena jumped up, groaning at the pain in her sore legs and everywhere else, glad of something to do, even for a minute. She grabbed his dry shirt from the bush where she spread it out earlier. Bringing it to Walker, Lena knelt along his side, planning to help him slide his arms in the sleeves.
Instead, Walker caught her with his left hand and tugged her down against his left side. "I have a better idea. Snuggle against me and we'll both use it for cover."
Lena wanted to protest, but couldn't find the energy. Besides, his warm flesh felt so good against her tired, achy body. Her head fit perfectly on his left shoulder and his arm nestled just right around her waist. She helped Walker spread the thin shirt over their upper bodies.
"I know it's not much," Walker whispered hoarsely. "But it will help hold in some of our body heat." Her nearness already helped him to warm up nicely. She smelled like clean mountain water with a hint of lilac. Without thinking, he lowered his nose and sniffed her hair. Yep, definitely lilac.
Lena raised her head to look up at him. "You didn't?"
"What?"
"Sniffle in my hair?"
Walker chuckled and felt his face flush at being caught. Slightly embarrassed, he admitted, "Umm... Not sniffle. I thought I smelled lilac and I sniffed to see. Sorry."
Relaxing back onto his shoulder, Lena told him, "I love lilac-scented shampoo and bubble bath. I'm surprised you can still smell it."
"I can sniff out lilac anytime, anywhere. My grandfather always gave lilac-scented stuff to my grandmother on their anniversary and at Christmas."
"That's nice." She sounded drowsy to her own ears. "Wake me in a bit and I'll put more wood on the fire. You won't let it go out, will you?"
"I can reach enough to keep it going while you nap. Now, go to sleep." He didn't want to think about what might happen if she didn't.
* * * * *
Sometime during the night, they shifted to the side and stretched out together on the ground. Lena woke to feel Walker spooned closely to her back, his arm draped over her waist with his hand splayed out beneath her breast. The fire barely smoldered as she eased away from him to put more limbs on it. Stiff and sore all over from the battering she'd taken, she bit back a groan. The night air caused her to shiver without Walker's body heat to keep her warm. And, drat it all, she had to go pee.
"Lena? Don't wander off," Walker warned sleepily when he saw her headed away from the fire.
"I have to go. I'll be right back."
True to her word, Lena hurriedly took care of business then dropped down to lie beside him again.
Walker felt her shiver and tucked her in under the shirt, drawing her closer to his body. She seemed soft in all the best places and firm where she should be. He longed to run his hands over her rump to see if it was soft or firm. Thinking about it created a whole new problem and made him yearn to get closer still.
Lena shifted on the hard ground, trying to get comfortable and turned on her back. Her right arm brushed across the left side of Walker's bare chest. He groaned before clutching her tighter.
She touched his cheek, concerned. "I'm sorry... Did I hurt you?"
"You're killing me. There's only one cure..." He couldn't put it off any longer. Walker leaned over her and lowered his mouth to hers.
Startled, Lena gasped as his warm, firm lips settled on her cold, tense mouth.
Patiently, as he seemed to do everything, Walker coaxed and encouraged until Lena's lips softened and welcomed him. Nibbling and caressing, he warmed her mouth and soon she returned his kisses.
Warmth flooded Lena's body from her quivering lips down to her toes. Another thing about Walker that fit perfectly – his lips on hers. She could only imagine what else might fit. She gave up to the excitement and passion of his kiss and moaned in delight as he deepened the caress. She turned to face him and pressed against him eagerly. The proof of his desire thrilled her.
Walker stroked Lena's bare tummy and back then slid his hand up, beneath her cut-off shirt. He felt on fire for her touch. Her warm, welcoming responses made him bold. He forgot his injured ribs and cupped her rounded butt to draw her nearer to his lower body. Pain arced sharply through his chest as his right arm tightened on her.
Loosening his grasp on Lena with a smothered curse, he rolled onto his back and tried to breathe.
"Oh, Walker... Tell me you're not dying. Please..." Lena urgently whispered. Her head reeled from her emotional response to this man. She was terrified he might be hurt worse.
"Okay... Give me...a minute..." Walker worked to c
ontrol his breathing so the pain would ease off. What a dumb thing to do anyway. He chastised himself for touching her. It was definitely against all his rules.
Lena sat up and drew away to put more wood on the fire. Once she turned back to Walker, he extended his left arm toward her.
"Help me sit up... Please," he added when she hesitated.
She helped him sit up and lean back against the large boulder once more. Using her cupped hands, she brought water for him to sip until he said he had enough. Then she gently washed his face and dried it with her shirt. Unable to do anything else, Lena sat down near him, locked her arms around her folded knees, and waited.
Walker closed his eyes then rested his head back against the rock. When the pain sufficiently subsided so he could breathe normally, he told her, "Wow, Lena. You really pack a punch...in more ways than one. But...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have—"
Lena cut him off. "If you say any junk about being sorry you kissed me, I'm going to clock you one. I enjoyed it. You didn't see me fighting you off, did you? I'd do it again and probably more if not for your ribs. Now, honestly, are you really sorry?" She arched her brows as she watched his face in the flickering light from the fire.
Grinning at her, Walker shook his head. "No, honey, I'm not really sorry I kissed you." Lowering his voice to a sexy growl, he went on, "I'm sorry we couldn't finish what we started. Are you always so...straight forward?"
"Yes, and it gets me into tons of trouble and discourages most men very quickly."
He reached out with his left hand and encouraged her to slide over to snuggle against him once more. "Do I look discouraged? Come, get me warm."
Lena stared up into his green eyes, searching for an answer. She saw warmth and desire with a twinkle of humor...or was that the reflection of firelight? Either way, she would take it. "No, I can't see you letting a straight-talking woman change your direction."
Gently, Walker lifted her chin and placed a sweet kiss on first her nose and then her lips. "I think I'm about to," he admitted, more to himself than to her.
Then he changed the subject. "It's not long until daylight. A rescue team should arrive soon. We need to get some more rest while we can."
Snuggling against his shoulder, Lena pulled his shirt across them. After several minutes of silence, she told him, "I don't even know your full name."
"I mostly use Walker, my last name. And the only reason I know yours is because of the form Rob turned in."
"Not fair," she protested in a low, sleepy voice. "You know my height, weight, age, address, and marital status. No more kisses unless you at least tell me your first name."
"Promise not to laugh and... I need a kiss as soon as I tell you."
Lena shifted a bit to look at his face to see if he was serious. "Okay, I won't laugh and I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."
"It's Rufus."
Lena held back a laugh – not at the name, which was decidedly old-fashioned – but at the way Walker said it, like he was telling her his dog died. "Rufus...? No, I think you're right. You're definitely more of a Walker. But thank you for telling me." She reached up and planted a light kiss on his lips. "There, I kept my part of the bargain too. Where do you live?"
Walker wanted to pursue a more in depth kiss, but fought back the urge. He told her about his log cabin on the edge of town where the group had gotten together. He stopped talking when he realized she'd drifted off to sleep. He leaned his head back and relaxed, enjoying holding this woman he'd recognized as trouble from the start. He knew she would change his whole world.
Chapter Eight
The rescue team located them not long after sun-up. Quickly and efficiently, they checked out Walker's ribs and wrapped them professionally to avoid further damage. When Walker refused to be placed on a stretcher, they were ushered onto a helicopter for the trip back to civilization.
Lena gulped down a thermos of coffee and two granola bars.
Walker had to be content with small sips of coffee due to needing tests and x-rays when he arrived at the hospital. He gave the details of what happened to the rescue team leader for his report between sneaking glances at Lena. Even mussed, in a torn shirt, with no make-up, and a bit worse for wear, she looked beautiful.
The rescue team leader told Walker that Calvin took over his group of hikers and they were doing fine. The group had returned to the base camp and used the radio to call for help when Walker and Lena didn't return by one o'clock yesterday. Then they actually stayed put like they were supposed to until Calvin arrived.
Walker reached for Lena's hand and gave it a squeeze as he saw buildings on the horizon. "Will you wait for me? At the hospital, I mean. We have a lot to talk about and I don't want you disappearing on me."
"I'll wait to make sure you're all right." She scooted closer to him on the bench seat. Then she smiled up at him, "This could get complicated, you know? I mean...if we intend to—"
"Oh, we definitely intend to, whatever it takes," he interrupted. "I wanted to get to know you since that first day when you were so tired and your feet hurt, but you refused to let Rob gather your share of the wood." In time, he would tell her how hard he fell for her nicely rounded derriere too.
He smiled at her so tenderly she felt tears fill her eyes.
Then he went on, "And, that's the trouble with fishing. It can get complicated pretty fast. There are tangles and dry holes, the wrong bait and fish that are throw-backs. Believe me, I've seen my share of those. But it's sure worth it all when you use the right bait and land a keeper, a true one-of-a-kind trophy." Walker grinned through his scruffier than usual beard then leaned down to plant a long, possessive kiss on her sweet mouth.
"Honey, you're a keeper for dang sure."
~ The End ~
Christmas Tears
Dedicated to the child in all of us who loves the Christmas season and finds joy in the holidays, even in times of trouble.
Chapter One
Noelle jumped at the sharp rap-rap on the glass beside her. The distorted image of a man appeared through the foggy window. Using her fingertips, she wiped away the condensation to see a police officer motioning her to lower the driver's side glass. Cold wind whipped icy particles through the opening as she complied.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't park here. You're blocking the turn-lane," The patrolman, or maybe a deputy, bundled warmly in his coat, cap, and a bright green and yellow scarf, did not bother to uncover his face.
"Uh-okay. Sorry, I'm moving," Noelle sniffled and used a tissue for her drippy nose.
"Are you sick? Do you need medical help?" Concerned, the man reached for her door handle.
"No, Officer, just upset – I'll be fine. I'll move the car right now."
"Thank you, ma'am, I appreciate it. But if I see you sitting here again, I'll have to give you a ticket," he warned sternly before returning to his car.
"And a good day to you too," she whispered then broke down again, sobbing while starting the car. It took several tries before the old Buick station wagon fired up. All she needed was to get a ticket on top of everything else.
Ken, where are you when I need you? Oh, God, what about the kids? Checking the traffic, she eased into a gap in the oncoming cars. Not a confident driver in bad weather, she could only be worse when crying.
"Why can't I be one of those beautiful, delicate criers? Oh, no. I have to get big, red splotches and swelled eyes – and bellow like a sick cow." She cried even harder for several minutes before admonishing herself, "Now, stop this! You'll scare the kids." She worked to get a grip on her emotions.
Kenny and Rachael waited under the covered walkway, sheltered from the worst of the blizzard-like conditions. As soon as they saw the car pull into the circular school drive, they ran to jump in.
"Hi, Mom, Pete ate a bug today," Kenny greeted her as he fastened his seatbelt. Peter was Kenny's best friend and garnered admiration by such actions.
"Ick, gross..." Noelle gave him the expected response to elicit a chi
ldish giggle.
Rachael, beside Kenny in the back seat, made a face her Mom could see in the rear-view mirror. Meeting her mother's tear swollen eyes in the reflection, her daughter immediately wanted to know, "Mom, what's wrong? You've been crying. Are you missing Daddy today?"
A real Daddy's girl, Rachael had been hit hard by his death the year before and it took a terrible toll on her. She was much quieter than a seven-year-old should be.
"I always miss your Daddy, Sweetkins. But, no... I'm afraid I got some sad news today at work. We knew the job was temporary, but I thought it would last until Christmas. Today, they told me not to come back. Sales are way down and they can't pay me anymore." As a matter of fact, the jerks are trying to get out of paying me the last check they owe me. But, she wouldn't share that burden with her children.
"Will we have to move again?" Kenny grinned at her with a gap-toothed smile. "I wouldn't mind – I hate old, Mr. Rossi." The highly active five-year-old had regular run-ins with the cranky building manager for running and shouting in the hallway.
"It's not nice to hate anyone," Noelle told him automatically, even though she understood and fought feeling the same way. "And… Well, I don't know yet what we'll do. Let's just get back to the apartment and find something warm and filling for supper. Do either of you have homework?"
"Not me," piped up Kenny. "Can I watch TV when we get home?"
"I suppose," Noelle answered absently, still thinking of what to do about a job.
Noelle's concern grew as the snow fell faster, and she drove slower and slower. If this kept up, the kids wouldn't have school tomorrow. That meant no way could she go out to look for a job, either. Thankfully, there were a few groceries in the kitchen, but the rent was due again. She just mailed an electric bill that should have paid to light up half the city, only to find a new bill slipped under her door when she got home yesterday.
There was no way she could leave the heat turned lower. Nagging constantly, she made sure the kids flipped off everything they could to save power, but it didn't seem to matter. The old building was too drafty. The heat the antique ceiling coils provided swept right out with the wind blowing through the cracks.
Finding Love the Hard Way Page 4