by Toby Neal
Cash took two long strides to stand over her, and she cringed in fright. He immediately squatted, regretting his sudden movements, and gazed at her with his hands dangling between his knees. Sunshine’s face was pearly white in the gathering dusk. “You got away from wherever you were, and you’ve survived this far.” Cash reached out, gently tilting her chin up to look into her eyes. “You’re going to be fine, Sunshine, especially once you’ve had some of my gourmet freeze-dried cooking and a night in the luxury hammock.”
She laughed, and it made him smile. Reluctantly he dropped his hand, sadness seeping into him as his fingers left her smooth, warm skin.
He wanted to touch her more.
An hour or so later, the bland but nutritionally sound meal in their bellies, Cash lay in his sleeping bag as Sunshine hung in the hammock. The moon wasn’t out yet, but stars pierced lightning-bug holes in the sky overhead.
Cash stared at the hammock, dipping low with her weight, just a dark shape against black night. For the first time he could remember, Tiny had refused to warm him under the tree and instead parked herself beneath the hammock.
Cash couldn’t leave Sunshine.
She was helpless, and someone was after her. Human traps were rare, and if he hadn’t set her free, that net would have yielded her up for capture.
Tomorrow he'd offer to take her to the Haven with him. She needed care for her psychological and physical wounds. He could think of no one better able to heal her than his amazing, capable, ass-kicking Mama.
Just the thought of Mama hugging Sunshine tightened Cash’s chest with a strange new feeling he couldn’t identify.
Tiny had chosen to rescue her, and what Tiny wanted, Tiny got. Cash always obeyed his dog. Yeah, he’d drop Sunshine off at the Haven ,where she’d be safe and cared for. Then he could go on his merry way. Not his problem.
Resolved, Cash turned onto his side, facing her. Peace and immediate sleep came with his decision made, and the unbroken song of crickets in the deep woods.
Chapter Five
Dwight
The cut net dangled empty from the tree. Anger welled, pressing against the swastika scar that spanned his chest.
She’d got away. Again!
Her booted footprints had left with a man’s even bigger print. Some stranger had taken her captive.
The paw prints of a large dog and a tuft of brown fur fluttering on a branch warned Dwight to approach with stealth and caution.
He had to get her back.
The couple’s trail headed deeper into the wilderness preserve—nothing but forested mountains and streams for hundreds of miles in that direction.
“Boss, whatcha wanna do?”
Dwight turned toward his men. Three soldiers stood behind him: shaved and tattooed, knives and guns holstered at their waists, belts of ammo crisscrossing their chests. One of the men slapped his neck and scratched a fresh bug bite.
“Follow their tracks.” Dwight ground his teeth, fury deepening his voice. The men nodded and headed in the direction the pair had taken.
Dwight followed, his mind turning the problem around and around.
The men’s feet thumped as they crashed through the brush. The noisy clods would make a surprise attack impossible, especially if his sister’s companion had a dog. Dwight’s soldiers were pure, white brothers, but dumber than a bag of corn.
Breeding some smarts into the next generation was just one of the reasons Dwight had to get his sister back.
“Stop!” He shouted. The men turned to him and Dwight smiled, his eyes raking over them. It made more sense to use the skills his men did have. “We need a different approach. Something bolder.”
The three soldiers nodded, their eyes lighting up.
They might be dumb, but they had their uses, and they loved destruction.
Chapter Six
Woman
She woke feeling someone’s hands on her shoulders. The woman screamed and lashed out, nails connecting with flesh.
“Sunshine!” The man released her, but she continued to struggle. She was surrounded by something, caught, being held in place. Then she flew through the air and landed hard on her side. The woman got her hands and feet underneath her and was scrambling away when she heard Tiny’s bark.
The sharp sound brought her back to reality. Her eyes shifted back and forth, searching the forest, as she struggled to catch her breath.
“Sunshine, it’s okay. It’s me. Cash.”
She focused on his voice. His form appeared out of the darkness: tall and broad, friendly and kind. She wanted to throw herself onto Cash and feel his strong arms wrap around her as he whispered that everything was okay.
But she balled her hands into fists instead. They’d just met. She was not his woman to hold and comfort.
She belonged to someone else.
The woman shivered, her body rebelling against the harsh voice in her head.
She belonged to no one but herself.
A swastika had been burned into her scalp, but Sunshine did not share the hateful philosophy it represented. Her body revolted at the notion, confirming her own truth.
“I’m sorry. I was confused.” She stepped back from Cash.
“It’s okay, Sunshine. But we need to go.”
The nickname he’d given her filled her with warmth. He thought she was like sunshine. How sweet. How wonderful. How she wished it were true.
“Why do we have to leave?” Dark forest surrounded them, and he’d said they should rest. Sunshine glanced up at the sky. Cloud cover blotted out the moon and a stiff breeze tinged with the scent of smoke chilled her.
“Forest fire.” Cash moved past her and started unhooking the hammock tent. She’d thought it was attacking her, and flipped out of it onto the ground.
Real cool.
Sunshine hurried to get her boots on and help pack up what little remained of the camp. Everything fit easily into Cash’s backpack. He slung it over his shoulder and held out his hand for hers.
A thrill ran through Sunshine. She’d loved holding Cash’s hand yesterday. She’d prayed that he was a nice man and he was! So far her body’s instincts about Cash had proved to be right. When they touched, she didn’t feel lost and alone, even without her memory.
Sunshine put her hand into his, and he tucked it in his pocket again. She smiled. Cash held her hand tightly, like he would never let her go.
But that was just Sunshine’s imagination. He’d said he was a firefighter, and that it was his job to help people. She wasn’t special to him and she needed to remember that.
Off in the distance, above the trees, a spooky orange glow lit the sky as Tiny led them down an animal trail.
“We need to hustle.” Cash’s grip tightened. “Are you up for a little run?”
“Okay.” The few hours of sleep she’d gotten hadn’t refreshed Sunshine. In fact, she felt stiffer than before, her muscles tight and cold. Every cut and scrape on her body stung and throbbed as they jogged through the forest, her long skirt tangling in the brush.
She needed some darn pants.
Sunshine stumbled over a tree root, but Cash caught her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, carrying some of her weight as they pushed forward. Sunshine sucked air into her burning lungs, willing her sore ankle to hold out just a little longer. Cash’s warmth lent her strength as she heard the fire crackling and roaring behind them. Sunshine turned to look back. An orange glow bloomed where there had been darkness.
Cash picked up the pace, jaw tight, eyes focused on the barely-visible path ahead. Sunshine heard the rush of water just before they broke through the trees to the edge of a river.
Not the same stream she’d drunk at yesterday. The water was much higher, rushing between rocky banks.
“My God. How are we going to get across?” A tree floated by, ripped from its roots during a storm, and now caught in the quickly moving water.
“There must have been serious rain in the mountains.” Cash nodded as if to himself. “W
e’ll have to swim.” He glanced behind them, and Sunshine followed his gaze.
She saw flames in the trees, and thick black smoke belched into the night, rushing toward the sky.
Cash caught her gaze and held it steady. “You can do this, I promise. I’ll be right here with you.”
Sunshine nodded, her body telling her that he was right. She could swim, and Cash would help.
Cash led her to the water’s edge and then bent down to untie her boots. “I’ll carry these in my waterproof pack. You should, uh…” he cleared his throat. “Take off your dress so there is nothing extra to weigh you down or get caught up in.”
Sunshine began to unbutton the dress, her hands shaking with adrenaline and fear, as she kicked off her loosened boots. Cash removed his own hiking boots as the clouds parted. The water swirled, black and dangerous. The smooth stones on the bank glistened in pale blue moonlight. The river looked like a dark, hungry monster that wanted to swallow her whole.
She looked over at Cash as he took off his shirt. The smooth, toned muscles of his back shone under the same pale light. His chiseled body took her breath away for a moment. He was beautiful.
A surge of gratitude rushed through Sunshine.
She didn’t know her own name, and yet here in the moonlight, while fleeing from a fire, she felt lucky to have met this amazing man.
Cash unbuttoned his pants, his eyes focused on the task. Sunshine slipped her dress off her shoulders, letting it fall over her hips to the ground.
She was all soft curves and rounded edges while Cash was hard angles and ripped muscles. Her gaze found his, and their eyes locked.
Sunshine felt a throb starting deep within. She burned with desire at the sight of him, still wearing his boxers. The way Cash looked back at her stoked the fire in her belly even more.
He gazed at her like she was something special, something he wanted very much.
Cash broke away first, crouching to stuff his clothing into the backpack. He held out his hand for her dress and boots, the corded muscles of his arm highlighted in the moonlight. She passed the items over, and he fit them into the bag. Then he hefted the pack onto his shoulders, tightened the straps, and reached for her hand. “Ready?”
Sunshine nodded. They stepped into the water side-by-side, the freezing river rushing over their feet. Goose bumps rippled up from her toes, and she shivered as a hot breeze thick with smoke fanned over her back.
The fire was coming.
Tiny ran out ahead of them, wading in up to her chest before she began to swim.
A crashing sound came from the forest to their left. Sunshine screamed and plastered herself to Cash’s side, pulling his arm tight to her body with both of hers.
A herd of deer broke from the forest, ten or more of them flying out of the woods to plunge into the water, the whites of their eyes rolling in the light of the moon.
They were terrified of the fire.
The herd hit the deepest part of the river, swimming, and Sunshine released Cash’s arm. She took a step away but still clutched his hand.
“Sorry.” She stared down at her feet, submerged in the icy water, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. What an idiot. Who was afraid of deer?
“Don’t be. I’m here for you. I’ll keep you safe.”
Sunshine peeked up at Cash who smiled at her reassuringly. She nodded, and they continued into the water. The currents pulled at her, but Cash pushed Sunshine forward, the water rising to her thighs, then her waist. Her teeth chattered from the chill, her abs contracting and skin pebbling with goose bumps.
The deer made it across, their bodies glistening as they emerged from the water on the far bank. They leapt into the woods, disappearing as quickly as they’d arrived.
“See, there. No problem.” Cash shrugged. “If the deer did it, we can too.”
Sunshine was nothing like a deer. She didn’t have their grace, strength or stamina.
The rocks were slick. As the water rose to Sunshine’s chest she lost her balance, falling forward, her head slipping under the icy waves. Cash’s arm clamped around her bare waist, clasping her close under the water as he hauled her up against him. She gasped for breath when her face broke the surface. He was hard and warm, and saving her again.
“We’re almost there.” His steady voice lent her strength.
The water reached Sunshine’s neck, and she lost touch with the river bottom, her feet paddling as she clung to Cash with both arms. His grip tightened around her waist and hip, almost bruising, but nothing like what she’d experienced from other cruel hands. Cash kept her from floating away, holding her close because he cared and wanted to help her.
He was a good man.
Tiny reached the far bank and climbed out of the water, shaking her thick coat. Spray flew almost comically in all directions as her loose hide flapped back and forth.
Sunshine felt pebbles under her feet again, and her toes reached for them. Cash’s arm stayed around her as she got her footing. The water slowly receded, but Cash didn’t let go even as it lowered to her waist and she could have walked on her own.
She glanced over at him and gasped to see that he was looking down at her breasts. She followed his gaze. The matronly bra had become completely sheer and her nipples, peaked with cold, distended the transparent material.
Sunshine shivered as Cash’s hot gaze roamed her body, then lifted to meet her eyes. He looked away abruptly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, uh, stare at you like that.”
“I don’t mind.” The words popped out of her mouth, her body speaking its truth. Cash shook his head as they walked up onto the bank. He released her and cold instantly filled every warm place he’d touched. Sunshine shivered uncontrollably.
Tiny shook again, spraying water on them as Cash dropped his pack well above the waterline. The dog’s head, with its round ears and lionlike ruff had stayed dry and fluffy, but the rest of her coat clung to her muscular body. Sunshine laughed. “She looks ridiculous.”
Cash chuckled, too. “She is ridiculous.”
It felt so good to laugh. Sunshine’s body told her she hadn’t laughed in a long time. Cash unzipped his backpack and pulled out her dress, still completely dry. She took it from him. “So cool that your bag is waterproof.”
“Yeah, I come prepared. I have a towel you can use to dry off. Hold on.”
Cash passed her a camping towel made of thin, soft material, like a chamois. Sunshine ran it over her body, tracing her generous curves, keeping an eye on Cash. She secretly hoped he’d notice, but he kept his focus on rearranging things inside his bag. She handed the towel back to him, wrapping her arms around herself.
Cash dried himself, still not looking at her. Meanwhile, she enjoyed watching him briskly rubbing his gorgeous body, wishing she dared offer to do his back.
Sunshine’s bra and panties were totally soaked, and it didn’t make sense to put a dry dress on top of them. She turned around and unclasped her bra, sliding it down over her arms, letting her large breasts hang loose. Cool night air brushed over her sensitive skin and she shut her eyes, imagining Cash touching her with his hands, his mouth. Heat bloomed between her thighs as she pulled on the dress, dropping it down over her hips. She reached under the skirt to remove the wet panties.
She glanced up and Cash stared at her. She faced him and he turned around quickly, but not before she saw his body’s reaction to her nakedness. The urge to reach out and touch him almost overwhelmed her. She wanted to lay her palm against his chest and feel his heartbeat under her fingers, feel his lips on hers, their bodies twined together. She had little memory, but her body told her she’d never been so attracted to someone in her life.
A gust of hot wind blew a bit of ash into her eyes, breaking the spell, and Sunshine looked back across the water. The fire reached almost to the tree line, and thick smoke billowed into the air, blotting out the moon. The width of the river kept the flames from spreading further.
The water would keep them safe. Than
ks to Cash, she was still alive.
“How do you think the fire got started?” She asked Cash as he dressed, keeping her eyes on the blaze.
“I’m not sure. It could be other refugees.”
“Refugees?”
Cash looked over his shoulder at her as he pulled on his hiking pants.
“I forgot. You don’t know.”
“What do you mean? What don’t I know?” The frown line between Cash’s brows made Sunshine’s heart race. Whatever she didn’t know was something bad.
“I think we should talk about it later. It’s a long story.” Cash buttoned his pants and took a step toward her, still shirtless. He pushed unruly hair off his brow and held her gaze. “I’m worried about the fire. It’s probably man-made because of the velocity and trajectory, and it could have been set by the people chasing you, trying to flush you out. We need to keep moving in case it is.”
Cold dread hit her stomach like a punch.
She knew what it felt like to be punched in the stomach.
“Hey.” Cash stepped close. His body radiated heat, but Sunshine kept shivering. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Sunshine looked up at him, tears blurring her vision. “I’m scared.”
His mouth pinched together as if in pain as Cash pulled her into his arms. Sunshine’s head fit right under his chin, her nose at the apex of his collarbones. He smelled like the river, coppery and wild. He stroked the back of her neck and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist.
“Listen.” Cash’s voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating through her. “I’m on my way to Idaho, where my family has a safe compound. I think you should come with me.”
“Really?” Her lips moved against his bare, smooth, salty skin. She wanted to lick it, taste it. She wanted to explore every fascinating scent and texture about him. Slut! A voice, familiar and yet not, shouted in her mind. Sunshine shut her eyes hard to block it out.
“Yeah. My Moms is a great cook, and my sister-in-law is a doctor. They can help you.”