She plucked it from his hand before he could feed her again. “Definitely better than a granola bar.”
His nostrils flared and his gaze dipped down to her lips as she took a bite. She coughed to keep from choking when he licked his lips.
“You okay?” He pounded her on the back.
She ducked away from his hand. “I’m fine. Stop beating me.”
He rolled his eyes and plopped a piece of rabbit into his mouth. When they were both finished eating, he disposed of the carcass and covered the fire with dirt. He started to slide the knife into his boot, but instead he reached out and took hold of one of her boots, tugging her foot toward him.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“I don’t have an extra gun to give you, but you should have something to defend yourself. Just in case.” He made a slit in the stitching at the top of her boot and slid the knife inside. The handle stuck out just enough to grasp.
She reached down and pulled the knife out, then slid it back in. She was impressed at his handiwork, and humbled that he trusted her enough to give her a weapon. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He climbed to his feet and tugged her up to stand with him. “Let’s take that bath now.” He grabbed the backpack and threw it over his shoulder, pulling her behind him.
If she’d still been eating, she would have choked when he gave her a slow, sexy wink.
The stream he took her to looked like a slice of heaven. Birds chirped in the trees overhead. The sunlight made the water sparkle like tiny diamonds as it gurgled over the rocks. Water sprayed into the air, creating an enchanting mist that gave the place an ethereal quality.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice low and reverent.
“Breathtaking.”
When she turned to look at him she realized he was looking at her instead of the stream. She tried to think of some sassy retort, but her brain seemed stuck in befuddled mode. Ryan took mercy on her and led her to a shallow part of the stream. The water was clear, no more than a foot deep.
He set the backpack on the dry bank, pulled out a change of clothes for himself, then one for her, along with shampoo and two bars of soap. “Will ten minutes be long enough?” he asked.
She nearly drooled when he handed her the shampoo. “I guess so. Where are you going?”
“To bathe. Unless you want me to stay here with you.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Before she could figure out how to respond, Ryan winked again and disappeared into the trees.
Jessica stared after him, not sure what to think. But then she realized she’d already wasted one of those precious minutes he’d given her, so she hurriedly stripped.
The cold air had her shivering in no time, but she was too relieved to be out of her filthy clothes to care. The idea of submerging in a cold mountain stream was daunting, but she desperately wanted to be clean. Before she could talk herself out of it, she hurried into the water, sucking in her breath at how cold it was. Her teeth were chattering as she quickly lathered her hair.
She washed her clothes, too, and dunked her entire body in the frigid water, gasping in shock when she came up for air. Violent shivers shook her and her hands were numb by the time she was done. She grabbed her wet clothes and climbed out of the water. Without a towel to dry herself, she used her wet clothes to wipe the water from her skin.
Freezing to death seemed like a very real possibility right now. She dressed as quickly as she could in the extra shirt and jeans Ryan had given her, and put her jacket on. When the shivers became more bearable, she laid her old clothes out on some rocks in the sun to dry. She sat on another rock in the full sun, hoping her hair would dry soon, too, and trying to absorb some of the sun’s heat.
“Are you decent?”
She jerked around at the sound of Ryan’s voice, but she didn’t see him anywhere. “I’m dressed.”
A moment later he emerged from the cover of trees and sat next to her. He glanced at her wet hair before his gaze slid down her body, as if he could see everything hidden beneath her jacket. He seemed to tear his gaze away with effort before staring out over the water.
“Ryan, what’s going on?” Jessica’s frustration and confusion made her voice much harsher than she’d intended.
His face showed his surprise. “What do you mean?”
“Why are you acting as if you’re attracted to me all of a sudden? And you’re being so...nice. You haven’t called me city girl all morning. Why not?”
His jaw tightened. “You don’t like it when I’m a jerk. And you don’t like it when I’m not a jerk. Tell me, Jessie. How do you want me to act? Just say the word and I’ll do it.”
Jessica curled her hands into fists. “Stop it. Stop using that cute pet name as if you care about me. I know you don’t. You were quite clear about how you felt about me when we first met. Now you’re flirting and acting like you...” She clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head.
Ryan’s hair was wet, and a bead of water was slowly trickling down the side of his neck. Without stopping to think, Jessica reached out to wipe the drop of water away, but when her fingers touched his skin, he stiffened.
She snatched her hand back and jumped to her feet. “That’s the Ryan I’m used to, the one whose skin crawls if I get too close. Welcome back.” She turned and ran into the woods.
* * *
RYAN FOUGHT THE urge to call Jessica back. She needed a moment alone, and he needed the break just as much as she did. How could she have ever thought he was disgusted by her? Yes, he despised her past and the things she’d done, but he’d always wanted her. He’d lain awake most of the night, wanting her so much he’d finally decided to pursue her this morning, and let her know that he wanted her. Big mistake.
He grabbed a rock and threw it across the stream. He didn’t want to want Jessica, and he certainly didn’t want to care about her. But he couldn’t seem to help it. With the childhood she’d had, she had every right to hate and resent everyone around her. And yet, she seemed to genuinely grieve and feel responsible for the marshals who’d lost their lives protecting her.
Ryan didn’t know how he would have turned out if he’d grown up in the environment Jessica had. But part of him suspected he wouldn’t have been anywhere near the person she was. She was right. He’d been judging her all along, and he shouldn’t have.
Last night, her grateful declaration of thanks, for saving someone like me, had told him far more than she realized. Jessica didn’t think she deserved to be saved. And how was she supposed to feel differently when people like him constantly reminded her of her past?
He sat staring out across the water for several more minutes, but the confusing thoughts inside his head wouldn’t settle. And sitting here wasn’t going to resolve anything. It certainly wasn’t making Jessica any safer.
The terrain was getting so rough now that the motorcycle wasn’t the advantage it had once been. Using the bike meant they could only travel safely during daylight hours, so he could see the obstacles in their path, and so the bike’s headlights wouldn’t attract any attention. The man following them had no such restrictions.
No matter how many times Ryan backtracked or left false trails, he still caught occasional glimpses of their pursuer through his binoculars. This morning was the first time he hadn’t been able to locate the gunman, which had Ryan’s danger radar going into overdrive. Whether he could see the man or not, Ryan knew he was still out there, getting closer all the time.
It was almost as if the gunman knew where Ryan was going.
Chapter Eleven
“We’re out of gas.” Ryan gave up trying to restart the motorcycle. He hopped off and held the bike steady for Jessica.
She had mixed feelings as she slid off the seat. They’d spent the past two days alternating between riding the bike and pushing it, because the woods were so full of rocks and fallen trees that riding the motorcycle was sometimes too dangerous.
Still, even though her legs were wobbly, her rear end wa
s sore, and her lower back ached, she didn’t relish the idea of walking the rest of the way to wherever they were going.
“Don’t motorcycles get, like, a hundred miles to the gallon or something?” She nudged one of the tires with her boot.
“Not quite. But the tank wasn’t full, anyway. I had it drained before the Feds shipped it up here. The gas can I used to fill the tank the morning of the fire was only half full.”
“This is your motorcycle? I assumed the government leased you a motorcycle to use while you were up here, just like they leased me a car.”
“It’s mine.” His sigh sounded closer to a groan.
Jessica clucked her tongue in sympathy. “As far as we’ve gone, there has to be a road close around here somewhere. Can’t we just push the bike a little farther until we get to a gas station?”
“Oh, sure. I think there’s one right next to the Walmart around the corner.”
Jessica narrowed her eyes at him. “Throw in a smart remark about bears and I’ll kick you.”
Ryan opened his mouth to speak.
“In the groin,” Jessica promised.
He clamped his mouth shut.
“Okay.” Jessica tapped her hand against her thigh. “So, we ditch the bike...”
A pained expression crossed Ryan’s face. “I suppose I can hide it and come back for it later.”
Jessica cocked her head and studied the bike. She didn’t notice anything particularly special about it. It wasn’t all that big. It wasn’t even a pretty color. Red would have been nice, or maybe even blue, but it was black. Mostly chrome, with a little black paint thrown in like an afterthought.
“So, ah, what kind is it?”
“Harley-Davidson Nightrod.” Ryan’s voice held a note of reverence as if he were in church. “Twelve-fifty cc, multivalve, fuel-injected engine. It’s a crime to treat her the way I have, taking her off-road, bumping around on the trails.”
“Your bike is a female?”
He cocked a brow. “I could so make you blush right now, but I’ll take the high road.”
Her face flushed hot, anyway. “Are we taking the bike with us or not?”
“We’ll leave the bike. Just give me a minute.” He walked the motorcycle a few feet away and laid it against a tree.
“When I called Stuart this morning,” he said, as he turned back to her, “he told me about a forest ranger cabin not far from here. We might still be able to make it before nightfall if we hurry. I’m sure you’d enjoy sleeping in a real bed for a change.”
The cabin sounded like heaven, but Jessica couldn’t resist teasing him one last time. “I don’t know.” She waved her hand toward the bike. “Are you sure you can leave her behind? What if she gets lonely?”
“I don’t suppose anyone has ever accused you of being a smart-ass.”
“Why? Are you calling me one?”
He rolled his eyes. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Ryan started hiking at a fast pace, making Jessica pant to keep up with him. She vowed if she ever got back to civilization again, she’d thank her Zumba instructor for pushing her so hard back when she used to take a formal exercise class. She’d kept up her exercise routines even back in the safe house, so she was in pretty good condition, but she was still struggling to keep up.
Ryan took mercy on her, slowing down until they fell into a stride that suited them both. Jessica was even more grateful now for the hiking boots Ryan had given her. She was still blister free, and her feet were toasty warm.
When the path widened enough for them to jog side by side, Ryan slowed to a walk to let Jessica rest. He took advantage of the downtime to teach her how to leave as few tracks as possible. He showed her the best places to step, to look for the harder surfaces and stay out of the dirt. He taught her to backtrack to confuse anyone following them. And he showed her how to be whisper quiet, avoiding dry leaves or twigs that would snap and give away her presence.
He asked her questions about her past, about growing up in foster care. He asked her about her college days, and seemed surprised when she spoke about her volunteer work with special-needs children.
“What made you want to work with the kids?” he asked.
She frowned and thought about it. “I’m not sure. I guess, maybe, because I could kind of identify with what they were going through. I knew how it felt to be picked on, or for other people to assume things about you, all because of something beyond your control.”
“You mean, because of your parents?”
“Yes. I didn’t choose to have bad parents, but I had to live with the stigma of what they’d done. Those kids didn’t have a choice, either.” She glanced away, feeling uncomfortable with him staring at her as if he was trying to figure her out. “Heck, I probably did it more for me than them. They gave me something I’d never had before, something I’d craved for so long.”
“What was that?”
“Unconditional love,” she whispered, her throat tightening. She took off in a jog, hoping the cool air against her face and the exercise would help her get her emotions back under control again. The longer she was around Ryan, the more she seemed to open up about her past and the more emotional she was getting.
Ryan easily caught up to her and jogged beside her in silence for a while. When he spoke again, he didn’t ask her more questions. Instead, he shared stories about his own past, entertaining her with tales about the many pranks one of his brothers liked to pull on some of their cousins.
Soon Jessica was laughing right along with him. She sighed wistfully. “I think I’d like your family. Just how many cousins and aunts and uncles do you have?”
He pressed his lips together as if deep in thought. “Don’t know,” he finally said. “A lot. Our family reunions usually fill an entire floor of the Motel 6 down the street.”
She gave him a droll look. “Motel 6?”
“Kidding.” He winked.
She shook her head. “What was it like growing up on a ranch? Did you grow corn, or tobacco or what?”
“Now you’re kidding, right?”
“No, why?”
“It was a horse ranch, not a farm. We bred horses. Still do. A lot of work, but rewarding, especially during the summer when my parents host camps for troubled teens. My mom calls it horse therapy. My dad calls it tough love. He believes that giving a kid responsibility and making him work hard will make him a better person, and make him appreciate what he has.”
She was surprised to find out they both had something in common in their past. “Sounds like you enjoyed working with kids, too. Kids who needed you.”
“I did. Still do. I always take a few weeks off every summer to go back and help out with the camps. I go home every Christmas, too.” He grinned. “For the Motel 6 reunion.”
“I’ve always wanted a family, a big family,” she said wistfully. “But that will never happen.”
“Why not? You can make your own family.”
She shook her head at that nonsense, ruthlessly squelching the longing that sprang up inside her at his words. “I couldn’t bear putting a family in danger, always fearing DeGaullo might find me someday and hurt the ones I love.”
Ryan glanced at her sharply. He fell silent as he jogged beside her.
A few minutes later, Jessica slowed to a walk and Ryan slowed along with her.
“I’m hungry.” Jessica tried for a lighthearted tone, desperate to break the tension that had settled over both of them. She wiggled her nose in an imitation of a rabbit. “Got any more of that yummy Thumper in your backpack?”
He smiled. “Ah, no. Fresh out, sorry. How about a granola bar, instead?”
“Yum!” She rubbed her tummy, and they both laughed.
It was late afternoon when Ryan called a halt for their dinner break. Jessica collapsed on the ground beside a tree while Ryan dug out the usual granola bars and water.
“When can we have another rabbit?” she grumbled as she took a bite of her granola bar.
“Have
n’t seen any. How adventurous are you?”
She glanced at him suspiciously. “Why?”
“Ever eaten squirrel?”
“No. And I’m not going to. I don’t eat rats, either, which is basically what a squirrel is. I’ll stick to the granola bars, thank you very much. How many more do we have?”
“Enough for one more day, if I don’t catch us something before then. I promise I won’t let you starve.”
“How much longer do you think we’ll have to hide out?”
“Hard to say. I’ll call my boss once we reach the cabin, see how the investigation is going. This deep into the mountains, the cabin should be self-contained. It will have a propane tank, and a fresh-water well, which means you’ll have plenty of hot water for a shower.”
A flare of excitement shot through Jessica at the mention of a shower, but it wasn’t enough to help her keep her tired eyes open. She fell asleep dreaming of fluffy towels and soft beds.
* * *
JESSICA WAS WARM all over, cozier than she’d been in days. She snuggled against the source of the warmth, yawned, opened her eyes...and looked directly into Ryan’s deep blue ones.
He was leaning back against a tree and she was sitting in his lap, facing him.
Heat flushed through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She gave an awkward laugh, not quite sure how to extricate herself without making the situation even more embarrassing. “What did I do, fall asleep and crawl onto your lap?”
“I picked you up. You were shivering.”
“Oh. Well, thanks. I think.” Her face flamed as she thought about Ryan scooping her up while she was sleeping and settling her in his lap.
She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up, but he grabbed her waist, holding her still.
“You don’t have to go.” His voice was a deep, sexy whisper.
Jessica froze. Ryan reached out and swept her hair back from her face. The naked hunger in his eyes was undeniable this time. Her belly tightened in response.
He must have seen her answering hunger, because his eyelids went to half-mast and he slowly bent his head toward her.
The Marshal's Witness Page 10