Josh (26 page)

“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.

She clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait to see what these hills will look like by morning.”

“Believe me, they’ll look a whole lot better from inside a snug, dry tent.” He set about assembling their campsite inside the shelter of the small cave, which gave them double protection.

Sierra helped him finish setting up. While Josh adjusted the small heater, she began moving their supplies inside. In no time they were warm enough to remove their parkas and stretch out on their bedrolls.

As Josh began to close the tent entrance, Sierra put a hand over his. “Do you mind leaving the flap open? Just until I’m ready to sleep? I want to watch the snow.”

For the longest time they sat together, watching the snowflakes drifting past the entrance to the cave, until the ground outside their sheltered haven was no longer visible beneath all that white.

“Why do you love the snow so much?” Josh watched her as she stared transfixed at the scene unfolding before them.

She shrugged. “I’ve never really thought about it. I suppose because I didn’t get to see much of it in England. Oh, there was snow. But it would fall and dust the grounds of our boarding school, and the next day it was melted. I have some vague memories of snowfalls from my childhood. Those deep, whipped-cream drifts that were such
fun to jump in, while my father held my hand. There seemed to be a lot of snow at our Christmas reunions. I was always so happy then, just to be with both my parents. Whatever differences they had, they were able to put them aside for a few days while we felt like a family.”

She turned pensive. “But it was all just an illusion. When the holidays were over, we’d go our separate ways. My mother with her latest guy, and my father with his latest love. Sometimes I wouldn’t hear from them again for months.”

“Is that when you stopped believing?”

His question had her turning toward him. “Believing in what?”

“In love.”

“Oh. That.” She dismissed it with a toss of her head. “My father said it’s like a snowstorm. All soft and pretty for awhile. But then it melts away, and all that’s left is a puddle that dries up until there’s no sign it was ever there.”

She stifled a yawn. “I guess I’ve watched all the snow I can tonight. I just hope it’s still here in the morning.”

“Trust me.” Josh watched as she secured the tent entrance before dropping down beside him. He gathered her close to whisper against her temple, “It’ll still be here for you to enjoy.”

Weary from the climb, and sated from their earlier lovemaking, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms as they drifted into sleep.

Josh listened to the soft, easy breathing of the woman beside him and lay watching her as his mind drifted back to her first night at the ranch. He’d thought at the time that she was a beautiful, carefree butterfly who had escaped
her unusual childhood unscathed. Now he knew better. Though she hid her wounds beneath a cheerful façade, there was painful scar tissue.

She had a real issue with trust. Obviously the ones she’d loved the most had let her down too many times. Now she was convinced that the only way to protect her heart was to lower her expectations.

What must it be like growing up without anyone to confide in? He thought about his own childhood. Despite the terrible loss of his mother, he’d always had his father, his grandfather, and, later, Phoebe to turn to. And throughout the years, they had never let him down.

Sierra had been completely alone. Through a troubling childhood, throughout the terrible teen years, she’d been forced to trust only her own instincts. Whatever mistakes she’d made along the way, there had been no one around to share the burden.

No wonder she was so strong. So resilient.

No wonder she was absolutely convinced that no man could ever be true to his word. In her young life, no man ever had. All she knew was abandonment.

It was another reason why he wanted to hold her. To comfort her. To keep her safe.

Sierra awoke to an eerie stillness. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised by the light flooding into their tent.

She glanced at Josh, who lay beside her, his hands beneath his head, his gaze fixed on her.

“How long have you been awake?”

He smiled and reached for her, drawing her close. “Just long enough to watch you while you slept.”

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a
slow, delicious kiss that had all his nerve endings humming with need.

Suddenly she pushed free of his arms to sit up. “What’s that strange glow?”

His smile was quick and mysterious. “What was it you were wishing for when you fell asleep?”

“Oh.” She unzipped the flap and stared at the scene outside their tent. “Look, Josh. Snow. Tons and tons of glorious snow.”

“Yeah.”

He lay back and watched as she sprang up and lifted her arms wide, trying to take it all in.

“Look at these hills. Aren’t they a picture?”

“Not nearly as pretty as the one I’m looking it.”

“Oh you.” With a laugh she snatched up her camera and began snapping off pictures of the pristine snow stretching as far as the eye could see. “Look at it.” She motioned toward the trails, now covered completely, and the mounds of snow that topped every tree, shrub, and rock. “Come on. We have to walk in it.”

“Why?”

“Because there isn’t a single footprint in it yet. No bird tracks. No rabbit prints. No deer or fox or elk. We’ll be the first creatures in the universe to leave our prints in this brand new snowfall.”

She lowered her camera and began pulling on her hiking gear.

“Wouldn’t you like some breakfast before you venture out into the cold?”

“How can you think about eating at a time like this?” She slipped her arms into her parka. “I don’t want to waste a minute.”

“What about our camp? Do you want me to pack it up, or would you rather spend the day hiking and return here?”

She paused to give it some thought. “Why don’t we leave our gear here, and hike to the next peak before turning back? Then maybe we could spend tonight here again before deciding whether to hike some more or head down.”

He shrugged. “That makes things easy. I’ll just secure our gear so we don’t return to find some hungry bears enjoying all our good food.”

A short time later, as he joined Sierra outside the tent, with a pocket full of dried beef and some corn bread tucked in his pocket, he shot a last, hungry look at the portable cooker and thought about the breakfast he’d planned.

There was always tomorrow, he consoled himself.

“Come on.” Sierra was already sprinting ahead. “Last one to the top of that peak fixes supper tonight.”

Josh led the way up the trail and caught Sierra’s hand as he helped her over a snow-covered log.

“You getting tired yet?”

“Not at all. Oh.” She pressed a finger to his lips and pointed toward the herd of deer feeding from the low-hanging branches of a stand of evergreens.

With a smile she snapped off several pictures before one of the deer alerted the others to their presence. Within minutes the entire herd had blended silently into the surrounding woods, leaving only their deep prints in the snow to show that they’d been there.

Sierra took aim and captured the prints in several more quick shots.

“Why do you want pictures of deer tracks?”

At Josh’s question she turned. “I can see this in my mind. First I’ll show the prints leading to the woods, and then some pictures of the herd, and then another photo of the prints leading away. I think I’ll label the entire set of photos ‘Guests On The Mountain.’ ”

He could see it exactly as she described it, and nodded in approval. “You have a gift, Sierra. A clear vision.”

She felt such a warm glow of pleasure at his words. “Do you really think so?”

“I do.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “And when your agent sees these, he’ll have no trouble getting a gallery to showcase that talent.”

“Oh, Josh. From your lips…”

As she continued moving out ahead of him, he felt a sudden tingling at the base of his skull. As though someone were watching.

He turned and scanned the frozen landscape.

Except for their footprints in the snow, there wasn’t a single sign of another human.

Footprints.

This snowfall had made them as transparent and vulnerable as if they were holding up flashing neon signs. Anyone interested in tracking them needed only to follow their trail in the snow.

Still, if someone were tracking them, there would be other footprints in the snow.

And who would be tracking them?

Josh struggled to shake off the feeling of dread that had taken over his mood. It didn’t make any sense. After all, weren’t they free of any worry? Everett Fletcher had assured them that Sebastian Delray was thousands of miles away from here.

Still, the feeling persisted as he followed Sierra higher into the hills.

Over the years, whether climbing a mountain in search of a lost hiker, or charting a trail of his own, Josh had come to rely on his mental agility as much as his physical prowess. Early in life, he’d learned to follow his instincts. And right now, all of his instincts were telling him that there was some unseen danger lurking. If not human, it could very well be animal. There were countless animals in these parts that could pose a threat to unsuspecting hikers.

Up ahead, Sierra’s laughter rang out on the clear, crisp air.

Her mood was as light as his was dark.

Despite his misgivings, he vowed to do or say nothing that would spoil her obvious joy.

But, he reminded himself, as long as this feeling persisted, he intended to remain alert and vigilant.

He found himself wishing he hadn’t left the rifle back at their campsite.