His other arm came around Shannon and he set his spurs to the big gray. Sugarfoot took off down the slope at a pace just short of reckless. As far as Whip was concerned, it was much too slow, but common sense told him otherwise.
It was only a few minutes until they reached the cabin, but Shannon’s shivering was worse by then. If it hadn’t been for Whip’s strong arms holding her in the saddle, she wouldn’t have been able to stay on.
Prettyface was waiting patiently by the cabin door.
Whip dismounted, lifted Shannon off, and carried her to the cabin. Despite her shivering, she hung on to the venison as though it was life itself.
«I wish to God you had as much sense as you have sheer grit,» Whip said as he kicked the cabin door open.
Prettyface shot through the opening. Shannon shivered violently and said nothing.
It was dead cold inside the cabin. A fire had been laid in the stove, waiting for a match to bring heat and life to the room.
Prettyface didn’t mind the lack of warmth. He simply went to his corner and stretched out on a ragged saddle blanket with a groan of pleasure.
Whip put Shannon on her bed, threw the bearskin blanket over her, and went to light the fire in the stove. His hands were so cold that it took several tries before he could hold and strike a match without breaking it. Once touched by the match, flames caught and held very quickly.
That wasn’t fast enough to suit Whip. He was bigger than Shannon, he hadn’t been in the water as long as she had, and he was damned cold.
It took Whip five tries to light the lantern. When he turned toward the bed once more, his glance fell on the dry goods cupboard that led to the hot spring.
Without hesitation Whip went to the bed, scooped up Shannon, grabbed the lantern, and went through the cupboard to the darkness beyond. The warmth of the cave was like a benediction.
Whip set the lantern on the wooden box that served as a table. Golden light spilled over everything as Whip took off Shannon’s soaked boots, the bearskin blanket, and the jacket he had wrapped her in. Ruthlessly he stripped off her clothes, ripping the old cloth in his haste to get her free of its icy folds.
Shannon neither spoke nor focused her eyes on Whip while he undressed her. She simply shuddered convulsively, repeatedly.
«Shannon, can you hear me? Shannon!»
Slowly her eyes focused.
Whip let out a breath of relief.
«You’re going to have a nice, warm bath,» he said. «Then all the shivering will stop and you’ll be fine. Do you understand?»
Shannon’s head made a motion that could have been a nod. Her teeth chattered audibly until she clenched her jaw.
«That’s it, honey girl. Keep on fighting the cold. Don’t let it put you under.»
As Whip spoke, he wrenched off his own soaked boots and clothing. Moments later he carried Shannon into the pool. The broad bench Silent John had chipped and hammered out of stone was too shallow for Whip to get warm water up as high as his breastbone, but it was just right for Shannon.
When Shannon was on his lap, the water came up to the hollow of her throat. The hot spring swirled gently around Shannon, engulfing her with heat.
Breath hissed through Whip’s teeth at the touch of the water. Though he knew it wasn’t really hot in this part of the pool, for the first few moments the water felt like fire against his chilled skin.
«Are you all right?» Whip asked. «Does this hurt you?»
Shannon shook her head.
For a time there was only the soft hiss of the lantern and the subtle currents of warmth drawing the chill from their bodies. Whip’s arms surrounded Shannon, holding her upright against his chest while she shivered.
Whip could tell when Shannon’s brain started to thaw out. Though she was still shivering, she stiffened and tried to draw away from him. His arms locked, holding her against his chest.
«P-Prettyface,» she said.
«Prettyface is fine. Hell, he’s better off than you are. No need to jump out and check on him. You’re still cold enough to shiver icicles. Stay put until you’re warm.»
Shannon didn’t argue. It was too much effort to speak. She simply nodded.
But she didn’t rest against Whip’s chest again, either. She was remembering all too clearly how he had pushed her away the last time she had been close. She wasn’t going to put herself in that position again. It had hurt too much.
It still hurt.
Whip’s mouth settled into a tight line that had nothing to do with being cold. He had liked the feeling of Shannon leaning on him. He had liked the gentle weight of her on his chest and the fragrant silk of her hair brushing against his shoulder with each shift of her body.
But when he tried to draw her dose again, she stiffened and pushed away.
After a time the hot spring won out against the chill left by the icy meltwater. Shannon’s shivering subsided and her body slowly relaxed.
Whip could tell the precise instant when Shannon’s skin thawed out enough for her to recognize what he had known ever since he climbed into the pool with her — they were both naked.
«Let me g-go,» Shannon said stiffly.
«You’re still shivering.»
A tremor went through her that had nothing to do with cold.
«I’m f-fine,» she whispered.
«Good,» Whip said coolly. «Then maybe you can tell me what the hell you were doing floundering around the countryside when you should have been snug and warm andsafein your bed?»
«Hunting.»
«I figured that out. What I didn’t figure out was why.»
Shannon’s head came up. For the first time she saw Whip’s eyes. For all his outer calm, he was furious.
No news in that, Shannon told herself. Seems like he’s been furious with me ever since I admitted to loving him.
«Why do people usually hunt?» Shannon asked.
«Do you think I’m such a bastard that I won’t hunt for you?»
Shannon’s surprise showed dearly in her wide sapphire eyes.
«Of course not,» she said.
«If I hunted for you, would you take what I gave you?»
«Yes.»
«Then why in the name of God were you out hunting?» Whip demanded.
«You won’t always be here to hunt for me, so I have to learn to fend for myself.»
«You would do one hell of a lot better fending for yourself with Cal and Willy.»
«By your estimate, yes.»
«But not by yours,» he retorted.
«Not by mine,» she agreed. «Besides, I can’t just walk out on Cherokee and Prettyface.»
«Prettyface would warm to the ranch.»
«Cherokee wouldn’t.»
«How do you know?»
«I asked first thing after I got back.»
It was Whip’s turn to be surprised. «You did?»
Shannon nodded.
«I had a long time to think about how sad and angry you looked when you rode off,» Shannon said simply. «I decided I could go back and — and try — try living someone else’s life.»
