back smile. The warm brown eyes that were as comfortable and welcoming as her favorite armchair.
And about as exciting.
She scowled. All right, so maybe he wasn’t as thrilling as Cade, but he’d make a great husband, wouldn’t he?
Still frowning, she tugged on the leash and resumed walking. In any case, she wasn’t looking for excitement this time. She wanted stability. She’d loved Cade passionately, but she’d been lonely without him. And it was far worse when she’d discovered she was pregnant.
Cade had been out on a fire, of course. And she had been so excited. She couldn’t wait for him to come home so she could tell him the news. So they could celebrate. She was sure he’d quit smokejumping so they could raise their child together, and create the family she’d always desired.
But instead of coming home, he’d veered off to Alaska. He’d sounded cheerful when he’d called to tell her. Excited. Lightning was striking all over and he’d get plenty of overtime pay.
And she’d felt hollow, betrayed, as if she were nine years old again and that ship had turned around.
She’d started cramping that same night.
Her stomach curled at the memories. The shocking gush of blood. The panic and fear. The terror of lying alone in that starched white hospital bed, her husband a thousand miles away.
God, she’d been scared. She’d needed Cade desperately, and he’d been off fighting fires. And when she’d left the hospital, no longer pregnant, drowning in depression and grief, she simply couldn’t go on. God forgive her, but she couldn’t make herself go back to that empty apartment. She couldn’t face the loneliness, the sadness. And so she’d left.
She sighed, unsure how to explain all that. How to tell Cade that he’d had a child, however briefly. And that she couldn’t cope when it died.
Just then, a plane flew overhead, and she squinted up toward the sky. White wings flashed through the pines and then they were gone.
Cade waited for her to catch up. “That’s the recon plane. They’ll check for a landing spot, too. With any luck they’ll pick us up soon.”
Which meant their time together was nearly over. And she still hadn’t told him about the baby. She cleared her throat. “Cade, I need to…”
Suddenly, a rabbit bounded across the road, flushed from the woods by the plane. It darted across their path in a fleeting zigzag, then disappeared through the trees.
A blur at her side caught her attention, and she turned her head to look. The dog bolted forward. The leash abruptly tightened and yanked her into the air.
Unable to catch her balance, she pitched forward. Her knee slammed into the ground, and she lost her grip on the leash. Gravel gouged her palms as she skidded along the road, and then her shoulder smacked the earth, knocking the wind from her lungs. She let out a muffled cry.
“Oh, hell.” Cade ran over and crouched beside her. “Are you all right?”
She rolled to her side and groaned. “I’m fine. Just embarrassed.” Of course, the dog would chase the rabbit. “I should have seen that coming. And I can’t believe I dropped the leash.”
Cade grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. She rotated her aching shoulder. “I’m just bruised.” But her knee throbbed. She glanced down and grimaced. “So much for my favorite jeans.”
“Let’s see.” Cade squatted before her. Using his good hand, he parted the torn fabric. His finger stroked the periphery of the scrape, sending chills over her skin. “This doesn’t look good. Can you walk?”
She bent her knee, felt the pain, and shook it off. “I’m fine.” But her palms stung. She wiped them on her jeans.
He rose. “Let’s see your hands.”
“They’re all right.”
“Jordan…”
She sighed and held them out. Gravel and dirt were ground into the shredded skin.
Cade grasped one wrist to hold it steady. “Does it hurt?”
“No.” She wasn’t lying. The warmth of his strong hand had driven out any pain. And suddenly, all she could feel were the rough calluses on his fingers as he stroked her wrist, and the answering leap of her pulse.
He moved closer, bending his head to examine her hands, and her gaze traced his strong tanned neck, the blond stubble lining his jaw. He’d removed his hard hat, and his short hair gleamed in the light.
He looked up and scanned her face. “Looks like you hit pretty hard.” He reached out and brushed her cheek. Her breath backed up as his fingers traced a path along her cheekbone, running thrills over her skin. Then he gently cupped her neck.
Her heart stopped.
His eyes narrowed, and he turned perfectly still. Tension arced between them. The familiar pulse of desire.
And suddenly, she wanted to kiss him, to feel that hard body lock against hers, those insatiable jolts of desire. To taste the bliss, the fire, even just for an instant.
And he wanted it, too. She saw the hunger in his eyes, the answering need. Her gaze fell to his mouth.
But he dropped his hand and stepped back. “We’d better get you cleaned up,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ve got bandages in my first aid kit.”
He turned away, and she hissed out her breath. What had just happened? Why had he stopped? She’d seen the desire in his eyes, just as she had on that rock.
It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. She should be grateful that he’d drawn back. She had no business kissing Cade, no matter how exciting he was. That road led only to pain.
“Forget it,” she said, determined to be as practical as he was. “We need to find Dusty first.”
“After that trick? I’d say we let him go.”
“Don’t tempt me.” He turned to face her, and she managed a shallow smile. “That was dumb on my part, though. I should have figured he’d chase the rabbit. I wasn’t thinking.” At least not about the dog.
And as a result, she’d lost him.
Cade pulled the canteen from his bag and strode back toward her. “Hold out your hands.”
“I’d rather wait-”
“I got that part,” he said, sounding impatient. “But at least we can rinse them off.”
“They’re not that bad.”
“Humor me.”
She sighed. Knowing it was useless to argue, she extended her hands.
He poured water on her palms, and the sting made her suck in her breath. “That’s good.” She pulled her hands back and shook off the water, then blotted her palms on her jeans.
“Let’s see your knee.”
She pulled a tissue from her pocket and held it out. “Just pour some water on this and I’ll clean it off. I can do a better job later.”
Cade dampened the tissue, and she quickly swiped at her knee. Blood oozed from the cut, but she didn’t tell him that. She would wait and bandage it later, after they’d found Dusty.
Her apprehension rising, she stuffed the tissue in the trash bag. Then she scanned the forest, hoping for a glimpse of the dog. Dense pines blocked the view on the downhill side, while above them, a tall chain-link fence edged the road.
She blinked, amazed she hadn’t noticed it before. Of course, her mind hadn’t been on the scenery. “Where did that fence come from?”
“The mine.” He stuck his canteen in his bag. “The entrance is probably ahead.”
“What kind of mine do you think it is?”
“Could be anything.” He picked up both bags and started walking. “Silver, coal, gold. Maybe vermiculite.”
“What’s that?” She limped beside him to keep up.
“A mineral they use in insulation. There used to be a big mine near Libby.”
She absorbed that fact, impressed by how much he knew about these mountains. Of course, he’d grown up in the state and spent his spare time outdoors.
But that wouldn’t help them find Dusty. Growing anxious, she whistled and scanned the woods. Surely the dog
