CHAPTER FOUR
Nat looked over her shoulder to see Flip and Spook seated around the campfire.
Men! Why did they all believe that women were helpless, fragile creatures? She had been on her own longer than either of them and certainly knew a few things about survival. No, she wasn’t some big, badass military guy; no, she hadn’t saved hundreds in far-off countries; no, she didn’t have a weapon other than her own hands, but dammit, she knew how to take care of herself.
Even as she said the words in her head, she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, briefly contemplating going back to ask for Flip’s support. He was right. She was still just a small woman with the ability to light fires. Someone could restrain her and her hands, and she’d be left defenseless.
Shaking her head, she stood at the door to the bathhouse and hesitated.
What if there were men inside or men who tried to get in? She hesitated again and then opened the door. Silence filled the bright space. She noticed that all the showers had individual doors that locked. There was the first space where you could undress and set your things so they wouldn’t get wet. Then it was the shower space. Feeling a bit relieved, she chose one near the door and quickly undressed, setting her things on the bench.
Nat relished in the feel of the hot water soaking her road-weary body. The sudsy shampoo smelled of coconut and wildflowers, and she inhaled deeply, letting the warmth wash over her body as quickly as the water sluiced away the suds.
When she was feeling clean and refreshed, Nat pulled on her favorite pair of yoga pants. Well, to be honest, they were her only pair of yoga pants and a big sweatshirt. No real need for a bra out here since her breasts were rather small anyway. At least, that’s what she’d been told.
If Flip were considered a novice dater, Nat’s experience was nearly non-existent. She had no dating history to speak of other than a disastrous encounter with a man in Waco, TX.
She remembered every detail of pulling into the shop with her motorcycle making a strange sound she’d never heard before. He was the mechanic assigned to fixing her motorcycle and asked her to dinner. Alone and hungry, she thought, ‘why not.’
The ‘why not’ would have been because he was a complete dickhead. Anywhere he could grab, he grabbed. He was so fast she barely felt it when he unhooked her bra and gripped her breast so tightly she screamed.
His scream followed closely behind her own when she burned his hands so badly he had to be treated for third-degree burns. Nat left town before the police could question her, but it was her first and last encounter with a man. She’d learned, mostly through romance novels, how to make herself happy and felt she was more than capable of continuing if forced.
Her wet hair hung down her back, and she opened the door of the bathhouse only to slam into a man. A very unfamiliar, very dirty, very scary man. She barely got a glimpse of the greasy hair and full beard.
“Ex-excuse me,” she stuttered, trying to shuffle around the man. His large body blocked the doorway, pushing her back inside.
“No worries, beautiful,” he said, grinning through the most disgusting teeth Nat had ever seen. “Why don’t you come back in and join me?”
“No thanks,” she said nervously, “my boyfriend is waiting for me.”
“Your boyfriend, huh?” he said, looking over his shoulder. “I don’t see nobody.” He gripped her wrists tightly, and Nat screamed, hoping Flip would hear her.
“Now, now, baby, don’t scream. This is gonna feel real good.”
He pushed her back into the same shower she had exited, and Nat kicked out, missing his groin but hitting his knee hard. He shoved her hard, hitting her head against the tile of the shower.
She shook her head, her vision blurry and fuzzy from hitting her head. She searched for something to grab to steady her body. Feeling the heat rise in her hands, she gripped the man’s calf and heard him scream out.
“You fucking whore! What the fuck!?” He looked down at the blistering, red skin of his calf in astonishment.
She scrambled to her feet, her vision still swimming from the hit on her head. Hiding her hands behind her back, she hoped he would not see the flames rising from them. It didn’t seem to matter. He was determined to come after her. Just as he reached for her, the door splintered, and Flip entered the shower room.
“Get lost, buddy. She’s mine!” said the man over his shoulder.
“I don’t think so, asshole. She’s mine,” said Flip through gritted teeth.
He moved closer to the man, gripping his neck with his huge beefy fingers, flinging him across the bathhouse. His head and shoulders cracked the tile as he hit the wall with the force of Flip’s throw.
“Are you okay?” asked Spook, reaching for Nat’s hand. She pulled back, fear filling her blue eyes, making Spook even more angry.
“I-I can’t,” she said, looking at his hands and seeing her own in flames.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” he said gently, “you wouldn’t hurt me. It’s okay.”
She reached out, and the flames disappeared immediately. Somehow, he had known what she did not. Her flame would disappear if it were someone she trusted. Nat had never experienced trust before other than with George and the elderly couple at the cabin. This was her first taste of what trust and faith looked like with her gifts.
Flip lifted the man again by the throat, his face purple, his eyes bulging from their sockets.
“Let’s make this clear,” said Flip through gritted teeth, “You will never touch another woman unless she asks you. If you do, I will personally hunt you down, slice you to pieces, and feed those worthless pieces to every bear in these woods. Do I make myself clear?”
The man nodded, gasping for air, and without even an effort, Flip flung him through the splintered doorway.
“I think it’s time you left,” said Spook, looking down at the man.
The man nodded, staring at Nat and then back at the big man.
“You… you’re witches! You’re all witches!” he gasped, rubbing his neck and throat.
“That’s right,” said Nat, smiling. “I’m a witch, and my mission is to burn every piece of shit man like you at the stake.”
Flip and Spook could barely contain their laughter as the man ran as fast as he could toward his trailer. Within five minutes, he was packed up and leaving in a dust cloud.
Spook and Flip flanked Nat on either side, walking calmly back toward their own campsite as if nothing had occurred. Flip’s big arm wrapped around her shoulders, making small circles to warm her shaking body.
Nat lowered herself onto the big log bench facing the fire. Sitting quietly, she wiggled her fingers through the long strands, shaking out her wet hair.
Flip said nothing but sat silently beside her, poking at the embers, ever vigilant. He knew that she would break down at some point, and he was waiting… waiting to be there for her.
Spook disappeared into his tent, knowing that the two needed time together. It wouldn’t really matter anyway; he would hear everything being said whether he wanted to or not. Damn! He thought. I could have been making millions by taping cheating couples. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. Not really his thing.
“I-I thought… I…” tears welled in her eyes. She sucked in a huge breath of air and finally let it go, her tiny shoulders shaking violently, her face buried in her hands.
It was more than Flip could handle. Lifting her from the log, he sat her in his lap and rocked her gently back and forth as she sobbed. Hearing the familiar sounds of a female crying, Spook’s face appeared from the tent, and he sat across from the two of them.
“It’s okay, honey,” said Flip quietly, “it’s okay. We were here the whole time. We heard you scream.”
Spook nodded at the big man and gave a small smile to Nat, who could only cry harder.
“I-I know, but I should have acted so-ooner,” she hiccupped. “I shouldn’t have been so s-stubborn. I should have… I should have let you come with me. I’m so sorry!”
“It’s all good, Nat,” said Spook. “Sometimes, we just have to figure out what we’re capable of. That’s all. Just know that we’ll always be here for you and that you don’t have to take on everything yourself. None of us will ever have to do this alone again.” Nat smiled at Spook as he stood once more and left them alone.
“I’m so sorry, Flip. I should have listened to you,” she sobbed against his chest. He smelled of smoke, woods, and meat. But more than that, he smelled safe. It was a masculine scent she’d never experienced before.
“Baby, there is nothing for you to be sorry about. It’s all good now. Did he hurt you?” She shook her head and looked up at him, his huge brown eyes staring down at her, filled with pain and guilt. “Good, I’d hate to have to chase him down and kill him.”
“You’re a special man, Flip. You got there in time, Flip. You were there for me. You’re so special, Flip, so very special.” She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes, her nose red and running in a very unlady-like manner.
“Yea? I’m not sure that’s a good thing, Nat. I’m a mess. Hell, I think we’re all a mess, but you? You, baby, are the most beautiful mess of us all.”
She looked up at his big brown eyes. The thick veil of black lashes that most women would kill for shadowed his cheeks in the firelight. He rubbed his thumb along her chin, tilting her face upward.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Nat. So, please, don’t set my big ass on fire.”
A light tilt at the corner of his mouth told her he was joking, and she watched as his beautiful lips lowered to her own.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, smiling against his mouth.
His warm full lips touched hers hesitantly at first and then with hunger and desire. Nat wrapped her hands around his neck and realized in that moment how very small she was compared to Flip. He lifted her, repositioning her on his lap, and immediately, she knew why. Something hard and rigid was poking her backside, and he was trying to be a gentleman.
His hands held firmly to her waist, and then a strong arm wrapped around her back and pulled her closer. He let the other arm slide beneath her legs and stood.
“I’m going to lay you in that tent over there,” he said breathlessly. “If you want me to lay beside you, I will. If you prefer to be alone, I’ll sleep in the tent with Spook.”
She looked up at him and then back at the tent. She knew she wouldn’t be far from him, but right now, being any further than five feet was too far for her.
“I think… I think I’d prefer a little company in my tent,” she said softly.
Flip nodded and moved toward the two-man tent. He kneeled and unzipped the door, and Nat slid inside. Crawling into the small space, Flip zipped the tent flap and laid down on the ground beside her. His long body stretched out, his feet touching the zipped door flap, his head touching the other end of the tent.
Nat lay on top of the sleeping bag, Flip’s big body sending off heat like a small space heater. The cool night air would normally have her shivering beneath the covers, but not with this man beside her. She watched Flip’s massive chest breathe deeply, up and down. He was trying to be a good boy, a good man, and she smiled at the thought.
“I think I might like you to be a little closer,” she whispered.
He moved a few inches closer, and she moved a few inches. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped one massive arm around her waist, pulling her tight against his body.
Flip was so big. Bigger, somehow, the closer you got. He wasn’t all rigid muscle but rather bulk and muscle. Most would describe him as barrel-chested. Built like a lumberjack instead of a bodybuilder, but he oozed alpha male and protection.
“Closer,” she whispered. She could feel the heat seeping from his body like her own personal furnace, and she smiled.
“I’m trying to do the right thing, Nat.”
She lifted up on one elbow and kissed him sweetly, shoving back a thick shock of his long black hair.
“Then do the right thing, Flip.”