Chapter 14 #2
Genna didn’t want to be a party pooper, but she clearly wasn’t as fit as Parker. He hiked for a living, while her exercise routine consisted of riding her Peloton bike. She’d always considered herself in pretty good shape, but this uphill hiking took things to another level.
“Here we are,” he announced, turning a slow circle with his arms outstretched. “My favorite meadow.”
More of a clearing than a meadow, the grassy area sat nestled in between a rock wall on one side, forest on two others, and the sloping hill that led to the cliffs on the fourth.
There was more than enough area to pitch a tent, build a fire pit and set up some chairs.
A small, weathered wooden building had been built near a grove of trees.
Close to the place they’d stopped, someone had already made a stone fire pit, the circle large enough for a decent fire.
“I should’ve brought marshmallows,” she impulsively said.
Glancing at her, he grinned. “I did.”
Unable to keep from smiling back, she sighed. “What about bears?” she asked, slightly nervous.
He looked up. “As long as we don’t keep food out, they tend to leave us alone. The shed comes in handy for that, too.”
“Food.” She swallowed. “I didn’t even think to pack any of that. What did we bring to eat? And please don’t say we’re going to forage for berries and mushrooms and edible plants.”
“You stole my line,” he teased. She loved the way the sun made his blue eyes sparkle. “I thought we’d fish for our dinner and eat from the endless bounty that nature provides.”
Dismayed, she stared at him. “You’re kidding, right?”
He held her gaze, expression serious. “It’s fun and easy, I promise.”
Though she had a feeling she’d be going hungry tonight, she reluctantly nodded. “I guess I’ll just have to trust you.”
“If you weren’t carrying JB, I’d hug you right now,” he said. Which made her want to set her little dog down, which she wouldn’t just yet. She wanted to thoroughly check out the area for snakes and any other kind of menace, before letting JB set her little paws on the ground. On a leash, of course.
“Maybe later,” she said. Then, as he tilted his head and drank her in with his eyes, she amended her statement. “Definitely later.”
“I’ll say.” Setting his pack on the ground, he began removing what she guessed must be the tent. “Do you want me to help you set up?” she asked.
“Sure.” He continued unpacking. “By the way, I was kidding about foraging for our meals. I brought food. Most of it’s in cans, which the bears can’t smell. Nothing fancy, but enough to fill our bellies. And if we catch any fish, I can clean them and fry them up.”
Thinking of a fish fry, her stomach growled. She’d picked at the spread at the cookout, too nervous to sit down and do justice to the repast.
“You didn’t eat earlier?” he asked, his brows raised.
“I tried.” She shrugged. “I actually got kind of busy socializing. I did grab a pulled pork sandwich and some pasta salad, but that was early on. All this exercise has made me work up an appetite.”
His smile widened. “Me, too,” he said, the husky thrum in his voice making her think he wasn’t talking about food. Flushing, she ducked her head, which made him chuckle again.
After getting everything laid out in the spot he’d chosen, Parker showed her what he needed her to do to help.
The tent, once spread out, looked a lot bigger than she’d expected. “This is really nice,” she said, finally clipping June Bug’s leash on and setting her on the ground. Immediately, Revis ran over and sniffed his friend before bounding off, eager to show her around.
Aware of the leash, JB glanced up at Genna, as if pleading to be set free. Since Genna wasn’t willing to do that, she decided she’d take her little dog to follow Revis once they were done.
Her assistance mostly consisted of her standing around and holding poles up while Parker hammered pegs into the ground. June Bug, clearly bored with the entire situation, laid in the grass and watched them. Revis returned and sat down next to his little friend.
Once the tent had been set up, Parker thanked her for helping and immediately got busy doing other things.
“I’m going to take June Bug to go potty,” she told him.
“Okay,” he replied, looking up from where he’d begun stacking firewood for them to use later.
“Don’t go too far. And stay close to the path.
There are quite a few cliffs up here and if you wander off the trail, you could easily take a tumble before you realize the danger.
Over the years, we’ve had more than a few hikers take nasty falls. ”
She nodded, eyeing his growing woodpile. “I’ll keep that in mind. Do you want me to bring back any branches or anything if I find some?”
“If you see any good ones in your path, sure. Otherwise, I’ll just keep foraging. There seems to be no shortage of them right around us, in the woods close to the camp, so there’s no need to go out of your way.”
After double checking the leash onto JB’s collar, Genna waved at Parker and walked away. Luckily, even out here in the flatter area, the trail looked well defined and she stuck to it. Revis ranged ahead, but little JB trotted a few paces away.
Glad she’d had time to rest from the hike, Genna glanced around. It might only be her imagination, but the air felt clearer, the sky seemed bluer and the sun warmer. She felt…lighter, somehow.
As Parker had promised, out here in the wilderness she felt like she could look at things differently. As if her burdens had fallen away when they’d left civilization behind. When she got back to camp, she’d thank him. Imagining his reaction made her smile.
Despite the beauty and the sense of peace, she stayed alert and continually scanned the woods around them. She kept her bear spray handy, tucked into her pocket. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to use it.
June Bug seemed eager to explore. Genna smiled as she watched the little dog trot ahead of her, pulling slightly on the leash. Revis made joyous circles around them before bounding ahead and disappearing momentarily from view.
As they so often seemed to do these days, her thoughts circled back around to Parker. She’d never felt closer to another human being. Her feelings had slowly blossomed over time. Now she couldn’t imagine life without him.
Love. A word that, until recently, had only meant anguish, pain and bitterness. She’d thought she’d never trust her heart again. But Parker, sexy, kind Parker, had showed her there was another way.
Damn it, this had become more than next-level physical attraction. The sparks that blazed between them at even the slightest touch, the way his kiss rocked her all the way to her core. And the lovemaking. Oh, hell. She’d never had lovemaking so intense, so…perfect.
She loved the man. She just hadn’t said it out loud. Because she wasn’t sure he felt the same way. And if she scared him off…well, she thought losing him might just destroy her.
JB wandered off the trail and Genna followed her, careful to only let her go a few feet as she remembered what Parker had said about the cliffs.
Above, in the tree canopy, birds sang and flitted from tree to tree.
She’d hoped to see some smaller wildlife, a rabbit or a deer, but figured Revis crashing through the underbrush probably scared them off.
Again, she wondered how Parker would react if she told him how she felt. Just trying to imagine made her stomach ache.
Maybe it would just be better to keep going the way they’d been. Day by day. Hoping that once her stalker was caught and she returned home, she and Parker would continue to see each other.
Behind her, a sound. A twig snapping. Heart skipping a beat, she spun, canvassing the woods for signs of wildlife. JB whined. Quickly, Genna scooped her up, holding her close, ready to run if she needed to.
Revis returned immediately, panting. He came to Genna for a pet, sniffed JB, and then continued his exploration. Since he didn’t seem alarmed, she relaxed slightly. But decided it was time to return to camp.
Turning, she and her two canine companions went back the way they’d came.
At camp, she saw that Parker had up two chairs around the stone fire pit and had piled a neat stack of wood inside for later. The door to the storage building sat open, and he’d pulled out what looked like a small grill or cook stove.
Spotting Parker, Revis gave a happy woof and ran over to him, plumed tail wagging. Parker dropped down to his haunches and gathered his dog close to him. “He’s a good boy,” he crooned, which made Revis wiggle his entire body with joy.
JB watched all this, tilting her little head. Genna realized, to her little dog, Revis was family. The notion made her chest tight.
Something of her thoughts must have showed on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Parker asked, looking up from his dog.
“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “I just enjoy how much you love Revis.”
Getting to his feet, he shrugged. “About the same as you love your June Bug.”
She decided to tell him the truth. “Honestly, I’m having a hard time letting go of what happened earlier. Breaking into my house is one thing, but breaking into yours is another. And messing with our dogs…” Swallowing hard, she tried to tamp down her still-simmering rage.
“I’m going to level with you. I’ve had enough of this stalking nonsense,” she told Parker. “Whoever is trying to terrorize me has finally gone too far. I want them caught.”
Watching her, he slowly nodded. “I agree. What are you thinking?”
“Simple. We set a trap. Pretend to be gone but one of us—likely me—stays hidden in the house. If we can catch them in the act, it’ll all be over.”
“Maybe so, but that could be incredibly dangerous,” he cautioned. “I don’t think it’d be safe at all.”
“Maybe not, but the thought of losing our dogs made me physically ill. This has gone on far too long. I’m going forward with my plan, with or without your help.”
He studied her for a moment. “Then I insist that I be the one who stays behind. Not you.”
Instead of arguing, she shrugged.
“Tell me this first…” He asked, “What’s the plan once we catch them?”
“Turn them over to the authorities,” she answered promptly. “I will definitely be pressing charges.”
“Can we let this go for now? It bothers me, too, but the entire reason we came up here was to escape from all the stress of what was going on back in town.”
He had a point. “I’ll try,” she promised. “I actually feel better now that I’ve let you know how I feel.”
“Good.” Crossing over to her, he kissed her. Not on the mouth but on the cheek.
Bemused, she considered asking for more, but decided there’d be time enough for that later. After all, they were sharing a tent.
Now that her heartbeat had slowed, she once again looked around them. Surrounded by nature, the sheer beauty of this Alaskan wilderness would be enough to calm even the most stressed-out psyche.
“I’m letting it go,” she promised.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Moving away, he grabbed a battered, plastic tackle box, opened it and looked through it. Then, apparently satisfied with what he’d found, he closed it up and stood.
“This looks great,” she said, gesturing at their campsite. “Like something out of a camping magazine. One of the ones we keep in the waiting room at headquarters.”
Her comment made him beam. “Thanks. I really think you’re going to enjoy this experience.”
She almost told him she knew she would. She had everything that she could ever want and need right here.
“What’s on the agenda for the rest of today?” she asked, dropping into one of the chairs, still holding JB on her lap.
“There is no agenda,” he answered. “That’s the entire point in coming up here. Just relax and do whatever feels right.” He blinked then grinned at her. “It’s all very Zen.”
Startled into laughter, she leaned back and closed her eyes. “Maybe I’ll just sit here and rest,” she said, covering a yawn with one hand. “I also brought along a book I’ve been dying to read. I can do one or the other.”
“Enjoy,” Parker said. “Revis and I are going fishing. You’re welcome to come if you want.”
Shaking her head, she waved him away. “I’m good. I hope you catch something. I’m looking forward to that fish fry you promised earlier.”
His short bark of laughter made her smile.
“I’ll be back,” he said. “The river isn’t too far away, but I probably won’t hear you if you holler for me. Please call or text if you need anything. But only if it’s urgent.”
She loved that he tacked that last sentence on. “What could be urgent out here?” she said and then thought of bears and wolves and even an angry moose. Pushing those images out of her head, she watched until he and his dog disappeared from sight.
“You never know,” Parker replied. “Just be careful. Cell service is iffy at best.”
Once Parker and Revis had left, she glanced all around the campsite one more time, just in case. All quiet, all calm. And still rustic. One deep breath and then another. She leaned back, exhaled and closed her eyes again. Slowly, she felt all the tension leaving her body.
JB felt it, too. Still curled in Genna’s lap, the little dog began to quietly snore.
In the peace and quiet, she must have dozed off. A loud crash from somewhere in the woods startled her awake. JB jumped down and, completely disregarding the leash trailing after her, took off in the direction of the sound, barking urgently.
“June Bug!” Genna jumped to her feet, grabbing for the leash. She missed. Calling for JB, which the dog ignored, she ran after her. Heart pounding, she hoped and prayed the little minx wasn’t pursuing something dangerous.
Leaves and twigs cracked under her feet as she ran.
JB had crossed the hiking path and run down the first of several inclines.
Aware she had to be careful—but also knowing she needed to catch JB before something awful happened—Genna kept going.
Holding on to saplings, skidding down the slope and praying she didn’t fall as she followed the sound of June Bug’s frantic barking.
Whatever this was couldn’t be good.
Finally, she caught sight of her dog. JB had stopped in one spot, though she continued barking at something hiding in the brush. As Genna drew closer, a chill raced up her spine. The spot where JB stood appeared to be mere feet away from the edge of a particularly steep drop-off.
“Baby girl, come here,” Genna begged. She wished she had some dog treats or something she could use to lure JB to her. Still barking and intent on whatever she’d found, the little dog ignored Genna.
Moving slowly so she didn’t startle her pup, Genna crept closer. All she could do was hope whatever JB had cornered wasn’t something big and vicious.
A shape stepped out from behind the tree. Genna gasped. “You!” That was all she got out before they grabbed her and shoved her off the cliff.