Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) (104 page)

Chapter 17

Jana stretched her sore limbs, and opened her eyes. Bright sunlight filtered through the canopy of lodgepole pines. Their warm rays couldn’t keep her from shivering. There was a definite chill in the early morning air. The loud chirps and calls of countless forest birds announced the new day. After seven nights of sleeping on nothing but bare ground, she thought she would be used to it by now. No such luck. Her aching body parts reminded her of her soft mattress back home.

All things considered, she and Dan had been fortunate so far with the weather. A few afternoon thunderstorms that blew quickly through the mountains had been their only inclement weather. Hovering under some dense spruce trees had been enough during those times to prevent a thorough soaking.

A loud crackling and fizzling sound caught her attention. Dan was up and about before her, as usual. Although he couldn’t provide the soft comfort of her bed at home, he did keep her quite warm at night. They no longer slept at opposite sides of the campfire. When he had casually suggested on their first night since leaving the group of Indians that it would serve them both better to sleep together for warmth, Jana had raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Dan’s arms shot in the air in a mock defensive posture. A purely devilish grin had spread across his face. “I’ll keep my hands to myself. Scout’s honor.”

To her utmost surprise, he’d remained true to his word. She remembered her heart pounding in her chest that first night, wondering what to expect. Would he kiss her? Would he stop at just a kiss? Would she be able to stop?

Lying down beside her, he’d pulled her up against him, and wrapped his arms protectively around her. He’d told her goodnight, and lightly kissed the top of her head. For hours, she’d lain there, unable to fall asleep while his breathing was slow and rhythmic. The relief and simultaneous disappointment had kept her awake into the wee hours of the night.

Jana’s mixed emotions were thrown even deeper into turmoil over the next three days. Dan had apparently taken her comment that he was moving too fast to heart. Plain and simple, he’d kept his distance. An occasional light touch on her arm followed by a warm smile, or a supportive hand on her back to help her up a steep hill or particularly difficult climb was the extent of his affections. True, he held her in his arms each night, but he may as well have been hugging his backpack to him for the lack of affection he showed her. He seemed completely indifferent.

As the days went by, Jana’s frustrations grew. She longed for his kiss, for the smoldering looks of desire in his eyes, even as she told herself repeatedly that she preferred this casual relationship. She often wondered if he’d changed his mind about her. Perhaps he liked his women to be more forward, and the fact that she told him to slow down might have been a complete turn-off for him.

With a loud groan, Jana pushed herself off the ground. A delicious smell wafted to her nose, and although it was a familiar smell, she couldn’t quite place the food that would give off such an aroma. She looked up to see Dan squatting by the fire, his little backpacking pot sitting on a flat rock near the flames. She blinked to focus her sleepy eyes, and gasped. Dan’s t-shirt was torn at the shoulder, and stained with blood, the red in sharp contrast to the white of the cotton. She scrambled to her feet, and hurried to his side.

“Dan! What happened to you?”  She touched his arm, trying to find the source of the bleeding.

He looked up, a wide grin on his face. “I was getting you some breakfast,” he said.

Jana’s eyebrows drew together, and she shook her head slightly. “Breakfast? Wha –”

He pointed to the pot. “Not exactly restaurant quality, but I made you an omelet.”

Her confusion grew. “Omelet? Why . . . how,” she sputtered. Dan stood to his feet.

“Three days ago, you wanted an omelet,” he reminded her with a casual shrug of his shoulder.  “I couldn’t provide you with one then, but I did this morning. Well, if scrambled eggs and some dried meat count as an omelet.”

Jana could only stare at him. He remembered her wishing for an omelet? Dan leaned forward, his forehead wrinkling as he looked at her expectantly. “I hope you haven’t lost your appetite for one.”

Too stunned for words, Jana tried to gather her thoughts. The sudden sensation of warm water lapping at her, seeping into her and wrapping itself around her heart filled her. Here she was, out in the vast wilderness with this rugged outdoorsman, jokingly asking for her favorite breakfast food several days ago, and he’d taken her words to heart and answered her wish.

“Yes, yes of course. I mean, no . . . I haven’t lost my appetite.” She tried desperately to find her voice.

“There’s coffee in the cup. I’m afraid we’re almost out.”

Jana looked up at him. She raked her teeth across her lower lip. “Thank you, Dan,” she said softly, and stepped up to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, intent to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. He flinched, and inhaled sharply. Jana quickly pulled her hand away, and jumped back.

“Oh, my goodness,” her hand flew to her mouth. “I forgot about your arm. What happened?” She lifted the torn fabric of his shirtsleeve, gently prying it away from a nasty gash in his upper bicep. The blood had dried, making the shirt stick to his skin.

“Goose,” he said, glancing down at his arm.

“Goose?” She shook her head in confusion. “Sit down, let me clean that,” She pushed him toward a downed log. “That looks nasty.”

“So was the goose.” Dan held up his hand. “Eat first,” he said. “I don’t want my efforts to go to waste.”

Jana shot him a stern look. “Dan, if that gets infected . . . even a small injury can cause severe problems out here in the wilderness. You should know that.”

“Yes, Nurse Evans,” he said, a teasing note to his voice. “Eat your eggs, then I’ll let you doctor me up.”

Jana reluctantly did as he asked. She savored every bite, and even though it lacked cheese and salt, and was otherwise a far cry from a normal omelet, these were the best eggs she’d ever eaten.

****

Dan watched Jana enjoy her meal. She sat cross-legged by the fire, and scraped out spoonfuls of egg from the pot. Her mouth closed around the spoon, and she groaned softly. Her eyes fluttered shut, and pure contentment was written on her face. He suppressed his own groan. Perspiration beaded his forehead when she languidly pulled the spoon from her mouth. He tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat to no avail. Unable to watch anymore for fear he would do something he might regret later, like toss that damn utensil she was making love to in the fire and kiss her senseless, he concentrated instead on a dung beetle as it crawled past his feet in the dirt.

 For the last three days, he’d been on the lookout for any kind of bird nests, so he could fulfill her wish for some eggs. She could have asked for a bison steak, and somehow he would have managed to bring down one of those massive beasts, just to give her what she wanted. He was convinced he would do anything for her.

What she clearly didn’t want was him. Her fleeting looks of desire and her response to his kisses left no doubt in his mind that she was attracted to him physically. However, she acted noticeably uncomfortable around him at times when he wanted to do more than talk about the weather or what the next great obstacle was that they had to navigate. The moment he tried to touch her, she clammed up. Telling him he was moving too fast had to be her way of saying she wasn’t ready for a relationship. She may have forgiven him for his deceit, but the rift between them was still there.

Would she ever be willing to surrender her heart to him? She’d told him to back off, and he had complied. Holding her in his arms each night to keep her warm had been pure torture. Pretending to be nothing more than her hiking partner ate at his soul. He just wasn’t sure how to bridge the gap between them. For now, all he could do was abide by her wishes, and simply be her friend and backpacking buddy.

Dan flexed his throbbing biceps. That gander had gotten him good. The stupid fowl had come out of nowhere when he finally found that nest of eggs hidden among some tall reeds near a pond that was a short walk up ahead. He thought he’d seen the pair of Canada geese on the water, but apparently that was the wrong pair. Geese were notoriously defensive of their nests, and if he had paid more attention, the protective male wouldn’t have gotten a good bite out of his arm. Dan had finally fought the bird off with several well-placed kicks. He didn’t want to harm the animal, but in hindsight, roast goose would have made a tasty dinner.

Jana set the pot down, and licked her lips. She glanced over at him, and the satisfied smile on her face made every gash and cut in his arm worth it.

“All right, where’s your medicine kit?” she asked, bending over the backpack. Without waiting for an answer, she unzipped the main compartment, and began to rummage through the pack. Seconds later, she produced a small red satchel with a white cross on it. She unzipped it and studied the contents with a critical eye. Finally, she pulled out some antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, and a bandage.

“I guess this will have to do,” she said, and sat beside him on the log. Without any fanfare, she ripped the shirtsleeve of his tattered t-shirt up to the seam along the shoulder, and began to clean his bruised and battered skin with the antiseptic. The alcohol stung, and Dan suppressed a hiss, fighting the urge to pull his arm away.

Jana’s eyebrows rose, and she shot him an amused look. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those men who turn into complete babies when they have a boo-boo.” She said the last part in an overly exaggerated baby voice.

“Maybe if you kiss it and make it better, I won’t cry,” he said slowly. She froze in her movement. Dan leaned forward, staring into her wide amber eyes. Fighting the urge to slide his hand behind her neck, pull her closer and press his mouth to her lips took all the self-control he possessed at the moment.  Jana fumbled for the roll of bandaging material in her lap.

“Just hold still so I can finish up,” she said, all humor in her voice from a moment ago gone. She dabbed some ointment on the gashes, and quickly wrapped the bandage around his arm. He rotated his shoulder when she finished, trying to work the growing stiffness from his injured muscle.

“Good thing I brought along my personal nurse.” He grinned, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air. Jana stood, and returned the tube of ointment to the first aid kit.

“Thank you for breakfast,” she said without turning to face him. Dan inhaled a deep breath. A quick death from an animal or Indian attack was preferable to the slow torturous way Jana was killing him. If he survived the remainder of the journey to Madison with his sanity left intact, he’d consider it a miracle.
It’s your punishment for your deception, Osborne.
Heaven stood right in front of him, but he was destined to burn in hell.

Chapter 18

“We should reach the hot springs sometime this afternoon,” Dan said conversationally after he’d packed everything, and spread the ashes from their campfire. Glancing around one more time to make sure he left nothing behind, he shouldered his pack. His arm throbbed in tune to his heartbeats, and he cursed himself again for not wringing that goose’s neck. He still had to come up with something to eat that night for dinner.

Jana stood ready and waiting to be on their way. Even though it was early morning, she looked tired already. He offered a wide smile, and set off heading west. They’d forded the Gardner River the day before, and he was glad to have that final major river crossing behind them. He’d been awestruck once again at the sheer number of willow trees near the river, outnumbering the cottonwoods and Rocky Mountain Juniper.

By late afternoon, after a strenuous hike to the top of a sagebrush covered sandstone hill, the first white glimmers of the famous Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces came into view in the distance. No wonder the first trappers called this place White Mountain. The terraces stood out in blinding white against the greens of the surrounding mountains.

Dan had wanted to reach the area sooner. For some reason, time ticked by much too fast and they covered little ground. His legs felt like lead anchors were attached to them, and setting one foot in front of the other became harder with each mile they put behind them. Jana didn’t say anything about his slow pace, but she’d cast worried glances at him from time to time.

Dan wiped his good arm across his damp forehead, and rivulets of sweat dripped into his eyes. A cool breeze kissed his heated face, and he wondered vaguely why he felt so hot all of a sudden. Clouds had obscured the sun for most of the afternoon, and dark thunderheads loomed in the distance to the west. The dull soreness in his arm from this morning had turned into a throbbing ache by mid-day, and each time he moved it even slightly, white-hot pain shot up and down his limb, radiating from his shoulder into his neck.

He eyed the thunderclouds warily, and judged the distance to the valley below, spotting large groves of cottonwoods and willow trees. They would provide much-needed shelter. He blinked, and squinted into the distance. Landmarks that had been in focus a moment ago were blurred all of a sudden.

“Dan, I’m not liking those clouds over there,” Jana said, echoing his own concerns. Her voice seemed far away, even though she walked right next to him. As if in answer to her words, lightning flashed across the horizon in the distance, illuminating the darkening sky. Seconds later, the loud rolling roar of thunder reverberated through the mountains.

“We have to get off this mountain, Dan.” Jana’s alarmed voice jolted him worse than the thunder. She was right. There was no shelter here, only isolated shrubs and junipers. His mind told him they needed to be somewhere less exposed, but his limbs just didn’t want to cooperate. He had a hard time concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other. His surroundings began to swirl, and Dan felt as though he was floating. His head throbbed painfully, and he touched his hand to his temples.

“Dan?” Jana’s voice echoed in his head. Cool, soft hands touched the skin on his face. “Oh, dear God, you’re burning up.” He heard the words, but they didn’t register in his mind.

“Dan, listen to me. You have to move faster. We need to get somewhere less open, less exposed.” She wrapped her hands around his good arm, pulling him forward.

“Yeah,” he said vaguely, forcing his legs to move. Lightning flashed again, the jagged spidery lines of bluish light followed seconds later by a loud clasp of thunder that made his head throb even worse.

“It’s getting closer, Dan. There’s an electric storm coming.” Jana’s voice held an edge of panic. He forced his mind to clear.

“You know what to do, right?” He pushed the words from his lungs. Blinking to focus on his surroundings, he scanned the hillside. “Over there,” he said, pointing toward an outcropping of rocks with a shaky hand.

Jana didn’t reply. “Answer me, Jana.” He looked at her, concentrating to keep his head clear. “Tell me you know what to do when the lightning reaches us.” He gripped her hand hard, but kept moving in the direction of the boulders.

“Yes, I think so.”  Her voice was filled with fear. Dammit! This was a hell of a time to be feeling sick.

“Then let go of me now, and head toward those rocks. Find the lowest spot possible, and get down on the balls of your feet, and keep them as close together as you can.  Here.” He pulled off his backpack, ignoring the excruciating pain in his arm as the straps slid over his injury. He thrust the pack at her. “Empty it, and stand on the fabric.”

“What about you?” she yelled, refusing to release his arm.

“Jana, we can’t stay together. The chances of getting struck are greater if we remain together. I’ll find a spot over there.” He quickly scanned the hillside and pointed to another set of jutting rocks. “Go! Now!” He shouted at her, and pushed her away.

Jana shot him one final desperate terror-filled look, then hurried off toward the rocks. Lightning flashed again, followed quickly by more thunder. Dan stumbled toward the boulders on unsteady legs. Crouching between the rocks as he’d instructed Jana to do, he hoped he wouldn’t pass out. He looked in the direction he’d sent her, but couldn’t see her. The thought of her getting struck by lightning sent a jolt of fear into his chest greater than if a deadly bolt of electricity had seared through him.

****

Jana crouched low between two large sandstone boulders, balancing precariously on the balls of her feet on the backpack. She’d managed to hastily dump most of the contents of the pack on the ground in front of her, hoping the rocks created enough of a shelter to keep the wind from blowing most of their belongings away. The less her body contacted with the ground, the less chances of getting hit by a lightning strike. She held her hands protectively over her ears, and squeezed her eyes shut.

Fear as she’d never experienced before raced through her. Fear for herself, and for Dan. Not only was he in greater danger of getting struck, his body was also ravaged by fever. She could only guess that the injury he’d sustained that morning was becoming infected. She should never have listened to him, and insisted on taking care of his wounds immediately. As it was, because of her jumbled nerves when he insinuated that she kiss him, she’d done a sloppy job at cleaning the wound.

Jana concentrated on a course of action. Loud cracks of thunder boomed all around her that she couldn’t drown out by covering her ears, followed by illuminating lightning strikes. Her body jerked each time she heard the noise. As soon as this storm was over, provided she made it out alive, she would properly dress Dan’s wound again. She had no antibiotics to give him. His medical kit was filled with only standard supplies. She hadn’t thought the injury was extensive enough to use anything stronger than the disinfectant alcohol wipes, and ointment. She’d apparently been wrong, and now Dan was battling a possible infection.

Jana’s mind raced, even as the thunder clapped loudly all around her. She was unwilling to open her eyes, but the bright flashes of light were a sure sign that lightning struck too close for comfort. With her heart beating wildly in her chest, she tried to stay her fear by concentrating on finding ways to properly dress Dan’s wound, hoping he hadn’t developed septicemia. Dammit! He needed antibiotics. He was an experienced ranger. Why didn’t he carry basic antibiotics in his kit?

A sudden heavy weight on her shoulder caused her to jump and let out a startled yelp at the same time. An excruciating pain seared down her oxygen-deprived legs from crouching in a squatting position for – she didn’t know how long – as blood rushed to her lower limbs.

“Jana.” Dan’s labored voice halted her efforts to run before even looking to see what was behind her. She wheeled around, the air escaping her lungs in one quick whoosh.

“Dan.” She choked out his name. Relief flooded her, and she threw herself at him. He stumbled backwards, and nearly fell. Jana abruptly pulled her arms from around his neck, and grabbed hold of his hands. She ignored the sensation of thousands of hot needles pricking her legs.

“It’s over,” Dan rasped. “The storm’s passed.”

Jana’s eyes roamed over his face. His eyes looked glazed and unfocused, and beads of sweat covered his forehead and clung to his unshaven chin. His usually olive complexion had a ghostly sallow tinge.

“We need to get to a more sheltered area, Dan,” she said, desperately wishing she could tell him to sit and rest right where they were. This hillside was not a good place to spend the night, and she needed water to properly clean his wound. If he could make it down into the valley, the willows and cottonwoods would provide ample shelter, and there would most certainly be a water source available.

Jana quickly gathered all of their belongings that she had dumped from the backpack, and stuffed them back in. She flung the pack over her shoulders, and grabbed hold of Dan’s arm. He stood, swaying precariously like a tree in the wind.

“Let’s go,” she said firmly and, staying close to his side, maneuvered him down the incline toward the stretch of trees. Moving forward was agonizingly slow. Dan stumbled several times, and he breathed as if he’d just run a marathon.

“Just a little further,” Jana coaxed, out of breath herself. She wrapped one arm around the back of his waist, and urged him forward. If he lost his footing, they would both tumble down the hill.

“I’m sorry, Jana,” he rasped, after being silent for a while. “I’m sorry I lied to you.”

“I already know that, Dan,” she said.

“If anything happens to you . . .”

“Hush. Nothing’s going to happen.” Jana swallowed back the lump in her throat. The heat his feverish body emitted, along with the effort to get him safely into the valley, made her sweat. How had his wound become infected so quickly? She hadn’t taken the time to peel away the bandage to check the damage. Her primary goal at the moment was to get to shelter and water. If bacteria had gotten into his bloodstream . . . She couldn’t complete her thought. Without antibiotics, he might die. She wouldn’t even allow herself to think it. He was strong and healthy. He could fight this.

The leaves of a large stand of willows and cottonwoods rustled loudly in the afternoon breeze, their branches swaying and bending in rhythmic time with the wind.  Jana focused on a grouping of four old cottonwoods that grew close together, forming a slight arc. It looked like a good place to stop.

Dan collapsed to the ground with a loud groan when Jana stopped. His weight nearly pulled her down with him. Jana shrugged out of the backpack, and fumbled with the zipper. She removed several of her shirts and bunched them up to fashion a pillow for his head. She pulled his windbreaker jacket out, knowing he would need it if he became chilled.

Jana worked quickly, gathering wood, and built a fire. She set the cook pot on a rock near the flames. After she offered Dan a drink from the canteen, she poured the remainder of the water into the pot to boil.

“Jana,” Dan murmured, his voice barely audible. His pulse throbbed fast and strong in his neck, and Jana knelt down beside him.

“Once the water boils, I’ll remove your bandage and get you fixed up again,” she said, biting her quivering lower lip. Her vision blurred as she looked down at the man who, less than a week ago, had adamantly defended her against another man, not knowing if he was putting his life on the line. She gently touched his hot forehead.

“Why did you do such a stupid thing, Mr. Ranger, and tangle with a goose?” she said, and tried to keep her voice light-hearted as she leaned over him. “I should have never listened to you, and cleaned your wound right away.”

Dan gave a weak laugh, his glazed eyes staring up at her. His hand reached up, and his trembling fingers lightly touched her cheek. “I wanted to impress the girl I love,” he said, his voice labored. “Guess I need to work on that some more.”

Jana stiffened. Dan was in love with her? It had to be the fever talking. He couldn’t know what he was saying. She blinked, and cleared her throat.

“Let’s get you better first,” she said, smiling tentatively at him. “I need to unwrap your bandage.”