Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter 6

The next couple of days passed uneventfully. Daniel was gone most of the time. Aimee spent her days tidying up in the cabin, which she jokingly referred to as the nineteenth century version of a bachelor pad. She organized the dishes after washing an inch of dirt off the shelves. The table took nearly an hour to scrub clean. She didn’t even want to know what all those little parts and pieces she scraped off the wood used to be. Most likely body parts of some animals that Zach and Daniel had butchered. The dirt floor would have to just stay the way it was. She could do nothing about that. She found a trunk under the bed Daniel had assigned to her that contained several homespun cotton shirts, a few buckskin shirts and pants, and various other articles of clothing Aimee couldn’t name. As she folded some of the shirts, she couldn’t resist holding one to her face. She inhaled the strong woodsy scent she’d begun to associate with Daniel.

She also took long walks along the river as best as her foot allowed, and prepared a hot meal each afternoon for when Daniel returned home from whatever it was that he did during the day. He never commented about her cooking, but the pleased look on his face when he returned from his outings, and the way he ate the food she prepared with gusto told her he liked it. If he noticed the changes she’d made to the cabin’s interior, he didn’t mention it. Each morning when she woke, she found fresh berries, nuts and coffee on the table.

Aimee contemplated the appearance of her breakfast each morning.
How can a big guy like that move so quietly?
She considered herself a fairly light sleeper, and the hinges on that cabin door weren’t exactly quiet.  She knew that Daniel didn’t come inside the cabin to sleep at night.

She stood in the doorway of the cabin, and sipped her coffee. It tasted much better, now that she had found some sugar. A couple of mule deer moved along the riverbank, dipping their heads to the water to drink. Aimee sighed as she stared at the beautiful scenery of the rivers across the meadow, and the purple hued mountain in the backdrop. In stark contrast to her noisy condominium-lined neighborhood back home, this place was truly a slice of heaven.

She turned back into the cabin to check on her yeast starter, pleased with the many air bubbles that formed in the flour. It might be ready for some bread baking later on. She sat on her bed, and unwrapped the bandage on her ankle. The swelling was mostly gone, and it only hurt when she put full weight on her foot. She might even be able to walk without her crutch today.

“Ugh, I really stink.” She tugged at the front of the shirt and sniffed. “I think I need to change clothes today and wash these.”  She rummaged through her pack at the foot of the bed for a fresh pair of pants and shirt.
Better yet, I need a good bath and scrubbing
. The idea of bathing in the cold river wasn’t too enticing when another thought entered her mind.

The Firehole River flowed through several geyser basins south of here, and the hot water runoff from those geysers streamed into this river, which made the water actually somewhat warm. Due to the peculiar topography of this region, the Firehole, as well as the Yellowstone, were two of the few rivers that flowed in a northerly direction.

Wasting no time, she grabbed a blanket off her bed, and placed her fresh change of clothes on it along with her shampoo and soap. She wrapped this all up and headed out the door. A quick look around confirmed that Daniel had once again disappeared for the day.

She removed her clothes at the riverbank and stripped down to her bra and panties, ignoring the vulnerable feeling creeping up on her. The thought of feeling clean again eased her self-consciousness of bathing in the open. Nothing would deter her from her plans. It wasn’t a whole lot different than wearing a bikini. With a quick intake of breath, she let herself drop off the riverbank, and gasped when she hit the frigid water. Grabbing for her bar of soap, she quickly lathered her arms and face.

Rather than leave the water after shampooing her hair, she swam to the inlet of the Firehole. The current was surprisingly stronger than she had expected, but she sighed in contentment when the water became noticeably warmer. The river was very loud where the water rushed out of a narrow gorge in the mountain, and tumbled over large boulders as it joined with the Gibbon.

Free and uninhibited, she splashed and laughed in the water, acting like a little kid at the water park. She’d had to grow up fast after a drunk driver claimed the lives of her parents not two months after her high school graduation. That was five years ago, and life had become way too serious too quickly. Right here, in this moment in time, she was free from responsibility, and it felt so good.

She tossed her inhibitions aside as she made a game of letting the current carry her downstream, then swam back upriver to do it again. “Woohoo!” she shouted and laughed. Daniel had chastized her a few days ago for making too much noise, and she shrugged it off. Here, the deafening roar of the water would surely drown out anything she yelled.  

****** 

Daniel had left before daylight to hunt fresh meat. His plans were to stay close to the cabin today. Several hours later, he dragged a white tail deer carcass back to camp. A piercing scream filled the air, much like the shriek of a bald eagle. Only, it was louder and more drawn out. A woman’s scream?

Damn! Adrenaline flooded his body. What the hell kind of trouble had that woman gotten herself into now. He dropped the deer and ran over the rise leading to the valley. His eyes scanned the area, apprehensive about what he would find. Had a party of Blackfoot come to the valley? Everything appeared normal. His gaze swept across the valley a second time, and his eyes fixed on the unmoving body floating in the river. A jolt of adrenaline hit him. Was she dead?

“Dammit!” he shouted. How the hell did she end up in the river this far upstream? He dropped his rifle and sprinted down the slope. He dodged or leapt over the gaping holes left by countless ground squirrels that lived under the earth. Racing across the meadow toward the banks of the Madison, he yanked his pouches from around his neck. Without slowing, he unstrapped his belt, and pulled his shirt off over his head.

Visions of Morning Fawn drowning in a river entered his mind. Why was this happening again? Two years ago, he hadn’t been there to save her. He wasn’t going to let it happen this time. He pushed himself to an even faster pace. It felt like an eternity before he reached the riverbank. Without breaking stride, he dove into the water, and shook the hair out of his face when he broke through the surface. Pulling himself through the current with long and powerful strokes, he came up behind Aimee. He grabbed her by the waist in one swift motion and pulled her to him.

To his surprise, she immediately began to kick and thrash her arms and legs through the water. “Get the hell away from me!” she shrieked. Daniel tightened his hold on her.

“Be still, dammit, so I can get you to shore,” he growled in her ear. He tread water in an effort to keep both of them afloat. Her fair skin slid against his in the water, and the stark contrast against his darker tone shimmered under the waves. Her lack of clothing suddenly jolted him like a lightning strike. His stomach tightened, and he ground his teeth. How much more could this woman torment him? Aimee swung her body around, and almost butted heads with him.  She relaxed for a split second, as recognition filled her eyes.

“What are you doing? You scared me to death. Let go of me!” She squirmed in his arms, and tried to loosen his hold.

Daniel stared, utterly bewildered. Why was she fighting him? He pulled her more firmly against his body to control her thrashing. Her stomach was pressed firmly against his side, their legs entwined under the water in an attempt by both of them to stay afloat. His loins tightened.

“I heard you scream. I thought you were drowning,” he shouted over the roar of the water. Aimee continued to struggle. “Dammit, woman! Stop fighting me!”

“I didn’t scream, and I’m definitely not drowning.  But you’re gonna be the death of me if you keep sneaking up and giving me a heart attack! I was taking a bath,” she yelled back. “Let go of me.  I can swim.”

Dammit! She was going to drown both of them if she kept up with her wild struggles. He had no choice but to release her. She immediately swam upriver. He shook his head and followed. Relief washed over him that she was alive. The vision of her lifeless body floating in the current sent an icy chill down his spine. Her wild struggles had replaced his fear with anger. Recalling the feel of her unclothed body against his just moments ago sent renewed waves of desire through him. It took all of his restraint not to grab her again and pull her close to him once more.

What the hell was this woman doing to him? When he wasn’t near her, all he did was think about her. The way she provoked him drove him nearly mad.

*****

Aimee reached the riverbank and scrambled up the embankment.  Her clothes and blanket lay in the grass where she left them. She could feel Daniel’s eyes staring into her backside. She hastily wrapped the blanket around herself and turned to face him. The murderous look in his eyes gave new meaning to the saying “if looks could kill.” His dark angry scowl was more un-nerving than any ER doctor she had ever encountered. She took a few steps back as Daniel hoisted himself up the riverbank, and mentally prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

“What the hell were you doing in that river?” Daniel’s voiced boomed. “That current is treacherous in some areas, and you can get towed under before you know what’s happening.”

She held her ground. Daniel stood mere feet from her, dripping wet and looking like an angry Greek god. He towered over her. Aimee swallowed hard at her awareness of his nude upper body. Her gaze roamed over the broad, well-muscled expanse of his shoulders and chorded arms, his lean torso, and his rock solid, well defined abs.
Does he go out in the woods and bench press 300 pound logs every day?

“Answer me,” he roared, taking hold of her arms in a strong grip, giving her a shake when she didn’t respond. She stood stiffly, unable to move. This wasn’t happening again, was it? The memory of Brad grabbing her in much the same way seeped into her mind. But instead of his fingers biting cruelly into her skin, Daniel’s grip, while firm, seemed almost gentle. In place of causing pain, the sensation of his warm hands sent surges of electricity through her veins.

Aimee’s head cleared, and she matched his angry stare. Apparently, men were just as overbearing and controlling in this time as they were in hers.

“Take your hands off me, you . . . you big clod! I already told you, I was taking a bath.” She glared up at him, and met his intense look with one of her own. “Now you listen here.” She raised a finger at him, even as he gripped her arms. “I don’t need any more arrogant men barking orders at me. I get enough of that back home. You can say what you need to say in a nicer manner.”

Daniel seemed to compose himself for a moment. But then, with pure contempt in his voice, said, “it’s no wonder your man abandoned you. Could he not teach you proper respect?”

“My man,” she said between clenched teeth, “did not abandon me. And as for respect, you men would do well to show some of that yourselves.  Argh! I can’t believe it’s the same everywhere!” She squirmed to free herself from his grip.

“If he didn’t abandon you, why has he not come looking for you?” Daniel demanded. He finally released his hold on her arms.

“I told you, he doesn’t know where I am,” Aimee said smugly as she stood and rubbed her arms. Her skin tingled from his touch. “Besides, he would never consider coming into the wilderness.”

“But you would?”

“Obviously,” she scoffed. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Then you have a lot to learn. This is not the city,
gediki
. Help is not around every tree to rush to the aid of a weak and foolish woman who gets herself in trouble.”

She glared at him. “I am not weak, or foolish. I’ve done just fine in the wilderness, thank you very much. And . . . and if you think you know everything, then why don’t you teach me.”

Daniel stared at her in stunned silence. Aimee’s heart did a little flip flop. Even angry, he was the most devastatingly handsome man she had ever seen.

“You want me to teach you to survive here . . . in these mountains?” Daniel repeated incredulously. “Impossible.” He shook his head. “You’re going back to wherever the hell it is you came from as soon as my father returns. You belong in the city. This is no place for a white woman.”