Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) (100 page)

Chapter 11

Jana couldn’t believe what Dan had told her. Never in her wildest dreams did she think it possible that he would have used the device for his own personal gain. She didn’t know what to believe anymore. He sounded sincere and remorseful enough, but he’d been lying to her from the moment he called her four days ago in California. Everything he’d told her had sounded so convincing. Even showing her Aimee’s supposed grave.

Jana fought hard to keep the tears at bay. Anger at Dan, and anger at herself consumed her. How could she have been so stupid? Silly romantic notions had overshadowed her rational thinking. All along, she’d been telling herself that she couldn’t get involved with him. He’d worn down her resolve with a single kiss.

How was she ever going to face Aimee? Jana couldn’t possibly tell her that her own descendant had sold out the place she loved so much. And now she had to worry about some deranged madman coming to kill Aimee’s baby. Ironically, if John Hastings didn’t come to the past, she’d be stuck here forever. He had the device. Without it, there was no returning home.

“Jana, say something.” Dan interrupted her thoughts. His hands on her arms were suddenly much too warm. Jana looked up at him, her eyes unfocused, her vision blurred by the tears that she couldn’t hold back any longer.

All the tender feelings, the notion of romance, of falling in love weighed on her shoulders like a ton of bricks. She sniffed. The harsh truth was that she had believed she was falling in love with Dan. After her decision not to fight her attraction for him, she’d realized just how fast she was falling. All it took was one touch from him, and her heart and mind were no longer her own. She scoffed in disgust. He had used her. Lied to her. How could she still entertain tender feelings for him?

Jana wordlessly pulled away from him, and hugged her arms around her waist. She turned her back, and stared into the absolute darkness beyond the trees. The cloudless sky was filled with millions of tiny twinkling stars. It was such a beautiful, peaceful sight, and so much in contrast to the inner turmoil in her heart and mind. The night air was filled with the sounds of countless crickets and other insects. In the distance, the haunting howl of a wolf sent shivers down her spine. Several coyotes yipped an answering call to the wolf, as if mocking him.

“Jana, we have to stick together, you know that, right?” Dan said from just behind her. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Hardening her heart would be one of the most difficult things she’d ever done.

“I know,” she said quietly, then spun around. He stood closer than she expected, and she took an involuntary step backward, nearly tripping over her pile of wood. Dan caught her arm, and pulled her to him. His rugged male scent as she inhaled a breath sent her mind swirling. Quickly, she pushed her hand against his chest, and stepped aside. If she didn’t maintain some physical distance from him, how would she ever block him out of her mind? Luckily, he immediately released her arm.

“I know we have to stick together,” she said between gritted teeth. “But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Jana caught the pained look in his eyes. He appeared more like a little chastised schoolboy at the moment than the confident, easy-going man she had come to know.
He’s a liar and he used you.
She quickly brushed aside any tender feelings, and ducked into her shelter.

“Good night, Dan. In the morning, we can figure out what to do.” She pulled her bundle of clothes under her head, and turned her back to him, tucking her legs up to her belly into a fetal position. The heat from the fire seeped into her back. Dan must have added more wood. Jana squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for sleep to come and take away the pain of her aching heart.

****

Loud crackling and popping sounds intermixed with the chirping of birds penetrated her mind. The darkness was replaced by bright sunlight. For a moment, Jana wondered where she was. She moved her stiff legs, and flinched at the jab of pain the movement caused in her hip. She rolled onto her back, her spine meeting nothing but hard earth. The events of yesterday came rushing back. She opened her eyes, staring up at the jagged rocks that had provided a roof over her head all night. Slowly, she turned her head toward the light of the morning sun.

Dan sat by the fire, poking at the coals with a long stick. A small metal pot sat next to the flames. Jana inhaled deeply, sadness and anger consuming her all over again as last night’s conversation replayed itself in her mind. The delicious smell of something sweet and sugary wafted to her nose, and her stomach growled loudly.

Discreetly, she watched Dan through half-closed lids. He looked to be deep in thought, his eyes dull and listless, staring into the fire. By his appearance, he’d spent a sleepless night.  What did it matter to her?

Jana groaned, every muscle in her body sore from a night spent on a hard ground. She couldn’t pretend to be asleep any longer. Her limbs demanded that she move around and stretch. Quietly, she crawled from the shelter, and stood to her feet, stretching her back. She forced herself not to look at Dan, but could feel his eyes on her. Wordlessly, she headed for the spring, and splashed some water on her face, gasping when the frigid liquid hit her skin. She headed further into the trees for some privacy, and found Dan waiting with a tin cup when she returned.

Steam rose in thin wasps from the liquid within the cup, sending up the rich aroma of coffee. Jana reluctantly took what he offered. She could use a good strong cup this morning.

“I hope you like backpacking food. I’ll try and catch us some fish at some point today. I didn’t bring a whole lot of provisions.” Dan’s voice was as dull as his eyes.

What was she supposed to say to him? She couldn’t think of anything at the moment. The pain of his deceit was still too raw. The almost hopeful look in his eyes when he handed her the cup was replaced by quiet acceptance when she didn’t comment, and he turned to squat by his backpack. Rummaging through the bag, he produced a map.

“Let’s figure out the safest and quickest way to reach Madison,” he said, spreading the map out on the ground. Jana took a sip of her coffee, watching his broad shoulders. He turned his head to look up at her. The muscles along his jaw hardened.

“Jana, I know you’re upset, and you probably hate me. But we need to cooperate and work together. I’ve tried to tell you how sorry I am, but right now, I also think time is of the essence. We need to reach Daniel and Aimee’s cabin before John Hastings does.”

The last thing she wanted to do right now was to cooperate with him, but she also knew he was right.

“Upset is probably the understatement of the century. Of two centuries.” She glared at him. She refused to sit next to him. Standing while he squatted, forcing him to look up at her, gave her a small measure of power and feeling of being in control in a world of chaos at the moment.

“There’s some oatmeal in the pot,” he said, then turned back to study the map.

Anger made her think irrational thoughts. She didn’t want to accept his food, but she knew she had to. She’d eaten only a power bar in twenty-four hours, and was in for another long hike today, through rough wilderness terrain. Common sense took over, and she squatted by the fire, as far away from Dan as she could get. She ate while he looked at the map, neither one of them speaking. In silence, she rinsed the pot in the spring when she was finished eating, and handed it to him, along with her empty coffee cup.

Neither one of them spoke while they broke camp. Dan stomped the fire out with his feet, and spread the ashes so they wouldn’t ignite again, and Jana gathered her bundle of clothes. When he offered to carry it, she stubbornly refused. Shrugging his shoulders, he silently shouldered his pack and began walking, continuing to head in a southern direction.

Jana followed a few paces behind him. Although she wanted to ask which way he hoped would get them to Madison the quickest, her anger was still boiling at the surface, and she remained quiet. Dan set a moderate pace, choosing deer, or more likely bison trails through the grasses and sagebrush of the valley. He stayed within viewing distance of the Lamar River, and continued to head in a south-western direction.

“Look up ahead, Jana,” he called eagerly after what seemed like hours of silence. Jana had been walking behind him, concentrating on the ground, and not so much on her surroundings. She was in a foul mood, and realized that she really ought to pay more attention to what was going on around her. Even in modern times, a hiker needed to be aware of everything, or risk possible injury. Here in Yellowstone, the risks were even greater, what with the abundant wildlife and thermal features.

Admit it, you’re comfortable that Dan will make sure nothing happens
. The thought annoyed her even more. When he called for her attention, she looked up, wondering what had him so excited. He’d stopped walking, and pointed into the distance. Squinting, she held her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun.  Off in the distance, a multitude of small dots moved along the river.

“Pronghorn,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “I’ve never seen such a large group in one place. And look over there. The sheer number of aspens in this area is phenomenal.”

Dan grinned widely. Excitement and wonder replaced the dull look in his eyes from earlier in the morning. Jana couldn’t help but stare at him.
So much like Aimee, when she discovered new things in the park.

“You’re right,” Jana said slowly. “I don’t remember there being this many aspen trees here.”

“The ecosystem as it was meant to be is intact and well,” Dan said eagerly, surprise registering on his face. He looked at her, his eyes in constant motion. Abruptly, he turned his head to gaze once again into the distance, his arm outstretched, pointing toward the trees.

“The trees have a chance to grow, because the prey animals - the deer, pronghorn, and elk - need to be constantly moving. With these mountains teeming with wolves, it’s not good for prey to remain in one place. What do you notice about the park’s ungulates in our time?”

Jana’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Suddenly, before her stood Dan Osborne, naturalist and park interpreter, leading a group of tourists on a discovery hike in Yellowstone. It came so natural to him, he reverted into that role now. He turned his head to look at her, waiting for an answer.

“Uh . . .” she stammered. “There are a lot of elk?”

Dan grinned. An indulgent grin. As if it was an answer he’d received many times. Her annoyance returned. Why were they discussing this? What did it matter anyhow?

“Ever since the wolves were brought back to Yellowstone, the aspen, willow, and the beaver have slowly returned as well,” Dan said. “Simply because elk have had to change their behavior. With predators around, the grazers need to constantly be moving, and in our time, they had the luxury of staying together in large herds before the re-introduction of the wolf, moving or staying in one area as they chose, destroying young vegetation. Here we’re seeing how nature intended it. I can’t wait to see all the beaver dams I’m sure we’ll come across in some of the tributaries.”

Jana inhaled a deep breath. She hadn’t noticed the strong, fragrant smell of sage, or the sweet buffalo grass. She’d been too absorbed in her anger. Dan’s enthusiasm reminded her of the beauty of this place, how Aimee had found excitement in every little thing she saw on their trips. It had been infectious with her, and to her dismay, she found it to be infectious with Dan. She wanted, needed to stay mad at him. She had to guard her heart, and anger was the only way she knew how.

“Would you like to rest here for a while?” Dan asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Reluctantly, Jana nodded, conceding she was tired. She dropped her bundle of clothes, and sank to the ground. Her feet pulsed in the confines of her hiking boots. The lush grasses looked inviting and soft. They would probably feel good to her hot bare feet. She didn’t act on her thoughts. Perhaps when they stopped for the night, she could finally remove her boots.

“Where are we heading, anyhow,” she asked, plucking at some of the grasses, letting the blades glide through her fingers. Dan settled himself on the ground next to her, and peeled his pack off his shoulders. He handed her a water canteen and a power bar. Gritting her teeth, Jana accepted what he offered.