Yellowstone Romance Series - Bundle (# 2-5) (9 page)

Nothing. He’d neither seen nor felt anything that could possibly be his ticket home. He’d covered every inch of ground in the area he’d been in a few days ago, retracing his steps and actions as best as he could remember of that night when he and his compadres had climbed down here.

Why was he the only one who had time traveled? He’d been the only one retching in the river. That was the one time he’d been separated from the group. And when he woke up the next morning, he must have already time traveled. It had to have happened while he was passed out.
The booze got you in trouble again, Russell.

Chase worked the details over and over in his mind, and combed the river’s edge, staring into the fast-moving water, then at the ground around him. He had no idea what he was even looking for. He kicked at the loose river pebbles in frustration.  He refused to believe he was stuck here. What the hell would he do? He had no place to go. He wouldn’t last a week. That much was crystal clear already.

He sank down on the rocks, his knees drawn up, and his face buried in his hands. This was a nightmare. He threw rocks in the river, cursing loudly at the sky. He’d been so sure the last couple of days that once he came back to this spot, everything would be all right.

His head suddenly snapped up. He listened. The roar of the river and waterfall drowned out most sounds, but he could have sworn he heard his name. Someone was calling him. There! He heard it again. He stumbled to his feet, and turned in all directions. He squinted his eyes, looked beyond the river, and then gazed up the canyon walls. His heart nearly stopped beating.

Sarah! What the hell was she doing? And it looked like she was in trouble. Her feet dangled precariously in the air, her hands hanging on to a root jutting out of the rocks. If he’d learned one thing from his climbs into and out of the canyon so far, it was that most roots didn’t hold long in these brittle cliffs. She’d never survive a fall from her present height.

“Sarah! Hang on,” he roared. He had no idea if she could hear him. He sprinted towards the steep incline, stumbling over boulders in his rush to ascend the canyon wall. He climbing faster than he ever thought he was capable of. All those years of weight training and football practice were paying off. He slipped and slid several times, but his eyes remained on the girl hanging on to a precarious tree root for her life.

“Sarah, hold on,” he called when he was sure he was within earshot. Her head turned towards him.

“Chase! I lost my foothold.” Her eyes were round as saucers. He’d never seen that look on her face before. The confident girl he knew was terrified.

“I’m coming, Sarah. Don’t let go.” His heart pounded in his chest and up his throat. Sweat ran down the side of his face. Pure adrenaline kept him going.
Don’t let her fall. Please don’t let her fall. If there is a God, I’m praying to you now.
 

It would be impossible to reach her from below. He labored along a parallel direction until he reached an outcropping in the rocks, where he managed to get a secure enough foothold. His hands and fingers were still raw from his ascent a few days ago, but he ignored the burning and stinging. He tested the strength of a rock he held on to, then stretched his arm as far as it would reach.

“Grab my hand, and let go of the root,” he called to her. Her eyes met his with uncertainty. She glanced over her shoulder down the canyon. The root moved several inches out of the rocks.

“Sarah, grab my hand. I won’t let you fall,” he yelled. Their eyes met. He knew the moment she made up her mind. Her mouth set in a determined line, and her hand reached over. He grabbed on, pulling her to him. For a split second, she hung in midair. With strength he didn’t know he possessed, he pulled her up by one arm.

She gasped and struggled, and with her other hand reached for the security of the rock he was on. Her feet found a hold, and his arm felt lighter. She let go of his hand, and grabbed hold of the rock. He could feel her body tremble as she caught her breath.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he raged.

“I . . . I thought I could help you find what you were looking for,” she stammered, still out of breath. She wouldn’t meet his eyes. They both stood, holding on to the rock, catching their breaths.

“That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard,” he yelled. “Come on, let’s get up to the rim before we both end up dead.” He nudged her ahead of him, and she pulled herself up the jagged incline inch by inch. He followed close behind, steadying her every once in a while when her feet slipped in the gravel. Well, at least he knew he was a better climber than she. That thought gave him little satisfaction.

Sarah’s mutt barked loudly from the canyon rim. She struggled on, and managed to pull herself over the rim with a few loud grunts. Chase found his breath again when he heaved himself onto the horizontal ground next to her. He pushed off the gravel, wiping the sweat from his forehead. She sat on her knees, her hands on the front of her thighs, her head bent into her chest. The dog ran around her, then him, barking happily.

“Shut it, Grizzly,” Chase reprimanded, and gave the mutt a hard stare. Its ears lay flat against its head, its tail down. With a final whine, the dog quieted and sat on its haunches.

“Sarah,” he said softly. “It’s okay now. You can get up.” She stared at him. He hadn’t expected to see the tears in her eyes. He cleared his throat. “Come on Angel, let’s move away from the rim and back to camp.” He reached down and gently grabbed hold of her upper arm, tugging her to her feet.

She must have started to rise on her own at that same moment. The added momentum of his tug sent her straight against his chest. With a mind of its own, his other arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her closer.

She gasped and pushed her hands against his chest, her eyes slowly meeting his.

“Hey, Angel, you’re still shaking,” he whispered. A sensation unlike anything he’d ever felt doused him from head to toe. Warmth trickled over and into his skin, through his veins and arteries, down into his stomach, and wrapped itself tightly around his heart. The urge to protect her, to keep her safe at all cost, flooded his entire being stronger than his need to find a way home at that moment.

“Please, let me go,” she said, her voice as shaky as her body. It barely registered in his brain that she’d spoken. He couldn’t stop staring into her shimmering blue eyes. He felt her stiffen and push away from him. All he wanted to do was pull her closer. Reluctantly, he released his hold around her waist. She quickly ducked away and headed towards the trees.

What the hell just happened, Russell?
He stood rooted to the ground, staring after her.

Chapter 10

Sarah caught her breath. She glanced over her shoulder. Good, he wasn’t following. She stumbled to the nearest tree and leaned against it, her hand over her heart.
Hey, Angel, you’re still shaking.
His tender words, so full of concern, echoed in her head. She had already composed herself from her near-mishap in the canyon. Tears of shame at her own stupidity and carelessness had almost spilled down her cheeks, and he’d seen it. Then he had to pull her up against him. The feel of his strong arms around her, holding her to his solid physique had caused her to shake. Her mind had spun out of control. Time had stopped.  All she’d wanted to do was lean into his strength and forget the world around her. But it was nonsense to give in to such feelings. Chase wasn’t staying. He may have come to her aid, but she knew he intended to continue his search for a way home.

She inhaled deeply. Her feelings for this man scared her. She desperately wanted her mother at this moment. She would know what to do. 

“Enough, Sarah,” she scolded herself out loud. “You don’t need a man, especially this one. He can’t even take care of himself.” She pushed away from the tree, and headed in the direction of camp. A dull thud echoed through the trees, and she stopped abruptly. It sounded like an ax striking wood. Moments later she heard it again. The faint smell of wood smoke wafted to her nose. She followed the sound and smell directly to her camp.

Her eyes widened in surprise. A fire crackled where she’d doused it earlier, before heading to the canyon rim. Chase stood with his back to her, the tomahawk she’d given him in his left hand. Her mouth fell open when he took aim, swung his arm out and over his head, stepped forward with his right leg, and released the handle. The blade buried itself firmly in the trunk of a narrow lodgepole some twenty feet away. The force and accuracy of his throw stunned her. The only person she’d seen do it better was her father. He strode to the tree and worked the blade free. When he turned, he stopped and met her gaze.

Sarah walked towards the fire, glancing around for her horn bow and rifle.  Another stupid thing she’d done – leaving her weapons behind. She sighed in relief. They were still propped against a tree where she’d left them. Her father had taught her better than that. A weapon should always be kept within easy reach. Chase hadn’t moved.

“I thought you didn’t know how to handle a weapon,” she called to him. Finally, he strode in her direction, tossing the ax in the air repeatedly, making it do somersaults. He caught it with a sure grip each time.

“I didn’t know I could,” he grinned. Sarah held her breath. Her heart sped up. He stopped several feet in front of her, his eyes staring right into her. “I figured you needed some time to yourself, so I kept busy.” He nodded towards the fire, then glanced at the ax in his hand. “This isn’t much different than throwing a pigskin.  A little heavier maybe.” He shrugged.

Her eyebrows shot up. “You throw pigs where you come from?”

Chase laughed. “No. A pigskin is a football.”

“I don’t understand.” Sarah shook her head. She relaxed, but clasped her hands behind her back to hide their trembling.

“Football is a game I play back home.”

“Tukudeka children play a kicking game with a ball, but you are not allowed to touch it with your hands,” Sarah said. “Why do you throw it if it is called foot ball?”

He shrugged. “There are a few times when you kick the ball, but usually you throw it to a teammate and run with it.”

She nodded, not understanding at all. An awkward silence followed. She’d never been tongue-tied before. She heaved a sigh of relief when Grizzly chose that moment to nudge her leg with his wet nose. He barked and furiously wagged his tail.
Thank you for the diversion.
Sarah patted the dog’s head.

“I think he’s saying it’s time to find some chow,” Chase said, kneeling down and rubbing her dog’s neck. She quickly removed her hand.

She couldn’t suppress a smile when she heard Chase’s stomach growl. “Are you speaking for the dog, or for yourself?” He stared up at her, and Sarah took an involuntary step back. The smoldering look in his green eyes sent a shiver down her spine. He blinked, and the look was gone. Her skin tingled as if she’d been scorched. She rubbed at her arms, and turned to pick up her horn bow.

“I’ll see what I can find,” she murmured, eager to put some distance between them.

****

Chase darted after her. “Wait up, I’d like to go with you.” He grinned when Sarah’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something. “You’ve done all the work so far. I’d like to help out,” he explained.

He pondered his own words. Suddenly it seemed important to impress her. He wanted her to see him as a man capable of taking care of himself. What had she said to him earlier? She thought he acted like a little boy and needed a good switching. Those words stung now, but he knew she was right. Something had happened when he held her in his arms, something he couldn’t explain. A stirring deep within him that he couldn’t quite define. He only knew that Sarah’s impression of him mattered a whole lot all of a sudden.

“You told me you didn’t need to know how to hunt where you come from,” Sarah said, her eyes narrowed. “Are you giving up your search for your time portal? Obviously you haven’t found it.”

“No, I’m not giving up. I just don’t know what it is I’m even looking for. I know I can’t stay here. I’ll have to figure something out.”

She studied him, her head tilted slightly to the side. An overwhelming urge to pull her in his arms and hold her swept over him. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair, watch her eyes shimmer while he…He clenched his jaw.
You’re losing your mind, Russell. Girls like her are not for the likes of you.
Sarah was tough as nails when it came to living in this environment. She hadn’t turned into a hysterical female, even while hanging on for her life earlier, but she was a naive young woman when it came to men.
She’s the exact opposite of the type of woman you’re used to, Russell.
His type was the good-time, experienced party girl, the kind that didn’t come with strings attached. Compliment them, pretend to listen to their problems, then walk away after a night of fun. Sarah was the forever kind of girl. And he wasn’t staying here forever.

“Chase!”

“Huh?” He startled, unaware she’d even spoken to him.

“I said we can hunt for another whistle dog, but you look tired.” She scrutinized his face.

“No, just something on my mind,” he answered. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Ok, let’s hunt some whistle dogs.”

Sarah led the way to a different spot along the canyon rim. She pointed to an area where a lot of boulders piled on top of each other.

“They live among the rocks, and they’re rather easy to kill.”

Chase scanned in the direction she pointed. Several small furry creatures darted around among the rocks. They were no larger than a cat, with brown fur. To him, they looked like hamsters on growth hormones.

“Let’s see how good you are with that ax,” Sarah whispered. “Move slowly, and pick one. Then you can try and hit it to stun it. You might have to get closer.”

Chase grinned. He could hit one of those things easily from where he stood. They were closer than that tree he’d used for target practice. Watching the creatures for a minute, he singled one out that seemed to be sunning itself on a flat rock. He reached for the tomahawk in his belt, and aimed. A split second later, the furry thing lay splayed on its side. The rest of the group made loud whistling noises and darted into the crevices among the rocks.

Sarah stared at him in silence. Her eyes opened a little wider, and he could swear that her lips curved in a slight smile. She nodded her head in apparent approval.

“Now go get it, and if you haven’t killed it, use your knife and slit the throat.”

Chase picked up the limp pile of fur, reasonably sure that it was dead. He stuck his tomahawk back in his belt, and together he and Sarah headed back to camp.

“You’ll need to skin and clean it, and it’ll be ready to put over the fire.”

He glanced at her. “You’re enjoying this way too much, Angel. How about I let you do that part. But I’ll watch and learn.”

She nodded. A slow smile lit up her face, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. This new awareness of her was going to kill him.

Sarah averted her gaze. She reached out for the fur ball in his hand, and sat a ways away from the fire, pulling out her hunting knife. Quickly and efficiently, she slid the knife down the center of the animal’s underside from neck to tail. She pulled out the insides, which she threw to her eagerly waiting dog.

This was a lot different than dissecting a frog in biology class, but Chase was not about to turn away now. He could tell she was pleased with his newfound skill.  In no time, she had the skin pulled off, and the meat skewered and hung over the fire. He observed her every move, determined to do this himself next time.

Next time? What are you thinking, Russell. You need to find a way home pronto.

“So what will you do now? Do you plan to go back down the canyon tomorrow?” Sarah asked, as if reading his thoughts.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders.  “I don’t even know what I’m looking for.”  He toyed with a stick, darting it at the ground, picking it back up, and repeating his actions.

She peered up at him from across the fire. “You should come back to the valley. Wait for my parents to return. They will know what to do.”

He looked up at her. “Oh yeah? They’ve met other people who’ve come through here in some time   portal?”

What the hell was he going to do? He couldn’t sit around here by the canyon, that much was clear. But going back with Sarah to her home? That might not be such a good idea. He was still trying to sort through these crazy feelings she evoked in him. Since coming back out of that canyon, he couldn’t get his mind off her. If she knew what he’d been thinking, she’d probably run for the hills.

“Chase?”

“Sorry. What did you say?” He was turning into an absent-minded fool.

Her eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. She held out a portion of meat to him. 
“Mah-duh-k.”

“What?”

She smiled. “Eat.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

****

Sarah slowly picked pieces of meat off the bones, offering Grizzly a bite for every one she took. The dog sat patiently at her side, waiting for his share. The sun had nearly disappeared behind the mountains to the west, and the clear night sky revealed countless stars. The crickets chirped their loud nocturnal song. She tried hard not to glance at Chase sitting across from her, but her eyes seemed to have a will of their own.

He sat with his head down, and ate in silence. His mind seemed to be far away. Was he thinking about home?  She’d suggested he come back with her to the valley without any forethought. What was she thinking? She had hoped to keep these last few days from her parents’ knowledge, and now she’d suggested he wait for their return.

Her father would know what to do. He’d be able to find Chase’s companions, she was sure of it. But it would be at least another month before her parents returned from rendezvous. And they would not be pleased with her.

I can’t just leave him here, though!

 
His ability with the ax was definitely a surprise. Given time, would he learn the skills needed to survive in these mountains? Sarah chastised herself mentally. He doesn’t want to be here. He’d already said so many times. He wants to go home.

Chase finished his meat, and threw the bones to the dog. With a loud moan he stretched out on his back on top of his blanket. He crossed his legs at the ankles, and clasped his hands behind his head, staring at the night sky.