CHAPTER 5

 

“Next place for a good campsite, we should stop,” Cord told her as it became harder to tell where he put his feet.

“Okay,” Stacey agreed. “We should get settled before it rains.”

“Rain?” Cord looked up to see patches of clouds in the darkening sky through the branches of the trees. He should have been aware of the pending weather change already, but she distracted him. Not good under the circumstances.

“I’m afraid so. There’s a large pine that looks like good shelter over that way. Of course,” she added, “if it starts lightning we’ll have to move.”

“Whatever you think. You know the weather around here. Any chance it will miss us?”

“It could, but I don’t think so. As long as it doesn’t pour, the trail will still be visible. And it will be easier to follow when they walk on the wet ground afterward.” Stacey pushed in under the branches of the tree she chose. “Not as good as last night, but it will do.”

“Okay with me,” Cord agreed then dropped to his knees to avoid banging his head on the limbs hanging down. He hated getting wet all the way through, but it happened on the trail.

They slipped out of their packs and leaned them against the trunk of the large pine. Stacey began searching in hers and muttering. “Drat. I can’t see a...aha! There you are.” Staying low she crawled out from under the tree. “McConnell, you want to come help me with this?”

As he crawled out, she told him, “Take this end and put it over those branches. Clip it in place with these.” She handed him the end of a thin rubberized tarp then some strong clamps that looked almost like clothespins. “We should stay fairly dry under this.”

Cord helped her rig up the makeshift shelter over some of the lower branches of the tree. The darkness hindered their efforts, but they managed. It was definitely easier than packing and pitching a tent. When they were through they had a large covering to shed water.

After crawling back inside, Stacey began scraping together a pile of pine needles for her bed while Cord followed her example and did the same. He left a small space between them.

The wind began to blow and the tarp over them popped slightly. They both paused to see if the clips would hold. The tarp didn’t come loose and they continued making their beds. A definite feel of moisture rose on the wind.

“We should probably settle in for the night,” Cord suggested as the wind howled through the trees.

“I think so. Let’s hope this wind doesn’t blow in some colder weather. I can do without any ice.”

Neither of them wandered very far from camp as they prepared for the night. With the cloud cover there wasn’t even a star to help them navigate.

Cord finished first and was ready to call out for Stacey when she crawled under the tarp. He bit back a teasing comment about looking for her dance partner, needing to maintain a certain distance between them. He watched her search in her backpack again. Cord heard the clanking of metal on metal then she leaned toward him.

“I’ve got a couple of packs of coffee. If you’ll fix it, I’ll spread out our bedrolls—or we can do it the other way round.” Stacey needed the coffee. It had been a rough afternoon.

“Hand me the canned fuel. I’ll put it on this side so you can work on the beds,” he offered and held out his hands to take the provisions. As he took it, their hands brushed and he was immediately in trouble again. Heat flew through him. He jerked back, dropping the coffee packets and the matches.

Without looking at him, she asked, “You want to tell me what’s wrong?” Stacey placed the items carefully in his hands without touching him.

“No.” Cord turned away and busied himself making the coffee. He uttered a few low curses as he fumbled with the tiny stove and lit the fuel.

Stacey shrugged and spread their blankets on top of the soft beds of pine needles. My, he is definitely moody, she couldn’t help but think. Realizing she failed to hand him a canteen, she unhooked hers from her pack and scooted to within arm’s length. “You might need this.” She held it out to him, but kept her distance.

He glanced over his shoulder and with a muttered, “Thanks,” took the canteen.

Crawling back to her bedroll, Stacey sat on top of it to unlace her boots and remove them. A sigh of relief escaped as she massaged her tired arches. The first raindrops plopped on the tarp over them. The wind whistled through the tops of the trees, but they were sheltered from the worst of it. It definitely blew from a more northerly direction.

Digging in her pack, Stacey hunted out food for supper. Nutrition bars, a pack of dates, and some honey-roasted pecans would have to do. She divided the food equally and heard Cord blow out the canned fuel.

“Here. Take the first cup,” Cord ordered as he offered it to her.

Because she was desperate for the caffeine, she accepted and ignored his tone. “Okay. I’ve got our supper—unless you’d rather have one of your power bars.” She held his half of the food out and he took it with a nod. After taking a few sips of the warm, strong coffee, Stacey extended the cup to him. “Why don’t we share? I feel like a heel drinking it in front of you.”

Cord quietly palmed the cup, drank, and handed it back. “The dates are good.” It was a cold, flat statement.

“I grew them myself,” she replied in a similar sounding tone. Stacey hoped to break his current mood, maybe make him smile, but couldn’t loosen him up at all. She sipped again and then passed him the cup.

“I don’t think so,” he told her as he handed back the nearly empty tin cup.

“What? You doubt my word? I’m wounded,” Stacey tried harder to get a smile out of him. Otherwise, it would be a long night. She and the search and rescue guys usually got through long evenings like this by swapping stories, playing word games, or just kidding around. Usually she could make friends with the shyest and most reserved of the men, but Cord wasn’t cooperating.

“You’re also wasting your time,” he said, allowing no emotion to enter his voice.

“I don’t understand,” Stacey was becoming angry. “What have I done to you? Why do you have to be so—so cold? Would it hurt to be civil?”

“Maybe you would rather I come over there and show you just how friendly I can be. Is that how you and the search teams keep warm and pass the time?” Cord regretted it the moment he heard himself say it, but he needed to keep her away somehow. This should do it.

“Now, you’re wasting your time, Mr. McConnell,” Stacey managed in a low, icy tone. What she really wanted to do was boil him in oil. “I’d rather go back and play with the bear.” Controlling herself, she tossed the empty cup to him instead of throwing it at his head. Turning away she moved her pack, picked up her trash, and crawled between her blankets. Facing away from him, she took slow steady breaths.

Cord almost apologized, but decided it might be better to leave things this way. She would definitely avoid any friendly overtures from now on. He relit the can of solid fuel and heated water for the second cup of coffee. Maybe hot coffee would help the chill deep in the pit of his stomach. As the wind and rain became more intense, he decided that it would be safe to forego his usual patrols for a while. Great—that meant more time listening to her soft breathing and smelling her hair. Forcing himself to concentrate on the sound of the wind in the trees, he finally dozed off to sleep.

* * * * *

Around midnight Cord woke to the sound of moaning. Instantly awake with his pistol in hand, he realized it was Stacey moaning and muttering across from him. She seemed to be dreaming. As she grew more agitated and louder, he slid from his blankets and moved toward her. When she suddenly began to scream, he struggled to silence her. A scream would carry a long way in the night and he couldn’t chance her being heard.

“Stacey, wake up. It’s all right. You’re dreaming.” With one hand over her mouth, Cord used his other hand and shook her shoulder to wake her. Her eyes flew open and for a minute he thought she would fight him before she relaxed back against her blanket. Cord felt moisture on the hand covering her mouth and knew she was crying. He moved it away slowly.

“Ah, Stacey. Don’t,” he growled in his throat then pulled her up to hold her against his chest and stroke her hair. He discovered touching her was a big mistake as his body reacted to her nearness. He ignored it the best he could as he comforted her. Stacey cried silently into his chest and he hugged her closer whispering nonsense into her ear.

Sniffling, she asked, “Those boys—do you think—are they okay? It’s so—wet—and cold and...”

“There isn’t anything we can do about them right now. They’re young and strong. They should get by,” he tried to answer her without lying to her. Cord stroked her wild, soft hair back from her face. She didn’t seem inclined to pull away and he continued to hold her in spite of his body’s growing desire. Mind over certain matters only worked for so long.

“I dreamed about—my brother, Sammy. He was—” she took a ragged breath, “just sixteen. Like the oldest boy.”

“What happened to him?” Cord asked her gently.

“He became confused in a May snowstorm near the top of Saddleback Mountain—got separated from his group. Search and rescue couldn’t find him. My dad finally brought in a special man—a tracker—who found his body—brought him home.”

“How old were you?” Cord knew his behavior was to blame for the nightmare. He upset her and it manifested into nightmares. He wanted to kick himself, but he would let her talk instead.

“Fourteen. I was in shock for weeks.” Stacey wasn’t crying as much, but an occasional tear still slipped down her cheek. “I wanted to go camping with them, but Sammy didn’t want me along. He made a big deal out of it being a guy thing. It made me so mad I didn’t even say goodbye to him. I never...” her voice trailed off as she shook her head against his chest.

“Is that why you do this?” After a minute, he felt her nod, slowly. So, she was driven by memories, too.

Finally, Stacey pulled back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—cry on you.” Using both her hands, she swiped her face and pushed her hair back, nervously avoiding his eyes.

“Stacey.”

Hearing her name made her pause and look up at the rough features she could barely see in the dark. “What?” she whispered as she saw the intense heat in his deep brown eyes.

“Shut-up,” he growled. Catching the back of her head in his huge hand he lowered his mouth to hers.

At first, she stiffened against him in surprise, but his hot, searching lips created such a need in her she found herself moving closer. As he let her feel his loneliness and need through the kiss, her arms crept up around his neck and she began to respond.

Cord urged her closer and groaned as her thermal clad breasts pressed to his own thinly covered chest. At the sound of his groan, she gave up to his kiss completely. His hands moved over the slim curves of her waist and he shifted to press her back on the blanket. The kisses became deeper and more intense. Cord slid his hand under her shirt to stroke the bare skin of her stomach.

The feel of his hand on her bare skin startled her and she realized what was happening. Sliding her hands between them, she pushed on his chest. “No. Cord, please. I can’t.” Pushing more firmly, she insisted a little louder, “Stop. I’m sorry—please stop.”

Cord became still against her then rolled away slowly. “Give me a minute,” he grunted as he took short quick gasps of air. He remained unmoving until his breathing became more even. Then he shifted back to his own bedroll. Cursing, he told her softly, “I should never have touched you. I knew what would happen. It won’t happen again.” He struggled to build the fences back that allowed him to keep his distance. He should have known she wouldn’t want him. That was why he stuck to a certain type of woman. Cold, sophisticated leeches that knew the score, took what he offered in exchange for being with him a while, then moved on to the next guy. A fresh-faced, young girl like Stacey wouldn’t want to be with a scarred up old soldier like him.

“Wait, Cord.” Stacey could feel him withdrawing back into the cold hard shell her nightmare broke through. “I’m not—offended or upset. I just don’t know you well enough for—well, to sleep with you.”

“I understand. Don’t try to explain.” The flat, emotionless tone she hated was back.

“I could just smack you,” Stacey grumbled as she grabbed her boots and stuffed her feet into them. She threw on the lightweight rain jacket she laid out earlier. She didn’t care that it was raining steadily as she crawled out from under the tree.

“Where are you going?” Cord snapped.

“Where you’re not!” She hurried away into the darkness. If she didn’t get some space between them, she would explode. Stacey considered herself pretty even-tempered, but Cord definitely put her on the verge of a tantrum. Muttering angrily the entire time, she walked in circles then returned to pace near the tree housing their camp. “First cold, then friendly, then cold, then hot, then cold again. Why can’t he just treat me like a normal human being? The other guys I work with don’t have this problem,” she fumed as she stomped back and forth. “What did I do to deserve this?”

Cord came from the opposite side of the tree and interrupted her pacing. “Go lie down and rest. I’ll stay out here,” he ordered. The cold, wet air should effectively kill the last of his desire for her, he thought.

After a long, deep sigh she told him, “I’m fine now. Let’s just get some rest so we can start early.” Stacey ducked under the tarp covered branches and slipped off her jacket. She hung it from a branch to drip and pulled off her boots before sliding into her blankets. When Cord didn’t follow after several minutes, she called, “McConnell, if you stay out there I’m coming back out, too.” He must be cold. Even though it wasn’t cold enough to freeze, the temperature had to be in the mid-thirties. “Cord, please,” Stacey tried again. “I really don’t want to come back out in the rain when these blankets are so warm.”

“Stubborn woman. Why can’t you leave well enough alone?” Cord crawled in, shed his soaking sweatshirt, and brushed the water from his hair with his hands.

“It drives my mom and dad nuts, too. Mom says I have a ‘fix it’ complex.” Warmer, she listened as he slid into his bedroll. “Dad just says I’m a brat.”

“Tell me about them. They must be very patient people.” Maybe she would get sleepy from talking and then leave him alone for a while. He didn’t admit he liked hearing the sound of her voice and was glad she was over being mad at him.

“My mom and dad? They’re great. Mom is Lucy to her friends and she has bunches of them. She has short, curly, auburn hair and energy to burn. Dad teases her that she’s so slim because she doesn’t slow down long enough for the fat to catch up. Her eyes are blue-gray and can see deep inside you. I could never get away with anything with her.” Stacey yawned and snuggled deeper into her blankets. “Dad is Sam, short for Samuel Isaiah Parker. He’s quieter and less outgoing. He won a silver medal in cross-country skiing when he was nineteen. Except for hurting his knee, he would have won the gold. Mom says he has Scandinavian ancestors and he looks it. Blond haired, blue eyed, and almost as big as you. They own a lodge on Saddleback Mountain and business is pretty good. They bought it from an old couple who wanted to retire in Florida. At first it was just a ski lodge, but now it’s open year-round. People are really getting into hiking and white-water rafting. They’re almost as busy in the summer as in the winter. After Sammy died, they talked about selling, but they finally decided nowhere else would be any better. Mom says she feels close to Sammy there, anyway.” She was quiet for a few minutes thinking of her family. Then she asked, “What about your family?”

“All dead as far as I know.” Cord didn’t elaborate, hoping she’d go to sleep.

“When?” Stacey was curious about him.

“I was a kid. I grew up in foster homes until I was old enough to join up.” He really didn’t like to talk about himself. “It must have been rough.”

Not wanting her to feel sorry for him, Cord replied, “I did okay. I lived with some decent foster families.” And some were pretty rough, he didn’t add. That part of his life was over. He never thought about it anymore.

“So, how old are you?” Stacey would guess mid-forties from the lines in his face and his manner.

“Nosey, aren’t you? Thirty-eight, but at times I feel older.” He didn’t say she made him feel that way. “You’re what? Twenty-one, twenty-two?”

“Twenty-five, and don’t you dare say I don’t look it or I will smack you,” she threatened, sleepily.

“Stacey, the crack I made earlier—about the search team—I was out of line.” Cord didn’t want her to go to sleep without telling her that and he realized he didn’t want her to hate him. Now, maybe, they both could sleep.

“Yes, you were. Don’t let it happen again.” She said it matter-of-factly then went on, “It sounds like the rain stopped. What will you do when we catch up to them?”

“Whatever I have to do.” Cord didn’t want to cover what might happen and he especially didn’t want to tell her once they were close, she would stay behind.

“You must be very good at what you do,” she yawned.

“I usually get the job done,” he agreed.

“How did you get your scars?” Stacey thought instead of detracting from his appeal, they actually added to it. They made him interesting and dangerous.

Cord never expected her to come up with that. Women usually shied away from the topic and kids were often afraid of him at first. He got used to it over the years. “The one on my cheek was from a knife fight and the other I got in an explosion. Do they bother you?”

“Only if I think of how much pain they must have caused you. I think they give your face character.” Her voice was very drowsy and she turned onto her side.

“Well, that’s a new one,” Cord chuckled softly. “Ugly, fierce, even mean, I’ve heard. But not character.” She always surprised him. Even the kisses she returned wholeheartedly stunned him. They almost ripped the heart from his chest they were so sweet and giving. This was a woman who could make a man do crazy things and he would need to watch his step. She had already softened him up again and wriggled her way in.

As if she heard what he was thinking, Stacey suddenly whispered, “Cord, I liked it when you kissed me. Wake me up when it’s time to go.” Her even breathing told him she was at last asleep.

“I liked it too, Stacey,” he whispered back, knowing she wouldn’t hear him.

* * * * *

The birds were chirping when Cord woke Stacey and shoved a cup of coffee into her hands. He tossed her a power bar then began rolling up his blankets.

“Don’t you want some coffee?” she asked, tearing into the instant food bar. Already dressed in his damp sweatshirt and boots, he seemed to be in a hurry, once again.

“I’ve already had mine. Sit over there and I’ll pack up your bedroll. I trust you don’t mind that I got the coffee out of your pack? I thought you could use the extra sleep.” Cord rolled up her blankets almost before she moved.

“No, I don’t mind. Thanks for fixing it.” Stacey sipped the hot liquid while watching him gather and pack their things. “We need to leave as soon as you can see the trail,” Cord reminded her.

“I know. We’ll have to see how much damage the rain has done,” she warned. “It will be harder to stay on their trail at first. When we catch up to where they waited out the rain, it will get easier.”

“Are they still headed in the direction of the pass?”

“Yes. Lolo Pass is in this general direction,” Stacey answered as she took another bite of the power bar. “I still don’t know why they would come this way.”

“Beats me. Maybe they’re just certain that north is toward Canada and farther away from Denver. Or maybe they do have some plan in mind.” Cord took down the tarp and shook the water off. “Once we have the boys, what will be the safest route for us to take?”

“It depends on where we are when that happens, but all we have to do is find a clearing and send up a signal at regular intervals. The chopper will eventually come in and pick us up won’t it?”

“Let’s hope it’s that simple,” he agreed. He didn’t want to tell her he might have to dispose of three men to make it that easy.

Stacey finished her food and coffee, rinsed her cup and her teeth then packed everything Cord had not reached yet. She took out her pick and tried to straighten the tangled mess of her hair. The damp weather made it curl even more and she longed for a good shampoo and a cut. Giving up, she tugged it back and pulled it into a ponytail.

Their breath turned into a visible mist in the cold morning air as the sky began to lighten. Stacey was sure it snowed in the higher elevations, possibly near the crashed plane where they began their trip. Streams and creeks already filled with run-off from the melted snow and ice would be running higher and faster due to last night’s rain. They needed to cross a few of them today. She prayed that the boys they were after wouldn’t get swept away as the criminals were forced to find a way across.

Motioning to Cord as the first rays of the sun filtered weakly through the trees, she moved toward where they left the trail the previous night. Even after the rain, Stacey was able to pick up the trail signs and hike steadily forward. Water dripped onto their heads and shoulders from branches and lower vegetation soaked their boots and pants as they followed the trail.

Cord insisted they take only short, necessary breaks for water and rest. It was Monday and the boys had been in the wilderness for the fourth night without proper gear and with little or no food. He knew the men holding them captive would have no qualms about saving whatever meager supplies they scrounged from the plane for themselves.

It was increasingly difficult to make it through the night with Stacey sleeping only an arm’s length away. Cord got up before her this morning because of a dream that almost made him crawl into her bedroll. Walking in the cold, wearing his wet sweatshirt were the only things saving her from him. After their kisses, he knew he could easily get past her resistance and it was even harder to hold back. But, he knew he couldn’t survive being with Stacey then carry on as he had before. She would change things forever and he needed to keep his hands off. A pity they couldn’t just enjoy each other then get back to their normal lives, Cord thought, as he watched her enticing figure move ahead of him through the trees.