“I’m good. Just another day at the office for me,” I joked. This wasn’t the first time I’d gone after a stranded hiker or someone who’d gotten lost out on one of the trails. I knew the park trails better than the lines on my own palm. No sense in anyone else getting soaked to the skin over someone else’s bad decision.
I took a few seconds to kiss Wren and Eli goodnight. Wren snuggled back under her blanket, clearly caught up in the animated movie playing on the big screen TV. But Eli could tell something was wrong. He knew I wouldn’t be going out in a storm unless someone else was in danger.
“Be safe, Dad.” He wrapped his arms around my neck and squeezed.
“I will.” I held him a few seconds longer than usual. Then I pulled my keys out of my pocket and headed for my truck.
Visibility was next to nothing as I drove through the park gates. The rain battered the windshield, and the wipers struggled to keep up. I got as close as I could to the spot where I assumed Delaney was on the trail. Then I left the truck and headed out on foot.
Armed with an extra rain poncho, a waterproof flashlight, my radio, cell phone, and survival pack, I trekked half a mile to get to where I thought she’d be. My heart free fell when I didn’t see her crouched under the rocky overhang.
I’d tried telling myself that she was just a seasonal camp employee, but the way my gut twisted when I couldn’t find her said otherwise. I’d been lying to myself that I didn’t have feelings for her.
With the rain coming down even harder, I crouched under the rocks to try to figure out my next steps. That’s when I saw a boot print on the rocks.
“Delaney?” My voice battled with the sound of the wind as I yelled her name.
Her face appeared above the edge of the rocks. “Jace? What are you doing here?”
Relief flooded through my system. She was okay. Drenched and probably freezing half to death, but she didn’t sound like she was hurt.
“I’m the one asking questions. Why the hell did you come out here with a storm on the way?” I held out my hand to help her down from the elevated ridge.
Her boots scraped against the rocks, then she was pressed up against me. Heat rushed through my veins.
“The storm wasn’t supposed to hit us. I checked the weather before I came out here. It just snuck up on me.” She pushed away and stumbled while trying to get her footing. “You didn’t have to come after me. I would have been fine waiting it out.”
Damn, she sounded exactly like me, though I’d like to think I’d never put myself in the same situation. “You’re soaked through and the temperature’s falling. Let’s get back to the truck, and I’ll drop you off at your cabin.”
I handed her a poncho. Our fingers brushed. Not on purpose, but I felt it everywhere. She tugged it on over her head, and I got the impression she wasn’t exactly thrilled about being rescued.
It was impossible to talk on the way to the truck. Probably a good thing since it gave me a chance to calm down.
When we finally got inside the cab, I was still pissed. Both at myself for having to confront my feelings and for her for making me. But I bit my tongue as I drove through the park and crossed the bridge over the creek to get her to her cabin. I pulled to a stop just steps from the front porch.
“I would have been fine out there on my own,” Delaney mumbled. “It’s not the first time I’ve been caught by a surprise storm.”
Frustration finally spilled over. “Well, it’s the first time you’ve been caught by a storm under my watch. Maybe we do things a little differently around here, but I’m not going to leave someone I…”
Delaney looked over at me as my words trailed off. Even in the darkness of the cab I could see the way her brows knit together. “Someone you what?”
The question was simple, but the answer was so complicated. Before I could figure out how to reply, the sound of wood splintering into pieces came from behind us. I jumped out of the truck and raced toward the creek. If what I suspected had just happened, I was stuck.
She followed, stopping next to me, and we both looked out over the raging creek where the bridge used to be. The bridge we’d just driven over to get to her cabin. The bridge that was the only way for me to get back home.
It was gone.
CHAPTER 9
DELANEY
Even though I’dbeen staying at the cabin for the past several weeks, as soon as Jace stepped through the door, it no longer felt like my space. He brought the storm inside with him, and anger and frustration rolled off him in waves. He paced the length of the small living room while he ran his fingers through his hair over and over again.
I’d left him alone long enough to change into a pair of sweats though my hair was still soaked. While he mumbled to himself, I sat down on the loveseat and wondered if he’d wear a groove into the floor if he didn’t stop soon.
“It’s not the end of the world. You can stay here tonight and hike out in the morning. Once the rain stops, the water will go down and we’ll find a place to cross.” I couldn’t help myself. He acted like being stuck overnight with me was the end of the world. The man needed a little perspective.
He paused like he’d forgotten I was even there. “That’s not the point.”
