Then lightning crackled overhead. A burst of light blinded me as a tall tree just ahead split in two. My pulse thundered in my ears and adrenaline raced through my limbs. Change of plans.
I turned around and started to run.
Movement to the left of the trail caught my eye. Some sort of animal raced toward me. I pulled the bear spray Nellie had left at the cabin out of my bag as I stumbled down the path. Wishing I’d read the instructions before I started out, I slowed my pace. Whatever had been following me through the woods would be on me in a matter of seconds. I flipped the safety clip and put my finger on the button.
“Whoa. Take your finger off the can. Nice and easy now.” Thatcher stood about a dozen yards away. The animal that had been heading toward me ran by and sat down at his side. It was only his dog.
My hand shook as I lowered the can. “I thought he was…”
“It’s okay.” Thatcher took a few long strides toward me. “Anyone could have mistaken him for a bear.”
“Right.” I let out a shaky laugh. “That’s probably why you named him that, huh?”
Thatcher’s lips curled up in an almost-smile. “Right.”
I slid my backpack off my shoulders and shoved the bear spray back inside. “Sorry. I got spooked. I was trying to find the lake, but the weather turned and then lightning hit a tree and…” The words rushed out of me in a jumbled mess.
“There’s a brush fire north of Nellie’s cabin. We need to head back.” He gestured to the path behind him. “I stopped by to warn you but when you weren’t there, I got worried.”
My heart was still beating a million times a minute, and I almost missed what he said. “Wait, you came out here to find me?”
“Yeah. If anything happened to you, hell, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, Joely.” His forehead furrowed, making him look even more serious than usual. I wanted to reach up and smooth the lines from between his brows. To run my palm over his cheek. To find out if his beard would feel as soft as I thought it might against my skin.
Then thunder boomed across the sky. I looked up, wincing at the color of the clouds. They’d gone from light gray to an angry, almost black.
“We need to get out of here. Come on. Let’s get you back to Nellie’s.” Thatcher reached for my hand.
I let him take it. The feel of his calloused palm against mine kept me from freaking out that I was outside in the middle of what promised to be an epic thunderstorm. He walked quickly, gently pulling me with him, while Bear ran circles around us.
“Is it going to rain?” I asked.
“Hopefully. That would eliminate any threat from the brush fire.”
“And if it doesn’t?” I’d seen TV shows where rural firefighters couldn’t get small blazes under control, and they ended up taking out thousands of acres. It didn’t seem possible that could happen somewhere like Hard Timber.
“A crew is already on it. They’re the best of the best. Nothing to worry about.” He glanced back and even offered a reassuring smile. Or at least what might count as a smile coming from Thatcher.
The wind swirled around us, and I could smell the threat of fire in the air. We reached a split in the path and Thatcher headed right. I didn’t know exactly where I was, but I would have sworn I needed to go left to get back to Nellie’s.
“Are you sure that’s the right way back to the cabin?” I stopped, causing him to stop with me.
“It’s the way to my place,” he said. “With the way the wind shifted, it’s not safe to go to Nellie’s.”
Back to his cabin? A lump lodged in my throat, and I tried to swallow past it. When that didn’t work, I cleared my throat. “We’re going back to your place?”
“If you’d rather stay out here…” his words trailed off just as another clap of thunder shook the ground.
“Nope. Your place is fine.” I moved ahead, my hand still clasped in his. But a part of me wondered if I should be more afraid of the storm or of what I might do when I found myself back in Thatcher’s cabin… all alone with the mountain man for the second time in one day.
We reached his porch just as the sky opened up and rain pelted down. He opened the door and motioned for me to enter first. Bear barged ahead, and I followed. The scent of wood-smoke surrounded me. It seemed like months had passed since I’d left his place this morning, though the mug I’d used still sat on his counter.
“I’ll get a fire going. If you’re cold, you can grab one of my shirts or sweatshirts from the bedroom.” He let go of my hand as soon as we entered and got busy stacking wood in the fireplace.
I hadn’t been cold until he mentioned it. When I left for my hike, I figured I’d be back before dark and wouldn’t need a jacket. With goosebumps popping up on my arms, I ventured into the room I assumed was his bedroom. I flipped the switch on the wall and a lamp on the nightstand flickered. A thick plaid comforter covered a bed that looked way too small for Thatcher.
He’d left a flannel shirt draped over the footboard and I reached for it. As I shoved my arms into the sleeves and pulled it over my shoulders, his scent surrounded me… a mix of wood-smoke, pine, and something totally unique to Thatcher. I immediately warmed from the inside out.
“Did you find something?” he called from the other room.
