Nope, Jess was definitely not helpless.
“Well, for your information, I’ve seen plenty of bears out here over the years,” she said. “They don’t bother me a bit. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“Got it.” Knew it was true too. And he also knew he’d do the same thing again, for any hiker out here, male or female, but especially for Jess.
Neither of them spoke as they walked back toward the entrance to the property. Silence was his preferred method of communication, but this silence buzzed with a tension that made his scalp prickle with misgivings. Whichever of them ended up buying this land, they were going to be neighbors, and it would make things a hell of a lot easier if they could get along.
Beside him, Jess rubbed at her forehead. All the color—and the anger—seemed to have drained out of her.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” she muttered, but now that he was close to her, she didn’t look fine. She was pale, her movements jerky as if she were in pain.
“Jess…” He touched her arm, hoping to get her to slow down, andJesus H. Christ. “You’re burning up.”
She jerked her arm away from his touch. “Am I?”
“Hold up a minute here.” He reached for her again, and this time she stopped, letting out a weary sigh.
“I might be coming down with the flu. Half my employees have had it already this month.”
He pressed a palm against her forehead, frowning. “You’re running a high fever. Have you taken anything?”
She shook her head. “I will as soon as I get back to the spa.”
“Let me take you home.”
She started walking again. “No, thanks.”
“You can’t go back to work like this.”
She let out a frustrated groan. “I know that. Much as it kills me to cancel on my afternoon clients, I can’t see as I have any choice. Not good for business if I infect them with my germs, is it?”
He walked beside her, still watching her closely. “Are you limping?”
“Will you cut it out? My joints hurt. I’m sick. I’m going home, I promise.”
But she didn’t complain when he offered his elbow to lean on, and that spoke volumes. They lapsed back into silence, making their way through the woods. A few minutes later, they rounded an outcrop and found themselves face-to-face with the bear and her cubs, not ten feet in front of them.
Jess gasped, her grip on his arm tightening.
The mama bear had been sharpening her claws on a tree trunk while her cubs climbed the tree. She turned her head at the sudden human intrusion and lunged in their direction, slapping her front paw against the leaf-covered ground as she blew loudly through her nostrils.
Mark raised his hands in the air, beginning to back away. “Easy, girl. We didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“Holy shit,” Jess whispered, yanking on his arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
“We are, but carefully,” he said, walking backward away from the bears while still facing them, keeping his body between Jess and the agitated mama. “She’s just bluffing. We startled her. She’s telling us we’re too close to her and her babies.”
“No friggin’ kidding.”
“No need to get upset.” He lifted his voice to carry to the bears. “Easy does it.”
Mama bear slapped the ground again, huffing loudly.
“Why are you talking to her like that?” Jess hissed in his ear. “You’re pissing her off!”
“We’re making sure she knows we’re not prey, but we’re also respecting her wishes and getting out of her space.” He kept his voice calm, level, and loud enough for the bears to hear.
