It doesn’t take long before I find the wounded ‘deer’. Turns out, it’s not an animal at all. Instead, it’s a red-haired woman curled up against a tree another fifty feet up. She’s not looking my way, but staring out toward a body of water instead. The sun’s reflecting against it just right, but it’s not the beauty of the water that has my attention snagged.
My feet move on their own. Carrying me like a man possessed, I don’t even look at the hints of red staining green. I’m too busy taking in one of the things I hate the most. Tourists. However, it’s not hatred plucking at my chest. It’s something else entirely.
My boots scrape against the ground in one uneven step, and the woman jerks to look my way like a startled animal. Her eyes are round like a doe’s, too, but they’re the color of the greenery surrounding her.
She’s… breathtaking.
As my tongue swells the size of my fist, I can’t even find the words I need to reassure her that I’m not some kind of threat. That I’m actually here to help. But thanks to my purposeful avoidance of anything breathing that doesn’t stand on four legs, I think I’ve completely forgotten how to speak to another person.
Then, without warning, she blinds me with a smile. It’s like the sun being revealed after a thick cloud passes by. “Oh my God. Hello. Hi. Wow. My hero.”
I don’t stop walking until I’m right in front of her. Looking down, I scan her body, looking for the damage. She’s here for a reason, not to lure me to my death like a siren in the ocean. I notice the cut on her leg, and something just clicks in my chest. My knees give out, and I barely even notice the pain as I land next to her.
A soft gasp leaves her before a low hiss slips through her teeth as old training kicks in. Those wide eyes watch me poke and prod at her leg.
Now isn’t the time to notice how soft her skin is, or how plump it is, either.
“What happened?” Trying to get the facts, I can’t even recognize my voice. My words sound thicker, like they’re catching on the lump forming in the back of my throat. “How long have you been here?”
The beauty stumbles on her own words before she cradles the device around her neck, one I didn’t even notice until now. Explaining her run-in with a bear and her struggle to get here, she soon sighs.
“I didn’t make it too far, but I tried. At least I gave up at a spot with a great view, huh?” Her mouth curves again, this time weaker. “I’ll be alright, really. It’s nothing to get upset about.”
Yet, here I am feeling like my chest is closing in on itself. Seeing her hurt twists something up inside of me. Instead of bringing me to a place I’ve learned how to block out, there’s only one thing on my mind. Getting her help.
The smart thing to do would be to find a trail and flag down someone with a working phone. Better yet, I could hunt down one of the mountain rescuers so they can take her down to the clinic. At that point, I can move on with my life and pretend I didn’t meet someone who made me react in a way I haven’t felt in years.
The thought of letting her go pulls the clutch on my chest even tighter, suffocating me entirely. I don’t want to do it.
“What’s your name?” Finding my tongue, I ask a question that feels even more important than the last one.
Her chest swells, and it’s enough to drag my eyes from her wound. Unable to put my priorities in order, the inability to breathe right suddenly isn’t my number one issue. It’s the heat that coils down lower.
“Emery. You?”
“Callan.”
“Callan.” Repeating it slowly, her smile turns lazy as the exhaustion seeps through. “I think I could really use your help here, if you don’t mind.”
I don’t think. Hearing her soft tone say my name repeatedly in my head, the thought of hunting is no longer a concern. All I can think about is feeling her in my arms. So, without much of a warning, I make her gasp by hooking my arms beneath her body and lifting her up in the air.
Nowthisfeels right. Perfect, actually. Now that I’ve got her here, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to put her down. Especially when she says my nameagain.
“Whoa, this is…” I notice the pink on her cheeks as soon as it appears. I don’t miss the freckles on her cheeks, either. She then sputters. “Where are you taking me?”
“My cabin.” The answer comes easily, but even I can tell it might be a little much to a woman who’s just been tangled up with a stranger. “Your leg needs to be tended to. I’ve got the supplies there, and my home isn’t far away.”
That’s a lie, but I’m walking faster than I normally do. Instead of trying to stay silent, my boots are crunching on the occasional gravel and stomping all over the grass. Anyone who passes by will see a man on a mission, and they’d be silly to try to get in my way.
Hugging her camera, she catches her bottom lip between her teeth and nods. “Thank you. You really saved me out there. I thought I was going to…”
She doesn’t have to say the words, and I don’t want her to.
“You’re safe now.” The promise feels like half-truth and half-lie. She’s safe from the wildlife and the forces of nature. But when it comes to me?
I’ve already made up my mind, and I know she’s not prepared for what I have coming her way.
Whatever it takes, even as crazy as it is, I’m going to make this woman mine.
