He swung back to the trunk. “There’s got to be a flashlight in here somewhere.” The adrenaline pumping through him made his hands shake, but he kept them active as he searched for the flashlight.
“Zack,” she said in a calm voice, touching his arm, “it’s okay. We can use the light from our phones.”
Inwardly, he groaned. Why hadn’t he thought of that?
Taking a deep breath, he straightened, meeting her gaze. “Yeah, we could use that light.”
She closed the trunk and then using the remote, locked the vehicle. “We’re not that far from the main house. We’ll get there in no time at all, and we’ll be just fine.”
She took a step toward the road, but for some reason, Zack’s legs refused to move. She turned toward him, slipping her hand into his. Warmth spread through his body, starting where their palms were touching and their fingers entwined. Her pretty eyes and tender smile gave him the courage he needed.
As they made their way up the slope, he slipped a few times on the slushy mud, but thankfully, he didn’t fall. She slipped too, but only laughed about it. By the time they made it to the road, they were both chuckling over their inability to stay on their feet in the mud.
She acted like she wanted to pull her hand away from his, but he held tight, not wanting to let this comforting feeling leave. Not much was said as they headed down the road, and once again, Whitney acted as though she didn’t want to look at him – just like what had happened in the car.
She was an odd woman. Of course, he had plenty of time to figure her out. At least hehopedthere was plenty of time.
“So Whitney,” he said, wanting to hear her soothing voice again. “Tell me about Joe. What’s he like?”
“He’s a good, hard-working man. He knows what he’s talking about, so you’d better listen.”
Grinning, Zack gave her a nod. “You’re acting like I never listen.”
She arched an eyebrow at him, critically. He laughed.
“As I was saying...” Her voice trailed off.
She came to a sudden stop. Her eyes widened. He didn’t like this reaction. It only meant one thing.
Slowly, he scanned the area around them, especially in the trees. The light on her cell lit up a lot of area. The bushes moved. Tree limbs crunched.
Zack’s gut twisted. It was a bear. He’d bet good money on it. How could he protect Whitney at the same time, making sure they didn’t die?
EIGHT
Whitney’s heartbeatslammed against her ribs and her body froze. She tried to snap her mind out of this panicked state. It was up to her to protect them. After all, she was the only one with a gun.
