Page 24 of Bales and Brawn

“These are amazing,” he says, his voice muffled by a mouth full of cookie.

It’s getting dark and an animal calls in the wilderness.

“What the fuck was that?” Devin turns to me.

“Probably a coyote.”

“A coyote huh? Was Nova right about the animals?”

“Oh yes. We have coyotes, a few bobcats. Mountain lions and bears. It’s the snakes you need to watch for. It’s rattler season.”

“You’re kidding, right?” There’s a small amount of light coming from the open doorway of the cabin and I can see his dark eyes go wide. Then he starts scanning the landscape.

“Relax, they’re not hungry at this time of year, so they probably won’t bother us.”

“I should have asked for danger money. Is it too late to negotiate?” he asks, and he looks so serious I can’t hide a chuckle.

“Sorry, you’re stuck here now. Unless you care to ride home.”

“I’ll pass, thanks.” He gives me a quick grin, and I can see he’s still nervous so I suggest we go inside.

He starts to relax once the door is shut and bolted.

“Don’t you have bears in the UK?”

“No, nor any mountain lions, coyotes, and certainly no rattlesnakes. You might get a bite from a squirrel if you’re daft enough to feed them. But that’s about as bad as it gets.”

“Yeah, you want to stay away from them. They carry the plague.” I agree with him.

“The plague? Ours don’t carry the plague. Jeez, I don’t like the cities so much, but I’m starting to change my mind, they seem safer.”

“So, city boy, which side of the bed do you want?” I’m tired and we need to start early in the morning.

“City boy, huh?” His eyes flicker slightly, and I get a brief toothy grin, which ignites a small spark inside me.

I smile back but don’t answer, I just lean back against the table and cross my arms. He glances towards the bed and then at the door.

“The left. It’s furthest from the door. That way, if any bears get in they can maul you first,” he says and I laugh. I’m enjoying this trip more than I thought I would.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DEVIN

I wake, and in the half light of the early dawn it takes me a few seconds to realize I’m not in my room over the barn but in a remote cabin miles from anywhere. And I just shared a bed with a guy. Which is a first. I raise myself up and swing my legs over the side so I’m sitting on the edge of the bed. I scrub my hands over my face and beard and then look back at Zane.

He’s still asleep. His lashes are light brown against his cheeks, which are tanned by how much time he spends outdoors. His pink lips are slightly parted. Everything about his features is softer, vulnerable, naked, and beautiful. I shake the last thought from my mind and rise. I stretch, surprised I’m not as stiff as I expected to be after so many hours in the saddle yesterday. I stoke up the range to boil water for some tea, singing Dolly softly under my breath. I find a pack of bacon Zane brought for breakfast and start cooking it.

“That smells good.”

I stop singing abruptly and look over to where Zane is propped up on one elbow rubbing his eyes.

“You’ll be pleased to know we didn’t get mauled by bears in the night,” I say.

And his mouth twitches before he says, deadpan, “Glad I didn’t have to become your human shield, then.”

I can’t help but grin at that, and he returns it with his own smile, which makes my breath catch. Confused, I turn away to tend to the bacon.

“It won’t be long, and tea’s brewing,” I say, and he rises before pulling on his boots and going outside to relieve himself. When he returns I place the bacon, tea, and a loaf of bread on the table. Zane cuts some slices and we make sandwiches.