Chapter 7
Lee
Monday was a long day. I was out of my cabin by the crack of dawn and since I’d arrived at the office, I hadn’t stopped to take a breath. When Hank came into the office next to mine at ten, I hadn’t had breakfast yet.
“How are we doing?” Hank asked.
“It’s a nightmare,” I said. “I had calls all morning about a group of hikers that won’t listen to the tour guide. Maya is pissed by now, and you know how she gets. I just got a call from her that one of them went missing now, so I’m heading out on the ATV to see if I can track the guy down.”
“Where was he last seen?” Hank asked.
I explained to him what I had been told. Hank shook his head.
“They shouldn’t put Maya on the Monday hikes. She’s always in a bad mood after the weekend.
“Donny called in sick though, so she had to sub. It’s not her fault. Head out with me, we can cover more ground.”
Hank nodded and we walked to the shed where the ATVs were secured. They were powerful enough to head off the trail when necessary. We each climbed on one, and like always I enjoyed the sensation of power beneath me when I started the engine.
We headed into the forest, fanning out from where the hiker had last been spotted. It took us two hours but we eventually found the guy. He had sprained his ankle and dropped his cell phone in a creek when he fell, so he hadn’t been able to call for help.
Hank helped him onto the ATV after checking the ankle for breaks. I noticed footprints in the mud leading through the trees. I frowned and kneeled to study them. When I glanced at the hiker I saw that he wore simple running shoes. The prints didn’t belong to him.
Which meant someone else had been walking around here.
“You can head back down, I’ll follow,” I said to Hank. Hank nodded and took off with the invalid while I made my way through the trees, following the tracks. This was a restricted hunting area but someone had likely been hunting here. It wasn’t the first time I had come across prints like this. Whoever they belonged to knew what he was doing. The prints showed the person stopped at intervals, resting on a knee, and seemed intentional, with no evidence of hesitation or indecision, suggesting he knew exactly where he was headed.
I looked up through the trees but I knew I wouldn’t spot anyone out here now. The hunter knew it was restricted out here and only came out when we were off duty.
Turning around, I headed back to the ATV. When I reached the base I needed to notify the local sheriff. We had to catch this guy.
Hank was in the office when I finally arrived.
“What did you see back there?” he asked.
“Our hunter is back.”
Hank swore under his breath. “If he shoots when the hikers are out we’ve got bigger problems.”
I nodded. “I’ll radio it in. We need to get this guy before he hurts someone by accident.”
I walked to my own office and sat down behind the desk. I was tired and hungry. At least I could knock off early today since I’d come in early. I took some leftovers out of the mini fridge and ate. While I chewed, I thought about Farrah and how it had been when she had been here with me. I had to smile when I thought about her.
She had looked so flustered when she’d asked me to come into her motel room. She hadn’t meant it provocatively but when she realized how it sounded, it had been endearing to watch her backpedal. I wanted to see her again.
But first, I wanted to get home and shower. I was over the day.
When I sat down behind my desk again, a yellow note caught my eye. How had I missed it when I’d come in? I picked up the note, reading the neat, loopy handwriting.
Are we there yet?
Grinning, I recalled that I had told her that we would be there soon when I’d declined her invite to her room. I thought about it. Were we the there yet? Was I ready to take another step with her?
I hadn’t dated in a while and hadn’t had anything serious with the women when I did date them. With Farrah, it wasn’t serious, though. We weren’t heading toward a relationship or anything like that. I just wanted to spend time with her. Was I ready for the next step, to flirt and banter and get to know her?
Hell, yeah.
I said goodbye to Hank when it was time for me to leave, letting him know I was headed out. He would cover the later shift. The staggered schedule allowed us to cover a longer day. I was exhausted, but would never be too tired to see Farrah. I hurried home and showered, washing off the grime of the day.
When I was done, I dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Casual. I ran my hand through my hair to attempt a style and headed out again. On the way, I stopped next to a field filled with wildflowers. I picked a handful of matching colors before heading toward town. The flowers weren’t from a hothouse, but they were beautiful. I hoped she would like them.
I found a parking space in the motel lot and climbed out of my truck, grabbing the flowers I had picked for her. Her car was parked close to one of the room doors. She was in. I was relieved. If she hadn’t been, I would have waited for her.
Knocking on the door, I held the wildflowers awkwardly. What was I supposed to do with the bouquet? Hold it up in front of me like an offering? Hang it by my side like I didn’t care? I was struck by how much I cared about what she would think when she opened up the door to find me here.
I opted for hanging the bouquet at my side.
The door opened and Farrah stood before me. She looked amazing. She wore another summer dress that cinched at the waist, accentuating her curves. It made her look even taller, the fabric falling to the floor. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun as if she had hastily tried to get it out of the way. She wore very little makeup. Her natural beauty was breathtaking.
“Lee,” she said. She didn’t seem surprised or shy. She was a little unsure, but nothing like it had been before.
“I brought you these,” I said, holding the flowers out without fanfare. She smiled and took it from me.
“They’re beautiful,” she said. She reached forward and took my hand, pulling me into the motel room. She closed the door behind me. I looked around. The room was small and cozy but not very well decorated. It was a standard issue type of place. I noticed the double bed in the middle of the room before Farrah stepped toward me, kissing me as she pressed her body against me.
This time, the kiss was a proper one. It wasn’t a brush of the lips or a tentative peck. Her lips mashed against mine and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against me. I slid my tongue into her mouth and she melted against me. I’d been wanting to do this since the first time she’d kissed me. I had held back because Farrah was so careful, but she was taking charge now and I loved it. This was a side of her that I liked very much. She had showed it to me now and then, and when she did, it was beautiful.
I couldn’t get enough of her.