After that there was no keeping the children away from her. She was new and different. That was probably why all the kids were so curious about her. Truthfully, she had always had a way with kids, so she was really the only one not surprised when with the following days they took to following her around, tumbling into her lap or latching onto her legs at the least cessation of movement.
They were so completely adorable with their big eyes and incessant questions, was it any wonder she had a soft spot for them? Everyone else she could ignore, or pretend to dislike, but not the kids.
If it wasn't the kids, it was the puppies. The adorable little wolf pups that showed up soon after that, chewing on her toes and trying to get her to play tug a war with whatever she had at hand, be it book or scarf. They were constantly underfoot and making mischief or wrestling in a rough and tumble across the lawn. Georgie was forever expecting the adult wolves to show up and make issue with her about the pup curled trustingly up in her lap, but the adult wolves kept their distance. She never forgot they were there because she could feel eyes on her constantly, and sometimes she would catch glimpses. It was disconcerting to say the least.
Truthfully it scared the bejeezus out of her, knowing that wild animals roamed so close, especially since she had seen for herself in her last escape attempt that where they might be friendly to the natives, her they gave no quarter. Whatever the reason for the strange gathering of wolves in the forest so close to the settlement, and the puppies that were free roaming and seemed to be under human care, it was a good detriment to her thoughts of escape.
Georgie was laughing and trying to rescue her borrowed sun hat from the pups, but she knew as soon as it slipped out of her grasping hands that it was a goner. It was the third one this week that Patrice had given her, so she felt a little bad, but not bad enough to try racing them around the forest for it. Again. That way led to nothing but frustration and the reason the pups kept trying to take more of them from her. They had liked that game a little too well. So instead she sat down cross legged in the high grass, out of breath and laughing. Good thing for her she had the kind of skin that just turned golden in the sun, between that and her sun screen she should be fine.
The river gurgled happily and with the sun beating down and the day unseasonably warm it was tempting to take off her shoes and walk along the wet bank. But the water, no matter how welcoming it looked, was freezing cold and treacherous at this time of year. She had been warned more than once, and she kept a careful eye on the pups and children as they played that they did not get too close. And she was not the only one. Often a warning growl or a sharp bark could be heard from the tree line when the pups got a little too close to the bank, and too rambunctious to hear Georgie when she called out. The wolves they could not miss.
They certainly continued to make an impression on her. Still, after her first communal dinner last night the peace was enough to soothe her spirits. Even with the scary company she could not see. For a few moments with the children bringing her frogs and rocks to see and wonder at, she felt both right at home and nostalgic for her own third graders left behind.
She wondered how everyone was taking her absence, and it was sad to acknowledge that besides David, one of the few foster kids she had kept in touch with, no one would really notice she was gone. Her third graders might wonder, but they were kids, and kids were resilient. No doubt they would already be bonding with a new teacher and forgetting all about her. As close as she always was with her students, she was still a teacher, and eventually they moved on to the next class and a new teacher, it was the nature of the job.
Georgie shook off her sad thoughts and laughed again when Drake, the six-year-old that had first approached her after her run in with the crazy Stacia, made sure she was looking before he attempted another tumble through the tall grasses. Only now all the kids were trying to out tumble him and more than once tumbling around and over the affronted Drake. Even the wolf cubs were in on it and Georgie could not help laughing at the ridiculously cute sight of them.
"You look like circus performers," she called out between laughs. "You should totally take this show on the road."
At that Drake perked right up, going from borderline furious to intrigued in a nanosecond.
"I'm the lion tamer," he called out in a near howl, then proceeded to direct the rest of the children and wolf cubs to their places. What always surprised Georgie was that they listened, from wolf cub to much older child they all seemed to have no trouble following the commands of the small Napoleonic six-year-old.
"He'll be a good First someday."
Every hair of Georgie's body stood up at the sound of that hot chocolate voice. Her head whipped around, and the smile died on her lips. She had to shield her eyes from the sun and tip her head all the way back to meet those cool green eyes, but there was no mistaking the man who had taken her from her home and dumped her here. Cooper Hayes.
When did he get back? How the hell did I not notice him sooner? He was not exactly easy to overlook.
He sat down so close beside her his thigh touched her left knee. And as much as she wanted to jump up and move away from him something else kept her where she was. He was back to watching the children, who so far had not noticed they had anyone else but her and a few large wolves at the tree line as witnesses to their shenanigans.
A million questions went through her mind and vanished as she did her best to control her runaway heartbeat. She took the moment his distraction afforded her to study him again. She had hoped her imagination had somehow colored her memory of their short meeting but no such luck. The man radiated heat, in all its many forms, and even now knowing that he had taken her from her home and was holding her prisoner she still felt pulled to him. And as if he had flicked some invisible switch inside her just with his nearness, she was completely electrified, turned on, and close to panic.
His head turned, and his eyes caught hers on him. A punch of power at the contact had her nearly gasping aloud and struggling for breath.
Get a fucking grip Georgie. She mentally kicked herself. You have to do better than this.
"They told me you were "away”.” She raised her hands and did the air quotes while making the word "away", sound as ominous as she could manage while trying to settle her breathing and not let him see how he affected her. When his eyes went to the pulse pounding like a jack hammer in her neck, she figured he had her figured out.
"I returned today," was his simple answer even while the way he looked at her was anything but simple. His eyes moved back over her face to her eyes and again that punch of connection had her sucking in a deep breath.
She had no idea what he was seeing that had him looking so intently at her, but she was determined to keep her head. No matter that the scent of him, wildness and dark nights had her close to blatantly sniffing him. She had no problem picturing herself leaning over to get more of his scent and falling face first in his lap.
He's your abductor Georgie. The fact that she had to remind herself of that was ridiculous.
"Does that mean my exciting kidnapping adventure into the wilds of Colorado is done now, and you're ready to take me home?"
His lips tipped up slightly as if he was going to actually smile, but nothing remotely humorous touched those eyes. Nope, all she saw there was a flash of heat and possession as they moved over her. She had no idea what he saw, she was wearing her own jeans, hiking boots Phillip had provided for her and a red tank top. When his eyes dwelled over long on her ample breasts in that tank top, she really wished she had kept on the cardigan wool sweater she had thrown over the big rock at the edge of the river. She fought the need to look down and see what had him so fixated, but if her nipples were poking through the red cotton and black satin bra she really didn't want to know.
"No," he finally answered, his voice rough with the heat she saw when his eyes came back to hers. "And yes." He stood then, while she was still blinking at his answer, and hauled her up with a hand below her elbow to stand beside him.
"What does that mean?" she asked, knowing her confusion was written all over her face. "No... what? Which part yes?"
"No, I'm not ready to let you go," he said. His hand went to her hair and she flinched at the speed of his movement, but he merely pushed the curl that had fallen into her face back behind her ear. "And yes, I'm ready to take you home."
She pushed his hand away from where it hovered at her cheek creating a swash of heat everywhere he so lightly brushed and distracting her. She had a bad feeling he did not mean what it sounded like to her hopeful ears. "You're taking me back home? Back to San Francisco?"
His hand returned to her face, and this time when she tried to push him away he would not allow the move, pushing his hand into the hair behind her ear he gripped her tight, showing her without words that he would not be brushed off. She took hold of his wrist and pulled but it was like trying to move solid rock. Then she gasped when he used his grip on her head to pull her a step closer to him, so that when he bent his head down their noses almost touched.
She swallowed hard as she watched the heat and possession in those green eyes ignite, showing her exactly what he had been hiding behind his wall of ice. "What are you doing?" she whispered wanting to pull away and run but held prisoner by the single hand in her hair. It was a clear showing of exactly how strong he was, and how little power she had in this situation.
"Giving you your answer," he said, his voice fierce and dark working along her skin as his eyes and hand branded her. Georgie deep breathed and tried not to panic... or melt into him. "Now," he said. His eyes tracing down to her lips and back up to catch her wide gaze. "You tell me. Am I taking you back to San Francisco?"
Georgie swallowed again and licked her dry lips. "No," she finally answered, her chin lifting and her eyes hardening even as his hand started to relax its hold on her hair. It had not exactly been painful, but his message had been clear and the opposite of subtle. Her words were less shaky when she continued angrily, her eyes accusing. "Why did you say yes, you were ready to take me home if you have no intention of letting me leave?"
"I said I was taking you home," he said mildly enough, letting her go and standing up tall again. The cold had returned to his eyes but this time she was not fooled. She had seen what he was hiding. She was not likely to forget. And giving her some space did not make the panic that shot through her at his next words any less. "My home. Your new home."
Before she could open her mouth and deny him, or what she really wanted to do, run far away, a shout drew all eyes to the tree line.
"Injured wolf spotted on the North side!"
Cooper Hayes snarled, and Georgie took a step back ready to run at the fierce rage on his face. He turned to her and motioned with his hands to the children and wolf cubs that had at some point stopped their games and now looked close to panic. "Get the pups to Patrice, and lock yourselves in."
He was already striding away before she could ask him what was going on. When she saw more wolves and men running by going North she decided kids and cubs safe first, questions later.
"You heard your First," she said. Using the title they always did for Cooper Hayes. She clapped her hands and tried to look calm. "Everyone follow me. We're going to Patrice's. Stay together." She would get the children and pups to safety. Then while everyone was distracted to the North, she would go and see what was happening at the front gate.
Risky, with an injured wolf on the loose? Maybe, but not as risky as sticking around and waiting for Cooper Hayes to take her to her new home. She needed to get out. While she had the chance.