Page 55 of Suspicion

There, on the banks of the river, the wildcat had found a moment of peace, and despite his anger at her escape, he was pleased to see it.

He longed for her to remove her city blinkers and take in the wonder of the world he’d brought her to. For her to realize the forest wasn’t the living hell she seemed to infer it was but a sanctuary of beauty and abundance. It needed to be respected and enjoyed.

A strange sort of contentment swelled as he edged toward her. The noise of water rushing over nearby stones provided the soundtrack as he neared, but the closer he drew, the more he found that much though he wanted to take her home, he didn’t want to disturb her. She looked so happy splashing in the water before lifting her face to the rays of the sun, like an innocent who’d never known the world beyond the banks of the river.

For one protracted moment, he was content just to take in the sight of her, relishing the sun’s rays on his own skin as he did. For the first time since he’d agreed to take her, there seemed to be an opportunity for something close to serenity.

It was long overdue.

A rustle in the leaves behind him stirred him from the bubble of calm, and turning his head, his gaze rested on the curious brown eyes of an approaching black bear.

Shit!

Tucker had no genuine fear of the smaller bears that had also made their home in the forest. The animals were relatively easy to scare away, and when attacks had happened on unsuspecting hikers, they were usually a result of a person getting too close, but he also knew Ella would know nothing about the animals.

He had to get her attention and lead her slowly away before the bear became too intrigued by their presence.

“Ella!” He hissed her name, not wanting to raise his voice and startle the advancing guest.

“Oh God!” She twisted around to see him, her eyes widening as her face paled. “You found me!”

Well, of course, I found you. The answer darted across his mind, although he resisted the impulse to say it.

“Behind. Me.” He punctuated the words softly, gesturing to the bear standing between the trees. “Bear!”

“What?” She rose gingerly to her feet and spun to face him. “Just leave me alone!”

“Don’t raise your voice,” he warned, glancing quickly behind him to ensure the bear was still there. Much to his chagrin, the inquisitive animal had trotted closer, intensifying Tucker’s concern.

“Look!” He pointed to the bear, his exasperation growing. What was wrong with her? Couldn’t she see the bear standing there? “It’s getting closer.”

“Oh, shit!”

If he’d thought her face was ashen at his arrival, he swore he saw the blood draining out of it as she finally noticed the bear.

“A bear!” Panting, she glanced left and right, probably wondering which of the two potential adversaries was the greatest threat.

Tucker had an answer for her—although the bear was the immediate worry that he would save her from, it was undeniably him that was going to tie her in knots.

“It’s getting closer.” Her breaths came faster as she edged dangerously close to the river.

“Come with me.” He reached out his palm. “Get away from the bear.”

“And go back with you?”

He flinched at her screeched reply, knowing how the sudden volume would only rile and confuse the animal. If she wanted to come away from the bear encounter unscathed, Ella was doing everything wrong.

“Ella!”

He was fast losing his patience. He understood that she didn’t want to return with him, but exposing herself to the potential threat of a bear attack, then exacerbating the problem was nothing short of self-sabotage.

Black bears were small, and injuries from them were mainly a result of defensive actions, but their claws could still deliver a nasty swipe that would happily slice the skin. There were no clinics in the wilderness to provide antibiotics should the wounds prove to be infected. The best way to ensure she stayed safe was to avoid an attack altogether.

“Stay calm. We need to leave!” Once more, he offered her his palm.

“No way.” She shook her head as she edged along the riverbank. “I’ll take my chances with the bear.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” He took another step toward her. “I’m not leaving you here with bears and wolves.” If this was her attempt at survival, she’d never make it to dusk.

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