Page 23 of Scent of Evil
“It’s not your fault. I’m just glad you’re safe now. May I see your hand? The one you injured on the rock?” Raine wasn’t a medical expert but figured it wouldn’t be hard to tell if the wound was infected.
Ginny removed her hand from beneath the blanket and held it up. The light was fading fast, but Raine didn’t see any pus oozing from the wound. It was, however, red and puffy, with dirt still embedded inside, despite their earlier attempt to clean it.
“Okay, it’s good for now.”But not for long, she silently admitted. As if Ginny’s current illness wasn’t bad enough. They needed to figure out a way to clean the wound more thoroughly, but without soap, she wasn’t sure their efforts would do any good. “Try to rest.”
Ginny nodded and curled into a ball again, her thin frame shivering from the fever. Raine felt helpless, wishing she knew more about survival tactics.
When Justin had finished unsaddling the horses, placing both saddles under the overhang, he led them over to a grassy area to graze.Thank goodness the rain has stopped, she thought with a sigh.
Instead of coming back to the camp, Justin disappeared into the woods. With a frown, she pushed herself to her feet. She couldn’t in good conscience sit there while he did all the work.
Stone lifted his head to look up at her but didn’t move away from Ginny. She bent and gently stroked his fur. “Watch over her, okay, boy?”
His tail thumped lightly on the ground in agreement.
The wind hit her semi-damp clothing when she stepped out from beneath the overhang. The poncho had surprisingly kept her warm, but she didn’t regret giving it to Ginny. Moving around would keep her warm enough.
She hoped.
“Justin?” She headed toward the place she’d last seen him. Getting lost in the woods wouldn’t be smart, so she didn’t venture in too far. “Is everything okay?”
“Hey.” He emerged from the brush carrying dead logs in his arms. “I managed to find some dry wood for a fire.”
“That’s amazing.” She hadn’t even thought about the possibility of having a fire. “Can we boil water to clean Ginny’s wound?”
“I hope so.” He jutted his chin toward the east. “I think there’s a creek we can use as a water source. As soon as I get the fire going, I’ll need to feed Stone and get the horses over to the creek for a drink.”
She wanted to ask about calling someone to come rescue them but managed to hold back. Justin would have done that already if he thought getting a rescue team up there was a possibility. She sensed that with darkness falling, they were stuck there until morning.
It could be worse, she told herself. Decker was far away from their location. She and Ginny weren’t out here alone. Justin clearly knew how to survive in the wilderness. As if she needed more to admire about him.
“I can help,” she offered. “Tell me what to do.”
“Once I get a blaze started, I’ll need you to keep the fire going.” He moved past her. Despite their long day, Justin moved easily as if he’d been on a short hike rather than riding for hours. “We’ll need more wood soon too. But you’ll have to search for dry logs and sticks.”
“I can do that.” At least, she thought she could. How hard could it be?
He grinned, and she felt the impact of his handsome features ripple over her. She mentally rolled her eyes at her foolishness. What was wrong with her? She had no business thinking of Justin as handsome.
They might be safe for the moment, but they weren’t out of the woods, literally, yet.
Besides, he was young and handsome and reminded her too much of her ex-husband. Not in his actions, though, she was forced to admit. Justin had a quiet confidence that was incredibly attractive. She watched as Justin carefully laid a fire, using a lighter to start the blaze. The wood crackled, and a plume of smoke wafted into the air.
Would Decker see it and head their way? She hoped not. As much as she wanted to get Decker back in custody, she didn’t relish the idea of his sneaking up on them in the middle of the night.
“We need to keep the fire small.” Justin fed a stick into the center of the flames. “It won’t be easy to find enough dry wood to use as it is.”
“Okay, I can manage that.” He’d done most of the work so far.
“Good.” He rose and headed for the saddle bags. He poured out the last of their water for Stone, then filled his bowl with kibble. His K9 stared at him without moving, even though she felt certain the dog was hungry.
“Good boy. Here, Stone. Come and get it.”
As if sprung from a cannon, the dog leaped up and ran over to the food and water bowls. Shaking her head in amazement, she fed another thin stick into the fire.
“Good boy,” Justin repeated, stroking the dog’s mostly dry fur. “I’ll be back soon, okay? Guard.”
Stone looked up from his dinner, wagged his tail, then went back to eating. She was so hungry she found herself wondering what dog food might taste like, then shook off the desperate thought.
