Page 28 of Scent of Evil
The large beast abruptly turned to look in the other direction. Belatedly realizing Justin must have tried to distract him, she decided to make a run for it.
Turning, she darted back through the woods the way she’d come. There was no fire to illuminate the way, and her tired and sore legs felt like stumps of concrete as she tried to jump over fallen logs.
The toe of her hiking boot got caught on the second log she tried to step over, sending her sprawling facedown on the ground. Lifting her head and wiping dirt from her face, she tried to figure out where their camp was located. With a groan, she turned onto her back in time to see the bull moose lumber past, barely three feet from where she lay.
With wide eyes, she watched as the moose finally moved out of her line of sight. Then she closed her eyes and let out her breath in a heavy sigh. Why on earth the humongous animal had approached their camp, she had no idea. But at least the danger was over.
“Raine? Are you okay?” Justin’s low voice had her opening her eyes and pushing herself upright.
“Peachy.” She wasn’t hurt and couldn’t help but think her fall may have helped save her from being tossed into the air like a wet shirt by the moose’s huge rack. “I’m coming.”
A thin beam of light pierced the darkness. It wasn’t much, but she understood Justin had found and flicked on a flashlight to help her find the way. She appreciated his thoughtfulness and managed to walk more carefully now as she headed toward it.
“Aunt Raine? What’s going on?” Ginny’s voice sounded apprehensive. “Are we in trouble?”
“No trouble at all. There was a moose nearby, but he’s gone now.” Justin’s calm tone was soothing. “Try to go back to sleep.”
Raine finally reached their camp. As her adrenaline faded away, she noticed the chill in the air. She wished they still had the fire but sensed that was a lost cause.
Justin took one look at her dirty face and arched a brow. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “I tripped and fell but didn’t hurt anything vital.”
“I’m sorry about the false alarm.” He glanced over to where Stone had once again stretched out beside Ginny. As if the dog also knew the danger was over. “I couldn’t be sure what was out there.”
“No apology needed.” She didn’t fault him for his actions. “That was the biggest moose I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s early for the rut, but you never know what will cause a moose to feel threatened.” He bent to stash his weapon back in the saddle bag. “Maybe the animal scented the horses and came to investigate. I’m just glad it wasn’t a two-legged threat.”
Like Decker.
He gestured to their camp. “Get some sleep. We still have an hour or so before dawn.”
Brushing the dirt and debris from her clothes—a useless endeavor—she grimaced. Getting more sleep now would be impossible.
Justin used his foot to slide the remaining embers away from their original fire, then knelt and proceeded to make a new one. She was surprised he’d bothered, until she realized Ginny was shivering under the blanket.
His thoughtfulness touched her heart. He was a great guy, probably one of the most honorable men she’d ever met. Too young for her to even consider dating, even if he was interested, but amazing just the same.
“Do we need more wood?” She glanced over her shoulder to the darkness that had swallowed the bull moose just moments ago. She didn’t relish heading back out there, but she would if necessary.
“No need. This will be enough for the next hour.” Justin’s smile flashed in the darkness. “I think we’ll all be ready to hit the trail as soon as there’s enough light to see our hands in front of our faces.”
“No lie,” she murmured, dropping down to sit beside him. Using the lighter, he managed to get a small fire going. “This has been a long night.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes. She turned to see that Ginny had snuggled closer to Stone, who didn’t seem to mind. She wondered how Ginny would recover emotionally from all of this once she was reunited with her mother.
She made a mental note to talk to her sister Cami about getting professional help for Ginny. Though her niece hadn’t been physically assaulted by Decker, the emotional toil of being kidnapped and forced to go on the run through the woods to escape him wasn’t easily dismissed.
“Try to get some sleep.” Justin’s voice was low so as not to disturb Ginny.
“I would if I could.” She didn’t want to mention that now that she was awake, she was keenly aware of how hungry she was. Their half protein bar seemed like eons ago. But their situation was hardly his fault, so there was no point in complaining. She glanced over her shoulder to verify Ginny appeared to be asleep. “I’m glad Decker wasn’t out there, but I wish I knew where he was hiding.”
“You’ll find him.” Justin’s vote of confidence was sweet. “I’m sure Griff will come through with possible hideouts, and you’ll find him.”
“I hope so.” She rested her chin on her knees. “He killed a man in cold blood to steal his car. I suspect he’ll do the same thing if he comes across a cabin that’s already occupied.”
“Not good,” Justin agreed. “But not your fault either.”
