Page 102 of Tempting as Sin
“Huckleberries ahead,” she announced. “See that clump of bushes? That’s a good one.”
Fifteen minutes of picking, and in Bailey’s case, plenty of eating, and they were moving uphill again. The day was warm, on the cusp of July. A drowsy hum of insects, the occasional blue jay squawking, the smell of pine and fir clean and sharp in the thin, clear air.
Bailey was in front, the path getting rocky and steeper, and Rafe, who was behind her, asked, “All right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m really strong.”
“Yes,” he said, “you are. But what’s in your pack that’s so heavy?”
She glanced back over her shoulder. “Nothing.” Sounding guarded. “Just a book.”
“Huh.” He reached a hand out and tested the bottom of the pack. “Stop and give it to me. The pack.”
Bailey turned and shrugged her new red backpack off her shoulders. Now, she looked apprehensive. “It’s my book,” she said, “not a library book. I’m not getting it dirty or anything.”
Rafe hefted the pack and said, “Nah. Just heavy, that’s all. Let me guess.” He smiled. “The animal book?”
Bailey’s shy smile, then. “Yeah. Because we’re going to stop and eat lunch, and you always kiss Lily.”
“I do, eh.” Rafe appeared to consider that while he lengthened the straps on her pack and slung it over his shoulders on top of his own. “You could be right. I don’t kiss hermuch,though. Occasional, we’ll call it.”
Bailey looked at him with world-weary eyes. “You sort of do. And you put your hand on her knee and call her ‘baby’ and things. All thetime.It’s kind of boring.”
This time, Rafe’s laugh rang out. “Sorry. I’ll try to control myself better. But remember, I’m trying to ward off the dangerous appeal of Brett Hunter, and he may have more bathrooms than I do. It’s a dilemma.”
Bailey smiled and turned around again, and they kept going, and finally, they got to the best place. Lily’s secret place off the trail, behind an enormous boulder brought down by some glacier long millennia ago. And behind it, a treasure trove, aforest,of huckleberry bushes. They were loaded.
Huckleberry cobbler tonight, she thought.Huckleberry pancakes tomorrow. How many pancakes could Bailey eat? She was betting on “a lot.”
Not Rafe, of course. He was still working on his lean muscle. He’d miss out, which was too bad, but when filming was over…she’d freeze them for that. She started to pick.
It happened between one breath and the next. Chuck barked, and she smelled it. The scent of wet grass, but the grass wasn’t wet.
Chuck barking again, his fur standing up. She dropped her bucket, and it bounced, the huckleberries spilling out and rolling like tiny blue-black marbles down the hill. She was reaching behind her, fumbling for the clip on her pack, saying, “Bear. Rafe.Bear.”
It came around from uphill, from behind the boulder, closest to Rafe. Four feet tall at the enormous shoulder hump, checking at sight of them, swaying its huge, cinnamon-brown head. And starting to run.
Chuck barked.
She fell.
Rafe had reached first for the spray can, but stopped himself in the same instant. Not enough time. After that, he stopped thinking and grabbed Bailey instead, shoving her to the ground with one hand on her shoulder even as he reached for Lily with the other, catching the edge of her pack and knocking her off her feet.
“Down!” he was shouting.“Down!”Pulling her down on top of Bailey, then throwing himself over the girl. His hand reaching out, frantic, for the back of Lily’s neck, closing over her own hand, because it was already there. He felt it, then. Not the bear. Lily’s hand on his own neck, grabbing hold. He put his on top of hers and thought,Don’t.But he couldn’t hang on to the thought.
A wave of scent like a fresh-mown field. Chuck barking, frantic. And a force like a tidal wave knocking into him. A blaze of pain like a brand on his forearm.
He didn’t cry out. Neither did Lily. Or Bailey, crushed beneath them both, their arms interlaced over her head.
Another starburst of pain. The other hand, now.Claws,he thought dimly.Lily.It had to be clawing at her hand, too. He wanted it to go for him instead, but he couldn’t think how to make it happen.
Lie still. Hold on.
Hot breath. The rake of claws. Waiting for the clamp of teeth on his skull, knowing that would be the last thing, and thinking,Fine. Fine. Take me.And Chuck barking.
Bailey was squashed. She didn’t know what was happening. She’d been eating a huckleberry, and then Rafe had grabbed her and thrown her down, and his and Lily’s bodies were both shaking. There was a really strong smell, and loud breath like a dog panting, only way more, and Chuck was barking. And she could hardly breathe.
She didn’t say anything. She made herself be still, so whatever it was would stop, and waited for it to be over.
