Page 18 of It's You
His body was still, on high alert, taut and flexed as they stood at the edge of the meadow. He looked down suddenly, catching her eyes.Don’t move.
“Why? What?—”
Shhh!
What? What’s going on?
He put out his hand to her, palm up. She looked at it and then back up at his eyes.
We had a deal, and you didn’t answer my question, so you can’t just?—
She heard the crack of a branch behind her before she heard the low, guttural roar, and watched as Jack’s eyes changed color, from brown to gold, widening in fear at what he saw directly behind her.
She swallowed as panic set in. She heard a snort and felt a bit of wet spray on her legs. Six feet away? Maybe less.
Darcy knew what it was. It was springtime in the northern New Hampshire woods. Hibernating bears were stirring. Shewas fairly sure that right now, there was nothing between her and a riled black bear.
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Jack met her eyes.
I won’t let it hurt you, do you understand? I’ll die before I let it hurt you.
Then he looked back at the animal behind her.
Darcy’s body trembled as her blood turned icy cold in her veins. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to remember what you were supposed to do when you encounter a bear, but her mind was blank. Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid she might go into tachycardia and faint. She swallowed again, bowing her neck, wide-eyed with terror. If she moved any more than that, the bear might charge.
She heard grunting and a pushing noise and raised her gaze to look at Jack from under lowered lashes. She watched as his eyes trailed slowly upward. A low, angry growl came from behind her, but it was positioned higher than before, and Darcy knew the bear was standing on its hind legs now.
Jack’s eyes flicked to hers.
Slowly. Get behind me, Darcy.
Then back to the bear’s face.
She wanted Jack to look at her again so that she could tell him she was frozen. She could barely breathe, and her legs had locked in place. She couldn’t move.
He flicked his glance to her again, seizing her eyes.
GET. BEHIND. ME. NOW.
NOW, DARCY! NOW!
Jack’s voice was amplified like a scream in her head and provided the shock she needed to pivot quickly behind him, gasping as she covered her ears and peeked at the bear over Jack’s shoulder.
The black bear stood over seven feet high on its hind legs and stared down at Jack, who was motionless in front of her. It growled, agitated, throwing its head around and pawing the air with its claws extended in extreme frustration or fury, bellowing as it swiped at the air between it and Jack.
Jack took a deep breath, then spoke low and soft, throwing his words over his shoulder. “Darcy. Walk back to the pond. Slowly.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be there soon.”
“I can’t just leave you, Jack!”
“It’ll be okay. Go now.”
“Jack,” she whispered, tears and fear for him making her voice jagged.
