Page 12 of Wild Fire

“Knock it off. I’m not some human plaything for your amusement. Right now, I could be home tucked into my own bed safe and sound, and you could be on a plane to some place they won’t care about your rights. But I’m here…”

“Which begs the question, why are you here? Why come back and save me? Why not call the authorities?”

“I… I don’t know,” she said honestly. “There was just something in your eyes and in the way you said, ‘Help me.’ I knew I just couldn’t turn away. Besides, I have questions…”

“Such as?”

“Why were you there? Why were they holding you?”

“Why not ask them before you helped me?”

“Because my helping you was not dependent on the answers.”

Warrick nodded. “Then could we postpone the interrogation until morning?”

“Yeah. You’re probably beat. The yurt has a really nice outdoor shower.”

“A yurt?” he said brightening.

“Yeah, it’s like a kind of tent used by the Mongolian people for hundreds of years.”

“Thousands, and I am well aware of what a yurt is. My home is one.”

“Really? Where?”

There seemed no harm in telling her. “The Wind River Mountains in Wyoming.”

“The Winds,” she said with a smile. “I’ve always wanted to go hiking there. They say there are parts of those mountains no man has ever seen.”

“I have seen them all. When whatever it is that we seem to be caught up in is finished, I will take you there.”

“I think I’d like that.”

“Where do you live? I mean I know you live in the city, but do you live in a house? A condo?”

She laughed. “You’d hate it.”

“I’m sure if it was yours, it would be warm and inviting.”

“It is. It’s also a houseboat in a marina on Puget Sound—you know seawater.”

Warrick groaned, and Dani laughed—a light, melodious sound that reminded him of fairies at play, dancing in the summer sky. They rode the rest of the way in a kind of companionable silence, and Warrick had to admit to himself it had been a long while, if ever, that he had enjoyed the company of a woman quite so much.

Finally, they made their way to a packed dirt road that would be easy to miss as it had no markings. They wound their way back several miles off the highway until they reached a sizeable yurt. Warrick noted his own was slightly bigger, but this one looked comfortable enough. They got out of the Jeep, and he could hear water rushing somewhere close.

“River water. The yurt sits perched above it with a deck that extends out over the river.”

“Fish?”

“Yes. I think there’s some equipment.”

“Trust me, I can catch more fish as a dragon than you’ll ever catch with fishing tackle.”

“Do you have a license?”

“No. Are you going to arrest me?”

“Why, do you fancy having me handcuff you?” she teased.

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