“Is he feeling all right?”
“As far as I know, he is.”
“When’s the surgery?”
“Day after tomorrow. We’re all taking turns keeping his mind off it all, but he doesn’t like the fuss.”
“Too damn bad,” Mathias growled. “He needs to let us help him.”
“Exactly!”
“Let him know I’m thinkin’ about him.” His voice came out gruff.
“Ready?” The female voice behind him made him turn to see Madeline standing there with her pack riding on her back.
She saw he held a phone to his ear and quickly backed away, but he didn’t like her going into the shadows alone and reached out to grab her wrist.
She stared down at where his long fingers encircled her arm.
“I’ll call when I can. Take care of them all, Corrine.”
“I will. Good luck, cuz.”
He dropped the phone to the ground and stomped on it, breaking it into pieces. He kicked them under the ice machine.
Then he turned to Madeline, pushing out a sigh through his nostrils. She tugged on her arm to free herself, but he tightened his grip, dragging her a step closer to him.
“You asked me to back off and guard you only when it’s time. But I’m not doing that. From now on, you’re with me.”
He tugged her an inch closer.
“Got it?”
She nodded and then pulled her arm free. “I’m ready, are you?”
“I just need my pack in my room. Here are your bottles. Turn around and I’ll stick them in your pack.”
She hesitated a heartbeat before pivoting to present her back to him. He paused, gaze latched on to the blonde strands of her hair drawn into a tight ponytail at her nape and secured with a white elastic band almost the same color as her hair. The fine hairs on her nape caught his attention.
What he saw was a delicate woman, but he knew differently. Knowing what he did about the agency she worked for, her resumé boasted far more dangerous missions than he could ever imagine. She’d been all over the US and overseas performing the unimaginable.
He hoped she was as skilled at riding and living rough.
“You’re coming with me,” he said.
To his surprise, she didn’t argue.
Damn, that worried him even more than his new awareness of her.
Half an hour later, he and Madeline arrived at the outfitter. A set of headlights panned over them as another vehicle turned into the parking lot.
“It’s that dickhead I saw yesterday in the Land Rover,” Mathias said.
“What dickhead in the Land Rover?” Her question sounded stranger…chillier.
“He was at the supply store too. He told off some kid who helped him load up the things he bought. Said he scratched the paint.”
When they pulled in some distance away from the other driver, she stared out the window.
He followed her gaze. “Yep—definitely the douchebag.”
“Let’s wait until he’s finished getting what he needs. There’s no point in us standing in line.”
“Good point.”
Half an hour later, he held the lead ropes to two mules.
“Jesus Horse-Racing Christ, this is a bad idea,” he grumbled.
She threw him a look. “We’re improvising, Trace.”
“Can’t that chip of yours find a coupla horses for us?”
“Doesn’t work that way.”
“We could steal ’em.”
“Great idea—and have the police after us while we’re trying to find a super-secret object hidden in a cave that a crazy person wants to steal first.” She walked alongside him, back straight, bearing the weight of her pack easily. That thing must weigh almost as much as her.
“This is the start of the trail.” She stopped at the well-worn path that cut between some scrubby bushes.
“All right. Time to see how much weight these asses can bear. Good thing I packed light.” His own pack was already strapped behind the saddle along with food for the animals. “Here, hold the leads. I don’t trust them not to bolt.”
“I’m sure they’re trained not to do that. At least I hope that’s the case.” The uncertainty in her words didn’t change her even tone. He was starting to wonder if she had any emotions at all, or if they really were all frozen behind that chilly façade.
He settled his stare on her. “It’s gonna be fine. Here, let me help you with your pack.”
Before she could slip the straps off her shoulders, he took hold of it and pulled it off. His knuckles grazed the sides of her torso.
She stiffened.
He stiffened too, but in a completely different location.
She quickly stepped away from him, which caused the mules to shift restlessly.
Mathias eyed her from under the brim of his hat. What was up with his body’s reaction to his ward? Whatever his issue, he was putting the brakes on—now.
Once he had her pack strapped down securely, he held out a hand to her. “Up you go.”
She looked down at his hand and then up at him. “I’m ready.”
“Are you tryin’ to convince me or yourself?” He offered a crooked smile.
Before she could respond, he took her hand. She placed her foot in the stirrup and was doing just fine getting mounted on her own.
But for some reason, he reached out and planted a hand on her backside to guide her up.
* * * * *
Madeline landed in the saddle, her backside burning with the imprint of Mathias’s hand on the curve.
He only hoisted me up. Nothing more.
And that hand on your spine? another little voice asked.
Helping me keep my temper.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him swing his leg much higher than necessary to mount the mule. Clearly, he was used to a much larger animal.
He settled in the saddle and gave her a nod.
She took one look at his long legs hanging low to the ground and bit down on a giggle. But she did it a little too late, and a snort burst out of her.
“Bless you.”
“I didn’t sneeze. I was…” She battled a full laugh and waved at his legs. “You comfy, Trace?”
“Never better.” He made an exaggerated wiggle of his hips in the leather.
The laugh died on her lips as she grew entranced with how the denim pulled over his muscled thighs. Facing the trail, she gave the mule the command the outfitter told them to use.
As the animal lurched forward, she clutched the reins. This wasn’t her first ride, and she knew how to handle herself. She’d spent a month in the English countryside a few years back, and though their ways of riding had differences, riding was riding.
She led the way down the trail with Mathias sticking close behind her. After about a mile, she started to relax and was able to check out her surroundings.
The sun was starting to spark in the east, painting a band of deep, fiery orange with lighter streaks of gold coming off it. The shadows on the ground started to fade, leaving the tan and gray of rock. Pretty soon, she could make out tufts of grass growing up through the cracks.
“This looks like the Grand Canyon.” Mathias’s voice reached her.
“It does.” She switched the reins to her other hand.
“Your hands okay? Is the rope cutting in?”