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Less than fifty yards away, a tawny-colored mountain lion crouched near the stream. Brittany grabbed his arm in a death-grip, but when she raised her camera and stepped past him, he realized she wasn’t afraid, she was in awe. With her second step, he knew she’d keep going if he didn’t stop her.
He caught her shoulder, only to have her shrug him away. “Britt—”
“Shhh.”
The cougar’s eyes were mere slits as it lapped water from the frigid mountain stream that separated them. She snapped a picture, readjusted the focus, and snapped again. Since she’d stopped moving forward, he let her be. He counted eight clicks before she lowered the camera and simply watched.
Joel hadn’t taken his eyes off the cougar and estimated it to be almost six feet, from its nose to the tip of its twitching tail. His arm remained against his side, but his grip was tight, index finger flat along the barrel of his pistol, ready to pull the trigger. He held his breath when the cat raised its head. The intensity of the predator’s unwavering stare made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Beside him, he heard Brittany’s breath hitch.
Finally, the cat moved swiftly across the rocks, powerful muscles rippling under its sleek coat as it disappeared in a stand of wind-stunted pines on the far side of the boulder field.
Joel let out a silent sigh with Brittany’s audible one. She twisted around to face him, excitement lighting up her face as she pressed a hand flat to his chest. “Can you believe that just happened?”
His heart thudded hard at the sight of her sparkling green eyes and that radiant smile. She stood close enough for him to feel her body heat, and the desire to haul her into his arms for a taste of sunshine and apples nearly overpowered rational thought.
Annoyed at the primal reaction, he grasped her wrist to remove her hand, and made no attempt to temper his rough tone as he holstered his weapon. “That is exactly one of the reasons you shouldn’t be out here alone.”
At the blunt reminder, the enthusiasm in her eyes morphed into resentment. She pulled free of his hold and took a step back. Just as he started to feel bad, she lifted her chin with a defiant smile and turned away.
“You can be as grumpy as you want, but that was amazing, and you’re not ruining it for me.”
She clicked through her digital pictures while he scowled at her back. The cat’s magnificence didn’t negate the threat it presented, especially considering it hadn’t appeared the least bit afraid of them. Cougars were known as the phantom cat for a reason—they typically did not let themselves be seen. He didn’t like that this one had.
“That mountain lion was—and still is—very dangerous. You’d better hope he doesn’t get hungry anytime soon,” he warned. “Let’s get going.”
“Um…I don’t think he’s hungry.” She shifted her camera so he could see the picture she’d zoomed in on. “Looks like he just ate.”
Joel took the camera for a closer look. Crimson stains marred the white hair around the cat’s nose and mouth, as well as the cinnamon-colored fur of its chest and massive paws. Apprehension shimmered along his spine as he raised his gaze to scan the ridge Brittany had been climbing toward earlier.
“Now you going to tell me what’s up there?”
After a slight hesitation, she gave a soft sigh. “A small meadow where the big horn like to graze in the spring and summer.”
More lies of omission. At least she had the grace to look slightly guilty this time. “That’s where you were really headed, isn’t it?”
“After the sunrise, yes. We don’t bring the guests up here, so I was hoping to get some pictures on this trip.”
He took another look at the photo of the cougar before handing the camera back. “Well, it’s your lucky day. Let’s go.”
“We’re going up?”
The hope in her voice reminded him of a kid at Christmas. “We’re going up,” he confirmed. “I want to see if I can find whatever that cougar had for breakfast.”
“Why?”
“To see if he made the kill, or someone else made it for him.”
Her expression sobered. He gestured for her to lead and they made their way up the boulder field. At the ledge, she struggled to pull herself over the edge. He allowed one moment to enjoy the view of her denim-clad backside in the light of day, then laced his fingers together to give her a boost onto the ledge.
After pulling himself up, he dusted off and joined her next to a boulder a couple feet taller than him. She put a finger to her lips and motioned him forward. He pressed against her back to view the large meadow that stretched about a hundred yards deep and maybe thirty yards wide. A small herd of bighorn sheep grazed on the spring grass at the far end.
To most people, the sheep themselves weren’t the most beautiful animals, but the power and strength of the older rams commanded attention and respect. There were a couple of young males play-fighting off to one side and she snapped some shots of them horn to horn. A few more photos of the rest of the herd was all she managed before one of the ewes sensed their presence and alerted the others.
Joel became aware of how close he stood to Brittany and moved away from her as the sheep bounded up the rocky slope in an impressive display of agility. “How did you know about this place?”
She snapped a few more photos before lowering the camera. “Casey and I discovered it by accident when we decided to do some climbing after scouting the trail my second summer out here.”
The thought of her and Fuller up here alone brought a frown. Were they such good friends because they had a history? Like her and Mitch Levins? He shouldn’t give a shit about her romantic history, yet the thought of her with either of those guys stirred up an emotion he hadn’t felt in years.
