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Heading northwest again, he led them toward the town hidden somewhere ahead. He seemed to know exactly where they were, even though Jordan had seen nothing to indicate they were nearing civilization unless she counted the fences they’d climbed through. With rusted barbed wire hanging loosely between rotted posts, they looked as though they would fall over any moment. Hopefully, they weren’t representative of the town. She counted on a hot shower, a good meal, a soft bed, and a cell tower.
Following too closely, she nearly ran into Travis when he stopped abruptly, his finger to his lips and carrying his weapon in his right hand. Jordan froze, not daring to breathe as she listened for what had alerted him. Straight ahead, the ground dropped away into a slight ravine, thick with brush. The rustling of dry leaves sent a chill through her. Despite how hard she tried to spot movement in the dusky shadows, she couldn't see anything. Something or someone was coming, and the source of the commotion drew ever closer, heedless of the noise that gave it away.
Chapter Eleven
Damn it!The moon broke from cover to silhouette them on the bare hillside. Tugging Jordan with him, Travis backed away toward a small mound of rocks that jutted from the earth. He motioned her to the ground and dropped down beside her. Hopefully, they would look like an extension of the rock pile to a casual observer. He settled into position seconds before a four-point buck burst from the ravine and raced up the hill. A heartbeat later, a large dog charged from the brush, hard on the heels of the deer.
Before he could stop her, Jordan jumped to her feet and whistled, a shrill blast that sliced through the night and turned the dog’s attention from the chase to the person now showcased in the moonlight.
“Jesus! Are you out of your mind? We’re trying to stay under the radar, and you just announced to three counties that we’re here.” Travis stage-whispered angrily before realizing any hope of going unnoticed, at least for the moment, was nonexistent.
Jordan turned toward him, the magnitude of her screw-up displayed in her wide eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, sometimessorrydoesn’t cut it.” As soon as she drew herself up straight, Travis wished he’d thought longer before speaking his mind.
“I said I was sorry. Okay? I was worried about the dog.” The irony of her forceful whisper almost made him smile.
“You wereworried about the dog?Probably not as much as that buck. I think the damn dog had the upper hand.” Travis muttered under his breath as he holstered his weapon. If she’d compromised their position, him pointing it out now was a waste of time.
“Deer can be extremely aggressive when threatened.” Jordan slapped her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me you don’t like dogs.”
“Better than I like most people.” Travis stepped in front of her as the dog stopped a few feet away, tail wagging, tongue hanging from his mouth.
She pushed him out of her way. Since the happy lab didn’t appear to present a threat, he stepped aside. “It’s okay, boy. Come here.” Jordan dropped to her knees and reached toward him. Immediately, he trotted to her, sprawled out, and rolled over for belly rubs. “What are you doing out here by yourself?” She ruffled the scruff of his neck and reached for the tags that jingled with each panting breath. Fending off his tongue, she leaned closer to read the small lettering. “It says,My name is Jake. Please feed me.”
“Oh, great. Jake has a sense of humor.” He raked a hand through his hair.
“Give me the canteen.” Sitting back on her heels, she glanced over her shoulder.
Travis chuffed a laugh. “You’re not giving that dog our water.” He’d already lost this argument, but it was kind of fun yanking her chain.
She continued to pet Jake, and the dog soaked it up. “Lighten up, Travis. He’s thirsty.”
“He can find a creek.”
“You said we were almost there. We can spare a little.”
He grumbled and passed her the canteen, hiding a smile as he watched the dog worm his way into Jordan’s heart.Easy for him. Shit! Maybe I should take a few lessons from the damn dog.
She poured water into her hand, and Jake lapped it up, alternately licking her hand and then her face. She repeated the procedure until the dog stopped drinking, patted him again, and rose to her feet.
“Thank you, Travis.” She handed him the canteen with a smug grin on her face.
Huh!She’d called him Travis twice in the past two minutes. The scary part was he liked the sound of his name on her lips way too damn much. He turned away with a frown. “Are you and the dog ready?”
