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He went silent for a few long moments, studying my face. The book remained there on his lap, his knee bouncing ever so slightly. I rocked back and forth, inwardly annoyed at all the passing time—time that we could be spending getting the hell away from this place.
Finally, he picked up the book and tossed it off his lap. “Go pack your shit.”
ChapterEight
Wade
This is a terrible idea.
But I didn’t say what I was thinking. Instead, I stood there on the back porch, holding the door as Cheyenne and her silly little dog exited the cabin. I locked up the back door, knowing the moment I turned the bottom lock mechanism that there was no getting back in—not without breaking and entering...
Which apparently was no problem for Cheyenne.
Rolling my eyes, I did it, slamming the door shut as she headed down the back porch steps, Takoda trotting beside her like it was no big deal. The sun was a little unpleasant, creating a suffocating humidity despite the cool air that had settled into Texas. It was unseasonably cool, but the cold air kept another tornado outbreak at bay.
“Are you coming?” she called over her shoulder, eyeing me in the most frustrating way.
Jaw tensing, I nodded, plodding down the old wooden steps. “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I think you’ve made that clear,” she snapped back at me, heading toward the green panel gate at the edge of the yard. It opened up to a field, one that we kept the cattle off of so that hunters could set up blinds during deer season. There was about five hundred acres of hunting land we would have to trek through before we made it to the pastures.
But I tried not to think about just how far we had to go.
“You’ll head to the west when you get through the gate,” I instructed as she unfastened the latch. “I’m probably going to have to lead after this, too, by the way. I know that you’re some great navigator—woman of the earth or whatever—but if we have any chance of beating the rain, I’ll have to lead.”
And we’ll probably have to run half of it.
“I don’t know why you act like it’s some huge deal if wedon’tbeat the weather.” She laughed, shaking her head at me. “I mean, honestly, it’s just rain.”
“I’m sick of the rain,” I grumbled, my boots sinking in the swampy ground.
“I like the rain.” She pushed some of her dark hair from her face, her dark hazel eyes flickering to mine. Something shifted in my chest at the sight, and I did my best to swallow it.
This woman gets under my skin.
“I don’t hate the rain,” I said finally when her eyes stayed on me. “I just don’t likethismuch rain. I know you think that I just wanted to be stuck in that cabin for the next two weeks, but I didn’t. I just like to play it safe.”
“You sound like a real fun guy,” she snorted, her laughter echoing through the open meadow. “I’d hate to go out with you.”
“You wouldn’t go out with a guy like me, anyway,” I added, giving her a smirk that widened her smile. “I’m probably not your type. I bet you like earthy, hippy guys—the kind that does yoga in the middle of thunderstorms just to connect with Mother Nature or some shit.”
“Wow, you really nailed it on the head with that,” she gasped, her mouth dropping open dramatically. “My last boyfriend was a thunderstorm yoga instructor.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her sense of humor, finding it charming in its own way. “All right, fine. Tell me about your type then. I still know that it ain’t me.”
She raised an eyebrow at me, suddenlyactuallyappearing surprised. “Why do you even care to know?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “We’re stuck walking eight miles through shitty ground, and I need something to distract me from the blisters that are already going to be forming on my ankles.”
“You’re a cowboy, you should be tough.” She patted her leg, Takoda jumping up into her arms as we crossed a slightly flooded ditch on the far side of the meadow, heading into the woods. I watched as she easily slid down, counterbalancing herself as she hopped across the water.
She didn’t even get her shoes wet.
I followed suit, carrying her duffel bag over my shoulder. I wasn’t nearly as graceful, but Ididmanage to hop across the water, not getting my boots soaked. They were ostrich and high quality—but they werenotwaterproof. I’d be buying new ones whenever I got the chance. These were going to be turned into working boots.
Picking up the lead, I jumped onto one of the hunting trails that led to the other side of the thicket. “So if you won’t tell me what your type is, maybe I should just break the ice and tell you about mine?” I suggested, peering at her.
“That sounds like a fun idea,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Considering you never offer up any information at all about yourself, I’ll take it. Tell me about your type, and your most recent relationship. That doesn’t include casual flings.”
