Page 28 of Tormented Hearts
“We make camp here.”
Sinead stared off into the wilderness. “How far away are we?”
“Too far to reach before dark.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “Of course.”
He dropped his pack where he stood. “We start again at first light.”
They found a sheltered spot near a stand of pines, protected from the worst of the wind. Hawk set up the small tent and secured the area—double-checking for snakes—while she gathered what dry branches she could find.
He glanced over at her once every minute just to make sure she was safe. He’d just turned his attention back to his task when she let out a sharp cry.
He jerked toward her just in time to see the pouch clipped to her backpack tear loose.
“No!”
It skidded over the rock, bounced once…and tipped over the edge of the ravine.
Sinead lunged, and his heart stopped. In one leap, he caught her around the waist and hauled her back. The sound of the pack hitting rocks and bouncing was unmistakable.
It vanished into the shadows below.
It could have been Sinead.
His arms were still wrapped around her waist and her back was pressed against his front, her head tucked beneath his chin. For a long second, neither of them spoke.
She stared over the lip of the ravine. “That had my jacket in it.”
“I know.” His chest heaved at the thought of what could have really happened.
“My meals.”
“I know.”
“All of them.”
He looked over the edge. It was too steep, too unstable and too dark to attempt a descent without risking both of them.
“We’re not going after it tonight.”
Her mouth opened, then closed. He expected an argument, but for once she seemed to realize he wasn’t being bossy—that he had her safety in mind.
“I have food and extra clothes,” he told her.
“Enough for me?”
“Yes.” He noticed how she wasn’t moving out of his arms.
He also noticed how good she felt right here.
He forced his arms to loosen around her and pulled her away from the ledge just in case the ground wasn’t stable. While she sat on a rock looking despondent, he built a fire and boiled water for their meals in a pouch.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement. Something small in the scrubby bushes.
He slowly turned his head enough to see from the corner of his eye.
“Hawk.” Sinead’s murmur reached him. “What is that?”
