High Risk Read online

  Sighing heavily, Kate glanced over her shoulder at the mess she’d made and begrudgingly admitted, “This camping stuff is new to me.”

  Dusting off her hands, Dasher stood back and examined her own tent. She was gloating, Kate was sure of it. She was grinding her teeth but tried not to show her irritation. She needed help or the tent was not going up, and she wasn’t about to either sleep in the open or beg Dasher to let her share her tent. No way.

  “Would you like some help?” Kate couldn’t detect condescension in the question, but knew it was there.

  In exasperation, she blurted, “Yes, of course I need help. Those idiots at the sporting-goods store said this one was the easiest to put up, but obviously they were wrong.”

  Dasher covered her mouth with her hand, like stroking a beard. She eyed the pile of poles and nylon and made a noncommittal grunt. “I see. Well, you chose a free-standing one, no stakes or anything. As long as there’s no wind or rain, you should be okay. Does it come with a ground tarp? First, you separate the poles from the material. Then you read the directions. Did you try that yet?”

  The woman was incorrigible. “For your information, I am a college graduate and the stupid directions were written in Chinese or something and that moron at the store said it was so simple anyone could do it. Then he had the nerve to want a picture of me. I should have made him come out here to put the stupid thing up.”

  Dasher shook her head. “No. Then I’d have to deal with a man slobbering all over you the whole trip. I’ll help you.”

  Finally getting the answer she wanted, Kate smiled. “Good. While you’re doing that I have to, um, use the facilities. Where are they?”

  Dasher gave her a long look. “Kate, we’re a distance from any actual plumbing. You’ve probably noticed that fact.”

  “Well, we’re not that far. Half-hour max, right? Give me the keys, I’ll drive.” Kate really needed to go and this was simply barbaric. “And while I’m at it, maybe I’ll find a hotel and meet you tomorrow.”

  Dasher’s expression seemed condescending. Kate snapped, “What is your problem?”

  Dasher ground out, “You. You’re my problem. When we met five years ago you seemed like a talented, down-to-earth woman. You’ve turned into a fucking prima donna. Look at you. You even wore makeup to go camping, for God’s sake. Would you like me to build you a spa? As it is, I have to set up your tent and cook for you. You don’t even have the decency to act like you want to pitch in and help. You expect to be waited on.”

  Digging in her pocket, Dasher found the car keys and tossed them on the ground. “There. And you don’t need to bother coming back. Jock and Denny will be here tomorrow, and they’ll give me a lift after we look over the property. I’m sure you need to get back to LA for a manicure or something important. I still can’t figure out…” She sighed and turned to stare into the woods that were about a hundred feet from their clearing.

  Kate resisted the urge to snatch the keys off the ground, race to the car, and peel out of there, leaving Dasher in the dust. That would have been her usual escape plan. Instead, she dug her heels into the ground and slapped her hands on her hips. “What can’t you figure out, Miss I’m So Cool and You’re a Piece of Crap? I don’t know how to camp. So what?”

  Sighing deeply, Dasher turned and met her eyes. “I just thought that out here, where it’s so beautiful, so quiet and peaceful, out here maybe I’d catch a glimpse of the woman I met before. I was wrong. I apologize. I can’t ask you to be something you’re not.” Her shoulders slumped and she studied the keys on the ground before picking them up and offering them to Kate. “Here. You shouldn’t have to do anything against your will. Come back tomorrow if you want to. If not, I’ll understand.”

  Kate hated to see the disappointment in Dasher’s eyes. She had gotten her way, after all. Wasn’t that the most important thing? She felt terrible. Dasher’s words stung all the more because Kate knew she was right. She was behaving like some of the actors she detested. But Dasher wasn’t right about everything. Kate was not like those others. She had to prove that, if only to herself.

  “No, I said I’d do this and I will. I just… Do we at least have any toilet paper?” When Dasher only nodded, she said, “What do I do with the tissue after I’m, um, through?” She knew she was blushing, judging by the heat rising up her neck to warm her face, and she still wanted to run. But for some ungodly reason, she couldn’t.

  When she dared to look up, Dasher was grinning. Her heart seemed to skip a beat, or some such cliché, she was so pleased to see the beauty of that smile. Her reaction to it unnerved her.

  Dasher said, “You have two choices: one is to, er, drip dry. The other is to use some biodegradable toilet paper and enzyme packets I have in the SUV. Take the camp shovel to bury it. If you have to do more, you’ll need to dig a deeper hole and then sprinkle some enzyme packets over it after you finish, including the tissue. The idea is to not leave a human footprint. If we do this again I’ll buy a camp toilet for your convenience.”

  The reference to future outings together oddly pleased Kate. Dasher’s gentle tease gave her a choice: truce or another tantrum. She was tired of arguing with Dasher and she really had to pee. “Deal.”

  She stuck out her hand to shake and when Dasher took it, the warmth immediately vibrated throughout Kate’s body. Ah, short memory, Kate. You should know better. Her breath caught and belatedly she tried to cover her reaction with a cough that forced her to pull away to cover her mouth. She had to remember not to touch that woman. She still thought about their hug at the hotel.

  “I’ll need that shovel and biowhatever stuff.” She was barely croaking out the words, but Dasher seemed not to notice. Except for the slight rose hue on Dasher’s face, Kate wouldn’t have guessed she had any reaction to the touch.

  “I’ll be right back.” Dasher stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, along with the keys, and took a moment to locate the SUV before wandering toward it.

  “I’ll need it soon!” Kate kept her voice singsongy, but her words seemed to get Dasher in gear. Within fifteen seconds she had what she needed.

  Pointing toward the edge of the forest, Dasher said, “Don’t go too far in, because it’s dense in there and easy to get lost.”

  “No problem.” She snatched the articles from Dasher and fled into the woods.

  *

  Twenty minutes later Kate was using the back of the shovel to pat down the dirt of the hole she’d just filled in and feeling quite smug about her success. “Well, guess I’ve got what it takes to go camping after all. Now I’ll go back and put up my tent. All I needed was a little—” She stilled when she heard a snuffling sound behind her. It was close to the ground, followed by a whine.

  Whirling around, she spotted a tiny white puppy sitting on the ground not five feet from her. It backed up, apparently frightened by her size. She quickly crouched and put the shovel behind her to appear less threatening.

  “Well, hello, little one. What are you doing out here? Where’s your mama, hmm?” The creature enchanted her, and Kate instantly worried about it. Holding out her hand, she said, “C’mere, sweetie. You’re shivering. I’ll warm you up and we’ll find your mother. I’ll bet you’re hungry.”

  The little pup wobbled over to her and sniffed carefully, then plopped again. It allowed Kate to pick it up, and she quickly peeked enough to know she had a soft, fuzzy little boy snuggling into the crook of her arm.

  “You are so precious.” Hearing some crashing through the underbrush, she smiled in anticipation of showing Dasher her find. She froze when a large dark animal appeared, sporting tusks.

  “Jesus.” It must have weighed over 400 pounds. It studied her with little pig eyes and lifted its snout to sniff. A boar or something. The puppy whined and buried its head again, trembling.

  Mustering up all her courage, she slowly stood to her full height and yelled, “Shoo!” It didn’t move. Indeed, it took a step closer, having seen the white pup. She
swore it licked its chops. Aren’t pigs vegetarians?

  Kate reached behind her and felt for the small shovel she’d propped against a tree trunk, hoping to brandish it and scare the creature away. It took another step and she pulled back. Its eyes never left the puppy.

  “No. You can’t have him. Now leave.” It snorted and pawed the ground, its body tensing as if to lunge.

  Reasoning that if the pup was out of sight the pig would leave, and she would probably need both hands to frighten the creature away, Kate carefully opened her shirt. She placed the pup inside next to her skin and buttoned the shirt, making sure it was secure and tucked tightly into her pants, keeping her eyes on the pig. The puppy settled immediately, and Kate even registered a tiny tongue tasting her skin.

  “Now, you. Go away.” She tried to look huge to the boar, but it just cocked its head at her. “Well, this isn’t working, is it? I swear it did on TV.”

  Something about the creature wasn’t right. It bristled and seemed to grow in size, and Kate belatedly realized she’d probably just challenged the damned thing. “Oh, shit!” She took off as fast as she could.

  Crashing through the underbrush in what she hoped was the direction of the camp, she screamed, “Help! Help! Wild pig!” She could hear even louder thundering behind her and suddenly realized that if she found the clearing, the boar could hurt a surprised Dasher. She veered in another direction and looked for a low-hanging branch, ignoring her protesting knee.

  Making sure the pup was secure under her shirt, she spotted a tree and branch that looked reachable and headed for it. She yelled, “Hold on!” to the pup and leapt, managing to snag the limb with both hands, then swing a leg over it and hoist herself up. She quickly checked her passenger, who seemed fine, pale eyes regarding her with complete trust.

  The hog was at the bottom of the trunk, snorting and pawing. Kate carefully scooted closer to the trunk of the tree where the branch was thicker and rested against it, sighing in momentary relief. Now to get out of here. “Help! Someone bring me a gun!” She was thinking of an elephant gun when she heard more noise in the underbrush and saw Dasher emerge, wielding a baseball bat, eyes frantically scanning the area.

  “Kate! Kate, where are you?” She skidded to a halt when she spotted the boar. “Holy shit.”

  “Up here. Dasher, be careful. We’re okay, it can’t reach us.”

  Evidently needing to see for herself, Dasher glanced up. “Us?”

  The hog snorted and got Dasher’s attention and they squared off, Dasher trying to poke at it with the bat. It didn’t run away.

  “Dasher, get up here. That thing is crazy.”

  Shaking her head slightly, Dasher said, “I don’t think the branch will hold me, too. Can’t risk it breaking. Pray for a home run.” She assumed a batting stance, bat moving loosely in her hands, eyes fixed on the huge animal’s head.

  “Dasher, no! It’ll rip you to pieces.” Kate frantically searched for another tree that Dash could jump into, but nothing big enough was nearby. The puppy wiggled in her shirt and whined, then yawped.

  Behind Dasher and the pig a flash of white tore out of the underbrush and attacked the boar. The animal fought to grab the hog’s throat, its huge teeth ripping and tearing. Kate watched in terror as Dash tried to help by distracting the beast to bash it without hitting their white protector.

  Kate heard a humming sound and then the beast roared, stood motionless, and dropped, an arrow sticking out of its ear. It seemed like the forest was stunned to silence. Nothing moved.

  It wasn’t until Kate’s little visitor whined again and started wiggling inside her shirt that the white dog looked up and was suddenly on its feet, snarling at Dasher. She watched helplessly as Dasher took up the bat that she had let hang in her hand.

  “No!” Kate waved furiously to distract the angry animal.

  “Blanca. Stay.” The cultured female voice came from the right of Kate and Dasher. The dog immediately sat, still growling and restless.

  A tall, slim woman with snow white hair that dropped well below her shoulders stepped into the open. Her face was tanned and her eyes the color of the sky on a gorgeous spring day. She held a powerful-looking bow, and a leather sheaf of arrows was strapped to her back. Although she was wearing cargo pants and a blue denim work shirt, Kate flashed that leathers might have been more fitting.

  Dasher was panting. “Why is she mad at me? What did I do so I can stop doing it?” She still had her bat at the ready.

  The woman came a few steps closer, an arrow strung lightly in her bow. She cautiously examined the boar and, evidently satisfied that it was dead, loosened the arrow and put it with the others.

  Finally looking at Dasher, she said, “Blanca thinks you have something that belongs to her. One of her cubs is missing.”

  The pup chose that moment to stick its head out of Kate’s shirt and yawn. Blanca tensed and started growling.

  Kate sputtered, “I’m sorry. The puppy came to me and was scared, and then the pig appeared and seemed like it wanted to eat the poor thing. I stuffed it in my shirt and ran. I wasn’t trying to steal her puppy, I swear.”

  She moved to get down and lost her balance, falling a few feet only to land in a heap with Dasher on the bottom and the pup unscathed. She quickly unbuttoned her shirt so the little guy could scramble over to his mother. Blanca sniffed him, licked him, eyed them, then grabbed the pup by the scruff of his neck and loped out of the clearing.

  The woman strode over to Kate and gave her a hand. She was taller than Kate and hauled her up effortlessly. A small smile played across her lips. “I guess we should thank you, then, for saving her cub. She was frantic.”

  “Cub? He’s not a dog?”

  Dasher struggled to her feet and huffed. “I think maybe that makes her a wolf. Jeez, Kate, I thought you just went for a walk.”

  Then Dash gingerly examined the dead boar. “Thank you for rescuing us. Were you bow hunting?”

  Shaking her head, the woman said, “Blanca and I were looking for her cub. I don’t use a firearm. This boar has been terrorizing the local farmers. It killed a lamb recently. I knew it was out here.”

  Kate edged close enough to look at the kill and shuddered. “He…I…excuse me.” She sank to her knees.

  Dasher dropped the bat, and she and the woman helped Kate up. Kate clung to Dasher.

  The stranger said, “I’d better be going. My name is Diana. I’ll send someone to fetch the boar. He won’t go to waste.”

  Dasher offered her hand. “I’m Dasher and this is Kate. Thank you so much for saving us.”

  Kate was about to say something when the woman nodded slightly and then turned. She left as quietly as she came.

  Kate finally stood back, releasing her grip on Dasher. Dasher held her eyes with tenderness, then her gaze dropped and she suddenly examined her bat and the boar. Kate wondered why until she looked down. Her shirt was almost completely open, her lace bra revealing a lot of flesh. She turned and buttoned it up, then tapped Dasher on the shoulder.

  Dasher was blushing such a bright pink that Kate felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I took care of my shoveling chores before the cub appeared. That boar scared me to death and I would have really humiliated myself. Thank you. I think I almost got you killed.”

  Grinning, Dasher said, “Nah. Maimed, maybe. Come on, let’s go make a campfire. I have your tent almost up.”

  “Where did the bat come from?”

  Snapping to a batter’s stance, Dasher said, “I played for my college team.” She dropped the bat head and rested on it, grinning. “I lettered.”

  At that moment big drops of rain made Kate and Dasher look up, and Kate groaned, “What next?”

  Dasher grabbed her hand and pulled her along. “Don’t ask, we don’t need to know.”

  They laughed and ran all the way back to the campsite as the skies opened up. Kate couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so free.

&n
bsp; *

  They arrived at the clearing just in time to see Kate’s tent blowing toward them like a tumbleweed. Scrambling out of the way, they had to duck and zigzag to dodge flying pieces of equipment. When they reached Dasher’s tent, she heaved Kate inside the vestibule and held onto her belt so she didn’t do a face-plant on the floor. She followed Kate, then zipped them inside. They were soaked.

  Looking around the vestibule and realizing it was dry, Kate said, “Wow. This is cool. Now what?”

  Dasher was apparently making sure everything was tightly secured as the wind buffeted the walls of the structure.

  Finally turning to Kate, Dasher hesitated, then said, “Take off your clothes.”

  Kate froze as approximately five hundred thoughts and emotions ran through her mind. Hesitation, fear, calculation, lust, suspicion, trust—they were all there. After taking a nanosecond to firmly delete “lust,” she registered the wind again. The knifelike cold ran through her because of her soaked clothes and she started to undress.

  The rush of adrenaline that had gotten her through the ordeal with the boar was fast wearing off. Her hands shook and her teeth chattered as she tried to unbutton her shirt in the cramped space. Usually, if shooting an action scene where she had to be in water, she was helped by dressers and quickly warmed up with a hot shower and fuzzy robe and slippers. Out here in the middle of nowhere, she was on her own and not faring that well.

  “M-mm-my shirt.” You’d think as many times as she’d buttoned and unbuttoned the stupid thing today it would be easy, but the wet material and her shaking hands were making it impossible.

  Then the strong hands she’d secretly admired only an hour before were there, deftly releasing the material and peeling her out of the shirt. Dasher had her mouth set and her gaze focused as she immediately reached behind Kate to release her bra clasp. Kate knew her eyes must have widened in the universal expression of surprise, but Dasher didn’t meet them.