Chance Encounter (9 page)

Chance was so turned on by his own images that he’d probably explode with just one kiss. “I’m saying you have to stop looking at me like that or it’s going to happen, no ties or promises attached. I’m saying you should turn and run like hell.”

She stared at her hand on his chest. Slowly she slid it over him, from one side to the other, and with each pass over his heart, the poor sucker doubled its workload. “I don’t want to run.” She lifted her gaze to his, daring. “Why should I? Because you’re too big and tough for me? Well guess what? I’m pretty tough, too.”

“Not tough enough,” he said. Then, because he was close to doing something he’d never done before, because he was close to begging a woman, he turned and walked away. It wasn’t until he was alone in his bed that he realized the truth.

She
was
tough. Far tougher than he.

T
HE FIRE INSPECTOR
found empty soda cans, food wrappings, and a science text book near the origination point of the fire. The book just happened to come from the school Brian attended.

And Brian had been on the mountain yesterday.

He’d also been unsupervised for a great part of the afternoon, not to mention his sullen attitude when Chance tried to talk to him about it.

To Ally’s horrified shock, the boy refused to either defend himself or give them an alibi for his whereabouts.

They sat in the lodge, on the main floor. Ally, Chance, the fire chief, the fire inspector, Jo and the very quiet Brian, all around one of the huge tables they used to feed their lunch crowds.

“Brian,
please.
” Ally came close to him, put her hand on his arm and tried to reach him. “Please, just tell them you didn’t start the fire.”

His face defined defiance. “And you’ll believe me, right?”

“Yes, I’ll believe you.”

He stared at his feet, stubbornly mute.

“I
will.
We’ll all believe you.” She looked up into
Chance’s eyes, silently begging him for help. “Won’t we?”

For once, his expression was free of teasing humor or that contagious wild heat, but instead, filled with everything he was feeling, fear leading the way.

Big, bad, wild man T. J. Chance was afraid.

And all Ally could do was tuck her hands in her pockets, because this wasn’t her problem, her fight. She wasn’t supposed to care.

But she did, so very much.

“Just tell the truth, Brian.” Chance’s voice was quiet and direct. “That’s all we’re asking.”

“But you already know where I was yesterday. On the mountain. Remember? You were annoyed to see me. Just like you always are.”

Chance closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with regret. “Do you know
why
you annoy me?”

“Yeah. I’m always in your way.”

“Because you remind me of myself when I was young and looking for trouble.”

Ally watched, heart in her throat. She knew Chance now, whether he liked it or not. She understood the wanderlust ways of his childhood. Understood the pain that the lifestyle had brought him later on with Tina, and the loss. He’d ended up here, and this was his home now. He’d learned, if not to love again, then at least that life didn’t have to be all loneliness.

But how to explain that to a teenager who’d never known anything else?

“It’s not annoyance I feel when I look at you,”

Chance told him. “And I’m sorry I let you think it. It’s remorse. Worry.”

Brian stared at Chance. “You…worry? About me?”

“More than you’ll ever know.”

Brian absorbed that for a moment. “But you had a billion other punks out there on the mountain yesterday. You’re not bugging any of them about the fire. It’s because you think I started the last one, and I didn’t.” His voice lowered to a mere whisper. “I really didn’t.”

A muscle jerked in Chance’s jaw as he rose and walked around the table to Brian. He brushed past Ally and sat next to the boy then took Brian’s shoulders in his hands and looked at him eye to eye. “I believe you, Brian. And you know what else? Everyone here that’s worked with you? Everyone you’ve spoken to or done something for? We know you now, we see how happy you are here, and we
know
you wouldn’t do this.” Chance’s gaze didn’t leave Brian’s as he clearly tried to convey the seriousness of the situation, tried to convince Brian to cooperate. “But the inspector
doesn’t
know you, only your reputation, which is going to haunt you for a while yet, no matter how you’ve changed.”

With heartbreaking intensity, Brian soaked up every word. “I have changed.”

“I know. I know, Slick. So help us out. Help us help you.”

Brian’s gaze revealed his fear, his insecurity, and Ally wanted to cry. How many times in his life had
someone stood behind him? Promised to back him up? And meant it?

Probably never.

In comparison, her life had been a piece of cake. But not Chance’s. No matter how he tried to keep his distance, she could see the truth, could see that he looked into that boy’s eyes and saw a kindred spirit that broke his heart.

It was another crack in to the wild man image, another insight into the complicated man that was T. J. Chance.

“Please, Brian,” Chance urged softly.

Brian swallowed hard and in that moment, Ally was so certain he hadn’t started that fire,
either
fire, that she would’ve staked her very life on it. He loved this place as much as she did, and probably for many of the same reasons. Here, unlike any other place on earth, he’d found he belonged. He was wanted, needed.

Here, he was home.

She waited for him to tell everyone that very thing.

“Tell the inspector,” Chance said into the tense, silent room. “Tell him you didn’t do it so we can get on with our day. We have to get out there on the hill and patrol the morbidly curious today, I know how much you want to help me do that.”

But Brian’s eyes shuttered, and Ally knew before he even spoke that he wouldn’t defend himself.

“I have nothing to say,” he said, not meeting anyone’s gaze, especially Chance’s. “Nothing.”

B
RIAN WASN’T CHARGED
. There was no evidence, and while there might never be, Ally decided she couldn’t take that chance.

She was going to take matters into her own hands.

She got herself a small backpack and filled it with snacks and water, more determined than she’d ever been.

“Where are you going?” Jo asked in surprise when they passed each other in the office hallway.

Where was she going? To completely override her own personal goals, apparently. She’d fallen into her old trap of saving the world, and she didn’t care. Not when Brian needed her, not when she cared so much about him. Not when Chance needed her, too, though she doubted he would ever think so. But just looking at him, seeing his agony as he watched Brian, tore at her.

She’d mistakenly thought
she
needed
him,
that she needed his expertise, his strength. She’d been wrong about that, because here on this mountain, she’d found her own strength.

But maybe, just maybe,
she
could be needed, and not give up a piece of herself as she’d always let happen in her past. “I’m going up that mountain to check out the burn, and hopefully find something to clear Brian.”

“What?” Jo looked horrified. “You can’t do that.”

“Of course I can. I’m worried sick.”

“We’re all worried sick, but I don’t think you should—”

“He’s innocent, Jo.”

“Absolutely, he is, but…”

“But…what?”

“Well…” Jo bit her lip. “I don’t want to insult you.”

Ally had to laugh. “And when has that ever stopped you?”

“I just don’t think you should go out there alone.”

“You think it’s dangerous?”

“Yeah,” Jo said. “To your health.”

“I’ll stay on the trails. Really, this time.” Ally reached out and took Jo’s hand. “Brian’s killing me, Jo. Already all his confidence and joy has vanished, just like that, just in one day.” She was so afraid for him. His pride was gone, too. Even his swagger had disappeared.

“He refused to go riding with Chance this morning,” Jo said softly. “They’re both wrecked. We’re
all
wrecks.”

“So you understand.”

“Look, give me an hour. I’ll go with you, okay?”

“I can’t wait. I’m afraid they’re going to come back and charge him.”

“Just let me page Chance.” Jo raced into her office.

Though it was horribly rude, Ally took off. She had to, because she knew what Chance would do—go without her. If he hadn’t already gone.

She had to do this.

She had a trail map and her determination to guide her, but all the same, when she stood on the lower mountain trail and stared up at the peaks, she hesitated.

It looked huge.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew a month in the woods did not an expert make, but taking action felt good. And she wasn’t alone, not really. There were people all over the place. The resort was open, business as usual despite the recent fire. There were bikers, hikers, patrollers…plenty of company.

Still, as she started, careful to stay precisely in the middle of the narrow trail that would lead to the summit, she heard and saw no one. Only nature. The sun beamed down on her, warming her gently, but she didn’t look around much. She concentrated on her path. Though she hadn’t yet come close to the fire site, her nose was assaulted by the scent of burn.

In no time, she was huffing and puffing, in spite of the workouts she gave herself every night in the lodge gym. She’d have sworn she’d covered miles already, but when she looked at her watch, seriously contemplating a break, she had to laugh.

She’d been on the trail for twenty minutes. Well, at least she was still on the trail. She took off again, but didn’t get another twenty yards before a very familiar, achingly sexy voice sounded in her ear.

“What the hell are you doing out here?”

God, that voice. Her nerves went to town and she didn’t want to acknowledge what her heart did at just the sight of Chance standing there, quiet and brooding, wearing those jeans of his that made her want to do wild and thrilling things to his body. He was also wearing that fiercely guarded expression, the one that was always mixed with a sort of bafflement when he
looked at her, as if he wasn’t quite certain how he felt about her.

Well, they were even there.

She wanted to soothe him, comfort him. Be with him. She knew how ridiculous that was, but it made it no less real. “How did you find me?”

“Jo radioed me about your disappearing act. You scared her half to death.”

She crossed her arms. “I’m going to take that as an insult.”

“You can take it any way you want.”

“I’m perfectly capable of staying on the path and keeping out of trouble.”

“You’ll excuse me if I refrain from comment.” He glanced at the map she held, eyes narrowed.

“I’m looking for clues,” she told him, fully aware she sounded really…
dumb.
“I just wanted to do something.” She lifted the map, blushing when she realized it was upside down.

He grabbed it, and turned it right side up and slapped it back in her hands. “It might actually be worth something if you look at it the right way. God, Ally.” He looked at her in complete confusion. “Why do I always feel the need to lock you up somewhere?”

She couldn’t hold back her smile. “Because you like me?” But her amusement faded at the thought of
why
they were both there. “Don’t make me go back, not yet. I want to help Brian. I know you do, too.”

Chance tilted his head up and stared into the startlingly blue sky, hands on his hips now in an aggres
sive, frustrated stance. “Honestly, with that kid, I’m running blind.”

“You’re doing okay.”

“Somehow I just…understand him.” He shook his head and looked at her. “And why in the hell do I keep ending up talking to you like this?”

Her heart clenched. “For the same reason I end up talking to
you.
”

“Yeah? What’s that? Insanity?”

“You must know by now,” she said carefully. “How much I care about you.”

“But…why?”

She lifted a shoulder and gave him a little smile. “Bad habit. I’m always caring when I shouldn’t.”

“And trying to solve everyone’s problems.”

“No,” she denied. “I gave that up before I got here.”

His lips quirked at that, though his eyes remained dark. Troubled. “Just don’t try to solve
me.
And I’m sure Brian would say the same.”

There were lines of exhaustion around his eyes, and tension in his entire body. She wished she could soothe both away, but that was silly. He didn’t want comfort from her. He didn’t want anything from her except maybe her exiting Wyoming.

“You had another call,” he said.

“From Lucy?”

“No.” He looked at her strangely. “From San Francisco.”

“Oh, yeah.” From “home.” She seemed to keep forgetting that Wyoming wasn’t where she belonged.

“It was Maggie.” He watched her with a frustrated
heat and intensity that still, after all these weeks, made her knees weak.

What did he want from her? She hadn’t a clue. She slipped a bottle of water out of her backpack and took a drink because she had no idea what to say or do. Closing her eyes, she let the warm sun dance over her face.

When he suddenly took her shoulders in his big, warm hands and turned her to face him, she squeaked in surprise. His jaw was doing that bunching thing, reminding her that no matter what he wanted her to believe, he
did
care.

His eyes were dark, so very dark, and before she could say a word, he captured her head in his hands, lifted her face and took her mouth.

With a thunk, her backpack hit the ground.

Her water hit next.

And he kissed her even harder, deeper, creating a delicious need she couldn’t deny. She went instantly hot and trembly. Her body’s immediate reaction both surprised and alarmed her because no one had ever done this to her before. No one but Chance, and she let out a sound that was pure heartfelt relief, wrapping her arms around him to wholly return the kiss, unable to think, unable to do anything but feel.

It was hot. Messy.
Glorious.

He buried his hands in her hair, and when she did the same, he moaned from deep in his throat and pushed even closer, shoving a hard denim-clad thigh between hers, nearly making her pass out from the exquisite torture. Without breaking away, he gentled
them both by nibbling at one corner of her mouth, then the other, tracing her lips with his tongue before sweeping it back against hers for another long, hot assault, devouring her. And his hands…they moved over her now, over her back, her bottom, then to her hips, his own rocking, grinding, bringing them both to a fevered pitch. She was drowning, she was dying, she was—

Blinking at him in shock when he abruptly pulled away and scowled at her.