Yellowstone Heart Song (Yellowstone Romance Series Book 1) (9 page)

Hang out?
“There is always danger from bears.”

“Have you tangled with a lot of bears?”

“A few.” He shrugged. “Why are you asking all the questions, but you won’t answer any of mine?”

“Because you’re supposed to be teaching me about the mountains, remember? And a good student asks questions.” Aimee grinned.

Daniel shook his head. He inhaled deeply to maintain calm. Why did she have to act so elusive?

“Well, then you need to begin to open your eyes. Look for tracks on the ground. Become aware of the things around you. Had you read the signs better, you would not have encountered that grizzly.”

He pointed to a spot in the dirt. The grass all around was shorter and sparser than the surrounding area.

“Looks like bison tracks,” Aimee said confidently after she bent down to look closely at the ground.

He raised his brows in surprise. Young boys among the Tukudeka learned early on to distinguish between elk and bison tracks. They looked very similar. That this white woman knew the difference impressed him. He nodded affirmation.

“How long ago?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. This question wouldn’t be as easy to answer.

Aimee looked again and seemed to ponder his question. His lips raised in a smile when she didn’t answer. Finally, she said, “not too recently, perhaps late yesterday.”

His smile faded. “Why do you think that?”

“Because most of the grass is standing up again after it’s been trampled on.”

He studied her face. How did she know to read bison tracks so accurately, yet she couldn’t see the signs of a bear kill? Stepping up to one of many lodgepole pines, he asked, “What about this mark on the tree?” He pointed to the trunk of the pine that had some of its bark stripped off.

Aimee walked up next to him, and ran her fingers across the yellowed scars. “A bison made those marks, rubbing his head against the tree. There’s even a little fur hanging on. See?” She pulled a tuft of brown fur from the bark and held it up to him. Daniel’s jaw clenched.

****

Aimee smiled sweetly. He could ask her all he wanted about bison. This was basic junior ranger stuff to her. How many countless ranger-led hikes had she gone on in her life? And a favorite topic of discussion on those hikes had often been bison. She could practically lead one of these bison talks herself. She had to admit, though, that her guide this time was far more interesting than any ranger she’d met in modern times.

When Daniel didn’t speak, she finally asked, “Well, how am I doing so far?”

He studied her for a moment with that intense look of his. “Where would you expect to find berries here?” he asked, rather than answer her question.

“I’d be looking around for sunny spots, I suppose, for berry bushes.”

Daniel pointed out some strawberry patches on the ground, and huckleberry bushes among the thickets. She moved eagerly in their direction, when he took hold of her arm and pulled her back. She turned her head, and raised her eyebrows in a silent question. 

“Bears, remember?” he warned. He scanned the area for a moment, and inhaled deeply. “Often, you can smell a bear before you see him,” he explained.

“What do bears smell like?” She recalled the death and decay smell of the elk carcass, but she couldn’t remember now if the bear smelled like rotten meat as well, or just the air around him.

“Most of the year, bears smell like the places they visit,” Daniel explained. “In the early part of summer, they smell like the wet grasses.”

“Sweet?” she asked. He nodded.

“The tundra smells like the earth and sage, and a bear has that smell as well. It is only much more distinct. You need to train your senses to pick up the differences. Bears like to roll in their food, or anything with a strong odor, so whatever they have eaten, they will smell like it.”

“Ew. Okay. Kind of like dogs. They do that, too.” She took a deep breath, but all she smelled was the pine scent of the forest.  “What else?” she asked eagerly.

“Listen to the forest. What do you hear?”

She closed her eyes and inhaled. The tranquil sounds of the forest birds, the smell of fresh pine and musty earth, even the distinctive cow scent left behind by the bison, and the rushing sound of the breeze through the tops of the tall lodgepole pines all had an intoxicating effect on her.

“I hear the wind and birds,” she said softly.

“What kind of birds?” Daniel prodded. 

She tried to concentrate on the different sounds. “Oh! A woodpecker,” she said in surprise. She had never paid attention to different birdcalls before. She turned her head to listen closer. “I hear ravens, and probably some kind of jay?”

“Any other animals?” Daniel pushed her further. “You must learn to separate all sound.”

She sighed, but kept her eyes closed. Amazingly, she could, indeed, sift through the cacophony of chirps and make out individual animals. “Hey, that’s not a bird . . . that was an angry-sounding squirrel.”

She opened her eyes. In front of her, Daniel stared intently at her face. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Is it safe now?” she whispered.

Was he going to answer? She shifted her weight nervously. His intense eyes drove straight to her heart. She couldn’t read his expression, but she wasn’t about to back down and be the first to look away. Finally, he cleared his throat. “There is no bear here,” he answered, his voice sounding a bit raspy. He motioned with his chin to the berry patches.

Relieved for the excuse to move away from him, Aimee picked handfuls of berries, and between mouthfuls carefully placed some in her backpack. “There are so many. I would love to take some of these back and make a pie!”

Daniel stood off to the side while she ate her fill, and casually popped a few berries in his mouth from time to time. He was like a security guard – constantly trained on her to make sure she didn’t make a wrong move. She tried to ignore it and concentrate on her task, but his eyes seemed to reach straight into her. Her skin tingled all over.

“Okay, I think I have enough,” Aimee said after her pack was rather full. She wished he would catch her double meaning. She’d definitely had enough of his continuous perusal, and was ready for a diversion. Daniel turned and led the way out of the forest.

“The last time I ate pie was in Philadelphia seven years ago,” he said wistfully when the trail widened and they walked side by side. Aimee was surprised he volunteered this information.

“You’re in for a treat, then. I make a mean berry pie.”  

****

For the better part of the morning, Daniel led her through the forest.  He showed her how to read different tracks, signs to look out for that an animal had been in the area, where to look for edible roots and plants, and how to watch the skies for changes in the weather. Along with the berries, she filled her backpack with mint, wild onions, licorice, and various other roots and plants.

She listened attentively as she tried to absorb everything Daniel told her. Some things she already knew, others were completely new to her. The subtle animal signs he picked up on astounded her. Silently, he had pointed out a black bear sow and her twin cubs in the distance, a moose in the thickets that she would have completely overlooked, and countless other smaller animals. He knew which critter made every track they came upon. He read the forest for information as someone in her time would read a newspaper. It was most refreshing to get a glimpse of this wilderness that she loved so much in her time from this man who carved out a living here.

Aimee savored the beauty of her surroundings. Aspen trees grew in abundance. Beaver lodges lined the banks along streams, and countless otters played in the waters. With the coming of the fur trappers to these mountains within a decade of this time, the beaver would be trapped to near extinction. Wolves would be hunted until none remained, and without this predator, the elk would take over, and cause the destruction of the aspen from overgrazing. This was a Yellowstone unfamiliar to her, but it was as nature had intended before the encroachment of man.

Despite the differences, the landscape still held a certain familiarity, and she realized Daniel was leading them back in the direction of the cabin sometime in the early afternoon. Her foot throbbed with every step she took, but today was one of the best days of her life. The raw, undisturbed landscape exhilarated her. No other hikers, no roads.
Just me and this gorgeous backwoodsman.

Oh, geez, where were her thoughts taking her now? Daniel had proven to be an excellent teacher, and she enjoyed seeing her beloved Yellowstone through his eyes. Yet, as the day wore on, she found it harder and harder to concentrate on her surroundings, while she became more and more aware of him. He was as untamed as this land, and by far the most virile man she had ever met.

Chapter 8

For the next hour or so, they walked single file along the banks of the fast-flowing Gibbon - Little Buffalo - River. Aimee couldn’t help but watch the display of muscle movement on Daniel’s back and broad shoulders that his shirt couldn’t disguise. Visions of his nude upper body from the day before shamelessly entered her thoughts.

“Damn.” She’d been too busy staring at Daniel’s backside to watch the ground beneath her, and carelessly tripped on a large rock, which caused her to lose her balance. Daniel’s reflexes were lightning fast. He wheeled around, grabbed her, and pulled her close before she tumbled into the river.  Aimee held on to his upper arms and balanced herself.  His eyes burned into her. He held her so close, it felt like a lover’s embrace. 

“Easy,” he whispered as he steadied her. She’d regained her balance, yet he didn’t relax his hold around her waist. Aimee stared wide-eyed into his deep brown eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest, and it wasn’t from the adrenaline of almost falling into the frigid water. She held her breath. No one had ever looked at her with such smoldering intensity before. It was as if he stared straight into her soul.
Get a grip on yourself
.

“I won’t fall, you can release me now,” she said softly. Daniel held her for a moment longer. His chest heaved, then he slowly loosened his hold around her waist.

“This has been too much for you today. I shouldn’t have brought you this far.” The frown was back.

“Are you kidding?” Aimee regained her composure. “I’m having a great time. I stepped on a rock is all.”

“We will rest here for a while, and for once you will listen to me.”

“All right, but will you take me out again tomorrow?” she asked eagerly.

“You need to give your foot proper time to heal.” His jaw clenched. He seemed eager to say more, maybe even scold her again, but he didn’t.

“My foot is fine,” she argued. “Look, I want to experience these mountains while I have the chance. Today has been wonderful, and I don’t want to just sit around that cabin all day. It’s boring.”

Daniel shook his head. “You are a stubborn woman.”

“Damn right I am.” She grinned. After a moment’s silence, she asked hopefully, “will you take me to a geyser basin tomorrow?”

“What is a guy soor basin?” Daniel’s perpetual frown deepened.

Oops, big slip up. Too late, Aimee realized that the term geyser had definitely not been in use in this time to describe the geothermal water features of this area.

“You know, the places where the water shoots out of the earth. And the hot pools and mud.”

“How do you know of these things?” His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“I’ve seen a few before my accident, and I would like to see some more,” Aimee quickly said.
It’s not really a lie
.
I have seen the geysers before now!
She wished she could tell Daniel the other truth. All of it. Then he would really think she was lying.

“It’s a wonder you didn’t fall into one and burn to death,” he scoffed.

“Well, will you show me?” she prodded, ignoring his little dig.

Daniel met her eyes for a moment. “I will give you my answer tomorrow.”

Well, that’s better than a no.
Besides, if she wanted to, she could find her own way to the lower geyser basins. All she had to do was follow the Firehole River.

Daniel reached into his traveling pouch, then held his hand out to her.

“What’s this?” she asked, examining what looked like a piece of black rubber.

“It’s called pemmican. Eat.”

She had heard of pemmican. It was a mountain man staple – ground up meat and lard mixed with berries, or something like that. Kind of like a power bar. It didn’t look very appetizing. She sniffed it, then took a tentative nibble.

“Yuck! That is disgusting.” She spit it out. Daniel took a big bite out of a piece he held.

“It’s nourishment.”

“Well, I’m not eating that.” She handed her piece back to him.

“Another lesson about the wilderness.” He shot her a hard look. “Never refuse food or water when it is offered, because you don’t know when you will get another chance.”

“I’ll whip something up when we get back to the cabin.” She stood. “Speaking of which, let’s go. I know we’ve been heading in that direction for some time now.” 

****

Daniel grinned, and stared after her. She was not easily fooled. One more reason he wanted her. He’d been more than surprised today. He had assumed the little
gediki
would last a few hours on the trail with him. However, she had shown remarkable endurance. Her knowledge of some things and her ignorance in others added to the mysteries about her that he found intriguing. Whatever she was hiding, he was sure he’d find out in time.

By late morning, her limp had become more pronounced. Without telling her, he’d chosen a route that would lead back to the cabin. If he told her they were heading back so early, she would have tried to talk him out of it. Damn, she was stubborn. Her foot obviously still caused her pain, but why she wouldn’t acknowledge that fact made no sense. Several times he had offered to stop and rest, and she had refused each time.

The feel of her soft curves pressed against him when he’d caught her around the waist to keep her from falling into the river had sent fire through his veins. He held her longer than was necessary. The urge to sweep some loose tendrils of hair out of her face had been overpowering. Her soft skin, the slight flush of heat on her cheeks, and the healing cuts that crisscrossed her delicate features . . . he drank it all in.  He hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her while he stood so close to her, his desire for this woman burning his insides. It took all his willpower to stay composed when all he’d wanted to do at that moment was wrap her in his arms and find out if her lips tasted as luscious as they looked.

His respect and admiration for her had grown all day, if that was even possible. He followed as Aimee walked on ahead after their short rest. She was determined not to show the pain she was in, making her body move stiffly in front of him. She would refuse any assistance he’d offer, so he simply walked behind her and enjoyed the view of her backside. He liked those britches she wore more and more.

*****

Aimee sighed and deposited her backpack on the table. No way would she admit to Daniel that she had probably walked too far today. It didn’t matter. It had been a wonderful day. She was confident her foot would be fine again tomorrow.

She poured the berries into a wooden bowl, sprinkled sugar over the top of them, and let them sit while she made a pastry crust using lard and flour. This would not be a true pie since she only had a Dutch oven to cook in. She would improvise the best she could, but her sweet tooth had to be satisfied. She definitely did miss her double fudge chocolate ice cream.

Low on firewood, she stepped outside the cabin to bring in more. Her eyes scanned the meadow, and her gaze fell toward the river. Daniel stood waist deep in the water with some sort of fishing line. Aimee stared. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Had he stripped off all of his clothes? Aimee couldn’t remember ever feeling such undeniable physical attraction for a man. But it was more than that. She enjoyed his company and spending time with him. She was convinced that somewhere under that serious, scowly exterior was a fun-loving, easy-going guy. She had seen that sexy grin of his more than once now.

She couldn’t help but wonder what his thoughts were of her. He obviously had strong convictions that a white woman didn’t belong in these mountains, but she was determined to prove to him that she wasn’t incompetent. The looks of contempt she had seen on his face that first day were gone. Maybe she had just misinterpreted his dark and hateful expressions. What reason would he have to hate her? At times, he looked at her with that intense stare of his, making her wonder if it meant he was annoyed, or attracted to her.

 She couldn’t have misread the raw desire she had seen in his eyes after her innocent peck on the cheek this morning. How long had Daniel been without the company of a woman? Perhaps an extended abstinence had caused such a reaction in him. There was no way a man like him would lead a celibate life. Surely there were plenty of Indian women who would happily hop into bed with him.

Aimee walked toward the river. Reaching the bank, she sat down quietly and removed her moccasins, and wiggled her toes in the cool grass. Silently, she observed Daniel wade through the water, casting his line almost like a fly-fisherman. A swim would be really refreshing right now to wash some of the trail dust off, but she thought better of it. She was reasonably sure Daniel wouldn’t force himself on her, but she didn’t want to test that theory, either. She should feel a lot more vulnerable. She was here all alone with this man, and no one would come to her rescue if he decided to have his way with her. He hadn’t been threatening so far, and he made her feel safe and protected, even if he had acted surly most of the time.

Then again, what would it be like with a man like him?  A little voice inside her head nagged at her. She smiled at the direction her thoughts were heading. Her sexual experience was limited to Brad. She had always planned to save herself for her wedding night, but Brad had shattered that aspiration rather quickly. He had wormed his way into her bed early in their relationship. To add to her disappointment, she couldn’t help but find Brad’s lovemaking rather unexciting. Sex with him was – as it always was with Brad – more about him, and less about satisfying her. Consequently, she had made more excuses than not to stay out of his bed.

And yet, here she found her thoughts straying to Daniel, and what it might be like with a man like him. Would he be gentle and considerate, or wild and fierce? Somehow she couldn’t picture him as anything less than a perfect lover.
Oh, God, Aimee, get a gri
p! She mentally smacked herself.
This is absolutely crazy!

Something wet and cold fell into her lap. Aimee jumped in surprise, jolted out of her sensual daydreams. She stared as a large trout flopped up and down on her legs. Her gaze shot toward the river. Daniel wore a wolfish grin on his face.

“You threw a fish at me?” she shouted in false anger. “I can’t believe you threw a fish at me!” In truth, it was hard to believe. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Scowly had actually done something funny. Imagine that.

She bent down in pretense of picking up the wiggling fish, and gathered a handful of river mud from the bank, and squeezed it into a ball. As Daniel slowly waded toward her, still grinning from ear to ear, she aimed and threw the mud, hitting him in the shoulder.

“Hah! Take that!”

 Daniel’s grin faded quickly.

“Two can play at that game.” Aimee kept taunting him, her hands on her hips.

Daniel emerged from the river, and she swallowed hard. Her eyes roamed over his glistening wet body as he advanced. His feral virility stunned her. Several large jagged scars on his chest stood out against his olive skin. Why hadn’t she noticed them the day before? She swallowed nervously as her gaze traveled lower, and sighed involuntarily in relief. He wasn’t completely nude. He wore a breechcloth, but it didn’t leave much to the imagination as to what it covered, and only served to accentuate his flat, rippled stomach and muscular thighs. The smoldering look in his eyes as he advanced sent her a few steps backwards, and the smile on her face froze.

Oh God! Is he really this angry because I threw some mud at him?

 In one lightning fast predatory move, Daniel grabbed her up and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and turned back to the water.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” Aimee shrieked. Her fists pounded his hard back while her feet kicked uselessly in the air. He waded into the water a few feet, and unceremoniously threw her into the river. Before she hit the water, her thought was one of disbelief that he carried the game this far. It seemed so uncharacteristic of him.