Shane, p.2
Shane, page 2
Katie plucks the Santa hat from her hair and examines it carefully. “Oooh, does this make me a SEAL too?” She grins at me sassily. Katie knows better. She’s just having fun yanking my chain.
“Sure. Why not? Want to carry the pack, too?” I make as if I’m going to hand it to her, but I keep all the weight back. It could seriously strain a tendon, or her back. She’s that much smaller than me.
“Come on, let’s do this!” She pulls open the front door and steps out onto the snowy porch. I sigh and follow her out, shutting the door behind us and testing it to make sure it’s locked.
I let Katie chatter to her heart’s content, concentrating on keeping us on the road and desperately gulping coffee until I nearly scald my throat. I left Pete to explain things to his parents. I’ll have Katie back safe and sound in time for Christmas morning, although Katie doesn’t know that yet. She probably left a note saying she was running away with me and not to worry. I grunt, thinking of how that would go over. Not well.
As much as the Beaumonts have welcomed me into their home over the last twenty years, I’m pretty sure they want something better for their baby girl.
Katie’s talking so much she’s fogged up the glass on her side of my truck, so I turn on the fans. “Where are we going first, Shane? Is it a long walk?”
“Walk? BB, it’s at least a twenty-five-mile hike through swamp.” She looks crestfallen, like she knows I’m lying through my teeth.
“Relax, Katie. The first stop is to drop off a donation at an animal shelter. They take the hard cases and don’t see as many adoption fees because of it.”
She nods. “That’s nice. Are you giving them the whole thousand?”
I quirk an eyebrow in her direction. I had no idea she was familiar with the terms of the Santa Challenge. The buy-in is a thousand bucks, but it has to be anonymously donated on the way to the SEAL mountain compound, and in advance of the by-foot-only portion of the trip. The moral value of the donation is then voted on by the group and weighted against the arrival time of the participant. In other words, you can be first to arrive, but if you took the easy route and wrote a check to a national organization, you probably won’t win. The winner gets a year’s free use of one of the cabins in the compound and, more importantly, bragging rights.
Katie is still waiting for my answer. “No, about half.”
“Can I add some of my own money?”
That makes me blink. “Since when do you have any money, baby?”
“Since I got a real job and stuff. I don’t have much to spend it on so I’d like to help. Please?”
I flash her a glance. She’s serious, so I give her a curt nod. “Has to be in cash, though. Do we need to stop by a bank?”
She flushes slightly and nods. So I signal for the last turn before the highway and circle back to an ATM. I’m not a fan of letting Katie stand there in the dark by herself, but I don’t want to shut the truck down either, so I park illegally close and watch her like a hawk. When she bounces back into the cab, I heave a sigh of relief and can’t help but smile as she’s still holding her mitten between her teeth.
3
Katie
It’s late afternoon when we get close to the animal shelter. Shane told me we’re going to wait for it to get dark and then go in from the side. He always drops the cash in a waterproof envelope under the doormat. It’s not super secret, but he knows how to do it without it being seen on camera, so it remains a surprise. I’m still pouting from when he informed me I’d have to stay back at the tree line. So not fair. But when he pointed out I might stress the dogs by acting like an intruder and set everything off, I could see his point. At least this way, I get to watch him. Although he scoffed at the idea that I’d be able to see anything in the dark.
He’s going to try to ditch me tomorrow, I know it. I’m watching for it. He would never abandon me but he’ll either throw something super uncomfortable at me so I’ll give up or do some giant big circle and say his truck has broken down conveniently down the street from my parents’ place. I roll my eyes at the thought, but Shane sees it. “Something bothering you there, Katie? Bored already?”
“No! Just imagining when you’re going to try to get rid of me.”
“Baby,” he lets out with a heavy sigh.
“Don’t lie to me, Shane. You don’t have to open up if you don’t want to, but don’t lie.”
He nods after sighing again and doesn’t say another word, making me grumble into my puffer jacket as I sag in my seat. I really want to see the SEAL compound, and I don’t feel any closer to it than I did at this time yesterday. Still, I’ve got at least one night with Shane and anything could happen, really. Okay, I know better but, it could.
We wait down a dirt road from the shelter until it gets really, really dark. Then Shane turns off the interior truck lights and signals for me to open my door. It’s exciting, even though I think this is mostly a show for my benefit. I don’t think a few lights or doors closing way out here could be heard by anyone. Still, as I follow him with one hand on his belt down the dark path, I feel more alive than I have for a long time.
Then a few hours go by while we wait and then I wait and wait some more. It’s colder and quieter than I was anticipating. I’ve got nobody to talk to or even a way to write down my thoughts. I just have to hold it all in. Shane gave me strict instructions not to move from the tree stump he placed me on, so all I can do is thump my thighs and wiggle my feet to try to keep them awake. It’s not quite freezing, so it’s not dangerously cold. But Shane convinced me that staying right here was a wise idea and I don’t want him to get injured trying to find me if I wandered farther than I realized. So here I sit.
Until I almost blow the whole thing when he suddenly tugs on my leg and I nearly scream. Instead of helping me down from the stump, he simply tosses me over one shoulder and strides back towards his truck. I guess it’s faster, but I can feel him laughing silently, which makes me want to grab his ass in retaliation. I don’t though. I’m not feeling quite that brave.
Shane
It’s not really that late, about seven pm or thereabouts, when I flip Katie right side up and onto her seat in the truck. She’s flushed and flustered, but her eyes are bright, so I’m guessing she’s having a good time. Maybe rough camping will cure that. Particularly after I make her hike by the dim moonlight for half a mile. I don’t want her injuring herself, though, so I may end up carrying her again.
She’s quiet until we’re back on one of the side country roads.
“Can I talk now?” she whispers urgently, and I have to work to hide my grin.
“Sure,” I say at a normal volume.
“Did you make your drop? How far until we stop? Did anything happen? Are you sure you can’t take me with you? I didn’t make a peep.”
That was just the start. I let her ramble until her pressure valve appears to be relieved and then speak quietly. “We’ll spend the night in the state park.”
“You mean with a campsite and a tent and everything?” Katie sounds glum, and I have this ridiculous impulse to make it truly exciting for her.
“Hm, not exactly. We’re going to hike to one of the backcountry sites. Nothing paved, no truck to retreat to. There might be bears.” I throw that out there just to see if she’ll edge closer to me. She doesn’t, sniffing in disdain instead.
“Bears are hibernating.”
“Sometimes they go late.” It’s lame, and she knows it. They’re probably all asleep and any that aren’t are going to be down by the stream hoping for a late salmon. “I’ll let you wear night vision,” I finally concede and get a wide smile in reward.
“Really?” Katie starts bouncing in her seat. No way am I letting her near my former team. They would eat her up and compete to show off all their gadgets. I ignore the little voice claiming she’s mine. She isn’t.
4
Shane
I haven’t gone completely soft. I can still tell when eyes are on me and Katie’s are practically burning holes. In my ass, if I’m not mistaken. Just to tease her, I stop in front of a fallen tree and turn to help her over. Her cheeks are a little flushed, but nothing out of the ordinary for someone not used to hiking. The way she doesn’t meet my gaze though, that’s her tell. I help her scramble over the log and contemplate my options. No way in hell are we cozying up in the shelter together until I know exactly what’s going on in that brain of hers.
The campsite isn’t much further and we should have it to ourselves. The areas nearer the park entrance are at less than 10% capacity. Nobody in their right mind would haul gear this far if they didn’t have to, and it’s the wrong time of year for the cross-country folks.
We enter the clearing just as the moon is starting to dip behind the trees. Good. I’ll bet Katie will reveal more in the dark. Not sure why I know that, but I’m happy enough to work with it. I give her the job of stripping the smaller fluffy bits of the fir trees from the bigger branches. Not something I’d bother to do on my own, but she needs to keep busy and she’ll probably appreciate the extra padding.
“You don’t have a tent?” BB asks from near my elbow.
I grunt. “No. Tents are for sissies. And they show up too much. You won’t even be able to see this shelter by the time I’m done with it.”
“I wouldn’t be able to see a tent either,” she responds dryly, making me grin.
“Don’t wander off, BB. I’ll be done here in a sec.” I assemble the lean-to shelter from pure muscle memory and then toss in the pile of fir tips Katie collected. Down goes a ground sheet, another luxury item, and finally I make a small fire for dinner.
“Shouldn’t you put that in the fire pit?” Katie asks.
“We’re pretending here, BB. And I don’t want to walk all the way over there and back for everything.”
She giggles. “Okay. What exactly are we pretending?”
I frown in her direction. “That you’re having a real backcountry experience and not just a night of winter camping in the state park.”
“Yeah, about that… Shane? I really want to go all the way.”
That makes my head snap up. She didn’t just say…? No. She meant the Delta Tango compound. I sigh with relief. (Okay, maybe it’s more disappointment, but it shouldn’t be.)
“BB, I promised your brother I’d return you safe and sound.”
“And you will. I trust you.”
I sigh again and tell her straight, “You aren’t built for hiking sixty miles of deep snow in three days, baby. I’m sorry.”
But she’s not giving up. “Why do we have to hike? Can’t you rent a snowmobile?”
“Not and stay within the rules. No motorized vehicles past the town of Henderson. That’s what makes it a challenge. Otherwise, it’s just a winter vacation.”
“Oh.” Her entire body sort of curls in on itself with disappointment. I should let it go. Let her go, but I feel like I’ve kicked an innocent puppy. Again.
“Tell me why you want to go so bad.” I tug her in for a hug. She’s stiff for a long minute and then softens against me like she just can’t help herself.
“I really want an adventure. My life is safe and well, boring. Yours isn’t. I want to see some of what keeps you doing these crazy things. Plus, I’d really like to see that place in the mountains. It sounds magical, particularly half-buried in snow. But if you won’t take me, I don’t see how I can get there on my own. Or why they’d let me stay.”
I growl at that. I know exactly why they’d let her stay. A pretty thing like Katie? They’d be circling like sharks. “You stay away from men like that, baby. You’re too sweet and innocent.”
I can practically feel her roll her eyes. “What if I don’t want to be sweet and innocent anymore? Seems to me they’d be the perfect guys to teach me everything I want to know.”
That does it. With a growl, I scoop her up and set her down on the high trunk of a fallen tree on the edge of the campground. It means I can step between her legs and her eyes are finally level with mine. “You want to know something, you ask me, Katie. Understand?”
She shakes her head from side to side. “Not really. You’re half of the duo trying to fix me up with virginal shoe salesmen. How did you even find that guy?”
It takes me a long minute to piece together what the hell she’s talking about. “That was all on your brother. Now, what do you want to know?”
She shrugs and looks down and to the side. I tug her chin up with a rough finger. “Katie? What’s going on here?”
She’s mute, her eyes desperate not to meet mine. “Katie, is this leftover from that little crush you had years ago?”
“No!” She’s mad enough now to look at me. But she’s still not exactly telling the truth. Then again, neither am I and I’m about out of patience with myself, even though I know I’m going to regret this. “Know what I think, Baby? I think whatever you won’t tell me is related to your feelings for me. And you aren’t a kid anymore. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kiss you right now.” My tone is ominous, and she falters.
“Because it could ruin everything? And you’ll know all my secrets?” She sounds wistful, and it’s my undoing. My lips are on hers before I can stop myself. She freezes in my arms. I thought I was holding back, but when she goes completely still, I realize it wasn’t back far enough. I gentle my touch to a barely there caress.
Katie relaxes in my hands and her mouth finally opens with a soft sigh. I resist diving in with everything in me. Instead, increasing the pressure of my mouth on her just a fraction before pulling back completely.
“You were right, baby,” I say thoughtfully.
“It ruined everything?” She sounds so sad I drop a kiss on the top of her bent head.
“No, sweetness. I’m pretty sure I do know all your secrets now.”
Katie
I’m beyond mortified when Shane picks me up off the log where he placed me and sets me on my feet. There’s enough moonlight to move around cautiously, although Shane doesn’t seem to have any problems. We eat dinner, instant noodles with some pepperoni added, and some dried fruit, in silence. I can feel his eyes on me, but they’re speculative rather than judging. Still, I’m embarrassed and for the first time ever, I half wish I was alone so I could revisit that kiss in every exquisite detail. Shane actually kissed me!
He eats quickly and efficiently. When I finally nod to indicate that I’m done, he stands up and kicks in the fire. Then he carefully rinses our cups and utensils using minimal water before glancing my way again. He hands me a flashlight and a few folds of toilet paper. “Bathroom is behind that bush over there. Do not go any farther.”
I wrinkle my nose because that bush is less than twenty feet away. Shane gives me a warning glance that says arguing will be useless, so I reluctantly accept the light and tp and head behind the bush. An owl hoots nearby and convinces me that lingering isn’t going to help anything. I like nature but I think I prefer it with a side of fully functioning hotel room.
Shane is waiting for me when I return to his survival shelter, stripped down to his undershirt and not shivering in the slightest. I can’t help but stare as I hand him the flashlight. He flicks it off and stows it behind a rock at the base of the triangle opening of his lean-to made of boughs.
“Take off your coat, Katie, and go in feet first. When you’re in, roll to the narrow side as far as you can. You’ll have more space once I’m down.”
I nod and shiver in anticipation of the cold. I hand my coat to Shane. He’d already explained it would be warmer without it than having the insulation. Shimmying into the shelter isn’t the most graceful thing I’ve ever done and I’m not anything close to warm. Not until he scoots in behind me. Faster and without the smallest grunt. Then he’s pulling me tight against him and slightly over so I’m not even resting on the ground. His body heat stills my shivers almost immediately. Until he wants to talk.
“So BB, fill me in on all these boyfriends you’ve been going through like candy. Seems to me they don’t have much substance,” he says dryly, making me still. Does he know they’re fake? Probably, I groan to myself.
“What about them?” I ignore the elephant in the shelter with us. I do have my pride, after all.
“You’ve been disappearing whenever I see you to your flavor of the month, like you can’t keep your hands off of him. But that’s not what your lips told me tonight. So what gives?”
He sounds beyond confused but also stern enough that it’s clear he’s not going to let it go until he gets an answer that satisfies him.
“Fine. They’re imaginary boyfriends, alright?” I sigh and twist slightly so that maybe I can go to sleep.
“That much I’d figured out, baby. What I don’t understand is why. Why do you rush off if you don’t have somewhere to be? If you wanted to avoid me that bad, you wouldn’t be here right now,” he points out sensibly.
“This is different,” I mutter, and feel his chest rise with a chuckle.
“Damn straight, it is, BB. Now spill.” He positions his long fingers on my lower ribs in a clear threat. Shane knows where my tickle spots are and he doesn’t have to say a word to tell me he’s prepared to fight dirty.
“I ration you,” I mumble into his chest.
“You ration me?” he repeats with disbelief. Then he goes quiet, his hands still on my ribs but now softly stroking in soothing motions.
Finally he speaks. “Go to sleep, Katie. We’ll talk more about this in the morning.” He doesn’t mean it as a threat, but it sure feels like one. I grumble into his undershirt, my nose filled with his comforting scent, and let myself drift off despite my misgivings about letting down my guard.
5
Shane
Katie grew up when I wasn’t looking. Grew up to the point where she doesn’t think she can have what she so clearly wants. Rationing her time with me? That’s the sweetest and saddest thing I’ve ever heard from her. And as I lie here on the forest floor holding her in my arms and breathing her in, I have a decision to make. One that will change both our lives forever, whichever path I choose.
