over.” He held out his hand. “Climb on.”
Leah Keenan’s big brown eyes rounded. “You want me to ride with you?”
“Since I don’t have another mount, and I doubt you can keep up with me on foot, I’d say this is your only option.”
She squared her shoulders, bringing her height up to maybe five foot two. He’d always been attracted to tall, leggy women. Of course he couldn’t deny he’d noticed her shapely, petite body. At this stage in his celibate life any woman would spark his interest.
“Okay,” she relented. “We’ll start with the caves.”
After his reluctant nod, she marched toward the horse. He slipped his foot out of the stirrup, and she put her boot in, gripped his forearm, pulling herself up behind him. He had no doubt she was an experienced rider.
“All set?” he inquired.
“I’m set.” She grabbed the edge of the cantle on the saddle. “Head toward the hills. I know two caves there. I’m hoping he’s holed up in one of them instead of an abandoned mine.”
Holt tugged the reins to change Rusty’s direction. The transition didn’t go smoothly and Leah gasped and grabbed on to Holt to stay on the horse. He tried to ignore the feel of her hands on his waist, but her touch was like a brand burning into his skin. He found he’d missed it once they got on the trail and she released her hold.
“If you need to hold on…”
“I’ve ridden all my life, I think I can manage to stay on a horse.”
About twenty minutes later they finally reached the edge of the rocky hillside. Leah was eager to get off the horse. She was becoming far too aware of the close contact with this man.
“Stop here,” she called and dismounted before he could offer to help. She took off up the slight grade of the slope, feeling Holt behind her. She heard him slide in his leather sole boots, but wasn’t about to help him. He didn’t care about any lost kids. Let him keep up with her. She finally made it to the ledge, and kept going around the rock formation. Years disappeared recalling it had probably been since high school that she’d scaled this rocky terrain.
“Hey, wait up,” Holt called to her.
Leah stopped and waited as he came up beside her. For a city guy, he handled the climb like a local. Four months of ranch life had benefited Holt Rawlins in other ways, too. She couldn’t help but admire his developed shoulders and chest. Suddenly her breathing became a little rough and she quickly blamed it on the altitude.
“You can wait here if you’re claustrophobic,” she told him. “The space is kind of narrow.”
She couldn’t ignore the intensity in his green eyes. “Just lead the way.”
She walked around another group of rocks, made it to the other side where there was an entrance to a deep cave. She leaned down to make it through the opening. It was empty and there weren’t any traces of it recently being inhabited by a human.
“He’s not here,” she said disappointed.
Holt sighed and tipped his hat back. “So what’s next? Are you ready to give up?”
“No, I’m not giving up,” she insisted.
Leah marched out with Holt close behind her, too close. She continued her trek along the wide ledge for about thirty yards. She had hiked this area during her teenage years when she’d first taken up photography.
“How do you know about these caves?” Holt asked.
“I used to come here to take pictures. John told me as long as I stayed away from the old silver mines, he’d let me have the run of the place.” She paused and a breeze whipped at her hair as she looked around.
They were surrounded by the brilliant colors of the mountains. Above, a rich blue sky topped each peak, and below, a lush green meadow was spotted with cattle.
“Why did you stop?”
She glanced back at the man. “Just enjoying the view. Your view.”
“I don’t have time to stand around.”
She sighed. Save me from New Yorkers. “We’re almost there.” She went around another group of rocks to the entrance of another cave and she ducked inside the cool space. That’s where she saw several empty water bottles. Holt came around her and took his own inventory of empty food wrappers. “It looks like the kid is also a thief.”
Leah placed her hand on his arm. “Please, Holt. Your thief, as you call him, is only a boy.” She glanced around. “Look how he’s had to live.”
“He shouldn’t be living here.”
“Maybe he has nowhere else to go,” she insisted. “Have you ever thought about that? He’s a child and he’s living in a cave.” She blinked back sudden tears. “Looks like he has moved on anyway.”
For a split second she saw something in his eyes that gave her hope. Holt relented. “I won’t have a thief around.”
“You won’t. I’ll come back and find him.” She reached into her vest pocket and pulled out two energy bars and placed them on the log. “In case he returns here.” She walked out and Holt followed her.
They made their way down to the horse. “What did you mean you’ll be back?” he asked.
“The boy isn’t going to survive out here for long. The weather could change, and it could freeze. I can’t stop looking for him.”
“Okay, then come by the ranch and you can have your own mount.”
“So, you’ve changed your mind about the boy?”
“I’ve only decided it would be safer if he’s found.”
Well, Leah decided. This man might have a heart after all.
CHAPTER TWO
IN THE bedroom, later that evening, Leah sat on the bed with Morgan, reliving memories of their childhood.
“You’d still be stuck in that tree if I hadn’t found you and got you down,” her older sister told her.
“It would have been okay if I hadn’t got my jeans caught on the branch,” Leah recalled. “Mom wasn’t happy that I destroyed my new pants.”
“That wasn’t all she was worried about. It was your lack of fear. And now, you’re out there traveling from continent to continent.”
“I can take care of myself.” At least physically, Leah thought as pictures of forgotten kids flashed into her head. She shook them away. “Mom doesn’t need to worry.”
“As if she would ever stop,” Morgan said. “You’re her baby.”
Leah had felt secure in the arms of her family. Unlike her sisters, she couldn’t remember any life before coming to live in Destiny. She
