rested her head against an upward-jutting branch and closed her eyes. Now that the immediate danger was over, fatigue was setting in. She could use a nap almost as much as a change of clothes.
The rhythmic crunch of footsteps in dried leaves brought her fully alert. Tanner was twenty feet in front of her, closing the distance. Relief flitted across his features. “You looked like you’d fallen asleep.”
She matched his soft tone. “Almost. I only needed another couple of minutes. Along with a warm blanket.”
“I wish I could help with the blanket. But you probably shouldn’t sleep. I’m no doctor, but I know when someone has a head injury, you’re supposed to keep them awake.”
She frowned. “For how long?”
“Since I don’t know, we’ll go with ‘as long as possible.’”
“Great.”
“The good news is, I think I know how to keep us somewhat warm for the night.”
He held out a hand, and she let him pull her to her feet. After leading her a short distance away, he pointed. The ground sloped upward on each side, with a trough between. A good-size tree had fallen and lay across it at a sharp angle.
“We can burrow in under that dead hemlock. There’s already a thick bed of leaves. Since it hasn’t rained, it’s nice and dry. I’ll gather branches to block us in the rest of the way and keep out any unwanted guests.”
She almost asked him what he meant by “unwanted guests,” then decided she’d rather not know.
“We’ve also got water. Listen.”
She lifted her chin. Behind the rustle of leaves and buzz of insects, a trickle reached her from somewhere in the distance.
When they arrived at the little creek, she dropped to her knees. The water was cold and tasted so good. Too many hours had passed since she’d finished the bottle Tanner had given her.
After drinking their fill, they headed back. She helped him gather limbs, then watched as he positioned them, leaving a single opening protected by one of the hemlock’s branches. He completed the last of the work by moonlight. When he finished, her teeth were chattering.
“Let’s get you out of this night air.”
She dropped to her hands and knees, then crawled downhill to the trough. It was narrow, just wide enough for a single body. But it was plenty long enough to allow a respectable distance between them.
After choosing the space to the left, she stretched out on her back and nestled into the leaves. Moonlight shone through the branches overhead in tiny geometric shapes. It wasn’t any warmer inside than outside, but getting out of the nighttime breeze helped. Even the hard ground wasn’t that uncomfortable. Knowing Tanner, he’d probably added some extra cushion. But it was still going to be a long damp night. She crossed her arms over her torso, trying to ward off the chill.
As Tanner maneuvered his body into the shelter, alarms went off. She struggled to silence them. If any man deserved trust, Tanner did. But trust didn’t come easily in her current state. Maybe it didn’t come easily in her normal state, either.
“Are you warm enough?” His voice sounded close.
“Better.”
Still in a crawling position, he gathered some smaller hemlock branches he’d cut previously and reached over her head to lay them across her torso.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. If there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”
“Other than the blanket.”
“Other than the blanket.” His tone held a smile. Leaves crinkled and dried twigs cracked as he positioned himself a few feet away. There was nothing solid between them, but he was giving her space. A true gentleman.
She smiled into the darkness. “You did good today. What are you anyway? Ex-military? Survivalist? Former Boy Scout?”
He laughed. “None of the above. Why?”
“The way you’ve handled everything. Evading the bad guy. Getting us to safety. Putting this together. I’m impressed.” She shook her head. “I mean, who thinks to count rounds when they’re being shot at?”
He gave another soft chuckle. “I’m a cop, and I have a lot of outdoor hobbies.”
She lifted her brows, her interest piqued. “What kind of hobbies?”
“Camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking. And some other activities that aren’t so tame.”
“Like what?”
“Rock climbing, sandboarding, parasailing, white-water rafting. Class five, of course. There’s a group of four of us—three of us that do adventures together once or twice a year.”
“Three of you now?” She grinned. “Did you lose one?”
“We’ve got a backpacking trip planned for Colorado this summer, probably just Bryce and me. Colton’s occupied these days with a wife and kid.”
She frowned. He’d continued without acknowledging her question. Maybe something terrible really had happened to the fourth guy.
He proceeded to relay some of his experiences. Finally, he stopped. “I’m sorry, I’m monopolizing the conversation.”
“That’s okay. What consists of my life story right now, you’ve witnessed. So talk on.”
She enjoyed listening to him. His tales were interesting, his voice soothing, with a liquid smoothness and rich timbre. As he talked, her thoughts grew more random, and she drifted on the fringes of oblivion.
Tanner paused. “Hey, you’re not falling asleep, are you?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She didn’t open her eyes.
“Seriously. Wake up.”
She forced her eyes open. “Are you going to keep me awake all night?”
“I’m going to try.”
That probably wasn’t a bad idea. She needed to stay alert. For all she knew Tanner could be an ax murderer.
That’s not what she felt, though. The vibes she got from him were all positive.
But who was she to make that determination?
How could she trust her gut when she couldn’t even remember who she was?
The air was cold and damp. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get warm.
She drew her legs up, curling into a fetal position. It didn’t help. The damp chill had permeated every cell. When she reached for her comforter,
