decision not to use telemetry to keep tabs on these birds after they left the nest. Radio tracking could help researchers learn about the eagles’ habits, but Naomi disliked anything that might interfere with their normal behavior.
Yet at times like these, when she felt a kinship with the creatures she’d been studying, she longed for a way to trace their journey after they left this meadow. She thought she’d be able to recognize the parents if they returned next spring. The male had a scar above his right eye, and the female was missing one toe on her left claw. But even if the babies came back here, too, they would have changed drastically by then.
Lowering the binoculars, she set up her folding table and camp stool. Then she turned on her computer and checked the webcam feed. She hadn’t updated Professor Scranton recently, so she sent him a report and received an immediate and grateful response.
The guy could easily be in his nineties, and he had done his share of fieldwork in his day, but now health issues prevented him from doing the research for his paper. He’d told Naomi that her information provided the energy boost he needed to keep writing.
Even so, he’d urged her to take breaks and not neglect her normal life while observing the eagles. She’d assured him that at the moment, she didn’t have a particularly exciting life and would be happy to spend most of her time focused on the nest and its occupants. Of course, that had been before Luke Griffin had ridden under her tree.
But Luke didn’t want her to drop everything for him, even if she’d been so inclined. He actively wanted her to be involved in her career, because that guaranteed she wouldn’t become needy. She began to see the sense in what he’d been trying to tell her. He was a man for the new breed of independent women, of which she was definitely one.
An eagle’s shrill cry caught her attention. Raising her binoculars, she watched the female glide into the nest with another fish in her talons. Feeding time. Naomi grabbed her digital camera and took several shots. Then, using the webcam image, she sat at her computer and made rapid notes.
After the female left the nest again, Naomi scanned the area with her binoculars for no particular reason, except…a feeling. Something about the scenery had changed. The more she’d worked in the wild, the more her senses had sharpened, so maybe she’d known he was coming even before he’d appeared.
Through the powerful lens she watched Luke riding toward her, exactly as he had the day before. He had the same relaxed style, and although his shirt was a different plaid than the one he’d worn yesterday, he looked very much the same. But nothing was the same.
She lowered her binoculars, unwilling to spy on him today. He was no longer a hot stranger to ogle as a distraction from her research duties. He was Luke, the man she’d agreed to have sex with. And he was coming for her.
LUKE RODE INTO the clearing and wondered if she was watching him through her binoculars. He couldn’t remember ever starting an affair this way, where they’d discussed the issue and had come to the conclusion they’d go for it a good twelve hours before anything actually happened.
Usually the decision was made during a passionate make-out session, and there wasn’t much logic involved until later. After they’d had wild sex, he would gently explain his position on commitment, and because he’d chosen wisely, the woman in his arms would thank him for not expecting anything permanent.
Everything was different with Naomi, probably because they’d met out here, under the blue Wyoming sky, and he was fascinated by the nature of her work. In the past he’d hooked up with business types who’d been looking for a hot cowboy in a country-and-western bar. That had to be the source of the difference. His other lovers had come looking for someone like him.
When he’d heard about Naomi’s eagle research and her wildlife background, he’d been so intrigued that he’d made a point to connect with this interesting woman. That had put him in the unfamiliar position of trying to impress her. He seemed to have done a decent job so far. He couldn’t speak for her anticipation level, but the twelve hours since they’d decided to become lovers had ramped up his libido considerably.
Still, he might want to add some style to his entrance. Slapping his hat against Smudge’s rump, he urged the gelding into a gallop and cut across the meadow, heading straight for her tree.
He didn’t dare look up to see how she was taking this frontal assault, because he had to keep his attention on the terrain. Racing toward her wasn’t all that bright, perhaps, but it had chutzpah. A few yards shy of the platform, he reined in his horse in a spurt of dust.
Very showy, if he did say so. He kept a tight hold on Smudge, who was prancing and blowing like a stallion. Tilting his hat back with his thumb, he glanced up. “Howdy, ma’am.” He might sound casual, but his heart was pounding like crazy.
“Howdy, yourself.” Grinning, Naomi leaned over the railing. She looked adorable, with her hair in a high, flirty ponytail. “That was quite—”
“Stupid?”
“I was going to say dashing.”
“Dashing.” He squinted up at her. The sun created a halo around her blond hair, but he knew she was no angel. Desire tightened his groin. “That’s what I was going for. Dashing.”
“You achieved it. You looked like a Hollywood cowboy.”
“You should see me twirl my lariat.”
“I’d love to.”
He couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. The sunshine fell on her like a spotlight, turning her into a blonde princess. If he hadn’t pushed his horse into a gallop on the way over here, he could have ground-tied him and ascended to the platform as any decent Hollywood cowboy would do.
As the ache for her grew, he longed to climb that ladder and claim his prize. But Smudge needed a cooldown. And while Luke was at it, he might as well settle the horse into his temporary quarters.
“Are you coming up or do you want me to come down?”
“I’ll come up. Let me get Smudge sorted out first. How are the eagles?”
“Good. All seems to be well.”
“Excellent. I’ll be right back.” He clicked his tongue and guided Smudge around the tree and over toward her campsite. After walking the horse around the campsite awhile, Luke dismounted.
He’d come prepared for the duration, with supplies in two bulging saddlebags. Unsaddling Smudge, he put the saddle, blanket and bags over by Naomi’s tent. “Welcome to your home away from home, Smudge.” He replaced the horse’s bridle with a halter and led him down to the stream for a drink.
His promise to “be right back” might have been overly optimistic. Returning to the campsite, he tied Smudge to a tree while he found a good grazing area near the tent. Then he pulled a ground stake out of a saddlebag, along with a mallet, and planted the stake. Finally he transferred Smudge’s lead rope from the tree to the stake.
That should take care of the horse until tonight, but he understood why Naomi chose to hike out here instead of riding. A horse was one more thing to deal with. Still, he had limited time to be with her, and even with these few chores, he’d saved valuable minutes by riding instead of hiking.
After scratching Smudge’s neck and giving him a handful of carrots from his pocket, Luke walked down the path
