Winter Prey

Chapter 38

Her coat hood had blown off during the ride, and she lifted her face to the huge, heavy snowflakes drifting down. Sticking out her tongue, she caught one and grinned in success. Scarlet barked at her, then tore off up the next road.

"No!" Kymbria yelled. "Not that way! We're going back!"

For a second, the setter obeyed, although her downcast expression as she trotted back to Kymbria indicated her displeasure.

"Sorry, sweetie..." Kymbria began just as the doe exploded from behind a brush pile and raced away. Scarlet yipped in excitement and dashed after it.

"No!" Kymbria yelled again as she revved the throttle and went after her dog.

At least Scarlet wasn't racing up the asphalt road, she thought as she dodged trees and kept the snowmobile on the deer trail through the woods. There wasn't much traffic this time of year, but a car topping a hill might jam on its brakes and slide into the dog before she could jump out of the way. She repeated her calls for Scarlet as she followed. Finally she saw a red flash ahead and halted the snowmobile. Tongue lolling, Scarlet scampered up to her.

"Bad dog," Kymbria scolded, although hard put to inflict a firm measure of censor in her voice. The setter's eyes shone with the joy of the chase and her tail waved at full banner.

"All right," Kymbria said with a laugh, then snapped her fingers. "Up behind me. I'm not taking a chance another deer will entice you."

The setter also enjoyed riding on the machines, and she didn't hesitate. She scrambled onto the seat behind Kymbria, then laid her head on Kymbria's shoulder so she could see where they were going. Kymbria U-turned on the path and headed back the way she'd come, slower now, so the dog wouldn't fall off.

Unable to hear another machine over the noise of her own engine, she and Caleb nearly plowed into each other on a curve. Luckily, she swerved left and he went right. Instead of stopping to face what she was sure would be an angry chastisement, Kymbria sped up and kept on going. Now she could hear the sound of the engine on Caleb's machine right behind her, but she didn't stop during the trip back to the cabin. She pulled into the garage. Caleb parked beside her.

She waited until Scarlet leapt off the seat before she dismounted, then slowly turned to face Caleb. Indeed, his eyes spat green flares of exasperation, but instead of what she expected him to say, he held out one of the helmets. "You forgot this," was all he said before he strode out of the garage.

Kymbria laid the helmet on the snowmobile seat, then went after him. He stood beside a huge pine tree on the far side of the cabin, staring out at the lake, shoulders tense beneath his heavy jacket and fists clenched in his gloves. As she slowly approached him, she said, "Scarlet chased a deer. I had to go after her."

"I know. I saw the tracks the deer left on the trail."

"Oh. Well, at least you believe me."

He turned. "I believe you. However, that didn't help my heartbeat as I came after you. I nearly choked on my fear, thinking that around each bend I was going to find you face-to-face with that fucking windigo. Maybe Scarlet in its jaws and you trying to free her! Goddamn it, Kymbria! Don't ever do that again!"

He yanked her to him, and initially, his mouth bruised hers in as much punishment as an attempt to share his anger. Within seconds, his kiss softened around a sigh and he kissed her more tenderly, fingers threading into her wind-blown hair. She lifted her arms and circled his neck, returning both the embrace and the kiss as she smoothed the tension knots in his neck muscles. Caleb gripped her head as one hand crept down her back. He grasped her hips and snugged her close to his hard erection as he drew back to stare down at her with eyes now smoky-green with desire.