Reaching For Normal Read online

  Her own steps were not only heavy but unsteady with the left foot landing more loudly.

  Shaking it off, Myla tried to stretch for more sounds. Bird calls were easy but soon she could identify branches creaking, pine needles brushing each other, and wings moving the air.

  The rumble was more movement than noise at first, like an echo traveling through the ground. She hadn’t a clue what would make a noise like that.

  She looked up to ask Sawyer, only to find him searching their surroundings with serious eyes. And serious hadn’t equaled good in a long time.

  Sawyer swore and grabbed Myla’s hand. “We need to get behind those trees up ahead. Hurry.”

  The urgency in his voice didn’t leave room for doubt so Myla didn’t waste time or energy asking questions. They were still a couple of dozen feet from the trees when Sawyer swore again and scooped her up into his side with one arm. While he raced for the trees, she looked behind them. And screamed.

  Something straight from a monster movie rushed at them. Like a twisted horse with mutant genes. And antlers. The better to gore you with my dear. Not as neutral as the beast who’d run her off the road a few days before, this one was half again as tall and nowhere near as benign.

  Snot and drool flew from its face as it hesitated for a moment and swung its head from side to side. With a nose the size of her own head, she’d bet he spotted them by smell not sight. And after the last twenty-four-hour fun-fest she probably smelled like road-kill.

  The gargoyle lowered its head in the universal sign of I’m going to kick your ass and Myla shoved at Sawyer. “Put me down and run.” A growl was her only answer as he tightened his grip on her and kept moving.

  Hooves thundered and the animal didn’t even slow down as it trampled a small tree. In moments it closed the distance and aimed for the middle of Sawyer’s back. Myla reached to shove the antlers away at the same moment that Sawyer dove to the ground with her wrapped in his arms. He rolled them and kept rolling until they banged into something.

  “Up, Myla. Come on.”

  This didn’t seem the right time to tell him to stop with that phrase. Instead, she shoved to her feet even as he pulled her up. Myla let out a yelp as the beast snorted behind them.

  Sawyer swore yet again and hauled her into another diving roll. Pine trees brushed against them and the ground shuddered as they were assaulted by noise.

  Crash. Scrapes. Cracks. Snorting.

  Branches fell on them, stabbed and scraped. When Myla whimpered, Sawyer’s arms tighten around her and he put his lips right beside her ear. “Don’t move. No sounds.”

  No worries.

  More crashes and breaks, more snow and branches fell on them. Myla wondered if it could hear her heartbeat, smell her terror.

  After a few moments, the noises slowed, faded, disappeared. Sawyer had her completely covered but even his heat wasn’t enough to stop the cold leeching into her body from the ground beneath her.

  Or maybe that was the fear.

  After long minutes of silence, Sawyer eased his head up. It took forever for him to do the full three hundred sixty degrees but he finally let out a long breath. “Looks like he’s gone.”

  He shoved back on his heels, dislodging much of the debris.

  “Are you sure?” Her voice trembled but Myla was pleased it hadn’t been scared completely out of her.

  “I’m sure.”

  “That was a moose, right? Why did it want to kill us? I didn’t think they ate people.”

  Sawyer’s chuckle was a little rough around the edges. At least she wasn’t the only one shaken up. “That was definitely a moose and they don’t eat people. I’ve never seen one that riled up. I don’t know what pissed him off but we were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “I thought the statues in town were bigger than life. The one I saw on the road that day was much smaller than that.”

  Sawyer’s eyes locked on her. “This was a bull and a big one. Hell of a rack on him. They’re normally gentle animals.”

  “Right. Gentle. He ran through those trees like they weren’t there. He’d have ground us into dust.” Her voice wobbled and Myla clamped her lips shut.

  Sawyer raised an eyebrow and watched her until she started to squirm. Her system was still in overdrive from the chase and she wanted to laugh, cry or kiss him.

  Something must have shown in her expression. “You doing okay?”

  “Me? I’m fine. You’re the one who was almost gored by the antlers of that thing. Did it get you?”

  “Nope. Not a scratch.”

  Myla nodded but the tears threatened anyway. She turned away from Sawyer to survey their surroundings and to grab a moment to compose herself. Her heart continued to race and she needed an outlet for the energy racing through her.

  She shoved at the branches and debris covering them and tried to move. The cozy little area seemed to shrink in on her and made breathing even more of a challenge.

  Out. Out. She had to get out.

  If the moose came back they’d be trapped. They had to get out.

  “Easy, Myla. Take it easy.”

  Myla shrugged off his hand and tried to wriggle out of the mess but Sawyer tugged her back. “Relax, we’re safe. No need to rush. Are you sure you’re not hurt.”

  Myla shook her head but didn’t waste energy on replying. The panic was overtaking her voice and her composure. She needed air.

  When she tried to push forward again, Sawyer simply wrapped his arms around her and tugged her back into his chest. He stilled her protests with soft words and hands that made her feel instantly safe.

  The hands and words calmed her inner-crazy and her inner-nympho roared to life.

  If his eyes hadn’t reflected her own desire, she might have been able to stop. She knew he wanted her just as she knew he didn’t want to want her.

  She should keep her hands and lips to herself.

  Sawyer’s eyes flicked down to her mouth. When he lowered his head slowly, she had lots of time to stop him, lots of time to turn away.

  No way. Myla was up for anything the man was willing to offer. His lips were cool when they brushed over hers but they warmed quickly as they teased and nipped and tasted.

  Myla traced his lips with her tongue and her entire body trembled. She was pretty sure it was hers.

  She leaned up as he closed in and their bodies crashed together. Heat flowed into her right through the layers of their winter clothing.

  Sawyer tilted her head with his hands and took the kiss deeper. Right down to her soul deeper.

  For about ten seconds.

  When he pulled back, that same shield covered his eyes. Myla wanted to scream. She deserved at least one kiss the man didn’t regret.

  “Adrenaline.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Adrenaline. After a scare like that, the body naturally looks for ways to expend the extra energy it generated.”

  The man sounded like he’d swallowed Wikipedia. “You’re blaming adrenaline for that kiss?” He nodded and ignored her laugh. “Seriously, Sawyer. That’s lame.”

  Sick of his kiss-and-run game, Myla shoved at him, causing broken branches and snow to shower them. Sawyer growled and turned his attention to clearing the brush off them. He yanked off his snowshoes and crawled out from under the trees. “Come on, we need to get moving.”

  The King of Avoidance strikes again.

  Myla moved to take off her own snowshoes, knowing it would make it easier to get out from under the tree. Fear rippled through her when she realized she was only wearing one.

  SAWYER stepped over shattered branches and limbs. The moose had taken down six trees in his drive to skewer them but his hoof prints were dainty as he meandered around saplings on his way out of the destruction.

  “Gentle creatures, my ass.” Myla’s voice was as shaky as her footsteps behind him. But she was upright, ready to take the next step.

  He wanted to hang on to his belief that she was a sleazy reporte
r out to twist his past and the deaths of his friends into something sordid. If he believed that, he didn’t have to deal with the emotions trying to burst past the wall he’d shoved them behind. He wasn’t sure he’d survive the onslaught.

  Better to hang on to pissed and suspicious. Or at least, to pretend. Better still to stop kissing the woman.

  Sawyer turned his attention back to the destruction surrounding them. “They usually are. Something had this one worked up.”

  Myla’s snort had his lips twitching until he thought about what might have started the moose on its rampage.

  Or who.

  That hadn’t been a mama moose protecting her baby. They hadn’t interrupted two males battling over a female.

  “We didn’t do anything to annoy it.” Myla’s voice was soft as she worked it through. He sighed, knowing she’d figure it out. “Did someone make it attack us?”

  He decided on a non-answer. “It’s a damn stupid way to attack someone.” Which meant it matched every last thing that had happened over the last few days. None of it made a lick of sense.

  Myla shuffled closer and the different cadence in her step had him checking her over. She was carrying one snowshoe and moving carefully. The other snowshoe was nowhere in sight. Her hair was wild around her head. No hat. He wondered if the moose was sporting a new antler warmer.

  “You hurt?”

  She shook her head, eyes moving over the landscape, searching for danger. Danger he hadn’t been able to save her from so far.

  “Wait here.” It was easy enough to follow the swath of destruction back to the trees and Sawyer jogged along looking for her snowshoe.

  He didn’t bother to hold back the string of curses when he found it bent and broken beyond repair. He gathered up the pieces and returned to Myla, keeping his senses wide open.

  Too little, too damn late.

  Myla gaped at the snowshoe. “Wow. That could have been my foot.” She swallowed hard. “Thanks for not letting him grind me into snowflakes.”

  It would be so much easier if she’d stop making him feel things. He nodded and took a deep breath.

  At least he could fix one thing. He yanked off his hat and settled it onto her head. She jerked back at his touch, then tugged the hat back off and held it out to him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Not enough. Not nearly enough.

  Instead of taking back the hat, he pulled up his hood. “For once, would you not argue and do as I ask? I’ve been living in the bush my whole life and I know what the hell I’m doing. Wear the damn hat, Myla.”

  For several seconds, Myla stood with her hand out and her mouth open. Finally, she rolled her eyes and put the hat on her head. She couldn’t even go along without a silent protest. It shouldn’t make him smile.

  Sawyer slid off his pack and unzipped it. Myla reached out and brushed her fingers over the snowshoe. “I’m sorry, Sawyer. He almost gored you because you had to carry me. You must want to dump me in the lake.”

  Sawyer laughed. “Honey, there are plenty of things I’d like to do to you but dumping you in the lake isn’t on the list.”

  Myla froze like an ice sculpture and stared at him for several seconds before the last words he expected tumbled from the lips he couldn’t stop thinking about. “Is sex on the list?”

  Sawyer was pretty sure his jaw dropped all the way to the snow. A deep flush covered Myla’s face and her wide eyes made him wonder if she’d meant to say that out loud.

  He was about to answer with a Hell, yes! when she spoke again. “I’m a virgin.”

  Sawyer was no more capable of responding to that statement than he was of sprouting wings.

  Myla’s flush deepened and she clamped her lips together as if to force the words to stay inside.

  He’d never slept with a virgin. Too much responsibility. Too much risk of getting feelings involved. And he didn’t do feelings. Not like that.

  Time to beat a strategic retreat.

  Myla’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times before the next words tumbled out. “I’m not looking for love. I just want to not be a virgin anymore. I want it to not be a big deal. I’d like your help. Unless you find me repulsive. Which I get.” She hauled in a deep breath while he continued his best SEAL statue routine.

  “Forget it. Forget I said anything at all. Blame it on the cold. Or terror. Or adrenaline.” She turned away from him and started walking. “Let’s keep moving. Which way?”

  Sawyer couldn’t unglue his feet for a few steps but he finally got his mouth working. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  “Seriously?”

  Myla threw up her hands and kept moving. “You’re not deaf or stupid so I’m going to assume the idea doesn’t interest you. No big deal. Forget it completely. Please. Let’s move.”

  Forgetting would be impossible. His brain had already conjured up about a dozen scenarios involving a very naked Myla. Nope. Not happening.

  “Turn forty-five degrees to your left.”

  He knew that was a jerk response but it was going to take more than a minute for him to process an answer. If he decided to answer at all.

  She was right. It was best to forget the whole thing.

  Virgin.

  A virgin who wanted no strings attached sex.

  Sounded perfect, except he knew those strings always showed up. And they’d likely strangle him.

  While Myla struggled through the snow, Sawyer stuffed the snowshoe away and slid on his pack. Time for a new subject. He might not be able to think about anything other than sex with Myla but he didn’t have to talk about it. “We’ll have to find the stream again.” Before whoever had spooked the moose found them. The ice wouldn’t be easy but it was the best option.

  Her sigh sounded like it had started at her toes.

  “It’s going to be fine, Myla but we’ve got to move. Head up that hill. We’ll have the best view from there.” Her skeptical look had him adding. “I should be able to spot signs of the stream from there. It’ll be easier going if you follow in my tracks. I wish I could adjust the snowshoes for you but your feet are too small. It’ll be easier once we hit the ice. Let me know if it’s too hard.”

  She nodded but he knew she wouldn’t. Hell, she hadn’t even looked at him yet.

  The top of the hill wasn’t a place he wanted to be, especially not with Myla. There wasn’t any cover and they’d be easy targets. He couldn’t protect her from all directions.

  Wind slapped into them as they crested the rise. Myla’s gait wasn’t steady and she let out a gasp as the colder air reached her. She pulled up her hood over her hat and yanked the string tight. When she started to pull off her mitts to tie it up, he waved her hands away and did it himself. He needed to get her to safety soon. Preferably before she collapsed.

  A quick survey showed a tight cluster of trees meandering in a line off to the right near the bottom of the next valley. Good sign.

  He took Myla’s elbow and helped her start down the hill. She flinched at the contact and kept her eyes lowered. The snow didn’t reach her knees but it slowed her down and he wanted her off the hill as quickly as possible. She batted at his hand. “I can do it. Stomp out a path for me if you want to be helpful.”

  So much for making her a smaller target if she was tucked into his side.

  A small flock of waxwings in a copse of trees gave him more hope. Where there were birds, there should be water nearby.

  When they were finally under the cover of trees, he slowed his pace and heard Myla take a deep breath behind him. “You think he was watching us?”

  Damn her quick brain. “Don’t know.” If he’d been watching, something else should have happened.

  There wasn’t anything Sawyer could do to erase their tracks from where the moose had attacked and the weather wasn’t helping. Too cold for snow and the wind was sneaky and bitter but not enough to whip enough snow around to cover their path. It would lead right to the stream. Anyone following would only
have two choices. Right or left. Right or wrong.

  Hoping the stream wasn’t going to loop around and head the other way, Saywer chose south and turned to help Myla step down to the stream.

  “You can tell me the plan, you know. I can take it.”

  “I’m figuring out you’re a lot tougher than you look.”

  Her quick grin was determined. She was going to help him out and act as if the virgin conversation had never happened.

  “So, let’s see if I’ve got it figured out. Wolf-killer-creepy-guy set a moose on us in a dumb attempt to get rid of us. Except we’re already in the middle of nowhere. And he destroyed our way of getting out. And he hasn’t killed us any of the dozens of times when he could have. How am I doing?”

  Sawyer shook his head. “That about sums it up. Just wish some of it made sense.”

  Myla nodded and then looked down at the stream. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to stay upright without the grippy things.”

  “You’ll be fine.” And she would. Lots of guts in a tiny package. He gestured her to go first. If the guy was behind them, he could at least protect their six.

  Over the next couple of hours, Myla’s pace slowed to little more than a shuffle and still no one had taken a pot shot at them. The wind had picked up along with some flurries but he wanted to find a safe place before they stopped to rest.

  It took him far too long to realize they’d entered a valley that sat only a mile or so from his trails. Finally.

  Myla kept walking, even after he’d called her name three times. Her entire focus was on putting one foot ahead of the other. He raised his voice and tried again. “Myla. Hold up.”

  She stopped and turned her head toward him, keeping her body facing forward. Too tired.

  Sawyer pulled off his backpack and pulled out the remaining food. There wasn’t a lot left but Myla needed fuel. He handed her the bag. “Eat.”

  “Only if you do.”

  Stubborn woman. Sawyer grabbed a few nuts and tossed them in his mouth then raised his eyebrow at her until she grabbed a handful for herself.