He grinned. “Fantastic sex, huh?”
But she was serious. “Why?”
For a moment, he was quiet, a thoughtful frown on his face. “I can’t stay here in Scarlet Springs, Win. You know that. But I do care about you. We have a connection. I know you’ve felt it, too. We might not be able to do anything with it, but it’s there. I can’t see what you’re going through without wanting to make it better. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“Yes.” Winona didn’t think she’d ever gotten this kind of honesty from a man—other than Chaska and her grandfather, of course.
No wonder she felt safe with Jason.
He deserved the same honesty from her.
She kissed a flat, brown nipple. “I care about you, too. No matter what happens, I’m going to remember tonight.”
“So will I.” He wrapped his arms around her, held her close, pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Sleep, angel.”
Winona closed her eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Jason woke at his phone’s first beep, reached for the damned thing, and shut off the alarm. He didn’t want to wake Winona.
She was sound asleep in his arms, curled up against his chest, peace on her face, the sight of her putting an ache in his chest.
He’d meant it when he’d said he cared about her. He’d only known her for a few days, but it seemed much longer. He was going to miss her when he returned to Sells.
You have only yourself to blame for that.
Fantastic sex, she’d said. It had been incredible for him, too. It was the first time in almost five years that he’d had sex with a woman other than Elena, and it had shown him what he’d been missing.
I want to please you.
Winona had such a generosity of spirit. Everything she did came from her heart. She was straightforward, genuine, honest.
Elena only cared about herself. She’d treated sex like a reward for good behavior, making Jason wait, using his attraction to her to get what she wanted. He’d been so blinded by lust that he’d seen only the package—the pretty face, the curvy body, the vivacious personality. He’d overlooked the excessive makeup, the fake nails, the obsession over new clothes and shoes, the selfishness, the manipulation.
The DEA did you a favor.
That was the truth.
Doing his best not to wake Winona, Jason got out of bed, grabbed his pajama bottoms off the floor, and tiptoed to his room, shutting the door behind him. He took a leak, washed up, and dressed in his warmest clothes, then grabbed his gear and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Nate and Jack were already there, coffee ready, scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns on the stove. While they ate, Nate went over the plan.
“Dad will stay here with the women and kids. You and I will take one of our UTVs in a horse trailer to the Forest Service parking area. A sheriff’s deputy is meeting us there. Then we’ll head up and see if you can pick up a trail from last night’s tracks.”
“That only works if this guy got onto the property the same way he did before.”
Jack poured himself another cup of coffee. “Our riders in the south pasture heard the four-wheeler last night. They formed a reception committee, but the poacher never showed himself. They figure he saw them and moved on.”
Jason found that interesting. “In that case, he probably did come in the same way. That indicates to me that he’s operating from a fixed position.”
Nate and Jack seemed to consider this.
Jack grinned. “I can’t tell you how grateful we are for your help.”
Jason drained his coffee. “From what I hear, you Wests are always there for the people of Scarlet Springs. I’m happy to help.”
They finished breakfast and were about to head out when Nate looked Jason over. “You’re going to need warmer gear.”
Five minutes later, Jason was wearing a spare pair of Nate’s long underwear, as well as a winter parka, a woolen hat, and warm gloves.
Nate nodded. “That’s better.”
Outside, the air was fresh and cold, the scent of snow mingling with pine, the first light of dawn spilling into the valley from the east. The ranch hands had already attached an extra-long horse trailer to Nate’s pickup. Nate opened the rear doors to show Jason the UTV strapped inside. Big enough to carry four people, it could definitely handle three adults plus gear.
Then he opened a side door that was closer to the front. “If we get cold and need to retreat to warm up, we can shelter in here.”
Inside, it was like a small camper, complete with a stove, a bathroom, and sleeping space. Best of all, it was heated.
Jason wouldn’t even ask how much that had cost.
They met Deputy Marcs at the parking lot. This time, she had a rifle, in addition to her sidearm. “I heard about what happened last night. Let’s catch this bastard.”
Nate backed the UTV out of the trailer, locked it up, and they piled on.
It was a bumpy half-hour ride to the creek.
Jason climbed out of the UTV and immediately saw what they were looking for—four-wheeler tracks with the flying chevron in the center. “He exited the road via the creek, heading straight up the creek bed. He’s on Forest Service land.”
They waited a few minutes while Deputy Marcs called this information into the Forest Service to let them know what was happening, then left the UTV and hiked into the snowy forest. The tracks were obvious and easy to follow, the snow a perfect canvas.
Jason stepped over the snow-covered trunk of a fallen pine, wind blowing snow from the branches high above them, cold flakes hitting his face. From somewhere overhead came the cry of a raven, the air fresh and crisp. “Look.”
Just ahead, the tracks left the creek bed and headed up the mountainside.
Instinctively, Jason stopped, looked uphill, trying to see through the trees. “I don’t like having the low ground.”
Nate walked up beside him, rifle in hand, very much still the Marine. “I don’t like it either. Keep your heads on a swivel, folks. Situational awareness.”
Then in the distance, Jason heard it—a low growl that turned into a howl.
It could only be a wolf.
Chapter 14
Winona woke with a smile on her face and stretched. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this relaxed or contented, her body languid, her mind empty. She rolled onto her side, hugged Jason’s pillow, and inhaled his scent, memories from the night running through her mind—the heat in Jason’s touch, the erotic sound of his moans, the sensation of him moving inside her.
Last night had been the best sex of her life.
There hadn’t been any of the awkwardness she associated with the first time with a new partner—the uncertainty, the clumsiness, the nervousness. Something about Jason had put her at ease. Maybe it was his confidence. Or perhaps he was just so damned good in bed that she hadn’t had time to be nervous.
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand, saw that it was already half past eight. She got up, took a quick shower, made the bed, and dressed. Then she opened her blinds and found herself staring at a landscape covered in white.
It was breathtaking—high peaks glittering white, pines and firs with snow on their branches, a bright blue sky.