began to move. It took them an almost comical amount of time to
get out of the tent. They were both stiff and sore and neither of them was what
anyone would describe as graceful under even the best of circumstances. When
Jack first crawled out of the tent, Casey wasn’t immediately in sight. He
stumbled to his feet, then scanned the area. The first thing he noticed was
that Casey’s tent was gone. So was all the gear she’d piled up beside it the
night before. As Skip headed for the coffee pot, Jack turned to look for the
horses. He spotted Casey there. She had the packhorse mostly loaded and all
three of the others saddled and ready to go. That dog of hers was sitting right
at her side, staring at Jack. After a moment, it turned to Casey and nudged
her. She dropped a hand to stroke his big head, then bent to say something. The
dog’s tail gave a single thump, then it rose onto its feet and turned to trot
off. When Jack turned his gaze back to Casey she was heading toward them. She nodded
to Jack, then turned to Skip.
“Morning.
How are you feeling?”
Skip
was clinging to the coffee cup in his hands like it was some kind of life-line.
“I’ve been better.”
She
gave him as friendly a smile as Jack had ever seen on her face. “Believe me,
you’ll be worse before it’s over.”
She
picked up the coffee pot and poured some of the liquid into the two other cups,
then handed one to Jack.
“What
about you?”
Jack
shrugged. “Stiff and sore, but otherwise okay.”
“Good.
We’ve got a long day ahead of us. You two get some coffee in you and clean
yourselves up as best you can. I’ll stow your tent and bedrolls in the
meantime.”
She sat
her coffee down and headed for their tent. Jack took the two bags she handed
him, his and Skip’s personal gear, then tried not to watch her as she rolled up
the sleeping bags they’d used the night before then set about tearing down the
tent with startling efficiency. It only took her a few minutes to get it taken
care of. She hauled it off to the packhorse and Jack finally took his eyes off
her when he felt a nudge on his arm. He turned to face Skip.
“There
some reason your eyes are glued to her?”
Jack
didn’t have a good answer. Not the sort of answer he knew Skip was asking for,
anyway. He shrugged. “I don’t see anything else I’d rather look at, do you?”
Skip
shot him a censuring frown. “I hope you’re joking.”
Jack
forced a smile to his lips as he nodded. Of course he was joking. He was too
experienced to let himself be distracted by anything. No matter how beautiful
Casey Nolan was, Jack wouldn’t dare to let it interfere with the job he was
there to do. And his curiosity about her was nothing more than a natural aspect
of his nature. If he wasn’t the sort of man who relished puzzle solving then he
would never have become a federal agent. She was one big puzzle that he
couldn’t help wanting to solve. That was why he had to force himself not to
stare at her. As she came to a stop in front of them, Jack let his eyes trail
up her body to her face. No way was he letting this woman distract him. Right.
And he was loving the idea of getting back on that horse, too.
Casey
hated to prod them but daylight was wasting and she was anxious to get moving.
The sooner she found this fugitive, the sooner she could forget all about
Special Agent Jack Hall and the way she felt when he was looking at her. Which,
she’d noticed, was more often than not. She didn’t want to think what that
might mean.
“I hate
to rush you boys, but we need to get going. Y’all have a few minutes to brush
your teeth and wash your faces while I tend to the fire and then we’ll be
leaving.”
She
pulled the coffee cups out of their hands and tossed the liquid into the fire
Jack realized she’d already allowed to die to mere embers. By the time Jack and
Skip had managed to take care of the most minimal hygienic needs, Casey was
calling them to mount up. Within minutes they
get out of the tent. They were both stiff and sore and neither of them was what
anyone would describe as graceful under even the best of circumstances. When
Jack first crawled out of the tent, Casey wasn’t immediately in sight. He
stumbled to his feet, then scanned the area. The first thing he noticed was
that Casey’s tent was gone. So was all the gear she’d piled up beside it the
night before. As Skip headed for the coffee pot, Jack turned to look for the
horses. He spotted Casey there. She had the packhorse mostly loaded and all
three of the others saddled and ready to go. That dog of hers was sitting right
at her side, staring at Jack. After a moment, it turned to Casey and nudged
her. She dropped a hand to stroke his big head, then bent to say something. The
dog’s tail gave a single thump, then it rose onto its feet and turned to trot
off. When Jack turned his gaze back to Casey she was heading toward them. She nodded
to Jack, then turned to Skip.
“Morning.
How are you feeling?”
Skip
was clinging to the coffee cup in his hands like it was some kind of life-line.
“I’ve been better.”
She
gave him as friendly a smile as Jack had ever seen on her face. “Believe me,
you’ll be worse before it’s over.”
She
picked up the coffee pot and poured some of the liquid into the two other cups,
then handed one to Jack.
“What
about you?”
Jack
shrugged. “Stiff and sore, but otherwise okay.”
“Good.
We’ve got a long day ahead of us. You two get some coffee in you and clean
yourselves up as best you can. I’ll stow your tent and bedrolls in the
meantime.”
She sat
her coffee down and headed for their tent. Jack took the two bags she handed
him, his and Skip’s personal gear, then tried not to watch her as she rolled up
the sleeping bags they’d used the night before then set about tearing down the
tent with startling efficiency. It only took her a few minutes to get it taken
care of. She hauled it off to the packhorse and Jack finally took his eyes off
her when he felt a nudge on his arm. He turned to face Skip.
“There
some reason your eyes are glued to her?”
Jack
didn’t have a good answer. Not the sort of answer he knew Skip was asking for,
anyway. He shrugged. “I don’t see anything else I’d rather look at, do you?”
Skip
shot him a censuring frown. “I hope you’re joking.”
Jack
forced a smile to his lips as he nodded. Of course he was joking. He was too
experienced to let himself be distracted by anything. No matter how beautiful
Casey Nolan was, Jack wouldn’t dare to let it interfere with the job he was
there to do. And his curiosity about her was nothing more than a natural aspect
of his nature. If he wasn’t the sort of man who relished puzzle solving then he
would never have become a federal agent. She was one big puzzle that he
couldn’t help wanting to solve. That was why he had to force himself not to
stare at her. As she came to a stop in front of them, Jack let his eyes trail
up her body to her face. No way was he letting this woman distract him. Right.
And he was loving the idea of getting back on that horse, too.
Casey
hated to prod them but daylight was wasting and she was anxious to get moving.
The sooner she found this fugitive, the sooner she could forget all about
Special Agent Jack Hall and the way she felt when he was looking at her. Which,
she’d noticed, was more often than not. She didn’t want to think what that
might mean.
“I hate
to rush you boys, but we need to get going. Y’all have a few minutes to brush
your teeth and wash your faces while I tend to the fire and then we’ll be
leaving.”
She
pulled the coffee cups out of their hands and tossed the liquid into the fire
Jack realized she’d already allowed to die to mere embers. By the time Jack and
Skip had managed to take care of the most minimal hygienic needs, Casey was
calling them to mount up. Within minutes they
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